personal leadership development – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

7 Things You Do That Your Leader Can’t Stand

Posted January 28, 2019January 28, 2019
by admin

The cost of leadership is self-interest. – Simon Sinek

In this space last week, I wrote about The 7 Things You Do as a Leader Your Team Can’t Stand. It was an attempt to pull back the curtain and look at the things that you do as a leader your people struggle with.

As promised, this week the script is flipped. It’s time to take a look at the things that people in the organization do that the leader can’t stand. It’s only fair considering the number of people who at one time or another have said they work for an idiot.

Keep in mind, the observations from this article including the one from last week are not designed to be used as ammunition to go after one another. It’s designed to put into context the necessity of a greater conversation that’s needed. Next week, I will devote this space to how both sides can come together, work through these issues, and be a stronger organization.

So what are the seven things you do that your leader can’t stand? Just like last week, this isn’t an exhaustive list but represents some of the more common ones.

You are not a team player

This one thing will irritate your leader quicker than anything else. When the reality or the perception is that you do what you do more for the benefit of yourself than for the benefit of the team it will rub your leader the wrong way. You have little credibility when railing against your organization or leader when all of your actions demonstrate that you are using them for your own gain. Team players lift their leader, their peers, and thus, the entire organization. Click To Tweet

Your leader can’t stand your self-centeredness.

You play politics

When you elect to engage in the office politics game it’s a demonstration that you have lost your focus and calls your motives into question. What your leader needs is not your skill at manipulating others but your ability to empower others. Your leader needs people on the team who are more concerned with reaching their goals and lifting those around them to do the same. Playing politics to get your way or get ahead is the lowest form of leadership.

Your leader can’t stand you stirring up dissension.

You point out problems, provide no solutions

I’ve yet to find a perfect organization. Chances are, yours isn’t one of them. But if all you do is point out problems without providing solutions it can be a force of frustration for your leader. Henry Ford said it well, “Don’t find fault, find a remedy.” The next time you have a problem to take to your leader be sure to take a few solutions with you. Simply pointing out a problem means little if you are not willing to be a part of the solution. Click To Tweet

Your leader can’t stand you griping about things you’re not willing to fix.

You don’t go above and beyond what’s required

The ability of your organization to move beyond the level of mediocrity rests with its people willing to go the extra mile to make it happen. But whenever people are not willing to embrace an above and beyond work ethic, it will be hard to rise above that level of mediocrity. So long as people are content to show up and do the minimum amount of work in order to get a paycheck, it will always be a struggle to move your organization forward. Click To Tweet

Your leader can’t stand people who only give minimal effort.

You are not willing to take risks, you play it safe

This is not about taking reckless risks or behaviors that would otherwise put the organizations in jeopardy. But it does demonstrate that you are willing to think outside the box, that you are open to creative solutions, and that you take nothing for granted in terms of where the organization is and where it expects to go. Yet when you had rather play it safe and avoid risks’ then you are not moving the ball forward.

Your leader can’t stand small thinking.

You stop growing and learning

No matter how good you are at doing what you do, there will always be room for improvement and something to learn. As John Maxwell said, “No matter how much it costs you to keep growing and learning, the cost of doing nothing is greater.” What signal does it send to your leader when you stop growing and learning? What do you think he or she thinks of your capacity to be a future leader in your organization if you are not growing and learning?

Your leader can’t stand your limited thinking.

You don’t lead yourself well

In the final analysis, your ability to lead yourself is what matters. You must take responsibility for your personal growth and development. Before fixing everything around you, you must fix what’s wrong within you. So long as you are not leading yourself well you will never rise to a level of effectively leading those around you. Click To Tweet When you invest in your leadership you invest in your future. If your leader sees that you can’t lead yourself then what motivation does he or she have elevating you beyond where you are now?

Your leader can’t stand you not growing as a leader

Now that the 7 things have been named and brought to light on both sides, next week I will look at win-win solutions. It’s time for some conversations. I invite you to join in.

Resources I recommend:

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni

Order it here from Amazon

The Five Levels of Leadership by John Maxwell

Order it here from Amazon

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Embracing The Leadership Process

Posted September 8, 2017
by dougdickerson

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. – Jack Welch

For the baseball fan, everyone is familiar with the great Ted Williams, the Hall of Famer from the Boston Red Sox. Known as “the slugger”, he was once asked about his ‘natural ability” to hit the ball. He’s said to have 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.”

For the leader, Williams’ answer is an accurate summation of what good leadership looks like. It’s about stepping up to the plate, it’s about the daily grind of practice. In short, it’s about commitment. It’s all about embracing the process.

But for many aspiring leaders and even for those who’ve been around a while, the process is the pitfall.

Writing in the book Rooted – The Hidden Places Where God Develops Us, author Banning Liebscher makes this observation:

“God always develops us before He develops our vision. If we don’t understand this, we will resist Him, get frustrated, and ultimately end up disappointed and disillusioned. But if we expect and embrace God’s root-building process in our lives, guess what? We will not only set ourselves up for success, but we will set ourselves up to thrive in that process. So let’s embrace the process.”

While specifically addressing the development of your faith, this principle is transferable and speaks volumes about the leadership process.

When we short-circuit the leadership process we cause harm to ourselves, and to those we are trying to lead. We want to avoid, rush past, or skirt the teachable moments – moments that could be unpleasant perhaps, but in doing so, we fail to properly develop the leadership skills that come with it. The result? We tend to move up as leaders with deficiencies in key leadership skills we need. So what’s the solution? Embrace the leadership process.

Here are a few leadership skills that you will not want to rush in their development. In fact, most of these will be ongoing over the long haul of your leadership. Here are just a few of them.

Embrace the process of reflection and reading

The truth be told, this is a skillset in leadership that you will always carry with you. Developing this skill in the formative years will serve you well in the latter years. Make the time to read, reflect, and expand your horizons. The old adage is true, “leaders are readers”, and leaders are always learning. I will add that prayer is an essential ingredient to the development of this skill set. Mark Batterson summed it up this way, “One God idea is worth more than a thousand good ideas’.

Embrace the process of time management

Jim Rohn was spot on when he said, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you,” and you must embrace the process of learning this skill. There are many tools and technologies to help you with the implementation of this skill, but ultimately it’s a discipline you have to master and I don’t think there’s an app for that. It’s on you. Time management is too crucial to your success as a leader so embrace it quick.

Embrace the process of conflict resolution

Most people I know avoid conflict. They avoid it at all costs. But if you are going to succeed as a leader, you must learn and develop this delicate but essential leadership skill. You will have to dig deep to pull off sharp conflict resolution skills such as its timing, knowing what to say, what not to say, tone, and moving toward your desired outcomes. As a leader, you will need this skill. Embrace it and learn it.

Embrace the process of people skills

It’s been said in many ways and by numerous people – people are your most appreciable asset. Simply put, no shortcuts are allowed in the process of developing your people skills. It will make you or break you as a leader. If you don’t fully embrace the process of learning and developing your people skills, you are setting yourself up for failure. How smart and talented you are mean little if you don’t know how to treat your people and if they don’t respect or trust you.

Embrace the process of personal growth and development

All of these skills that I have presented, and more, all about your personal growth development as a leader. But know this, first and foremost leadership is an inside job. You must learn to lead yourself before attempting to lead others. This is why the process must be embraced.

Leaders are not grown overnight. It takes time. It’s a lifelong commitment to learning and growing. School is always in session for the leader. Embrace the process!

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Leadership Minute: Redirect Your Rejection

Posted October 27, 2014
by admin

As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better. – Steve Maraboli

On your leadership journey you will experience setbacks, failures, and rejection. Am I a pessimist? Not at all. How you react to these experiences that will surely come your way is what will set you apart from the want-to-be leader who sulks in his or her self-pity and the one who will learn and grow from it. Every obstacle you face introduces you to who you really are. For that you can be thankful. What you choose to do with it going forward is up to you. Will you sit and sulk, or will you rise to the occasion, roll up your sleeves, and work even harder? Obstacles and rejections are merely stepping stones to something great if you will change your attitude and not take rejection personal. Redirect your rejection and use it for something good. The outcome is up to you.

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Leadership Minute: Set Your Course

Posted September 30, 2014
by admin

Among the safe courses, the safest of all is to doubt. – Spanish Proverb

Let’s be honest; all successful leaders starting out have their doubts. Whether those doubts about the future and their goals are self-inflicted or placed upon them by someone else, every leader has doubts. You know the doubts I speak of: Am I qualified? What happens if I fail? What will people say or think if I fall short? Well, hang around long enough in leadership and you will no doubt hear those sentiments. The question is not whether you will have doubts but what you will do with them. The key is not to be defined by your doubts or doubters but to set your course and not look back, neither to the left nor to the right, but straight ahead to the goals before you. You must listen to the only voice that matters that comes from deep within you saying this is the way. Set your course, cast aside your doubts, and chase your dreams. You can do this!

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The Power of Purpose-Driven Leadership

Posted August 17, 2014
by admin

When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment and common purpose, anything is possible. – Howard Schultz

There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other. As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, “Henry, you’re holding the bat wrong. You’re supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark.” Aaron didn’t say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, “I didn’t come up here to read.”

The story is a great reminder of why having and knowing your purpose is important. Do you know your company’s mission or vision statement? If not, sad to say, you are not alone. According to a survey conducted by TINYPulse (http://bit.ly/1puoP3z) of over 300 hundred companies and 40,000 anonymous responses, the survey revealed that only 42 percent of employees know their organization’s vision, mission, and values.

If your employees do not know your company’s vision, mission, or values then they will be poor representatives of your company. If you, as the leader, have not clearly communicated those core values then you have fallen down on the job. How can your employees represent what they do not know? Purpose-drive leadership is essential to your success. Here are three reasons why.

It gives context to your past

In order to understand where you are and where you are going it is important to understand your past. Knowing the back-story of your organization – all the successes and failures and how it emerged in the formative years is foundational information worth understanding.

Marcus Garvey said, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without its roots.” Seek to understand where you have come from in order to make sense of where you are going. From that knowledge you can have a greater understanding and appreciation for where you are today.

It keeps you focused on the present

When your purpose and vision is clear it gives your employees the focus they need to succeed. If your team is in the dark about its mission and vision they are without the most basic of tools needed for success. Your employees cannot lead your organization to its intended destination if they do not understand why they are going there or the values that will guide them.

A clear understanding of your purpose gives them the ability to focus like a laser on accomplishing their goals and objectives. Just as Hank Aaron was able to tune out the distraction at home plate and hit a home run, so too, will your team succeed when they focus on their mission.

It gives you direction for the future

When you can put your past in context and focus on the present then you can build for the future. When you have a purpose that is known, with employees who are engaged, then you have a future that is promising.

“Even though the future seems far away,” said Mattie Stepanek, “it is actually beginning right now.” Purpose-driven leadership is about empowering and equipping your team. Purpose-driven leadership is the rudder of your ship and will keep you on course. Your future is only as promising as your ability to empower. The time is now to lay claim to your purpose, make known your mission and vision, and discover the possibilities before you.

What do you say?

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Lighten Up!

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Leadership Minute: Are You Contagious?

Posted May 27, 2014
by admin
1 Comment on Leadership Minute: Are You Contagious?

Hang around successful leaders long enough and you will find one common thread among them—confidence! Confidence is the difference maker that separates the average leader from the great leader. What is your confidence level? Are you instilling confidence in others? Your ability to inspire confidence in others is one of the privileges of your leadership. But you can’t instill what you don’t possess. Becoming a contagious leader does not happen by accident. You have to work at it. How? Confidence is built in part by maintaining a personal growth plan that would include a regular reading program and having a good mentor/coach. Before you can impart into others you have to invest in yourself. You will become a contagious leader when you are a confident leader. The world needs confident leaders. Are you contagious?

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Facing Down Your Fears

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. – Bill Cosby

A story is told of two explorers who were on a jungle safari when suddenly a ferocious lion jumped in front of them. “Keep calm” the first explorer whispered. “Remember what we read in that book on wild animals? If you stand perfectly still and look the lion in the eye, he will turn and run.” “Sure,” replied his companion, “You’ve read the book, and I’ve read the book. But has the lion read the book?”

Most leaders I know are familiar with fear. Not that they live in a constant state of fear or paranoia, but it is a part of the leadership experience that defines them. Fear will either motivate you or it will dishearten you. How you choose to react to the fears you face will determine its effect on you.

Your success as a leader will come when you embrace your fears and turn them into positives. Do you know what your fears are? Are you willing to confront them? Until you honestly confront them you will never overcome them. So what are the most common forms of fear for leaders? Let’s look at two and their surprising connections.

Two Common Fears:

Fear of failure

Every business person, entrepreneur, athlete, leader, etc. has a desire to be successful. Regardless of how that success is measured the desires are still the same. But a fear of failure is the most commonly shared fear that prevents those dreams from being fulfilled. If left unchallenged it will always hold you back.

Often the fear of failure is a pride issue. The rationale is rooted in what others will say or think if you try something and fail. Certainly other considerations are at stake such as financial, etc. but fear of failure will ground you every time.

Fear of rejection

Besides a fear of failure the fear of rejection is an all too common fear that many struggle with. When the humiliation of rejection is a more powerful deterrent than the potential for success then fear has won. So what happens? People hold back. They sit out. They allow fear to dictate their decisions.

Like your attitude, fear is a neutral emotion that is turned into something good or bad depending on how you respond. Healthy attitudes and fears can serve you well if you use them properly. So what is the connection?

Two Common Connections:

While countless examples could illustrate the point let’s look at two. These people embody what can happen when we allow our fears to motivate us rather than discourage us.

A famous “failure”

He first went into politics at the age of 23. He ran for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly. He lost. He later ran a General Store. It failed. But today, not too many people look back upon those events and use them to label the 16^th President of the United Sates as a failure. Abraham Lincoln is recognized as one of our most beloved presidents in history. He experienced failure, but he was not a failure. And he did not allow those failures to define him.

A famous “reject”

He dropped out of high school and applied to attend three film schools but was unsuccessful due to his C grade average. But if you have been entertained by such movies as E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and many more, then you’d agree with me and the critics that Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest film directors of all time. Spielberg was rejected, but he was not a reject. He didn’t allow his setbacks to hold him back.

The connection between fear and success comes down to this: every successful movie director, politician, athlete, entrepreneur, etc. have all faced their fears and have overcome them. Your success as leader will not be characterized by an absence of fear but by what you did with it.

Denis Waitley said, “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”

Do you have fears? Welcome to the club. It’s time to roll up your sleeves, dig deep, and stare them down. Don’t allow your fears to hold you back, turn them into stepping stones to take you to the places you want to go.

I welcome your feedback:

1. What fear do you struggle with the most?

2. What steps can you take to change the way you look at fear?

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Leadership Minute: Discover Your Limits

Posted May 22, 2014
by admin

One finds limits by pushing them. – Herbert Simon

Your limits as a leader are going to be tested. It’s as you continually strive to grow personally and professionally that you can look back and see how far you have come. The challenges and obstacles you faced five years ago are not the same ones you have today as you push yourself to new limits. What limits to your growth are you testing today? Let me encourage you to discover new limits and expand your borders by pushing them. Don’t get so comfortable that you settle for where you are today without a vivid curiosity for what tomorrow holds. Dare to discover just how far you can go and what you can accomplish by pushing your limits in new and positive ways. You can create new borders and possibilities by removing any self- imposed limitations. Don’t limit yourself or your future; live it without limits.

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Leadership Minute: Hang in There

Posted May 16, 2014
by admin
1 Comment on Leadership Minute: Hang in There

Perseverance, secret of all triumphs. – Victor Hugo

Perseverance is not one of the more glamorous leadership traits. In fact; it can be downright brutal. As leaders we are taught to take Frost’ advice and journey down the road less traveled. But what happens when the road less traveled is traveled less and less by those who are supposed to be leading the way? While perseverance may not be pretty it is a necessity. We need leaders today who have a stick-with-it attitude. We need leaders who are not afraid to put it all on the line and stay the course. The power of perseverance will see you through the good times and bad, but in the end you will be rewarded with a level of success others only dream about. Today you might be tempted to throw in the towel and give up. Don’t. Your leadership can go to a new level but only as you persevere.

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