Personal Growth and Development – Page 3 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Help Wanted: Good Followers

Posted August 11, 2019
by admin

You have the blood of a great warrior. To lead, you must also learn to follow. – E.Y. Laster, Of Captivity & Kings

I once read the story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application that asked, “Are you a leader?” Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, “No,” and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: “Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.”

That story serves as a good reminder that while the calling and desire for leadership are as great as ever, there is also a need for good followers.

A misconception that I have observed over the years is that the two – leaders and followers have mutually exclusive roles. Either you are a leader or you are a follower. I don’t believe this to be true.

We tend to assign titles of a follower or a leader along hierarchical lines. The higher you are in the organizational structure the more one might look upon you as a leader. If you are lower on the ladder you may be labeled as a follower.

Here’s the truth of the matter: The person labeled or looked upon as the follower may be more of a leader than the one with the title. It’s a common misconception. In some situations, the follower can wield more influence as a follower than the leader with the title or higher position. At the end of the day, the one with the influence is the leader.

Organizations are successful because of the collaborative efforts of good leaders and good followers who set aside their egos, pecking orders, and turf wars to create what they couldn’t do by themselves.Organizations are successful because of the collaborative efforts of good leaders and good followers who set aside their egos, pecking orders, and turf wars to create what they couldn’t do by themselves. Click To Tweet

So what are some characteristics of good followers? Here are five worth considering.

A good follower puts the mission first

A good follower is all about advancing the mission of the organization. His focus is on how to achieve common goals and move the team forward. Their work ethic is unparalleled. Never take them for granted.

Good followers make good leaders because they are selfless. They understand that it’s not about them.

A good follower is highly loyal

Loyalty runs through the veins of good followers. They tend to be some of the most reliable and faithful people in your organization. It’s their work ethic and front-line presence that makes all the difference.

Good followers make good leaders because they know that without a culture built upon loyalty nothing else matters.

A good follower is service-minded

Good followers are valuable because they are also the ones who will go above and beyond the call of duty to serve their organization and people. These good followers are assets to your organization because they don’t wait around to be told something needs to be done – they do it.

Good followers make good leaders because they lead by example.

A good follower is an ideal team player

Ultimately, good followers are consummate team players. They are not driven by selfish ambitions. They fully embrace their role and desire to see others succeed. They don’t worry about who gets the credit. They know that every win moves the team forward.

Good followers make good leaders because they understand the power of teamwork.

Leaders and followers need each other. They need to embrace their interdependence because it’s how organizations work best. Leaders and followers need each other. They need to embrace their interdependence because it’s how organizations work best. Click To Tweet

If you are a follower in your organization you need to wholeheartedly embrace that role. You also need to own the dynamic leadership qualities you have that contribute to its success. We need good followers now more than ever.

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On Becoming a Natural Leader

Posted July 29, 2019
by admin

I yam what I yam and dats all that I yam – Popeye the Sailor Man

An insightful story is told of baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams. In his prime as a player in the 1940’s-50’s, he was known as a “natural hitter.” He was once was asked about this natural ability and replied, “There is no such thing as a natural-born hitter. I became a good hitter because I paid the price of constant practice, constant practice.”

Williams’ answer reveals the open secret as to what it means to become the best version of you. Practice. And just when you think you’ve got a handle on it – there’s more practice. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.

In leadership, especially among younger leaders, there’s a tendency or temptation to want to rush the process. They want to be at a place in leadership in two or three years that has taken 30 years for others. And while the motivation and desire are commendable, there are no shortcuts on the road to maturity.

Becoming a “natural” is about your daily disciplines. It’s all about paying attention to the small things along the way-things that if practiced regularly will make you a natural leader.

By no means is this an exhaustive list, but it’s a good starting point. This is not about resolving the debate of whether people are natural-born leaders or if they developed. There are some things that do come naturally for some people, and there are obviously some things that have to be developed. But what I am laying out here are some essentials. Let’s see how they resonate with you.

A natural leader has a servant’s heart

The highest form of leadership is not in what others do for you but in what you do for others. It’s not about you. Click To Tweet This attitude is developed not so much in our mindset, which is part of it, but more so in the attitude of our hearts. At the end of the day, it’s about what you give and contribute, not what you take.

The Daily Practice – Put others first.

A natural leader is a life-long learner

This should go without saying, but I’ll say it. Leaders are learners. Leaders are readers. Your growth and development is a lifelong journey. If you are not learning you are not growing. It’s just that simple. Click To Tweet

The Daily Practice – Never stop being a student. Read and learn every day.

A natural leader adapts to change

In life and in leadership, change is inevitable. A natural leader recognizes this and embraces it. It’s a given that not all change is what it’s cracked up to be and it’s also true that not all traditions are worth enshrining. But change is a constant and a natural leader will keep up.

The Daily Practice – Recognize change and embrace it. It will happen with or without you.

A natural leader has a positive attitude

In leadership, your attitude is everything. How you see your life, your work, and your influence is all connected to your attitude. How high, how far, and how well you make this journey all rests on the attitude you have. And as a leader, your attitude is often what others look to more than anything else. Guard it carefully.

The Daily Practice – Check your attitude at the door. Ask yourself – is my attitude today a good example for others to follow?

A natural leader is connected to faith

The practice of faith will vary for each of you. As a person of faith, I do not seek to impose my beliefs and views on anyone. I will simply say this – as a leader you can draw on your faith to keep you grounded, to keep you refreshed, and to give you courage and strength to fulfill your life’s mission.

The Daily Practice – Allow your faith to guide you, strengthen you, and inspire you on a daily basis.

No one ever mastered their trade or achieved greatness as an athlete, writer, or musician, etc.without putting in the time and countless hours of practice. It’s the same for you as a leader. If you want to be a natural leader, there are no shortcuts. Just practice, practice, practice.

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Embracing The Hard Things in Leadership

Posted July 22, 2019July 22, 2019
by admin

Never interrupt someone doing something you said couldn’t be done. – Amelia Earhart

This past week our nation and the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first moonwalk by Neil Armstrong.

Years before that historic moonwalk, President John F. Kennedy in a rousing speech at Rice University declared:

“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.”

Kennedy’s speech at Rice on September 12, 1962, was not the first time he referenced going to the moon or rallying the nation around this ambitious goal. He had done so the year before in a speech to Congress and was a driving force behind its realization even though he would not live to see it.

But for me, the most inspiring part of the speech was not the articulation of the goal of going to the moon. It was embracing that goal and others, “not because they are easy but because they are hard”. That, to me, was the inspiring challenge of a past generation, and is one we need to rediscover in ours. Embracing the hard.

The quest for many is the easy route – it’s the path of least resistance. Embracing the hard is, well, hard. It demands more of us – more than at times we feel we are capable of giving. Shakespeare put it this way, “ We know what we are, but know not what we may be”. Embracing who we may be means letting go of the easy and embracing the hard.

This is true in our personal lives and in our leadership. Embracing the seemingly impossible challenges and willfully opting for the hard paths flies in the face of conventional thinking. Consider these three perspectives:

The hard things in leadership: What it’s not

-Embracing the hard things in leadership is not about embracing hard things as if you have some martyr syndrome.

-It’s not blind ambition without regard to risks and sacrifices that will need to be made.

-It’s not making things hard, it’s doing hard things in a smart way.

The hard things in leadership: What it is

Ralph Martson said it this way, “Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations”. This is the secret to doing the hard things in leadership.

-It’s about raising expectations to such a high level that your people become passionate about wanting to do the hard things.

-It’s about redefining what success looks like. And it will never look the same again when you embrace the hard things.

-It’s about bringing out the best in ourselves and in others. Knowing what you are truly capable of achieving is not found in doing the easy things. Your leadership is not forged in the valley, but in the fire.

The hard things in leadership: The cost

Many Americans during the 60’s opposed the idea of sending a man to the moon. They argued that the money could be better spent on other things.

-The toll was great for those who worked on the Apollo mission. The divorce rate, in particular, was very high.

-When you choose to do the hard things in leadership versus the easy – it will come at a cost. Not everyone will take the journey with you.

-Some are comfortable being “settlers” – let them be.

-Some are just not willing to pay the price. Don’t let them dissuade you. You must do as Ben Horowitz suggested and “embrace the struggle”. When you do then a whole new world of possibilities opens up before you.

While it may go against the grain of the current way you think about leadership – embrace the hard things. You will be a better leader for it.

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The Power of Being in the Moment

Posted July 8, 2019July 8, 2019
by admin

So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34 (NET)

If you are at all familiar with the Enneagram, I am a type 7 – the entertaining optimist. Seven’s enjoy having variety and multiple choices to choose from. They do not like to be limited, restricted, or bored. They may be well rounded, affirming, and generous, or at their worst, they can be self-focused, an escapist, and have an insatiable appetite for excitement.

I make no apologies for being a seven. It’s who I am and I like it. I am very comfortable in my own skin. I like my adventurous lifestyle and all my worldwide travels. It’s been a heck of a ride so far.

The core fear of us type seven’s is being deprived, trapped in emotional pain, limited or bored, and missing out of something fun. And to this point, I get it. Click here to learn more about the enneagram.

This fear was put to the test not long ago when my wife and I joined up with a few other family members and took a cruise to Bermuda. Admittedly, I am the type who would rather just get on a plane, fly there, and spend my days on Bermuda as opposed to being trapped on a boat getting there.

For me, a cruise ship or an airplane is just a means to an end -the real adventure is being there! All I could envision on the ship was all the things I was missing out on on the island. I was a seven in distress!

But this recent experience reminded me of something very important. There’s a big difference between being there and being in the moment.

As a seven who likes adventure, I like being there – the doing, seeing and exploring, snorkeling, etc.

But there’s great power of allowing yourself to just be in the moment.

Regardless of your enneagram type (or DISC, Myers-Briggs, etc.), being in the moment is an essential quality that benefits you both personally and professionally. As a leader, here are a few reasons why it’s so important.

Being in the moment gives you perspective

When you allow yourself to be in the moment, you can slow down the pace and take in where you are, where you’ve been, and where you are going. It gives you time to process life and put it all in perspective. A busy life with no context, meaning, or purpose is not much more than a rat race. Click To Tweet There is a greater meaning and purpose to your life and it’s by being in the moment that you will discover it.

Being in the moment gives you the advantage of not making ill-timed decisions

If you are making fly-by-the seat-of-your-pants decisions, then you run the risk of making decisions that reflect it. It just makes you look undisciplined and careless. Being fully engaged in the moment forces you to be deliberate and intentional about today. Five years from now will take care of itself so never underestimate the power and necessity of the moment you have today. You won’t get it again. Click To Tweet

Being in the moment reminds you of what truly matters

Is it possible that we sometimes allow the “tyranny of the urgent” to get in the way of life’s most important moments? I think so. Being in the moment at that piano recital, Little League game, picnic at the park, etc. are the things that will ultimately give you the greatest satisfaction when it’s all said and done.

Being a seven is a challenge for me at times which is why I choose to be intentional about being in the moment. How about you? Have you discovered the power of being in the moment?

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Thriving Leadership in a Calloused World

Posted June 3, 2019
by admin

If you live in a graveyard too long you stop crying when someone dies. – Anon.

In addition to Mt. Rushmore, one of Gutzon Borglum’s great works as a sculptor is the head of Lincoln in the Capitol at Washington. He cut it from a large, square block of stone in his studio. One day, when the face of Lincoln was just becoming recognizable out of the stone, a young girl was visiting the studio with her parents. She looked at the half-done face of Lincoln, her eyes registering wonder and astonishment. She stared at the piece for a moment then ran to the sculptor. “Is that Abraham Lincoln?” she asked. “Yes.” “Well,” said the little girl, “how in the world did you know he was inside there?”

The question posed by that young girl is an appropriate one for the likes of sculptor Gutzon Borglum. His work is rightfully critiqued by the product he produces.

What about you? How would an outsider look upon your leadership and what observations would they make? What inward image do you project? The truth is: what’s on the inside will come out. It always does.

I’m at the age where it could be very easy to be cynical or calloused in my thinking. And quite honestly, some days it’s a challenge. Hang around in leadership long enough and you can get to the place where you have seen it all, heard it all, and there’s just not much that shocks you anymore. Can you relate?

Studies have shown that those in their first year in a new job are among the happiest in the organization. Contrast that with more tenured employees and you will find vastly different attitudes and opinions.

So how do you retain a healthy perspective as a leader and not become so calloused that you are no longer effective? It’s a challenge we all struggle with. Here are a few tips for your consideration.

Watch your attitude

Your attitude will make you or break you. It always has and it always will. You can come to a place over time that you feel no one is listening, no one wants to improve or change, and that there’s just no reason to be optimistic. Can you relate? This way of thinking can cause your attitude to sour and your leadership to be ineffective.

If you are going to thrive as a leader you must watch your attitude and remember that you are not responsible for other people’s attitudes and actions. You are only accountable for one. Yours. Guard your attitude at all costs. Click To Tweet

Be intentional about your inner circle

In as much as a bad attitude can be disastrous for you as a leader, so too can an inner circle filled with the wrong people. I absolutely believe that you need diversity in your circle. You need people who will inspire you, challenge you, question you, and bring out the best in you. It’s the sign of a smart and thriving leader. We all need people around us – younger and older – who see the world differently from us. But you don’t need the wrong people.

As a leader, you don’t need people with bad attitudes who bring drama; who are unwilling to change, are afraid to take risks, who protect the status quo, and who are afraid to speak the truth.If you want to thrive as a leader then you must be intentional and selective about your inner circle. Click To Tweet

Hold yourself accountable

We live in a world where cynicism and divisions run deep. As leaders, it can be easy to get sucked into all the negativity that surrounds us on a daily basis. We need trusted friends and advisors around us who can hold us accountable for wrong attitudes, actions, words, and behaviors. Click To Tweet The truth is, we all have blind spots and we need the help. I know I do.

Leadership is a marathon, not a 100-yard dash. So on your journey, keep your attitude strong, be intentional about your inner circle, and hold yourself accountable. You will be a better leader for it and your influence as a leader will be worth emulating.

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Have You Stayed Too Long?

Posted May 20, 2019May 23, 2019
by admin

Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later. – Og Mandino

A manager and a sales representative stood looking at a map on which colored pins indicated the company representative in each area. “I’m not going fire you Wilson,” the manager said, “but I’m loosening your pin just to emphasize the insecurity of your situation.”

Longevity in the workplace. It’s more of a challenge now than at any other time. I was thinking about this recently after having a conversation with a friend of mine who’s enjoyed a very successful career in the same profession he started out in. “I’m thinking about retiring in another year or two,” he said. “Then what?”, I inquired. “We’ll see,” he said, “but thirty years in the same job is enough.” Is it?

The dynamics of longevity in the workplace is changing. And for each generation, it looks different.

Writing for thebalancecareers, Alison Doyle provides some great insight into longevity in the workplace. Dean states, “ Fuzzy definitions aside, the average person changes jobs an average of 12 times during his or her career.”

What about you? What’s been your story?

Doyle continues, “Many workers spend five years or less in every job, so they devote more time and energy transitioning from one job to another. In January 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the median employee tenure was 4.3 years for men, and 4.0 years for women.”

With such high turnovers in the workplace, how do you know when it’s time to go or whether to stay? What factors drive the decision?

Can you still be effective in your chosen profession after being in the same job for 10, 20, 30 years? Absolutely! How do you know if you’ve been there too long? Here are a few warning signs to help you know if it’s time to go or if it’s simply time to recharge your batteries.

When your ideas are no longer relevant

One of the signs that maybe you’ve been around too long is that your ideas are no longer relevant or fresh. When the way you did things 20 years ago seems fine by you and you’re just stuck in the past, then it might be time to step aside or step up with some fresh thinking. Click To Tweet If you have no fresh ideas then it begs the question of whether your leadership is still relevant to the people you lead.

When change is not welcomed

Every smart leader knows how to adapt to change and welcomes it. To be sure, not every change will guarantee success, but it’s a guarantee that by never changing you will stay where you are. How open and receptive are you to new ideas? Do you seek out and welcome fresh ideas and new ways of doing things? So long as you have a mindset of “this is the way we’ve always done things,” then your leadership is stagnant and so is the health of your organization. Click To Tweet

When you stop growing

As a leader, your personal growth and development is your key to longevity. So long as you are learning, growing, and retain a growth mindset then you are can be just as relevant as you were the first day you walked in on the job. But when you stop growing and developing as a leader it becomes a sign that your influence is not as constructive as it once was.

When you protect tradition at the price of progress

This warning sign is the most difficult to own up to and can be the hardest to overcome. Your years of sacrifice and giving hasn’t come without cost. When you have given of yourself in unselfish ways it can be hard to admit that you may now be at a place where you are a guardian of the past and not a leader for the future. Some soul searching is in order. What tradition from the past are you holding onto at the expense of your future?

None of these warning signs have to be fatal. Your most useful and productive days can still be in front of you. But you must be honest with yourself and the people you lead to know just how long is too long.

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Four Attributes of Calm Leaders

Posted April 29, 2019
by admin

I’ve always had a duck personality. Calm above water, feet going crazy below. – K. Flay

A man in the supermarket was pushing a cart which contained, among other things, a screaming baby. As the man proceeded along the aisles, he kept repeating softly, “Keep calm, George. Don’t get excited, George. Don’t get excited, George. Don’t yell, George.”

A lady watching with admiration said to the man, “You are certainly to be commended for your patience in trying to quiet little George.”

“Lady,” he declared, “I’m George.”

As a leader, I’m sure you’ve had your moments when you felt like the man in the supermarket pushing the cart.

As a leader, you might be able to identify with Tom Welling who said, “I have so much chaos in my life, it’s become normal.” Can you relate?

Being a leader does not exempt you from chaos, stress, pressures, and the such. If anything, it might add to it.

But as a leader, your style and approach at such times are important. Others are looking to you to see how you react which in many ways determines how they will react.

Your leadership when times are tough will either cause people to lose hope and succumb to despair or it will instill hope and confidence. Click To Tweet In these times, your people need an example of the calming effect that your leadership can have. Here are four ways that happen.

Calm leaders see the big picture

Calm leaders are not rocked by every disruption that comes along. Short-sightedness tends to fuel the insecurities in people. A calm leader can exude confidence because they see the big picture and it’s with that understanding they can lead with a steady hand.

Calm leaders understand timing

One of the hardest things to learn as a leader is timing. We are people of action. Waiting is not necessarily a finer quality. But calm leaders have an intuition for timing. They know when it’s time to wait and when it’s time to act. The calming effect of timing within your organization and with your people can make a world of difference. Calm leaders can help avert a multitude of troubles just by understanding how timing impacts most every decision they make. Click To Tweet

Calm leaders challenge norms

Calm leaders tend to challenge norms and stretch others to grow in ways they are not often comfortable with. Call it what you will – human nature, gut reactions, etc., but many people react to things happening to them or around them in ways that only make matters worse. But a calm leader is processing. A calm leader brings peace to the storm, level-headed thinking, and challenges the norms that define the way things have always been done.

Calm leaders bring stability

Calm leaders bring a level of maturity and stability that is often lacking during turbulent times. Calm leaders know that their actions, attitudes, reactions, and thinking go a long way in determining successful outcomes.

Calm leaders are not passive leaders, nor are they passionless. Calm leaders are simply those who know how to harness the power of their intuition, experience, maturity, and wisdom to be a more effective leader. Click To Tweet

Strive to be a leader who, when everything around them seems to be in chaos, brings a calming presence to the situation. We could sure use more calm leaders.

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Hope For Discouraged Leaders

Posted April 22, 2019
by admin

If you are alive and breathing, you can still become everything God has created you to be. – Joel Osteen

In 1858 the Illinois legislature- using an obscure statute- sent Stephen A. Douglas to the U.S. Senate instead of Abraham Lincoln, although Lincoln had won the popular vote. When a sympathetic friend asked Lincoln how he felt, he said, “Like the boy who stubbed his toe: I am too big to cry and too badly hurt to laugh.”

If you hang around in leadership long enough you will know what discouragement feels like. I’m not trying to depress you but simply stating the obvious. Behind the glittering image and friendly smiles are leaders who face incredible pressures and shoulder responsibilities that can be daunting. Unfortunately, many leaders feel trapped with no one to talk with or vent to due to the “glittering image” that they feel compelled to present to the public.

Let’s be honest. Times of discouragement will come. How you react to it will make all the difference going forward. As a leader, you are not immune from troubles, in fact, you may have more. So how do you keep a proper perspective and come through it on the other side a better leader? Here are three reminders that you need to consider.

You are not alone

Life happens to all of us. It’s not always pretty. As a leader, you know this to be true. Disappointments come – you didn’t land that new client, a colleague betrayed you, sales are sluggish – you get the picture.

Here is what you need to know: your disappointment today is preparing you for great opportunities tomorrow. But there’s a catch. It all hinges on your attitude. While bad things can happen to good people; good people turn bad things into great opportunities. Click To Tweet

At a young age, Walt Disney easily could have been discouraged and given up. He was fired by the editor of a newspaper for “lacking ideas”. He could have taken his rejection and thrown in the towel. But if anything he used that experience to motivate him to greater things – and the rest, as they say, is history.

When times of disappoint and discouragement come, remember this truth – you are not alone.

You are stronger than you think

One truth I’ve learned over the years is this: you can be defined by life’s moments or you can define life’s moments. So how do you define life’s moments? You do so by choosing faith over fear, forgiveness over resentment, and by embracing God’s view of your life over man’s view. You don’t always have control over what comes your way but you can choose your path going forward. Click To Tweet

Thomas Edison experienced one of those defining moments in his career. His lab caught fire and was destroyed. All of his work went up in flames. To add insult to injury, his building was under-insured. It was a devastating and defining moment. How would he respond?

“There is great value in disaster,” said Edison, “all our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Edison did not choose the fire, but he did choose to define the moment.

Here is the truth to remember: We don’t like adversity and disappointments because we mistakenly believe that we can’t handle it. But I submit that you are stronger than you think and you can overcome any obstacle that comes your way. Are you ready to define your moment?

You are not defined by your past you are prepared by it

Every experience that you go through is preparation for what’s next. Along the way, you have gained valuable experience. Some of it has come easy while at other times you wish you could have a do-over. It’s all part of the learning curve. I’ve been there countless times and I dare say you have as well.

But if you want to move forward as a leader you have to learn to let go of the past – especially the bad and cut yourself some slack. What’s important is that you have learned your lessons, have peace in your heart and are stronger as a result.

Discouragement sets in when you see yourself through the lens of failure rather than through the lens of grace. Click To Tweet

Here is the truth you need to remember: you are not the sum of your fears or your mistakes. Your past is your boot camp and it has prepared you for such a time as this.

Times of discouragement will come. But the good news is- it will pass. Stay strong and be encouraged. You are not alone, you are strong, and you are prepared!

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False Reads and the Human Equation

Posted March 17, 2019March 17, 2019
by admin

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw

Not long ago, I went to see the doctor with chest pains. A few weeks before, I was down with the flu and couldn’t seem to shake the effects of a lingering and nagging cough. Thinking the cough was to blame for my chest pains, I went to the doctor in hopes of getting some relief.

Chest x rays came back clear but with a concerned look on her face, the doctor told me that my EKG came back abnormal. “Have you ever had a heart attack in the past?”, she asked with a stern face. “Not that I am aware of I shot back.” “Well, according to the EKG, it says you have, and your heart skips a lot.”

With a referral in hand, I was left to my imagination as to when I may have ever had a heart attack in my past and was I in danger of having another before I could see the heart doctor? Needless to say, it was a long week of waiting coupled with many unanswered questions.

The visit to the heart doctor put my concerns (and my imagination) to rest. Not only did a new and more sophisticated EKG reveal no sign of a previous heart attack, it actually showed a heart that is in pretty good shape. As it turns out, the doctor explained, my first EKG was read by a computer, not a human. The doctor simply read to me what the computer said.

This experience served as a reminder to me of the importance of the human equation in leadership. Whenever leaders are content to settle for what’s seen on the surface we can miss important things that make a big difference. Here are a few good lessons for leaders going forward.

False reads happen

Sometimes your first read on the situations you deal with and the people you lead are not accurate. There’s always more to what meets the eye than you can see at the moment. Don’t be too quick to make judgments. Your snap decisions and assessments can be wrong. Better to take your time in making judgments than having to go back and clean up messes you made because of a false read. Click To Tweet Doing so is a disservice to your people and a setback to your leadership.

Second opinions matter

Even the most well-intentioned leader can read situations wrong now and then. But a smart leader will surround him/herself with other leaders who have more knowledge in some situations that can be valuable. When in doubt, defer to others who can help you make more accurate assessments and decisions. This cuts down on unnecessary tensions and helps you avoid costly mistakes. Always give your people the benefit of the doubt and the benefit of your maturity.

Relationships make the difference

While both doctors who attended to me were concerned, only one took the time-plenty of time, to talk to me, ask questions, gather history, and thoroughly explain things to me that made sense and put me at ease.

Your skill as a leader is developed not as you try to place everyone in a box and where relationships don’t exist. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Click To Tweet

The human equation in leadership is as important as ever, if not more so. For all of our advancements in technology and communication, there’s just no substitute for building relationships the old fashioned way. It matters that much.

False reads happen to all of us. Second opinions strengthen us. Relationships empower us. Don’t ever underestimate the power of the human equation.

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The Face of Leadership

Posted February 24, 2019February 24, 2019
by admin

Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. – Brene’ Brown

Robert Louis Stevenson tells of a storm that caught a vessel off a rocky coast and threatened to drive it and its passengers to destruction. In the midst of the terror, one daring man, contrary to orders, went to the deck, made a dangerous passage to the pilot house and saw the steerman, at his post holding the wheel unwaveringly, and inch by inch, turning the ship out, once more, to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled. Then, the daring passenger went below and gave out a note of cheer: “I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well.”

This story is a great reminder of the power of leadership. Whether you serve in a large corporation, a small business, a nonprofit, of somewhere in-between, people look to its leadership not just for direction, but for a steady hand in the midst of the storm.

Check out most any list of essential qualities to be found in leaders today and more times than not you will find confidence and the ability to inspire others somewhere on the list. It’s that important. Click To Tweet

Think about the man in the story. He defied orders and he risked his life. But what he came away with made it all worthwhile. He was able to go back and with a cheer in his voice let the others know that they were going to be fine. Why? Because he saw the smiling face of the pilot.

There are a few leadership lessons for you from this story. Don’t underestimate them.

Perceptions matter

Normally, we try to steer clear of perceptions because it’s just too easy to mislead people. But as a leader, you must know that people (for better or worse) do look at you differently. The air of confidence and composure you give matters to people and you should be mindful of it.

Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react.” said Tom Landry, “If you’re in control, they’re in control.” This is why perceptions matter to you as a leader. Just know this – people are watching. What signals are they picking up from you?

People will ride out the storms with you if they trust you

Trust is essential to your leadership. It will make it or break it. People will stick by your side and weather the storms with you so long as they know they can trust you. Click To Tweet All it took for the man in the story to have hope was to see the expression on the face of the pilot to know that things were going to be fine. But in today’s culture, it’s going to take more than just the expression on your face to carry the day. You must earn trust.

Seth Godin was spot on when he said, “Earn trust, earn trust, earn trust. Then you can worry about the rest.” On good days, leadership is hard. You only complicate things if your people can’t look you in the eyes and know they can trust you.

Courage is contagious

When the daring passenger saw the smile on the face of the pilot, he went to the others with a cheerful heart to report the good news. In that brief exchange, courage was transferred from the steady hand of the pilot the frightful passengers below.

I think in our leadership circles at times we tend to overlook some of the basic fundamentals that translate to success. You don’t have to attend the latest conference or hire the most expensive leadership guru to tell you this. So I will. Courage is contagious. And when you display courageous leadership then your people will respond to it. Click To Tweet

John Maxwell says, “Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course,” and in your leadership – through the good times or in the storms, people will rely on you- not because you know how to steer the ship but because you are a leader they can trust.

The face of leadership should be one that gives confidence and courage not fear or retreat.

What is the face of your leadership?

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