The Most Powerful Leadership Question

Every leader desires to be the most effective leader he can be, but in order to make a lasting impact, he must commit to supporting all students and staff.  Nothing is more aggravating to employees than encountering a difficult situation and having the leader come up, look at the situation, tell you what's wrong and then wishing you luck in solving the problem as he walks away.  This type of leadership behavior is more affective than effective, and I don't mean that in a good way.

Employees are looking to their leaders for guidance, support and service.  The leader has a choice to make.  Get involved or watch the person's commitment dissolve.  In order for leaders to truly get involved and generate increased productivity and commitment to the organization, it all boils down to one powerful yet simple question consisting of 4 little words?

"How Can I Help" conveys 5 Things:

• Belief in helping all staff and all kids in any way possible. 
• Understanding that support and service are a leader's 1st two priorities
• A natural desire to help make the teacher and kids be successful. 
• No job or task is beneath the leader.  He or she will do anything to help his fellow staff member.
• Leadership is not about title or position.  It is about support, guidance and service.

"How Can I Help" can be hollow if Leaders...

• Ask the question but fail to deliver.
• Never get back to the person who asked for help.
• Say they will deliver, but have no intentions of getting the job done.
• Never report back the results of what they did to help.
• Never check to see if what they did helped.

There are all kinds of strategies that leaders employ to be successful, but the best leaders know that their number one job is to solicit information and input to make the entire organization better. The only way this can occur is to constantly be looking for ways to help the very people that you lead. Helping others is one of the highest leverage skills that a leader can employ.  Clarifying expectations, actively listening, giving direction, relieving unnecessary stress and working side by side with staff are just a few ways that leaders can help.  

People don't follow position.  They follow character.  They follow selflessness, and they follow leaders whose actions demonstrate service to others.  "How Can I Help" is the best question to generate the highest degree of belief in a leader.

So how do you help those you lead?

Shifting the Half Glass Paradigm

Is the glass half full or half empty? That is the question for today's post. The other day I was scrolling through my Twitter stream and noticed Bill Ferriter's picture of a half glass with the hashtag, #HalfFull, beneath it.

The next thought I had was why do I have to choose which of the two mindsets best represents me? I mean either choice seems a little hollow if you ask me. Let me explain a little further.

Half Empty People

The half-empty paradox is obviously vacant. It neglects appreciation and emphasizes blaming one's current lot in life on everything or everyone. These people acknowledge for a brief moment that there is water in the glass, but their focus quickly shifts to complaining about how much water is not in the glass. In essence they don't value the beauty of the present; thus they cannot move forward to their true goal, spiritual fulfillment.

Half Full People 

Optimistic people see the bright side of everything and are grateful for the half they possess. Their positive disposition is contagious because they model for others how to appreciate life for all of the good and bad that it has to offer. 

But there is a downside to people who commit to the half-full philosophy. With their focus being on appreciation for all that they have, they often are blinded to what is still missing, the other half of the glass. 

Fully Full People

These people are a rare breed. They see the glass half full but go beyond that point of view. By being thankful for the half that they have, they use the meniscus (line in the middle) as the bridge between their present and their potential.  By focusing on the meniscus rather than which part is empty or full, they can begin to set their sights on the 'yet to be filled' half in a vastly different way. With this complete change of mindset, Fully-Full people transform a void into a vision. They view the upper part of the glass as their goal, something to strive for. The image below illustrates what I'm talking about. 

By tapping into the power of validation, Full-Full people use their success of their current reality as a springboard to shoot for the opportunity that they have yet to discover. 

Half-empty people can't do that because they cannot value where they are, and half-full people cannot do it either because they can't their sights for a vision beyond their shackles of satisfaction. 

So where is your vision set?  Are you focused on the #HalfEmpty, the #HalfFull or the meniscus which brings the two together to create the #FullyFull paradigm?

When to Turn your Back on the Crowd

In order for a conductor to effectively lead the orchestra to musical beauty, he must first turn his back on the crowd. This concept seems so obvious, but how does it apply to leadership?

Before we look at leadership, let's ponder this thought a little bit longer. The conductor is responsible to directing every member of the ensemble; and therefore, communication is critical. At the tip of the baton, there is nothing that separates the output of 50 instrumentalists from the unifying force of the waving wand. 

Oblivious to the audience, the conductor and orchestra work in concert to create an auditory masterpiece. The conductor cannot turn to the crowd for approval between every beat or measure. He must wait until the selection has ended to find out if the performance has met their standard of excellence. 

Leaders are no different. In order to lead the ensemble of educators to excellence, he must turn his back on the audience of onlookers, supporters, critics and naysayers. He must lift his baton of influence and direct his team to unify their unique talents into a collective chorus of comraderie and collegiality.

So how do leaders know the steps to successfully turn their backs on the crowd?

Maestro's Entrance

At the very beginning of the concert, the leader must face the audience to be recognized and to acknowledge their presence. This sign of courtesy conveys that the audience is supportive and ready for the conductor to direct. Leaders never forget to establish a relationship with their stakeholders before beginning the difficult task of leading an organization.

Up to the Podium

Once the relationship with the audience is established, the conductor must now ascend to the podium, the position of leadership. When the conductor steps on the podium, the orchestra directs their attention and focus toward him and the conductor reciprocates by connecting his eyes and focus on them. The audience knows that their role is to observe and enjoy. Leaders must also build clear lines of communication where every member of the team engages together to begin the process of improvement.

Start the Music

The downbeat of the piece requires first a connection with the orchestra.  The orchestra and its leader must be on the same page through strong planning and communication. For organizations,  leaders and the members of the organization must also be connected by clear lines of communication.  Exemplary work cannot occur until the leader and organization are in harmony before the work of improvement commences.

Implement Excellence

Once the music begins, there's no stopping until the end. The conductor and orchestra work together to perform the piece to the best of their ability. The leader and the organization should be no different. By working in concert, the organization does its best to fulfill its mission and vision by adhering to its values and striving to reach its collective goals each and every day. At this point nothing comes between the vision and collective efforts of the team.

Concert Feedback

After every selection, the conductor drops his baton signaling the end of the piece. The audience knows that it is their time to give feedback. The level of applause indicates their degree of satisfaction. Likewise, the leader must periodically turn away from the work of the day to engage with the school community to gather insight and input. Without regular feedback from stakeholders, the leader has no idea if the community is in support of the things that are occurring in the organization.  The leader must turn away from the team to ensure that they audience is still in the building. 

Curtain Call

If the orchestra has fulfilled its responsibility of entertaining the crowd, they will be met an eruption of applause that will cause the conductor to repeatedly return to the stage for additional recognition. If the leader and the organization fail to fulfill their job and customer satisfaction is lacking, there will be no curtain call.  One thing is certain.  The audience will tell others about their experience.  If the performance was poor, everyone will know. If the performance was adequate, chances are that no one will hear about it.  To get a curtain call in your community, performances must be majestically memorable.  Performances of this caliber will create outside advocates that will tell the story of your team's excellence and the support that your group provides them.

Turning your back on the crowd is not a bad thing. It is an expectation that most people understand and respect. What makes a leader effective is that he knows when to turn toward the crowd. 

Reclaiming Independence Day

Independence Day is here, and today I have a question to ask my fellow LeadLearners. Is our culture promoting people to be Independent or in Dependence?  It's a play on words obviously, but this is no laughing matter.

I'm not talking about economics. What I am referring to a basic dependence on others to sustain our own sense of confidence and well-being.  We all enter this world dependent creatures and should be conditioned to one day fly on our own and be independent. 

The problem is that our culture conditions us to believe that we are special and that it is someone else's job to make us happy. Whether it be from a relationship, material possessions, or a position in our career, we are conditioned to expect that it is someone else's job to create the conditions to make us happy. 

This facade of dependent expectations is fatally flawed because no one can read our minds and serve us to our own level of satisfaction. No matter how hard they try, as long as we are dependent on someone else to make our lives better, they can never satisfy us. Genetically we were brought in as dependent infants expected to mature into independent adults. In other words no one can make our lives better than we can. 

Therefore, we must rise up on this Independence Day and make a stand against the glamorized and misguided life of dependence. No product, person or position in life can make us better than who we are already. We must stop searching for a better life.  The search for joy outside ourselves takes us further away from a free and independent life. To move towards independence, we must depend from within and above to gain true freedom from the tyranny of short-term, worldly happiness. 

Liberty is freedom from control. I challenge you to free yourself from the chains of dependence. No longer look to someone to provide you the benefits of life that you can provide for yourself. The next iPhone will not make you happier. The next U is the only thing that will make you happier. 

"Give me liberty or give me death" were the inspiring words of Patrick Henry. I hope this Independence Day you will join me in changing our world from one that is in dependence to one that is independent, and that together we can change the world by starting with ourselves.

Happy Independence Day!

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Source: www.brainyquote.com 

Carpentry is the most critical skill in building a house. The gap between an architect's plans and the skeletal frame of a house lies in the skillful hands of the carpenter. He has to be able to read house plans, interpret scale, cut lumber to precise lengths and angles, and hammer everything into an amazing yet intricate frame of a soon-to-be home.

How does he do that so quickly? I mean in a matter of weeks the house goes from  a foundation to being enclosed in no time at all. The success or failure of a carpenter lies in his adherence to one concept:

Measure Twice, Cut Once

This trust but verify mentality makes the difference between a strong and sturdy home and a house that will eventually crumble to the ground.  The carpenter knows that lumber is very expensive and when it is cut hastily, it triples in value.  Mistakes are not only costly to the carpenter but to the strength of the frame. So he must ensure that before he cuts a piece of lumber, he must measure once to get the correct measurement and measure it a second or even third time to verify that the first measurement was indeed correct.  Once his measurement is verified, his steady hand must carefully saw the wood.

Lead like a Carpenter

Making decisions to move an organization forward requires the same mentality. Before deciding on the next steps, leaders must employ the precise analysis of a carpenter to build a transformational organization.  Essentially, more time is spent in reflection and analysis than actually making things happen.

Measure Twice

Leaders must gather data to verify the organization's current reality.  The first measurement requires leaders to gather student performance data (quantitative) as well as perceptions and gut reactions from all members helps leader make a plan of action.  The second measurement requires leaders to enlist followers to verify that the plan of action is the best and most precise plan to address the issue at hand.  Once the plan is created based on data and verified by all who are affected by the plan, the plan is ready to be executed.

Cut Once

The plan is created, so now is the time to saw into the lumber.  All members of the organization must follow the plans that have been collaborative created in order to make a change that will guide every member to collectively build a strong house of success.  Failure to execute a plan is the same as measure a board correctly, making your mark and then cutting the board in a completely different place.  The board is now useless.  The same result follows for precise plans that aren't followed with precision or worse are ignored all together.

Build the House

People must realize that each change in an organization is one more stud nailed into the frame of an organization.  We have a choice to make.  We can build a house that all would be proud to live in, or we can build a house that will crumble before our very eyes.  Leaders must be committed to linking the planning process to focused action if they desire to build an estate of excellence.

Squeezing the Tube of Communication

I love my kids, but they drive me crazy sometimes. When they were little, I could always bank on the fact that their sink would be messy with toothpaste. When they squeezed the tube, toothpaste would invariably go everywhere. Why couldn't they just squeeze the toothpaste like I did?  After all, it's ridiculously easy.  Oh wait.  I used to get it all over the place, too.

The interesting thing about toothpaste is that once it comes out of the tube, there's no way to put it back inside. No matter how much you try, it won't go back in, and there's nothing you can do about it. And if you think deeper about this subject, our words are just like toothpaste. Once they come out, there's no going back. 

The reason toothpaste gets all over the place is because we don't take enough time to carefully squeeze the tube. Our words are the same. When we don't use caution or think through what we want to say, our words will get messy and offend others. 

So how can we clean up the messes that our mouths make?

Think through Emotions

Have you ever tried to put toothpaste on your toothbrush when you're in a ridiculous hurry. Chances are you're going to miss your toothbrush. Choosing words in the heat of the moment is no different. You must make sure that you calmly think through your emotions before choosing the words that you're going to say. Think before you speak.  

Use your Words Wisely

Toothpaste was designed to keep our teeth cleaned, not get our clothes dirty. By selecting words that help us focus on the problem and improve our situation, we use our words wisely. We build others up. We build trust. We build stronger lines of communication.  We keep our relationships in good standing. 

Brevity is Golden

Nothing is more annoying than someone that talks on and on and on. Brevity is the equivalent of putting just the right amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush. Too little and the job won't get done. Too many words, and everyone gets annoyed with you. Too many words is like having too much toothpaste. Get to the point!

Ensure Accuracy

Never in the history of the world have we had so many words to use.  The problem is that with so many words, there are so many different interpretations of what each word means. Take time to make sure that your words accurately describe what you are thinking and feeling. By making this effort, it is certain that communication will clear up any ambiguity.

Success

My kids finally learned to squeeze the tube correctly. Their dexterity improved. Their patience grew, and most importantly, they remembered to clean up after themselves. They matured from their repeated practice. 

To become successful with the tube of communication, we, too, must get messy before we can learn to communicate clearly. Making mistakes improves our verbally dexterity, and cleaning up our own messes prepares us to be more effective communicators in the future. Communication is never easy, and it never will be, but with repeated practice, it can become a little easier every day. 

The 5 Fingers of Leadership

The most unproductive leadership action is pointing the finger at someone. We've all done it at some point in our lives. We've said, "He did it. It wasn't me!"  And let's face it, it absolves us from responsibility and makes us feel better to know its not our fault.

But let's get real. If all we had was 1 finger, our lives would be pretty difficult.  We wouldn't have the dexterity to get things done.  

So here's my question, how many fingers do you have in your leadership?  The picture above shows the analogy how leaders should use all 5 fingers to empower excellence and use them not to point at the right person, but to the right problem. 

Pinkie 

The least threatening finger of all is the greatest digit. It is the pinkie of positive presuppositions and trust (have you ever pinkie sweared?). Leaders must assume that people give their best even when they fail. Leaders must also assess the trust factor in the situation before moving to other fingers. 

Ring Finger

This finger of commitment is often lacking especially in leaders that constantly find fault in people. A true leader displays true commitment is times of adversity. Before resorting to pointing the finger, real leaders turn to their commitment to help people first and then to finding the fix second. Commitment is about supporting people in solving their problems.

Middle Finger

The middle finger is responsible for 35% of the entire hand's grip strength; thus it is the finger of teamwork. Leaders must analyze if there is a support issue when problems arise. Without teamwork, problems persist. Before finding fault, search for support and build capacity in teams to repair mistakes. 

Thumb

The strongest and most unique digit of all is the thumb. The thumb doesn't point at the accused or the accuser. It points upward to a place I'd like to call opportunity. The greatest leaders look at every obstacle as an opportunity.  Leaders search for a bigger issue that could be the root of the problem?  The thumb will always point you in that direction. 

Index Finger

The most destructive and productive finger of all is the index finger. It can offend, but it can also affirm. Real leaders  use this finger to confront only after they have exhausted all other options.  Powerful leaders use the index finger to build people up. They point to others and say, "You Rock!"  They point out expertise, celebrate strength and encourage others. 

Don't Forget...

When you point the finger at someone, you have 3 pointing back at you. So if you're going to point the finger, you better make sure you have assumed the best, demonstrated commitment and built teams of support first. Next, look to your thumb to ensure you've identified the right problem.  Finally, if you employ all 5 fingers of leadership, you'll always be pointing not at the right person, but at the right problem.