Have you ever:

• Participated in conversations about the behavior of certain titled leaders?
• Expressed frustration at situations that seem corrupt, not in line with core values or unfair?
• Wondered why opportunities to problem solve and improve the future were not taken?

Have you ever spoken these words, “Why doesn’t “someone” do something?”  

When the change you want to see isn’t happening “out there”… 

“ What if, YOU are “the someone” that everyone is waiting for?

Below are 21 Reasons that it might be time for YOU to Take Action:

AT WORK – Do YOU see opportunities to:

1. Decrease silos
2. Increase employee engagement and retention
3. Increase customer satisfaction
4. Reduce expenses
5. Reduce risk
6. Limit layoffs
7. Increase profit

IN YOUR COMMUNITY – Do YOU see opportunities to:

1. Build stronger relationships
2. Work together on a shared vision
3. Increase involvement
4. Communicate more effectively
5. Improve the quality of life
6. Increase safety
7. Create a stronger future

IN YOUR NATION – Do YOU see opportunities to:

1. Increase ownership
2. Improve accountability
3. Improve collaboration
4. Grow trust
5. Decrease inefficiency and waste
6. Improve results
7. Make the vision a reality

If you see any of those opportunities.  If you’ve ever said those words.  Who are you waiting for? 

Yes it takes courage to lead up, but…

“ If not YOU, then WHO? #LeadChange

I am convinced that most of the answers workplaces, communities and nations are seeking today are lying dormant inside of their employees, customer and suppliers. …Just waiting to be discovered and unleashed.

Learn More About Leading Up Here

A friend recently had an appointment with a doctor. The doctor started to prescribe medicine to treat the symptoms of a gut issue.

So the patient advocated for herself. She reminded the doctor that she has additional medical issues that are bigger than the gut issue. She has osteoporosis and needs a stronger skeletal system and this medicine will make her bones weaker.

The doctor heard her concern and thoughtfully responded, “Well, I guess you need to look at the whole picture.”

“ When we treat the symptoms of one part we can actually increase the problems for other parts.

At work and in our world is easy to focus on one piece of the puzzle:

• What is happening right now
• The goals that are not being met
• How we are being impacted
• The things we fear
• The causes we care about

“ When we seek first to understand we begin to see the other pieces of the puzzle.

The piece versus the whole:

Firing that long-term formerly high-performing employee. But not evaluating what has changed or what could be done about it.

Setting individual performance goals for employees that conflict with company objectives. But not evaluating why either the people or the company continually miss the mark.

Asking industry leaders to attend an advisory meeting so your school can continue to be accredited.   But telling them what you do, instead of asking for them what they need you to be teaching.

Spending millions of dollars to create a new program for your company without promoting the benefits of this new program to your sales team or your customers. But when sales goals aren’t achieved, that program is thrown out the window instead of leveraging it as the competitive edge that it is.

Arguing about if it is ok to kneel during the national anthem or not. …But not talking about how we work together to continue to close the gap between our country’s vision and our reality.

Debating compassion for future refugees versus national security as if they are the only pieces in the puzzle. But not investing that same level of energy to examine how current immigrants receive support and direction.  Resulting in missed opportunities to collaborate and accomplish both goals while helping people fall in love with their new home.

“ It is much more effective to examine the whole picture before we begin prescribing solutions.

Do you make decisions based on one or two pieces of a puzzle?  Or do you intentionally step back and examine the whole picture first?

Need help focusing on the whole picture?  Contact Chery to learn more.   

Every human on the planet will be tempted by pride.

Behind that little word is a fire that has the power to destroy potential, character, callings, and lives.

Below are three critical things to remember, when pride woos you:

1. Your calling can become your idol if you let it

You were born with unique gifts and a big dream to serve others.

On your way to your big dream you may receive lots of positive feedback about what you are capable of, and your passion for your cause.

There is both sweetness and a danger in that praise:

• The sweetness comes with the affirmation that you were born for this.
• The danger comes when the positive press distracts you.

Distraction comes like a sudden craving. It is swift and subtle– and has the power to shift the focus of even the most humble and sincere.

In a flash, the hunger for more praise can become the driving reason you act. And as you feed that craving it consumes you. Making you less and less qualified and able to serve.

Ultimately replacing the people and the cause you care about with yourself.

“ When pride comes, then comes disgrace. —PROVERBS

2. Heed the wisdom of truth speakers

As you work to make your dream a reality you will meet people who believe in you, your potential and your vision.

Some of those people will also be able to see gaps in your skills, your choices or your character. (I know that’s uncomfortable. But you’re human and gaps are a part of the gig, so grit up and keep reading.)

If someone has the courage to speak to you about those gaps – consider:

• Have they taken the time to share this with you, because they believe you are worth investing in?
• What are you risking if you don’t carefully consider what they are sharing?
• What will you gain if you accept their coaching?

“ The one that hears correction, possesses wisdom. —PROVERBS

3. Protect yourself with a “strategic sandwich”

Imagine that you play professional football for a living.

• If you won game, after game, after game and everyone was praising your uncommon ability.  Would you be tempted, even a little bit, to believe the press you are getting?
• If you played a critical game terribly and received tons of negative press   Would you struggle, to recover?

When Tim Tebow was playing for the NFL, he protected his character from the dangers of pride with a “strategic sandwich” that would help him stay focused on the mission and on others when he was most vulnerable to the temptation of pride.

Tim started a foundation for critically ill children and would spend time before and after each game with children that had life threatening illnesses and their families.    

• Before he walked on the field to play a game he was reminded how precious life was, what a blessing it is to have the love and support of a family, and how much he had to be thankful for.
• When each game ended, no matter how he played, no matter how the team played, he was reminded again of all that he had been given.
• His time with those children and their families, helped him stay humble by keeping his focus on others instead of on himself.
• And each time he stepped onto the field, he would kneel to give thanks to the one that gave it all to him.

If you live your life as if everything is about you… You will be left with just that.  Just you.  -Toby Mac

How do you protect yourself from the woo of pride?

(True Story!)

Imagine being a new Office Manager for a small company. The first day on the job your new boss, a.k.a the owner, meets you at the office.  He stays there for the morning and then leaves.

The other employees work afternoons and weekends. So you’re in a new role, in a new industry. You’re alone at the office, answering phones, and trying to create a weekend work schedule for people you have never met, with less than 4 hours of “training.”

Logic says that you should not be surprised when that first busy weekend goes south. But your new boss loses it!

He’s in his mid forties, tall, long legged and thin. Now his string bean legs are stomping around the office, while he is hollering, blaming and yes – he even throws a pen across the room in frustration. (Not at you – thankfully!) But wow!  Just wow!

If his behavior weren’t so immature and shocking – you would have doubled over in laughter at how crazy he looked!

In the heat of the moment you could decide that you have no desire to work for this Boss Baby.  And you could walk out the door, put in your notice, begin updating your resume…

Or you could make some uncommon choices:

1. Grit up and speak truth with grace:  Speaking softly but firmly, remind him that the jobs that are going south right now won’t be saved by yelling and blaming. And start exploring options to save those jobs.
2. Take the HEAT: Call disappointed and angry customers. (Before they call you.) Listen carefully and let them know that you Hear them, and Empathize with them. Apologize and explain that you will Take action, and explain what you will do to prevent this issue in the future. (Clients saved.)
3. Unleash common sense and develop the organization: Meet with the new boss and the employees to get a clearer understanding of the logistical challenges, and the strengths and weaknesses of each team member.
4. Train, build, monitor and continuously improve: Train employees and create processes to make their jobs easier and more efficient. Put procedures in place that improve communication with customers and monitor ongoing opportunities for improvement.

The rest of the story…

This Office Manager began to understand that the boss really wanted to be the vision guy that came up with ideas, made investments and then stepped aside to let others run the company.

The “toddler” began to grow: By staying calm, speaking truth and creating strong supportive processes for the employees and the customers – the Office Manager created an environment that helped the inner child in her boss grow up.

Employees and customers were happier and less stressed: As they consistently received clear direction and stronger support.

The Office Manager reaped what she had sown: Each year, as the company grew, her value increased. And she was frequently surprised with raises and additional benefits.

Your turn:

• How do you handle temper tantrums at the office?
• How has a titled leader’s poor behavior impacted employees, customers and results?
• What happened to that titled leader, their employees and their customers?

Have you ever worked in a place that is caught in a cycle that is NOT working?

• But instead of digging for the root cause, titled leaders wave “magic wands” that cause some people to disappear and others to appear?

Have you ever wondered if anyone recognizes that new faces are just another Band-Aid that is being used to cover a growing cancer instead of treating it?

Once upon a time, I had a conversation with someone about a problem that needed to be solved.

We’d faced this problem before.

• The first solution had been to replace a person.
• A few months later we were having a very similar problem with a different person.

We both agreed that the problem was not only unresolved, it had gotten worse.  And we agreed that we needed a solution.

• But we disagreed about what that looked like.
• I wanted to know why a second person was struggling in the same position that someone else had failed in.
• He didn’t want to waste time flipping rocks trying to understand why, he simply wanted the new person replaced, as quickly as possible.

When problems surface, it is so tempting to rush for the magic wand.

It may appear to be faster, easier or even the “safest” way to appease the investors or the CEO.

• However, waving magic wands that make some faces disappear while new faces appear, doesn’t solve deeper issues.
• And titled leaders that prefer magic wands to real solutions  – won’t be around very long.

“ Thinking is hard work; that’s why so few people do it. —ALBERT EINSTEIN

Below are two true stories:

 1.  A high-potential employee is constantly promoted within a company for more than a decade. 

When he is promoted again he can’t get the tools and support he needs and begins to struggle. He’s not a quitter and doesn’t know how to fail, so he sacrifices all of his vacation and family time and works instead.  But no matter how many hours he puts in, he is treated as if he is the problem and eventually fired.

Then another high potential/long-term employee is relocated to take the same role, in the same place, with the same leader, in the same environment.

And the cycle begins again…

What if:

• The employees that are continually recruited for this role are not the problem?
• The training and support needs to be improved?
• The culture in that department is causing people to fail?
• The titled leader in that department is the source of the problem?

*What is it costing the organization to continually lose long-term, high performing employees in this one black hole?  

“ Problems will only be solved when you understand why they exist and are willing to be a part of the solution.

2.  An owner of a couple of small businesses is frustrated with dwindling profits. 

He blames his staff, treats them badly, moves them to different locations, stalls their vacations and refuses to listen to their feedback.

What if:

• The employees need more training and more support?
• The declining business is caused by the owner’s lack of presence and engagement with his customers?
• His customer are leaving because competitors have better service, pricing, equipment and facilities?

*What is is costing that business owner to continue to operate in this way?  

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Please share:  

• Have you ever worked in a culture that discourages thinking?

Want more on this topic?  

• Your organization really is a reflection of what you create and what you allow.
• If you can’t see this video in your RSS reader or email, then click here.

I’m delighted to share a guest post from Daniel Buhr in the series on Disagreement. Daniel was one of the co-authors of the book Energize Your Leadership. He works in health and safety at a Fortune 500 Company and shares his passion for leadership at cybuhr.com and @Cybuhr on Twitter.

Heels dug in? Check.

Ears closed? Check.

Mind made up? Check.

Bring on the discussion, I’m ready.  There’s no way I’m going to lose this one!

Have you ever approached a disagreement this way? I sure have. While I may not have expertise in resolving disagreements I certainly have plenty of experience in being a part of them. One thing I have learned from this experience is that as soon as you create a Me vs. Them situation you’ve already lost.

If someone has to be the winner then everyone is a loser. No one becomes more from someone else becoming less.

“ Approach disagreement with respect for the other person and curiosity for their viewpoint.

First determine if it is even a disagreement at all. You may in fact simply have different perspectives on the same viewpoint.

• Are you arguing about what an elephant looks like when one of you is looking at the trunk and the other is looking at the tail?
• Merge your thoughts, enrich your perspective, and move on to a more interesting discussion, like which end of an elephant is more dangerous.

Another possibility is that the other person isn’t disagreeing with you, they just hate you. If you took their viewpoint they would take yours. They’re coming from a place of pain and fear. Recognize this situation for what it is and deal with it accordingly. One option is simply to walk away. Even then, do so with respect.

“ I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it. —GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

If you do indeed have a disagreement remember that having a disagreement doesn’t mean you have a problem, it means you have an opportunity. Every single person is unique with their own story, their own perspective on the world, their own vision for life.

• Disagreement is inevitable.
• Arguments are unnecessary.

Take a positive view of disagreements as a natural part of life and learn from them.

Start with listening, as hard as that may be. The notion that listening implies consent just isn’t true. Listening implies respect. Listen to understand and you will learn so much more than you would in a verbal tennis match.

Don’t make the disagreement personal. Focus on the issue and don’t allow personal attacks to become part of the dialogue. However, keep the interaction personal. Recognize and respect each person for who they are.

Disagreement with someone can actually be a form of respect. It says I trust you enough to open up to you. It says I believe in you enough to challenge you. It says, “Let’s work together on this and we’ll find a solution that’s better than either of us could find on our own.”

Realize that you can’t change someone’s mind. You can only influence them to make a different choice. By trying to gain what you can never have, control, you will lose what you most need, influence.

“ Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy. —ISAAC NEWTON

Resolving disagreement is by its nature a matter of leadership. Leadership gathers people together on higher ground. That is where the best solutions will be found. Bring people to a place of sufficient agreement that allows everyone to move forward.

The ultimate test of whether a disagreement has been handled successfully is to apply Robert Greenleaf’s test of servant leadership. “Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” To determine how well you have led the handling of a disagreement ask yourself how well you have served those involved. Ironically it can be difficult for us as leaders to resolve disagreement since we are passionate about our beliefs and values. That’s why we lead.

Just remember – respect and curiosity. And always, always put people first.

Give ear to the dissenting voice.
Give voice to the silent.
Give respect to all.

Everyone comes from a different life experience and has witnessed, researched, or considered things you haven’t.  -REALLY!

But far too often we are too busy, proud, judgmental, and afraid to dive in and try to discover what those things are.

This morning I watched this unfold on a friend’s Facebook feed:

My friend had posted about a controversial topic.

And one of his friends responded, informing him (and the rest of his friends) that she could not stand the flood of his posts expressing his views. Then she declared that she was unfollowing him for a certain length of time hoping that the person she thinks he is, will return.

Apparently she doesn’t think she’s missing anything, by expecting her friends to fit into a box and agree with everything she believes.

What she didn’t know is that she just added fuel to my increasing curiosity and fascination with this kind of behavior:   

“ If we dare to speak our truth, but veil it in judgment, how can anyone hear us?

“ …If we can’t hear each other, how can our truth change the world?

“ …If we aren’t speaking to change our world, why are we speaking — if not to judge?

And when we continue to speak WHILE WE JUDGE, a majority of our world witnesses:

1. Polar opposites lobbing word grenades at each other
2. Drama instead of dialog
3. Increasing conflict instead of collaboration
4. More problems than solutions

Oddly enough, just twenty-nine-hours prior to reading my friend’s Facebook feed, I was a guest host with Dan Forbes for a #LeadWithGiants Tweet Chat titled What if we disagree?

During that chat, 75 people discussed the questions at the bottom of this post and considered the impact of our attitudes and behaviors when we are in the midst of a disagreement.  In my next post I’ll share some of their thoughts with you.

Today I’m DARING YOU to consider the questions below and examine how YOUR behavior in the midst of a disagreement impacts:

• YOUR intellectual growth
• YOUR problem solving ability
• YOUR life
• YOUR relationships
• YOUR workplace
• YOUR community
• YOUR nation
• YOUR world

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

1. What if we disagree?
2. Why do we struggle to listen to and consider dissenting opinions?
3. When is it important to consider a dissenting opinion?
4. When is it important to offer a dissenting opinion?
5. What specific behaviors and actions shut down productive dialogs?
6. How does open and candid dialog impact problem solving?
7. Do YOU seek dialog with people who disagree with you? REALLY? Why?
8. Why are we less willing to consider the opinions of others, than we are to share our own?
9. What have you learned from considering another perspective?

I was recently visiting with someone about the goals of young professionals in a specific location. She said that everyone wants to be a manager.

So I asked why:

• Was it about the title?
• The perceived power?
• The paycheck?
• The perception that it is an easier job?

She said they want to sit behind a big desk and sign things.

Instantly I visualized a “manager” sitting behind a big desk with their feet resting on the desk reading a newspaper. A clap of his hands and someone comes running with a hot beverage. A loud shout results in several people running into his office – varying ages, heights, and ethnicities – all cowering in fear. “Yes Boss…”  (True story!)

“ Titles and desks don’t make great managers or loyal employees.

Then I pictured another true story that a friend recently shared with me. A CEO of an extremely wealthy and powerful company scheduled a meeting with another company. The day before the meeting, his staff visited the location he would be at to review the agenda and identify any potential security risks. The day of the visit the CEO arrived in an escorted caravan. As soon as doors opened several members of his staff began making and serving tea for everyone at the meeting.

The entire process fascinated my friend but he was not impressed until he witnessed that very powerful CEO personally engaging with people from a variety of positions. In each interaction he focused on the individual in front of him. He asked personal questions and demonstrated a genuine interest in each one.

“ Power may be fascinating – but people skills are more impressive.

As our discussion continued, we talked about managers that sit in their offices all day and never meet the people that work in positions that are levels “below” them.

And then we compared those titled leaders to the ones that intentionally get out of their offices, walk around, and engage with people at all levels.

We both remember the first time titled leaders that were far above our paygrade showed a genuine interest in us. And we remember the reaction of our employees the first time that titled leaders far above their position took the time to sit, listen and ask questions.

“ Everyone comes from a different life experience and has witnessed, researched, or considered things you haven’t.

We are never too old to learn that great managers:

1. Aren’t lazy.
2. Don’t hide behind their desks.
3. Don’t try to motivate people with fear.
4. Are genuinely interested in others.
5. Intentionally block out time on their calendars to walk around and engage.
6. Really listen.
7. Know more about what is really going on in their organization.
8. Remove more roadblocks.
9. Fuel more passion and loyalty.
10. Achieve greater results.

Please share:  What have you witnessed great managers doing?

Image credit:  Pixabay

Over the past few months I’ve had several opportunities to visit with groups of people whose lives are being impacted by policies they don’t like or agree with.

Most of them have communicated their concerns with the first level key stakeholder – hoping for a fast change. Now it’s clear that although that person cares, change can’t happen from that level.

So individually some of them have:

• Sent one email to the decision maker.
• Sent more than one email to the decision maker.
• Sent one email and attended one meeting.

Collectively their over-riding belief is that the key-stakeholder can’t be trusted and change just isn’t going to happen.

So most have stopped communicating while others never bothered to communicate directly with the one person that can make change happen.

At the same time, they are still so troubled by the situation that each time the topic comes up, almost all of them continue to express lots of frustration and absorb the not so positive energy of those around them.

So why persist?

1. Because you have to impact knowledge before you impact attitude, and you have to impact attitude before you impact behavior. (Ken Blanchard)
2. Because marketing experts say it takes 7 times for someone to see a message before they remember it. ~And that means you’ve just impacted their knowledge. (And you still need to impact their attitude before their behavior changes.)
3. Because their lives are still being impacted and they are still spending their time and energy sharing their concerns with each other.  So why not channel at least 50% of that energy towards a solution?

[Tweet “Don’t give up. Learn to fight differently.”]

4. Because they haven’t tried to work together yet and together they will fuel each other with more data, more logic and more energy.  (And they’ll be a lot harder to forget or ignore.)

[Tweet “Together You Stand, Divided You Fall!”]

5. Because change takes time – even in empowered environments.
6. Because their children are watching and learning.
7. Because life will be better when change happens.
8. Because they will learn and grow in the process.

Admittedly – some situations seem impossible.  And sometimes it may be healthier to walk away.

Sometimes you may change the world for only one person.  Sometimes you may change the world for a handful of people.

But it is possible to change an entire system.  And what if… You lead a change that impacts the world?

Learn How to Instigate and Lead Change – No Matter Where You Sit!

Please share:  

When have you persisted?  What drove you to keep at it?

Image Credit:  iStock

I was leading a small team in a culturally diverse city in the U.S. when two of my employees asked why all the titled leaders on our leadership team were white.

I was raised in a part of the country that was not culturally diverse, today – nearly a decade after their question 89% of the population in my home state is white and 95% of the county that surrounded the town I grew up in was white.  As a result, it was a question I didn’t see coming and one I did not have a good answer for.

[Tweet “If you seek to lead well… You will consider uncomfortable questions.”]

My reactions:

Honored that they trusted me enough to ask.

Pondered the team I was responsible for:

• A few whites
• A few blacks
• A few Hispanics
• Asian
• Mixed
• Both male, female
• With a span of ages on the team that represented 5 different generations.

Reflected on how new team members were hired:

• I had never considered skin color or nationality. Ever.
• No quota’s to fill.
• No strategy to match the culture of my team with my customers.

I consistently looked for people with the skillset for the job, and people that would work well with the team. (And if the skillset was a match but they were obviously not a fit for the team, they were not hired.) And oddly enough the team was a pretty accurate reflection of the percentages of nationalities in our city.

So when I looked at the leadership team and considered their question, I wondered:

1. About the quality and variety of the applicants that were being received for those positions. (No doubt there were plenty of qualified people of other nationalities in our city.)
2. Was it how those positions were advertised?
3. What it where the business was located?
4. Was there an intentional prejudice present that I’d never noticed?
5. Was it the preference of any previous candidates not to be the first person from another nationality on the leadership team?
6. Were there other contributing factors I was missing?

Please don’t misunderstand. I am NOT advocating quotas. As they encourage organizations to hire warm bodies instead of the best talent or the best fit for the team. They also foster laziness and a lack of accountability by those that fit into the required group.

But I do believe that if we are willing to consider uncomfortable questions, there is often an opportunity for leaders to grow and improve.

A few weeks ago, I returned from South Africa and where learned more about the Apartheid System that smothered, separated and limited their people and the potential of their country for more than 50 years.

This is one tiny example from Nelson Mandela’s book that gives a glimpse of how much confusion, pressure, and division Apartheid caused, “Africans were desperate for legal help in government buildings:  It was a crime to walk through a Whites Only door, a crime to ride a Whites Only bus, a crime to use a Whites Only drinking fountain, a crime to walk on a Whites Only beach, a crime to be on the streets past eleven, a crime not to have a passbook, and a crime to have the wrong signature in that book, a crime to be unemployed and a crime to be employed in the wrong place, a crime to live in certain places and a crime to have no place to live.”

 When you dive into history like that, it is natural to look for evidence of change.

As we walked streets in Cape Town and Johannesburg it was clear that the oppression that had killed hopes, dreams, collaboration and synergy for years is gone. People now have the freedom of movement, without passbooks, without limits on where they can live, visit, sit, eat, or who they can be friends with or date.

It has only been 20 years since massive change came to South Africa and change takes time. At the same time teams and cultures will only continue to evolve if everyone is willing to keep asking and answering uncomfortable questions.

Throughout our stay in Cape Town, Johannesburg, on our Safari –we saw more white people in leadership positions, and more black people in entry-level service positions.

And the nagging question in my head and my heart was the one I’d been asked so many years ago… Why were so many of the leadership teams we saw… White? Why were all but one of the guides on our safari white, and all of the trackers black?

…And yes I asked the question, more than once.

My job is to turn over rocks and look at the squiggly things, even if what you see can scare the h_ll out of you.

-Former Pitney Bowes Executive, Fred Purdue

[Tweet “If you seek to lead well… You will ask uncomfortable questions.”]

PLEASE SHARE:

• Have you ever asked an uncomfortable question?
• Have you ever considered an uncomfortable question?
• Has an uncomfortable question ever changed your behavior?