values – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Does Your Workplace Culture Need an Alignment?

Posted June 14, 2023June 14, 2023
by admin

A statement of shared values, no matter how inspiring, does not make a healthy culture. – Tod Bolsinger (Canoeing The Mountains)

I read with great interest a study at Team Stage which reported that only 28% of executives understand their company culture. They stated, “While they understand its importance, they fail to fathom the culture itself.” From a leadership perspective, I found the disconnect quite disturbing. How can one believe culture is important while at the same time failing to understand their own culture?

Imagine, if you will, that you are driving your car and you notice that it is pulling to the left or to the right. Intuitively you know that your car is out of alignment. Knowing that your car is out of alignment is a good thing, but if you ignore it for too long, it’s going to create bigger problems that you will have to address. And the longer you put it off, the more damage it can cause.

Simply having a mission or value statement plastered up on the wall somewhere in the office is no indication that anyone truly knows what it is, how it pertains to them, and how it impacts the day-to-day operation of the organization.

As a leader, you need the awareness of knowing if your organizational culture is out of alignment and what corrections are needed. Here are a few things that may help guide you in that process.

Focus more on alignment than organizing

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, John Kotter states, “The idea of getting people moving in the same direction appears to be an organizational problem. But what executives need to do is not organize people but align them.” In other words, align them around your values. The more your people are aligned with your mission and vision, the healthier it will be.

It will always be hard for your organization to move forward if it’s out of alignment. Just as your car will want to go off the road, so, too, will your organizational culture drift if not properly aligned. Once you take care of alignment, organizing will be a much simpler process.

Lead by example, not by decrees

When only 28% of executives understand their company culture they will not be in a place to lead by example. Here’s the rub – organizational culture is leader driven. If the leader doesn’t get it or know it, then the leader will not be able to align with it.

Writing in A Tale of Two Cultures, David Burkus writes, “People typically do not look to written codes for clues about how to behave; they look to others.” And this is the void leaders must fill. They need to know their culture and the people in your organization ultimately need to look to each other in terms of knowing how to behave – not a poster on the wall. As a leader, you must set an example and it happens when your words and your actions are aligned. Click To Tweet

Final Thoughts

Tod Bolsinger writes that “culture creation work rests on identifying the gaps between aspired values and actual behavior, and then working with the leaders to bring every aspect of the organization into alignment…” As a leader, this is your responsibility. A healthy workplace culture just doesn’t happen – it’s intentionally created.

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Building a Culture of Respect

Posted June 27, 2022
by admin

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. – Mother Teresa

Building and maintaining a healthy workplace culture is a challenge within any organization. Creating and sustaining a healthy culture where comradery thrives begins with respect and trust. With it, there is such potential for great things; without it, there’s always going to be tension between that potential and the disappointment of unfulfilled goals.

If there’s ever been a time for building a culture of respect it’s now. A great tension exists between our culture as a whole and how that plays out day-to-day in the workplace. Whatever stands you take and positions you subscribe to in our current culture at large, those can and do inevitability carry over into the workplace.

So how does a leader set the tone for a healthy workplace culture when the people within it bring such diverse and strong points of view regarding the things that are taking place outside of it?

Here’s what I know to be true and what everyone needs to remember - there is a difference between people being divided and being divisive. Click To Tweet And as a leader, you have to know the difference and set up healthy boundaries. People will have differing views on all sorts of issues. That’s to be expected and normal. But people choose to be divisive by their actions and behaviors.

The other day I called my friend Tom. He and I have been friends for more than 30 years. He was one of the first ones to visit my wife and me in the hospital after our children were born. He was very instrumental in some of my early career choices and he is a valued and trusted friend.

Our friendship transcends the different ways in which we see the world. And after some of the recent major headlines, it was Tom whom I wanted to talk with. Why is that?

While we have our different convictions and differences of opinion our friendship transcends them. The fact that we don’t always agree is precisely why I called him. I didn’t want an echo chamber conversation. I wanted to talk, ask questions, listen, and broaden my perspective and understanding. And this is what we’ve been doing for more than 30 years.

Over the years our friendship has lasted because of one word – respect. Our friendship is not defined by our political points of view, by a label, by always having to be right, or by the need to get in the last word. We listen to each other with respect and do not allow any disagreement to come between us.

As a leader, how you walk this tightrope and how it plays out in your workplace is vital to the health of your organization.

On a practical level, what can you do as a leader? How can you help build a culture of respect? Here are a few ideas.

Model it

Having the kind of workplace culture that you want as a leader begins with you. If respect is what’s needed, then respect has to be shown. Never insist on any action or behavior that you are not taking the lead on. Respect, as with any other value within your organization, begins with leadership. It succeeds or fails by your example.

Make it a priority

As a leader, you are not responsible for the beliefs and actions of the masses outside of your organization. But you do have a say about what takes place within it. Building a respectful culture within your organization not only has to be modeled by you but must be made a priority. Once values and behaviors are communicated they must be made a priority that your people embrace.

Hold people accountable

Within the context of building a culture of respect within your organization, there have to be accountability measures in place. The culture of the organization does not rest on the shoulders of one person- everyone shares that responsibility.

Hold diversity in high regard

Benjamin Franklin said, “When everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking.” And this is when you run the risk of getting stuck. You need people who see things differently and who think differently from you. Your diversity is not the problem, it’s your strength and you need to recognize and celebrate it. Mutual respect and trust must be the glue that holds it all together.

Final Thoughts

Building a healthy culture in your organization begins with respect. Along with trust, it’s the foundation upon which everything else is built. It takes a commitment on your part to model it and make it a value and when you do and it takes hold, you will have a culture worth emulating.

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Swimming Upstream: What Salmon Teach Us About Leadership

Posted June 13, 2022
by admin

Only dead fish go with the flow – Andy Hunt

I read an interesting article at Sciencing.com not long ago about fish who swim upstream. The main reason salmon, for example, swim upstream is to ensure the survival of their offspring. Salmon are born in freshwater rivers, spend most of their adult lives in the ocean, and then return to the place they were born to lay their eggs.

As young salmon hatch in their home stream, they learn the smell of it. As they migrate downstream and into the ocean they may even memorize certain scents along the way. Even after being away for many years, when the salmon return to their birthplace as adults, they will use those smells to “test the waters” and find their home stream. Some studies have shown that salmon use the Earth’s magnetic field to guide their migration. This helps them travel long distances and understand where they are going.

Many interesting things stood out to me as I read the story of the migration of the salmon, but namely, it was that salmon swim upstream to ensure the survival of their offspring.

In your leadership, there will be times, more often than not, when for your survival and success you will need to swim upstream. In your organization, you may feel that you are swimming against the current as it relates to values and direction and this has placed you in an awkward situation.

But not all swimming upstream is necessarily a bad thing. At times it’s going to be required of you. Let’s look at four reasons why.

You have to swim upstream to grow

Your growth as a leader is not automatic and to grow you have to be intentional. When swimming downstream with the rest of the crowd it’s easy to just relax and go with the flow. But if you want to grow as a leader you will have to embrace what John Maxwell describes as the law of trade-offs. In other words, you have to give up to grow up.

Eric Hoffer said, “People will cling to an unsatisfactory way of life rather than change to get something better for fear of getting something worse,” and it’s this mindset that you have to break free from. It won’t be easy and you will have to swim upstream to attain it. But your growth as a leader depends upon it.

You have to swim upstream to stay true to your values

When it comes to your values and belief system as a leader, you will have to fight to keep from getting swept up in the downstream current. It’s so much easier to swim downstream and blend in. And by downstream I mean the downward current of negativity, bad attitudes, office politics, and toxic people.

“The first step toward success,” said Mark Caine, “is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment you find yourself in.” And this is precisely what you have to do as a leader. Your values and belief systems are your non-negotiables and to stay true to them, you will have to be relentless and swim upstream. Just as the salmon swim upstream to preserve their offspring, so too will you need to swim upstream to protect your values.

You have to swim upstream to make a lasting impact

Swimming upstream is painful and difficult. As a leader, you have to embrace the pain if you want to grow and make an impact on the lives of those around you.

Neale Donald Walsh said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone,” and this is the push I am encouraging you with – get out of your comfort zone. Swimming downstream requires little of you and consequently produces little from you. Click To Tweet But to swim upstream requires more and therefore, the return is more significant. When you embrace the struggle of swimming upstream you also embrace the reward it generates.

You have to swim upstream to be your best

If you were to pause and look around at those closest to you in your circle- your friends and colleagues, how many would you say are living their best life as they swim downstream? These are unquestionably good people but are in a downstream current with no thought of where it’s taking them.

John Maxwell said, “We become the combined average of the five people we hang around.” Let that sink in for a moment. Think of those five people. Are those five floating along downstream? How many are swimming upstream? Are they taking you downstream with them or are you leading the way up?

Final Thoughts

I believe that your best days as a leader are found when you discover that swimming downstream with everyone else is not the destiny that’s meant for you. It’s discovered when you realize that you want more out of life and leadership than just blending in. And just as the salmon swim upstream to ensure the survival of their offspring, so too, you need to choose to swim upstream to ensure your success as a leader.

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Why Clarity Matters in Your Leadership

Posted November 19, 2020
by admin

Individuals can live without certainty from a leader, but not without clarity. – John Maxwell

The story is told about the father of a vacationing family who came across a large sign that read, “Road Closed, Do Not Enter.” The man proceeded around the sign because he was confident it would save them time. His wife was resistant to the adventure, but there was no turning back for this road warrior.

After a few miles of successful navigation, he began to boast about his navigational skills. His proud smile was quickly replaced with humble sweat when the road led to a washed-out bridge.

He turned the car around and retraced his tracks to the main road. When they arrived at the original warning sign he was greeted by large letters on the back of the sign, “Welcome back, stupid!”

How many times have we thought- even as leaders, that we knew for sure what we were doing or talking about, only to discover that we were wrong the whole time? I’ve been there plenty of times. Chances are, you have as well. Now what?

In leadership, it’s important to remember that we are not required to have all of the answers. That ought to be refreshing. But for the sake of the people we lead, let’s talk about what’s needed most which is clarity. Here are a few reasons why it matters.

Clarity provides context

Often it’s not answers to big questions that are the most important thing your people need, but context to the smaller ones. They may not see the big picture as you do. So rather than trying to tackle the big picture, break it down into bite-size pieces that they can make sense of what matters today.

Your people will be more apt to move forward with confidence if they have clarity and context about what they are doing and why.

Leadership Tip: Keep it simple.

Clarity inspires camaraderie

Your people will rally around a common goal and mission. When you people have clarity about what it is, their role in it, and why it matters, it makes all the difference. As you cut through the confusion and any indifference that might exist, you can move your people to a new level.

At every opportunity, give your people clarity to what’s going on around them. They will appreciate it and from there you can build stronger morale.

Leadership Tip: Keep them together.

Clarity builds trust

Trust is your leadership currency. With it, you have unlimited possibilities before you. Without it, you are done. When you provide clarity, even during uncertain times and when answers are in short supply, you are building relations with your people based on their trust in you. During challenging times, your people need to be able to look to you with the assurance that you will always tell the truth – even if it hurts, knowing you have their best interests at heart.

Leadership Tip: Keep them close.

Final Thoughts

We live in a time when clarity seems to be in short supply. As a leader, be mindful that you don’t have to be the answer-man to every problem. Nor should you pretend to know it all. But in your role as a leader, you can give clarity and that will always serve you well.

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Cultivating Culture

Posted October 14, 2020October 14, 2020
by admin

Every time you reinforce the culture, you reinforce the fabric of the company. – Arthur M. Blank

How’s the culture in your organization? The question is not meant to be a subjective one based upon your preconceived ideas of what you think it ought to be or how you see it. That focus is too narrow. The answer is and must be more inclusive and broad.

Your role as a manager and leader within your organization is critical to the culture in it. A study by Gallup reports that 70% of the variance in team management can be traced back to their managers behavior. In addition, only four in ten U.S. employees strongly agree that they get to do what they do best at work. Over half are actively looking for a new job or are open to one- and when they do land a new role, 91% of the time it’s with a new company. So, again, how is the culture in your organization?

How we as leaders cultivate culture within our organizations is an ever-present challenge and opportunity. A hands-off approach to building culture will not work no more than an overbearing presence can boost morale. Is there a better way?

I was intrigued as I read a review in Inc., of the forthcoming book Good Company by Home Depot co-founder Arthur M. Blank. I won’t give away all the details of the review, but I will share what he identifies as the most important question you can ask your employees: Is this organization worth your life? If the answer is yes, Blank explains, “it’s an indication that the company’s culture is thriving, and that it’s employees feel confident in making the best decisions for both the customers and the company.”

How can you reinforce the culture in your organization? What are some practical , even small things, that can make a difference? Here are a few ideas for starters.

Focus on ‘we’, not ‘me’

It takes a group of dedicated individuals who are willing to set aside personal agendas to advance the team. As Babe Ruth said, “ The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You can have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” Hire the best talent you can find, but instill the concept of teamwork from the beginning. Click To Tweet

Play to strengths

It’s already been alluded to, but your people will thrive best when they do what they love. There’s a fine line between cross training and cross contamination. Your people will thrive when they are free to do what they do best. When this happens you won’t have to manufacture a healthy culture and morale, it will take care of itself.

Prioritize relationships

Healthy relationships are the backbone of your employee relations. Your employees are the face of your organization and create the bond with your customers. If relationships are weak then the links to the most important people you serve will be strained. Every part of your cultural and customer experience will rise and fall on relationships.

Clarify values

Your values must be clear to your people. They can’t have buy-in to your organization without it. Roy Disney put it this way, “When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes much easier”. Your people must know the ‘why’ of their work and why it matters to the marketplace. If your people are confused then so are the people you are trying to serve. Click To Tweet

Have each other’s backs

Loyalty within your organization goes a long way in building culture. When you have the backs of your people and stand by them, they will not soon forget. It’s an essential part of your leadership that will see you through the good times and bad. No organization is immune from adversity, but every organization can endure it when the people in it have each other’s backs and stand united.

Final Thoughts

Cultivating culture in your organization is a process. It takes time and commitment from all those in it. Acting in good faith and with open communication are essential to your success. What the culture in your organization looks like all depends on the level of commitment of the people in it. It all starts with you.

Preorder your copy on Amazon

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Why Your Values Matter

Posted June 18, 2020
by admin

When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier. – Roy E. Disney

In 2004, a painting by Anna Mary Robertson, better known as Grandma Moses, was brought to the Antiques Roadshow for appraisal. Born before the Civil War, Robertson did not take up painting until late in her life. Her primitive style eventually became extremely popular, and her work commanded a high price.

The man who brought the painting to be evaluated had lived nearby and his mother was a friend of Grandma Moses. He said, “She was just a wonderful friend of the family. And she would let my mother buy these paintings, which she thought had relatively little value. I guess my mother did, too. She probably bought eight or ten paintings in all, and my guess would be for perhaps under ten dollars each.”

The painting that was bought for around $10 was appraised as being with $60,000. In her early days of painting, Grandma Moses did not think of her works as being very valuable, so she parted with them for next to nothing.

Could it be that we are living in times when we truly don’t understand the importance of our values? Indeed, the times in which we live cry out for values-based leadership and in particular, leaders who are anchored to them. Click To Tweet We need leaders who know their true north and live it.

By simple definition, values are “the regard that something is held to deserve, the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.” But defining values and living them becomes the challenge. Here are a few reasons why they are important to you as a leader.

Values are your non-negotiables

In leadership, your values represent your core convictions on how you lead, treat the people on your team, and how you interact with the clientele whom you serve. Your values bring clarity to who you are as a person and how you choose to live and interact with those around you. Your values, therefore, become the filter through which your decisions are made.

Values clarify policies and procedures

Many leaders pride themselves in the policies and procedures of their organizations. But they are only useful if they align with your values. Your policies and procedures do not operate in a vacuum apart from your values. Click To TweetAnd in the event you ever deal with a situation that is not addressed in your handbook, then your default procedure is always to defer to your values for guidance.

Values complement your ‘why’

Much has been said and written in recent years on finding your why and rightfully so. It’s imperative to you as a leader to know it. Knowing your why points you in the right direction while knowing your values provides you the moral compass to go there Click To Tweet. Trying to live out your why without values is like a fish trying to live out of water. It just doesn’t work. So before you begin your journey of discovering your why, start with your values.

Values facilitate decision making

As Roy Disney said in the lead-in quote, when your values are clear, decision making becomes easier. Many things about leadership are hard. Hang around long enough and you will learn that. But decision making within your organization becomes easier when your values are clear. Granted, not everyone will like your decisions, but when they are grounded in your values, then explaining that decision now becomes a teachable moment to remind them of those values.

Final Thoughts

Rumi said, “You know the value of every article of merchandise, but if you don’t know the value of your own soul, it’s all foolishness.” And this is the underlying reason to identify and know your values both personally and professionally. There are some things that are passing and temporary and other things that are eternal. The wisdom that comes from knowing your values helps you to know the difference.

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Leadership In a Word: Anchors

Posted March 18, 2018
by dougdickerson

The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundations. – St. Augustine

A word about anchors

In his book Six Hours One Friday, Max Lucado shares a story about weathering Hurricane David while living on the Miami River in a houseboat. While many people along Florida’s Gold Coast were boarding up their homes he was desperately trying to figure out what to do to save his boat.

In his desperation, he recalls a story of a friend who came to his aid. He writes:

I was reaching the end of my rope, in more ways than one, when Phil showed up. Now Phil knew boats. He even looked boatwise.

He was born wearing a suntan and dock-siders. He spoke the lingo and knew the knots. He also knew hurricanes. Word on the river had it that he had ridden one out for three days in a ten-foot sailboat. They made him a living legend.

He felt sorry for us, so he came to give some advice … and it was sailor-sound. “Tie her to land and you’ll regret it. Those trees are gonna get eaten by the ‘cane. Your only hope is to anchor deep,” he said. “Place four anchors in four different locations, leave the rope slack, and pray for the best.”

Think for a moment of the many times in your own life and leadership when you’ve faced storms and trials. We’ve all been there.

In leadership, as in life, you will need to take the advice of Phil and anchor deep. You will need to know that your anchors are deep and will withstand the storms when they come.

What about you? What are the anchors that keep you grounded? Here are a few anchors that work for me and have worked for me over the years. See if you can relate to any of these.

The anchor of faith

My faith has sustained me over the years through many times of testing as a leader. I am thankful for God’s strength to empower me, faith to encourage me, grace to forgive me, and His love working through me to empower and encourage those around me.

The anchor of family

Family tends to be your most honest brokers. They are the ones who love you unconditionally and the ones who can give it to you without the filter. Family will stick with you when others walk away and weather the storms with you when times are tough. I am thankful for my family.

The anchor of values

The hardest and most important decisions you make as a leader must be made through the lens of your values. Not what is expedient at the moment or the most politically advantageous. You will be defined by your values so be sure they are clear to you because that’s how others will evaluate you as a leader.

The anchor of your why

Knowing your why – living out your God-given purpose as to why you are on this earth will keep you anchored. It’s your filter for the good things that you say no to in order to say yes to the greater things that are in store for you. When you know your why it will keep you grounded and it will keep you focused.

The anchor of friends

When you surround yourself with good friends they will, like family, keep you grounded, keep you humble, and call out the best in you. Have friends around you that will speak truth to you, believe in you, and be that friend in return. I am thankful for so many friends that have been there for me through thick and thin.

Anchor quotes

“Have an anchor so that life doesn’t toss you around.” – Debby Ryan

“Cast your cares on God; that anchor holds.” – Frank Moore Colby

“If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values- that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control.” _ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett

A final word

The anchors we need in life and in leadership are not mutually exclusive. One serves to the benefit of the other. Learning how to incorporate them into our lives and what anchors we need is the question. No matter what the trial or difficulties you may face, remember what Phil said, “anchor deep”.

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What Do Your Motives Say About Your Leadership?

Posted July 27, 2017
by dougdickerson

“Men are more accountable for their motives than anything else. – Archibald Alexander

Bob Kuechenberg, the former Miami Dolphin great, once explained what motivated him to go to college.

“My father and uncle were human cannonballs in Carnivals,” he explained. “My father told me, “go to college or be a cannonball.” Then one day my uncle came out of the cannon, missed the net and hit the Ferris wheel. I decided to go to college.” To be sure, Bob Kuechenberg was motivated to go college and relinquish his future as a human cannonball.

In various ways, as children, we were motivated to get good grades in school or to do our chores. It often had monetary motivations attached to it. As adults, we have our motivations to perform well in our places of employment. We have the opportunity to move up based upon performance and other matrix and we are rewarded with the compensation that comes with it. Simply put, we all have our motivational tipping points.

You have heard the old expression, “check your ego at the door”. It’s sound advice for anyone in leadership. An unbridled ego can create a host of problems for a leader if left unchecked.

In as much as an unchecked ego can cause many problems, so too, can unchecked motives. A leader must be honest and come clean about overt or hidden motives that drive behaviors and actions. Before proceeding with your agenda, why not run them through a filter that will help you determine if your motives are pure. Here are six questions that will help you.

Would I support my plan or idea with the same level of intensity if the idea wasn’t coming from me?

This question is foundational and fundamental. An honest answer will shed light on the real motives you have. It’s not about who wins, it’s about the best idea winning. This is Leadership 101. Until you understand this, your hidden motives will always get the best of you.

Am I out to advance my own agenda and career or advance the good of the organization?

This is typically one of the driving forces behind hidden motives. When you seek the advancement of your own career and ambitions over the good of the organization then what is the real value of your service there? But when your commitment is to the good of the organization, good things will come your way. It all starts with your motives.

Am I territorial, making decisions that benefit me or my department over the good of the organization?

Leaders with wrong motives are all about making decisions that only benefit them or their department. Instead of looking at what is best for the whole team, they stake out their territory which leads to isolation and erodes trust. You will shine brightly as a leader when you are looking out for the best interest of everyone, not just a select few.

Am I guarded and reluctant to help others, or do I gladly share ideas and offer my assistance?

Your motives may be wrong if you are unwilling to help others for fear that they may outshine you, or get credit for something you shared with them. These motives are rooted in jealousy and insecurity and can openly expose your motives for not being a team player. A strong leader will gladly come alongside and help his or her teammates. It’s when you see yourself as colleagues not as competitors that you will have peak performance.

Am I manipulative, overbearing, and drive organizational politics in my favor, or am I a team player looking out for the best interest of everyone?

A leader with hidden motives can come across as overbearing or as a manipulator through office politics. They use this to further their agenda- be it career advancement or something else, they are master manipulators. A leader with nothing to hide is looking out for everyone and the good of the team. In the long run, people do not rally around a manipulator, but they will always respond to a leader who has their best interest at heart

Am I presenting myself one way in public, and another way in private?

Ultimately, this is where your hidden motives and agendas will catch up with you. It’s just a matter of time. Who you are will eventually come to light.

Here’s the rub – will all have our motives for doing what we do. Sometimes those motives are not very flattering while at other times they are good. The mark of your maturity as a leader and as a person is defined by constantly evaluating them, being honest with yourself, and only proceeding when you know they are in alignment with your core values.

What do your motives say about your leadership?

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What Millennials Are Teaching Me About Leadership

Posted July 20, 2017
by dougdickerson

“Good habits formed at youth make all the difference”. – Aristotle

He takes to the platform each week in skinny jeans, his shirt is untucked, and he has a shoe collection that would rival that of Imelda Marcos. But this is no ordinary person and it’s not a comedy club on a Friday night. It’s church on Sunday and he is my late 20’s something pastor. Band members are tatted up, some sporting man buns, but all with one thing in common-serving others the best they know how.

That in this stage in my life I would find myself in a church where the majority of the staff are millennials and I am old enough to be their parent, or in some cases their grandparent, is quite surprising even to me. But I am, and I am loving it.

I recently had lunch with my skinny jean-wearing pastor. We talked leadership over pizza and I must admit, I am more encouraged by what I see and hear from Millennials than I have ever been prior.

To be sure, millennials have had their fair share of criticisms leveled against them. Some of it justified, a lot of it not. But as is the case for all of us in leadership, millennials should be given a fair shake as they earn their leadership stripes.

I don’t presume to speak about all Millennials in all situations, but only to what I personally know, see, and experience on a regular basis. Here is what I am learning from those skinny jean wearing, man bun styling millennials. I think there’s something here for all of us-regardless of our age.

Millennials are teaching me about authenticity

These millennials are setting a great example about being authentic and transparent. It’s quite refreshing to be around people who understand their learning curves and talk openly about their mistakes and flaws, all while pursuing a higher level of excellence. Authentic leadership is hard to come by and way too many opt for wearing a mask. These millennials are teaching me that they care more about being real than they do about false perceptions.

Millennials are teaching me about the value of community

What I am learning from these millennials is that they are all about community and relationships. “Life wasn’t meant to be done alone” is the mantra often repeated. They have tapped into the power of community and discovering that life, just as in leadership, is better when you are part of a community of people who have each other’s backs and that through a community of strong relationships is how we grow. These millennials are teaching me that there is an up-and-coming generation that gets it and works hard to make it happen.

Millennials are teaching me about serving others

One of the bad wraps millennials get is that they are just a bunch of navel-gazing, narcissistic people who are the “entitled” generation. Look around and cherry-pick, and in some cases, you will find it. But the millennials I know take community and servant leadership to a new level. They are invested in their community and are making in-roads in the local schools. Community and civic pride is not the exception, but rather the rule. Millennials are teaching me they realize it’s not all about them, but that true leadership is about serving others.

Millennials are teaching me the importance of personal growth and development

As my skinny jean wearing pastor and I talked about leadership, we talked about personal growth and development. I was more than impressed by his vast knowledge and familiarity with leading authors, books, and podcasts. He is a student of leadership and works hard to apply it. So does his team. They are taking leadership seriously and are taking advantage of every opportunity to grow.

On the day of his Inaugural Address, a young 43-year-old President John F. Kennedy declared that “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans…” It was a time of great uncertainty and many questioned the ability of such a young president to lead our nation with the challenges it faced. But he did.

Millennial leaders are rising to the challenge. They are taking up the torch and mantle of leadership and from my experiences with them, we have reason to be optimistic. Their leadership will be tested. They will not always get it right, nor will we who are older. Our life in leadership is a journey- a marathon, not a dash. But it’s when we sit across from the table, eat pizza, talk, and share life experiences that we find that we really have more in common than we realized. But I draw the line at skinny jeans.

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Is Your Leadership Adrift?

Posted May 3, 2017
by dougdickerson

Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship. – Omar N. Bradley

One of the dangers I have observed over my years in leadership is the leader who tends to stray off course. It’s an easy trap to fall victim to and I have been there myself a few times.

It tends to happen when we are not focused on our “one thing” and are chasing rabbits down trails where we have no business going. And because we are distracted and we didn’t say no when we should have, we drift off course. It’s usually never intentional, but we are adrift nonetheless and we need to correct our course.

Writing in his book, Simplify, author Bill Hybels poses an intriguing set of questions that started me thinking about this. He writes:

Are you in the right race? Or have you accidentally drifted into a race that is mostly in vain? Are your best efforts going toward a race that results in fleeting applause? Or do you strive for material gain, which rusts, rots, and depreciates? Or for passing pleasures that don’t amount to a hill of beans in the eternal scheme of things?

Those are some powerful and thought provoking questions. Staying on course requires intentionality on your part as a leader. What does being adrift look like as a leader? How do you know if you are adrift? Let’s explore five possibilities.

Your leadership is adrift when you try to run someone else’s race

When the race ceases to be your own you are adrift. This happens when you are not being true to yourself. Each of us has our own race and our own lane in which to run it. Quit trying to be the person in the lane next to you and be the person God created you to be. When you do this you will stop drifting.

Your leadership is adrift when you mistake all that glitters for your true north

As the quote above mentions, you must not set your course by the lights of the passing ships, but by the stars. Leaders who are adrift are frustrated because they didn’t keep their sights set on the star that is guiding them in their race. Forget about the other glimmering lights and get your focus back to where it belongs.

Your leadership is adrift when you fail to set proper boundaries

Leaders drift when they think they can be all things to all people and fail to set realistic, proper, and necessary boundaries. Without boundaries, there is no buffer in place to steer you back on course. You have to establish boundaries and stick by them. Otherwise, you will be drawn off course by every glittering light that comes along.

Your leadership is adrift when you chase applause and approval

This is one of the easiest traps to fall for as a leader. Afterall, who doesn’t enjoy the applause and approval that stokes our ego? But if this is your motivation for being a leader you are setting yourself up for disappointment and you will always be adrift. When you focus is on developing your character and integrity you will never have to worry about approval.

Your leadership is adrift when there is no accountability

Accountability is crucial to your success as a leader. It’s also what will keep you from drifting. When you have someone that has permission to speak truth into your life that person(s) can be an invaluable benefit to you as a leader. Do you have such a person? If not, let me encourage you to find one. The writer in Proverbs 22:15 said, “Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed.” (The Message).

As a leader, there is nothing more frustrating than being adrift. The good news? You don’t have to be when you know the warning signs. Stop drifting and get your focus back on what matters most.

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