We’ve had an inspiring start to the year at Vantage
International! In early January, we were
immersed in the selection process for our inaugural Take The Lead Award. It was
a ‘goose bump moment’ for us as we reviewed the almost 200 nominations and
realized that our message of ‘leading from your seat’ was contributing to a
movement in workplaces across the US and around the world!
On January 15, we had the pleasure & privilege of
announcing Elizabeth Sholtys as the winner of the 2013 Take The Lead Award! Her
nomination is a powerful example of what one person can do to change the world if
you dare to play big. It’s a must read
for us all. Congratulations, Liz!!
When you begin any new initiative, part of the excitement
comes from not knowing exactly how things will unfold. Of course, you plan and then implement well;
you remain fanatically focused on the details and, still, you can’t anticipate
absolutely everything. You need to be open to possibilities; and reasonably
flexible and nimble in order to accept all of the gifts that the creative
process offers.
We were surprised and delighted by our first Award
experience. It proved to be an outstanding opportunity for us to learn and grow
– as leaders, professionals and people.
Here are a few of the lessons that we’ll carry forward with us:
·
Every day in workplaces across the world,
there are amazing people choosing to show up and make a big difference – to do
all that they can from their seats.
·
Almost 200 people paused in their very busy
work lives to recognize the greatness of someone around them.
·
There were so many compelling, moving
nominations that we decided to bend our own rules and expand the Award to
include an Honorable Mention Category. Nicole
Blannard is a Hematology/Oncology Nurse Manager who was nominated by her entire
team for her fierce everyday leadership. Her story needed to be told in a big way.
·
Our favorite lesson (well, to be completely
honest, it was more like a whack to the side of our head) came from a team at
Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown, NY. They
didn’t bend a rule they broke it by creating their own Award category –Take The
Lead Team Award! In doing so, they
challenged our thinking. Bill Stamp, the
nominator, put it this way: “I do not believe any one member of the team is more
deserving of this achievement than any other and thus I ask that you consider
our group as a whole.” This team nomination was impossible to ignore;
we are pleased to offer Special Recognition to this band of creative risk
takers! Thank you for breaking the right
rules!
It may seem unusual to reward someone for breaking a
rule. But we think it’s becoming more and more common as more and more of us
challenge same old, same old thoughts, actions, processes and procedures. We think that it’s an important part of the
everyday leader’s every day mission:
·
To see something that no one else sees;
·
To challenge our current level of thinking;
·
To be brave, even fearless, and take a risk
by playing big;
·
To challenge dysfunctional comfort
Tom Peters has said that he would “rather have a bold
failure than a mediocre success.” We
agree. So, take our lesson to
heart…Break the right rules at work. Question your own habits and perceptions;
find your blind spots; view your work processes through a different lens --- Be
both better and different! And when
someone challenges your thought or behavior, choose to be receptive and curious
instead of defensive. Have a V-8 moment
– Why didn’t I think of that, see that, etc.
No, don’t go rogue. Lots of rules protect us, our products,
customers, clients or patients. Break
the right rules! Knowing the difference
is one of the everyday leader’s super powers.
Even better than ‘spidey sense’, right?
Click HERE to read more about the 2013 Take The Lead
Winners on the Vantage International website.
