"Mac-Daddy" Servant Leadership from "Authentic Leadership"

I found a great post this afternoon on Twitter. The author, Erin Schreyer, is President of Sagestone Partners, LLC. "She is passionate about leadership and helping people to achieve their greatest potential." You can view Sagestone's website by clicking here. Check out her "tale of 2 waiters" at this link:

"Mac-Daddy" Servant Leadership "

If you enjoy her post, let Erin know! She's on Twitter @eschreyer

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Make mistakes at full speed!

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When my kids were young and all at home (seven of 'em!) we were up to our ears in sports. I did the laundry in those days and I can't tell you how many pairs of sweat socks I bleached & washed! One winter, our oldest son played college basketball in a neighboring state, our 2nd son played varsity boys' high school basketball, our 2nd daughter played varsity girls' basketball, and our 3rd son played basketball for his middle school. We put thousands of miles on our SUV, most of it on icy Midwestern highways!

As their father, I enjoyed every mile, every minute, and every heartache. I wouldn't trade any of those hectic days for all the tea in China. I also recognize my kids excelled in basketball in spite of the chromosomes they inherited from me! What I did try to give them was the right mental approach. The attitude I tried to pass on to them is summed up in the title of this post: "Make Mistakes At Full Speed!" If you're worried about making a mistake, you'll never play fluidly and that means you'll never excel in any sport.

I believe the same mindset needs to be fostered by leaders and passed on to their team. Give your people permission to BLOW IT while they're stretching, innovating, jumping on an opportunity! Here's what Tom Peters has to say on the subject:

Screw-ups are…THE…Mark of Excellence.

(Corollary: “Do it right the first time” is an… Obscenity.)

Richard Farson is a bum! He wrote the book I wanted to write! And got there first! With Ralph Keyes, he penned Whoever Makes the Most Mistakes Wins: The Paradox of Innovation. Also consider:

1. From premier product developer David Kelley: “Fail Faster. Succeed sooner.”
2. From a Philadelphia area high-tech executive: “Fail. Forward. Fast.”
3. From successful Aussie businessman Phil Daniels: “Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes.”

Take your pick. Iʼll take ʼem all.

My resolve on this issue of the paramount importance of failure was locked into granite a dozen years ago, when I had a chance to introduce WalMart founder Sam Walton at a prestigious awards banquet. I sought out Samʼs long-time pal and successor as CEO, David Glass, and asked him what single trait of Samʼs stood out above the rest. He quickly replied, “Samʼs not afraid to fail. Itʼs not,” he continued, “that Sam tolerates less than a Herculean effort, or anything like that. To the contrary. Itʼs just that his attitude is, ʻGot that dumb one behind us. Letʼs try something else. Right now.ʼ”

Alas, such an attitude is ever so rare, in sizable enterprises in particular—which seem to spend more time on backward-looking witch hunts than forward motion…that all-important “next-quick-try.”

Wisdom from my friend "down under"

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"Perhaps this is why I am diving more and more into many varied topics (people, learning, thinking, the brain, social interactions, relationships, Sudoku/brain exercises, cycling, running, marathons, eating well, families, children….), and quickly coming to the realisation that I am (sometimes) not present in the moment. In it’s own way, not being present or ‘in the moment’ could have the same effect of not enjoying what’s here and now."

-from the blog "Fathers" by Andrew Blanda (Andrew Blanda's thoughts, ramblings and musings)

Earlier today I posted the blog "The U.S. Army Had it Right." Then I saw a post by a friend from Australia I'd met on Twitter so I jumped over and took a look at his blog. The paragraph above is EXACTLY why I said in my post that our focus needs to be on BEING, not DOING. If we're focused on what we do, if we derive our identity from what we do, we're not living authentic/congruent lives. We're not being who we're created to be - we're doing something "phony" that is designed to fulfill some task.

Thanks for finishing my day off with some great insight, Andrew!

The U.S. Army Had it Right!

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"Be All You Can Be" was the U.S. Army recruitment slogan for over 20 years. It was also the centerpiece of one of the most successful advertising campaigns of all time!

Why?

...because it strikes a chord with us - it connects with our internal wiring. We were created to BE, not DO. However, our culture tends to turn things around and accentuate the exact opposite! We meet somebody new and our first question is, "What do you DO?" Business people talk a lot about mission statements and core values. But, when the rubber meets the road, none of that matters -- how much money did you make this quarter?

Even the church has been infiltrated. I've been to many pastor/church leader conferences over the years. Here's what you hear between sessions: "Hi, good to see you - what's your church running these days?" or "Hey, it's been awhile -- how's that capital campaign coming along?"

Anybody in leadership knows we have to be focused on measurable objectives. Leaders understand we'll be held accountable for whether or not we meet those objectives. But, without also focusing on WHO we're called to be and HOW we're called to live, we can turn into hollow people who stand for nothing.

Businesses who publish bound notebooks that talk about "core values" while treating people as expendable currency are headed for trouble over the long haul. Ministries who say they exist to serve but use & manipulate the people who come to them for help are hypocritical.

Most importantly, no matter what I'm currently doing I need to live authentically and BE who I'm created to be. The people around me today need ME! If I'm aimed solely at DOING, my focus tends to be in the future when my current TASK is completed. People who need me today become a distraction. More on that later...

Enterpise Technology Servant-Leadership: 5 Tips for Work Life Alignment, Not Balance

Enterpise Technology Servant-Leadership: 5 Tips for Work Life Alignment, Not Balance

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