Marty's Minute

Have you ever been in a situation where you did not agree with a decision made by a superior? We’ve all been in this situation and if you haven’t, are you sure you live on this planet?

One of the toughest things we face each and every day is how to challenge a decision we do not agree with. How do we challenge it without getting in trouble or appearing to not be a team player?

The other day someone asked me a question about leadership, “What characteristics make a great leader?”

Have you ever been asked this question? There are no right or wrong answers but how can we possibly see out 5 years when we don’t know what is going to happen to us tomorrow?

A true leader never says, “take one for the team.” A true leader always accepts responsibility for his or her own actions in addition to the actions of their team.

“Most people have been trained to come to work in search of familiarity and competence. To work with familiar people, doing familiar tasks, getting familiar feedback from a familiar boss. Competence is rewarded.”

But what happens when we change things? What occurs when we roll out a new process or a new software? People rebel. I’m sure you’ve heard things like “this will never work” or “this is going to take twice as long as what we have been doing.”

Have you ever been in a meeting and you were asked questions that you didn’t know the answer to?

Every year Advoco has a fitness challenge to promote good health and raise money for charity. Each day we earn points by going out and exercising. Whether it’s walking, running, a fitness class, or some other workout, the goal is to just be active.

For these challenges, the first step is always the hardest part for me. Every day I battle with myself to go out and, as Nike says, “Just do it.”

I was watching a movie recently called The Renaissance Man. In the movie, Danny DeVito gets a gig teaching English at an army base. His character is tasked with teaching a group of underachieving students from poor backgrounds who seem apathetic about their education. He becomes frustrated but finally turns the class around when he begins discussing Hamlet.

The students learn a valuable lesson on achievement surrounding the phrase, “To thine own self be true,” and it made me think about what this means for us.

I might be showing my age, but one of my favorite bands is Fleetwood Mac. They’ve had some amazing hits over the years, and my wife and I even had the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet them in person after a concert.

When I talk to people about my Fleetwood Mac experience, they always ask me what my favorite song is. It’s hard to say which is my favorite, but there is one song that stands out in my mind as a song of hope, about pushing forward, and not letting the past define you.

So how do you lead your people then? How do you get them to do what you want if you are not “ordering them around?”

The answer is simple, if you have enough guts to try it. Give your people intent and let them make the decisions. Point them in the direction you want them to go and let them decide the best way to get there. Intent, not orders.