Posted on May 26, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
**MYTH #1 Vision should be the result of a consensus among key leaders.
REALITY: Vision is not formulated by compromise and negotiation - but it should (after a due diligent process)
result in consensus among the key leaders in an organization (a fine line a senior leader must walk).
**MYTH #2 “Vision” and “Mission” are synonymous.
REALITY: Vision gives a specific direction to guide the daily actions and strategic decisions of the organization;
Mission provides the overarching (and general) purpose of the organization.
**MYTH #3 Some leaders are visionaries, some aren’t.
REALITY: By definition, all leaders are visionaries.
**MYTH #4 The purpose of vision is to estimate future realities.
REALITY: The purpose of vision is to
create the future – it does not just estimate the future, it creates the future.
**MYTH #5 Real vision protects the organization from risk.
REALITY: Risk is a natural and unavoidable outgrowth of vision.
**MYTH #6 As long as the leader has a sense of vision, it does not matter whether the people under him/her truly understand it. The force of the vision will naturally sweep followers along, regardless.
REALITY: Vision has no power or lasting impact until it organically spreads from the leader (visionary) into the followers.
**MYTH #7 A leader can capture/copy a vision from another leader.
REALITY: The leader who takes a “me-too” approach in defining the vision for their organization is neither leading, nor demonstrating a capacity for authentic leadership.
**MYTH #8 Because vision is the responsibility of the Senior Leader, other people only have a minimal role in the development of the vision.
REALITY: Other individuals are needed to provide wise counsel and to evaluate the vision at various points during its development and implementation - enlarging the perspective, and effectiveness, of the leader.
**MYTH #9 The best way to communicate vision is to develop a catchy slogan people will remember.
REALITY: Too much emphasis on a slogan may be detrimental, trivializing, and limit the ability to capture the fullness of the vision. A careful balance is needed between
simplicity and
accuracy.
**MYTH #10 An organization’s vision needs to be recreated every couple of years.
REALITY: Vision often outlasts the visionary, otherwise there would be constant chaos. Understand that the strategy and tactics related to the vision will change regularly, but the vision is not likely to shift much, if at all.
Posted on May 22, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
In my work with various leaders, I have found FEAR is one of the most powerful prohibitors of a person reaching their full potential as a leader and person.
During World War II (1944), thousands of American paratroopers jumped into Normandy to stop the advance of Hitler’s army. Military records show there were four soldiers who refused to jump that day. As I ponder those four men, I can not help but image the rest of their lives. I can only imagine what kind of excuses, rationales, or repressions they must have had to employ during the rest of their lives to explain why they refused to jump with their comrades that day. I believe (in some ways) the lives of those four men ended that night over Normandy when they gave into their fear.
We all die in the end, but there is no reason to die in the middle of our lives. When a leader refuses the opportunity to grow, or to take a courageous risk, they are forced to perform ever greater acts of repression to explain to themselves, and others, why they have chosen
not to embrace all the mysteries and adventures our calling as a leader has presented us.
** As the Lord commanded the leader Joshua in the Old Testament - as leaders, we are to be "strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified of them, for the Lord your God will be with you…" (Joshua 1:9)
Posted on May 19, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
Here are a few quotes from legendary coach Lou Holtz. The application of these principles to your own life and development are self-evident:
Choices Count
: “When you accept the fact that you are in your present condition, good or bad, because of the choices you have made - you will then find yourself capable of changing your situation by making better choices in the future.”
Respect
: “What I didn’t realize was that authority comes with the job: respect was what I needed to earn, and you earn respect only by proving yourself as a leader.”
Faith
: “Before joining the Notre Dame family, I heard a lot about the spirit of Notre Dame, but I wasn’t sure what that meant. The people were spiritual, and the leaders of the university were driven by the Holy Spirit, of that I had no doubt. But I wasn’t convinced the campus itself held anything spiritual.
Then, in my first year, I made an interesting observation. I realized that if you don’t believe in the omnipresent spirit of Notre Dame, you never feel it. I made up my mind that I was going to believe in this spirit. The moment I started believing, I started feeling it. And the feeling never left.”
Team Members
: “My philosophy is to recruit attitude over athleticism, and an aptitude for hard work over natural ability.”
Personal Responsibility
: “Before you start blaming others, look at yourself. You will find you need to look no further for the cause of the problem.”
Problems
: “Don’t tell your problems to people – eighty percent don’t care; and the other twenty percent are glad you have them.”
Adversity
: “Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.”
Personal Change
: “The only thing that’s going to change you from where you are now to where you’ll be five years from now are the books you read, the people you meet, and the dreams you dream.”
Posted on May 16, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
"You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit.”- Harry S. Truman
In the book “
Good to Great”, Jim Collins researched the differences between “
good” and “
great” companies. Perhaps the most important component found in “great” companies is what he calls
”Level 5 Leadership."
Level 1 - is a Highly Capable Individual who “makes productive contributions through talent, knowledge, skills and good work habits.”
Level 2 - is a Contributing Team Member who “contributes their skills to effectively help achieve a group or team’s objectives.”
Level 3 - is the Competent Manager who “organizes people and resources toward the effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives.”
Level 4 - is an Effective Leader who “catalyzes a commitment to the vigorous pursuit of a clear and compelling vision.”
Level 5 - is the Executive who “builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will (or fierce resolve).” These leaders are timid yet ferocious, shy yet fearless - modest yet have a fierce, unwavering commitment to high standards. They effectively combine sincere humility with unwavering resolve.
** So what are the core characteristics of a “Level 5” Leader?
1. Personal Humility:
Level 5 leaders are self-effacing, quiet, reserved, and even shy - more like Lincoln and Socrates than Patton or Caesar.
Level 5 leaders channel their ego away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great organization. It’s not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious – but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.
2. They Inspire Standards which Motivate Others:
Level 5 leaders rely on instilling inspired standards and do not rely on using their “charisma” to motivate. They build a culture of discipline, yet are not a tyrannical disciplinarian. They enable freedom and give responsibility away.
3. They Assume Responsibility for Poor Results, while giving credit to others:
When things do not go well,
Level 5 Leaders take responsibility for failures and never blame their people, external factors, or bad luck. When they do go well, they attribute the success to others.
4. They have Unwavering Resolve to Produce Long-Term Results:
Great leaders seek to improve long-term results that often times go unnoticed by the outside world for many years.
5. They set High Standards for Building an Enduringly Great Company:
Level 5 leaders create high standards, and then doggedly focus on meeting those standards for years on end. These leaders deliver what they promise. There is no hype, no spin, no excuses – just a healthy focus on results.
** What the next steps you need to take to become a Level 5 Leader?
(** Adapted from - Collins, Jim, “Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve.”)
Posted on May 10, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
Leading From A Healthy “Center”
In our busy world, too often individuals, as well as leaders, loose contact with the source of their existence and become strangers to their own self. We tend to run around trying to solve the problems of our world while anxiously avoiding confronting that reality where many of our problems find their deepest roots: in our own selves.
In many ways, we are like that busy person who walked up to a flower and said: “What are you doing here? Can’t you get busy in some way?” – and then finds himself unable to understand the flower’s confident response: “I am sorry sir, but I am just here to be beautiful.”
Effective leaders take regular time to re-center themselves emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. For a life without a strong, yet “quiet center”, can easily start to become destructive – for we can start to believe that what we “
do
” creates our identity, not who we “
are
.” Without a strong and healthy “center” our words can quickly loose their meaning, our speaking no longer provide meaningful direction, and authentic closeness with others not occur.
The wise leader regularly takes time to disengage for times of quiet reflection. From this posture of thoughtful solitude, a leader can carefully rebalance their silence and words, withdrawal and involvement, distance and closeness, solitude and community.
Gentleness, wisdom, prospective, life-balance, and inner freedom are nurtured in solitude. Thus times of reflective solitude should be the subject of a leader’s most personal attention.
CHALLENGE
: Lets keep returning to our “center” by returning to times of solitude – returning to the wisdom of the flower – nurturing the truth that our “being” is more important than our “doing.”
Posted on May 06, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
Being happy or being perfect. The happy/joyful life is attainable, but the perfect life is not. In fact, trying to be perfect will always get in the way of the satisfied life.
Perfectionism is the maladaptive and neurotic belief that you and/or your environment must be perfect, and that anything that is less than perfect is just not unacceptable. Yet there’s a big difference between setting high standards that spur a person toward reaching a lofty goal – and pursuing perfection, which in the end, will only leave a person demoralized.
** Consider these differences:
1) A key difference between the Perfectionist and the Optimist is that the former tries to reject reality while the latter embraces it.
2) The Perfectionist will tend to deny failure, while the Optimist accepts failure as a natural part of life - that failure is an experience which ultimately leads to success.
3) The Perfectionist seeks happiness, yet also tends to reject painful emotions… They unintentionally replace the “real” world with a fantasy world – a world where neither failure nor painful emotions are acceptable. The Optimist, on the other hand, accepts that painful emotions are an inevitable part of living life. They embrace this world for what it is – and accepts that in this world failure and sorrow is inevitable. They understand that success needs to be measured against honest standards that embrace all the realities of life.
4) The perfectionist struggles with ever feeling truly “satisfied” because they set standards, and have expectations, that are essentially impossible to meet. The Optimist will set high standards too, but these standards are attainable because they are grounded in reality, with honest expectations.
** Some thoughts adapted from: The Pursuit of Perfect - Tal Ben-Shahar
Posted on April 30, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
Stephen Covey writes,
“The truth is, … we are all off track most of the time, all of us – every individual, family, organization or international flight to Rome. Just realizing this is a significant step. But for many of us, the feeling of being off track brings with it discouragement and despair. It needn’t and shouldn’t be so depressing. Knowing we’re off track is really an invitation to realign ourselves with true north (principles) and recommit ourselves to our destination.”
Sustaining a healthy emotional life (as a leader and individual) requires that we embrace a certain degree of tension in our lives. Specifically, the tension between what one has already achieved and what one still ought to accomplish – or the “gap” between who one currently is, and who one should be.
As a leader we want to help followers understand and embrace this healthy tension. To embrace this “gap.” To help them clarify their potential, and embrace their responsibility to actively move toward that potential.
One of the best ways for a leader to do this is to role model this type of courageous attitude. To allow our followers to observe how we are admitting where this “gap” exists in our own lives, and then display how we are taking specifics steps to close this gap between who we currently are – and who we should be, and what we still could accomplish.
Then… after a good bit of role modeling - we should not hesitate to challenge others to move toward their own potential or goals. To help them clarify, and then fulfill, their own personal meaning in life. To challenge them not to pursue some “tensionless” state, but to enter into a journey leading toward a freely chosen and worthwhile destination.
** I would say a person either chooses to embrace this tension – or choose instead to be bored.
Are you feeling that positive tension – or just feeling bored?
“The tension between ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ between ‘I can’ and ‘I cannot,’ makes us feel that, in so many instances, human life is an interminable debate with one’s self.”
- Anatole Broyard
Posted on April 27, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
Rocky Marciano loved playing baseball and was a stellar player in high school. With high hopes, he tried out for the Chicago Cubs in 1947, but did not make the team. Though disappointed in not making the Cubs, Rocky decided to take a few steps in a new direction, pursuing the sport of boxing which, along with baseball, held a special place in his heart.
Rocky trained hard for five years, fighting his way up through the ranks. Finally, on September 23, 1952, Marciano earned the opportunity to challenge “Jersey Joe” for heavyweight champion of the world. The fight started badly for Rocky, and then got worse. He was knocked down in the first round; and after the seventh round, was clearly behind in points. But Rocky continued to fight with courage, and persisted against an opponent that most people believed was much superior to him.
Then suddenly, in the thirteenth round, Rocky threw his powerful right hook and knocked out “Jersey Joe.” The fight was over, and Marciano was elevated to the heavy weight champion of the world! Rocky went on to a stellar career, defending his title six times, winning five titles by knockouts. Overall, he won forty-nine straight fights – forty-three by knockouts.
** Though Rocky did not make it in professional baseball, he had the courage to take steps in a new direction toward his dream of a boxing career – to only later become one of the best boxers the sport has ever had.
Rocky Marciano displayed the three elements needed to live a successful life. These are: To have a clear picture of what one wants to do; courage to move in that direction; and persistent faith that their dream can be realized. ** No matter how you choose to personally define success – these three elements are critical for that success to be realized.
Posted on April 25, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
This is an inscription on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop in Westminster Abbey:
“When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits,
I dreamed of changing the world.
As I grew older and wiser I discovered the world would not change -
So I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country,
But it too seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt,
I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me,
But alas, they would have none of it.
And now I realize as I lie on my deathbed, if I had only changed myself first,
Then by example I might have changed my family,
From their inspiration and encouragement I would
then have been able to better my country,
And who knows,
I might have even changed the world.”
Posted on April 21, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
The first step to break away from being average is to make the decision to be different. To make a definitive choice to rise above the culture of mediocrity which surrounds you – and step onto a new path.
So in what ways can a person decide to be “different”?
• Decide to stop making excuses. Just stop. No one wants to hear why you can’t do something, so make a conscious decision to stop talking about it.
• Take responsibility. (This is the opposite of making excuses.) Take responsibility for your own success, and what it will take to be successful – and when something goes wrong (as it sometime will), take responsibility for that too.
• Start questioning rules and expectations… and pay close attention to the answers you hear. These kinds of questions include: Why is this rule/expectation in place? What are the consequences of following this rule/expectation? What does this rule actually accomplish?
• Find work that you love to do – and then decide to do it very well. Choose to find more ways to spend your life doing what you love to do – and at the best of your ability.
• Decide to live the life YOU were created to live. This is what it’s all about — to live the life YOU were meant to live. Don’t let the expectations of others distract you from your purpose and calling.
• Choose to think BIGGER! Take what is already working well in your life and add to it. For example - Choose to grow your business 200%; Apply for the position of CFO when you are still the departmental accountant; Visit five countries in the next five years (or if you want to explore one country, stay three weeks instead of one).
** Make the choice to break away from mediocrity - Make the choice to be different!
