Persistence Pays

Make no mistake about it, being good a great leader is hard work.  You can't let your guard down, you can't get discouraged, you can't give up, and you can't let them see you sweat.  It all comes down to persistence.  Great leaders expect their team to push hard to succeed, and great teams expect a leader who demonstrates dogged determination in even the most trying circumstances.

Persistence is the willingness to maintain focus and purse your goals in spite of obstacles, the ability to keep reaching for the next rung on the ladder no matter how worn out you are, the realization that success is not always the express elevator or the rose petaled path.  The leader who can remain resolute fuels the fire that drives the team.  Determination is contagious and teams will strive for great heights as long as they know their leader is there with them, ready to offer a hand up when the going gets tough.

Perhaps the best leaders are those who master the "Anyways" from "The Paradoxical Commandments" by Dr. Kent M. Keith


People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honestry and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, It is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Master the Anyways and your team will follow you through thick and thin.

The Vision Thing

Without a doubt the "vision" thing is one of the most mentioned leadership characteristics.  This is for good reason since I have yet to meet the successful leader who doesn't possess a strong idea of where he's going,and how he'll get there.  This picture of the future is typically somewhat simplistic, easy to communicate, and something that transcends just numbers, but rather envisions greater and perhaps even nobler goals.

For the best leaders the vision is a part of them, a connection to how they view the organization, themselves, and the world around them. This internalization allows them to be communicating the vision not just by words, but by deeds, and in their daily interactions with the team.  The vision compels them to act and provides a guidepost to measure all of their actions and the teams actions against.  When clearly communicated, it can give the team confidence to take the reins and push forward.

Similarly, poorly communicated visions, or visions that are more lip service than heart felt, can damage a team's effectiveness.  The disingenuous leader not only fails to inspire but can generate a debilatating lack of trust that holds the team back.

Therefore, as the leader, make sure you are comfortable about your own true intentions, your own vision.  Then communicate, communicate, communicate! Talk the vision, use the vision to guide your decisions, and take every opportunity you can to reinforce the vision with your team.  Most of all, recognize and praise those who get it, the ones who act on the vision and use it to steer their actions.  This more than anything else will prove you are "real" and will emergize the team to action and high performance.

Egypt's Revolution without a Leader

The demands for political reform sweeping across the Middle East are characterized by a lack of centralized command and control.  The protests appear to have spontaneously erupted from a background of simmering unrest but lack the organizing influence of a clearly identifiable  leader.

Therefore it is not surprising that numerous groups are suddenly jockeying for position in Egypt hoping to emerge with the reigns of power firmly in their hands. It is also not surprising that the Egyptian Army has, for the moment at least, consolidated the functions of governing under its authority.

Despite being strongly anti-reformist the generals who now run Egypt positioned the military as friends of the people.  They took immediate steps to curb abuses by the police state authorities and had military personnel mingling with the throngs of protesters even as they monitored them.  Thus the army established itself the sole governing agency with the people's best interests at heart.  And as with all groups, leaders are selected or emerge because they are viewed as having views, desires, wishes, and dreams that identify and connect well with the group.  Deposing Hosni Mubarak made the military instant heroes of the people.

But the next trick will be much harder.  The revolutionary's didn't pour into the streets fighting to displace one dictator with another. And now, with each passing day, opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, continue to build a case showing that the people's best interests lay somewhere other than with Field Marshal Mohamad Tantawi, the head of the Egyptian Higher Military Council. It is an easy bet that although the army insists it will hand power to civilians soon, it won't be until they are sure they can hang on to the lucrative privileges and wealth they have amassed after decades of authoritarian rule.

Thus, absent a popular leadership figure, don't count on a long honeymoon for the military.  As time wears on, expect more and more friction to grow between protesters and soldiers and if the generals feel threatened enough, expect a fresh outbreak of violence much worse than anything seen thus far.

In fact, absent a leader who can assure that the needs of each side can be met, its hard to envision a calm and peaceful end to this historic event.

Harvey and Elwood

Have you every seen Harvey??

If you have, I hope you enjoy it as much as me, and if not, please do. Its a wonderful film, an uplifting comedy.

The story is that of Elwood P. Dowd, played by Jimmy Stewart, an eccentric man of means, whose best friend is an invisible 6 foot 3 1/2 inch tall rabbit named Harvey.  Harvey is a pooka, a mischievous mythological Celtic creature.  Elwood is a cheerfully pleasant gentleman who takes great pleasure in helping those around him.  While Elwood's sister tries to commit him to a mental institution, Harvey and Elwood help those around them in one comedic situation after another.

So what's Harvey got to do with leadership? I'm not sure, but I know it has a lot to do with life.

So far my blog has covered

Patience
 Listening
  Enthusiasm
   Accountability
     Self-Mastery
       Asking of others
         Never Settling
           Thanking the team

And all that adds up to PLEASANT.  No, leadership isn't about being pleasant, sometimes it can end up being downright unpleasant. But that doesn't mean that a leader can't aspire to better things.  Having a generally bright, optimistic, and pleasant demeanor makes for better leadership.  It gives the team an example to live up to, and it helps push the biggest team killer, fear, off the stage.

It also makes for a better life at work and at home.  Pleasant people are approachable people, pleasant people lift the spirits of those around them, and pleasant people can often shed a new light on the most difficult situations. The thing that always strikes me about Harvey is how Elwood and Harvey touch the lives of all they meet, mostly in simple ways, and yet in lasting ways.

Near the end of the movie Elwood gives a very succinct picture of his life philosophy :

"Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" -- she always called me Elwood -- "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."  Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

If only more of us held this view, just think of what we could accomplish!

Thank You - the 2 most important words

Taking time to say "Thank You" to your team often and sincerely, is essential to superior leadership.  Face it, no man is an island, no man can go it alone in the business world, and therefore your success is dependent upon the successfulness of your team.  If you aren't thankful for their efforts, you need to reconsider how you got where you are, and how you can get to where you want to be.  A simple Thank You sends multiple messages, it shows your appreciation, it shows your respect, and it shows you care. Your team deserves a periodic pat on the back and woe to the leader who takes his team for granted.

The thank you can be delivered in a variety of ways.  Its always best to deliver it quick and in the moment if possible.  Anything from a handshake,  to the quick handwritten note, can, with a small expression of gratitude, make a significant difference.  There's nothing wrong with a quick email, flowers, the favorite snack, or a nice lunch either.  The main thing is to make it timely, make it clear, and personalize it.

So, as is so often said, practice makes perfect.  Dedicate yourself right here and now, find two people doing a good job each day, and tell them about it.  Say "Thanks", it'll make their day, and it makes you feel good too.

People love a grateful leader and are grateful in return.

Never Settle

It is not possible to truly succeed as a leader if you are willing to "settle".  When you settle, the decision to accept less than what is required, desired, or planned for is made.  This is nothing less than deciding to fail, its saying that whatever the goals or targets were, they are not worth my time and energy to work towards.  

Team members are very adept at recognizing a leader who lacks the inner drive to succeed, and once this is found out, why will the team push for a goal when they know that the person in charge will accept less.  Finding the inner strength to keep pushing one's self, and one's team, is a key ingredient to building an accomplishment driven mind set.


Establishing your credentials as the leader means showing a willingness to do what it takes to get the job done, not just sometimes, but every time.  It also means having the strength to push your team, to hold that same high level of accountability for them as well. This is not as easy as it might appear for as the leader you must take the time draw out the best your team has.  It may mean cajoling them when their confidence waivers, pushing them when they want to throw in the towel, and reminding them of their strengths when their hope is flagging.  Every good coach knows that  players must be held to high expectations and then regularly reminded of  their abilities to reach those goals and more. 


Have the drive to push for your dreams, and not to settle for less than you deserve.  When the team feels this force within you, it will fuel their desire for success.


Remember:


The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.
-Maureen Dowd

Ask and ye shall receive

Managers, Supervisors, and Executives who struggle to build effective relationships often have trouble with a specific personality trait, they tend to be "tellers" or "commanders", not "askers".  Tellers have a difficult time interacting with people and are ineffective communicators.  They regularly demonstrate poor listening skills and deal poorly with feedback.

Becoming the best leader possible requires the ability to be a sincere "asker".

ASK for opinions...People love to feel important, to feel respected, and to feel needed.  Seeking their opinion, their wise council, speaks to that need.  It also helps to engage the shy or reclusive, and forces the most ardent critics to put up or shut up.

ASK for ideas...This alone opens up worlds of knowledge most vast than your own experiences. Different perspectives leverage the team's abilities and speeds up the improvement process.

ASK questions ... Don't let superficial participation stand unchallenged.  Question the team, draw out the reluctant thoughts, press past the surface and get to the root of peoples thoughts and emotions.   And show that you don't have all the answers, nor do you want to!

ASK for help... This isn't a sign of weakness, its a sign of trust.  Nothing breeds engagement more than showing others that you trust them enough to approach them in a time of need.

And remember that asking for feedback, means that you must listen to what you are being told.  It doesn't mean that all advice need be taken, but it does require that you devote your full attention and consideration to the discussion.