Success Principles – Page 22 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Leadership Minute: Positive Influences

Posted April 18, 2014
by admin

I believe that you should gravitate to people who are doing productive and positive things with their lives. – Nadia Comaneci

Your rise as a leader as well as your influence as a leader is largely determined by your ability to surround yourself with positive people and choosing to have a positive disposition. It’s nearly impossible to go forward and achieve your dreams and goals if you are surrounded by negative people. The drag and pull they generate will be a great hindrance to you if you don’t shake them off. It’s as you choose a positive and productive path forward and your ability to surround yourself with like-minded people that you will succeed. Gravitate toward people show share your positive outlook and energy and draw from it. A positive attitude will give you the energy you need to be the productive leader you wish to become.

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Leadership Minute: Your Big Opportunity

Your big opportunity may be right where you are now. – Napoleon Hill

One of the pitfalls for many aspiring leaders is the temptation to look for greener pastures and not appreciating where he or she is at the moment. Having a desire to improve and move up is certainly not a bad thing, but there is something to be said for excelling right where you are. While it is true that leadership is not about your position the same can be true about your location. Why not make it a practice to bloom where you are planted and make the best of your present situation. Why not learn all you can, do the best you can, and become the best you can – right where you are? Your next big opportunity will come, but don’t neglect your present one.

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Leadership Minute: What Makes You Different?

What makes you different is not what you have in your head; it is what you have in your heart. – Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

As a leader, head knowledge is important. Your rise as a leader is precipitated by you willingness and eagerness to learn and draw from a wide range of experiences. Some will be good while others not so good. Learning is essential to your growth as a leader. But make no mistake; what makes you different as a leader is not what you have in your head but what’s in your heart. The heart of a leader; the sum total of all that is good, decent, kind, caring and intuitive will serve you better and longer than any amount of head knowledge. But what a powerful leader you can be when you learn to blend the two in a positive way. What makes you different?

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Four Ways to Build a Culture of Courage

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Eliot

Author Leo Buscaglia tells this story of his mother and their ‘misery dinner.” It was the night after his father came home and said it looked as if he would have to go into bankruptcy because his partner had absconded with the firm’s funds. His mother went out and sold some jewelry to buy food for a sumptuous feast. Other members of the family scolded her for it. But she told them that “the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week.” Her courageous act rallied the family.

Courage is an essential leadership skill. It inspires confidence and promotes a healthy work environment. The lack of courage in a leader can have devastating consequences. Forbes contributor Glen Llopes wrote a column entitled 7 Reasons Why Employees Don’t Trust Their Leaders (http://onforb.es/J72Xej). He cites the lack of courage as the number one reason. Llopes adds, “Leaders who don’t stand up for what they believe in are difficult to respect and trust.”

If you were to assess your courage quotient as leader how would you measure up? Are you instilling courage in your organization or by default are you promoting a culture of weakness? Here are four questions to reflect on as you consider how well you promote a culture of courage.

Do your words project courage?

How you speak to your organization is just as important as what you speak. If your words don’t inspire confidence then it will be hard for your team to believe your words. If you want to instill confidence then you must speak with confidence. To do anything less is sending the wrong signal. But make no mistake; what you believe and what you communicate to your team forms the basis of belief from which they will work, produce, and deliver. Courageous words will inspire tremendous results.

Do your actions reflect courage?

Your words and your actions are key indicators as to your own courage quotient and will be reflected throughout your organization. If you have low expectations in your team’s ability to reach their goals then it will be hard for them to overcome that negative perception. If on the other hand you speak courage and act with courage it will be the signal your team needs to go above and beyond and deliver. If you want your team to be courageous then you need to model courageous leadership.

Do your policies and procedures promote courageous behavior?

There can be times when your words and actions may bend toward courageous behavior but it’s being held up by obstructing policies. As a leader it’s your responsibility to make sure that your team’s courageous culture is not being choked out by restrictive procedures that kill creativity and their ability to get the job done. Review it. Change it. Streamline it. Do whatever is necessary to make sure that a courageous culture thrives.

Do you have courageous goals and dreams?

The question here is important because we tend to think we are courageous when we are pushing for goals and dreams from the confines of our comfort zones. Anyone can be courageous while promoting a small dreams or idea. But how courageous are you when it comes to goals and dreams that scare you to death because they seem too big, too costly, or beyond your ability to achieve?

I’d like to encourage you to speak new life into old dreams and dare to speak with the same authority and passion to those larger-than-life sized dreams as you do to the ones you know you can easily achieve. Don’t allow what scares you to keep you from what inspires you. Be courageous and inspire courage!

What do you say?

I invite your feedback!

1. How can you inspire or promote more courageous attitudes in your workplace?

2. What changes in your mindset do you need to overcome to be more courageous?

3. What wrong attitude or belief is holding you back and keeping you from achieving your goals and dreams?

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Five Questions Every Leader Must Answer About Change

Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable. – Denis Waitley

The story is told of Karl Benz, who in 1866 drove his first automobile through the streets of Munich, Germany. He named his car the Mercedes Benz, after his daughter Mercedes. The machine angered the citizens, because it was noisy and scared the children and horses.

Pressured by the citizens, the local officials immediately established a speed limit for “horseless carriages” of 3.5 miles per hour in the city limits and 7 miles per hour outside the city limits. Benz knew he could never develop a market for his car and compete against horses if he had to creep along at those speeds, so he invited the mayor of the town for a ride.

The mayor accepted. Benz then arranged for a milkman to park his horse and wagon on a certain street, and, as Benz and the mayor drove by, to whip up his horse and pass them—and as he did so to give the German equivalent of the Bronx cheer. The plan worked. He mayor was furious and demanded that Benz overtake the milk wagon. Benz apologized but said that because of the ridiculous speed law he was not permitted to go any faster. Very soon after that the law was changed.

We all know that change can be hard to implement. One of the most challenging things you will do as a leader is to lead others through changes. It’s been widely written about and will continue to be a hot-button topic for leaders for years to come. Many oppose change because it leads them out of their comfort zones and because it’s something new. Others oppose change because of perceived risks. We know that life is full of risks and can never be fully eliminated. Sometimes you have to walk by faith. If you want to grow you have to change.

But I’d like to explore the other side of the coin with you. What about those times when change is not for the best? How do you know if it’s the right thing to do or not? Here are five questions to help guide you through the decision-making process.

Does the change compromise your core values?

Your core values are a reflection of who you are and every decision your organization makes flows out of these values. If the change you are considering in any ways compromises your values then change would not be advisable. If on the other hand they support and strengthen those values then proceed.

Does the change compromise your integrity?

At the end of the day your core values and integrity are the two most essential things you have that drive your business and the way in which you do it. If the proposed change you are considering compromises your integrity then the answer is a no-brainer. Don’t do it.

Does the change add value or subtract value?

Your success has been tied in large part to the value and service you have provided to others. If this change idea you have is going to subtract value in any way to your employees or to those you serve then perhaps it’s not the best change decision. Is there not a better way to move forward?

Does the change pass the smell test?

What is the underlying motivation for making this proposed change? Is it primarily a political one? Has it been hastily presented? These can be and usually are red flags that should not be overlooked. If it does not pass the smell test then chances are then the change idea is not a good idea.

Does the change inspire and call forth the best from your team?

Not all change is welcomed nor is it easy to execute. But you will know it is right when the enthusiasm of the buy-in far exceeds the negativity of the change. When your team has been inspired, challenged, and embraces this change then you know you have made a good decision. If the opposite is true then you may want to pivot and consider other options.

It was George Bernard Shaw who said, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Welcome change, embrace change, and desire change. But at the end of the day, make sure it’s the right change.

What do you say?

* This is a “Best Of” column that was originally posted in 2013. I will be out of the country April 6-11 on a trip to Costa Rica. The “Leadership Minute” columns will return when I get back!

I invite your feedback!

1. What is your greatest struggle with change?

2. What are two or three action steps you can take today to foster positive changes in your life?

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Leadership Minute: Guard Your Thoughts

Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts. – Soren Kierkegaard

Your thoughts as a leader are important. What you allow to enter and dominate your thought processes greatly influences the direction your life will take. Guarding your thoughts and dwelling on the positive can be challenging when so many things around you can be negative. Being able to rise above the negative is not a matter of avoiding life around you as you know it; it’s about guarding your thoughts and heart and not being corrupted by it. Just as others choose to be negative so too must you choose to be positive. Set the course of your life by things that inspire, uplift, encourage, and motivate. You will be a better leader for it.

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Turning Complainers into Contributors

Complaining not only ruins everybody else’s day, it ruins the complainer’s day, too. The more we complain, the more unhappy we get. – Dennis Prager

The story is told of a cowboy out West driving down a dirt road, his dog riding in the back of the pickup truck, his faithful horse in the trailer behind. He failed to negotiate a curve and had a terrible accident.

Sometime later, a highway patrol officer came on the scene. An animal lover, he saw the horse first. Realizing the serious nature of its injuries, he drew his service revolver and put the animal out of its misery. He walked around the accident and found the dog, also hurt critically. He couldn’t bear to hear it whine in pain, so he ended the dog’s suffering as well.

Finally, he located the cowboy who had suffered multiple fractures, off in the weeds. “Hey, are you okay?” the officer asked. The cowboy took one look at the smoking revolver in the trooper’s hand and quickly replies, “Never felt better!”

The story is a light-hearted way to remind us of the power of being positive in a negative world. Whiners and complainers have a way of sucking the oxygen out of the room and creating an environment for others that is less than desirable. Do you know any chronic complainers?

Inc. contributor Minda Zeltin interviewed Trevor Blake, author of Three Simple Steps: A Map to Success in Business and Life (http://bit.ly/IOJWMQ). Blake says that being around so much negativity can in turn make you negative, and that keeps you from actually solving problems. So forget the annoyance factor; the issue runs deeper than that. So what is a leader to do with whiners and complainers in the office? How do you deal with the person who is not happy unless they are unhappy and making life miserable for everyone else? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Raise Expectations.

The working environment in your office or organization must be a place where creative minds are free to explore, where the exchange and free flow of information and ideas is welcomed and encouraged, and where the tolerance level for whiners and complainers is low. A chronic whiner or complainer is detrimental to that environment. To be sure, there must be room for disagreements and as a leader you shouldn’t turn a deaf ear to genuine concerns. But your expectations must be high and they must be consistent. Complainers must be turned into contributors. But how?

Expect Solutions.

As expectations are raised the responsibility shifts back onto those complaining. If there is a concern that needs to be raised then there should be freedom enough to express those concerns without fear of repercussions. There is however a big difference between a gripe session and a solution session. Anyone can complain, but can they bring solutions? You should make it a rule that for every gripe or concern someone brings to the table they also come with an equal or higher number of solutions. This gives them ownership of the problem and increases their commitment. This is how they move from being complainers to contributors.

Hold people accountable.

As you raise expectations and expect solutions you are setting the tone for a productive work environment. No office or leader is immune from complainers and there will always be room for improvement. As a leader it’s important that the lines of communication always be open between you and your team even if at times you don’t like the delivery of the message. You shouldn’t discard what the complainer has to say simply because you don’t like their delivery. But it is your task as leader to help turn them from being complainers to being contributors.

Let’s be clear. You should never sacrifice the integrity of your office environment because of the actions of one or two people. If a complainer refuses to come on board as a contributor then it is going to create wide spread problems with morale and productivity. You owe it to the contributors to not tolerate that type of behavior. Nor should you apologize for high standards. On the bright side, the most valuable team member you can potentially have is the one who transitions from being a complainer to a contributor.

What do you say?

I invite your feedback!

1. How do you deal with complainers in your office?

2. Have complainers in your office or organization been tolerated? If so, what has been the effect?

3. What other possible solutions can you give to effectively handle chronic complainers?

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Leadership Minute: Have Fun

Posted March 28, 2014
by admin
3 Comments on Leadership Minute: Have Fun

Fun is good. – Dr. Seuss

For all of the important and serious things that occupy a leaders day one thing worth mentioning is the need for fun. The price of leadership is great responsibility. And yet your temperament as a leader is important. It’s important not just for those around you but for yourself. Are you wound too tight? Would your colleagues agree? The decisions you make are serious but try not to take yourself too serious. Don’t forget to laugh. Remember that the troubles you have today are preparing you for better things tomorrow. Your ability to have fun along the way is just as necessary as any other decision you make. At the end of the day, whether good or bad, let it be said that you find it all most rewarding and fun. Life is just too short for you to be miserable as a leader. Lighten up!

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Leadership Minute: Step of Faith

Posted March 27, 2014
by admin
2 Comments on Leadership Minute: Step of Faith

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of the most exhilarating and yet one of the most fearful steps for many leaders is those blind steps of faith. We tend to be careful, calculated, and want to know the whole game plan. But there are those unique and special times when you just have to go with your gut instincts and take a step of faith even if you don’t see the entire picture. Sometimes your goals and dreams await you on the other side of your faith. Dare to dream, set your sights high, and when the time comes, dare to step out and go for it. The big picture will become clearer with each step you take.

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Leadership Minute: What You Leave Behind

True happiness comes from the things that cannot be taken away from you. Making the full effort to do the right thing can never be taken away from you. – John Wooden

In the arena of sports, John Wooden’s legacy is forever secure. But however successful he was, it was secondary to his faith, family, and the guiding principles that shaped the lives of so many people. At the end of the day, what is most important to you? Your legacy is the product of your leadership. But your legacy transcends your leadership. Where you place value it will be returned in like manner. Give your time, energy, and your very best to that which will give you greatest return and to that which will outlive you. After all, what can’t be taken away from you is that which will live on long after you are gone.

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