Posts Tagged ‘risk’

Enjoying change

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

changing-leafWe’re constantly being told that we should embrace change, even love it. But constant change can be unnerving and stressful. It reminds us of a bumper sticker that reads “Every time I find the meaning of life, they change it.”

How do you roll with what feels like daily change and even find joy in riding the waves?

Stay true to the principles and values that ground you. These will keep you sane  and help you make sound decisions in keeping with what is really important. Post your core principles where you’ll see them regularly and make them your compass.

Plan for the future, but not rigidly. You must think about what’s coming down the road, but don’t rely on guessing exactly how the future will play out. Your strategies must be robust enough to work in multiple scenarios.

Tolerate risk. If you play it safe, a more courageous competitor will most likely win. Analyze decisions from multiple viewpoints and remember that there are very few, if any, no-risk moves.

Be a constant learner. Don’t be a dinosaur. Make a point of staying abreast with new ideas and innovations in your field. Keep yourself in touch with the latest technologies that will help you work faster and smarter.

Never, never take the current state for granted. Relationships of today will vanish if they are not nurtured. Business assumptions need to be revisited in light of new information. Regular, disciplined review of your business climate and key stakeholders is a must.

Some changes can be difficult and even painful.  Embracing and enjoying change requires that you see it as an opportunity, not something to be avoided. Some think that in the olden days, the pace was slower and change wasn’t an issue. But Benjamin Franklin had it right even then when he said, “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”

Print This Post Print This Post Email This Post Email This Post

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Change, Leadership | 1 Comment »

Confidence with vulnerability: A dynamic leadership duo

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

muscle“Never let ‘em see you sweat.” Is that your mantra as a leader? While it’s perfectly fine to show confidence, strength and knowledge, it’s also necessary to show your human frailties. Why? Because vulnerability is a precursor to trusting relationships with others and continued development as a leader.

Patrick Lencioni’s article, The Trouble with Teamwork, outlines his position that teamwork is a strategic choice that requires trust, and that trust must be based on vulnerability. Mr. Lencioni says that team members need to understand and acknowledge their own mistakes and failures in order to improve. The only way that type of openness happens is if the leader goes first. In his words, “team members…need their leader to strip naked and dive into the cold water first.”

Humanergy works with leaders to understand that vulnerability is also a required component of growth and continuous improvement. Outstanding performers know they need to be lifelong learners. The key is to be confident about the things you know and can do, while being honest and forthright about what you don’t know or do well.

How do you demonstrate both confidence and vulnerability?

Celebrate strengths. Recognize where you excel and make sure that others are appreciated for their unique capabilities.

Acknowledge that you’re human. Can you say “I’m not sure” or “I messed up” without flinching? Nobody’s perfect. Face that fact, and don’t apologize for it.

Make it public. It’s one thing to acknowledge to yourself that you need to improve. Sharing your imperfections with others requires courage. If you’re the leader, you need to go first. If you don’t do it, no one else will. And your culture will be one where no one admits failure or seeks help.

Treat people with respect, especially when they screw up. There’s an old saying that kids need love most when they deserve it least. So do your employees. You can be firm and not be a jerk. You can have high expectations and not expect perfection. Be specific in your feedback when things go wrong. Your goal should be learning from mistakes whenever possible.

Combining the dynamic duo of confidence and vulnerability creates a workplace of people not afraid to take calculated risks and learn from them. Yes, this means the leaders will be seen sweating from time to time. They may feel a bit uncomfortable with this at first. They’ll survive, and they and the organization will thrive.

Print This Post Print This Post Email This Post Email This Post

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Leadership | No Comments »

Being decisive…or maybe not

Friday, February 13th, 2009

42-15181409In 50 DOs for Everyday Leadership* we talk about the importance of making decisions when they are needed. (That would be DO#6 for those of you are are wise to the DOs.) Being decisive is not only a strategic part of the “leader job;” it’s a big part of building trust. The people around you need to know that you’ll be ready to make the right decisions at the right time.

Please note that we didn’t say “make all the decisions all the time.” (For those of you prone to “leadership as dictatorship,” we’ll try to address this in a future posting!)

For some people, decisions don’t come easy. For the decision-challenged, we find these strategies to be helpful:

Fake it til you make it. Instead of labeling yourself as indecisive, replace that internal dialogue with, “I am a decisive person.” (Do NOT follow this by looking in the mirror and saying, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”)

Solve the right problem. Before making a decision, examine the root cause(s) of the problem by asking 3 “why” questions. A (perhaps overly) simple example: My shower head isn’t powerful enough. Why? It seems to be clogged. Why? The water is hard. Why? My water softener isn’t working properly. Why? No salt.

Get it down on paper. Once you know the root cause, jot down everything you can think of about the problem and possible decision alternatives. Who’s involved, what do others know, what is unknown, how long it’s been happening, etc.

Sleep on it. Don’t expect big AHAs right away. Let your thoughts slowly percolate, preferably overnight. Your brain will continue processing on its own, and you might be surprised at some of the new information you can add 12 hours later.

Keep an open mind. It’s human nature to look for evidence that confirms what our gut is telling us. Consciously seek out opposing opinions and information that contradicts your gut. Your decision will be stronger for it.

Life is uncertain, so don’t wait to know everything. Sometimes you need to leap, even when you can’t pin down all of the facts. If you’ve followed the steps above, you’ll be in much better shape to not only decide, but to deal with the consequences of your decision.

Remember, not deciding is deciding. Enough said.

* 50 DOs for Everyday Leadership: Practical Lessons Learned the Hard Way (So You Don’t Have To) was written by Humanergy’s John Barrett, David Wheatley and Lynn Townsend. For more information, check out our website at www.humanergy.com or call us at 269.789.0446.

Print This Post Print This Post Email This Post Email This Post

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Decisiveness | 1 Comment »