You might recognize the source of my journal title this week. It is a question posed by the makers of a popular sports drink and has been used by them in a variety of advertising mediums to drive home the point that athletic success is a combination of hard work, discipline, and, of course, drinking their product. As someone aspiring to be a conscious leader, this same question frequently crosses my mind but not in the context of physical stamina or victory in a sporting event. Rather, I wonder how effectively I listen to the inner knowledge and wisdom that God has given to me.
You might call this inner voice intuition but I have always felt that any personal source of inspiration and wisdom comes from a Higher Power. Regardless of how we might characterize this sense of “knowing” it is a gift that too many leaders ignore. We tend to put more stock in the expert advice of others, especially if they have more seasoned years of leadership under their belt or a string of letters after their name. Sometimes we are just too busy to stop and listen to our souls. The daily pressures of schedule and production leave little time for introspection. I confess that it is also easy to ignore or silence the nudging of my inner spirit. Trusting my “gut” seems like such an irrational method to make decisions.
Perhaps leaders so often discount intuition because we aren’t fully in touch with our inner voice. For example, how many of us spend quality time in meditation and reflection? We can’t hear our sixth sense through the cacophony of noise that bombards us every day. Do we frequently celebrate the blessings we have been given or take time to feed our souls through prayer and study? It’s hard to trust an inner voice that has no depth. Making space for God’s Spirit to reside, like excelling at athletics, requires discipline.
Establishing and implementing a routine that encourages stillness and connects us with our inner voice is where we need to begin. As our voice becomes stronger we will learn to trust it more. With each new experience, we will listen more acutely, act more confidently, and begin to make better choices and decisions. The wisdom of our soul will align with the greater wisdom of our Creator. We will see with new eyes, hear with new ears, and follow our hearts to a refreshing place of possibility and promise.
If your inner space seems empty perhaps it is because you have neglected or ignored it for too long. How would your role as a leader change if you took time each day to nurture your intuition, the inner voice of your soul? Could it be that all you need to do is listen and learn from the One who created and loves you? This may be an ideal moment to pose and answer the question, “Is it in you?” Only this time it’s not a sports drink but your soul that is calling.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Nurturing Human Needs
My musings in this electronic journal often reflect on the need for leaders to recognize the special connections we all have with one another and to pay particular attention to the way we treat employees and customers. Recently I came across some writings by David Cooperrider where he offers this theory about three universal human needs. While others have espoused these needs in different ways, Cooperrider believes that each person has the need to: (1) Have a voice and be heard; (2) Be viewed as essential to a group; and (3) Be seen as unique and exceptional. In many organizations the leaders will insist they encourage open dialogue and embrace different ideas and diversity of opinion, while the company’s culture does little to support or nurture these assertions.
There have been some high profile examples of organizations that paid a price because the need for employees to be heard and valued was usurped by a greater need for power, control or expediency. One of the most notable took place at NASA over a period of years leading up to the 2003 Columbia space shuttle accident where seven astronauts lost their lives. In the investigation that followed the disaster, NASA’s culture was implicated at nearly the same level as the piece of foam that tore a hole in the heat shield of the orbiter’s wing. While NASA said they believed that safety was the most important concern, everyone behaved as though meeting the flight schedule was really most important.
The experience at NASA is not unlike what happens every day in other organizations, both large and small. As leaders, we see reality through our particular lens often unaware of the very different way our employees may see the same issue or problem. Over time, if trends or habits occur frequently enough, we accept them as part of doing business and may even adjust our expectations to fit this new, often warped, view of the truth. Leaders tend to underestimate the impact of their words and actions, and so subtle messages may soon become facts, often with terrible consequences.
Confronting these tendencies or, better yet, embracing the three human needs in the opening paragraph can have an amazing affect on the workplace. Employees who know that their opinions matter will begin to tell leaders things about the business that can improve morale, productivity, customer satisfaction, and profits. Words like “they” and “I” will be replaced with “we”. Everyone, regardless of position, will feel like they can challenge the status quo. Arrogance and blame will be replaced with humility and questioning one’s own contribution to the problem.
Long-term organizational health depends on leaders who recognize the power they have to nurture human needs by giving people a voice, including them as an integral part of the group, and acknowledging the gifts they have to offer. Are you up for the challenge?
There have been some high profile examples of organizations that paid a price because the need for employees to be heard and valued was usurped by a greater need for power, control or expediency. One of the most notable took place at NASA over a period of years leading up to the 2003 Columbia space shuttle accident where seven astronauts lost their lives. In the investigation that followed the disaster, NASA’s culture was implicated at nearly the same level as the piece of foam that tore a hole in the heat shield of the orbiter’s wing. While NASA said they believed that safety was the most important concern, everyone behaved as though meeting the flight schedule was really most important.
The experience at NASA is not unlike what happens every day in other organizations, both large and small. As leaders, we see reality through our particular lens often unaware of the very different way our employees may see the same issue or problem. Over time, if trends or habits occur frequently enough, we accept them as part of doing business and may even adjust our expectations to fit this new, often warped, view of the truth. Leaders tend to underestimate the impact of their words and actions, and so subtle messages may soon become facts, often with terrible consequences.
Confronting these tendencies or, better yet, embracing the three human needs in the opening paragraph can have an amazing affect on the workplace. Employees who know that their opinions matter will begin to tell leaders things about the business that can improve morale, productivity, customer satisfaction, and profits. Words like “they” and “I” will be replaced with “we”. Everyone, regardless of position, will feel like they can challenge the status quo. Arrogance and blame will be replaced with humility and questioning one’s own contribution to the problem.
Long-term organizational health depends on leaders who recognize the power they have to nurture human needs by giving people a voice, including them as an integral part of the group, and acknowledging the gifts they have to offer. Are you up for the challenge?
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Building Trust
Leaders need the trust of those we serve. Without trust our role and influence is weakened and our credibility shaken. Trust is also the foundation for effective teambuilding – when absent, the prospect of creating a highly functioning team is unlikely. Team members that trust each other can readily admit mistakes, acknowledge weaknesses, ask for help, apologize when necessary, and share comfortably about their personal lives. When trust is lacking, team members will focus their energies on protecting turf at the expense of others.
In my training and consulting work I find that trust is a rare commodity in many workplaces, both large and small. While on the surface a team may appear to be getting along and working together, a closer look will often reveal behaviors and habits that belie the harmonious picture being presented in public. Leaders contribute to this problem when they rely on fear and control as the primary methods for achieving results. Without a strong foundation of trust any team will be susceptible to mean-spirited attacks, ambiguous decision-making, little or no accountability, and results that serve individual self-interest over the team’s goals.
Today’s sterile communication, using email and text messaging, does little to foster trust. When leaders opt for “saving time” by avoiding face-to-face encounters they send a message that relationships aren’t important. Strong, healthy teams need to spend time together on a regular basis if they are to gain each other’s trust. Leaders must model vulnerability in these settings so others will know it is “safe” to reveal their own shortcomings or to challenge the ideas being presented. Assessment tools, like DiSC or Myers-Briggs, may be needed to help team members understand each other better. I have been invited to facilitate these training sessions on several occasions in the past couple of months and the results often accelerate trust building as teams get to know each other better.
Building trust should be a high priority for conscious leaders. What are you doing in your leadership role to model and foster trust on your team? If I asked your team members for their response to the definitions of trust in my opening paragraph (admitting mistakes, acknowledging weaknesses, etc.) what would they say about you? Do you take time to build relationships or hide behind your computer screen?
Can we each commit anew to work harder at building trust? Our ability to lead effectively depends on an affirmative response.
In my training and consulting work I find that trust is a rare commodity in many workplaces, both large and small. While on the surface a team may appear to be getting along and working together, a closer look will often reveal behaviors and habits that belie the harmonious picture being presented in public. Leaders contribute to this problem when they rely on fear and control as the primary methods for achieving results. Without a strong foundation of trust any team will be susceptible to mean-spirited attacks, ambiguous decision-making, little or no accountability, and results that serve individual self-interest over the team’s goals.
Today’s sterile communication, using email and text messaging, does little to foster trust. When leaders opt for “saving time” by avoiding face-to-face encounters they send a message that relationships aren’t important. Strong, healthy teams need to spend time together on a regular basis if they are to gain each other’s trust. Leaders must model vulnerability in these settings so others will know it is “safe” to reveal their own shortcomings or to challenge the ideas being presented. Assessment tools, like DiSC or Myers-Briggs, may be needed to help team members understand each other better. I have been invited to facilitate these training sessions on several occasions in the past couple of months and the results often accelerate trust building as teams get to know each other better.
Building trust should be a high priority for conscious leaders. What are you doing in your leadership role to model and foster trust on your team? If I asked your team members for their response to the definitions of trust in my opening paragraph (admitting mistakes, acknowledging weaknesses, etc.) what would they say about you? Do you take time to build relationships or hide behind your computer screen?
Can we each commit anew to work harder at building trust? Our ability to lead effectively depends on an affirmative response.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Seeing With New Eyes
One of my favorite quotes is by French novelist Marcel Proust, "The real voyage of discovery comes not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." For conscious leaders this requires some fundamental shifts in our thinking. Our mind is often conditioned to see only what we know and can prove, even though our reality may be quite different. Suppose we began to look at employees, clients, and vendors through new eyes - viewing them as sacred - as though we were connected at a deeply spiritual level? How might that change the way we treat them?
We tend to trust our senses more than our instincts. If we can see it, smell it, hear it, touch it, or taste it then "it" must be real. But in our quest for reality we may be missing the more subtle truths that guide human behavior and relationships. By focusing only on what we know to be true, our eyes may overlook the obvious clues all around us. Could our high staff turnover be a direct result of indifference or verbal abuse by management? Might the wear and tear on equipment be caused by the anger and tensions that often fill our workplace? Would clients be less demanding if they felt truly valued and cared for?
Changing the lens through which we view our world begins with acknowledging that we are all connected. As a leader when I treat others with love and respect I will begin to see them differently. If I am courageous and truthful with them, they will be inspired to do the same. The workplace and marketplace is yearning for leaders to see with new eyes. What most leaders fail to realize is they have this ability already within themselves. To see differently doesn't entail a new set of glasses or contact lenses. The vision to create a soulspace for employees and clients requires us to be vulnerable, to admit our mistakes, and to do the right things. By trusting our instincts, and seeking the sacredness in others, we will find that our eyes can see a whole new world.
We tend to trust our senses more than our instincts. If we can see it, smell it, hear it, touch it, or taste it then "it" must be real. But in our quest for reality we may be missing the more subtle truths that guide human behavior and relationships. By focusing only on what we know to be true, our eyes may overlook the obvious clues all around us. Could our high staff turnover be a direct result of indifference or verbal abuse by management? Might the wear and tear on equipment be caused by the anger and tensions that often fill our workplace? Would clients be less demanding if they felt truly valued and cared for?
Changing the lens through which we view our world begins with acknowledging that we are all connected. As a leader when I treat others with love and respect I will begin to see them differently. If I am courageous and truthful with them, they will be inspired to do the same. The workplace and marketplace is yearning for leaders to see with new eyes. What most leaders fail to realize is they have this ability already within themselves. To see differently doesn't entail a new set of glasses or contact lenses. The vision to create a soulspace for employees and clients requires us to be vulnerable, to admit our mistakes, and to do the right things. By trusting our instincts, and seeking the sacredness in others, we will find that our eyes can see a whole new world.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Are You Emotionally Engaged at Work?
I'm a big fan of the bestselling business book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" and would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it. The book is based on research by the Gallup organization and the findings culled from more than 10 million surveys and interviews conducted over the past decade. As someone who is trying to become a conscious leader there is one statistic from the studies that got my attention. More than 1,000 people were asked this question, "At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day." Of those who "strongly disagreed" or "disagreed" with this statement, not one person was emotionally engaged on the job.
What are the implications of these research findings? How many of us who serve as leaders in our businesses could answer affirmatively to this question? Does our approach to management influence how employees would answer this question? Does being emotionally engaged matter in the workplace? While I can't offer an in-depth analysis in this brief posting here are a few of my reflections about the topic.
There have been times in my career when I would have joined the dissenters in the survey. Although the reasons vary as to why I didn't have the opportunity to "do what I do best every day", the most important for me was likely the focus by management on my weaknesses. The book authors and researchers at Gallup found that employees are 22% more likely to be disengaged at work when improving weaknesses is a primary management tactic or practice. This stunning revelation has changed not only the way I look at myself, but how I manage others.
When I am doing what I love to do, and have the opportunity to use my talents every day, my emotional engagement at work is positively impacted. This has been especially true for me in the past four years, as I have worked with my partners to establish and grow our consulting and training business. For the first time in my life I have an opportunity to practice my talents daily, gaining new knowledge and skills that transform those talents into strengths. Work is fun, challenging, and very rewarding.
When training and coaching other leaders I regularly challenge them to assess their own talents and to help employees discover their talents as well. The results have been encouraging as managers and direct reports become more emotionally engaged through this process. If you haven't yet discovered your unique talents it's not too late to start. Your value as a leader will be enhanced when you acknowledge this maxim (as described in the book Strengths Finder 2.0) "You cannot be anything you want to be - but you can be a lot more of who you already are."
What are the implications of these research findings? How many of us who serve as leaders in our businesses could answer affirmatively to this question? Does our approach to management influence how employees would answer this question? Does being emotionally engaged matter in the workplace? While I can't offer an in-depth analysis in this brief posting here are a few of my reflections about the topic.
There have been times in my career when I would have joined the dissenters in the survey. Although the reasons vary as to why I didn't have the opportunity to "do what I do best every day", the most important for me was likely the focus by management on my weaknesses. The book authors and researchers at Gallup found that employees are 22% more likely to be disengaged at work when improving weaknesses is a primary management tactic or practice. This stunning revelation has changed not only the way I look at myself, but how I manage others.
When I am doing what I love to do, and have the opportunity to use my talents every day, my emotional engagement at work is positively impacted. This has been especially true for me in the past four years, as I have worked with my partners to establish and grow our consulting and training business. For the first time in my life I have an opportunity to practice my talents daily, gaining new knowledge and skills that transform those talents into strengths. Work is fun, challenging, and very rewarding.
When training and coaching other leaders I regularly challenge them to assess their own talents and to help employees discover their talents as well. The results have been encouraging as managers and direct reports become more emotionally engaged through this process. If you haven't yet discovered your unique talents it's not too late to start. Your value as a leader will be enhanced when you acknowledge this maxim (as described in the book Strengths Finder 2.0) "You cannot be anything you want to be - but you can be a lot more of who you already are."
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