~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEADERSHIP WIRED John C. Maxwell's FREE Semimonthly Newsletter Designed To Maximize Your Leadership Potential. August 2006 - Volume 9, Issue 12 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In This Issue: * Maxwell Moment – Whatever It Takes—The Keys to Unlocking a Can-Do Attitude * Leadership@Large – Implementing Ideas and Taking Charge * Book Review – Hope: How Triumphant Leaders Create the Future * Quick Quotes – Listening ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maxwell Moment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Whatever It Takes—The Keys to Unlocking a Can-Do Attitude By Dr. John C. Maxwell faint but discernable dividing line separates achievers from dreamers. At first glance this line may be difficult to distinguish. You may be tricked into believing that talents, titles, or resources draw the line between the doers and dreamers. However, if you spent a significant length of time with a group of leaders, the line splitting the achievers from the dreamers would become crystal clear. What makes the difference? Attitude. Achievers have a can-do attitude that sets them apart from mere dreamers. Achievers are sold out to success—no matter the obstacles—and they are willing to put forth the effort and pay the price of success. In my days observing leaders, I have identified four main groups. Cop-outs These people set no goals and make no decisions. Holdouts These people have beautiful dreams, but they are afraid to respond to challenges because they lack the self-confidence to overcome difficulties. Dropouts These individuals clearly define their goals, and, in the beginning, they work hard to make their dreams come true. However, when the going gets tough, they quit. All-Outs These are the stars. They want to shine out as an inspiration to others. Once all-outs have set their goals, they never quit. Even when the price gets high and the challenges mount, they’re dedicated. Their can-do attitudes carry them to greatness. Here are 10 keys to cultivating a can-do attitude. Key #1: Disown Your Helplessness Can-do people aggressively pursue solutions, and, in the process, uncover creative solutions others never even try to find. Can-do leaders take responsibility for the future, whereas lesser leaders blame circumstances or other people when facing roadblocks. Rather than wallowing in helplessness, can-do leaders search diligently to overcome the obstacles in front of them. Key #2: Take the Bull By the Horns. Can-do people are fearless. They go straight to the source of their solution. Their very effort commands attention as they wrestle a problem to the ground with expediency. I have discovered that people with a can-do attitude have an aggressiveness about them. They take the bull by the horns. When they enter into the arena of action, they don’t wait, they initiate. Key #3: Enter the No Whining Zone. Can-do people abstain from complaining. They recognize its futility and guard their minds and mouths against indulging in this time-wasting activity. As George Washington Carver observed, “Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.” Key #4: Put On Another’s Pair of Shoes. Can-do people empathize with others. They attempt to see any predicament from the other person’s perspective in order to make the best decisions. In my book Winning with People, one the 25 People Principles is the Exchange Principle, which says that instead of putting others in their place, we must put ourselves in their place. Leaders see the world from their perspective and others’ perspectives. They use their own perspective to give direction, and they use others’ perspectives to forge relational connection. Both direction and connection are indispensable to taking the team on a successful journey. Key #5: Nurture Your Passion. Can-do people are immune to burnout. They love what they do because they’ve learned how to fuel the fire that keeps them moving. In leadership, the prize is not given to the person who’s the smartest, nor to the person with the advantages in resources and position, but the prize goes to the person with passion. Key #6: Walk the Second Mile. Can-do people exceed expectations. While others settle for an acceptable solution, they aren’t satisfied until they have achieved the unimagined. They set expectations for themselves higher than what is dictated by the people or situations around them. Key #7: Quit Stewing and Start Doing. Can-do people take action. While others are crippled by worry, fear, and anxiety, they have the fortitude to press forward. The perfect moment when all is safe and assured may never arrive, so why wait for it? Can-do leaders take risks. Key #8: Go With the Flow. Can-do people can adjust to change. They don’t get caught griping about an unexpected curve in the road. They accept transition with an optimistic outlook. They realize it’s less important what happens TO them, than it is what happens IN them. Key #9: Follow Through to the End. Can-do people not only initiate, they finish. They are self-starters with the capacity to close the deal. Key #10: Expect a Return as a Result of Your Commitment. If you make an all out commitment with a can-do attitude, expect a return. Passionate commitment is contagious, and resources follow resolve. Committed leaders will reap rewards and find open doors as others are drawn to the excitement and energy emanating from them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Leadership@Large ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IMPLEMENTING IDEAS In the early 1900s, the use of ether as anesthesia during surgery was a common practice in the medical profession. However, ether was a safety concern due to its highly flammable nature and its tendency to nauseate patients and induce vomiting. In 1921, a small town physician in Pennsylvania, Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane, had an idea to avoid the use of ether by employing milder and less dangerous agents to locally anesthetize patients. Initially, Dr. Kane was unable to rally support for his idea among his fellow surgeons. Undaunted, Dr. Kane set out to prove to the medical community the safety and benefits of local anesthesia. While three fellow doctors looked on, Dr. Kane propped himself upon an operating table and arranged a mirror to point at his abdomen. He then self-administered a local anesthetic and amazingly proceeded to make an incision on his abdomen to remove his own appendix! The self-surgery was a success, and Dr. Kane quickly recovered, having gained newfound support for his ideas as news of the procedure spread throughout the medical community. Ideas are the lifeblood of an organization. They are the currency of a company. Inventive products, innovative services, and improved approaches all stem from creative ideas. Sadly, many ideas are never carried out, since the person generating the idea is unable to court the support of co-workers or persuade key decision-makers to adopt the idea. Like the courageous Dr. Kane, a leader must be a champion of good ideas. A leader must crusade for their implementation and persuade others of their merit. In his June 2006 article for Fast Company, Michael A. Prospero discusses how leaders can learn the skills needed to propel their ideas into reality. Plan for resistance Big ideas are precursors for big changes, and many people are scared of transition and averse to risk. Analyze the implications of the idea and be prepared to speak persuasively, confidently, and reassuringly about the benefits of the idea. Take the high ground Not all opinions are equal when it comes to earning support of an idea. In any organization, there are select individuals with a higher proportion of influence. Identify these stakeholders and give them priority when communicating an idea. Chill out but don’t sell out A danger faced by idea generators is to guard their original idea so closely that no one else can touch it. A leader may be tempted to allow pride to block improvements and positive modifications suggested by others. Leaders must remember that it’s more important to hone a great idea than to own a great idea. On the opposite extreme, great ideas are seldom the products of complete consensus. Tweaking an idea so that all parties are happy may rob an idea of its impact and render it ineffective. Leaders need to discern when to lobby against changes that threaten to dilute their idea. To read the full text of “Build an Army for Your Ideas” by Michael A. Prospero, visit Fast Company online at: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/106/playbook-army-ideas.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAKING CHARGE In Indiana, basketball is more than a game—it’s a religion. In small towns in particular, basketball permeates every aspect of life. Important victories become stories of legend, and star players are treated as gods. In these rural towns, the local basketball coach operates under the microscopic eyes of the entire community. Worshipped for winning and demonized after defeats, a high school basketball coach in Indiana is endlessly scrutinized and second-guessed—especially when the coach is new. 20 years ago, the movie Hoosiers centered upon one coach and one Indiana town’s struggles to adjust to one another. Stepping into new surroundings, Norman Dale, played by Gene Hackman, faces the remarkable pressure and intense challenges of coaching the small-town Hickory Huskers. In his article “Taking Charge,” featured on www.Govexec.com, Michael Watkins looks at the potential hazards awaiting leaders coming into new, high-pressure positions. His observations echo many of the trying circumstances that confront Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers. ATTEMPTING TOO MUCH Norman Dale’s coaching philosophy requires his team to patiently await high percentage opportunities to score. When his team is too impatient to adopt his system, Coach Dale mandates that they must make 5 passes each offensive series before attempting a shot at the basket. When one player defies this order, Coach Dale pulls him out of the game. A shouting match erupts between player and coach, the town is embarrassed by its team’s play, and Coach Dale is nearly fired as a result. In the end, Norman Dale’s patient style of play proves its merit, but his inability to implement it smoothly nearly alienates his players and costs him his job. New leaders bring fresh insights and new ways of doing things, but they must manage relationships while making changes. The team may become confused or overloaded during a wholesale transition if the leader does not personally make the effort to relate to them. Remember: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. SETTING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS “There's a tradition in tournament play- not talk about the next step until you've climbed the one in front of you. I'm sure going to the state finals is beyond your wildest dreams, so let's just keep it right there.” ~ Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers New leaders want to prove themselves and make an early impression. With this aim, they will at times fall prey to the trap of making absurd predictions. Setting the bar too high breeds the negative consequences of either burnout or hopelessness among a team. Like Coach Dale, leaders would be wise to focus on achievable and measurable short-term goals prior to tackling their ultimate dreams for the future. For more lessons on leading in a newly accepted role, read the full text of “Taking Charge” by Michael Watkins at: http://www.govexec.com/features/0404-15/0404-15view.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Review ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope: How Triumphant Leaders Create the Future By Andrew Razeghi (Jossey-Bass, 2006) I can't be late 'Cause then I guess I just won't get paid These are the days When you wish your bed was already made It's just another manic Monday I wish it was Sunday 'Cause that's my fun day My “I don't have to run” day It's just another manic Monday ~ Lyrics from "Manic Monday" by The Bangles Apparently, The Bangles aren’t the only ones dreading Monday. The National Employee Benchmarking Study has found that 80% of all U.S. workers do not plan to be with their current employers in 2 years. Alarmingly, most exiting employees cite leadership deficiency as one of their primary reasons for going elsewhere. Presently, workers are switching jobs and careers like never before. Today’s employees crave meaning and increasingly search for a cause to believe rather than a compensation package to receive. In Hope, Andrew Razeghi voices what he believes to be a timely message for leaders—bestow hope upon those you lead and give them a reason to believe. According to Razeghi, “Triumphant leaders—hopeful leaders—communicate meaning by virtue of their beliefs.” As he writes in Chapter 2, “While we tolerate those who appeal to our intellect, we follow those who appeal to our beliefs.” Throughout the book, Razeghi explores the quality of hope in a leader and the benefits hope affords. Through interviews with top CEO’s, examples from history, evidence from science, and his own experiences, Razeghi builds a compelling case for the desirability of hope. Abounding with quotes and images, the book seems to be about two-thirds illustrations and one-third prose, which makes for an enjoyable read. The first half of the book lays out the advantages of hope, whereas the second half focuses on specific beliefs and strategies for cultivating and applying hope. LW subscribers should read slowly through the chapters on belief, 3 and 9, which are particularly valuable. In chapter 13, Razeghi discusses how to best communicate hope (through storytelling and images), a style he effectively employs in Hope. When the road is dark, leaders need an inner light to give them guidance. When the team is down, a leader needs to communicate an unswerving believe that better days are ahead. In Hope, Razeghi paints memorable moments of hope triumphing over adversity, and his book will be an inspiration for those looking to leverage hope in their leadership. Quotes from Hope: “Triumphant leaders engage not only the heads but also the hearts of those who look to them for leadership.” “Hope reduces inhibitions, and reduced inhibitions unleash creativity.” “Wishful thinking will get you nowhere, but hopeful thinking will take you everywhere.” “Create a culture of believers, and you will create an organization more resilient, more courageous, and more ably equipped to manage through ambiguity, around fear, and into the future.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quick Quotes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LISTENING “The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people." ~ Woodrow Wilson “Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.” ~ Karl Menninger “Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.” ~ Epictetus