Perspective – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

‘Normal’ Thinking Leadership

Where success is concerned, people are not measured by inches, or pounds, or by college degrees, or family background; they are measured by the size of their thinking. – David Schwartz

As a leader, your style of thinking says as much about your leadership as it does your decision-making skills. If you are a leader who tends to shoot from the hip with your decision-making, it might be safe to say that your thinking process is a reflection of that same approach.

I’m reminded of the story of a man who bought a new gadget – unassembled, and after reading the instructions, just couldn’t figure out how to put it together. He sought the help of an old handyman. The old handyman picked up the pieces, studied them, and then began assembling the gadget.

In a short time, he had put it together. “That’s amazing,” said the man. “And you did it without even looking at the instructions!”

“Fact is,” said the old man, “I can’t read, and when a fellow can’t read, he’s got to think.”

My friend Anthony is a successful architectural designer. His work is amazing and award-winning. He has a special gift when it comes to his craft (Click here to visit Anthony’s website). In as much as I am impressed by his work, I was just as impressed by his perspective when I recently came across a post where he referenced the quote that said, “Your ‘normal’ day is someone else’s dream, so be thankful every day.” Anthony’s perspective got me thinking about, well, the way that we think.

What you may consider ‘normal’ or ‘routine’ for you as a leader may very well be someone else’s dream. When others are looking at you, drawing inspiration from you, wanting to emulate your success or craft, this is not something that should ever be taken for granted. I believe Anthony’s perspective is worthy of adapting to my leadership, and I can’t help but think it will benefit yours as well.

What considerations ought to go into our ‘normal’ thinking patterns as leaders? Here are a few ideas for starters.

Make ‘normal’ – thinking of others first

This type of thinking breaks with the traditional mold of looking out for oneself first. As a leader, your ability to think of the good and welfare of those you lead is your first priority. Remember the first rule in leadership – it’s not about you! Let’s strive to make servant leadership normal again.

Make ‘normal’ – thinking with others

Leadership is not done in a vacuum. You and I gain leadership perspective when we do what I call “thinking out loud”. I do this often with others whereby I pitch ideas and thoughts I have about life and leadership to gather a broader perspective. In some cases, it validates those thoughts and ideas and at other times it confirms it was a bad idea. Let’s strive to make collaborative leadership normal again.

Make ‘normal’ – thinking long

In the age of instant gratification, instant leadership can be disastrous. Thinking long means avoiding the “tyranny of the urgent” by embracing the wisdom of restraint with an understanding of the impact your decisions have on today but, also in the future. Simon Sinek said, “The big picture just doesn’t come from distance; it also comes from time.” Thinking long can give you a perspective that instant leadership can’t give you. So be sure to ask yourself if what you are thinking today will stand the test of time. Click To Tweet Let’s strive to make thinking long normal again.

Final Thoughts

Henry Ford said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.” Be a leader who is not afraid to think of others first, to think with others, and to think long. We must not only think outside the box but think while we are in it.

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Putting Your Leadership in Perspective

Posted May 4, 2020
by admin

Perspective is everything when you are experiencing the challenges of life. – Joni Eareckson Tada

Winston Churchill planned his funeral before he died. His wishes called for a bugler, positioned high in the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral to play taps after the benediction. The taps were meant to represent that his physical life was over. But then came the most dramatic turn: as soon as the taps were finished, another bugler, placed on the other side of the great dome, played notes of reveille – it’s time to get up. It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up in the morning

That Churchill would choose both taps and reveille to be played at his funeral is a reminder to us about the importance of our perspective. So often we tend to dwell on only the negative. Perhaps Churchill chose Reveille to remind those who mourned that it was now their time to step up.

We’ve all been learning how to make adjustments during this pandemic. The old ways of doing things seem like a faded memory. Pivot seems to be the new buzzword as businesses acclimate to teleconferencing, zoom meetings, and social distancing.

As a leader during this time, it’s important that you take time to reflect on what all of these changes mean to you and how you navigate going forward. Here are a few perspectives to consider going forward.

What lessons from the past apply to the present?

You’ve heard the old adage, “the more things change, the more they stay the same”. And there’s an element of truth to that, I suppose. But more importantly, when the pandemic is over, what foundational principles of leadership will help you navigate your new paths? What truths and principles of leadership will always be true and stand the test of time and pandemic? These are the ones you will stand on. Click To Tweet

What practices of the past will be obsolete?

You’ve heard the expression “new normal” and that is what we are living in. While bedrock leadership principles will stand the test of time, not all practices will. In a new normal will come new ways of doing things. Click To TweetYour perspective as a leader will be measured by how you differentiate between the two. The path forward today may look nothing like it did six months ago. As a leader, you have to put it in perspective for your people.

Will your vision be recast or rebuilt?

As a leader, you must assess what your vision going forward looks like. For many, it will mean picking up where you left off by putting your hand to the plow and grinding it out. For others, it will need to be recast based upon new circumstances. Either way, it won’t look the same. You may be one of the many who’ve had to lay off employees or closed entirely and so now your journey begins anew. Be it recast or rebuilt, your perspective as a leader determines what the future is going to look like.

Will you lead with confidence or with fear?

In the end, your perspective as a leader matters like never before. It gives you clarity of mind in the midst of turmoil and gives your people a sense of much-needed hope and confidence. How you communicate as a leader is in part based upon your perspective. It’s during this time you need to engage in purposeful reflection and sound judgment.

Final Thoughts

Your perspective as a leader will be challenged in ways like never before during this time. Take time to reflect, pray, rest, and engage. Be careful to stay grounded and connected to the realities of what is happening while charting your new normal with hope and courage.

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Time to Count Your Blessings

Posted March 29, 2020March 29, 2020
by admin

When we lose one blessing, another one is often most unexpectedly given in its place. – C.S. Lewis

The story is told of an old Navajo Indian who became rich when oil was found on his property. He took all the money and put it in a bank. His banker became familiar with the habits of this old gentleman. Every so often, the Indian would show up at the bank and say to the banker, “Grass all gone, sheep all sick, water holes all dry.”

Without a word, the banker would take the Indian into the vault, show him several bags of silver dollars, and say, “All this is your.” The old man would spend about an hour stacking up the dollars and counting them. Then he’d return the bags to their places, come out of the vault, and say, “Grass all green, sheep all well, water holed all full”.

It’s amazing what a few weeks of living with the middle of a pandemic can do to change our perspective. Life as we used to know it has changed. New normals are in place. Activities that we used to take for granted are on hold, have been cut back, or canceled. Most schooling now takes place at home, and work is done remotely for many.

How are you holding up? How are you adjusting?

In times like this, we have a choice- grow bitter or grow better. We can give in, become despondent, or we can rise to the challenge of new opportunities that lie before us. Click To Tweet

It’s inspiring to see stories of children going out in the street in their neighborhoods in the morning reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before they begin school. How great it is to see the sidewalk chalk drawings or how about the bear hunts in the windows of homes in our neighborhoods.

It seems as though everyone is doing all that they can to pull together and find a way to get through these tough times together.

Yes, people are suffering, many have lost their jobs or have been furloughed. So let’s be realistic -we are in this for the long haul. And this is all the reason why we need to pull together.

How wonderful it would be if when this coronavirus pandemic has passed that some of our new normal activities would remain in place like caring for our neighbors, making sacrifices for our communities, and continuing with random acts of kindness just to make someone’s day.

We have known times of adversity before. And just as we have come through those difficult times in the past, we will come through this one. It’s who we are and it’s what we do. But before we complain too much about this new normal, how about taking time to count our blessings. Why not inventory the things you can be thankful for that transcend time or pandemic -- faith, family, friends, etc., I believe when we take time to count our blessings will see our world in a whole new way. Click To Tweet

It’s as we count our blessings and change our perspective that we are able to appreciate what truly matters.

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It’s All About Your Perspective

Posted September 1, 2019
by admin

One person’s craziness is another person’s reality. – Tim Burton

After a particularly long and bumpy flight, the crew was tired. This was even made more apparent by the rough landing. This particular airline had a policy that the pilot must stand by the door as people exit to thank them for flying with the airline. The pilot was dreading this because of the landing but he stood faithfully by. Surprisingly enough, the people filed off and none said a word. Then came the last passenger, an elderly lady walking with a cane. As she got up to the captain, she said, “Can I ask a question?” “Sure,” answered the captain. “Did we land or were we shot down?”

I’ve been on a few flights when I felt the same way. And in leadership, there have been many times when I felt like maybe I had been shot down.

Our perspective in leadership is shaped by many factors. Often our perspective is driven by our own experiences or biases. It can be driven by the opinions of others. But one thing is certain, we all have perspectives that influence us.

As a leader, the accuracy of your perspective is important. You want to be accurately informed and make decisions that reflect sound judgment. But sometimes our perspective turns out to be wrong. Here’s how.

Your perspective can be wrong when our attitude is wrong

Nothing alters our perspective like our attitude, especially if it’s a bad one. Your perspective is what you see and your attitude determines how you see or interpret it. If your attitude is one that is predisposed to being negative then that’s the lens through which you see things.

This can have unintended consequences for you as a leader. If your attitude bends toward being a bad one or is predominantly skeptical, then do the people around you truly get a fair shake from you? If your attitude bends toward being a bad one or is predominantly skeptical, then do the people around you truly get a fair shake from you? Click To Tweet

Having a good attitude is important to you as a leader. But it takes discipline to work on it and keep it positive. You may have a dozen reasons a day to justify a bad attitude. I get it. But the effects of your attitude determine your perspective. So don’t let a bad attitude reflect in a bad way on your leadership.

Leadership Takeaway: Your people are looking to you for leadership and the right perspective to guide them. Watch your attitude.

Your perspective can be wrong when your assumptions are wrong

How many times have you made a wrong assumption about a person? How many times have you made a wrong assumption about a goal or project within your organization? I know I have. And thank goodness I was wrong!

The mark of sure and steady leadership is found in not rushing to judgment and in not making wrong assumptions. It’s giving other people the same benefit of the doubt you’d want to be given yourself. Click To Tweet

The thin line between your perspective and instincts can be a hard one to differentiate at times. On both counts, you want to get it right. One is innate and learned over time (instincts), while the other is fluid and should never be rushed.

Leadership Takeaway: Your people are looking to you for leadership and for someone to believe in them – not someone to write them off because of a wrong assumption you’ve made about them.

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Leadership In Times Like These

“Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…” I Chronicles 12:32

There’s no question that we live in peculiar times. As a leader, it is more important than ever that you have clarity of heart and mind in order to lead effectively.

Our country is torn by many great divides. Tensions are high and divisions are running deep. People are looking for answers. It’s important in times like these, as it was in the days of Issachar, that we as leaders are people who understand the times and know what to do.

I realize this is somewhat of a departure from my customary tone of writing that I deliver each week, but perhaps I am looking at our world these days with a different perspective.

My first grandchild is turning one year old, and I am thinking about the kind of world he is growing up in and the type that he will inherit. As our family celebrates this momentous and joyous occasion it is causing me to take a step back and put leadership in a sharper context. What type of world do I want him to know and inherit? Here are a few thoughts on how we get there.

In times like these, we must lead with love

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” said John Maxwell. And this is the rallying call for all leaders today. If our leadership is going to amount to anything worth espousing it must be done with hearts of love. Enough with the hatred and vitriol, it’s time to lead with love.

In times like these, we must espouse servant leadership

For many in leadership, it’s all about the quest to get to the top. It’s a “what’s in it for me?” attitude. Yes, it’s self-serving, and yes, it’s everything that is wrong with leadership. Servant leadership is about adding value. It’s about enriching the lives and growing the leaders around you. It’s about raising others up, not tearing them down. It’s about contentment in being second in a “me first’ world. It’s about a “what can I give?” attitude in a self-absorbed world.

In times like these, we must lead with humility

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less,” said Rick Warren. What a powerful thought. We have enough leaders thinking more about themselves than perhaps they should. Perhaps it’s in times like these we need to be thinking less of ourselves and more about those we can serve, those we can lift up, and how to bring people together.

In times like these, we must lead with open hearts

If there was ever a time for us as leaders to open our hearts to those around us it’s now. We must stop talking and screaming past one another and learn once again to listen. As leaders, we must be the change we seek. We must open our hearts and see that we all have a stake in the outcome of the type of the world we want to know and leave behind.

In times like these, we must lead with clarity

The men in the day of Issachar were men who understood the times in which they lived. It’s up to us as leaders to do the same. Our voices, the lone ones in a sea of instant reactions and opinions, must be the calm ones in the storm. In times like these, we must lead with a steady hand and moral clarity, and with the courage of our convictions. Our voices need to be heard and our message delivered with love and humility.

In times like these, we must think long and pray hard.

It’s no secret; leadership is hard. It’s hard in the good times, not to mention in times of difficulty. We need more leaders who think long. We need leaders who know how to look at the big picture and see into the future. But, we would all be amiss if we thought we could do it alone. We must be leaders who understand the power and necessity of prayer. Understanding the times in which we live comes with a price. We must seek wisdom from outside of ourselves when we know it’s not within us. We need God’s help.

The times in which we live present us as leaders a tremendous opportunity. Are you ready to lead in times like these?

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Getting Comfortable With Failure

Posted June 8, 2017
by dougdickerson

I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – Thomas Edison

As a leader, chances are, you’ve had a run-in or two with failure. If not, be patient. I say that not to be pessimistic or to discourage you. I say that to challenge and prepare you for great adventures that lie before you.

Failure. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that word? Unfortunately, some people make the mistake of applying false labels to people who fail. They see them as failures rather than a success in progress.

In his book, Chase The Lion, author Mark Batterson gives an inspiring description of what it means to fail. He writes:

The cure for the fear of failure isn’t success. The cure for the fear of failure

is failure in small enough doses that we build up an

immunity to it.

God is in the business of helping us overcome our fears, but

He often does it by bringing us face to face with our worst fears.

He graciously brings us back to the place of failure, and then, He

not only helps us pick up the broken pieces but He also puts them

back together again.

That description, especially as it applies to the fear of failure, is an important lesson every leader must learn. As a leader, you will have to face down your failures, and confront them if you want to grow to the next level.

Regardless of where you are in your leadership journey, and wherever that path leads you- be it in business, sales, technology, management, customer service, etc. you must find your cure for failure and build up your immunity to defeat it. Here are a few ways to do it.

Develop a resilient attitude

Developing a resilient attitude is hard work. But most of that battle is won when we change our attitudes.

It reminds me the story of the two shoe salesmen years ago who left for the Caribbean islands from Chicago. Upon arrival, they discovered that no one wore shoes. One salesman phoned back to the home office and notified them that he was returning to Chicago, “no one here wears shoes,” he said. The other man phoned back to the home office with excitement, “Send more shoes, no one here wears them!” Both men saw the same thing. One through the lens of a negative attitude, the other through a positive one.

The difference between your success and failure will often be determined by your attitude. Develop resilience in this area and you will develop an immunity to failure.

Develop the right perspective

While attitude has to do with how you see yourself in your present circumstances, your perspective is how you see yourself through it. It’s all about thinking long.

Look back on your own history for a moment. Think back to a time when you were going through a challenging or difficult time. Chances are your attitude at the time may not reflect your perspective on it now. The difference is time and distance. It’s much easier to look back at a difficult time you’ve come through than it is to see light at the end of the tunnel when going through it.

Never allow your present fears or failures to cloud your perspective. You will come through your difficult times and with the right perspective you can see them for what they were–stepping stones to your success.

Develop resilient courage

The formula for courage looks like this: A (Attitude) + P (Perspective) = C (Courage). Your ability to face down your fears and recover from failure takes courage. What will set you apart from your colleagues and give you the advantage over your competitors is courage.

“We don’t develop courage by being happy everyday,” writes Barbara De Angelis, “ We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity”. And this is the place on your leadership journey you must arrive at. It’s when you survive difficult times that you grow strong as a leader.

Resilient courage is developed over time. It’s a process. None of us like failure and we all wrestle with our fears. But failure doesn’t have to fatal or forever. It’s simply a marker on our road to success. Don’t give up!

Favorite quotes on failure:

Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.- Og Mandino

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. – Henry Ford

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying. – Michael Jordan

Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails toward success. – C.S. Lewis

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