On Leading with Greatness

How well do you live up to your own self-image?

It is only in living and doing as the person you know you are at your core that you can actually be the person you are at your core.

Be the person you think you are.

How good are you at sorting out sincere well-wishers from manipulators and kiss-ups?

If you are a leader, you must learn to identify and accept genuine compliments, learn to thwart manipulators, and learn to ignore kiss-ups. It’s a vital skill and an ongoing challenge, but there is an upside. So long as you are vigilant and honest with yourself and others, over time the manipulators and kiss-ups will become less of a problem as they discover their efforts are fruitless.

How do you sort genuine well-wishers from manipulators and kiss-ups? How effective are you at neutralizing manipulators and kiss-ups?

As a leader you must carefully sift sincere well-wishers from toxic people, and I can help.

How do you master the little things in order to make big changes?

Two airliners take off from Newark Airport back to back and head due west. On one, the passengers are dressed for warm weather and sport sun hats. Their luggage is brimming with lightweight clothes and sandals. On the other plane, the passengers are wearing long sleeves and long pants. Their suitcases are stuffed with extra layers and some overhead compartments contain coats.

What does it take to be a great leader?

Being a leader is not remarkable in itself. For one thing, leadership can be situational or even sporadic. The kid who stands up to the bully to protect her friend is a leader even if she sits back down quietly afterward. The teacher who guides students to understanding is a leader even if he never says anything at faculty meetings. The supervisor who finds it in herself to reach out compassionately to employees who may be troubled is a leader. The driver who refuses to go over the speed limit in a busy residential area even when there is an angry tailgater behind her is a leader.

So leading is widespread and even common. Leading is often reactive. We can all be and frequently are leaders in big and small ways. And while I have been known to draw a sharp distinction between being a boss and being a leader, pretty much every boss is a leader sometimes but a scant few are great leaders anytime.

Leadership is like the ocean surf. Waves lap the beach, sometimes gently and sometimes with fantastic force, enough to reshape the sand if not the shoreline. They come and they go.

Great leadership is something else. Great leaders are not waves, nor are they the tide. They are more akin to the moon, exerting an invisible and ineluctable influence on the ebb and flow of the oceans and therefore sculpting and defining the land. Great leaders are always there, always active, even when you don’t know it.

When was the last time you reviewed your past, present, and yet to be?

It was a dark and stormy afternoon. Eb was in the middle of chewing out stupid Bob, who was on the verge of tears.

Eb was furious at Bob for his constant nattering about Eb’s alleged neglect of the corporate mission. “What a lot of hooey!” Eb yelled. “The mission’s just a sap to sell more stock to do-gooder shareholders, or haven’t you figured that out yet!”

With that he summarily fired Bob. “I want you out of here by five, sharp!”

Bob gasped, “But, sir, it’s Christmas Eve!”

Eb relished for a moment the tears welling up in the poor man’s eyes. What a crybaby! Eb then snapped at him, “If I could, I’d fire you on Christmas! Now pack up your belongings and get out!”

As pathetic Bob shuffled out the door, Eb enjoyed the man’s departing sniffles and thought how satisfying it was to fire Bob Cratchit on Christmas Eve. He might just have to make the Christmas Eve firing a tradition.

In my line of work helping young bosses become great leaders, the fight-flight response often comes up. With so many stressors and threats in the daily workplace — be it malevolent bosses and colleagues, crises large and small, or just the dreaded deadline — fear and anxiety are ubiquitous. In the face of these threats, we often stand ready to do battle or run away.

More often, though, we just freeze. In the workplace for so many, maybe most, the freeze response is all-too familiar.

What are the 4 Cs of leadership success?

All great leaders rely on four qualities that I call the four Cs of leadership.

* Character

* Communication

* Compromise, and

* Collaboration.

Achieving lasting success without these four qualities is possible, but it is far less likely. When you have the 4 Cs, you hold the winning hand.

How does being led by their people contribute to the success of great leaders?

Teachers Are Learners

The squirrel is a curious creature that is one-third rat, one-half furniture duster, and four-fifths dog toy. I have always enjoyed the antics of squirrels although I have also rained curses upon them as they raided my bird feeders. As thieves, they are relentless and clever as you may surmise from the many squirrel-proof feeder designs on the market. The squirrel can climb anything you hang a feeder from. If you install some sort of baffle to deter climbing, the squirrel will leap down from above. A few fancier feeders are designed to seal shut under the squirrel’s weight. Some squirrels, though, will eventually figure out how to distribute their weight so that they can feast. Relentless.

Why do so many bosses think they have to go it alone?

Unfortunately, many businesses and other organizations have cultures that isolate and insulate individuals even when they are supposed to operate in teams. Structures and incentives tend to encourage individual effort, and people tend to see themselves as lone operators in a sea of activity and even turmoil. Therefore our systems themselves reinforce the human propensity to go it alone and rarely reward the self-discipline required for cooperation.