Leader's Compass 34 - The Few Who Do

"[Rationalization's] job is to keep us from feeling the same we would feel if we truly faced the cowards we are for not doing our work."

- Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

The greatest wars in life are waged in the walls of our mind. Should I? Shouldn't I? What if I fail? What if I succeed? What if it's too hard? What if people talk bad about me? What if...?

Constant questioning can paralize us into inaction. Essentially, we fail before we even begin. We battle the critical, excuse making voice inside us and give up before the physical battle ever begins.

There are those who, through practice and diligent effort have separated themselves from the exhausted masses of "those who rationalize" to become one of "the few who do."

High standards and expectations are essential to growth and flawless execution. Let's look at a few ideas that separate the few who do from those that have developed learned helplessness.

Personal Leadership
There is an old saying that "how you do anything is how you do everything." Standards will be met - either high or low. This is a basic tenant of leadership, growth and development. Strong leaders of others are even stronger leaders of themselves. They have honed the "few who do" mentality in their personal lives. These leaders:

1. Set crystal clear personal expectations. The few who do have mission statements, visions and standards for their lives. They review their internal compass regularly.
2. Realize that they are only as strong as their weakest link. The few who do know that the statement "I'm good at __________, but really bad at ____________" determines how good they really area. They know the weakest area is one that creates the most drag.
3. Understand that the negative internal voice author Steven Pressfield calls "The Resistance" is inherent in all of us. Doing what needs to be done in spite of this voice separates the few who do from those who rationalize.

After developing strong personal habits the leader can then look outward at setting and holding strong expectations for others.

Leading Others
The powerful personal leader, the one who has discipline and focus can now turn his or her attention to leading others into becoming the few who do. When doing so these charismatic and determined leaders:

1. Set crystal clear expectations. Strong leaders set the bar high and clarify -
1. What the global vision is
2. What the strategic objectives are
3. What every team member's roles are and
4. What obstacles may be in the way that the team will need to overcome
2. Teach, coach and develop both the top and bottom performers. These leaders know that the drag created by low performers can not be outrun by the best. The weakest metric, the weakest skill in a team member or employee will need to be addressed.
3. Challenge and inspire the team to push through challenges. The "leader who does" gets involved and works side by side with his or her team challenging them to step up their game. They hold their team accountable to their personal development plans and empower and facilitate change in others so that they may also be part of the few who do.

 

Taking it Up a Notch
In his book Good to Great author Jim Collins identifies that the most charismatic leaders are not always those who get extraordinary results. Don't get me wrong - charisma is important in leadership, however it may not be the fulcrum that takes your endeavor from good to great.

Collins identifies what he calls Level 5 Leadership. In this level of leadership the leader has learned how to combine seemingly opposite qualities of personal will or determination and humility.

Effective leaders never give up, they cut through excuses - their own and others - and they stay humble by staying focused on being one of the few who do. Practice this yourself, BE one of the few who do and you will reap great rewards. Lead on.

Leader's Compass 33 - Be The Captain...How To Keep Your Head While Others Are Losing Theirs

You've heard the analogy before. A great captain keeps their head while all others are losing their own. The storms wage, the fears grow in the hearts and minds of the crew and the captain, the seasoned leaders shaped by time and experience keeps his calm and steers the ship through the storm to calmer waters. "Calm waters not a good captain make" the old adage was coined.

 

What is it that keeps these seasoned leaders so calm, emotions in check and focused? What do they know that you may not?

Author Mario Alonso Pug wrote that "whether we like it or not, someone who is overcome with emotions is intellectually at a dead-end." The ability to keep your head when the challenges seem to be mounting can be the tipping point of your success or failure.

So how do keep calm when deadlines and pressures mount? One of the crucial skills in developing your EQ or emotional intelligence is the skill of self awareness. Being self aware is the first step to ensuring your plan execution is cognitive and not emotive in nature. When stress builds up taking the time to stop and ask a few questions may prove to provide a more solid base from which to execute from. Let's take a look at a few:

• "What are my current top stressors?"
• "Why am I feeling the increased stress?"
• "What beliefs, what paradigms have led me to this point?"
• "Ultimately, what are the MOST important items for me to focus on right now?"

Anyone who has read Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will remember that in order to get moving in the direction we want we need to classify our stressors and action items into 4 quadrants (see below).

After identifying the quadrant breakdown you can slow down and take action on the items deemed most important. This requires a little bit of patience and some skillful kindness when you may need to tell someone who has brought you the latest gossip, their own pressing problem or the latest waste of time that you simply don't have time for it right now.

History has shown that acting when emotionally charged we make more "I'm sorry" moments than when we chose to pause, evaluate and act out of intellect, principle and independent choice.

The storms of life and business may not always be fun, but they can be a solid testing ground for our ability to remain calm when the waters are rough. Slow down, evaluate and gain perspective. Great leaders have a habit of looking, observing and then acting.

Take a deep breath, take time to evaluate and lead on.