Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 14, 2012

There are two types of people in the world, dreamers and doers. Lazy dreamers are useless. Avoid them. The way to matter is doing what matters. Dreamless doers are anchors. Reject them. The way to matter is pursing dreams. Dreamers: Look down on doers. They’re narrow. Define ideas. Start things. Plan. Dreamers – Oh! Look [.].

Planning 220

Planning Succession Leadership Development Development 220

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 4, 2012

Innovative leaders wrongly resist patterns. They fear repetition constricts and bores. “Don’t fence me in.” However, rituals set leaders free. Think of rituals as tiny behaviors that yield disproportionate benefits. One of mine is rising early and placing my fingers on the keyboard. It’s 3:44 a.m. as I type this. I wasn’t sure what would come out [.].

Power 220

Power Resistance Leadership Innovation 220

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 26, 2012

All leaders want what they don’t have. Wrong wanting frustrates. Right wanting motivates. Why leaders don’t get what they want? Failure to name it. You never achieve what you don’t name. Fear prevents leaders from saying what they really want. Neglecting the team. Too much time spent focused on reaching goals not enough focused on [.].

Goal 220

Goal Motivation Team Succession 220

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 28, 2012

The past is the future for most. Persistence and endurance assure continuity. But, more of the same won’t birth new futures. Looking back and holding on stagnates, solidifies, and congeals life like cold bacon grease. 99% of the conversations I have about the future are actually about the past. Creating the future is recreating “glory [.].

Succession 219

Succession Leadership Development Development Leadership 219

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 11, 2012

My friends complain, “I waved but you didn’t wave back.” Or, “I spoke but you didn’t hear me.” Ever walk down the hall and not make eye contact with employees? If you’re oblivious, you’re oblivious. Second-rate leaders sink into their own world, ignore environments, get lost in thought, and neglect personal contact. First-rate leaders hold up their heads, rise [.].

Power 217

Power Environment Influence Succession 217

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 16, 2012

There’s little hope for know-it-all leaders. Too many leaders flap their tongues while their ears nap and their brains slumber. When was the last time you asked, “Tell me what you think?” Perhaps, by the time you’re done telling what you think, there’s no time for asking what they think. Your open mouth closes the [.].

Succession 214

Succession Leadership Development Development Leadership 214

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 13, 2012

Everyone lies every day. “How are you feeling?” “Just fine,” you reply. Actually, you feel terrible but don’t want to talk about it. You lie. Leaders are tempted to lie when __: Under-performers need encouragement. Telling the truth reveals weaknesses or failure. Reputation is at stake, theirs or others. Insecurity wins. Hiding problems feels easier than [.].

Reputation 214

Reputation Leadership Development Development Leadership 214

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 3, 2012

Great results require toughness. The belief that compassion is soft and toughness gets results explains why so little compassion exists in organizations. I’m an either/or type person, it’s my nature. I wrongly believe combining contrasting qualities weakens both. But, toughness and compassion are perfect bedfellows. Bullies aren’t strong and compassionate leaders aren’t weak.

Quality 214

Quality Organization Environment Influence 214

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 7, 2012

Passion for excellence, demand to meet numbers, slow progress, and fierce competition drive managers to step in and “help.” Never help without asking, it’s meddling. Ask first; ask often. Don’t reserve, “How can I help?” for short-fall situations. It sends a message. They aren’t cutting the mustard. Build supportive cultures by asking, “How can I [.].

Management 213

Management Influence Succession Team 213

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 18, 2012

Small screw-ups are big when others depend on you. Plug a VGA cable into the wrong port and presentations die. Have you ever noticed that “VGA in” sits right beside “VGA out?” Small things are big when others depend on you. The danger of small screw-ups: Frustration from small screw-ups invites overreaction. Leaders do stupid [.].

Succession 213

Succession Leadership Development Development Leadership 213

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Hate your work environment? Build rather than tear down. Whining reinforces negative environments. Celebrations build and reinforce positive environments. Celebrations create culture. Sadly, short-sighted leaders are stingy with positives and free with negatives. All they talk about is: What went wrong? What needs to be fixed? What fell short? Negative celebrations build negative environments.

Environment 212

Environment Positioning Succession Leadership Development 212

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 22, 2012

Tell me the last time you didn’t step in to help. I know you love talking about everything you do. What you aren’t doing matters, too. Restraint represents one of leadership’s great challenges. Success includes pulling back. Stepping in frustrates talent. Fixing de-motivates. Solving insults. Unrestrained leaders don’t help, they get in the way.

Motivation 209

Motivation Succession Leadership Leadership Development 209

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 21, 2012

The reason you feel what you feel is you. Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville – did not. The Grinch hated Christmas – the whole Christmas season. Now, please don’t ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that [.].

Leadership Development 208

Leadership Development Development Leadership 208

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 5, 2012

You’re one decision from screwing up during turbulence. Reacting makes you look like a fool, eventually. Wise leaders respond to turbulence; fools react. Reactions are passionate but uninformed. How many times have decisions outrun information? Ouch! That hurts. Successful leaders respond; failures react. “Make it go away,” reflects self-serving reaction.

Information 208

Information Succession Organization Goal 208

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 20, 2012

Most talk; few act. Rooms go silent when someone asks, “What’s next?” Dreaming, thinking, and talking aren’t doing. Leaders do; dreamers talk. Talking: Feels like doing even when nothing’s done. Feeds weak egos and small minds. Slows progress. Creates imagined problems that waste time, drain energy, and distract focus. Nothing happens till you take the first step.

Energy 206

Energy Influence Succession Leadership Development 206

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 29, 2012

Step away. Let the players play. The meeting after the meeting: The meeting went long because we were finalizing things. It’s understandable, but I’m committed to short rather than long. After the meeting, I quickly walked out and engaged another leader for a moment. Everyone else remained in the room. Stepping back in, several huddles [.].

Commitment 206

Commitment Succession Leadership 206

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 10, 2012

Many talk about excellence because it’s the thing to do. Others dance on the high edge of average unwilling to take the leap. Excellence shimmers like a mirage teasing in the distance. Good is acceptable because excellence frustrates. The pursuit of excellence means today’s best is tomorrow’s average. Can you live with that? One simple path: [.].

Succession 205

Succession Leadership Development Development Leadership 205

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 25, 2012

It doesn’t matter, skeptic, doubter, or believer, the Christmas Story contains useful leadership lessons. Connect: Leaders connect. Who can’t connect with a baby? If leadership is all about people then connecting is essential. When I asked Henry Mintzberg for his favorite word of advice, he said one word, “Connect.” Vulnerability: Vulnerability is dangerous but necessary to connect. [.].

Mintzberg 203

Mintzberg Leadership Advice Leadership Development 203

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 8, 2012

New bosses are troubling when the old one was great. You loved the old boss. So what? It doesn’t matter. Resist the new to your own peril. Comparing the new with the old is self-defeating. Keep preferences for the old boss to yourself, always. What if you disagree? The way you express your viewpoint matters more than your viewpoint. Disagree [.].

Resistance 203

Resistance Succession Leadership Development Development 203

Leadership Freak

DECEMBER 19, 2012

Typical business wisdom says, narrow your focus. Successful organizations do a few things very well. Less is more, but not always. 4 perils of narrow: Shuts down rather than turns on. Closes off rather than opens up. Rejects rather than explores. Pulls back rather than reaches out. Narrow establishes limits. Reject the perils of narrow. [.].

Succession 202

Succession Organization Leadership Development Innovation 202