Archive for the 'Leadership' Category

During the 2006 winter Olympics, Lindsey Jacobellis was alone in the clear, and could have practically crawled to the finish line and won. After an Olympic-sized flub, she probably wishes she had. Coasting to what should have been a runaway victory to a gold metal, the 20-year-old American grabbed her snowboard on the second-to-last jump before the finish line. Inexplicably - and some say inexcusably - she fell. Why??? A few hours later, in a conference call she revealed that there might have been some showboating going on. “I was having fun,” she said. “Snowboarding is fun. I was ahead. I wanted to share my enthusiasm with the crowd. I messed up. Oh well, it happens.”

Last weekend I was flying a kite with my six year old daughter. The wind was gusting and the kite was flying with little help from us. All of sudden, it started to spiral down to the ground. Why? Simple. We let go of the string.

What do these two stories have in common? Tension. If Lindsey had kept the tension tight she might not have come tumbling to the ground like our kite.

There are areas in our life where we need to keep the tension tight if we hope to reach our potential. That potential might be as wonderful and memorable as an Olympic gold metal, or as basic as spending time being a hero to your daughter. Either way, I don’t think we will ever reach our potential if we don’t keep the following in check.

FOCUS

If we peel back a few layers of the word focus we are able to see some very helpful ideas. Ideas such as Faith, Opportunity, Consistency, Understanding, and Self-talk. Each of these concepts could take volumes to explain in detail, but are briefly explored below.

Faith - In order to reach your personal and professional goals you must have faith in yourself. You must be willing to take calculated risks without looking back. Very few people ever accomplished great things if they didn’t first have faith in themselves. You must also have faith that God is your safety net, that helping hand, that guiding light in the darkest of nights.

Opportunity - In our world today many are still searching for that “get-rich-quick” scheme. I have found that true accomplishments are achieved because of being in the right place, at the right time, with the right experience, and a willingness to do the job. In order to reach your goals you must continue to focus on preparing for that next opportunity. For instance, by reading one book a month, for twelve consecutive months (on any one subject), you will be better prepared than most of the people you work with, worship with, and compete against.

Consistency - It has been said that success is found in your daily agenda. My personal trainer has told me many times how important consistency is to better health and a stronger body. Questions for you to consider… Are you consistently putting 100% into everything you do? Are you consistently following a plan of action (a game plan)? Are you consistently planning for tomorrow, today (goals)? Are you consistently taking time to refocus your life?

Understanding - In order to be successful you must understand your limits. You are simply not going to be good at everything, and the things that you are good at are limited to your skill level. A good example of this is my tennis game. Not long ago I was playing a singles match, a match I was losing badly. During one of the breaks I said to myself, “Jeff, just have fun and play within your game.” What I meant was enjoy the day, and hit only the shots that I knew would go in. To my surprise, and my opponent’s as well, I began to play tremendous tennis. I was having fun and was soon hitting shots with confidence (faith). Remember, work, play, and live within your limits. If you stay focused long enough those limits will expand.

Self-talk - In the world of psychology this is also known as self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, what you and others say to you will more than likely happen. As mystical as this sounds it really is true. I challenge you to keep a log for a few days of all the positive and negative comments you and others say about you; don’t forget your thoughts. If you are like most people, by the end of the challenge you will have many more negatives than positives. I can’t tell you how important it is to say to yourself, “I can do it, I am great, I can get that sale, I can live a Christian life, I can hit that shot, etc.” Just like the little train going up the mountain, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”

In order to reach new levels personally and professionally, you must stay focused. I encourage you to spend one afternoon this week contemplating what you are currently focusing on.

LEARNING

With schedules packed more than ever. Microwaves not being fast enough. Paying for your gasoline at the pump so you don’t have to go in the store. Who has time to learn? If you are going to keep moving forward in your life you must make time to learn. Some of the best ways to learn are…

• Reading books.
• Watching people - you might be surprised at what you can learn by sitting on a bench at your local shopping mall and observing the people going by.
• Dreaming (using the power of your mind).
• Giving (of your time and talent)

PLANNING

In order to keep growing you must manage your daily agenda. Your daily agenda is managed with good time management techniques. The real question is… “Are you the master of your time, or is it the master of you?” The following concepts will help you maximize the twenty-four hours that God has given you today:

• Establish measurable goals and plans
• Know how to invest your time
• Identify and eliminate time wasters
• Know yourself and your priorities
• Take time to set and evaluate goals
• Learn to say, “No”
• Delegate, delegate, and delegate
• Group similar and like activities together
• Organize for quick and easy retrieval
• Use a calendar and a to-do list.

LAUGHING

On August 3, 2005, Anika Logan described in her article entitled, “Laughter is good for you.”

Laughter is more than just an enjoyable activity. It is very beneficial to the body and mind. It doesn’t cost a cent and it is highly contagious. But is laughter really the best medicine? Read on and decide for yourself.

Everyone enjoys a good laugh, don’t they? If they don’t, they should! Laughter has many benefits, which in turn have positive effects on the human body. Laughter lowers blood pressure, activates the immune system, triggers the release of endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers), reduces stress hormones, helps reduce pain, allows muscles to relax and is helpful for breathing as frequent laughter empties the air in the lungs. And that’s just the beginning!

Remember, keep the tension tight and the priorities right, and you will accomplish more than you ever dreamed.

Conflict is something that can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted - but it can be felt and heard. In every home, business, and church conflict is inevitable. You know conflict will show its ugly head sooner or later because all of the above listed groups are made up of people. How you deal with conflict will reveal your leadership style, level, maturity, and experience. While others are running around in circles, jumping ship, and wishing they could go back, a leader steps to the front, seizes the opportunity and navigates the organization through the storm. It has been said, “Navigating through conflict can be learned, but it must be learned in conflict.”

Recently I once read an article by Johnny H. Moore that revealed several facts and keys that will help you work through and benefit from conflict.

• Fact 1: Conflict is a part of the growing process. Growth itself is a form of conflict. Someone has said that conflict is “two objects trying to occupy the same space at the same time.” When we are determined to grow, whether personally or organizationally, we experience resistance (conflict). However, as we press on through the process, we learn and grow.
• Fact 2: Conflict will reveal who you are. What is in us will eventually come out when pressure is applied. Conflict can be the pressure that God uses to show us what is really on the inside. It can reveal motives, hurts, bitterness, anger, or Christ-like character. It all depends upon what is in us.
• Fact 3: Conflict will reveal what your team is made of. When navigating through conflict with your staff or your leaders, you will discover things that you did not know were there. Some good and some not so good. Nevertheless, it helps you as a leader know what you are dealing with and how to further develop your people for greatness.
• Fact 4: Conflict can save the organization from catastrophe. When conflict arises you become aware of things to which you were formerly blind. If you ignore conflict, it can eventually destroy the organization. However, if you recognize conflict and properly navigate through it, the organization can become stronger and grow, thus fulfilling the purpose for which it exists.

I am sure that at least one of these facts can be applied to your life, or the life of your organization. Whether conflict has helped you grow, or has saved you from catastrophe, there are some important keys to navigating through conflict. Just as the cruise liner navigates its way through the mammoth icebergs, you must navigate your life through life’s challenges and conflicts.

• Key 1: Recognize the signs of coming conflict. A true leader knows that conflict will come. Therefore, he keeps his eye on the horizon watching and listening for the signs. Just as the weatherman watches for dark clouds, heavy winds, and sudden temperature change, so to the leader must be looking for changing elements. Conflict in the life of a leader could be negative comments from his staff (dark clouds), personal agendas emphasized more than the mission of the organization (heavy winds), and key leadership appearing withdrawn and distant (sudden temperature change).
• Key 2: Return to the mission of the organization. The mission of the organization is always the compass. It will always guide you in the direction you need to go. Conflict arises because people follow their feelings instead of the compass. If you or your organization is off course I suggest you spend time discussing your mission.
• Key 3: Rally the team. It is impossible to get the organization back on track when the people are scattered. When we rally the team, we strengthen the team. We must continue to remind the team that where we go, we must go together. Ideas for rallying the team could be: playing together, polishing the mission together, reviewing team responsibilities together, or planning together.
• Key 4: Require loyalty and integrity. In navigating through conflict there has to be open, honest communication. Without loyalty and integrity, this type of communication simply will not happen. It has been suggested that:
  • • The leader’s loyalty must be first to the organization and second to the individual.
    • The individual’s loyalty must be first to the leader and second to the organization.
• Key 5: Design a process for solving problems. In order for an organization to function properly and effectively, it must have a “troubleshooting” process. This process should include an official chain of command, input from those involved, flexible procedures, follow through on final decisions, and team cooperation.
• Key 6: Roll on. Leaders must continue to lead, even in conflict. Too many leaders, when conflict arises, quit leading and begin trying to solve problems.

Conflict is a good sign of possible progress. However, it is the leader’s responsibility to navigate the organization through the conflict. To do this one must remain focused on the mission, not the conflict. Remember - conflict is on the way.

I have been coaching and training people for over twenty years. I have coached multi-millionaires in areas such as business and personal finance, business operations, personal growth, time management and goal setting.

In today’s business world you either do things right or you get eliminated. Examples can be found in some of our nation’s largest and oldest institutions. Don’t be one of these statistics.

One of the most popular events in the Olympics is the pole vault event. We all watch with amazement and anticipation as the competitor runs full speed down the track with a long pole in his hands. Then the jumper hangs on for dear life as he lowers the pole downwards into a hole that propels him high up in the air, high enough to clear the bar just in front of him. The jumper then has a soft landing on his back ready to jump even higher the next time.

The goal of the jumper is not to be the fastest down the track, or to be the most efficient at hitting the mark with the pole. No, the goal is to jump high enough to clear the bar. Then, do it again, and again, and again each time the bar is raised.

Whether you know it or not there is a bar to be raised or lowered in your organization. The name of this bar is: The Bar of Expectations. Each time you expect more of your staff, volunteers, or yourself you are raising the bar.

But, how far can you raise the bar, and how fast? My experience while working with all types of organizations is that there is a tried and true fact, the smaller the organization the lower the bar of expectations. In other words, the fewer people you have to work with the less you can expect (or demand) out of them.

Lets use for example a small choir. The choir director wants so bad to perform like a five hundred voice choir but knows if she puts too much demand on the choir members they might quit. Leaving holes that might be impossible for the rest of the group to fill. Or she might have a hard time getting members in the first place because her expectations are too high.

Conversely, if we look at a five hundred voice choir we see a director with the same dreams - dreams to perform at peak potential. The difference in this situation is the choir director can start out with high expectations or put rather high demands on her members because she knows that there are many who would love to be a member of her choir.

You might be saying, “How do I raise the bar in my organization?” In my experience I have discovered four techniques that you can do to continually raise the bar, which will challenge your team members to become more effective in their duties and strive for their dreams..

Listen to where each team member is. This is especially important if you acquire a new team member or if you yourself are the new leader on the team. Listening to not only what is said but also what is not can help you determine areas of weakness in your team member’s life, leadership skills, or ability. Plan one-on-one conversations where you can listen for areas of insecurity, fear, frustration, passion, past experiences, and confusion. Hearing comes natural to all of us, but listening is learned. The better you learn to listen the more your team member will open up and share where he is and where he wants to go.

Learn to be patient. In most small organizations most people on a leadership team are used to the status quo. Therefore, when you challenge them to grow in new ways you must be patient. If you go too fast they will dig in their feet or put up walls - or both. It is difficult to go slow when you see your team members with such great potential. Potential that is untapped, and perfect for the growth of your organization.

Lead one step at a time. Remember, they are a small cup and you are a gallon of water. If you pour out all your knowledge and experience you will quickly overflow their cup. Therefore, lead one step at a time in areas that you have detected are weak. Some weak areas that I find in most people that are in smaller organizations are:

• Time Management skills
• Developing an on-going personal growth plan
• Teamwork, and how to develop a team
• Pursuing excellence in everything that they do
• Learning to think big

List what you expect, inspect what you list. In order for anyone on your team to grow you must hold them accountable. Now, this must be done carefully because if done incorrectly you could be faced with many embarrassing holes in your organization (i.e. the choir). The best way I have found to hold people accountable in a smaller organization is to challenge them with a goal. A goal that is measurable, obtainable, requires action, and has a deadline. By doing this you will see how strong of a leader they are, and how they can perform when a deadline is approaching.

You will be able to increase your demands (or expectations) as the organization grows and as your leaders increase their leadership ability. The larger the organization gets the bigger the goals can be. The greatest part about this is the reward. It is almost like you are a proud father watching your child sing her first solo, or hit the homerun to win the game. When your team members begin accomplish bigger goals in less time you know you are becoming a more effective leader and your expectations can rise. Remember, go slow and you will grow.

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Have you ever wondered what type of person or personality makes the best leader? Most would consider the answer to that question to be the person that has the greatest success, the largest organization, or the best staff. Conversely, have you ever wondered how it is that a person with little drive or entrepreneurial skills ends up in a leadership position? You know the type person I am writing about, a person that couldn’t lead a dog on a walk, but has been given the responsibility of leading a large and well-established organization.

While I was in college I met a person that had skills and a personality type much different than I first thought. After serving in a very successful pastoral role for several years this person was offered the position of Bible Department President at Lee University. Part of his duties included teaching a full load of classes at the university. When he arrived to class on his first day he had a notebook for each student. A notebook full of outlines for lessons he was going to teach the entire semester. WOW! To say the least, I was impressed. I just knew that this person had to be the most organized person in the world.

Years later, however, I had the opportunity to work with his son, and I made the remark that he must have the most organized father in the world. His response was, “My dad is incredibly unorganized, but he makes up for it with his leadership personality. He knows the value of having a diverse team around him.” That statement, and learning experience, gave birth to this month’s edition of Footprints and Monuments.

Some people have an easier time developing their leadership skills than others. Most agree that certain personality types make better leaders. So the real question is, “What is your leadership personality?” Below are examples of different leadership personalities, as you read each one try to decide which best fits you.

• Powerful leader - this type leader is also known as the lion in the organization. He is a person that loves to be in the drivers seat. The strength of this leadership personality is good decision making skills, the negative is the tendency to be a morale killer. However, once people see his caring heart, they will learn to love and respect him, and will also grow from his challenges.
• Perfectionist leader - this type leader is also known as the beaver in the organization. She is the type person that keeps all the “T”s crossed and the “I”s dotted. A person with this personality type can easily handle the details of day-to-day operations, but can let the small stuff get in the way. Rest assured however, everyone that she comes in contact with will learn and grow from her wisdom.
• Peaceful leader - this type leader is known as the golden retriever in the organization. He is by far the hardest to motivate, and will frustrate most of the other personality types. However, this type of personality possesses the greatest amount of compassion. So much so that it will be very easy for others to share their innermost feelings with him.
• Popular leader - this type leader is known as the fun-loving otter in the organization. She is always ready to have fun, and will create a fun environment if one is not there. Her leadership strength is the ability to rally the troops to achieve the organization’s goals. Everyone loves to spend time with this type personality, everyone except the beavers. Fun-loving otters will often overlook the details that are important to making everything balance at the end of the day; or so beavers tend to think.

What type leadership personality do you have? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What about your leadership team, what are their leadership personalities?