Saturday, May 31, 2008

Finding Your Sweet Spot

Golfers know that to maximize direction and distance when driving the ball requires hitting a particular area of the clubface, sometimes referred to as the “sweet spot.” By combining strength and coordination, the world’s best players learn to consistently make contact at or near this target area. The resulting monstrous drives, accurate iron shots, and putts made under pressure are evidence of the “sweet spot’s” role in determining success on the golf course.

Do leaders also have a “sweet spot” that determines their ability to be successful? What separates the very best leaders from the rest of the pack? Is it luck, hard work, superior intellect, management theories, or a combination? Answering these questions is more than a definition of leadership success; it will likely change your life forever.

I found my “sweet spot” by first focusing on my passions. It took a while to sort out the difference between what I like to do and what I love to do but eventually “learning” found its way to the top of my list. This revelation was validated when I discovered that “learner” is one of the five signature themes in my life; themes that I am developing into strengths. When I am engaged in any process that involves learning that is when I experience the greatest level of satisfaction and success.

The next step in finding my “sweet spot” came by intentionally seeking opportunities to use my love for learning. This included choosing a career path that has led me into training and consulting work where each day I actively sharpen my “learner” strength and use my passion for learning to engage others.

Finally, my personal “sweet spot” is shaping the way I hope to make a small difference in the world (or at least my immediate sphere of influence). I have always believed that God puts us on this earth for a reason. Mine is to discover, nurture, and affirm a lifelong love for learning in myself and others. I call this my personal mission statement but it is really much more. It is my purpose in life, why I am here, and what I hope to be remembered for.

These three elements combine to create my personal “sweet spot”; the best of who I am as a leader. Like golfers and other athletes I don’t always perfectly execute these fundamentals or have the courage to acknowledge their importance in my life. Yet in many ways discovering my “sweet spot” has changed everything for me. I am more focused, more satisfied, and certainly more effective in the work I do. Hopefully my clients and colleagues sense this difference through my approach to relationships, how I do my work, and who I am as a person.

Leaders have many unique opportunities to impact those we serve. Discovering and living in your “sweet spot” may be the most important. By modeling and teaching others to find their own “sweet spots” we can do more than talk about changing the world; we can actually do it.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

When Leaders Worry

There is plenty of bad news to report. Gas is nearly $4.00 per gallon (already there in some places). Food prices have soared in recent months. The housing market remains sluggish and uncertain. This year’s political campaign has been too long, too expensive and we still have months remaining before the elections. It’s getting harder to find qualified and motivated workers. You could add your own concerns to this short list.

What happens when leaders focus their energy on worrying about the competition or their company’s bottom line? For some this focus on the “what ifs” of life becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. By concentrating on the potential for negative results we actually limit our ability to generate creative and innovative thinking about the issues and problems we face. Employees, clients, and vendors become adversaries instead of partners in a potential solution. We waste valuable time and resources while failing to see the bigger picture.

Worry puts us into survival mode where we often react in ways that hurt relationships and limit possibilities. Some of us withdraw in this mode seeking refuge in an emotional cocoon instead of reaching out for help. When our situation doesn’t improve we may lash out at others with blame and anger. If coping is our only mechanism then we do little to learn and apply more healthy approaches to the challenges we all face.

Leaders who trust only in their personal coping skills, intellect, experience, and talents will eventually succumb to worry. We need to recognize the importance of trusting in a higher power and having faith that what we need will be provided for us. Regardless of the obstacle or circumstance we are not alone in our journey. Most leaders would benefit from being more vulnerable about their struggles with worry. Simply asking for help is a good place to start.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Playing the Role of Refiner

This past week I led a client management team through a learning experience that focused on team talents. Effective teams know that a balance of key roles must be present if they expect to be at their best. The five roles we introduced during the event were Creator, Advancer, Refiner, Executor, and Flexer. I won’t have time to explain each role in detail but instead will focus my journal entry on some thoughts about my personal team role of Refiner.

Refiners live in the “Land of Analysis” where we use our talents to examine solutions for flaws or revise projects in a systematic way. Keeping the focus on objective facts and theories, we use logic to make sure that ideas are sound before we give them our stamp of approval. We tend to be skeptical of new ideas and aren’t easily swayed by concern for feelings or relationships.

Because all of us are a combination of behavioral styles and talents my refiner style tends toward execution. This means I prefer more structured environments and projects where I can perform detail-oriented work and produce concrete results. This allows me to catch errors, anticipate surprises and complications, develop detailed implementation plans, and work alone for long periods of time.

When I am outside my comfort zone stress is more likely to appear. I sometimes face challenges with taking risks, improvising, making decisions based on intuition, selling a plan, or networking. Over the years I have worked hard to flex my behavior in these areas so I can be more effective as a leader. This has included collaborating with others who have strengths that compliment my areas of deficiency.

All of us would benefit from a better understanding of our own talents and the role we play on our team. I have discovered that when I can focus on my strengths, the work I do is of higher quality and the satisfaction I experience is deeper and more meaningful. You can probably relate, even if you don’t have a name for your team role or can’t quickly identify your talents. That is because most of us know what it feels like to be doing what we love.

If your team is underperforming or struggling to build strong relationships you would benefit from the Team Talents™ training that I offer. Knowing that I am a Refiner has given me clarity about the projects I should undertake and the value I can bring to specific client situations. Now it’s time to proof this blog entry before I post it. That’s what we refiners do!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Dreaming About Disney

Regular readers of this blog know that I took a writing hiatus while enjoying a vacation with my spouse that lasted nearly ten days. We spent six of those days visiting Disney World in Orlando, Florida where the weather proved nearly perfect and our experience was exceptional. As with many Disney visitors we were repeat customers, a fact that remains the envy of many of their competitors. Here are a few quick observations that may be useful in your work as a business, non-profit, or community leader.

It has been at least six years since our last visit so we knew that Disney had added new attractions and updated some others. What I found amazing is the desire we had to experience many of the same attractions that have become favorites for millions of other visitors. Yes, we rode “It’s a Small World” and “Peter Pan’s Flight”. We attended the “It’s Tough to be a Bug” and “Indiana Jones Stunt Show”. We stood in line for “Spaceship Earth” and “Universe of Energy”. It didn’t matter that we had experienced these same shows and attractions in previous visits; somehow they still were able to thrill us and make us laugh, or scream, or clap. How many of our organizations can say we delight our customers enough that they come back regularly just to experience it all over again?

Of course there were new shows and rides to visit. We were amazed by the creative puppetry and staging of “Finding Nemo”. The “Soarin” ride gave us unbelievable thrills as we flew above the varied landscapes of California. And we laughed out loud at the “Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor” where audience members became an integral part of the show. There are few companies that can match Disney’s ability to find new ways to connect with audiences, both young and old, through imagination, incredible attention to detail, and just plain fun. Where else would you go to stand in line for 30 minutes to take an eight minute ride and then want to do it all over again?

We stayed in a Disney hotel on site so we could use their transportation systems and other amenities. Public transportation companies should take lessons from Disney’s ability to move thousands of people, quickly and efficiently. Buses, monorails, trains, trams, and boats were always appearing to whisk us off to the next adventure. Yes, when the park closed and everyone headed for the exits there were some slight delays but generally the system ran effectively and added to the enjoyment of our stay.

I left Disney knowing why I enjoy visiting them so much. They understand why people come to their parks – to make their dreams come true. I watched families from every nationality and culture experiencing the awe and wonder that Disney delivers. Bigger than life fireworks displays, on-time parades featuring incredible costumes, lights, and music, plus brilliant colors, intense smells, and luscious textures to delight your senses. Everything done with a focus and a purpose that most of us will never achieve in our own organizations.

It’s sad that more companies don’t aspire to do what Disney does. Not build a theme park, but rather connect with their customers. If they did we would have many more “wow” experiences as consumers and instead of “dreaming about Disney” I could be dreaming and writing about your company.