Leadership Lessons
Think deeply. Converse openly. Share generously.
The Tradeoff War
Tradeoffs help us achieve our goals within the real limitations of our organizations and industries. They are not inherently good or bad, they are just real. What intrigues me most, of late, is the tradeoff war that occurs between our ears; a war that has consequences and casualties—or rewards and benefits—depending upon our choices.
Conflict vs. Tension
Conflict occurs when two or more people, or teams, are in opposition to one another. Tension on the other hand, is when two or more people, or teams, are together in opposition to the circumstances. Conflict by definition, whether viewed in noun or verb form, must include a clash or an argument between competing bodies. Tension is a good thing because we all need to be stretched to reach our goals. No matter how uncomfortable the tension is, we all intuitively know that adversity is the gateway to growth.
Keep It Between the Ditches - Effective Leaders Are Peacemakers
I experienced an obstacle called “keeping the peace,” an obstacle we see often in marriages and partnerships. Keeping the peace looks a lot like quiet when you know you should speak up. But quiet is not to be confused with peace.
3 Communication Commitments for Leaders
Communication is a critical component of leading people. We build trust be demonstrating a pattern of dependable communication. As leaders these three communication commitments serve us well: clarity, courage, and consistency.
Leadership Isn't Likership
As leaders, we cannot please everybody, though we wish to. "Leadership isn't likership" means not everyone on the team will like the decision.
Listening for Distance
Letting people talk for distance means quieting our mouths and our minds. It’s letting our conversation partner own the air time and our undivided attention. It can be very hard because most of us are uncomfortable with silence and want to solve problems. So rather than truly listening, we are inclined to fill the space and get way ahead of ourselves, missing our chance for clarity.
Stop Trying to Build a Better Flashlight
When we’re given the chance to pick our next mountain top, we wish so much to be able to see the path between where we stand and where we are going. But we can’t, unless we choose to move forward, to let the trail emerge along the journey, with all its gems and jam ups.
Curiosity is a Cure for Certainty
As leaders, decisiveness is important. The ability to make decisions quickly and effectively makes a difference on a daily basis. Decisiveness comes from confidence, and breeds confidence, but that can be hard to come by when we are uncertain about the outcome.
The Race to 51%
We were very much in the relationship business. Some of these people were sponsors, some were partners, some were local volunteers and members - and all of these wonderful people could have taken their time and talents elsewhere. With such a large and varied group of stakeholders, we constantly asked ourselves a simple question, “how can we get these folks to stick with us?” We could certainly point to the mission and the inherent desire to help others and serve the greater good. That was absolutely a factor, and probably what originally drew people to the organization, but we knew we had to do more.
Trust is Spelled C.A.R.E.
Effective leadership, and in fact all relationships, must be built upon a foundation of trust. If we have real trust, we can do many things wrong and still succeed. If we lack trust, we can do almost everything right and still fail. Trust creates confidence, daring, communication, and patience. It reduces stress, anxiety, resentment, and risk-aversion.
