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You are here: Home / Archives for great leaders

Leadership Island

May 21, 2019 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Leadership Island
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in CEOWORLD magazine. Reprinted by permission.

There is an infamous poem, often disjointly quoted as “No man is an island,” and “Therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.”

There are many who have uttered these quotes without realizing they were the beginning and end of the same poem. But when you do make the connection, the lesson is profound: it is about the ties of humanity and the responsibilities of leadership.

No man is an island.

In these five words, John Donne powerfully makes the point that life and purpose are bigger than us. It is also a humbling reminder that when we try to be complete in ourselves, we are isolated and insufficient. We struggle to survive on limited fare.

It has been said that no great work was done by one person. Even geniuses like Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein needed the minds, hearts, and hands of others to complete their missions.

What does this have to do with leadership?

In a word…EVERYTHING.

Great leaders are…

Connectors

They realize they do not have everything they need to succeed in and of themselves. Therefore, they connect with the strengths and wisdom of others. The best leaders learn something from everyone they meet. They ask questions. They express genuine interest in people at all levels of the organization and outside the organization as well.

Catalysts

Leadership is very much about bringing two sides together and creating the spark that ignites effective action. A catalyst on an island remains unchanged. But a connected catalyst has powerful influence.

Caretakers

In the workplace, there are bosses, and there are leaders. These are very different people.

  • Bosses use their people to do the work. Leaders care about the people who do the work.
  • Bosses set their people up for failure. Leaders set their people up for success.
  • Bosses fire people and saddle others with the burden of their workload. Leaders develop people, maintain priorities, and balance the workload.

Bosses live on the proverbial island (the office with the door shut). Leaders thrive on the mainland where the people are.

For whom does the bell toll?

It tolls for you, the leader.

You are part of a powerful team where every person matters.

When one of your people fails; when a team member doesn’t do his or her part; when someone is not trained and equipped for success…everyone is affected.

The bell tolls for you to step up and own your leadership role.

Answer the call.

Give the encouraging word, have the difficult conversation, make the right decision, and equip your team for success.

“Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.”


Dave FergusonDave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. Are you interested in talking to Dave about coaching or having Dave speak to inspire and motivate your team? “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

 

 

If You Don’t Like What’s Being Said – Change the Conversation

July 19, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

If You Don’t Like What’s Being Said - Change the Conversation

We live in a culture that prides itself on viewing the action of criticizing the failures of its leaders not only as a right, but as a responsibility.

And while this is for the most part very valuable advice, it is easy to get caught up in critiquing others and overlook that failures are a marker of learning. Failure provides guidance for improvement. But this doesn’t mean that it’s easy.

CRITICISM COMES WITH THE JOB

Criticism is part of success. There are no high-level executives — or TV personalities, professional athletes or artists — that have been successful without a peanut gallery full of critics.

Criticism is, in fact, the dominant conversation in our culture.

But it doesn’t have to be. Critics only have the power you supply them with — if you feel ashamed of a failure, make excuses or find someone else to blame, critics will be quick to repeat that narrative — and will frequently enhance that story with their own observations and embellishment.

Consider, however, approaching your recent failure as something to celebrate: This failure means you’ve attempted something new; you’ve stepped “out of the box” and approached a problem in a different way. It is a sign of innovation. It is a symbol of grit and determination.

Failure and personal ego are inextricably intertwined, and so it is impractical to tell anyone not to take criticism personally. It is OK to take criticism personally. But it is not OK to make it personal.

What do I mean by this?

Criticism, by its very nature, puts us on the defensive, and so it is easy to want to give into impulses of self-defense and fire back. These are emotional responses. Actions are productive responses.

By assuming the criticism was given in order to help you improve, even if, and especially if, the intent was more malicious, you effectively take power from your criticizers and use it to fuel your professional development. Congratulations, you have taken the first step in changing the conversation.

NONE OF US ARE ABOVE REPROACH

One of the most beautiful (and most infuriating) aspects of the human condition is that we are fallible; everyone makes mistakes. However, criticism is a great tool for learning — if you allow it to be. Always place yourself in a good position to correct your behavior and improve your performance. Great leaders practice and present to others qualities of self-reflection, self-awareness and self-care.

While the first stage of changing the conversation of criticism is all about rendering disapproval into personal capital gain, it is equally important not to disregard criticism completely. Our knee-jerk reaction to criticism is to be defensive.

I didn’t do that. It’s not my fault. They just don’t know what they’re talking about.

However, the difference between a good leader and a great leader is patience and approach: Listen to what is being said. Even if the delivery is hurtful, is there any truth to the message?

Take a moment to reflect on all aspects of a situation, and never let pride or strong will prevent you from learning. By approaching failure as a learning opportunity, you inherently teach your followers to do the same.

A PRODUCTIVE NARRATIVE

Success is a story of perseverance. In fact, it is the “success-through-failure” stories that get told over and over again:

• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and even after earning a spot in the NBA, he went on to miss more than 9,000 shots — 26 of which would have been the game-winning shot — and lost nearly 300 games in his professional career. But he sits today as the highest-paid athlete of all-time with a $1.7 billion brand through team contracts and endorsements and a laundry list of distinguished professional accolades.

• It took J.K. Rowling years to write Harry Potter — years filled with poverty, depression and unemployment. The manuscript was rejected by no less than a dozen publishers. Her infamous book series has now landed in children’s literature stardom with millions of copies sold, having been translated into 73 languages and has now accrued more than $20 billion throughout the franchise — effectively making her the first woman to become a billionaire author.

• Oprah Winfrey was deemed “unfit for television” early in her career. She disappointed as a street reporter, and while she had a proclivity for human interest stories, she had a problem staying emotionally unattached. Today, she is a social icon as one of the world’s leading and most famous interviewers and has changed the television industry. She’s captured nearly 30 million Twitter followers, 18 Emmy Awards, nurtured lasting relationships with some of the world’s most influential leaders, and has built a net worth of more than $3 billion.

While success takes many forms, it shares a common characteristic: to push through when it gets difficult and to stay focused despite any opposition.

Even if the journey is long and the obstacles are unknown, you do have complete control over the narrative of your success — and your actions provide the framing.

Thomas Edison could have focused on any one of his critics condemning his failed attempts at inventing a light bulb. Instead, he chose to look at his situation from a productive perspective, famously saying, “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

For great leaders, failure is never a loss.


Dave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. Are you interested in having Dave speak to inspire and motivate your team? “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

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