The author and management consultant, Patrick Lencioni (one of his most well-known books is the leadership fable, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team) once said about humility, For organizations seriously committed to making teamwork a cultural reality, I'm convinced that the 'right people' are the ones who have three virtues in common - humility, hunger, and people smarts. In other words, humility is one of a select number of key leadership traits. Successful organizations need leaders who are willing to sacrifice their own self-interests for the interests of the greater organization. In other words, successful organizations need servant leaders. Servant leaders, almost by definition, are humble leaders.
As it turns out, research shows that humble leaders improve overall employee engagement and job performance. Unfortunately, humility is sometimes associated with weakness. However, nothing can be further from the truth. Humble leaders fully recognize their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the strengths and weakness of the members of their teams. Angela Sebaly, author of The Courageous Leader said, Humility is about minimizing the self and maximizing the bigger purpose you represent. She goes on to explain further, When you think about humility in that way, it becomes a vital competency in leadership because it takes the focus from the 'I' to 'We.' Leaders with humility engage us and give us a sense of identity and purpose.
Humility can be a tough thing to learn, especially for leaders who are accustomed to personal success (which in many cases is why they have been given leadership opportunities in the first place). The important thing for these leaders to remember though is that success is indeed fickle. Success doesn't last forever. Simon Sinek, author of the book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action (the TED talk by the same name is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time) offers a very poignant example of this in his most recent book, Leaders Eat Last. He tells the story of how a former Under Secretary of Defense had been invited to give a speech. During his speech, he paused to take a drink of coffee. He noticed, perhaps as a number of members of the audience noticed, that he was drinking from a Styrofoam coffee cup:
"You know," he said, interrupting his own speech. "I spoke here last year. I presented at this same conference on this same stage. But last year, I was still an Under Secretary," he said. "I flew in here in business class and when I landed, there was someone waiting for me at the airport to take me to my hotel. Upon arriving at my hotel," he continued, "there was someone else waiting for me. They had already checked me into the hotel, so they handed me my key and escorted me up to my room. The next morning, when I came down, again there was someone waiting for me in the lobby to drive me to this same venue that we are in today. I was taken through a back entrance, shown to the greenroom and handed a cup of coffee in a beautiful ceramic cup.
But this year, as I stand here to speak to you, I am no longer the Under Secretary," he continued. "I flew here coach class and when I arrived at the airport yesterday there was no one there to meet me. I took a taxi to the hotel, and when I got there, I checked myself in and went by myself to my room. This morning, I came down to the lobby and caught another taxi to come here. I came in the front door and found my way backstage. Once there, I asked one of the techs if there was any coffee. He pointed to a coffee machine on a table against the wall. So I walked over and poured myself a cup of coffee into this here Styrofoam cup," he said as he raised the cup to show the audience.
"It occurs to me," he continued, "the ceramic cup they gave me last year...it was never meant for me at all. It was meant for the position I held. I deserve a Styrofoam cup. This is the most important lesson that I can impart to all of you," he offered. "All the perks, all the benefits and advantages you may get for the rank or position you hold, they aren't meant for you. They are meant for the role you fill. And when you leave your role, which eventually you will, they will give the ceramic cup to the person who replaces you. Because you only deserved a Styrofoam cup."
What an incredible story! I wonder if the Under Secretary in Sinek's story was a humble leader when he first spoke at the conference and received the "VIP treatment." Perhaps it was only when he noticed that he had been drinking from a Styrofoam cup the following year at the conference when the lesson of humility was learned.
Apparently, Dwight D. Eisenhower, hero of World War II and the 34th President of the United States of America, used to carry a copy of a poem by Saxon White Kessinger in his pants pocket. The poem is called The Indispensable Man and goes like this:
Sometime when you're feeling important;
Sometime when your ego's in bloom;
Sometime when you take it for granted,
You're the best qualified in the room.
Sometime when you feel that your going,
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow these simple instructions,
And see how they humble your soul.
Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out and the hole that's remaining,
Is a measure of how much you'll be missed.
You can splash all you wish when you enter,
You may stir up the water galore,
But stop, and you'll find that in no time,
It looks quite the same as before.
The moral of this quaint example,
Is to do just the best that you can,
Be proud of yourself but remember,
There's no indispensable man.
Humility. It is an indispensable characteristic of leadership. Even if it is hard to be humble...
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
No pain. No gain.
I think I first heard the expression, "No pain, no gain" from one of my coaches in middle school. It's a common expression that we still hear a lot. It's an old expression - apparently, the first documented use of the phrase is found in an ancient Hebrew text known as the Pirkei Avot (The Ethics of the Fathers) from the second century:
Rabbi Ben Hei Hei says, "According to the pain is the gain."
In plain English, the phrase means that there is no spiritual gain without the pain associated with following God's command. The poet, Robert Herrick, wrote in 1650, in "Hesperides":
No pains, no gains. If little labour, little are our gains.
Man's fate is according to his pains.
And finally, the American patriot, Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1734 in his Poor Richard's Almanac:
Industry need not wish, as Poor Richard says, and he that lives upon hope will die fasting. There are no gains, without pains...
So even as early as the second century, leaders (spiritual as well as political) recognized that success depended to a great extent on hard work and effort. I am reading a great book right now called Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth (if you don't want to read the book, watch her TED talk). There is a chapter in the book on motivation and effort ("Effort Counts Twice") in which Duckworth provides two simple equations that show how talent turns into achievement:
(Eq 1) Talent x Effort = Skill
(Eq 2) Skill x Effort = Achievement
With some simple Algebra (my wife, who is an Algebra teacher, will be awfully proud of me), using the magic of substitution:
(Eq 3) (Talent x Effort) x Effort = Achievement, which simplifies further to:
(Eq 4) Talent x (Effort)^2 = Achievement
In other words, effort does count twice! Only through a mix of talent and effort can we achieve success. More importantly, Equation 4 tells us that even the most talented individuals will not succeed if they do not put forth any effort. Talent, as they say, is indeed a little overrated. There is no gain, without a little pain.
Rabbi Ben Hei Hei says, "According to the pain is the gain."
In plain English, the phrase means that there is no spiritual gain without the pain associated with following God's command. The poet, Robert Herrick, wrote in 1650, in "Hesperides":
No pains, no gains. If little labour, little are our gains.
Man's fate is according to his pains.
And finally, the American patriot, Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1734 in his Poor Richard's Almanac:
Industry need not wish, as Poor Richard says, and he that lives upon hope will die fasting. There are no gains, without pains...
So even as early as the second century, leaders (spiritual as well as political) recognized that success depended to a great extent on hard work and effort. I am reading a great book right now called Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth (if you don't want to read the book, watch her TED talk). There is a chapter in the book on motivation and effort ("Effort Counts Twice") in which Duckworth provides two simple equations that show how talent turns into achievement:
(Eq 1) Talent x Effort = Skill
(Eq 2) Skill x Effort = Achievement
With some simple Algebra (my wife, who is an Algebra teacher, will be awfully proud of me), using the magic of substitution:
(Eq 3) (Talent x Effort) x Effort = Achievement, which simplifies further to:
(Eq 4) Talent x (Effort)^2 = Achievement
In other words, effort does count twice! Only through a mix of talent and effort can we achieve success. More importantly, Equation 4 tells us that even the most talented individuals will not succeed if they do not put forth any effort. Talent, as they say, is indeed a little overrated. There is no gain, without a little pain.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Napoleon's Corporal
The French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte was not just a king - he was a brilliant strategist, battlefield tactician, soldier, and military leader too. His victories (and losses) are the stuff of legend. Apparently, whenever he was planning one of his many campaigns with his war council, he would always have one of his corporals (note that a corporal is one of the lowest ranks in the army) shine his boots. Was Napoleon so vain that he had to have shiny boots before going into battle? Maybe, but that was not the corporal's primary purpose. Napoleon knew that the corporal would be listening to the conversation - who wouldn't? After all of his generals would leave the room, he would ask the corporal if the battle plans made sense. If the corporal answered "yes" (or more likely, "oui"), Napoleon would go forward with the plans. However, if the corporal told Napoleon that the plans did not make sense, he would toss out the battle plan and make a new one.
I believe that "Napoleon's Corporal" served two functions (besides shining his boots). First, the corporal would prevent what is known as "groupthink" (see my previous post, "Going to Abilene" for a brief description of groupthink, as well as a more in-depth discussion of the "Abilene Paradox"). Simply defined, groupthink occurs when a group comes collectively to the same decision - the desire for harmony and cooperation leads to everyone interpreting a situation and coming to exactly the same conclusions. No one wants to be the only individual to disagree with the group.
Second, "Napoleon's Corporal" also made sure that the battle plans, even if very complex, had been described in such a way that they would be easily interpreted by every one of Napoleon's generals. Napoleon wanted his orders to be "crystal clear". As Albert Einstein once said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." If a corporal could understand and comprehend the battle plans in the way that Napoleon had intended, then Napoleon knew that everyone else would understand the plans as well.
Today, we probably would not get away with having someone shine our shoes while we were in the middle of a meeting with our team. But maybe we can have at least one individual on our team who is the designated "devil's advocate" - someone who is supposed to (even expected to) argue the counterfactual and interpret the information in a way that is different than everyone else. The designated "devil's advocate" would help prevent "groupthink." After the team comes to a decision, yet another individual could be designated as the person to summarize and explain what everyone had decided - even better, this same individual could be charged with explaining the decision to another leader that was not present for the discussion. If that individual's understanding is consistent with the rest of the leadership team's intent, then we truly have the "Napoleon's Corporal."
I believe that "Napoleon's Corporal" served two functions (besides shining his boots). First, the corporal would prevent what is known as "groupthink" (see my previous post, "Going to Abilene" for a brief description of groupthink, as well as a more in-depth discussion of the "Abilene Paradox"). Simply defined, groupthink occurs when a group comes collectively to the same decision - the desire for harmony and cooperation leads to everyone interpreting a situation and coming to exactly the same conclusions. No one wants to be the only individual to disagree with the group.
Second, "Napoleon's Corporal" also made sure that the battle plans, even if very complex, had been described in such a way that they would be easily interpreted by every one of Napoleon's generals. Napoleon wanted his orders to be "crystal clear". As Albert Einstein once said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." If a corporal could understand and comprehend the battle plans in the way that Napoleon had intended, then Napoleon knew that everyone else would understand the plans as well.
Today, we probably would not get away with having someone shine our shoes while we were in the middle of a meeting with our team. But maybe we can have at least one individual on our team who is the designated "devil's advocate" - someone who is supposed to (even expected to) argue the counterfactual and interpret the information in a way that is different than everyone else. The designated "devil's advocate" would help prevent "groupthink." After the team comes to a decision, yet another individual could be designated as the person to summarize and explain what everyone had decided - even better, this same individual could be charged with explaining the decision to another leader that was not present for the discussion. If that individual's understanding is consistent with the rest of the leadership team's intent, then we truly have the "Napoleon's Corporal."
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Sometimes you have to do things that you don't necessarily want to do...
There are times, as a leader, when you are called to do something that you don't necessarily want to do, even though you know that you should. Regardless of where you are or what you are doing, eyes are watching - you, as a leader, need to model the behaviors that you profess to be the desired ones in order to move forward. There are often commitments, many of which are after normal work hours, that require a leadership presence. You may be tired at the end of a long day, and you know that you would rather go home, but you know that you should attend that function and support your organization.
Whenever I think of these things that we, as leaders, just have to do, I remember a story that I first heard a few years ago. This past Saturday, October 14th, marked 105 years since former President Theodore Roosevelt was shot as he was walking from his hotel to the Milwaukee Auditorium to give a campaign speech before a large crowd. A small history lesson may help here (and if you already knew this, please ignore the next few sentences).
Remember that Theodore Roosevelt served as our nation's 26th President from 1901 to 1909. He was a leader of the so-called Progressive Movement of the Republican Party during that time, and previous to his election as President had served as the Vice-President under President William McKinley. Roosevelt became President after President McKinley was assassinated. He is widely recognized as one of our best Presidents and is one of the four faces on the monument at Mount Rushmore. He was re-elected as President in 1904 and groomed his successor and close friend, William Howard Taft to become President following the 1908 presidential election. Roosevelt was frustrated with Taft's policies and unsuccessfully ran for President during the 1912 election as a third-part candidate (the Progressive or "Bull Moose" Party).
Now back to the story. Roosevelt, as I mentioned, was shot at close range by a saloon keeper named John Schrank. The .38 caliber bullet hit Roosevelt in the chest, which normally would have been a fatal injury. However, the bullet was apparently stopped by Roosevelt's thick folded speech and eyeglass case! His aides tried to convince him to go immediately to the hospital, but he refused! He walked on stage, showed everyone the bloodstains on his shirt, and said, "I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot - but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose." The name stuck, and the Progressive Party was forever after known as the "Bull Moose" Party.
Imagine giving a political speech right after an attempt has been made on your life. Imagine giving a political speech right after being shot in the chest! Apparently, the bullet was never removed and stayed with him for the rest of his life. I would think that Roosevelt would have been forgiven for not making the speech. But he gave the speech anyway, and that is an amazing example of dedication to the cause.
So, whenever you, as a leader, have a meeting or function that you should attend, or a presentation or speech that you don't really want to give, remember our 26th President. It would be easy to complain about having to do something that you don't want to do - but then remember that Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech right after being shot in the chest! It could always be worse...
Whenever I think of these things that we, as leaders, just have to do, I remember a story that I first heard a few years ago. This past Saturday, October 14th, marked 105 years since former President Theodore Roosevelt was shot as he was walking from his hotel to the Milwaukee Auditorium to give a campaign speech before a large crowd. A small history lesson may help here (and if you already knew this, please ignore the next few sentences).
Remember that Theodore Roosevelt served as our nation's 26th President from 1901 to 1909. He was a leader of the so-called Progressive Movement of the Republican Party during that time, and previous to his election as President had served as the Vice-President under President William McKinley. Roosevelt became President after President McKinley was assassinated. He is widely recognized as one of our best Presidents and is one of the four faces on the monument at Mount Rushmore. He was re-elected as President in 1904 and groomed his successor and close friend, William Howard Taft to become President following the 1908 presidential election. Roosevelt was frustrated with Taft's policies and unsuccessfully ran for President during the 1912 election as a third-part candidate (the Progressive or "Bull Moose" Party).
Now back to the story. Roosevelt, as I mentioned, was shot at close range by a saloon keeper named John Schrank. The .38 caliber bullet hit Roosevelt in the chest, which normally would have been a fatal injury. However, the bullet was apparently stopped by Roosevelt's thick folded speech and eyeglass case! His aides tried to convince him to go immediately to the hospital, but he refused! He walked on stage, showed everyone the bloodstains on his shirt, and said, "I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot - but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose." The name stuck, and the Progressive Party was forever after known as the "Bull Moose" Party.
Imagine giving a political speech right after an attempt has been made on your life. Imagine giving a political speech right after being shot in the chest! Apparently, the bullet was never removed and stayed with him for the rest of his life. I would think that Roosevelt would have been forgiven for not making the speech. But he gave the speech anyway, and that is an amazing example of dedication to the cause.
So, whenever you, as a leader, have a meeting or function that you should attend, or a presentation or speech that you don't really want to give, remember our 26th President. It would be easy to complain about having to do something that you don't want to do - but then remember that Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech right after being shot in the chest! It could always be worse...
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Carpe diem
The comedian and actor, Robin Williams was really not known as a serious dramatic actor until after his performance as the teacher-philosopher-mentor in the 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society. Williams' character, an English teacher named John Keating, inspired his pupils at an all-boys prep school by teaching poetry. In one of the film's most recognizable quotes, Keating tells his students to "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." I love this quote for all its symbolism and meaning. The quote actually comes from the ancient Roman poet, Horace, in Book 1 of his work, Odes, published in 23 BC. The original text of the poem is in Latin, of course, but translated to English reads as follows:
Ask not ('tis forbidden knowledge), what our destined term of years,
Mine and yours; nor scan the tables of your Babylonish seers.
Better far to bear the future, my Leuconoe, like the past,
Whether Jove has many winters yet to give, or this our last;
This, that makes the Tyrrhene billows spend their strength against the shore.
Strain your wine and prove your wisdom; life is short; should hope be more?
In the moment of our talking, envious time has ebb'd away.
Seize the present; trust tomorrow e'en as little as you may.
In other words, don't focus so much on the future, but instead live for today. There is a story involving the Chicago Cubs from a few years ago, before they won the World Series last year. Remember that the Cubs had not won a World Series baseball championship for over 100 years (until the 2016 season, they had not won the World Series since 1908). The Cubs were widely known as the "Loveable Losers" - failure, and losing, had grown to be a part of their culture. The team had fallen into a cycle of failure - the more the team focused on trying to break the cycle and just get to play in the World Series (let alone win it), the worse they did. During the 2011 season, Cubs blogger Carrie Muskrat reported that someone had written a quote on the message board in the clubhouse:
You can't see the rising sun if your eyes are fixed on the setting one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present. Conquer the now.
Again, "Seize the day" - forget the past, don't focus on the future, and live for the present. The quote is a famous one, even though the author is not known. Unfortunately, the quote didn't provide much in the way of inspiration, as the Cubs would go on to have another losing season. At the end of the season, the Cubs would hire Theo Epstein, and just a few seasons later, they would win the World Series for the first time in 108 years. However, the message is still an important one. You can learn from the past, but you can't change the past. So don't try to do so. You can make sure that you are prepared for the future, but not at the expense of living for the present day. Seize the day.
As I have mentioned a few times, I recently started reading a lot of Stoic philosophy. As it turns out, the Stoics have a lot to say about "Carpe diem." The Stoic philosopher, Seneca, wrote:
As each day arises, welcome it as the very best day of all, and make it your own possession. We must seize what flees.
Here we have something even deeper than just simply living for the present - make the most of the present. Don't focus on the negatives - focus on the positives. Be happy and content with what you have, and only then will you find peace and contentment. Only then can you find success. Seize the day.
The Stoic philosopher (and Roman emperor), Marcus Aurelius wrote:
You could leave right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.
In other words, make the most of today, because, you never know, you may not be alive tomorrow (Memento mori)! Don't put off until tomorrow, the things that you should be doing today. Seize the day.
As leaders, it is our job to learn from the past and prepare for the future - but not at the expense of making the most of the present! Please don't misunderstand me, I do think that there are times when leaders have to take a longer term focus in order to prepare their teams or organizations for the future. I would even argue that some leaders focus too much on the short-term goals at the expense of failing to achieve the long-term ones. What I am saying here, and I think Mr. Keating (from the Dead Poets Society), the unknown Cubs player who wrote a quotation on the team's dry erase message board, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius would all agree is that we can't lose sight of the present. A leader should do their best to achieve the most for their teams today. Make the most of what you have and do what you do best to achieve your goals. Do your best - give it your best, today and every day.
Learn from the past. Prepare for the future. But live for today. Seize the day. Carpe diem.
Ask not ('tis forbidden knowledge), what our destined term of years,
Mine and yours; nor scan the tables of your Babylonish seers.
Better far to bear the future, my Leuconoe, like the past,
Whether Jove has many winters yet to give, or this our last;
This, that makes the Tyrrhene billows spend their strength against the shore.
Strain your wine and prove your wisdom; life is short; should hope be more?
In the moment of our talking, envious time has ebb'd away.
Seize the present; trust tomorrow e'en as little as you may.
In other words, don't focus so much on the future, but instead live for today. There is a story involving the Chicago Cubs from a few years ago, before they won the World Series last year. Remember that the Cubs had not won a World Series baseball championship for over 100 years (until the 2016 season, they had not won the World Series since 1908). The Cubs were widely known as the "Loveable Losers" - failure, and losing, had grown to be a part of their culture. The team had fallen into a cycle of failure - the more the team focused on trying to break the cycle and just get to play in the World Series (let alone win it), the worse they did. During the 2011 season, Cubs blogger Carrie Muskrat reported that someone had written a quote on the message board in the clubhouse:
You can't see the rising sun if your eyes are fixed on the setting one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present. Conquer the now.
Again, "Seize the day" - forget the past, don't focus on the future, and live for the present. The quote is a famous one, even though the author is not known. Unfortunately, the quote didn't provide much in the way of inspiration, as the Cubs would go on to have another losing season. At the end of the season, the Cubs would hire Theo Epstein, and just a few seasons later, they would win the World Series for the first time in 108 years. However, the message is still an important one. You can learn from the past, but you can't change the past. So don't try to do so. You can make sure that you are prepared for the future, but not at the expense of living for the present day. Seize the day.
As I have mentioned a few times, I recently started reading a lot of Stoic philosophy. As it turns out, the Stoics have a lot to say about "Carpe diem." The Stoic philosopher, Seneca, wrote:
As each day arises, welcome it as the very best day of all, and make it your own possession. We must seize what flees.
Here we have something even deeper than just simply living for the present - make the most of the present. Don't focus on the negatives - focus on the positives. Be happy and content with what you have, and only then will you find peace and contentment. Only then can you find success. Seize the day.
The Stoic philosopher (and Roman emperor), Marcus Aurelius wrote:
You could leave right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.
In other words, make the most of today, because, you never know, you may not be alive tomorrow (Memento mori)! Don't put off until tomorrow, the things that you should be doing today. Seize the day.
As leaders, it is our job to learn from the past and prepare for the future - but not at the expense of making the most of the present! Please don't misunderstand me, I do think that there are times when leaders have to take a longer term focus in order to prepare their teams or organizations for the future. I would even argue that some leaders focus too much on the short-term goals at the expense of failing to achieve the long-term ones. What I am saying here, and I think Mr. Keating (from the Dead Poets Society), the unknown Cubs player who wrote a quotation on the team's dry erase message board, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius would all agree is that we can't lose sight of the present. A leader should do their best to achieve the most for their teams today. Make the most of what you have and do what you do best to achieve your goals. Do your best - give it your best, today and every day.
Learn from the past. Prepare for the future. But live for today. Seize the day. Carpe diem.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
"It was the best of times..."
The house that I grew up in was a classic split-level or tri-level home. The front door opened up into a hallway that led to the main floor (kitchen, dining room, living room), and a short four to five step stairway went downstairs from the kitchen into the family room and laundry room, while another similar stairway went upstairs from the entryway to four bedrooms and a full bathroom. My sister, my parents, and I took each had their own bedroom. The last bedroom was dubbed "the extra bedroom" and had a guest bed and a lot of other "stuff." I remember that there was a wire-frame bookshelf that had a lot of old books - some of which were my sister's and some of which were mine. My mother was a teacher, so some of the old books were ones that she had used in her class. I remember two in particular - both were early versions of the so-called graphic novel. One covered the entire history of World War II, while the other was based upon Charles Dickens' classic novel, "A Tale of Two Cities". I must have read each of these books at least a hundred times. "A Tale of Two Cities" was my first introduction to Dickens (even before seeing "A Christmas Carol" on television or at the playhouse), and he would become one of my favorite authors. In fact, to this day, the best book that I have ever read (and as my children know, my all-time favorite) is his thirteenth novel, "Great Expectations". Anyway, this is my long-winded, roundabout way of introducing one of the best opening paragraphs for a novel of all time:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of time, it was the age of wisdom, it was age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
The fact that this first paragraph is actually a sentence (although my English teacher never could explain to me why this wasn't a run-on sentence!) is even more awesome. But the message of these opening lines has never been lost on me - the message is, in fact, very clear. Dickens speaks to the concept of duality - in other words, there is two of every thing, each opposite to one another. There can be no good without evil. There can be no love without hate. There can be no light without darkness. There can be no happiness without sadness. There can be no winning without losing. There can be no success without failure. The ancient Greek philosophers called this the "Unity of opposites". Today, this concept of duality in opposites is known more commonly as the ancient Chinese philosophy of the Yin and Yang, whose symbol is shown below:
The key point here is that everything in nature, everything in life, must balance. As leaders, we must seek and find that balance in our lives, and we must help the members of our teams find that balance. With this in mind, failure is not necessarily a bad thing, for only in failure do we often (eventually) find success. If we do not know sadness, how can we ever learn to appreciate the times when we are happy? If we do not accept that each and every one of us has so-called dark moments, how can we ever look forward to the so-called light moments.
I recently came across a quote by a New Age author, Anthon St. Maarten, from his book, "Divine Living: The Essential Guide to Your True Destiny." I have found some measure of comfort in his words during some of the dark days of our present time:
If we never experience the chill of a dark winter, it is very unlikely that we will ever cherish the warmth of a bright summer's day. Nothing stimulates our appetite for the simple joys of life more than the starvation caused by sadness or desperation. In order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse.
Some times, personal growth and development necessitates finding a balance, so that you may enjoy "the best of times..." Leadership success is contingent on finding that balance too.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of time, it was the age of wisdom, it was age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
The fact that this first paragraph is actually a sentence (although my English teacher never could explain to me why this wasn't a run-on sentence!) is even more awesome. But the message of these opening lines has never been lost on me - the message is, in fact, very clear. Dickens speaks to the concept of duality - in other words, there is two of every thing, each opposite to one another. There can be no good without evil. There can be no love without hate. There can be no light without darkness. There can be no happiness without sadness. There can be no winning without losing. There can be no success without failure. The ancient Greek philosophers called this the "Unity of opposites". Today, this concept of duality in opposites is known more commonly as the ancient Chinese philosophy of the Yin and Yang, whose symbol is shown below:
The key point here is that everything in nature, everything in life, must balance. As leaders, we must seek and find that balance in our lives, and we must help the members of our teams find that balance. With this in mind, failure is not necessarily a bad thing, for only in failure do we often (eventually) find success. If we do not know sadness, how can we ever learn to appreciate the times when we are happy? If we do not accept that each and every one of us has so-called dark moments, how can we ever look forward to the so-called light moments.
I recently came across a quote by a New Age author, Anthon St. Maarten, from his book, "Divine Living: The Essential Guide to Your True Destiny." I have found some measure of comfort in his words during some of the dark days of our present time:
If we never experience the chill of a dark winter, it is very unlikely that we will ever cherish the warmth of a bright summer's day. Nothing stimulates our appetite for the simple joys of life more than the starvation caused by sadness or desperation. In order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse.
Some times, personal growth and development necessitates finding a balance, so that you may enjoy "the best of times..." Leadership success is contingent on finding that balance too.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
"The Oracle of Omaha"
It was a whirlwind kind of weekend. My wife and I drove down to Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Friday evening (it's an 8 hour drive) and met my daughter, who is a junior at the University of Alabama there for an impromptu "parent's weekend" with all of her friends and their parents. We spent the afternoon and evening on Saturday watching the Crimson Tide "roll over" the Aggies of Texas A&M on the television, while enjoying a smorgasbord of food. Thanks to Hurricane Nate, we left early Sunday morning and drove back through tropical storm winds and rain for the first few hours, and tropical storm rains for the rest of the way. Our 8 hour drive turned into 9 hours. It was a fun trip, even if the next time we decided that we will fly!
While we were in Tuscaloosa, we stopped for a quick lunch at the local Jimmy John's restaurant. I happened to read one of the posters hanging in the restaurant - "Warren Buffett's Ten Rules" that I thought were pretty interesting. Warren Buffett is known by the moniker, "The Oracle of Omaha" because he always seems to know which stocks to purchase and make the most money from in a deal. I am going to take a little liberty here and apply his 10 rules to leadership. Here they are:
1. Reinvest your profits. It makes sense to reinvest the profits (i.e., the money that is left over after taking out all of your expenses from your revenues) back into the business, so that the business can continue to grow and earn more revenue. Similarly, it makes sense to reinvest whatever "profits" (e.g., your team's success) you earn as a leader back into your team. Turn small wins into big wins. Use the momentum generated from early win's to build the inspiration, motivation, and confidence to generate additional wins.
2. Be willing to be different. Don't follow everyone else's lead. As the poet, Robert Frost suggested in his poem, "The Road Not Taken", take the road less traveled. Apple, Inc. used to have a slogan, "Think different." Be different. Think different. Be a leader, not a follower.
3. Never suck your thumb. This one is interesting - when I first read it, I thought Buffett mean that you should be tough and not succumb to stress and pressure (in other words, if the going gets tough, don't crawl into a corner, assume the fetal position, and start sucking your thumb!). But what he really meant was that you shouldn't waste time being idle. Make decisions quickly. If you have down time, use it productively.
4. Spell out the deal before you start. This one makes sense for picking stocks and being a leader - make sure that you have all the ground rules, the relevant facts, and the potential impact of any decision in front of you before making a decision or a deal.
5. Watch small expenses. Recent trends in health care have focused heavily on reducing the cost of care. Be wary of all the expenses, even the small ones. Small expenses add up and eventually become big expenses.
6. Limit what you borrow. Good advice - don't get overburdened with debt. From a leadership standpoint, it is better to be on the giving end than the receiving end. It's always good practice to repay kindness - but it is even better practice to never have to repay kindness. Be kind to everyone. Do something nice for everyone you meet. Make more "deposits" of kindness than you make "withdrawals."
7. Be persistent. Be resilient. Be like Young.
8. Know when to quit. Buffett suggests that there is a point, when making deals, of diminishing returns. Don't go past that point. From a leadership standpoint, know how much you can push your team to drive improvement. But also know when enough is enough. Know when your team needs a break, and let them have one when they do need one. The use of so-called "stretch goals" can be a great motivational tool, but know your team's limits and do not exceed them.
9. Assess the risks. There is a balance between being risk-averse and risk-taking - only you, as a leader, know how best to achieve that balance for you and your team. When it comes to risk, the "Goldilocks approach" ("Not too hot, not too cold, but just right") seems appropriate.
10. Know what success really means. Success doesn't mean being rich. Success doesn't mean that you always win. Define success for your team, and make sure that your definition of success aligns with your organization's mission, vision, and values.
While we were in Tuscaloosa, we stopped for a quick lunch at the local Jimmy John's restaurant. I happened to read one of the posters hanging in the restaurant - "Warren Buffett's Ten Rules" that I thought were pretty interesting. Warren Buffett is known by the moniker, "The Oracle of Omaha" because he always seems to know which stocks to purchase and make the most money from in a deal. I am going to take a little liberty here and apply his 10 rules to leadership. Here they are:
1. Reinvest your profits. It makes sense to reinvest the profits (i.e., the money that is left over after taking out all of your expenses from your revenues) back into the business, so that the business can continue to grow and earn more revenue. Similarly, it makes sense to reinvest whatever "profits" (e.g., your team's success) you earn as a leader back into your team. Turn small wins into big wins. Use the momentum generated from early win's to build the inspiration, motivation, and confidence to generate additional wins.
2. Be willing to be different. Don't follow everyone else's lead. As the poet, Robert Frost suggested in his poem, "The Road Not Taken", take the road less traveled. Apple, Inc. used to have a slogan, "Think different." Be different. Think different. Be a leader, not a follower.
3. Never suck your thumb. This one is interesting - when I first read it, I thought Buffett mean that you should be tough and not succumb to stress and pressure (in other words, if the going gets tough, don't crawl into a corner, assume the fetal position, and start sucking your thumb!). But what he really meant was that you shouldn't waste time being idle. Make decisions quickly. If you have down time, use it productively.
4. Spell out the deal before you start. This one makes sense for picking stocks and being a leader - make sure that you have all the ground rules, the relevant facts, and the potential impact of any decision in front of you before making a decision or a deal.
5. Watch small expenses. Recent trends in health care have focused heavily on reducing the cost of care. Be wary of all the expenses, even the small ones. Small expenses add up and eventually become big expenses.
6. Limit what you borrow. Good advice - don't get overburdened with debt. From a leadership standpoint, it is better to be on the giving end than the receiving end. It's always good practice to repay kindness - but it is even better practice to never have to repay kindness. Be kind to everyone. Do something nice for everyone you meet. Make more "deposits" of kindness than you make "withdrawals."
7. Be persistent. Be resilient. Be like Young.
8. Know when to quit. Buffett suggests that there is a point, when making deals, of diminishing returns. Don't go past that point. From a leadership standpoint, know how much you can push your team to drive improvement. But also know when enough is enough. Know when your team needs a break, and let them have one when they do need one. The use of so-called "stretch goals" can be a great motivational tool, but know your team's limits and do not exceed them.
9. Assess the risks. There is a balance between being risk-averse and risk-taking - only you, as a leader, know how best to achieve that balance for you and your team. When it comes to risk, the "Goldilocks approach" ("Not too hot, not too cold, but just right") seems appropriate.
10. Know what success really means. Success doesn't mean being rich. Success doesn't mean that you always win. Define success for your team, and make sure that your definition of success aligns with your organization's mission, vision, and values.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
"Gimme something to believe in!"
I once watched a contestant on the television game show, Jeopardy "run the table" in a category called "80's Hair Bands." I probably would have done pretty well in that category - I can see it now. "I'll take '80's Hair Bands' for $1,000, Alex." Alex Trebek would respond with "An Audio Daily Double," and I would wager it all! Knowing my luck, I'd probably get some obscure song from the one-hit wonder hair band Steelheart or Saigon Kick. You see, while I had one of those memories where I could hear a song once and know the tune and lyrics, my musical tastes really leaned more towards classic rock and progressive rock. One of the most famous hair bands of the 1980's was the band, Poison. They were fairly decent - I heard one of their songs just the other day, which definitely has a lot of relevance during these turbulent times. The song is called Something to Believe In and the chorus sends a powerful message, "Gimme something to believe in..." After two catastrophic hurricances, a powerful earthquake, and a mass shooting in Las Vegas, all in the span of less than 3 weeks, I could certainly use "something to believe in."
I hear a lot of complaints about leaders these days too - one of the most disturbing is when members of an organization (or even the citizens in a country) claim that their leader or leaders don't inspire or motivate. One could certainly ask if it's a leader's job to inspire and motivate. I would emphatically say, without reservation, "absolutely 100% yes." Leaders should inspire us. Leaders have to inspire us - if we are not inspired, we aren't motivated. And when we are not motivated, we won't give our best effort. And when we don't give our best effort, we won't be successful in dealing with the complex issues that most organizations face these days. And if we aren't successful, our leaders won't be successful. It is as simple as that. We need something - a cause if you will - to rally around. It is a leader's job to provide not only the cause (i.e. the mission, vision, and values), but also the inspiration to rally around that cause.
Murray Newlands offered "7 characteristics of inspiring leaders" in an article in Entrepreneur magazine:
1. They express unerring positivity.
2. They are grateful to their team.
3. They have a crystal clear vision of the future.
4. They listen.
5. They communicate impeccably.
6. They are trustworthy.
7. They are passionate.
John Quincy Adams once said (and I think I have used this quote before), "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." In other words, Adams would agree that leaders must inspire - inspiration is at the very foundation of his definition of what it means to be a leader. Leaders must, must, must, give us something to believe in. It all starts with that, and it is simple as that.
I hear a lot of complaints about leaders these days too - one of the most disturbing is when members of an organization (or even the citizens in a country) claim that their leader or leaders don't inspire or motivate. One could certainly ask if it's a leader's job to inspire and motivate. I would emphatically say, without reservation, "absolutely 100% yes." Leaders should inspire us. Leaders have to inspire us - if we are not inspired, we aren't motivated. And when we are not motivated, we won't give our best effort. And when we don't give our best effort, we won't be successful in dealing with the complex issues that most organizations face these days. And if we aren't successful, our leaders won't be successful. It is as simple as that. We need something - a cause if you will - to rally around. It is a leader's job to provide not only the cause (i.e. the mission, vision, and values), but also the inspiration to rally around that cause.
Murray Newlands offered "7 characteristics of inspiring leaders" in an article in Entrepreneur magazine:
1. They express unerring positivity.
2. They are grateful to their team.
3. They have a crystal clear vision of the future.
4. They listen.
5. They communicate impeccably.
6. They are trustworthy.
7. They are passionate.
John Quincy Adams once said (and I think I have used this quote before), "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." In other words, Adams would agree that leaders must inspire - inspiration is at the very foundation of his definition of what it means to be a leader. Leaders must, must, must, give us something to believe in. It all starts with that, and it is simple as that.
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Great leaders are great coaches...
There is a famous (well, famous in my family) photograph of me jumping off a diving board when I was ten years old. It's a black and white photo that catches me in the middle of doing a belly flop or something - the look on my face is priceless - and it's famous because at that age, I had quite the belly for performing belly flops. You see, I was never that much of an athlete growing up. I played youth football, basketball, and soccer throughout my childhood, but I was never anywhere close to being the best player on the team. "Gym" was my worst subject, and I hated every minute of it. Sure, playing dodgeball was kind of fun, but I hated pretty much everything else about gym class. Every year, we were tested for the "President's Physical Fitness" award - I never came close.
For reasons that I don't remember, I signed up for after school intramural sports when I was in fifth and sixth grade. Boy's intramurals were coached by one of the fifth grade teachers, not our gym teacher. He also happened to be the sixth grade basketball coach. To this day, I remember something that he told us when we were going through basketball try-outs, "Every single one of you here is a member of my basketball team. If I see that you are working hard and giving me your best effort, I may move you up to play on the team." It wasn't much, and I doubt that he actually would have moved someone up that wasn't already on the team. What it said mattered an awful lot - he was telling me that "I mattered" and that he cared about each and every one of us. As a result, we gave him everything we had, even if we would never see time during a basketball game.
Fast forward to eighth grade - again, for reasons that I don't remember, I signed up for the cross country team. My father had recently started running, which may have been some of my motivation, but I was still overweight, slow, and incredibly out of shape. But I had another great coach - he pushed all of us to reach our absolute best potential. I was always the last one to finish the race (not just on our team, but the last one on both our team and our opponents). Coach was always there to cheer me on, even long after the rest of my teammates had finished. He even made sure that the rest of the team was there to cheer me on too. And no matter how tired I was, I would sprint towards the finish at the very end of the race. I remember something that has stuck with me - I remember it as if it happened yesterday, even though it actually happened over 30 years ago. It happened at the Fall Sports Banquet. He called each of us up, one at a time, to hand out the team awards and our letters. I was the last one that he called up. Coach looked around, smiled, and then looked at me. He started off by telling everyone there that he was going to give me a letter too. "You may have noticed that, like me, Derek isn't quite built for running cross country. But, I would like to give him this letter because no one tried as hard as he did, and no one improved as much as he did through the season. He was an inspiration to us all." Coach made me feel special. Coach made me feel like I was an important part of the team. And I - we all did - gave him everything that I had that season.
I ended up trying out for the 8th grade wrestling team that year too - I started out the season at one weight class, but ended up losing 20 more pounds and wrestled at a much lower weight class. And, I started getting in shape. All of a sudden, gym class was no longer difficult for me. While I was still not one of the top athletes, I was able to keep up with everyone else. I moved from well below average to slightly above average. I ended up finishing my 8th grade year as a long-distance runner on the track team. The track coach was our cross country coach. I was looking forward to it, until I found out that the long-distance coach was my 7th grade football coach, who wasn't a coach that had motivated me or acted like he cared who I was during football season. But honestly, he ended up being a great coach too. He was also my English teacher, so I think he got to know me both inside the classroom and on the track. I remember that I won some essay contest that spring, and he pulled me aside during practice to tell me that "one of his track runners won the essay" and how proud he was to have me on the team. I remember when I set a PR for the 2400 m run - he was the first one to tell me and I think he was really proud of me. He became a great coach for me that season.
It has been said that leaders must play a number of different roles - manager, mentor, teacher, and coach. I think great leaders have to be great coaches. Take a look through history - the greatest coaches are the ones who motivated their players to give them their best effort. The greatest coaches inspired their players to do things beyond the level of their talents, skills, and expertise. The legendary college football coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "No coach has ever won a game by what he knows; it's what his players know that counts." And if the players know that their coach is going to be there for them and supporting them, win or lose, through the peaks as well as the valleys, all the better.
For reasons that I don't remember, I signed up for after school intramural sports when I was in fifth and sixth grade. Boy's intramurals were coached by one of the fifth grade teachers, not our gym teacher. He also happened to be the sixth grade basketball coach. To this day, I remember something that he told us when we were going through basketball try-outs, "Every single one of you here is a member of my basketball team. If I see that you are working hard and giving me your best effort, I may move you up to play on the team." It wasn't much, and I doubt that he actually would have moved someone up that wasn't already on the team. What it said mattered an awful lot - he was telling me that "I mattered" and that he cared about each and every one of us. As a result, we gave him everything we had, even if we would never see time during a basketball game.
Fast forward to eighth grade - again, for reasons that I don't remember, I signed up for the cross country team. My father had recently started running, which may have been some of my motivation, but I was still overweight, slow, and incredibly out of shape. But I had another great coach - he pushed all of us to reach our absolute best potential. I was always the last one to finish the race (not just on our team, but the last one on both our team and our opponents). Coach was always there to cheer me on, even long after the rest of my teammates had finished. He even made sure that the rest of the team was there to cheer me on too. And no matter how tired I was, I would sprint towards the finish at the very end of the race. I remember something that has stuck with me - I remember it as if it happened yesterday, even though it actually happened over 30 years ago. It happened at the Fall Sports Banquet. He called each of us up, one at a time, to hand out the team awards and our letters. I was the last one that he called up. Coach looked around, smiled, and then looked at me. He started off by telling everyone there that he was going to give me a letter too. "You may have noticed that, like me, Derek isn't quite built for running cross country. But, I would like to give him this letter because no one tried as hard as he did, and no one improved as much as he did through the season. He was an inspiration to us all." Coach made me feel special. Coach made me feel like I was an important part of the team. And I - we all did - gave him everything that I had that season.
I ended up trying out for the 8th grade wrestling team that year too - I started out the season at one weight class, but ended up losing 20 more pounds and wrestled at a much lower weight class. And, I started getting in shape. All of a sudden, gym class was no longer difficult for me. While I was still not one of the top athletes, I was able to keep up with everyone else. I moved from well below average to slightly above average. I ended up finishing my 8th grade year as a long-distance runner on the track team. The track coach was our cross country coach. I was looking forward to it, until I found out that the long-distance coach was my 7th grade football coach, who wasn't a coach that had motivated me or acted like he cared who I was during football season. But honestly, he ended up being a great coach too. He was also my English teacher, so I think he got to know me both inside the classroom and on the track. I remember that I won some essay contest that spring, and he pulled me aside during practice to tell me that "one of his track runners won the essay" and how proud he was to have me on the team. I remember when I set a PR for the 2400 m run - he was the first one to tell me and I think he was really proud of me. He became a great coach for me that season.
It has been said that leaders must play a number of different roles - manager, mentor, teacher, and coach. I think great leaders have to be great coaches. Take a look through history - the greatest coaches are the ones who motivated their players to give them their best effort. The greatest coaches inspired their players to do things beyond the level of their talents, skills, and expertise. The legendary college football coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "No coach has ever won a game by what he knows; it's what his players know that counts." And if the players know that their coach is going to be there for them and supporting them, win or lose, through the peaks as well as the valleys, all the better.