Tag: leadership

Leadership Minute: Not My Circus

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Not my circus, not my monkeys. – Polish Proverb

Ever feel like your office is like a 3-ring circus? If you’ve been around a while you have. It’s important to know what is, and is not, your circus. To be sure, office politics and gossip is universal. There will always be those who tend to thrive on drama – real or otherwise. Just because it exists does not mean you have to join in. It’s not just a matter of staying above the fray with regard to such nonsense, but as the leader, setting the right example. It’s been said that what you tolerate you promote. While your organization may not be drama-free, your success as an organization hinges on the standards you set. Knowing what is of concern to you and knowing what to avoid is smart leadership. Don’t allow petty things in your office to derail the priorities of your office. While the circus may not be of your making, you can be the ring leader and fold the tent.

Leadership Minute: Great Opportunities

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Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big things. – Rick Warren

Do you want to make a difference as a leader? Good. The path to greatness as a leader is sometimes found in the mundane. That’s right; no headline, no photo-op, no ‘Atta boy’, or pats on the back. Great opportunities and consequently great impacts are simply the by-products of ordinary people doing ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way. Expressions of servant leadership are found when you concede being in the spotlight by putting someone else in it. Expressions of servant leadership are important to you when you don’t care about being important. The more you serve others the more you discover this fundamental truth: it’s not about you. When you are big enough to be little, humble enough to serve and proud to do it, you can find your purpose and meaning in the small things. Great opportunities are before you if you are willing to be little.

Leadership Minute: Are You Building Trust?

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To be successful as a leader your employees must know that they can trust you. Without trust, you do not have the ability to influence others. –Elizabeth Stincelli

The issue is old as time but has never been more relevant. Your success as a leader is grounded and rooted in trust. Let’s be clear; leadership is not a popularity contest. Leaders have to make hard, and often time, unpopular decisions. But as unpopular as some decisions may be for the leader the decision by employees to stick with his or her leader should not be. While any given decision may not have gone as they had hoped, they will stick with a leader they can trust. At the end of the day that is the most important thing. Building trust speaks of your integrity but it also speaks of your longevity. If you can’t be trusted you won’t be around for long. Build your leadership on trust and everything else will fall into place.

Leadership Minute: Positive Habits

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Without question, positive thinking will do more for you, will make you feel better, do better, let you have more fun, and be liked by more people that negative thinking ever will. – John Patrick Hickey

Positive thinking is the result of positive habits. It’s about programming your mind in such a way as to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. The habits you form are the result of choices you make. Why is it important? As a leader you have influence that shapes opinions, beliefs, and outcomes. How you use your influence is important. Your dominant thoughts tend to be your most vocal ones. What is the message you are communicating with your words? What outcomes can you expect as a result? Not every situation will be desirable but the leader with the right reaction, words, and influence can turn it around. If the direction of your organization was determined by your ability to think and articulate positive words and actions would it be acceptable to you? If you want a positive life develop positive habits.

Leadership Minute: Be Merciful

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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. – Matthew 5:7 (Jesus)

For all of the attributes ascribed to leaders how high on the list would you place being merciful? After all, leaders are tough, decisive, driven, and are no-nonsense type of people. But drill down to the finer qualities of what makes a leader inspiring and worth following is a sense of mercy that embodies their leadership style. They don’t overlook the obvious and are not afraid to act when times are tough. Leaders lead with a clear set of goals and outcome expectations. But they also understand that life happens and a merciful leader will make allowances. Don’t be so rigid with rules, regulations, policies, and procedures that you fail to see the human equation. Mercy is not weakness. The merciful leader is strong enough to care, gracious enough to show it, and confident enough to live it.

Three Fears That Shape Your Leadership

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One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of the great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do. – Henry Ford

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

What’s your phobia? For some it’s a fear of heights, or flying. For others it may be riding in an elevator, speaking in public, or Friday the 13th. For me, it’s spiders. I can handle most anything you throw my way, but for some reason spiders creep me out.

You will face many challenges as a leader. One the best discoveries to make on your leadership journey is that some of the things you were afraid of were, in fact, nothing to be afraid of at all. It’s as you grow and gain confidence in your talents and abilities that you can look back on some of your unfounded fears and smile. So what fears can actually make you a better leader? Here are three for your consideration.

The fear of thinking too big – This fear is rooted in the “what if?” mentality.

Donald Trump said, “I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you may as well think big.” That’s the rub with some leaders. They had rather play it safe with small thinking. After all, small thinking equals small risks. But big thinking requires big risks and big sacrifices. And did I mention the issue of pride? After all, as the logic goes, how would it look if I failed?

Let me ask you the question that’s been around for a while. What would you attempt if you knew that you could not fail? Leaders who think big had rather fail at attempting something big than succeed at something small. You overcome this fear of thinking too big with hard work and dedication. Don’t let the fear of thinking too big hold you back. Embrace your big ideas, goals, and dreams and see where they take you.

The fear of overestimating your potential – This fear is rooted in a “who me? mentality.

This is a fear that causes you to think too little of your gifts, talents, and leadership abilities. If you ever buy-in to the notion that you are not meant to be where you are, doing what you are doing, and possessing the skills to be there, you will never reach your full potential.

Winston Churchill said, “Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence- is the key to unlocking our potential.” Your potential is always fluid as you continue to grow. Your level of potential today is not the same as it was five years ago simply based on your growth. The bar will be higher five years out as your growth pattern continues. The key here is to have faith in your abilities and to never entertain negative thoughts or attitudes that would hold you back. Your potential will be unlimited when you take the limits off your potential.

The fear of empowering others – This fear is rooted in the “why them?” mentality.

Every smart leader understands the impact and importance of empowered teams. Empowered teams are more productive, create positive energy, and build morale in ways you can’t do when individuals are isolated from one another. But a fear of empowering others can undercut that culture and progress.

The fear of empowering others likely has less to do with your team than it does with your own insecurities or fear of not being in control. Whatever the reason; it’s a hindrance to your progress and success. But when you shed that fear and believe in your people, you can unleash your team to do what they were meant to do. Empowering others begins as you overpower your fears.

Every leader faces fear. That’s common. How you respond to your fear will determine the shape of your leadership. Don’t be afraid to think big, be confident in yourself and your abilities, and empower others. When you do fear can’t win.

 

© 2014 Doug Dickerson

 

I welcome your feedback:

1. What fears have held you back on your journey as a leader?

2. How can you work to overcome them?

3. How can you help others overcome their fears?

 

Leadership Minute: Back to the Basics

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Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is carried out. – Ronald Reagan

In leadership this is about as straightforward as it can get. It’s simple, clear, and yet uniquely profound. Leaders who fail at this do so because they have dropped the ball on one of these levels. It’s been said that leadership is hard. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Success as a leader contains a mixture of these three components. When for whatever reason one of these elements is lacking you must move quickly to identify it, solve it, and move on. It’s when we neglect the basics of leadership that things go awry. Do yourself and those around you a big favor – get back to the basics. Don’t complicate the simple. Return to the practices that got you where you are today. Be great at the basics.

Leadership Minute: Breaking Down Big Thinking

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I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big. – Donald Trump

Your achievement is proportional to your thinking. Until you embrace big thinking you will not see big results. Of course, big thinking doesn’t guarantee big results but it is the starting place. Big thinking, like big dreams, requires more. You can’t just think it or dream it. You have to devise a plan and go to work. But big thinking is foundational to your success. Big thinking or ideas is nothing more than a series of accumulated incremental steps in the process toward that end. Begin by asking the basic questions: What can I do today? Who can help me? What resources do I have? What resources do I need? What changes do I need to make? How soon?, etc. Start asking and start answering. Create your plan and work your plan. Think big, grow big, and work to be big. There is no other way. But it all starts with big thinking.

Leadership Minute: Self-Revelation

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The circumstances of life, the events of life, and the people around me in life do not make me the way I am, but reveal the way I am. – Sam Peeples, Jr.

It’s been said that we will be known by the company we keep. As leaders we come across all types of people all the time. On any given day you can be thrown into events, circumstances, and situations that require your attention. But those events and circumstances don’t define you- they reveal you.  How you deal with these things reveals the depth of your maturity and validates your leadership. Self-awareness as a leader occurs when you understand that your preparation as a leader is an inside job.  Commit yourself to personal growth by the books you read, the mentors you have, and your unyielding dedication to excellence. As you apply what you learn then it won’t matter the circumstances you face because you will be ready.

Leadership Minute: Make a Difference

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I’ve learned if you want success you can’t chase it. Instead you must decide to make a difference where you are…and success will find you. – Jon Gordon

It’s not uncommon to look around and see people chasing –chasing their fortune, fame, success, recognition, etc. Perhaps it’s out of restlessness or some other motivating factor. The chase can often be driven by a sense that the grass is greener on the other side. And often the chase ends with disappointment when they learn that it’s not. So before you go chasing after greener grass elsewhere why not fully devote yourself and make a difference where you are today. The greener grass you are looking for is right under your feet. Today the grass may be dried out, brown, or non-existent, but it’s why you are there. Commit to making a difference where you are. Be the change you want to see and you will make it. Be the hope that others are looking for. You can make a difference right where you are.