Category Archives: leadership

Leadership is Leadership is Leadership

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…it is not excuses, stalling, waiting, researching, wondering, suggestions, brainstorming, consulting, responding only after being hounded or throwing your hands up in there air after you have encountered road blocks or unforeseeable challenges.

Leadership is ownership. It is drive, passion, creating & casting a vision, courage, new ideas, more ideas, solutions, drawing people in, working as a team, building community, and so much more. Leadership is taking responsibility and making things better.

Leadership is fundamentally hard, scary, rewarding and for the bold who like challenges.

Your Role When You Are Pissed

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* This email dialogue between myself and a younger leader is posted with permission.

On Aug 4, 2011, at 7:42 PM a friend of mine wrote:
Ok… so what’s the deal w/ people who out rank me putting me as the last priority? Maybe I need to be knocked down a few rungs (you’re welcome to do so if that’s the case) but since our leader has stepped down, I’m one of the most visible people in the org. and yet I’m out of the loop. I made a meeting with our new executive interim consultant dude to talk about the transition time & how my role can be most effective toward our goals. He was all about it over email, but when the appointment came, he didn’t show. Not communication was made for forty-five minutes after our scheduled start and when it finally came it was, “we’ll have to reschedule”.

#$&%!

This isn’t an isolated issue for me. I think I remember telling you about a few interviews that went like that. It seems to happen often where I wait for them (sr. leaders), hoping to get a word in. I’ve even gotten out (of the office) with them for coffee or something, and they’ll get a call that they double booked from some incompetent assistant, and you know who get’s the shaft? Me. Not their assistant, or the person back at the office. I’m sick of being told by the actions of people more accomplished than me that I am not important enough to them to sit and talk to for as little as 15 minutes. Especially when I know damn well I’m way more important than that, personally and professionally to this organization.

Is it just how it is for my place in life? Or, is there a way to get their attention? I’m not necessarily asking for the face time. A text at the time of the appointment so I don’t sit on my ass for 45 minutes would have made me so happy. Is that too much to ask? ugh.

On Aug 5, 2011, at 7:09 PM, Ryan Russell wrote:
I thought if I made you wait a whole day that would help (knock you down a rung or two). j/k

Here’s the deal… very, very few people think intentionally about the people below them on the org chart. Unfortunately, they are always thinking about the people in ‘power’ positions and those above them. Oddly they forget that good/great leadership means that you respect and lead well those who are following you, not just positioning or posturing for those above you. And during times of transition, turmoil and stress… people become their truest selves.

Sounds like this interim consultant guy cares most about making money and being available to those who he perceives matter. He is playing politics not just leading.

Here’s your role: lead people well. Always do your best for those who you are leading. As hard as it is (and it is VERY hard, ask me and I will be the first to admit that I have struggled with this) you should focus on maintaining your attitude and serving your best. Always be available to make a difference. Cast vision. Encourage the members of the organization. Remain prayerful. But, more than anything… don’t stop leading. Develop more and more people around you. Make investments.

I read a great quote the other day from George Marshal (leading military commander of his time)… roughly it said, “The infantry need leaders. Officers need to lead themselves.” Translation = look for leadership where ever you can get it, but at the end of the day you need to lead yourself well and those who are counting on you.

On Aug 6, 2011, at 12:44 PM a friend of mine wrote:
Thanks for that. The “your role” is just what I’m needing. Appreciate u bro.

——

Certainly there is something to draw out of this email exchange for both senior leaders and younger leaders. I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger and was blessed to have some patient, but no-nonsense leaders above me. Equally though, there are some leaders in ‘position’ above others who forget that they are there to exemplify good leader, not just play the power game and posture for others.

What does a leader do with their free time?

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Teddy Roosevelt hunted big game, started a cattle ranch, explored the world on horseback. He read like a maniac, was considered a first rate Naturalist and world class authority on Naval strategy. He wrote over 35 books. He did this all in his spare time.

Every great U.S. President has a “free time” resume comparable to his.

Translation – If your free time is sucked up by video games, reality TV and drinking parties, then good luck to you with your aspirations to make a significant difference in the world. Make a plan. Pursue a worthy challenge. Pour yourself out. Start a business. Become an expert in a new category. Expand your mind. Strengthen your body. Suck the life out of the hours you have at your disposal.

‘Yes Men’ are Posers

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There is a significant difference between leading underneath someone else and being a “yes man“. Leading underneath (second chair, vice-presidency, COO, employee down the chain) affords you every bit of lattitide to have conviction, strength, expertise, great people skills, critical decision making opportunities and more.

Being a ‘yes man’, only doing what you think you ought to inorder to keep your job through kissing ass will envidentably end with several outcomes: 

  1. Your direct reports will not see you for a leader but merely as a middle-man, spineless manager. You will garner no respect.
  2.  You will never experience the results that your boss really expects and hopes for.
  3. You will ultimately be deemed unnecessary and be fired.
  4. No one who has employed you or worked for you will give you a solid reference for your next gig.

So, however much you think you will get ahead by being a yes man, you might as well go ahead and risk being a real leader, cause the rewards are greater and the results failure are the same. However, the journey of leadership is a lot more fun and self-respecting!

By the way… It is a rarified person who does not really answer to someone else. CEO’s answer to a board and a chairman. Private business owners answer to the customers, revenue streams and their spouses. Non-profit leaders answer to donors.

The Not So Sexy Basics

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Try as you might, you can’t control everything. And as you already know, stress, frustration and anxiety derive out of focusing on things you can’t control. Remember the basics? It’s time to re-focus on items in your world that you can control and that make a huge impact on your readiness to lead:

This list seems dumb when I write it out. Everyone knows this stuff. But many, many high impact individuals fail to execute in these controllable areas and then find themselves in a bad place, trying to change things out of their control when there are so many things inside of their control that can make a practical difference on each and every day.

* Friends – A different post all together, but spending too much time with people that I lovingly refer to as “stupid friends” who have crappy outlooks and even very little vision or ambition for what their lives could be.

How Do I Raise Money When I Don’t Know Rich People?

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“If I only knew the kind of people that have lots of money and want to give it.”

Non-profits, particularly small & new ones, have deservedly earned a reputation for always having their hand out. When people see you coming they see dollar signs in your eyes and imagine the pain of being asked again for money. So what’s the problem? You need to shift your thinking when it comes to the few strategic relationships that you do have.

  1. Learn to communicate your mission in a compelling fashion.
  2. Make sure that you have a very tangible story of life change that has happened because of your org.
  3. Don’t ask for money! Instead talk about the impact of the dollars that you do have.  Charity:Water has rightly earned it’s reputation at doing this aspect of fundraising very, very well.
  4. Ask for connections. One strategic lunch can lead to another strategic lunch. Ask leaders that you know to arrange for you to have lunch with their friends who have the capacity to lead, give and network on your behalf.

You are the greatest champion of the newest and most important grassroots cause in the world! You need to practice, practice, practice your networking and presentation skills. Don’t see any meeting with potential leaders or donors as a failure if you don’t get cash in hand.  Keep pressing forward. Keep your head up. If you are able to utilize one relationship to meet more people, eventually you will find the people with the same heart and passion for your mission as you… and they will have the dollars to make it happen.

Late summer 2011 you will find more blogs like this on www.Launch501c3.com. This article was inspired by the incredible ladies leading One Love Generation; they are poised to do some great things!

UPS and other twitter pretenders

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UPS (twitter.com/ups – @UPS) and other companies are great at pretending to care about twitter and other social media customer service schemes. Heck, you have to say it on your TV ads and print it on all of your stuff or you aren’t legit these days. Right? And because I had 10 minutes or more left on their voicemail hold system, I went to twitter to see if I could get some help from @UPS.

Turns out that @UPS has 7 twitter accounts for customer service representatives… these account include pictures of real people. Each agent twitter account is listed on every @UPS account so you would think that they are all real and still employed people. However, the most recent twitter update by any of their customer service reps is 9 hours old!  @EvanatUPS is by far and away the most active of their twitter customer service reps. Twitter at the company must be his idea, because of the rest of them…

  • one of them hasn’t posted since Feb. 3
  • another hasn’t posted since Feb. 25.
  • two more of them haven’t posted yet this month

Combined all of their customer service agents have under 2500 followers…. and 1900 of those are for the passionate guy, Evan.

@UPS has 13 total twitter accounts! @UPS_canada who I could really use right now has 150 total followers.

I have tweeted all of them & I bet they don’t get back to me until Monday @ 9am EST.

Here’s why I care. @UPS could help me IF they were actually active on Twitter. My shipment is stuck in their warehouse in Calgary. It might be there all weekend and effectively waste all of the time, money and energy that has been spent on attending a trade show this weekend. It’s been there ALL WEEK. Their phone system and managers are just playing the normal game of bounce me to someone else. I have literally been on the phone for over 3 hours being bounce around to everyone one who isn’t responsible for helping me or their voicemails. Maybe all of their agents are busy creating twitter accounts that they won’t use. Twitter seems to be a scheme for some managers at big companies or organizations to look tech hip but actually do no more for the customer or client.

Nothing beats real people & leaders who take the time to care about the customer and track down solutions to problems. Nothing. Do it on twitter. Do it on the phone. Serve the customer in person. I don’t care, but stop bouncing me to one more electronic place where you don’t actually care.

Give then maybe you can take.

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It’s a tough economy, I get it. Certainly you should be maximizing your network find your next gig, you always want to explore the limits of your options. Unfortunately, it is the rare person that GIVES before they TAKE. Relationships have been compared to bank accounts… you can’t make withdrawals when you have not made investments. When my phone rings, email lights up or wall gets hit with a message, I put you into one of the two categories, giver or taker. It’s easier for me to be motivated to help the givers. BTW, it also translates into what kind of employee or leader people perceive you will be.

Beating The Slump

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How do you get yourself out of a slump? I haven’t written in a while cause I have been uninspired with things to say. Writing more ‘leadership advice’ seems like dribble. In fact, here’s a deep article on the subject of creating content… WARNING! it will hurt your brain.

So here’s to writing less advice and more inspirational direction for improving as a leader.

The best leadership insights I get are from other guys and gals who are actively leading. And the insights don’t always come in the shape of refined nuggets. Usually, learning comes through intriguing and helpful discussions about challenges each of us are facing.

Here’s a sample of the discussions that I have enjoyed with various leaders in the last month:

  • “when is it time to make a change” out of my current leadership position?
  • the value of sticking it out and making a long run impact in one location.
  • creating additional leadership value to your boss by leading in new or other areas.
  • disillusionment with a senior leader / boss or leadership environment.
  • creativity, risk taking and new paths of leadership.

Find someone you can trust and who has a great head on the shoulders. Share your leadership challenges with them and begin a dialogue. You don’t need nuggets, but you might need a helpful conversations and some refinement of your next sequence of actions.

As you can a donkey…

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The following was written by Epictetus of Nicopolis as a dialogue between himself and a fictional Roman Commander named Maximus around 112 AD.

Maximus: I sit as a judge over Greeks.

Epictetus: But do you know how to be a judge?  And what has given you this knowledge?

Maximus: The Emperor gave me my credentials…

Epictetus: And there is another question – that is, how did you come to be a judge?  Whose hand did you kiss?  In front of whose bedroom door did you sleep so as to be the first to say good morning? To whom did you send presents?…

Maximus: Well, I can throw anyone I want into prison.

Epictetus: Just as you can throw a stone away.

Maximus: And I can have anyone I want beaten to death with a club.

Epictetus: As you can a donkey.  That is not governing men.  Govern us as rational beings by pointing out what is useful to us and we will follow you.  Point out to us what is useless, and we will turn away from it.