Tag Archives: LEADERS

Syzygy – Our World In Alignment

Today, as we watch a total solar eclipse, we’re seeing our corner of the solar system in perfect alignment, right in front of our eyes. This celestial phenomenon is called syzygy. It may be tricky to say, but it’s not a difficult concept to understand. “Syzygy is when the Earth, moon and sun line-up,” according to NASA Ambassador Eddie Mahoney, the director of astronomy. He goes on to share, “Although there’s no measurable gravitational effect, there is certainly an effect — it’s inspirational.”

This is because it’s not just Earth, moon and sun lining-up — it’s you, it’s me – it is all of us, in perfect alignment. Syzygy is both miraculous and wonderful in a world where many so many things serve as distractions to a powerful truth – we all seek alignment, it is a natural and perfect state, and while we desire it greatly, we are often our greatest obstacle to its achievement. In her book, The Opposite of Burnout: 5 Career Strategies to Make You Feel Valued, Be Heard and Make a Difference, Liz Garrett (2016) uses the metaphor of a log set on a dying fire, its embers glowing brilliant and bright. It is fuel, it has served to feed the flames of the fire and has benefited many with heat (cooking), with warmth, with light – serving as a defense against the cold and darkness. She goes on to note this log could have had many futures – it could have served to build a house, a child’s toy, a plank on a pier leading to a still lake. She offers that with early engagement the log could have remained a tree, serving as protection from storm wind or shade from a tormenting sun. In this scenario, each of us is the log and as a log we must determine what it is our best use and what is it we truly want. The great tragedy is that so many believe they must throw themselves on the fire for communal benefit and have not considered the other possibilities to be of service, to benefit and enhance the lives of others. Leaders, especially, tend to make this mistake.

Leaders struggle with the dilemma of whose interests to serve –their organization, their clients, their colleagues, their team, and oftentimes, their own self-interests, compete for the leader’s priority and loyalty. Leaders can win in goal achievement, strategy, organizational design and other key areas – all while staying authentically grounded and in alignment with their personal beliefs and values. It starts with deciding what is of greatest value and making that your personal foundation. The simplest way to describe a foundation is to think of a building’s foundation—the foundation is used to support the structure. If a building’s foundation is faulty or compromised, the building is not safe and will not function as designed. A personal foundation is much the same. Your personal foundation is a combination of your core values and those attributes that keep you strong, focused and effective.

The work of leadership involves working without a script. As a result, each leader must eventually define for themselves what type of leader they will be. They must define their own values and use that as their compass. In a survey taken of leaders, many shared that their best leadership day was when they created a vision of what they wanted their leadership to be (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Hultman (2002) adds that each leader has values which are deeply engrained in their being and are readily reflected in how they respond to their roles in life. For the leader, their values perform the three key actions of: 1) preventing exposure to perceived threats 2) orienting to society and 3) spurring growth.

In ‘right versus right’ decisions, where ‘wrong’ isn’t a factor, we grapple with questions of “Who am I?” and adopt several different perspectives from which to view complex and chaotic situations. Badaracco (1997) advises that we not only consider, ‘How does this align with my values?’, but we must also ask, “How does this align with how I define myself?’

I often find myself asking “How does this action/ decision align with how I define myself as a Christian… an African-American… a woman… a wife… a veteran… a scholar – who I am has great depth, no one is only one thing.  Those are my examples. Everyone shares varying perspectives based on background, upbringing and the way they have experienced the world. When you make challenging decisions in your life, what values do you align with and which definitions of yourself do you most often consider?

Today, as you and the entire planet stand in perfect alignment, relish and really check in to what that feels like and keep it going!!

References:

Badaracco Jr., Joseph L. (1997). Defining Moments: When Managers Must Choose Between Right and Right. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.

Garrett, L. (2016). The Opposite of Burnout: 5 Career Strategies to Make You Feel Valued, Be Heard and Make a Difference. Kindle.

Hultman, K. (2002). Balancing Individual and Organizational Values: Walking the tightrope to success. San Francisco,CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary   Things Happen in Organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 5th edition.

Keeping “The Cold Within” Out of Your Team

There is a purpose behind every problem. Oftentimes a really ‘great’ problem will cause you and your team to grow and transform in ways unimaginable. Much like the video portrays, everyone has a “log” to place in the fire. Few teams have everyone contributing at their maximum potential. Sometimes team members feel their contribution somehow leaves them with less, not appreciating that the team (and company) only survives if EVERYONE commits.

Leaders that ‘build bridges’, recognize and address the frictions that lead to a “Cold Within” scenario. They do this in three Ways:

Recognize and Address Issues Directly: Patrick Lencioni (2002) relays in the                         ‘5 Dysfunctions of a Team’, clues a leader has an issue. They are:

  1. Absence of Trust
  2. Fear of Conflict
  3. Lack of Commitment
  4. Avoidance of Accountability
  5. Inattention to Results

Again, diagnosing the symptoms of a problem is only the first step. The leader must address the issue(s), understanding that they build upon one another. For example, if the team is not interested in results, the 5th characteristic, the other four signs likely factor into the issue and must be addressed.

Cultivate Big-Picture Thinking:  In “How Successful People Think”, John C. Maxwell (2009) relays a story about how Jack Welch once told a GE employee that the ongoing relationship with the customer took priority over the sale of any individual product. Managers must remind their teams of the big picture – projects come and go, competitors, consumers and markets change – but a solid team, built on good relationships, will thrive in all circumstances.

Have a Game Plan: Team dysfunction is not a question of “if”, but “when”. The “bridge builder” keeps her tools ready and has already considered their actions in addressing internal conflicts and challenges the team might encounter. They play out potential scenarios, they talk out potential courses with their colleagues, mentors and coaches, to be clear on their plan and intentions. They are ready. This keeps their team on time, on task and on target (Kimsey-House et. al., 2011).

References:

Kimsey-House, H., Kimsey-House, K., Sandahl, P. & Whitworth, L. (2011). Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business Transforming Lives. (3rd Ed.). Boston: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Lencioni, P. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A leadership parable. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Maxwell, J. C. (2009). How Successful People Think: Change your thinking, change your life. New York: Center Street.

 

LEADERSHIP ETHICS

 

quote-ethics

Many of today’s leaders suffer from a crisis of conscience. Ayers (2006) observes that the moral and ethical void present in many leaders results in lack of vision, confidence and purpose. Experiencing declining effectiveness in their roles and positions, they tend to blame inadequate training and insufficient overall preparation to lead an organization, a department or division. This crisis of conscience is actually a crisis of ethics!

Nouwen (1989) cautions leaders against the temptations of being popular, being spectacular and being powerful. He advises them instead to be thoughtful, to be service  – minded and completely vulnerable, yielding to inner virtues and principles of collaboration.

Leaders must be clear about their own ethics and what they value. Each leader has values which are deeply engrained in their being and are readily reflected in how they respond to their roles in life. Hultman (2002) maintains that values perform the three key actions of: 1) preventing exposure to perceived threats 2) orienting to society and 3) spurring growth. Shared values foster feelings of personal achievement, encourage ethical behavior, foster teamwork and promote high levels of company loyalty (Kouzes and Posner, 2012).

By being clear and transparent about who they are and what they value, leaders can alleviate any confusion or sense of ambivalence about what is considered standard ethical behavior.

References:

Ayers, M (2006.) Towards a Theology of Leadership. Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership. Volume 1, Number 1, pp.3-27.

Hultman, K. (2002). Balancing Individual and Organizational Values: Walking the tightrope to success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 5th edition.

Nouwen, H. (1989). In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. New York: The Crossroads Publishing Company.