Twenty Seconds of Insane Courage

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking at Cumberland Valley High School's 2015 Baccalaureate Ceremony in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.   I was asked to offer an energetic, inspirational message.  And while I did my best to deliver, I also must say that I left feeling personally inspired by the experience.  It was a thrill to look out onto a sea of fresh young leaders, engaged and engaging, poised to rush head on into the world. A true ‘kairos’ moment when opportunity and action intersect!

 Here’s to a generation of leaders already leading from their seats!!

In lieu of a traditional June blog we thought it might be nice to share the presentation I gave to the graduates. It's fun and lighthearted: The top ten countdown for insane courage offers small reminders that are always beneficial to revsit from time to time!!

The Insane Courage Countdown....Enjoy!!

Graduation Presentation: 20 Seconds of Insane Courage from VantageInter

What Can A Rose Teach Us About Workplace Relationships?

It seems like forever ago that I came across ‘The Rose Story.’ I don’t remember the source or the circumstances; what I do remember is that it was one of those mini AHA moments for me. A real whack on the side of my head!

The Rose Story popped into my mind twice in the past few weeks as I was engaged in two separate but similar coaching conversations. In both cases, capable leaders committed to the coaching model were struggling with disappointment and frustration.  In one situation, the leader was second guessing herself for promoting a rising star to a challenging position. From the leader’s perspective, the individual was ‘letting her down’ by not rising to the occasion. In fact, the newly promoted team member seemed overwhelmed and unsteady in the role. The leader was increasingly frustrated by the amount of time, energy and attention that was personally required of her to support this person and the work.

In the other case, a savvy, experienced leader was impatient, unsupportive and overly critical of a new colleague. From the experienced leader’s perspective, the new colleague had not ‘earned’ an executive position; she was immature, overly eager and inexperienced.  And now they were peers; it just didn’t seem fair or reasonable to her.

I think that it’s too easy to fall into such traps. Using ourselves as we are today as the gold standard for everyone else. And perhaps conveniently forgetting our own missteps and insecurities on our leadership journeys. If we are to become more masterful coach leaders, then most of us must fundamentally shift our thinking about the people around us at work. We need to begin to acknowledge and affirm that we are all capable, smart, talented, creative, willing and accountable. We have to understand that we are at different stages of leadership & professional maturity; and of education & experience. And that different is okay. It doesn’t mean less than or inferior. That’s the powerful lesson that a rose can teach us about the people with whom we work. And by teaching us about others, it simultaneously enlightens us about ourselves. Read on for your own personal AHA moment: 

 THE ROSE

When we plant a rose seed in the earth, we notice that it is small but we do not criticize it as “rootless” and “stemless”. We treat it as a seed, giving it the water and nourishment required of a seed. When it first shoots out of the earth, we don’t condemn it as “immature” and “under-developed”; nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear. We stand in wonder at the process taking place and give the plant the care that it needs at each stage of its growth. Finally, as the rose’s bloom fades and the petals fall, we gather them and use them for fragrance and healing. The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change; yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is.

Here’s your May leadership challenge:

Week 1:  Keeping the Rose Story in mind, reach out to someone around you who is starting a new leg of their career journey (or maybe taken on a significant challenge) and nurture & nourish that person. Recognize their potential. Express belief in them; encourage & feed them through affirmation. Then stand back and watch them take root!!

Week 2: Share the Rose Story with others. Your team. Someone who may be struggling with self-doubt. Using coaching questions ask people what it means to them and how we can apply it to our relationships at work.

Week 3: Perfect enough! That’s the theme of our leadership challenge this week. The Rose Story applies to you too. You are perfect enough right where you are. You care enough. Know enough. Do enough. Make it a priority to tend to yourself. Affirm and appreciate who you are today and look to be both better and different every day. I often tell myself, “I’m satisfied with who and where I am while eagerly anticipating even more in the future!)

Week 4: Collect Positive Aspects! The final leadership dare of the month is to purposefully look around your workplace. Celebrate the wonderful diversity. Rejoice that everyone isn’t exactly like youJ Think of each member of your team or work group and identify one or two things that are positive or great about them. What are their special talents? What unique contribution do they make? Then make it a point this week to share your insights.  Give them the care and attention that they want and need to build and grow themselves.

Create Your Own Brand Of March Madness!

March Madness is a nickname indelibly stuck to the single elimination Division I college basketball tournament that occurs each Spring in the US. Get ready because it’s coming! From March 15 to April 6 millions of people will be possessed by this affliction. You don’t even have to be a basketball fan to get swept up. Before you know it, you’ve joined an office pool, become a bracketologist (yes, there is such a word); and find yourself cheering for teams to which you have no emotional ties!

For me, the word ‘madness’ does a good job of capturing the sustained energy and excitement associated with the tournament:

So much constant action

So many games

So many teams

The element of unpredictability

The emotional highs and lows

The thrill of an ‘upset’

Everyday heroics

Single minded grit and determination to make it to the next round; to win the ultimate prize

The magic of a high performing team

The inspiring performance of an underdog

Over the top school spirit

And so much more…..

What if we co-opted this term?

What if we co-create our own brand of ‘March Madness?’ No dribbling or shooting involved.

What if we harnessed the passion, the energy, the excitement, the fun and the esprit de corps that are characteristic of the tournament and creatively put them to work in our workplaces, departments and teams?

For me, this feels like the perfect antidote to the energy drain associated with an all too long winter and a great way to shift into refresh and renewal mode as Spring arrives. 

I’ve come up with some leadership bright ideas for delivering a memorable March Madness experience in your workplace throughout the month ahead. Of course, once your creative juices start flowing, develop your own unique ways to catch the ‘feva.’

Don’t forget to share your most creative ideas with us!!

March Madness Challenge 1: During one recent NCAA tournament, a Kentucky coach shared the following secret to his team’s success. He said, “We don’t practice until we get it right. We intentionally practice until we don’t get it wrong.” I found this to be a thought provoking insight. Share this with your team and lead a discussion on what it means to you and your team mates. Identify one thing that you can collectively do differently to ‘intentionally practice until you don’t get it wrong’.

March Madness Challenge 2: There’s a big difference between frenetic energy and focused energy. The former is hurried and harried. We might be checking things off the list; but are we doing our best work? The right work? In a sustained way? In the latter, we aim ourselves strategically and bring our best selves to the work. Sometimes, we’ve got to slow the game down a bit to win.  Name one or two ways in which you can ‘slow down to speed up.’ That is, identify one or two areas in which we can pause briefly and get fanatically focused on what we need to do to create a great outcome.

Stay tuned for two additional March Madness Challenges!

See the Good!

As we settle in to the beginning of another new year, it feels as though it’s the ideal time to refresh our thinking and power up our commitment to intentionally acknowledge what’s right or what’s work around us – in our own lives and with our own work, with our team efforts and with our organization as a whole. (Yeah, I know, this is almost an ‘anti –new year’s resolution’ approach. It’s by design!)

We become what we think about all day long, right? 

Beginning any meeting, conversation, or even a new year, with a firm focus on what’s working around you creates a solid foundation for building enthusiasm, confidence and momentum for more. It gets us on a roll and moving in the right direction. As coach leaders, acknowledging everyday successes is one small way of building and growing ourselves and those around us. And you may be surprised to discover just how many things went well when you put your mind to it! Woo Hoo!!

So let’s get right to it! Take a long look in the rearview mirror at 2014. As you consider the following powerful questions, remember, big doors swing on small hinges; little stuff matters!!

• What are all of the things that went really well for you in 2014? Already this year?
• What was the ‘best’ mistake that you/we made in 2014 that provided great learning for you/us? 
• What was the biggest risk that you took in 2014? Personally? Professionally?
• What was the biggest stretch for you as a leader in 2014?
• What was THE best learning moment of 2014 for you?
• What is your favorite example of someone around you leading from their seat in your organization?

Now, you have to admit, 2014 was full of thrills, adventure and, yes, even, successes (or successes initially disguised as failure)!! And there’s more good news…you don’t have to wait until next January to see the good in 2015!

If you’re not stretching and growing, you’re done!

I have a friend who has an offbeat saying for every occasion. The title of this piece is one saying that she shared frequently with me. Her point is that the process of learning and developing Is a never ending journey. I can testify to the fact that playing a part in someone else’s success strategy by helping them to be both better and different is incredibly rewarding.

As coach leaders, I believe that it’s our responsibility to care enough about others around us at work to engage with them in the growth process. And by others, I mean our direct reports, our peers, our teammates and even our boss! Through a collaborative and supportive relationship with us, someone may find their courage and dare to reach to the next level of their potential. And that’s a Wow for all involved! Notice that I said – collaborative and supportive relationship! We need to check in on our intention during this work to be sure that it’s pure. This isn’t about us being manipulative even subtly; for example, to get someone to do what we want them to do because that meets our needs or agenda.

Professional growth typically involves several core elements. I’ll briefly introduce each here and we’ll do a deeper dive on and a leadership dare for several of them throughout the month. As you consider each of these, reflect at two levels – think about your own development and then think about assisting others with their development work.

Risk – Growth isn’t about playing small or playing it safe. The performance challenge here is to move beyond our current limitations. Pretty exciting stuff and pretty scary too. It’s often not enough to settle for modest progress these days. Playing small isn’t serving our organizations.

Expansion – Professional growth involves expansion in some way or another. Moving to the next level; doing more of something; breaking with and breaking through habits.

Visioning – When it comes to people growing, we have to have a destination in mind – the desired future. Crafting a vision and a route and then holding it vividly in our mind’s each day is how top performers in all fields achieve their goals. The Cheshire Cat in ‘Wonderland’ said it best to Alice: “Alice came to a fork in the road. 'Which road do I take?' she asked. 'Where do you want to go?' responded the Cheshire Cat. 'I don't know,' Alice answered. 'Then,' said the Cat, 'it doesn't matter.”

Stickiness or Sustainability – Growth is about both internal and external change. We’ve got to replace current (maladaptive) habits with fresh ones so that they become a permanent part of who we are and what we do. In other words, intentionality needs to be woven into all growth work. It’s what gives us courage to create and then hold onto a bigger picture of ourselves.

By now you might have concluded that truly challenging others to grow can be a demanding experience. You’re right! But the alternatives, stagnation; settling for ‘average’ or dysfunctional comfort (or according to my friend, being done/‘dead’ professionally) simply aren’t acceptable.

Here’s your leadership dare: Demonstrate the power of growth by growing yourself first. You first!  

“At the boundaries, life blossoms”     -James Gleick 

Assist Others To Identify Their Greatness

Lots of people tell me it’s so much easier to focus on what’s wrong with them (their ‘weaknesses or what they’re not good at) versus what they’re really, really great at. I think that’s because it’s a long standing habit for many of us. We’ve focused there for so long, it’s come to define us. It’s what our self talk is all about. This often limits a person’s willingness and ability to stretch into more challenging assignments, take some risk at work and perform at higher levels. In other words, it can prevent people from leading from their seat!

It’s in everyone’s best interest to help people own the best that is in them!  If we’re tuning into others regularly and training our eyes and ears to unearth strengths, we can see someone else’s potential long before they do. So, as a coach leader, what can you practically do to help others look in the mirror and see what you see? Here are some ideas that you can implement lickety split:

1. Work on yourself first! Let’s get better at uncovering the brilliance in others. Pick one person each day for a week and list all of the assets or positive qualities that s/he has. Be sure to select a variety of people, not only those for whom you already have an affinity.
2. Share your thoughts with each person and listen/observe their feedback.
3. Complete a learning exercise with your team. Ask each person to identify their own signature strengths and their growing edges (this is my reframing of ‘weaknesses’). Review and discuss in detail in your one-on-one meeting OR, if the team is ready for a challenge, review and discuss together at a team meeting!
4. Check out the strengths finder website, www.strengths-finder.com , for other potential tools and techniques. 

The Look and Feel of Everyday Leadership

If you haven’t already heard, nominations for Vantage International’s 2nd annual Take The Lead (TTL) Award are now being accepted! Woo Hoo! This is both an exciting and rewarding time here at our headquarters because we get to hear about the inspired actions of the many everyday leaders in today’s workplace from people like you!  We celebrate the fact that we are intentionally making a contribution to the movement  to re-imagine who we are at work and how we get our work done together. In partnership with each of you, we’re redefining leadership and that’s nothing short of revolutionary!!

Here’s my leadership dare for each of you: Make a commit to nominate an individual or a team (yes, this year, we’ve added a team category!) for the TTL Award and then take action to get it done! For some of us, that means that we’ll have to refocus our own leadership lens and see our team mates, co-workers and colleagues differently than we have in the past. The great news is that everyday leaders are everywhere!! At every level and layer in every organization around the world.

How do you spot an everyday leader?  No one is perfect, but everyday leaders really do set themselves apart by their thoughts, attitudes, behaviors and how they relate to others. What are the attributes and attitudes of someone who leads from their seat every single day? Here are some tell-tale signs that an everyday leader is at work ;-) They…

¬  Act as accountable adults day in and day out at work

¬  Know their job inside & out

¬  See themselves as an ‘owner’ of the organization

¬  Directly connect their everyday work to the organization’s overall success

¬  Look for ways to be different & better daily (because stakes are high)

¬  Know what others do & how it fits with their ‘stuff’

¬  They rarely offer excuses. Instead, they work with creativity, grit & gusto

¬  Assume they have only part of the picture and value other ideas to get the full picture

¬  Avoid constant comparisons (e.g., She took a longer break. He gets all of the best assignments)

¬  Actively help others to be at their best

¬  Applaud & celebrate their team or department

¬  Listen with a cooperative ear

¬  Tune in to their own self-talk and CHOOSE the messages that they send to themselves throughout the day

¬  Choose to be upbeat rather than beaten up

So, what do you think about this list? Does someone(s) come to mind? Hope so!

Because I’m on the lookout for everyday leaders, I see them everywhere and not simply in my clients’ organizations!  That's supremely satisfying for me personally!.  Once you train your own leadership lens differently, you’ll see them too --- sometimes hidden in plain sight. The person in the next cubicle. Our ‘go-to’ team member. The gal at Starbuck’s who lifts your spirits every single morning without fail. The reservationist at a hotel. The administrative assistant at your physician’s office. And the list goes on and on…

Consider these three stellar examples of everyday leaders at work:

Everyday Leader #1 – A competent security guard at a NY casino, Cora, goes far beyond her j-o-b description to connect with guests.  She greets everyone warmly, and returning guests by name! Her special brand of service helps each person to feel uniquely valued by the organization. She generously shares tokens of appreciation – handmade jewelry – with everyone. She is an amazing bright spot. Truly selfless. Positive and appreciative. Creative. I look forward to seeing her each time that I visit!!  And based on the crowd that gathers around her security desk at times, others feel the same way that I do!

Everyday Leader #2 – On a recent flight from Baltimore to Boston, I was thoroughly impressed with the entire Airtran/Southwest crew. They looked and acted happy, yet completely professional. They were engaged with each passenger and I simply know that I was not the only person to feel ‘special.’ They sincerely thanked you for being with them that day; and they did everything it their power to assure a smooth, safe and pleasant experience. And…they delivered!!! I fly frequently, so it takes a lot to get my attention. I cannot remember the last time that I exited a plane smiling!  This crew was memorable in a good way!  They are a team of everyday leaders.

Everyday Leader #3 – We’re currently installing a geothermal heating system in our home and the company representative really lead from his seat throughout the process. He arrived early for our appointment; complimented our home; connected with us; knew his ‘stuff’ inside and out.  He listened carefully to our questions and gave us honest answers. Kept his promises in terms of follow-up.; even sent us a personal thank you note!  It was so easy for both my husband and I to develop swift trust with this professional. Does this sound like someone with whom you would want to work?

Now the ball’s in your court.  It’s your turn to recognize someone for the difference that they make at work. To acknowledge and appreciate someone else’s greatness. .And to celebrate what’s right or good in our world of work!  Make a commitment to nominate someone. And then make a plan to get that nomination completed!

Submit your Everyday Leader nomination here:  http://www.vantage-inter.com/2013-ttl-award/2014-ttl-award

Stay tuned as we’ll be posting related leadership tips/dares throughout November!!

Leadership Dare 1 – Complement someone on the way in which they lead from their seat each day. Be specific in your description. Make it a surprise. Thank the person for setting such a fine example..

 Leadership Dare 2 – Add a section to your regular staff meetings called ‘Everyday Leadership’ moments. Ask all participants to come prepared to describe a recent example of everyday leadership at work in your organization.