LOOK (AND LEARN) BEFORE YOU LEAP

We often lose sight of where we are going because we focus on what we think we know. We make assumptions within relationships that tend to establish their depth and direction (whether they are personal, professional or parental). Some actions are nearly impossible to alter once set into motion so it might be wise to avoid forming opinions or setting sail upon a specific course without first thinking about what COULD BE rather than focusing only upon what we think IS or SHOULD BE.

Acting on available information without asking for clarification can often lead to disaster. Many years ago, my son found himself in a bit of trouble (after his first day of kindergarten). He had been sent to the principal’s office for “hitting another child with leaves” on his way to the school. My wife and he were discussing the issue as I came home. She could not understand why he had to go to the office for throwing leaves at someone, and he could not figure out why she kept asking him about the situation after he had clearly and concisely answered her specific questions. Her questions (and increasing frustration) focused upon the information she had available – that he had hit someone with leaves. My son was answering her questions without offering any more than asked – trying not to provide any more information than was requested. After listening for a couple of minutes to their exchange I looked at my son and asked him, “How big a stick were the leaves attached to?” Upon hearing the “right” question he brightened and made a circle with his fingers and said, “Oh, about this big, Dad…nobody asked me that!”

We often seek opinions meant only to validate our own thinking rather than trying to test and improve our thoughts. We assume that the information available to us is sufficient without seeking “the rest of the story.” We leap before we look – believing that any action is better than inaction – and find ourselves taking many wrong turns before arriving at our final destination. We could still much of life’s turbulence by digging deeper to understand more about what we think we know prior to acting – and by allowing the experience of others who already tested (and survived) our waters to guide our actions. Much can be accomplished through the collective reasoning of an invested group of friends!

WINTER THOUGHTS

OK…we have had winter for the snowmobilers, skiers and ice skaters. It was beautiful to see the earth covered with its blanket of pristine white snow, with a rare day of sunshine creating a blindingly stark contrast to our normal grey days of February. I said that I wanted one good storm before we moved on – and we had it! Let us move forward into spring and summer!

The groundhog (if he was smart) decided to stay underground rather than burrowing up through three feet of snow SO he did not see his shadow. I would guess that even the photographer’s floodlights could not penetrate the snow-covered surface. We can look forward to an early spring (which is it, winter is going to end in six weeks or spring is going to begin in six weeks – I could never figure out just what the groundhog had to do with anything!)

Birds are fluttering frantically around feeders. Do they not know that spring is just around the corner so they should not depend on us humans to feed them (since our storm has passed)? Cars seem to be nesting in mounds of snow piled up along the roadway. Do people not know that nesting is for the birds (now that spring is on the way) rather than for their cars?

Should we not begin to dream thoughts of summer now that we have had our winter storm? Is it too early to put the boat in the water? Can you build a sandcastle from snow or will the water freezing within its moat serve as a reminder we have once again rushed the seasons? Maybe I should go out to the storage barn to start the convertible! One never knows when winter will let go so we can drive through the countryside with the top down (without the heater on!).

Perhaps I will refuse to acknowledge the radio and its warnings of coming snow. After all, when have weather forecasters been right? What do they know about arctic cold fronts approaching our shores? Oh, that is right! We have no shores right now. Some foreign white substance seems to be blanketing our beautiful sandy beaches!

All kidding aside, how did YOU survive this month’s reminder that our state provides us with four beautiful seasons? Let me know what you like most (and least) about winter (now that we seem settled to have six more weeks of it!). It will give you something to do (between cleaning off the driveway and unburying the deck!).

WHAT MAKES A LEADER EXCEPTIONAL?

If someone could develop a “one size fits all” leadership style that was “guaranteed to produce positive results” they would make a fortune. We all bring unique and individual characteristics to the leadership party so such an approach could not work. To maximize results we must identify and accentuate strengths, meld them into the fabric and culture of our workplace, then find ways to make up for their inevitable weaknesses. While this might prove to be a big challenge, I have found consistent differences between strong leaders and those who wish they could lead.

• Leaders who struggle to gain respect often “deliver” news as being “from Management” rather than “owning it” and seek credit for things that “go right” while assigning blame for things that “go wrong.”

• True leaders leave their reservations about communications in the meeting room – expressing opinions and concerns behind closed doors – then take ownership for the news they deliver. They also “own” their department’s failures while deferring the ownership of success to others.

• Leaders who struggle to make a difference often wait for direction and guidance (so they do not do something that might be “wrong”) then openly express resentment that decisions are made without their input or suggestions.

• Strong leaders make decisions based on the information they have at their disposal (recognizing that if the information changes, so might their decision). They then take action, guiding employees AND informing top management (not necessarily seeking permission) before they are surprised to hear about it from someone else.

• Ineffective leaders tend to ask, “Why am I not part of the management team?” Strong leaders step forward to make themselves an invaluable part of it by learning as much about the organization as possible and leveraging this knowledge to make significant, profitable decisions.

Everyone has his or her own idea about what makes an individual effective at pulling others along the right path rather than pushing them (kicking and fighting) up it. My two most significant observations are:

• There is no limit as to how much can be done IF we do not care whom receives the credit for doing it.

• People (both in the workplace AND within society) contribute more if they WANT to do something than if they HAVE to do something. Great leaders put more effort into selling than they do into telling – into securing “buy-in” and sharing ownership than they do making excuses or assigning blame.

What are YOUR observations about leaders? Add your thoughts through comments to this posting!

STAND STRONG ABOVE THE CROWD

One of my favorite authors, Ayn Rand, wrote books celebrating the power of individuals within a fictional world embracing societal equality (The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged). Her novels depict individuals whose unique and special gifts are stolen (without guilt or appreciation) by a society seeking ownership of all ideas and concepts as it seeks to impose equality (as opposed to equity) on men. Ayn’s documents the problems created when society takes from those who have, gives to those who choose not to contribute and punishes anyone foolish enough to think they have the right to place their own needs or desire above those of a needy public.

In The Fountainhead, Ayn writes of an architect who overcomes societies’ destructive expectations of mediocrity by forming a fragile alliance with one of its spokespeople (a newspaper publisher) who was one of his strongest critics. In sticking to his principles (and even breaking several laws), Roark was able to stand tall in the end (literally), with “right” overcoming “might” (though at an almost impossible cost).

In Atlas Shrugged (by far my favorite book), several individuals having unique talents are “sacrificed” (i.e., destroyed) by society because they refuse to release their work to others incapable of developing OR sustaining it. (This book should be a “must read” for Human Resource professionals wishing to see the results of effective recruiting!) Ayn portrays a society that has progressed so far down its socialistic path it is incapable of acknowledging the worth of an individual – an injustice that can be resolved ONLY when the world’s innovators escape from the grasp of human mediocrity, undeserved success and a widespread “handout” mentality by literally disappearing into a new world.

Why should I write of such things within my BLOG? Take the time to read both of these books and you may understand. We live dangerously close to the times described within both writings. If we are to avoid the “end” Ayn predicts, we must open our eyes, express our outrage and act before we can no longer “swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”

To quote another of my favorite authors, the recently deceased James Kavanaugh, our world is full of “men too gentle to live among wolves.” Let us embrace the value these individuals bring – giving them the credit and recognition they deserve – rather than taking from men (and women) based on their perceived ability to give while giving to others based solely upon their needs (without regard to their abilities).

THOUGHTS ABOUT CHANGE

The only way an individual will thrive is by learning to accept the previously unacceptable - to innovate rather than finding comfort in what always was (because it may never again be)! We once sought knowledge so we could perform a job by applying our "learning" to known, well-defined situations. We must now learn to think (rather than simply thinking that we can "do as expected") within an ever-changing world.

Our educational institutions must reinvent themselves to make sure that students grasp core concepts and how they are applied rather than memorizing answers to questions that may never be asked. (If we continue to teach only the answers, who will know what questions to ask once the teachers are gone?) We must move away from rewarding effort towards recognizing accomplishment. Life-long learning has become practical reality for those hoping to advance in (or even retain) their job. We must either intentionally move forward towards new opportunity OR we will be left behind to pick up the pieces of "life as we knew it."

Lost in the call for change is the definition of reality. Is the light at the end of the tunnel one of Hope or is it one of unavoidable Disaster? Embracing the opportunities that an uncertain future offers is much more productive than worrying about things we cannot control or obsessing over change that is going to happen with or without us! The easiest way to prepare for the future has always been to study the past in an effort to avoid previously made mistakes. We should look back just long enough, however, to acknowledge shortcomings, analyze why actions may (or may not) have created desired outcomes, then move forward understanding yesterday’s mistakes should be no more than tomorrow’s memories (rather than a predictor of future action). Individuals tend to embrace the opportunity of a new tomorrow by consciously (and intentionally) leaving behind what is not working as they seek what might be OR are swept up in someone else’s vision without considering its ramifications – by drawing a line in the sand over which they will not retreat.

Change, while necessary, should not become our focus. Focus upon the process of change (rather than on change itself). Think about what might be rather than what will not work. Elevate individuals to a level of equality rather than seeking ways to “meet in the middle,” taking from those that “have” and giving it to those that need. We should provide for those “who do not have” by teaching them to fish (rather than by “redistributing” someone else’s catch). Lasting change will always focus on resolution – drastic (and extreme) disruption finds its roots in revolution!

WATCHING...WAITING...

He stood on the edge of his world…
Watching and Waiting.

He watched as life passed him by, as it played out its hand, as it ran its course…

He watched as painted people lived their pictured lives…as hollow forms moved through empty existence.

He watched as metallic voices cried out to deafened, unhearing ears...as cold hearts pumped lifeless blood into the vacuum of their souls.

And he waited for love to touch their world...and for peace to enter their chaotic existence.

He turned from the scene that lay before him, facing away from their tortured souls, as they played out the life they had been given - acting out the roles they had been assigned.

He sought others to join him…others who waited…others who recognized the futility of life without feeling.
He sought those refusing to accept existence without purpose…relationships without love…reality without dreams.
He sought those who found reality living within a world of possibilities…rather than being satisfied to exist within the confines of their circumstances.
He sought those who existed within a world restrained only by the limitations of their dreams…
rather than being limited by the reality of their troubled worlds.
He sought those who would challenge the life they had been given…rather than accepting the burdens they had convinced themselves were real.

Searching desperately for those who would share his watching…his waiting…his dreaming…of a perfect world filled with love and laughter so that he would no longer simply watch…merely wait…endlessly dream…but begin to truly live…

STRONG VALUES DRIVE THE BEST DECISIONS

Life is not a spectator sport – it requires careful consideration, intelligent planning and intentional action. Most successful individuals establish basic tenants for their life – rules they use to hold themselves accountable for their own actions. While everyone lives by some set of values and ethics, some of the rules that provide the “highest return on investment” would include the following:

• It is OK and natural to dislike parts of your job (or your situation or relationship). It is NOT OK to avoid, refuse to do, or ignore the parts you dislike – or to discuss openly your dissatisfaction with others not having a need to know your opinion.

• It is OK to make a mistake BUT do not repeat the same mistake. It is OK to make a wrong decision – any well-thought out decision is better than no decision. Learn from your errors, using them as a springboard to propel you forward. People will usually work with you as long as you continue to show measurable progress or growth.

• Focus on things you can control. Identify obstacles that are outside of your sphere of influence and actively seek to eliminate the hurdles by giving them up to someone who has the ability to influence them.

• Lying, cheating, or stealing is intolerable. If you are the best performer or individual with the highest results…but those results came through dishonesty or at someone else’s expense…you will not be respected, credible NOR working (or participating in an ongoing relationship) for very long.

• Results are recognized – effort is merely a means to the end. Seek not praise for working hard or contributing greatly – let recognition come your way through the results your effort achieved.

• All individuals may speak, question, and have a voice in any decision…but that does not mean all votes are equal. Life is not a democracy…input is valued but the individual responsible for the ultimate success of any endeavor must – and will - make the final decision. Do not confuse “equal” with “equitable.”

• There is nothing that “cannot be done.” While some solutions may not be cost-effective, or are simply impractical or beyond our ability to implement, “I can’t,” “It’s not possible,” and other self-condemning attitudes are not acceptable. Well thought-out solutions to issues you may encounter while doing your job (or during life in general) are not reasons for celebration, they are simply expectations of the way you should continually exhibit and utilize your abilities.

Everyone comes to a fork in the road – a decision point that forever changes what they have done, redirecting all efforts and activities towards the accomplishment of what they have yet to become. Do not walk blindly upon an uncharted path or you may end up missing a turn and becoming helplessly mired in a ditch. Establish the rules YOU choose to live by then keep them close to you, guiding your steps and actions as you reach for the stars!