Personal Growth – Page 5 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

What Lego Has Taught Me About Leadership

Posted January 2, 2023January 2, 2023
by admin

Creativity is seeing what everyone has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought – Albert Einstein

One of the Christmas gifts my wife and I gave to our oldest grandchild, Tyson, was a Star Wars lego set. I have to admit, it looked pretty awesome and at the age of six, I thought perhaps it would be more of a challenge for him to assemble.

Needless to say, he was very excited about this gift. And word back to us was that before the night was over, he had all but assembled it by himself. Indeed the force was with him.

We’ve come a long way from the early days of lego when I was a kid. Lego now releases more than 850 different sets each year.

I read a fascinating article at brickbucks.net about the production process for a lego set. It takes about 18-24 months for a Lego set to be produced which means sets that are released today were already in development long before they ever found out if the initial wave would be successful.

From a leadership perspective, I found this quite intriguing. Here are a few of my takeaways on leadership thanks to lego.

You have to risk failing if you want to succeed. Success is never guaranteed when you start out, but failure is a certainty if you don’t.
There are no limits to the creative forces of your team if you work together as a team.
Timing is everything. At lego, they are observing, anticipating, and preparing their releases that coincide with the release of movies, video games, theatrical releases, etc. Lego is out front with impeccable timing. Smart leaders understand the *law of timing.
Smaller can be better. A strategy that Lego has utilized in its marketing is appealing to smaller themes that might appeal to a particular audience such as Botanical themes, etc. The more specialized themes Lego makes available, the larger the audience becomes.

Think about your own leadership for a moment. In what ways can you afford to be more innovative? How well do you keep a pulse on your surroundings and how that impacts you as a leader? How well do you understand the significance of timing? Are you a catalyst for creative thinking and ideas or do you stand in the way of it?

These are the things that impact your leadership. And yes, often it’s the small things like a lego that can cause you to pause to think about such things. But if you’re ever stuck with your lego set, I know a kid who can help you.

Click here to read the Lego article
The Law of Timing – When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go. From John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

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The Centrality of Trust in Leadership

Posted November 30, 2022January 13, 2023
by admin

Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work. – Warren Bennis

There is an old story of a father who took his young son out and stood him on the railing of the back porch. He then went down, stood on the lawn, and encouraged the little fellow to jump into his arms. “I’ll catch you,” the father said confidently. After a lot of coaxing, the little boy finally made the leap. When he did, the father stepped back and let the child fall to the ground. He then picked his son up, dusted him off, and dried his tears.

“Let that be a lesson,” he said sternly, “Don’t ever trust anyone.”

While that’s a harsh way to teach a lesson about trust, the foundations of trust – what it is, what it means to be trustworthy, is something that needs to be taught at an early age.

An article in studyfinds.org found that the average American has five people in their life they have a strong relationship with and can lean on for anything. From finding someone who is trustworthy or a good listener to finding someone loyal, nearly three-quarters of respondents to a survey agree that strong partnerships help simplify the complexities of life.

While it may appear, at least on the surface, that most people have at least five people in their circle that they can trust or confide in – is the circle far-reaching enough to include the workplace and other areas critical to the success of a leader?

With trust as the focal point of your leadership, there is the potential for great opportunity and success. While trust does not guarantee this success, one thing is certain, there will never be success without it.

How then does a leader make trust the center point of his or her leadership? What does it look like? Why does it matter? Take these points into consideration.

Trust is an inside job first

In order to be a trusted leader, you first have to be trustworthy. Being trustworthy is an inside job. It’s the bedrock of your character and the needle of your moral compass. Trust is developed over time and is an integral part of your character development. Before you are a trusted leader externally, you first have to develop it on the inside. Click To Tweet

Trust is a validation

It’s commonly said that trust has to be earned. And while that is true in many respects, I see trust more as a validation that it’s been seen and observed over time, and has been recognized as a reliable character trait of the leader. When your trust has been validated by the people you lead, you now have the opportunity to lead them with a greater purpose.

Trust is verifiable

Making trust the central point in your leadership also makes it verifiable. Trust is validated not by your words but by your actions. As a leader, this is crucial. Nothing will cause your people to lose confidence in your leadership more than being unreliable and creating uncertainty in their minds about your ability to deliver on what you say. If trust is a validation of your leadership, it’s verified by your daily decisions and actions.

Trust is fragile

While no leader in good faith sets out to purposefully violate his or her trust, it must be handled with care. No leader is perfect and even the best mess up. Unrealistic expectations can be hard to manage, and trust is not exclusive to only the leader. Trust is a two-way street that all must be striving for and protect. The expectation of trust in the leader ought to be the standard for all. Click To Tweet

Final Thoughts

“Character makes trust possible, and trust is the foundation of leadership,” says John Maxwell. I agree. Trust is the glue that holds it all together and as a leader, it must take center stage in your leadership.

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Are You Listening?

Posted November 14, 2022January 13, 2023
by admin

There is a difference between listening and waiting your turn to speak – Simon Sinek

Dana Visneskie tells the story of a Native American and his friend in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the city were almost deafening.

Suddenly, the Native American said, “I hear a cricket.” His friend said, “What? You must be crazy. You couldn’t possibly hear a cricket in all this noise.”

“No, I’m sure of it, the Native American said. “I heard a cricket.” “That’s crazy,” said the friend.

The Native American listened carefully and then walked across the street to the big cement planter where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches, and sure enough, he located the cricket. His friend was utterly amazed. “That’s incredible,” said his friend. “You must have super-human ears!” “No,” said the Native American. “My ears are no different from yours. It all depends on what you’re listening for.”

It was not surprising to read in a Business News Daily article that in a study, 64% of 675 professional workers in the U.S. and Canada who were polled said that “leaders making decisions without seeking input” was the biggest problem. If that were not bad enough, the article added that 38% of respondents said that “leaders dismissing ideas without exploring those ideas” is the second biggest reason why people don’t take initiative.

And herein lies the problem – the disconnect if you will, between leaders who do not listen and why people are not more engaged in their work. If those in leadership simply do not listen or dismiss ideas out of hand, where is the incentive to be more engaged?

Consistently in any employee engagement survey or reading on the topic, it will almost always identify listening as one of the major concerns on the minds of its respondents – and rightfully so. Until we can get this right, it’s going to be hard to make tangible progress anywhere else.

So how can a leader develop this important skill and increase their influence regardless of where they serve? I believe it comes down to a few key concepts that when put into practice can pay great dividends.

Be proactive

A good leader will always listen to his or her people. But a proactive leader will initiate the conversations. A proactive leader has his finger on the pulse of the organization and will not sit back and wait for people to come to him, but will move toward the people.

A proactive leader is essentially a proactive listener. Click To TweetThis means that the leader is actively engaged with his or her people and sees this engagement as a means to better serve the organization.

Proactive leaders are asking and listening to questions such as: What can we do to improve our product or service? What can we do to improve our culture? What resources do you need? What happens if we don’t change? How can I help you?

By asking proactive questions you keep your pulse on what’s happening, what your people are thinking, and how to best serve them.

Be present

Your ability to listen is predicated by your ability to be present in the moment. This is done by being fully engaged and removing all distractions. By doing this, your people will know that they are important and that you are genuinely interested in what they have to say.

Leaders who are present in the moment and are actively listening stand to gain a lot of insight that would otherwise be missed. Leaders who are present are asking questions like: Currently, what is your greatest challenge? If you could change one thing, what would it be? As a team, do you believe that we are moving in the right direction? What do I need to know that I don’t? What are your growth goals and how can I help you achieve them?

Be prepared

As a leader, you need to be asking key questions of your people and listening. It’s not something that you do to appease your people and give the impression that you care only to walk away and not act on it. Your people do not need or want your lip service.

Leaders who listen should be prepared to act on what they’ve heard. The only thing worse than not being engaged and listening to your people is to have those conversations and not act on them. Click To Tweet As a leader, you need to be prepared to listen and then act.

Final Thoughts

Bryant H. McGill said, “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” And this will always be one of your greatest challenges as a leader. So make it a point to be proactive, be in the moment, and be prepared to act on what you’ve heard. You’ll be the better leader for it and your people will greatly appreciate it.

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Leadership Lessons From Mr. Bates

Posted October 17, 2022January 13, 2023
by admin

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. – Matthew 5:5

In the hit television series Downton Abbey – and in the subsequent movie, there is a character by the name of John Bates. He is the valet to Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham.

When Mr. Bates arrives he is not exactly welcomed by all the staff. He’s given the cold shoulder and it proves to be quite challenging at times. The staff does not believe that he is up for the challenges of the job as he has to use a cane due to injuries suffered in the Boer War. These challenges include having to climb stairs, carry luggage, serve trays of food, etc. In addition to all this, the butler – Thomas Carson has hoped to be promoted to valet himself and is offended to lose the job to “Long John Silver”.

To make matters worse, the staff severely mistreat him and looked for opportunities to embarrass him. They were known to kick his cane out from under him causing him to fall, or encouraging him to carry a tray that he can’t carry – causing him to drop it. The staff did all that they could to make his life miserable. Despite these setbacks, Mr. Bates refuses to criticize them or defend himself.

Quite some time goes by before the rest of the staff learn that Bates is an old friend and served Lord Grantham in the war and is where he received his leg injury.

While these antics take place in a television drama, is it too far removed from the dynamics of organizations where the culture is marked by jealousies, rivalries, and turf wars? Does it sound like a place that you are familiar with?

There are a few leadership lessons to be learned from Mr. Bates’ character and I’d like to explore a few of them with you.

You can be confident in the face of adversity

For Mr. Bates, the adversity was relentless and at times cruel. But he didn’t allow the way he was treated to be an excuse for not doing his job or doing his best.

Facing adversity is the price you pay for being a leader and humility is your leadership superpower. Humility is about having the courage to show up and be your best when everyone around you is being their worst. Click To Tweet When the adversity you face comes from those who ought to be in your corner it can sting, but you can be confident that you will ultimately outlast it.

You can set an example or make excuses

Mr. Bates’ leg injury came about while serving in the Boer War. While he didn’t let it stop him from performing his duties, it did make it harder. Those around him tried to exploit his condition and did all they could it make his challenges worse.

In your leadership, you will face obstacles, challenges, and even those who will overtly work against you. And it’s in these moments that your leadership metal will be tested. And in these moments you have choices to make. You can be an example or make excuses. You can serve with distinction or be distracted. You can walk in humility or stoop down to their level. As far as it depends on you – be an example of servant leadership.

You can pull rank or pull your weight

A good amount of time went by before the rest of the staff learned that Mr. Bates was indeed an old friend of the Earl of Grantham. It was a knowledge that, if Mr. Bates had shared, could very well have spared him much of the adversity that he endured. But that was not the path he chose in the beginning. Perhaps he wanted to make it known that he was the right person for the job not because of a connection but because of his qualification.

In leadership and especially in times of adversity, it will be tempting to pull rank and “put people in their place”. It’s a quick fix that is beneficial in the moment, but what about how it serves you in the long run?

The longer you hang around in leadership the more you will learn that you take on more responsibilities and lay aside your rights. Click To Tweet It’s not about taking the path of least resistance, it’s about taking the path of responsible leadership.

Final Thoughts

Life in leadership will always be filled with challenges. Seek to be a leader that is confident in the face of adversity, one that seeks to set an example, and one that pulls your own weight. The world needs this kind of leadership now more than ever.

Note to the Downton Abbey enthusiasts and critics- the leadership lessons that I pull here from Mr. Bates’s character are not meant to either embellish his character or gloss over any character flaw.

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7 Characteristics of a Teachable Leader – Part Two: Are You Teachable?

Posted October 10, 2022
by admin

Happiness is always on the other side of being teachable. – Shannon L. Alder

In part one of this series, I shared the story of a master martial artist who asked Bruce Less to teach him everything he knew about martial arts. Bruce held up two cups, both filled with liquid. “The first cup” Bruce said, “represents all your knowledge about martial arts. The second cup represents all my knowledge about martial arts. If you want to fill your cup with my knowledge, you must first empty your cup of your knowledge.”

And this is, in part, the secret to being a teachable leader. The significant point is that you must make space for new learning and applications in an ever-changing world.

In review, in part one of this series, I shared the roadblocks that prevent us from being teachable. Here they are: you don’t place value on personal growth, you become defensive, you don’t listen, you don’t seek out wise counsel, you deflect and compare yourself to others, and you’re stuck and haven’t grown as much as you can.

Any combination of the above can be detrimental to being teachable as a leader and prevent future growth. Let’s now take a look at seven characteristics that make you a teachable leader.

You’re humble

This is one of the most important characteristics of being teachable. Arrogance will close your mind, humility will open it. Humility allows you to see yourself in realistic terms. It enables you to recognize your limitations while empowering you to rise above them.

Humility causes you to recognize that there is always something new to learn, that there is always someone to learn from, and that being teachable is a matter of possessing the right attitude. Click To Tweet

You’re curious

Your curiosity, perhaps more than anything else, will cause you to be teachable. With curiosity, there is no limit to your learning. So long as you embrace curiosity the sky is the limit to your learning.

Walt Disney said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” What new paths are you on?

You’re proactive

There’s a big difference between the learning required of you – as in work-related continuing education- and the learning that you initiate. Part of being teachable is being proactive enough to see where you are and where you want to be and taking the initiative of the learning required to go there.

You’re open to correction

John Wooden said, “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” And the opposite is also true – a teachable leader is one who can receive correction without becoming defensive or resentful.

Being teachable is an act of humility and when received in the spirit in which it’s given (preferably done the right way), it can have lasting benefits to your leadership. Do you receive correction and seek to learn from it or do you resent it?

You’re OK with failing

Some might be surprised by my inclusion of failing on the list of characteristics of being teachable. But I think it’s a valuable piece of the learning and teaching process. Failure is the price of learning and much of our learning comes through failing. It’s the reason why we have to be comfortable with it.

We don’t embrace failure for the sake of making excuses and staying where we are. We embrace it because we are trying to move forward and be better tomorrow than we are today. Click To Tweet Being teachable is all about embracing those difficult moments and turning them into positives.

You’re discontent with the status quo

The more you learn and are able to translate that learning into practical workable applications to life, it will create within you discontent for where you are and it will increase your desire to learn even more.

This is an upside to being teachable in that you discover it has rewards and benefits that impact your leadership today and into the future. When you combine being teachable with being discontent it will take you to new places in your leadership.

You’re growing

This is the natural by-product of being a teachable leader – you’re growing. And your personal growth and development will translate into greater influence in ways you may never have imagined without it.

If you want to grow as a leader, increase your reach and impact, and become all that you were created to be, then you and I must always be teachable.

Are you a teachable leader?

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7 Characteristics of a Teachable Leader: Part One – Defining the Roadblocks

Posted October 3, 2022October 3, 2022
by admin

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. – John Wooden

A master martial artist asked Bruce Lee to teach him everything he knew about martial arts. Bruce held up two cups, both filled with liquid. “The first cup” Bruce said, “represents all your knowledge about martial arts. The second cup represents all my knowledge about martial arts. If you want to fill your cup with my knowledge, you must first empty your cup of your knowledge.” And this is, in part, the secret to being a teachable leader.

And let’s be honest, it’s not so much about emptying your cup of everything you’ve ever learned about leadership. But the more significant point is that you have to make space for new learning and for new applications in an ever-changing world.

The challenge with new leaders is found in believing that in a short amount of time you think you know all there is to know. The challenge for veteran leaders is in believing that you do. Click To Tweet So the obstacle, on one hand, is arrogance in thinking you know more than you do, and on the other is complacency in thinking there’s nothing more to learn.

Winston Churchill said, “The most important thing about education is appetite,” and this is the challenge for all leaders – to have the appetite and curiosity to keep learning and to be teachable.

Before I identify the seven characteristics of teachable leaders, I’d first like to explore the roadblocks that prevent it. Why is it that we resist being teachable and what are the consequences? In order to be teachable, we have to know what attitudes, actions, or behaviors keep us from being teachable. I’ve identified six for your consideration.

You don’t place value on personal growth

If you don’t value personal growth you will not invest in it. In other words, you are content with the amount of knowledge and skill that you have believing that it will carry you. You will never rise to the challenge of leading others if you first don’t rise to the challenge of leading and growing yourself. Leaders lead by example and if you are not teachable then don’t expect it from your people.

You become defensive

In teachable moments that you have – especially with mentors and those with more knowledge and experience, one sure sign of not being teachable is that you become defensive. And what happens plays out like this: you defend yourself rather than listen; you justify your actions and behaviors rather than correct them, and you put up walls. So long as you are defensive and not teachable, you forfeit the opportunity for a teachable moment and to be a better leader.

You don’t listen

A big part of being teachable as a leader is found in listening. The greatest quality of being teachable is not found in what you think you need to say but in what you need to hear. Click To Tweet Part of our defense mechanism is that we tend to not listen and we interrupt (especially when we are hearing unpleasant truths) when the most beneficial thing we can do is to be quiet and listen. Being teachable is a humbling process that requires us all to realize that learning never ends and that sometimes the most prudent thing to do is stop talking and listen.

You deflect and compare yourself to others

Another sign of not being a teachable leader is that you deflect and compare yourself to others. What does this deflection look like? You might say things like, – “but this person is not doing…” or compare yourself by saying something like, “at least I’m not like this person…” And here’s the rub – it’s unhealthy and it prevents you from being teachable. The measure of your leadership is not found in how you stack up and compare to the person next to you. You never elevate yourself as a leader - ever - by putting someone else down. Click To Tweet You are responsible for your own growth and development and it doesn’t happen by propping yourself up by putting others down.

You don’t seek out wise counsel

In my years in leadership, there’s one undeniable truth that I confront on a daily basis and it’s this – there is always something to learn from someone else. The more we learn the more we realize how much we don’t know and in order to improve we have to intentionally seek out wise counsel.

You’re stuck and have grown as much as you can

This perhaps is the saddest indication of all that that you are not a teachable leader. You are living under a self-imposed lid on your potential. And until you are willing to change, you will never reach it. So long as you are not teachable you’ve grown as much as you ever will.

Final Thoughts

Being a teachable leader is one of the greatest compliments to your leadership. But arrogance and pride can be your demise if you’re unwilling to learn. Next week In part two, I will share seven characteristics of teachable leaders.

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How Anxiety Impacts Your Leadership – Part Two: Stay Calm

Posted September 19, 2022September 20, 2022
by admin

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength. -Charles Spurgeon

In Part One of How Anxiety Impacts Your Leadership, I shared a story from the book by Tod Bolsinger entitled Canoeing the Mountains. In the book he shared the story of how when a herd of impala in the brutal African heat find a watering hole they rush to drink, crowding in, fearful of not getting enough water to sustain them. Suddenly, one impala raises his head on high alert. Immediately every other impala stops drinking and stands at attention. At that moment, every impala has a life-or-death decision: Is this a lion or not?

If there is a lion lurking near that spot and they don’t run, they become lion lunch. If there’s no lion lurking near the hole and they do run, they lose their place at the watering hole and could die of thirst.

If there is a lion and they run, or if there is no lion and they don’t run, they live another day. But all that matters is: Is that a lion or not? Everything in their impala being is focused on making that crucial life-and-death decision. Just like they do every day. Numerous times a day.

Part of what helps the impala make that decision is the herd energy, the animal anxiety that permeates the group and causes them to share listening, hearing, and deciding together. The key takeaway from part one is found in how the impala has to make this split-second decision of determining whether the threat is a lion or not. And translating that into leadership, are we making decisions based on fear or facts and whether the threats we sense are real or made up? These are critical decisions that have to be made and it’s important to your leadership and your team to get it right.

In our high-anxiety moments as leaders, much is riding on the decision-making process we engage in. As leaders, what are the one or two things that you can do to instill confidence and clarity in the moment? Here in part two, let me offer up a few suggestions.

Stay calm

We’ve heard this statement so much that sometimes I wonder if its true effect of it is lost on us. So what does stay calm really mean for you and me as leaders? Bolsinger defines it this way: “To stay calm is to be so aware of yourself that your response to the situation is not to the anxiety to the people around you but to the actual issue at hand.” And it’s when you are leading on this level that you know you are effective. When your actions as a leader do not raise or contribute to the level of anxiety of those around you, then you know you have a calming effect as a leader.

As a leader, you don’t want to make threats- whether real or perceived- any worse. You want to be able to lead your people with a steady hand and laser-like focus. This can only happen when you are calm on the inside and out.

Make better decisions

An obvious by-product of staying calm is your ability to make better decisions. Bolsigner’s perspective is: “For leaders, the point of calming down is not to feel better; it’s to make better decisions. It’s to make the best decisions for furthering the mission. When people are too hot, they don’t.”

And this is the point we have to remember; anxiety leads to poor decision-making. Whether that’s coming from the people you lead or you as the leader, it can derail the mission because bad decisions were made. Making good decisions is not about being lucky. It’s a result of smart intuitive leadership instincts developed over time and experience. Click To Tweet

Final Thoughts

In one way or another, anxiety is going to impact your leadership. When it does, you can channel that energy into something positive, lead from a place of calm and inner strength, make better decisions, and lead your team forward.

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How Anxiety Impacts Your Leadership – Part One: Is it a Lion or Not?

Posted September 12, 2022
by admin

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength. -Charles Spurgeon

In the book Canoeing the Mountains, Tod Bolsinger shares how when a herd of impala in the brutal African heat find a watering hole they rush to drink, crowding in, fearful of not getting enough water to sustain them. Suddenly, one impala raises his head in high alert. Immediately every other impala stops drinking and stands at attention. At that moment, every impala has a life-or-death decision to make: Is this a lion or not?

If there is a lion lurking near that hole and they don’t run, they become lion lunch. If there’s no lion lurking near the spot and they do run, they lose their place at the watering hole and could die of thirst.

Part of what helps the impala make that decision is the herd energy, the animal anxiety that permeates the group and causes them to share listening, hearing, and deciding together.

Over the course of the past few years, no doubt you’ve experienced a lot of anxiety. And hopefully, along the way, you’ve learned from it as well.

Here’s another observation from Bolsinger about anxiety. He writes, “Anxiety isn’t a bad thing; it’s a creaturely thing. It just is. We feel anxious when we are reacting to a threat, whether real or imagined. Sometimes the anxiety is a gift that tells us that something bad is threatening the clan.” Think “mama bear” parental instincts.

And so for all the desire to rid ourselves of anxiety, perhaps there is a greater purpose to discover. Here are a few questions for consideration.

Are you basing decisions on fear or facts?

As a leader, you need to be grounded in facts when making decisions. When fearful and anxious we tend to be more reactionary than normal. In those moments, access the threat – perceived or real, and then proceed

Is there really a threat or is it something made up?

It could be that the anxiety you feel is an actual threat that you need to deal with. But nothing could be worse for the health of your organization than wasting time and energy responding to a threat that was only the by-product of someone’s overactive imagination.

Your leadership instincts are important and knowing how anxiety impacts it is as well. You will lead people with varying degrees of anxiety and how they deal with it will also vary. Click To Tweet Here is a truth you need to remember – people who are overly anxious do not always make the best decisions. When facing high levels of anxiety, Bolsinger says that people will react in one of three ways: We fight, we flee, we freeze. We run from danger and leave the others to fight the lions alone. Or we capitulate and allow the herd to be overrun. We turn on each other instead of working together.

Final Thoughts

Your leadership instincts are important and knowing how anxiety impacts it is as well. Anxiety can devastate your leadership and your organization or you can learn to use it to your advantage. But one thing is unavoidable as a leader – you will deal with it. But one thing is unavoidable as a leader – you will deal with it. And in those moments when it really counts and so much is on the line – you will need to determine whether it’s a lion or not.

Next week in part two of this series, I will outline some practical steps you can take in your leadership to help those around you by not allowing anxiety to paralyze your organization or your leadership.

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The Priority of Time

Posted August 29, 2022
by admin

Guard well your spare moments. – Emerson

If you’ve ever taken one of those long international flights you know a thing or two about how changing multiple time zones messes with your body clock.

A few years back, I spent my summer in China. My departure out of the U.S. was on a 16-hour non-stop flight from Newark to Hong Kong. The adjustment during the first few days in China was not that difficult all things considered. But it took me about a week to get fully adjusted once I came home. Crossing back all those time zones, the loss of sleep, and reacquainting myself with my normal routine was challenging.

Time is our most precious commodity. It always has been and always will be. And in leadership and management circles, we hear a lot about “time management”. But, quite honestly, “time management” is a myth. All we can do is prioritize it.

Concerning time management, author Myers Barnes writes:

“Time management has nothing to do with the clock, but everything to do with organizing and controlling your participation in certain events that coordinate with the clock. Einstein understood time management is an oxymoron. It cannot be managed. You can’t save time, lose time, turn back the hands of time, or have more time tomorrow than today. Time is unemotional, uncontrolled, and unencumbered. It moves forward regardless of circumstances and, in the game of life, creates a level playing field for everyone.”

As a leader, how you “manage” time or better yet, set the priorities of how your time will be invested is of great importance. Jim Rohn was correct when he said, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” And this is your challenge as a leader.

I’d like to share a few things that I’ve learned over the years on this topic in hopes that they will add value to you on your leadership journey.

I had to learn the myth that everything matters equally

I learned this principle from Gary Keller’s book, The One Thing. In it, he writes: “When everything feels urgent and important, everything seems equal. We become active and busy but this doesn’t actually move us any closer to success. Activity is often unrelated to productivity, and busyness rarely takes care of business.” And this is such a necessary thing to learn in leadership.

Keller makes the case that a to-do list can easily lead you astray. More times than not, it’s simply the things you think you need to do; which often is nothing more than the first thing you thought of. Keller adds, “If your to-do list contains everything, then it’s probably taking you everywhere but where you really need to go.” In short, the most menial thing on your to-do list is not equal to the most important thing. Stop buying into the myth that all things are equal. They’re not. As Keller recommends, in place of a “to do” list, make a success list. It will change your mindset and your focus.

I had to learn that I choose my life by how I spend my time

I learned this very important principle from John Maxwell. In his book, Today Matters, he writes, “If you’re over the age of twenty-one, your life is what you’re making it. To change your life, you need to change your priorities.”

The playing field with time is level. We all get the same amount regardless of who we are. The priorities you set determine how your time is used. Changing our approach to our days makes all the difference between time well spent or time wasted. Maxwell framed it in three questions that are quite useful.

What is required of me? When ordering priorities, always start with the requirement question and give it careful thought before moving on to the next question.
What gives me the greatest return? As you grow as a leader, you will discover that there are some things that will give you a greater return than others. What are they?
What gives me the greatest reward? If you only do what you must and what is effective, you will be highly productive, but you may not be content. It’s important to consider what gives you personal satisfaction. But don’t get these questions out of order.

Final Thoughts

As leaders, we have to understand that we can’t, and shouldn’t, do everything. And this is why establishing your priorities is so important. You have to be your own timekeeper. Your time is too valuable to relinquish to someone else.

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Focus On Choices, Not Conditions

Posted August 22, 2022August 22, 2022
by admin

May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. – Nelson Mandela

“When I was a young boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song,” tenor Luciano Pavarotti relates. “He urged me to work hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teacher’s college. On graduating, I asked my father, ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’ “Luciano,’ my father replied, ‘If you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.’

“I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance, and it took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book-whatever we choose- we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that’s the key. Choose one chair.”

The lesson from Pavorotti is timeless. In life as in leadership, we must be focused and choose our one chair wisely.

The most common problem that many of us have when things go wrong is that we tend to focus on the wrong thing. By nature, we tend to look at the conditions around us. And the more we focus on the conditions around us – the problems and the circumstances, we lose focus on what matters most in those moments – choices.

When we are focused on the conditions around us, we tend to be reactionary. When we focus on choices, we tend to think in terms of values. Click To Tweet It’s when you respond to conditions on the ground through the lens of your values that you demonstrate your leadership skill.

In your leadership, you will regularly face the decision to focus on choices or conditions. John Maxwell put it this way, “Those who focus on the external expect conditions to determine whether they keep their commitments. Because conditions are so transitory, their commitment level changes like the wind.”

In contrast, Maxwell adds, “People who base their actions on the internal usually focus on the choices. Each choice is a crossroad, one that will either confirm or compromise their commitments.” And he identifies three ways to recognize when you come to that crossroad.

A personal decision is required

When you come to your crossroad, you will have to make a personal decision as a leader. Every leader does. And at this moment you must choose to make it based on commitments or conditions.

Know this: Conditions change but commitments remain. Your leadership will ultimately be defined by the choices you make.

The decision will likely cost you something

Every crossroad and every decision carries with it a cost. You will pay a price for your commitments and you will pay a price for your comforts. One is about your short-term benefit, the other is the long game. Click To Tweet

Know this: Each choice you make is a reflection of the maturity of your leadership.

Others will likely be influenced by it

There’s no question that every choice you make will influence others. As a leader, there’s no way around it. With this in mind, think in terms of not what is best for you but how your choice will impact those around you. Every choice has a consequence and every choice is an opportunity to add value to those around you.

Know this: Each choice you make is a reflection of your influence and ultimately your legacy.

Final Thoughts

Choices or conditions. Every day you will be confronted with them. Where’s your focus? Are you consumed with the problem or are you leading with choices that provide solutions? This is not a new thing to leadership, but if you’re new to leadership, you will need to get this figured out. Choose wisely.

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