Smelling smoke? Is it coming from another leader?

Have you ever caught a whiff of a smoky haze coming from down the hall? …The kind that indicates something is not quite right?

Occasionally a fire alarm even goes off, but it is quickly silenced.

…But if you follow your nose the smoke gets thicker around another titled leader’s door.

Yes – I’m asking about a titled leader that may be a level or two below you, may be your direct report, your peer or even your boss.    

Seriously? You develop leaders by throwing them in?

Last week we started a 3 part series titled, The single best way to develop leaders…  Throw them in,” based on the quote below and announced that three extraordinary women would be sharing their stories during this series. To kick the series off former FBI Agent LaRae Quy and the author of “Secrets of a Strong Mind” shared a personal story about how that quote resonated with her. Image 8 As soon as the story posted, we received these two questions on one of the social media channels: “And three examples prove a theory?”  

  • My response,Great point! I don’t believe three examples will prove a theory… It does paint a picture that success is possible in the midst of very challenging circumstances. I prefer to give people a balance of direction and support.  However, the reality is that at some point in our lives we will all face a time where we are in over our head. It is helpful to have a vision of the good that can come out of those times!”

“Sure but what happens if they fail?”  

  • My response,I deeply believe that there is growth and life and miracles outside of our comfort zones and that people frequently miss out on life because they cling to what is familiar. Check this out: To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To expose feeling is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd, is to risk their loss.To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure.  But risk MUST be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.”

~~~

HodaMaaloufThis week Dr. Hoda Maalouf a civil war survivor, a professor and department head at Notre Dame University in Lebanon and the mother of twins shares her story.  

The single best way to develop leaders: Throw them in!

I read the book The Dream Giver  years ago.  And like most of my books it is underlined, highlighted, corners bent back, and notes filling the margins.

The quote below comes from that book and is one of the quotes that I frequently refer to:

  • Partially because I want people to feel nurtured and supported and I struggled with the idea of just throwing people in over their head.
  • And partially because the quote inspires me to think of what is possible each time someone is in over their head!

…And then one day this quote fit every part of my life, personally and professionally.  In that setting, this quote gave me hope and encouragement in the midst of a very confusing, lonely, painful, scary, and growth-filled time!

Image 8

Earlier this week I shared this quote with three women that I knew this would resonate with.

COURAGE ~ The testing point of every virtue

I love this photo of the Lion.  It is such a powerful visual of traits I admire in leaders:  Strong, Confident, Peaceful, Wise, and Courageous.  He is fully aware of who he is and what he stands for.  Calm and relaxed, yet alert and watchful. Able to fully enjoy life as he currently knows it, and yet courageous enough to leave his comfort zone, and use his voice or his strength to empower, to protect or to create change the moment he is needed.

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C.S. Lewis describes leadership this way:

[Tweet “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. “]

  • How many people and organizations do you know that need that kind of leader?
  • How many individuals and organizations do you know that are unhappy with their present reality and desire something different and yet do nothing to change their circumstances?
  • So why is there such a big gap between the desired result and the present state?