Value – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

It’s Your Time to Soar

Posted February 23, 2017
by dougdickerson

Eagles don’t flock, you have to find them one at a time. – Ross Perot

“While walking through the forest one day, a man found a young eagle who had fallen out of its nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard where it soon learned to eat and behave like the chickens.

One day a naturalist passed by the farm and asked why it was that the king of all birds should be confined to live in a barnyard with the chickens. The farmer replied that since he had given it chicken feed and trained it to be a chicken, it had never learned to fly. Since it now behaved as the chickens, it was no longer an eagle.

“Still it has the heart of an eagle,” replied the naturalist, “and can surely be taught to fly.” He lifted the eagle toward the sky and said, “You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” The eagle, however, was confused. He did not know who he was, and seeing the chickens eating their feed, he jumped down to be with them again.

The naturalists took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, “You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” but the eagle was afraid of his unknown world and jumped down once more for the chicken feed.

Finally, the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, “You are an eagle, you belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” The eagle looked around, back towards the barnyard and up to the sky. Then the naturalist lifted him straight towards the sun and it happened that eagle began to tremble. Slowly he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared away into the heavens. ” (Source)

In leadership, as in life, you will have competing voices that will cause you to walk with the chickens or soar with the eagles. Here are a few truths worth remembering.

Not everyone who picks you up will lift you up

The man who found the young eagle might have meant well in bringing the young eagle to his barn. But over time, his good deed turned the majestic bird, full of so much potential, into a common barnyard chicken.

If you want to soar as a leader you must break free from the good intentions of people who do not bring out the best in you.

Your worth is not defined by those holding you back

As the young eagle grew its identity was shaped by the company that it kept. Instead of realizing its full potential to soar the heavens, it was grounded with the chickens. The eagle was being labeled as something it wasn’t. His future was being cast. And the man could not be more wrong.

If you want to soar as a leader you must never let the people who are holding you back to define your worth. When you have the heart of an eagle, don’t allow the mindset of a chicken hold you back.

You can only soar like an eagle when you start acting like one

Over time, the young eagle was persuaded by the naturalist that he was more than a chicken as led to believe. It was when the eagle embraced everything that was great about him that he took his rightful place soaring to the heavens.

If you want to soar as a leader you will have to shake off the labels of your critics and stop hanging out with the chickens. Surround yourself with those who bring out the best in you.

Those who believe in you the most will insist that you fly

The naturalist saw the eagle for the grand and majestic bird that it was. He knew that as long as it was confined to the barnyard it would never live up to its potential. He saw the eagles’ potential and he didn’t give up until it flew.

If you want to soar as a leader you will need people in your life who believe in you, people who will call out the best in you, and people who will never rest until you fly.

This is your time to soar!

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Value- Added Leadership

Few things increase the credibility of leaders more than adding value to the people around them. – John Maxwell

American artist James Whistler, who was never known to be bashful about his talent, was once advised that a shipment of blank canvases he had ordered had been lost in the mail. When asked if the canvases were of any great value, Whistler remarked, “not yet, not yet.”

Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. While it’s not too hard to spot beauty when we see it, the search for value might be a bit more challenging.

I came across an article in Inc. magazine (http://on.inc.com/2bZaq1X) by John Brandon in which he reveals the results of one survey that should grab the attention of every leader who has anything to do with his or her employees. Citing a survey by O.C. Tanner that surveyed 2,363 office workers it “ found that, for those who feel appreciated, a whopping 89% feel satisfied in their jobs. That number drops to only 51% for those who said they don’t feel appreciated.

In the same control group, 85% of the “appreciated” employees also said they were satisfied with life while 61% of the under-appreciated employees were not happy with life in general. The data creates a stark contrast in other areas as well, revealing that those who feel appreciated tend to be less stressed, have a better sense of belonging, and feel like they have better control over their life.”

In theory we know that employee engagement is a good thing. We intuitively know that we should be engaged and taking a proactive posture towards building relationships that make a difference. As a leader, the value that you add to your organization is like one of those blank canvases. The value is yet to be determined. So what can you do as a leader to make a difference and create a masterpiece? Here are four practical ways.

Add value with your words

You can add value to those in your sphere of influence simply by the words you speak. Be generous with praise, be passionate with vision, be patient in confrontation. But understand that the word you use set the tone for the way in which your employees react and how together you move forward as a team. When they feel valued they will perform like it.

Add value with you actions

In as much as your team likes to hear from you, what carries the day is not your words but your deeds. Talk is just that – talk. Value is added when you back it up with actions that moves the team in the right direction. If you want to see morale soar in your organization be a leader that backs up the talk with action.

Add value with your attitude

Your attitude is the thermostat for the morale of your organization. It’s most unrealistic for you to expect strong morale from those you lead if your attitude stinks. Can you blame them? You add value to those you lead with a strong attitude that knows how to celebrate accomplishments, is steady in times of testing, and sets the bar high with a winning attitude.

Add value with your culture

The findings in the above mentioned survey found that the quality of life not only at work but outside of it was much improved simply because the employees felt appreciated. What one, two, or three actions could you do today that would add value to those you lead? It’s not about righting the ship overnight, but it is about taking steps today that can begin to change the culture of your organization. And you don’t have to fly off to some fancy conference to learn or do this.

Adding value to those you lead should be utmost in your mind, your heart, and the focal point of the decisions you make. Are you a value-added leader?

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Leadership Minute: Are You Adding or Subtracting?

Posted September 17, 2014
by admin

No matter what level of the company you’re on, you have a choice about what you will contribute to the culture. – Bill Hybels

When it comes to your participation in your organizational structure are you adding to it or subtracting from it? Each day at your place of business you are either the face of everything that is good and right about your business or you are a good bad example. Your organizational structure is only as good and right and productive as each person in it. Some days are tough. I get it. There are some days and some people that just rub you the wrong way. I understand. The boss may be a jerk and there may be days you feel you are carrying the load by yourself. It happens. But at the end of the day your presence, your attitude, and your work ethic is a contribution for the good of your company’s culture or it’s taking away from it. The choice is yours. Let your contributions be an example others will choose to follow.

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Leadership Minute: Value Added Leaders

Few things will increase the credibility of leaders more than adding value to the people around them. – John Maxwell

Adding value to the people around you is one of the privileges of leadership. But value can only be added where respect is given. It’s easy to add value to those we like and are friends with. But what about that difficult person whom you had rather avoid? Until we begin to recognize and give value to everyone regardless of how difficult it may be we are marginalizing our credibility. There is good to be found in everyone and everyone needs to be lifted up. Look for tangible ways to add value to the people around you and watch your credibility rise. Don’t withhold that compliment, that affirmation, or that word of encouragement. Your one word of encouragement could be all it takes to turn things around for a struggling friend. Be a leader of added value.

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