Well-known author and speaker, Dr. Steven Covey once said this of leadership:
“What a leader does has far greater impact than what they say.” Covey inspired generations of leaders over the decades to step up and focus on the timeless principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity in their work. Through Covey’s work, countless leaders, to this day, have made such a difference in their organizations by putting these principles into action with regularity. As well, Franklin D Roosevelt’s famous speech ‘The Man in the Arena’ carries deep significance for leaders. Especially his emphasis on ‘credit belonging to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood.’ Roosevelt’s words have never rung truer when it comes to the necessity for leaders to lead from the trenches, not just from inside the walls of their offices. The heroic Florence Nightingale was a perfect example of leading from the trenches as evidenced by her endless devotion to laying the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment of her school of nursing at St. Thomas Hospital in London. Prior to establishing her school, Nightingale gave up her life as a rich aristocrat to follow her calling to become a nurse. At 33 years of age, she shot to prominence by serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War (1853-1856). Her work in the trenches significantly reduced deaths by improving hygiene and living standards for the soldiers and health care workers during the war. During the height of the Crimean War, she wrote a letter to then Former British Secretary of State for War, Sidney Herbert, regarding the state of health care in the battle field. Her letter was a response to a letter that Herbert had written to the public about how the British government was managing the military and the health care of its soldiers. Nightingale had disagreed with many things written in Herbert’s letter as he had not spent any time at all in the battlefield assessing the true needs of the soldiers. In her letter, she stated that ‘Herbert’s letter was written from his Belgrave Square war office, yet she was writing hers from a hut in the middle of the Crimean War and that the point of site is very different.’ So simple yet profound. How could Sidney Herbert know anything about the actual state of current affairs during the Crimean War as he had tucked himself away in the safety of his wartime office. His point of site was vastly different. Fast forward 175 years later, her emphasis on ‘point of site being very different’ is hugely applicable to modern-day leadership. Leading from the front requires jumping into the trenches and working alongside those who are being led. That is the most powerful form of learning for leaders, yet many leaders still lead from inside the walls of their offices. There is no doubt that leading from the front is not always possible and can also be very time-consuming. However, it remains a necessity for leaders to place themselves in the trenches to better understand the realities of the workplace and the challenges faced by employees. And as Covey says, 'the most powerful tool for a leader is their own personal example'. For any leader reading this, if you were to honestly reflect on your own leadership, to what extent are you leading from the front? To what extent are you getting your hands dirty so to speak, doing the hard work in the trenches, and carrying this learning back with you into your leadership role? To what extent is your personal example the biggest asset you possess? And lastly, to what extent are you doing your best to better understand all points of site? If you are already leading from the front, awesome! Keep doing whatever you are doing. Upon reflection, if you realize you need to do better, it's never too late. Change your point of site, get in there, and do some great work alongside those who you lead. Thanks for reading.
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Leo Tolstoy, one of the greatest writers of all time, tried his best to live each day with purpose. As a teenager in the 1840s, he created what he called his ‘Journal of Daily Occupations’. It was in this journal that he clearly outlined how he intended to spend the following day. It was this type of daily goal-setting that would give him the purpose needed to go on and change the world through his writing and actions.
Being a strong advocate of nonviolence, Tolstoy’s work would directly influence Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr and the impact that they had in the world. Tolstoy took risks, sacrificed, persevered and remained deeply committed to his craft until the day he died in September of 1910. Over the years, he remained strongly connected to his purpose and it was through this purpose that he built the resilience needed to stay the course. He believed that 'each of us should live our whole life as a heroic deed’ and that we are all capable of so much more than we realize. Wise words from a man born nearly 200 years ago. But, he is not the only one throughout history that emphasized the importance of knowing one's purpose. Churchill once said: "To each there comes, in their lifetime, a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents.” The author Ryan Holiday states that it is more accurate to say that life has many of these moments, many such taps on the shoulder. However, the figurative tap on the shoulder, knock at the door or ring of the telephone is oftentimes ignored or completely disregarded due to fear. Fear of failure. Fear of ridicule. Fear of judgement. Fear of what other people might think. If we are to look at our lives and our talents through a different lens, it is essential to stare down fear. The amazing singer/songwriter Jewel believes that if left unchecked fear crushes our soul and suffocates our dreams. She has been quoted as saying: “Fear is a thief. It takes the past and it projects it into the future. And it robs you of the only opportunity you have to create change.” What might happen if we respond to the tap on the shoulder? What might we learn about ourselves and our ability to look fear in the eyes and not let it get in the way of our dreams, aspirations or what it is we know we must do? To live our life heroically, we must invest the time necessary to identify our purpose, so that we can build the resilience needed to stay on track with that purpose. Like Tolstoy, we need to look ahead, set goals, check in with those goals and serve a cause that is much greater than ourselves. What is your cause or purpose? How will you serve the world? And how will you hold yourself accountable for staying on track with what matters most to you in your life? Thanks for reading. The demands to keep up and do even more seem to be the key drivers of success in many organizations now-a-days. It’s a no brainer that leaders within these organizations must achieve results. Therefore, the intense focus on efficiency and getting things done are essential to helping leaders move their organizations forward. Although this is the reality that many leaders face, how might organizational climates such as this impact morale and engagement in the workplace?
In their best-selling book Scaling Leadership, authors Robert Anderson and William Adams emphasize that, although all leaders are under pressure to perform, the most effective leaders are the ones that are excellent at balancing task and people-focus. Their evidence shows that overly task-focused leaders tend to be more reactive and are known to operate from a position of fear. According to Anderson and Adams, these types of leaders exhibit ‘highly directive, controlling or perfectionist behaviors that can alienate others and be disempowering to their teams’. Anderson and Adams refer to this as getting caught up in the ‘doom loop’ of high task focus and low people focus. The 'doom loop' creates a workplace culture that greatly limits the mindset of leaders causing them to constantly work from a deficit mode of thinking. Anderson and Adam’s work has shown that the leaders who rise to the top are the ones who are deeply respected and consistently focus on bringing out the best in people. These types of leaders prioritize building relationships, inspiring their teams, developing others, and also display great empathy. They remove the focus on everything being about them and look at all they do through the lenses of empowerment, empathy, and trust. They are also willing to slow down to ultimately move fast. The act of slowing down allows them to double down on strengthening relationships. Taking on this approach has been shown to have a compound interest effect when it comes to long-term productivity and overall job satisfaction in their organization. Great leaders understand the power of feedback and seek it with regularity. They also develop their capacity to depersonalize the feedback they receive and take action on it. As much as possible, they are transparent in their words and actions. They also ensure that building and maintaining trust never fall to the wayside, regardless of the challenges they face. They are role models for other leaders in their organization. Most importantly, these types of leaders prioritize and regularly engage in self-observation and deep reflection. When engaging in deep reflection and self-observation they notice in 'real-time' when they are moving too quickly, being impatient, covering up their own mistakes, (re)acting from a position of fear, being too egocentric or worrying about their own needs more than the needs of those who they serve. They are willing to double-click on their actions in order to better understand what is driving their own behavior. As well, they immediately recognize when they have become misaligned in regards to their own core values and demonstrate the ability to re-calibrate and course correct when necessary. They learn that making themselves vulnerable is not a weakness, but rather a strength as they understand that, they alone, are not superheroes who need to carry the weight of their organizations on their shoulders. They are willing to lean on others and let them know they need them. In his ground-breaking work, well-known psychologist Dr. Irvin Yalom stated that, "I prefer to think of my patients and myself as fellow travelers, a term that abolishes distinctions between 'them' (the afflicted) and 'us' (the healers).” Dr. Yalom takes a firm stance that we are all in this journey of life together and that we must learn to work alongside each other in a way that allows each individual to find true growth and to flourish. After all, we are all here for such a short time. Although Dr. Yalom’s work relates to psychological counseling, it is a perfect metaphor for the journey of leadership. All leaders should look at their own work as being that of a 'fellow traveler' working alongside those who they serve. I know that many leaders reading this are already doing good work. Regardless of how good a leader might think they are doing, they all need important reminders, from time-to-time, to truly check in with themselves. As you read the questions below, please reflect on your own leadership style and sit with the thoughts that arise. I hope you take the time to do this. Better yet, journal about what the questions below might bring up for you. No need to answer all of the questions. Read through the list and answer just the ones that resonate the most with you. To what extent are you willing to genuinely reflect on your words and actions as a leader? To what extent do you truly listen to the people in your organization? To what extent do you deeply invest in others? To what extent are you genuinely transparent in your words and actions? To what extent do you balance being task-focused and people focused? To what extent do your actions and words invigorate, inspire, empower, and engage others in your workplace? To what extent do you recognize and truly value the people in your organization? Thanks for reading today’s blog post. I hope the reflective activity helps you to think about your own leadership style and the area(s) that you might need to focus on. Please comment below on anything that resonates with you. All growth begins with taking a leap into the unknown. And the willingness to take that leap requires great courage. As well-known poet and author Ryan Holiday states:
“Courage is an honest commitment to noble ideas”. However, it is often fear that makes people uncomfortable and gives them excuses to continue as is, without the need to ever put themselves at risk or in danger of failure. For some it is easier to not take that leap and keep the stakes lower in their lives. Less judgement, less pressure, and less uncertainty might be easier to navigate but, without question, leads to apathy, disengagement and higher levels of flat out boredom in life. To live well means to be OK with taking chances and risks for playing it safe all of the time can prevent us from revealing our true potential. Long after World War II, the famous author Victor Frankl said that 'the world and its’ people remained spiritually bombed out' and that nothing seems to matter to anyone. And, in general, he believed that people fear there isn’t anything they can do that truly matters so chances are they will do nothing with their life that has deep impact. These people fall victim to circumstances and fate rather than taking fate into their own hands. Frankl’s words resonate with me and remind me about the importance of being true to oneself and taking the metaphorical leap into the unknown with more consistency in order to reveal what might be possible. If you look at your own life, where might you need to take more chances? What part of you is still left unfulfilled due to not taking the leap? To what extent do you let fear guide the choices that you make? Hopefully this blog post gets you thinking more critically about your own life and the potential that exists. Thanks for reading. The acronym VUCA is a concept that originated with students at the U.S. Army War College. VUCA was used to describe the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of the world after the Cold War.
Due to the COVID pandemic that the world has experienced, VUCA is gaining a great deal of momentum and relevance. As people try to make more sense of the current state of world affairs, there is a need for real leadership to step up and help to navigate the difficult environment that we all face. Seth Godin, Simon Sinek, Brene Brown, Susan Cain and a number of other well-known leadership experts conclude that, for the most part, leadership is failing to meet the diverse needs of our current world and that the traditional model of leadership is broken. In a time when the world needs great leaders to step up, organizations are holding on much too tightly to the leadership structures and styles of the past. Although many well-intentioned, thoughtful and impactful leaders exist everywhere, they often find themselves in broken systems and are therefore unable to realize their potential or have the impact that they desire. Rather than address the broken system, some of these amazing leaders can get the life sucked out of them and metaphorically throw up the white flag when it comes to leading by example, being positive role models for the organization, and ultimately putting the people that they serve first. According to the late, great Dr. Stephen Covey, a world renowned leadership expert: “Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led.”- Stephen Covey. As well, research done by Forbes magazine has shown that competency-based models of leadership are the root cause to the system being broken and no longer working. These leadership structures are deeply rooted in the foundations of command, control and authority, and as Covey says, being over-managed and under-led. As a result, autonomy is stifled, genuine feedback not sought, very little accountability taken on the part of leadership and too many decisions are made behind closed doors. In most cases, these types of leaders allow their hubris to greatly overshadow their humility. The direct result is that most employees are left to feel that they have no power, no voice, and no value. A leader can possess the greatest technical skills in the organization. They can have endless degrees and certificates, but that doesn’t make them a leader. If they don’t care, aren’t collaborative, can’t communicate, and fail to seek feedback, they are not leaders, even if given the title. The Need for Real Leaders to Rise What’s important to realize is that we all have the ability to lead, even if we do not have the title. In fact, your organizations are probably starving for people to step up and lead by example, even if its leaders fail to do so. Do you empower those around you and lift them up? If so, you are a leader, whether you have the title or not. Do you speak your truth respectfully and in considerate ways? If so, you are a leader, whether you have the title or not. Do you lead by example, do your best, remain objective, and seek feedback to improve your own performance? If so, you are a leader, whether you have the title or not. Do you give credit to others, acknowledge their individual accomplishments, support and guide them toward being a better version of themselves? If so, you are a leader, whether you have the title or not. Do you hold yourself accountable for your own performance, acknowledge your mistakes, apologize when needed, and drop the facade of having to know everything? If so, you are a leader, whether you have the title or not. Are you open to new ways of doing your work and show consistent flexibility and agility within your own role? If so, you are a leader, whether you have the title or not. I hope you can reflect on these questions and do whatever it takes to always exemplify what it means to be a great leader, even if you do not have the title itself. The world needs you to rise if you are a true leader. Always remember this and take action to be the leader the people around you need. As always, thanks for reading. According to research done by the Harvard Business Review, the best leaders are the ones who know, with absolute precision and clarity, what their core values are.
These leaders are always able to vet every decision that they make or action they take through their core values. The work of Dr. Jim Loehr, a well-known performance psychologist, has also shown that the most impactful leaders are the ones who are always willing to do the deep internal work necessary to stay aligned to their core values. It is through this deep internal work that the most impactful leaders embark on a lifelong process of redefining, re-calibrating, and re-evaluating their approach to leadership. In Dr. Loehr’s own words: “The failure to allow sufficient time for intentional, soulful, reflective pauses guarantees failure to lead with character.” The starting point for any leader aspiring to do great work is to begin with identifying what one’s core values are. What really drives them? What values do they connect most deeply with? How do they want to show up in the world? Through which lenses will they strive to do their very best work as a leader? How will they hold themselves accountable for staying aligned to their core values? How will they treat those who they serve? These are the types of questions that great leaders are willing to grapple with. Dr. Loehr has seen many leaders who start out genuinely wanting to make a real difference and impact in their organization. These types of leaders have the very best of intentions and initially do very good work. But, slowly over time, they lose sight of their core values and begin to make decisions or take certain actions that do not reflect their most precious values. Rather than towing the line, they move further from it. According to Dr. Loehr, the once well-intentioned, impactful leader becomes complacent, mis-aligned, stressed out, and unable to stand up for what they truly believe in because they have gravitated so far away from their own core values, they no longer even know what they are. They no longer have the anchor point necessary to vet the decisions they make or actions they take. It becomes a cover-up, bandaid type of approach that results in the organization slowly bleeding out. Loss of morale, motivation, inspiration, and purpose dictate the mood in the workplace. To most people in the organization, their work becomes ‘just a job that has them punching in and punching out each day’. Sure they might still want to do good work, but the jagged, sharp edges of tension, frustration, and disappointment oftentimes catches them in their tracks preventing any kind of genuine growth and learning. As a result, people lose trust in leadership, withdrawal, and fail to be as committed as they once were to organization. According to evidence, the domino effect that mis-aligned leadership has on the organization can take years to recover from and greatly impacts future recruiting. The evidence clearly shows that this is happening in many organizations around the world. However, the organizations that know how to pivot, adjust, weather the storm, overcome hardship, and inspire their people are the ones that are led by leaders who stand behind and stay aligned to their core values. It takes deep courage and bravery for these types of leaders to stay aligned but they know that their ultimate source code for leading with character is staying grounded in their core values at all times. Leadership is a just a title, but being a great leader is a tough slog full of ups, downs, and relentless challenges. To any leader reading this (or aspiring leader): To what extent do you know with clarity and precision what your core values are? In knowing yourself and your context, what gets in the way of you staying aligned to these core values? And lastly, what might you need to give up in order to stay aligned to your core values? As always, these posts are meant to provoke deep thought about leadership. I don’t have the answers myself, but have committed myself to learning as much as I can about what it takes to be a great leader. And with this learning, I must challenge myself to actually apply what I've learned and do the hard work necessary to keep evolving, growing, and developing myself as a leader. Hope these posts help you to reflect on your leadership as well. Thanks for reading. On a side note, if you are interested in learning more about Dr. Jim Loehr's work, you can click the link below to hear a podcast I recorded with him last year. Great leaders know that their role is about so much more than their position or title. They fully understand that the signals they send to others about their status matters.
As Simon Sinek says: “There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us. Whether individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to.” Great leaders know the following types of questions hurt morale in the workplace. What aren’t my people good enough at? Which areas do my people need to brush up on? What is holding my people back? What is wrong with my people? Great leaders do not turn a blind eye to the areas of needed growth within those who they lead, but they learn to frame up the questions they ask in a much more empowering way. How can we continue to improve and grow as a team? How can we work alongside each other to help everyone get better in their role? Great leaders are always willing to look within and know that they must model true growth and learning. They always lead by example, admit to their own shortcomings, own their mistakes, and seek the real feedback necessary to better understand the impact they are having as leaders. Great leaders do not separate themselves from those who they lead. But rather, create a strong feeling of community and sense of belonging for all. And lastly, great leaders hold themselves and their leadership team accountable for their actions, words, and decisions. Research shows that the most effective leadership teams govern themselves with the same accountability measures that they expect from the people they lead in their organization. If you are a leader reading this: How do you ensure you are consistently modeling what it means to be a great leader? How are you holding yourself and your leadership team accountable to the same standards you hold for the people you lead? And lastly, how often do you take the time and energy needed to reflect on your own actions, words, and decisions and assess where you may need to get better? Thanks for reading. The calling to embark on a new path, dive into the unknown, or take the chance to let our talents shine can reveal itself in many different ways in our life.
The metaphorical ring of the phone or knock at the door is just a reminder that we are capable of so much more. Below the surface, we know it, but at times our default setting is to ignore this calling, push it aside, bury it, or flat out refuse to accept or acknowledge it. And most often, it is because of fear. And ‘What ifs…..’ However, resisting this calling only leads to more knocks at the door and rings of the phone. Or worse, it can catapult us into a life of regret for never having had the courage to take a chance. What if I had only taken the chance to ________? You fill in the blank… I have a long lost friend, an amazing golfer, who took the chance this year to try to qualify for the US Senior Open Championship. A bold and courageous effort to follow a dream. An unexpected car accident cut short his attempt to qualify. But that’s not the point. Fear was conquered. I have another friend who is in the transition of changing careers. It’s scary for him, but he’s doubling down on what he needs to do to make it happen. Fear is being conquered. I have yet another friend who recently took the chance to apply for a senior leadership position in her organization. She let her gifts and talents shine in the interview process. She won the position and will no doubt deeply impact those who she serves in her upcoming role. She knows she will be challenged. She knows it will not be easy. There is an element of fear there, but she is willing to face it full on to overcome it. Fear will be conquered. Stories of overcoming fear are all around us. What is your story with fear? How often do you hear the internal knock at the door or ring of the phone reminding you that you are meant to do, try or be more in your life? What do you do with that reminder? To what extent do you challenge yourself to tackle this calling? After all, it's just one leap away. Keep the light on folks. Don’t stop believing. Thanks for reading. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that, “Every single human has a violent civil war raging within”.
He also believed that through this internal conflict we learn to grapple with our good and bad impulses, our ambitions and principles, and ultimately our quest to become more in life. Our quest to become more is deeply commendable. But, as Mr. King stated decades ago, the greatest war that resides within is whether or not we actually have the desire and energy to put in the internal work needed to become the best version of ourselves possible. That is the hardest work there is, thus his comment about a civil war raging within. Doing this internal work requires taking a hard and honest look at ourselves, our life, our relationships, our routines, and the default settings that get in the way of becoming our best selves. It is through this internal work that we strengthen our ability to win the civil war that rages within us. Maximizing the impact we have in the world and on the people around us depends on winning this civil war. As each human life is extremely unique, the internal work needed is very contextual and deeply personal in nature. The battles we face vary greatly and come in many different forms. But, taking on this intense challenge is one of the most noble pursuits there is. What civil war might be raging within you? To what extent are you putting in the time and energy needed to address this metaphorical civil war? Important questions to consider when trying to become the best version of ourselves possible. Thanks for reading. The old story...........
What is that story you tell yourself? As you plough through every day life, what is the predominant narrative that dictates your journey? Does that story honor who you are and the gifts you bring? Or not? It's easy to get so caught up in our own narrative that we fail to recognize the strengths we bring to the world. Therefore......... way too much of a delay in bringing out the really good stuff. What are you gifted with? How do you shine? How do you make your own difference in the world? We all have talents. And, so many strengths that reside within. Our world needs to see as much of that as possible. So, let it illuminate....... Thanks for reading. |
AuthorKAUST Faculty, Pedagogical Coach. Presenter & Workshop Leader.IB Educator. #RunYourLife podcast host. Archives
September 2022
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