Professional Development – Page 2 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Leadership In a Word: Reading

Posted April 8, 2018
by dougdickerson

Read to refill the wells of inspiration. – Harold Ockenga

A word about reading

Reading is imperative for every good leader. It’s how you learn, it’s how you grow. In short, it makes you a more rounded and better leader. So why aren’t more adults reading?

Marissa Levin, writing in Inc. reports that “Americans read fewer and fewer books each year”. She cites a survey by the National Endowment of the Arts which said only 43% of adults read any type of literature not required for work or school- a percentage that is a three-decade low.

What about you? What are your reading habits? In her article, Levin revealed the reading habits of the likes of Warren Buffet- 500 pages a day, Mark Cuban who reads 3 hours a day, and Bill Gates who reads 50 books a year. These are impressive numbers.

I realize that there are those who advocate for reading as many books as you can throughout the course of a year. It’s an admirable goal. And I must confess, I am a helpless book junkie an avid reader. But in recent years, I have become more selective as a reader. My goal is not so much about the quantity of the books I read, but the quality. I choose to be more intentional about the return on my investment in the books I select. (You can find my books on Amazon)

Some years ago, I came across these reading strategies by J. Oswald Sanders for making your reading worthwhile and profitable. I’d like to pass his advice on to you.

What you intend to quickly forget, spend little time reading. The habit of reading and forgetting only builds the habit of forgetting other important matters.
Use the same discrimination in choosing books as in choosing friends.
Read with pencil and notebook in hand. Unless your memory is unusually retentive, much gained from reading is lost in a day. Develop a system of note-taking. It will greatly help the memory.
Have a “commonplace book,” as they are called-a book to record what is striking, interesting, and worthy of second thought. In that way, you will build a treasure trove of material for future use.
Verify historical scientific and other data.
Pass no word until its meaning is known. Keep a dictionary at hand.
Vary your reading to keep your mind out of a rut. Variety is as refreshing to the mind as it is to the body.
Correlate your reading-history with poetry, biography with a historical novel. For example, when reading the history of the American Civil War, take up a biography of Lincoln or Grant and poetry by Whitman.

Thanks to technology, our access to books are greater than ever. But when only 43% of adults are reading anything beyond what is required for work or school the challenge is as great as ever. Leaders must be ahead of the curve in order to succeed.

Reading quotes

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book too long enough to suit me.” – C.S. Lewis

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you will go.” – Dr. Seuss

“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” – Oscar Wilde

“Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.” – Francis Bacon

“I cannot live without books.” – Thomas Jefferson

A final word

As a leader, develop a routine for reading. Take the advice of Sanders and add some variety to your collection. The depth of your knowledge and your growth as a leader is the byproduct of the books you read.

*Note: Leadership In A Word is my writing theme for 2018. Each week the focus will be on a word that impacts you as a leader. My style is new but my message and commitment to delivering fresh leadership insight to you are the same. It’s my sincere desire to help you grow as a leader and to partner with you in reaching your full potential.

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Leadership In a Word: Complacency

Posted March 24, 2018
by dougdickerson

Complacency happens almost without notice. Check and renew your heart daily. – Jim George

A word about complacency

By definition, complacency is ‘showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements”. Not very flattering is it?

Yet one of the chief enemies of leaders can be wrapped up in this one word. It’s been said that success breeds complacency. While I do believe that a certain amount of dissatisfaction with one’s talents and abilities can be healthy, complacency can devastate your leadership.

Consider the great pianist Paderewski. He achieved a great deal of success in America. In spite of that, he is quoted as saying, “There have been a few moments when I have known complete satisfaction, but only a few. I have rarely been free from the disturbing realization that my playing might have been better”. In other words, he was keenly aware that there was always room for improvement.

As a leader, it’s important to avoid certain dangers as it relates to complacency Here are a few of them.

The danger of pride and arrogance.

This is how the smugness of uncritical satisfaction or complacency manifests itself. A leader full of pride or arrogance mistakenly thinks it’s all about them. So long as this attitude continues to manifest itself in the actions and words of the leader, the more that leader will become isolated.

There’s no room for pride or arrogance in a leader. It’s one thing to show pride in one’s work that fosters an attitude of excellence, but another thing entirely to lead from a position of self-serving pride and arrogance.

The danger of not having a personal growth plan

This type of leader exhibits a lack of depth or wisdom to think long. As leaders, we never stop growing and we never stop learning. Not having a plan in place whereby you are continuously learning and being challenged can be fatal to your leadership.

Consider your own growth plan for just a moment. Is it well thought out and intentional or is random and sporadic? Your personal growth and development is an investment in your future and in the people you lead. If you are not growing as a leader then how can you expect it from the people you lead?

The danger of believing that past achievements will guarantee future success

Your successes and achievements are milestones on your leadership journey. What you achieved yesterday is not necessarily a predictor of your success tomorrow. It’s when you become complacent that you believe that one automatically guarantees the next.

What complacent attitudes are you holding onto that are holding you back? Smart leaders are continuously striving to excel, learn, grow, and are looking for new and improved ways to do it. Be thankful for past wins, but don’t live there.

The danger of believing your best days are behind you

While it’s important to believe your past successes will not guarantee your future success, it’s equally important -if not more so, to understand that your best days are not behind you, they are before you. A complacent mindset will lull you into believing the former. Don’t believe it.

My encouragement to you as a leader is to shake off any complacent attitude about your life and leadership. Don’t allow yourself to be surrounded by negative influences that would hold you back. Complacency – not matter it’s form, voice, or identity is not something you have to associate with or be defined by.

Complacency quotes

“The dream is over only when you become complacent” – Lorin-Morgan Richards

“He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress” – Helen Keller

“I will not allow yesterday’s success to lull me into today’s complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure” – Og Mandino

“Change before you have to” – Jack Welch

A final word

One of the sad consequences of complacency is that it keeps you from fulfilling a God-inspired purpose for your life. It tarnishes your past and robs you of your future. Don’t allow complacency to hold you back you as a leader. You have too much to gain and far too much to lose as a result.

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Five Rules Of The Blame Game

Posted November 5, 2017
by dougdickerson

A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit. – Arnold H. Glasow

John Killinger tells a story about the manager of a minor leader baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered him to the dugout and assumed the position himself.

The first ball that came into center field took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth. The next one was a high fly ball, which he lost in the glare of the sun and it bounced off his forehead. The third was a hard line drive that he charged with outstretched arms; unfortunately, it flew between his hands and smacked his eye. Furious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by the uniform, and shouted, “You idiot! You’ve got center field so messed up that even I can’t do a thing with it!”

The coach in the story reminds us of the type of culture we live in. The blame game is easy to play and in the end, it serves no meaningful purpose. But as a leader, if you want to grow, move your organization forward, and create a culture of excellence it’s going to require a different mindset in order to pull it off. Here are my five rules of the blame game that can help you navigate your way forward.

Begin with yourself

In a “blame others first” culture this is where you are set apart as a leader. The tendency is to find someone to be the “fall guy” when things go south, but the leader steps up and takes responsibility. When you shoulder the responsibility as the leader you demonstrate that you are with and for your team not just in the good times but also when the chips are down. A good leader takes personal responsibility for his organization.

Look for solutions

Once responsibility has been taken it’s the time to move beyond whom to blame and work on solutions. This can be as simple as diagnosing a poor communication problem or perhaps something more complex. The point being; don’t dwell too long on who messed up but rather channel your energies on what to do next.

Attack bad attitudes

In order to coalesce team members around a new culture of excellence and move past a blame game mentality, you must address bad attitudes. “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude,” stated Zig Ziglar. Bad attitudes will ground your organization and will be the single greatest challenge to your leadership. The work of your team will be a reflection of their attitudes. Attack bad attitudes, keep yours positive and change your culture.

Manage mistakes wisely

The way you manage mistakes can pay great dividends but it all depends on how you handle it. Rather than demoralizing the offender with a wrong response why not use it the opportunity to do something constructive? As a leader, how you handle the mistakes of others speaks volumes about what’s most important to you. Those who blame belittle. Be a leader who encourages and turns the mistakes into something positive.

Examine motives

Understanding the blame game begins with identifying the motives for blaming others. Possibilities might include professional jealousy, subtle expressions of bullying, the deflection off of one’s own insecurities, etc. By examining the motives of those caught in playing the blame game card you can learn a lot about the inner workings of your organizational dynamics and patterns. As a leader, you need to have a handle on what is taking place in order to correct it.

Playing the blame game is too easy. Leading up is hard. Your leadership will rise when you rise up and do the right thing. If you want a better way forward then stop with the blame game.

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Six Reasons Why Your Employees Don’t Believe A Word You Say

Posted October 30, 2017
by dougdickerson

“Don’t believe what I say. Believe what I do.” —Carlson Ghosn

Two psychiatrists meet at their 20th college reunion. One is vibrant, while the other looks withered and worried. “So what’s your secret?” the older looking psychiatrist asks. “Listening to other people’s problems every day, all day long, for years on end, has made an old man of me.” “So,” replies the younger looking one, “who listens?”

That humorous story reminds us as leaders of not just the necessity of listening but of the importance of how we communicate. It’s not so much what we say that’s important but that we are leaders who understand why our people should listen to us in the first place.

If your people are tuning you out and not believing what you say then your leadership is on life-support. Knowing the symptoms is the first step in turning things around. If your people don’t believe a word you say then here are six reasons why.

You are self-centered

If you are a self-centered leader your people will not believe you because you are only looking out for yourself. When decisions are made based upon what is best for you –what makes you look good- then you are using your people. Self-centered leadership tends to be manipulative and puts what is best for you above what is best for the team. If you are a self-centered leader you’d better wake up before it’s too late. One day you will look around and you’ll discover that not only are your people not believing you – they are not following you either.

You are inconsistent

Inconsistent actions produce inconsistent results. The flow and continuity of your leadership are essential to your success. If you say one thing and do another then those very actions will lead to mistrust and will marginalize your leadership. Flexibility is a must for any team moving forward. Unexpected things happen and your people will have to learn to go with the flow. But if you are inconsistent in terms of what you communicate or how you treat them it will be impossible for them to move forward or have faith in your leadership.

You don’t have their backs

Nothing will empower your team faster than having the backs of your people. A good leader knows this. But your people will not believe you if your message to them says “I have your back” yet you are nowhere to be found when they need you. When you empower your people and have their backs you create a momentum that can take your team to new levels of success. Don’t squander the drive, motivation, and ingenuity of your people by failing at this one critical element of your leadership. If you have the backs of your people they will have yours.

Your ego is front and center

If, as a leader, your ego is front and center, your employees won’t believe a word you say. Your ego can prevent you from seeing the world as it really is; you begin interpreting reality through your own biased lens. When your ego is front and center you send the message that your opinion is the only one that matters. Soon your employees, tired of hearing about how you know everything, will stop listening to you at all.

You lead with fear

If you lead with fear you will never earn the trust of your employees and they won’t believe a word you say. Fear stimulates the fight or flight response. In this state of mind, there is no higher-level cognitive thinking. When you lead with fear your employees disengage and become more focused on protecting themselves than what you are saying. Your attempt to control your employee’s behavior through fear will result in distrust and will undermine your ability to share your message and vision.

They don’t feel valued

Our success is deeply intertwined with our ability to collaborate. When your employees don’t feel valued they lose interest in continuing to try to contribute to the team. They withdraw and you lose the value of their unique skills and knowledge. Your employees need to have a voice and to have their individual contributions recognized and valued. Communication is a two-way street and when your employees don’t feel valued, you lose their respect which has a negative impact your ability to communicate and influence as a leader. When your employees don’t feel valued they won’t believe a word you say.

The key to leadership is trust and influence. If your people don’t believe a word you say, you have lost your ability to lead. It’s time to evaluate your leadership. Is your leadership self-centered or inconsistent? Do you have your employee’s backs? Is your ego front and center? Are you leading with fear? Do your people feel valued? Answer these questions honestly, make a change, and start leading today.

Elizabeth Stincelli is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors. Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website at stincelliadvisors.com

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How To Bring Doers and Dreamers Together

Posted October 22, 2017
by dougdickerson

The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do. – Sarah Ban Breathnach

In his book, Rules of Thumb, Alan M. Webber writes about the differences between talkers and doers. It is a special relationship in organizational structures between those who talk up great ideas and those who can make it happen. Webber writes:

In your company, who gets listened to when it comes to assessing an idea or evaluating a project? If your company is like most, good talkers get taken more seriously than real doers. The people in the field who are closest to the problem and closest to the customer may be useful when it comes to doing what our experts have advised.

Herein lies the primary challenge to the discerning leader. How do you take the best and brightest ideas from the talkers and mesh them together with the people who can carry out the vision – the doers? Sound like a familiar challenge?

Let’s face the facts: companies need visionaries as well as people to execute the vision. Every organization depends upon both to be successful. Unfortunately, the marriage between the two can be rocky because each uses a different side of the brain in the process.

In keeping with the marriage metaphor, Dave Meurer said, “ A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences”.

When a leader understands the dependency upon both the dreamers and the doers, it creates an interdependence between the two which opens up the possibility of great things happening. It’s not easy. In fact, it can be messy. But if you want great results for your organization, you must find a path forward. Here are a few things to consider on that discovery.

Dreamers must trust the doers with the details

It is important to understand the influence of the dreamers. T. E. Lawrence said, “All men dream: but not equally…but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible”.

Think of where your organization would be today were it not for the dreamer – those who see the big picture long before everyone else and point the way. Dreamers are invaluable in terms of their creative genius to move the company in the right direction. Yet, when it comes to the execution of those plans, dreamers must give way to the doers.

By deferring to the doers, dreamers are in essence passing the baton as in a race to the ones who can carry the team to victory. And when the dreamers understand that the doers can take the vision to completion, it no longer becomes a territorial issue but one of what is best for the team.

Trust must flow between the dreamers and the doers in order for the ideas to work. It’s about learning to share the dream and make it a reality.

Doers must trust the dreamers with the vision

In many respects, doers and dreamers are predisposed to be skeptical of one another. Both work and live on different sides of the brain, and therefore, do not always understand how the other thinks.

But when the doer learns that the dreamer is just as invested in the organization and its success as the doer is, then progress can be made.

Trust between the two is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle for your organization. The dreamer knows what the picture is supposed to look like once assembled. Doers have to trust that the dreamers have the right picture or vision for where the organization is going before the doers start putting the pieces together.

Doers and dreamers must remember that they are on the same team

Trust is nurtured when leadership builds bridges between doers and dreamers. This can be a difficult proposition when you factor in turf wars and egos – especially when the doers and dreamers have been kept apart. Suspicions can run deep.

But Webber adds another point worth mentioning. He says:

But don’t forget: you’ve got plenty of streetsmart frontline people in your own organization, men and women who are close to the customer and have deep working knowledge about what works and doesn’t work in your company. How do you get access to their kind of knowing, the kind that comes from actual doing?

As a leader, this is what you have to figure out. But it begins when you bring your doers and dreamers together. You have build bridges between your doers and dreamers and get them talking, sharing their ideas and perspectives, and help them build relationships. Because when you do, your organization will be unstoppable.

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The Power of Unseen Leadership

Posted October 15, 2017
by dougdickerson

Once you have a burning yes inside you about what’s truly important, it’s very easy to say no to the unimportant. – Stephen R. Covey

I’ve always had a fascination with learning the back stories of successful people.Be they entrepreneurs, authors, musicians, sports icons, etc. How they attained their level of success has always been a source of curiosity for me.

I read once where Plato wrote the first sentence of his famous Republic nine different ways before he was satisfied. Cicero practiced speaking before friends every day for thirty years to perfect his elocution. Noah Webster labored 36 years writing his dictionary, crossing the Atlantic twice to gather material. Milton rose at 4:00 a.m. every day in order to have enough hours for his Paradise Lost. Gibbon spent 26 years on his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Bryant rewrote one of his poetic masterpieces 99 times before publication, and it became a classic.

Your success as a leader hinges on making discipline a core component of your leadership. It’s a choice that’s really not negotiable. In the book, No Limits, John Maxwell writes:

Successful people are highly disciplined in doing their important work. They are self-disciplined. They guide and encourage themselves to do the work they ought to do, not just the things they want to do. And that’s why the rewards in this world are usually reserved for those who are willing to do what the majority of people are unwilling to do.

Your capacity to achieve is tied to your ability to lead a disciplined life. As a leader, it’s not always easy. Life happens. So here are a few things that tend to get in the way of living and leading a disciplined life.

The tyranny of the urgent

Some years ago I came across this saying and it stuck with me. How many times in your leadership have you dealt with the “tyranny of the urgent”? It’s important for you as a leader to distinguish between what is an “urgent” matter that requires your time right in that moment and what can wait.

So long as you are reacting to every “urgent” matter that comes across your path, you will never carve out for yourself a disciplined life as a leader. You will simply another member of the bucket brigade putting out fires. Maxwell states in that segment that you are the boss of you- start acting lt. Discipline is an inside job.

The acceptance of excuses

How many times have you or someone you know embraced excuses that diminished their leadership potential? It’s when you entertain negative thoughts and attitudes that it thwarts your growth and potential as a leader.

Pursuing a disciplined life as a leader will be next to impossible so long as you entertain negative thoughts and embrace excuses. Your potential will never be realized. Living a disciplined life as a leader requires a disciplined mindset, attitude, and belief in your God-given abilities.

“I hated every minute of training,” said Muhammad Ali, “But I said, ‘Don’t quit’. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion”. His words reflect the value of a man who committed himself to a disciplined life – a life of a champion.

The applause of the crowd

Call it human nature- call it what you will, but a leadership trap many fall for is the applause of the crowd. The reason it’s a trap is that we tend to believe our own headlines and fail to keep our focus on what’s important. We thrive on the applause and think we can simply phone it in going forward.

Living and maintaining a disciplined life as a leader requires the countless unseen hours of work, sacrifice, learning, failures, and frustrations that go into being a ‘successful leader”.

But yesterday’s victories do not automatically translate into tomorrow’s wins. Discipline creates momentum. With it, you can be unstoppable. Without it, you’re stuck.

The power of unseen leadership has many ingredients, but namely among them is a disciplined life. Don’t be distracted by the tyranny of the urgent, the acceptance of excuses, or the applause of the crowd. It’s your discipline as a leader that will lead you to success.

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Being Present: Why It Matters To Your Leadership

Posted September 24, 2017
by dougdickerson

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment” – Henry David Thoreau

One of the great challenges in leadership today is having leaders who are present in the moment. It’s a struggle for many leaders. In fact, when was the last time with intentionality you set aside even a small amount of time just appreciate the moment and reflect?

Healthy leadership is essential to your success. But what happens when the pace of your leadership is greater than your ability to be present in the moment? What is the tipping point between activity and action that does more harm than good? Why does being present matter? Here are a few reasons why being present matters to your leadership.

You can put your past in perspective

In order to effectively know where you are and where you are going, it helps to put your past in perspective. What knowledge and skills have you picked up along the way is working? What do you need to let go of? What changes do you need to make today to make for a better tomorrow?

Only being present in the moment allows you the opportunity to reflect in such a way as to appreciate the moment and put your past in perspective.

You can put your priorities in order

It’s when you are present in the moment that you can evaluate your priorities and put them in order.No leader intentionally sets out to mess up their priorities but it happens. Being present in the moment is as much of a priority for you as a leader as anything else you do. If your priorities are out of balance then the decisions you make will have consequences you hadn’t planned for.

Only being present in the moment can you see what corrections you need to make with your priorities. It’s when you are present you can make adjustments.

You can reconnect with your people

A leader not present in the moment is not the leader his or her people need. The unintended consequences can be irreparable if not careful. The graph below highlights the communication issues employees have with their leaders. Take a look at how many complaints there are on the list that could be avoided if only the leader were present in the moment among his or her people.

Being present in the moment puts you where your people need you. Being in the moment is all about leadership at the moment.

You can lead more effectively

Ultimately, being present in the moment is about more effective leadership. It’s about giving of yourself without all the distractions that come with priorities that are out of order and by being disconnected from your people.

Being present in the moment can be a challenge. Our minds are racing and thinking of a dozen other things that need our time and attention. I get it. But all you have is this moment. And in this moment, you can do something that will impact your leadership in a positive way. Be present.

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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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Connecting Your Dream To Your Reality

Posted August 17, 2017
by dougdickerson

“If your dream doesn’t scare you it’s too small” – Mark Batterson

Vincent Van Gogh said, “I dream of painting and then I paint my dream”. Certainly, Van Gogh is one who made the connection between dreams and reality. We’ve been inspired by his dreams ever since.

But as inspiring as that may have been for Van Gogh, for many others, there is a disconnect between dreams and reality. And reality hits where dreams end. And the unfulfilled dreams of our youth turn into the regrets of our old age.

In leadership, as in other parts of our lives, we hear much about dreams and goals. For some, it is to land the dream job. For another, it may be to write a book, raise a family, start a business, or travel the world. What is your dream? What is the one passion or desire that you think of often? What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t fail?

Much has been written about goals and dreams and this will certainly not be an exhaustive list nor necessarily new ideas. But I want to put forth these simple keys to serve as reminders that your dreams do not have to go unfulfilled. It simply takes courage to pursue them. Here are six things you will need to do in order to turn dreams into reality.

Face down your fears

This is perhaps the most obvious obstacle that causes most dreams to go unfulfilled. Fear. What if I fail? What will other people think? In the end, what happens? We talk ourselves out of the one thing that truly inspires us. Until you face down your fears, your dreams will never become a reality. It’s time to own your fears and put an end to it.

Face up to your challenges

Depending on the size of your dream, you are going to have to face up the challenges your dream or goal presents. What resources will you need? You will have to flesh out exactly what your dream or goal looks like in real life. What will be required of you? What sacrifices are you willing to make? There’s always a trade off, are you willing to embrace it?

Define your path forward

Your dream becomes a reality when you know what it is, and when you have a clear path forward. It won’t just happen because you dream it. Now you have to live it. Now you must own it. Now comes the time to put pen to paper and chart a course. Do you have the resources you need? What partnerships do you need to form? Connecting your dream to your reality begins when you spell it out.

Consider the risks

No dream worth pursuing will come without risks. What is your threshold for risks and rewards? This is why thoughtful planning is important to you. And this where most people come up short on their dreams becoming a reality. It’s hard for many to reconcile the notion that they need to overcome their fears and take a risk. After all, the risk is one of the fears. But you will minimize the risk and quash the fears when you do your homework. It’s then your faith kicks in and you are able to make the leap.

Go for broke

Once all your homework has been done, your risks assessed, your plan charted, then you can take that step of faith and go for broke. It may be baby steps at first, but al least you are moving in the direction of your goals and dreams. One of the greatest challenges you will have to overcome is dreaming too small. As the old saying goes, “Shoot for the moon, Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars”.

Never stop dreaming; never give up

The secret to connecting your dream to your reality rests in your persistence and perseverance. Will you fail? Will you have setbacks? Will you have fears and at times even question whether your dream was actually a nightmare? Yes!

“Many of life’s failures,” Thomas Edison said, “are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Connecting your dreams to your reality happens when you don’t give up.

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What’s Wrong With (Always) Being Right?

Posted May 26, 2017
by dougdickerson

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy-in fact, sometimes, it’s real hard- but just remember that doing the right thing is always right. – David Cottrell

In my many years in leadership, some of the most annoying people I come across are those whom, no matter the circumstance, are always right. They always have a ready excuse, an ‘out’ when things go wrong, it’s never their fault. They are always right. Chances are you’ve met one or two of these people along the way yourself.

Then you have the ‘know it all’ – that one person who’s the in-house ‘expert’ about everything. They would choose an ‘I told you so’ moment over ever admitting they were wrong about anything- even if it adversely affected the organization. (If this type person exists in your organization they are toxic, and you must deal with them).

Here’s the rub- people hate being wrong. I get it. We like to be at our best, do our best, but at the end of the day, we are mere mortals. We screw up. And we don’t know everything. So how do you guard yourself against ever developing this kind of an attitude? Here’s some food for thought.

Acknowledge your limitations

You bring a certain depth of skill and knowledge to your workplace. It’s great that you are highly trained in your area of expertise and contribute to the good of the team. You do your best to add value to your organization.

But a dose of reality is necessary if you desire to be an effective leader. While your expertise can be strong in one area, chances are you are not an ‘expert’ in every area. That’s why you have to listen, collaborate, and tap into the skills of your colleagues and defer to them. A lack of self-awareness on your part doesn’t change what others know and what you fail to admit. You don’t know everything so quit acting like it.

Focus on doing right, not always being right

When you make the shift from always ‘being’ right to ‘doing’ right, it will significantly change your leadership. It will change the way you look at things – and it will actually be a liberating force in your life. The self-imposed pressure of always being right frees you up to do right. It’s a game changer in many regards.

Let’s be real – it’s when you focus on doing right that you will experience growth in your leadership. It’s a mark of maturity. With nothing to prove and no compulsion to always be right, you can now focus on more important things like being a servant leader instead of protecting your ego.

Be humble and teachable

Personal growth and development will rarely happen within the ‘know it all’ or ‘always right’ bubble or mindset. There’s no room for it. Not because there’s nothing more to learn, but because this person believes that he or she is already there. It’s a dangerous mindset to have as a leader.

In Proverbs 19:20, the writer says, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future”. For the sake of your own personal development, and those whom you lead, be teachable and walk humbly. None of us have arrived and there’s a lot of people depending on us to realize it.

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