Leadership
Being a leader is sometimes frightening. The greater responsibility you have in an organization, the greater the impact your decisions will have. But, if you wait until you have all of the information needed to make the perfect decision, you really aren’t making a decision at all. You’re just stating a foregone conclusion. And that’s not leadership.
There will always be pieces of information or levels of impact that are unknown. With practice, you can learn to rely on a combination of experience, trust, and pure gut instinct to make the best decision available. Without practice, you’re subverting your ability to grow as a leader.
By taking on the challenge of doing things that are out of your comfort zone, you can accelerate your learning and growth as a leader. Here are some tips to help you work through your fears:
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” That quote, attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, reminds us to challenge ourselves more. Whatever it is that scares you — public speaking, having a hard talk with a friend, making an appointment to see a counselor, or taking the leap into entrepreneurship — write them all down. Then challenge yourself to tackle these things with greater and greater frequency. There is real power in taking action on the things that you once feared the most.
Think through the worst-case scenario. “Fear is your friend,” says Tim Ferriss in his TED talk. “Fear is an indicator. Sometimes it shows you what you shouldn’t do. More often than not it shows you exactly what you should do. And the best results, the most enjoyable times, often come from asking a simple question: What’s the worst that can happen?”
Fear makes us do the opposite of what’s best for us. As with stress and other “negative” emotions, a certain amount of fear is healthy, even beneficial. Fear’s insidiousness hides on the invisible line between what’s healthy and what isn’t. The challenge is in determining when to listen to fear, and when to ignore it. That line — and therefore the determination whether to obey our fears or face them down — comes into view when we ask what’s in our best long-term interest.
The more you listen to fear, the more power you give it. Fortunately, the converse is true — the more you face fear down, the more control you have. Once we understand that, we can systematically expose ourselves to the things that scare us, and in that way, propel ourselves forward.
Question: What are some fears you’ve overcome as a leader?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
Leadership, People
Yesterday, America lost a legendary public statesman and former Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
“Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.” – Colin Powell
Since his retirement from public office in 2004, Powell has spent much of his time sharing his leadership knowledge with the business community. In his 2012 book, It Worked For Me, Powell attributed his success to hard work, straight talk, respect for others, and thoughtful analysis.
At the heart of the book are Powell’s “13 Rules” — ideas that he gathered over the years that formed the basis of his leadership principles.
Colin Powell’s 13 Rules of Leadership are listed below. They are full of emotional intelligence and wisdom for any leader.
- It ain’t as bad as you think! It will look better in the morning. Leaving the office at night with a winning attitude affects more than you alone; it conveys that attitude to your followers.
- Get mad then get over it. Instead of letting anger destroy you, use it to make constructive change.
- Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. Keep your ego in check, and know that you can lead from wherever you are.
- It can be done. Leaders make things happen. If one approach doesn’t work, find another.
- Be careful what you choose. You may get it. Your team will have to live with your choices, so don’t rush.
- Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision. Superb leadership is often a matter of superb instinct. When faced with a tough decision, use the time available to gather information that will inform your instinct.
- You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours. While good leaders listen and consider all perspectives, they ultimately make their own decisions. Accept your good decisions. Learn from your mistakes.
- Check small things. Followers live in the world of small things. Find ways to get visibility into that world.
- Share credit. People need recognition and a sense of worth as much as they need food and water.
- Remain calm. Be kind. Few people make sound or sustainable decisions in an atmosphere of chaos. Establish a calm zone while maintaining a sense of urgency.
- Have a vision. Be demanding. Followers need to know where their leaders are taking them and for what purpose. To achieve the purpose, set demanding standards and make sure they are met.
- Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers. Successful organizations are not built by cowards or cynics.
- Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. If you believe and have prepared your followers, your followers will believe.
Colin Powell’s rules are short but powerful. Use them as a reminder to manage your emotions, model the behavior you want from others, and lead your team through adversity.
Question: Which of the 13 rules have you mastered? Which one can you work on today?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
Leadership
Picture this. The CEO needs to make a decision about a cost-saving measure, and has turned to your team for advice. In support of the initiative to go paperless, she wants to eliminate either pens or pencils from use by employees across the organization. The program will be considered a success if it is rolled out in 30 days from today, 100% of employees have converted from the legacy writing instrument, and employee morale does not drop.
As ridiculous as this initiative may sound, parts of this scenario are all too familiar. Teams are often given limited time, little supporting data, and high expectations to make decisions that will have enterprise-wide impact.
What is also familiar is that teams are working on several other initiatives with compressed due dates. When the topic of pens versus pencils comes up on the team meeting agenda, only one member of the team has a strong position. Let’s call him the Advocate. The Advocate has studied the issue, has prior experience with a successful rollout of a similar initiative, and has drafted a plan to share with the team.
When the issue is brought up at a meeting, the team members are scattered in focus, and don’t practice the listening skills that would take advantage of the Advocate’s expertise and passion. Instead, they fall into four types of listeners: Ignore, Volley, Judge, and Apply.
Ignore. The Ignorer must attend the meeting, but obviously has other issues pressing for his attention. He’s buried in his phone, but throws out occasional comments like “Uh huh” or “Wait. What are we talking about?” from time to time. His guiding statement is, “You’re not important to me right now.”
Volley. This person doesn’t really agree or disagree with the Advocate about this issue, but wants to be a part of the conversation to get his own remarks on record. He’s preparing his comeback while the Advocate is talking, and interrupts in mid-sentence. His guiding statement is, “You think that’s right/wrong, I can top that.”
Judge. She strongly disagrees with the Advocate about this issue. She’s constantly fact-checking, and making assumptions and conclusions before she hears out the Advocate. Her guiding statement is, “Here’s your problem.”
Apply. This person considers the Advocate a subject matter expert and is here to learn, but not ask clarifying questions or offer feedback. She pays close attention as she downloads information from the Advocate and her other teammates. Her guiding statement is, “What can I take away and keep myself safe?”
Scenarios like this play out all too often in the workplace. The ability for teams to share information, and make decisions gets bogged down by the inability to listen. Instead, we accept unproductive listening behavior. We let Ignoring, Volleying, Judging, and Applying pass for listening. But to truly hear one another productively, we must practice listening with empathy, as follows:
Empathize. Team members don’t initially agree or disagree with the Advocate, but are present to the Advocate’s words and, more importantly, are open to being changed by what is said. They give their full attention to the Advocate’s words and body language. They stay curious, make an emotional connection, and set aside their own agenda. Their guiding statement is, “What are you experiencing?”
Listening with empathy takes practice. It requires being fully present to the thoughts and feelings of others, setting aside ego, and being open to information that may change your paradigm about an issue. As you go through your workday, take note of how many of the five levels of listening take place among your team members, and how your team would benefit by practicing listening with empathy.
Download our 5 Levels of Listening free resource. Ask yourself which of these 5 levels of Listening are you participating in. If you find yourself regularly falling into the Ignoring, Volleying, Judging, or Applying levels of listening, take some time to remember the prescription for that level, so that you can become a more Empathetic listener.
Question: Which of the five levels of listening do you practice in your team meetings?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
Employee Engagement
Last month, I called my go-to window washer to schedule a much-needed cleaning. I usually have this done twice every year, but…well, you know. He was booked solid for the next two weeks, but we managed to get the job scheduled. When he came to my house, I asked if he’d been extra busy with customers like me scheduling make-up window cleaning. “Yes,” he said, “I’ve had more back-to-back jobs in the last two months than I had all of last year.”
I had similar conversations with a landscaping crew, the dental hygienist, and the manager at my local dry cleaners. Everyone is happy to have plenty of work to do, but managing the sudden surge in demand while trying to deal with pandemic fatigue and get through the upcoming holiday season can set us up for a triple dose of mental drain this quarter.
If this is happening to me and the people who I’m running into personally, it’s likely happening to you and your team. Here are some guidelines for keeping your employees from bailing out from burnout.
1. Check-in. Instead of jumping right into Q3 reports, Q4 forecasts, and 2022 strategic planning, check in with your team members in one-on-one conversations by simply asking them how they are doing in the midst of all that’s going on. It may seem like such a small thing, but it can be surprisingly helpful. If you can provide a safe space to let your team members share what’s occupying their minds, they can feel calmer, clearer and better able to focus on other things.
2. Don’t fix. Just Listen. Listening sounds so simple, right? Hearing what the other person is saying is one thing, but really listening—listening for meaning, and how the other person is feeling—is something that takes discipline. As a manager, your brain may shift into “Let’s solve it” gear. When you’ve invited your team member to share what’s on their mind, this is not the time for a quick fix. Instead, listen to understand your team member’s feelings, then identify and acknowledge those feelings. Be supportive and nonjudgmental, whether your perspective matches theirs or not.
3. Keep extra passes handy. Now is the time to internalize that everyone you interact with is struggling, and in ways you may never fully understand. When you notice your team member acting in an atypical way, give them a pass. Assume that they are acting from a place of good intentions and don’t take it personally. This is not the time to flex your positional power. Instead, give them time to process, then repeat Step 1, above.
Under the best of circumstances, many of us struggle to navigate the Q4 crush. These are not the best of circumstances, and it’s more important than ever to model empathy and help your team members avoid burnout.
Question: How do you keep your employees from bailing out from burnout?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
Letter from the Founder
Welcome to the seventy-fourth issue of CEE News! .
Last month, I called my go-to window washer to schedule a much-needed cleaning. I usually have this done twice every year, but…well, you know. He was booked solid for the next two weeks, but we managed to get the job scheduled. When he came to my house, I asked if he’d been extra busy with customers like me scheduling make-up window cleaning. “Yes,” he said, “I’ve had more back-to-back jobs in the last two months than I had all of last year.” I had similar conversations with a landscaping crew, the dental hygienist, and the manager at my local dry cleaners. Everyone is happy to have plenty of work to do, but managing the sudden surge in demand while trying to deal with pandemic fatigue and get through the upcoming holiday season can set us up for a triple dose of mental drain this quarter. (more…)
