Leadership Blog

I was hesitant to chime in on the Leadership question relating to the call that essentially ended the game and the Seahawks quest of repeating.  I’ll risk it for the sake of conversation!  Let’s see what we can learn together..

Right decision or wrong decision?

Here are some of my thoughts on the process and what we might take away from it as Leaders.

When it comes to decisions and results, I was taught early on there are 4 combinations:

The options for any decisions are:

• Good decision that goes well
• Good decision that goes bad
• Bad decision that goes well
• Bad decision that goes bad
  

So to hear Coach Carroll say..

• They fully intended to run the ball on the next play – but
  
• They felt they could only run him twice (clock management/keep Brady off the field)
  
• They wanted the Patriots to have to defend against pass and run
  
• This was a set up play that was supposed to be safe(65 similar plays from the 1 this season – 0 interceptions)
  

Just an interesting exercise to think about:

• Where are we trying to outsmart ourselves?
  
• When we don’t play to our strengths, Is it out of boredom?  Trickery?
  
• What is our competitive advantage?  Our secret sauce?
  
• Is there an aspect of our overall ‘Game’ that we are trying to work around?
  

 Situational thoughts:  Ailing defensive secondary + Competitor like Brady with skills to exploit = get fancy with play calling to drain the clock (fear based)

Commentary from a friend, Dennis (a great leader who runs a business team near Boston):

• Pete Carroll calling a 1 yard slant = Bad decision that went bad
  
• Malcolm Butler jumping the route = Good decision that when well
  
• Seahawks based their play calling on fear and went away from their strengths, never a recipe for success
  
• You go for the WIN, you do not waste a play, you get in the end-zone and then let your defense stop Brady with only 30 seconds on the clock
  

All around bad leadership by the Seahawks……

For a more objective discussion of the analytics (sorry Dennis), this is a great read from Benjamin Morris @skepticalsports :

http://53eig.ht/1CvnqSU

The truth is this:

Good or Bad decisions are not judged by the market – Outcomes are!

#WelcometoLeadership

In Application of this, here are some thought on how to leverage this scenario with our teams:

 A look at process:

     > Situational Analysis 

              * (where am I lens-ing this?  Our Defensive Secondary is in trouble and Brady is Awesome)

     > Decision

              * (Stay with greatness or try something else) ((Remember: many people may be affected!))

     > Execution

              * (into the hands of the players)

              *  ((some poor leadership decisions are extremely difficult to overcome!))

     > Outcome

              * (live and learn)

Preparation and repetition leads to insight and intuition

              * Based on the alignment of the receivers – Butler had insight/intuition and knew how to respond

Keep doing the ground and pound… not sexy – but a winning formula

Beliefs drive behavior

              * Butler said he had a vision that he was going to make a great play

              * Coach Carroll believed this was a safe option and he had a play to waste

You have to want it – you have to want it bad enough to floor the competition and take your destiny!

Do what is in front of you to win and do it as soon as the opportunity presents itself… Don’t play NOT to LOSE – PLAY TO WIN!

Your thoughts?

For ‘Going Big’ there are some that go big more than others and one of those that comes to mind with ties to ’15s’ is Michelangelo, whom some consider to be one of the greatest artist of all time.

In the latter 15^th century (1498/99), He carved the Pietà, which was soon after considered to be one of the World’s greatest masterpieces of sculpture. A few years later in the 1500’s, He created what is considered to be his most famous work, the Statue of David and so solidified his reputation as a sculpting genius. In 1508(or just before), He was asked by a Pope to paint the 12 Apostles on the transition between the walls and ceiling of a Chapel in the area near the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City. Initially, he turned down the work because he didn’t care for painting – after all, he was a renowned sculptor!

As it turns out, one of his jealous competitors had asked the Pope to commission Michelangelo to work in an area that wasn’t his specialty, in hopes that he would fail. Ultimately, Michelangelo accepted the work after renegotiating the scope. It would have to be the entirety of the ceiling and it would be from his passion. The rest, as they say, is history. The ceiling and building are now synonymous with his great work known as the Sistine Chapel.

For me there are a couple of key takeaways that might apply for the new year ahead:

 – Even when the enemies and competitors plan your demise you can still come out world-class!

 – It takes great courage to step out of a proven genius and embrace a new challenge.

 – You can negotiate with your boss or client before taking on the “BHAG” (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

 – Be Resourceful. There were still challenges to overcome.

In order for Michelangelo to reach his “canvas” he had to invent the scaffolding. There are things that we are going to have to do, things that seem outside of the scope of our sweet spot – how can I learn more to overcome these obstacles with a great attitude?

Scaffolding for me has another meaning in that it is the block and tackle, the systematic approach that supports the mastery.

And lastly,

– He did not finish this great work in one year.

Every year we will start and we will finish but the greatest contributions in our lives are generally those that occur over an extended time. We should not shy away from starting just because we know the process will likely take us years to complete. There’s no way to finish if you don’t start – so endeavor to start some amazing things in 2015.

It is said of Michelangelo that he painted with bold colors that it may be seen even from the ground. I want to encourage you to paint with bold colors in 2015!

It will not be pristine in ’15. There will be ups and downs. There will be challenges, obstacles, successes, and setbacks. Pristine implies pure, perfect, and flawless. The likelihood of that occurring is virtually zero. The process like sculpting, like painting, is likely to have a lot of dust and a few paint runs! It’s noisy. It’s Messy. It’s frustrating and it’s satisfying. It’s Life.

Remember: “Anything worth doing is worth doing ugly!”

Start the process, get better every day, overcome the obstacles, paint with bold colors…

Make ’15 your Sistine!

As I am prone to do – the start of every year brings me to a place of Reflecting and Aiming. Reflecting on the past year and Aiming for the year ahead.

Reflecting on what I wrote for 2014 – Make ’14 1….4… the ages – One for the record books. For me it sure was: right at 150 flights, over 200,000 air miles, 6 countries, and more touch of leaders than I’ve reached in any year prior. So how do you top your busiest year ever? Well… there are a number of ways:

Hoping, Dreaming, Thinking, Intending, Committing, Aiming, Focusing, Planning, Ready-ing, Starting, Pursuing, Failing, Evaluating, Gleaning, Learning, Re-inventing, Evolving, never Quitting, not Settling, and ultimately Achieving.

There are common themes that I am aware of in my life. They are what I am about… One of which is: I don’t just want to be in the game… I want to go BIG!

I know fear is usually a negative word – but I believe it is a healthy word – I FEAR not reaching my potential – I FEAR leaving gas in the tank at the end of this life… I know that there will still be items on the to-do lists and destinations left on the map – but I FEAR getting to the other side of this existence – only to find out that my Impact was only a portion of what it could have / should have been. It is the genesis, I believe, of an important ingredient of success – and that is a sense of Urgency.

Now, I know that I need to modify this – it’s not that I don’t rest – or that I am never satisfied – or that I can’t relax… Fullness of life encompasses all areas of Life – not just professional pursuits. What I am consistently wrestling with is to ensure it is all Intentional and Strategic. I want to / need to… live my life WITH PURPOSE and ON PURPOSE.

So, how about some more of my ‘ings’ in ’15:

I’ll be Working, Learning, Developing, Travelling, Presenting, Teaching, Speaking, Consulting, Influencing, Inspiring, Challenging, Coaching, Leading, and Achieving!

And if I want to be effective in that, I must add:

Serving, Asking, Listening, Questioning, Reflecting, Retreating, Reworking, Improving, Leaning, Cooperating, Collaborating, Supporting, Affirming, Enlarging, Mentoring, Partnering/Teaming, Equipping and Empowering, Delineating and Delegating, Stewarding, Owning and Overcoming!

Life and Business are never clean… We can’t expect ’15 to be Pristine… but I’m not looking for perfection – I’m looking for Improving, Learning, Growing – Progressing!

And from one human to another – I’ll be working through the ‘ings’ on the personal side as well… Connecting and Withdrawing, Caring and Hurting, Sharing and Guarding, Laughing and Crying, Playing and Resting, Trusting and Doubting, Believing and Fearing, Offending and Regretting, Apologizing and Forgiving, Improving, Growing, Pursuing, Loving, Living…. Being!

Ready or not –the calendar has turned! Here’s to Dreaming… Here’s to Starting… Here’s to Pursuing… Here’s to Achieving! And for my Friends (Personal or Professional).. Here’s to you. I couldn’t do anything without YOU! Let’s go make it happen!

(Just simple thoughts today… I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I had blogged. So here’s what I am waking up with this morning! I’ve had this theme rattling in my mind for several weeks and I thought I would share it with you… Simple thoughts AND Let’s do some AWESOME things in 2014!)

Eh… It was average….

If this time next year we were sitting around reflecting on 2014, what would you want to say?

• It was average?
• It was another year?
• Glad it’s over?

How about….

• Stellar!
• Amazing!
• I can hardly believe it!
• It was one for record books!
• 1… 4… the Ages!

So – now that we have fast forwarded and know what we want to say – let’s rewind and make it happen.

Start.

You have to start somewhere and that (where) is exactly today.

• You can’t finish if you don’t start….
• You can’t start where you want to be – you have to start where you are.
• Start while it’s ugly! Nothing is perfect the first time – Start ugly and progress to greatness!

Reality check… not reality depression – reality check.

Wherever you want to go – you can get there from here… with enough tenacity and consistent progression… you can get anywhere from where you are right now!

Reaching a goal, achieving a dream is not much different than getting to your favorite vacation spot, or gourmet restaurant. You simply need 3 things:

• Destination (where do I want to go?);
• Start point (where am I now?); and
• Directions (a process to get from A to B)

Destination

I like starting with the Destination – that’s the dream – that’s the intention – that’s the vision for the future – that’s the fuel you are going to need to keep you going! Vision provides energy and motivation!

Dream in Full color!

• What will you have achieved?

o Professionally
o Personally
o Physically
o Spiritually
o Financially
o Relationally
o Emotionally
o Educationally

Be as specific as possible. Remember: Goals aren’t reached generally – they are reached specifically!

I like putting a number on it, where possible. What’s the number? (this helps in measuring progress)

• Dream Big!
• Dream in Full Color!
• Be Specific!

One caveat: While thinking about/dreaming about my future I will, usually, check my ‘WHY?’ (Not always but usually) Sometimes I will aim for the moon just to see if I can reach it – just to stretch myself for possibilities… but the big things in life – I want them to line up with my personal ‘Why’ – My life values

Start Point

In order for you to reach the goal you must take Inventory – you must know where you are starting…
(Just tell yourself this isn’t my Destiny – this isn’t my destination… this is my starting point.)
• What’s my present reality?

Directions

• How will I get from A to B?
• What are my resources?
• How much of what I need, do I have now?
• How do I get what I need?
• What are the steps?
• What small or large action can I take today, right now, to make progress?!

I rarely think about settling… I’m not looking for average or mediocre…

I want to light it up!

In something that lights me up!

With others that want to light it up!

Let’s make 2014… 1… 4… the Ages!

Thursday April 26, 2012 – Thursday April 26, 2012

4501 Highway 360 South

Map and Directions | Register

Description:

John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership Experience Workshop in DFW on April 26th, 2012!

This interactive workshop is based on three of John Maxwell’s books: “The 5 Levels of Leadership,” “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” and “Developing the Leader Within You.”

This one-day experience will teach you:

● To develop an understanding of the 5 Levels of Leadership and the behaviors associated with each level
● The differences between leadership and management
● How to gain trust with employees and co-workers
● How to strategically lead a winning team
● How to create and implement a succession plan

And so much more!

Attend this full-day workshop and discover what level you are currently at with your teammates and how you can increase your level of influence with those around you. Chris will be leading this workshop, so you know you will walk away with the motivation and tools to increase your leadership effectiveness.

This workshop will not only impact your growth as a leader; it will help you multiply your organizational value.

Register