Monthly Archives: August 2018

Leadership: A Short List of Things I was Reminded of this Week.

Topics in Leadership, Work
  1. If you are a leader, manager, or administrator, make sure you communicate the what, when, where, and why of any changes, big or small, you are making in the organization. Do it as far in advance as you can. Do it  no matter whether its your whole team or just a few people that will be affected by the change.
  2. Take time to thank God for people who are committed to the mission of your organization and who take pride in a job well done. They are your organization.
  3. Employees from the traditionalist generation are a blessing. Their wisdom is priceless.
  4. Make every effort to get the sleep and rest you need. You’re a better decision maker when you are fully rested (in mind and body).
  5. Pray like it all depends on God and prepare like it all depends on you.
  6. When you’re struggling to get something done, ask for help. 

The Battle of Leading.

Topics in Leadership, Work

Keep Striving

I use the phrase “battle of leading” because for me leadership often feels like battling. It involves struggle, it involves confrontation, it involves striving, it involves contending and campaigning. It involves having difficult conversations with an employee who is off track when it would be easier to just let them be. It involves leading a team through major procedural changes rather than letting someone else take the heat. It involves listening and trying to learn from staff who are unhappy with how things are going rather than avoiding.

I am intrigued by other leaders who  also describe their journey in leadership the same way. Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Martin Luther King Jr. come to mind. I can’t really compare what I do to the kinds of issues those leaders faced, however I relate to  the mental focus and self discipline they had to use in order to accomplish their great missions.

Leading is full of hard things. For instance this week I am thinking about several issues that lie in the path of my agency. How do we make a high cost department that the community relies become fiscally efficient? How can we recruit employees who will align with our culture and mission? Given major changes in third party reimbursement, what kind of organizational structure and business model will be most effective in two years? The answers to such questions are dynamic. In other words I have to keep answering these questions because what works today will not be what works in 12 or 24 months.

Leading is hard, but it is worth it. Some people cut corners or try to coast. I do not know how a leader could be successful by doing that. To move your organization forward you have to be in the fight. You have to be striving along side the rest of your team. If you don’t strive with them they eventually will not respect you. 

Leaders,
Focus on your agency’s mission, serve your team, encourage others, celebrate every success no matter how small, and take one day at a time. The Creator will give you the strength you need for each day and when you look back you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come. 

The Glue of Life…and Work.

Life, Mental Health, Topics in Leadership, Work

Trust

Stephen Covey writes “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” (First Things First, 1994, p. 203)

I don’t see any way around it. When you are leading an organization, you have to trust people. No matter how talented you are, you do not have the specific knowledge required to do all of the tasks that make your business go round. You must trust others to get things done. I am being reminded of this daily, especially lately. The agency I work for launched two new major systems in the last few months. One is an electronic payroll system and the other is an electronic medical record. Though I was part of the selection and initial implementation, the day to day operation, programming, and ongoing development of the systems is being done by a small team of amazing staff. They have a knack and an aptitude for it.  I am also completely relying on them. Our agency is blessed because they are trustworthy, ethical, dedicated and diligent.

What I find interesting is the trust required on my part. I ask questions every day, lots of questions. But in the end, I have to trust them to do the work. I trust them to figure things out and get things done. I trust their integrity, their work ethic, and creativity. They in turn, are empowered by  my trust in them. My trust acknowledges their capability and expertise. 

According to Erik Erickson trust is the first and most basic stage of development (Identity and the Life Cycle, 1959, p. 57).  Erickson writes that without the ability to trust a person cannot develop healthy personality. After 20 years in organizational leadership I would say the same is true of business. A business cannot be healthy unless there is trust at all levels of leadership and staff. Without the giving and receiving of trust an organization is just a collection of people all competing as individuals to accomplish their own agenda. With trust that collection of individuals can become a team moving in the same direction to accomplish a shared mission for the good of each other and the community.

Covey has it right. Trust is essential for holding relationships together and allowing people to move in the same direction.  It is the glue that facilitates shared agendas and shared goals. As an agency director I strive to trust and be trust worthy. It may be my most important job. 

Myths of Your Leadership Identity

Faith, Topics in Leadership, Work

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

Henri Nouwen, a Catholic Priest and insightful contemplative author talks about the Five Lies of Identity: 1) I am what I have. 2) I am what I do. 3) I am what other people say or think of me. 4) I am nothing more than my worst moment. 5) I am nothing less than my best moment.

I have to confess. As an organizational leader I have struggled with each one of the lies listed by Nouwen. I compare myself or the agency I work for to others and come up short.  I take my professional self too seriously and forget who I really am. I often focus too much on making sure people like me. I often give too much credibility to my failures and not enough credit to the gifts and talents God has given me.

There is a lot of pressure in being a leader. But greater than the pressure is the gift of being able to support, encourage, and serve others through that role. The truth about myself as a leader is that in my job I  have ups and downs, wins and losses, good days and bad days.  The value I have is given to me by my the Creator. It is not found in my position at work or most recent success.  My job is to be a faithful steward for the agency and people I serve. It is to  speak the truth in love, to help others be their best ,  and guide the organization I lead through the many challenges and toward the many opportunities it has in order to accomplish its mission. What a privilege.