"Hard times create strong men, strong men create easy times. Easy times create weak men, weak men create hard times."
Here are our takeaways and thoughts - pause and reflect, then nourish and grow!
Great quote! And echoes what we see in today’s world.
"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."
Here are our takeaways and thoughts - pause and reflect, then nourish and grow!
As a leader, you get things done through your incredible team members.
"When in command, command."
Here are our takeaways and thoughts - pause and reflect, then nourish and grow!
As a leader, a strong leader, show that you are in command, show your confidence. They will follow a confident and strong leader both in every day work but also through significant changes.
"Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
Here are our takeaways and thoughts - pause and reflect, then nourish and grow!
Such a powerful quote and sentiment.
This is a historical quote but it can also be relevant to mistakes we might make as managers and leaders.
Calculated errors are ok as long as we don’t forget and learn from them.
"Surround yourself with people who fight for you in rooms you aren't in."
"You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing everything with logic. If words control you that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass."
This quote has been reported to be said by world and business leaders as well as many others.
Even though we don’t know the original person who quoted it, it is still a very powerful quote.
"When there is doubt, there is no doubt."
This is one of the best quotes there is. It has guided me to make the best decisions, especially when it comes to staffing.
You Will Not Want To Put It Down!
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – a leadership-style book that is an excellent and engaging read.
If you have not already done so, read this book! You will not regret a single minute’s reading. It is filled with information and ideas for incorporating them into your personal and professional experiences.
It is a page-turner and thus a quick read. It left deep impressions on me and evoked several “ah-ha!” moments.
A few I Power Seeds based on The Checklist Manifesto
Warning: The following contains a glimpse into the book. For those of you who avoid spoilers at all costs – alert – read the book before reading the following. For those who can handle a preview and some takeaways, keep on reading.
The book contains vivid true stories and situations that will stick with you and you will find yourself reflecting back on again and again. One story has to do with an emergency operating room, a critically wounded patient who was the victim of a stabbing and root cause analysis.
Seedlings:
We Don’t Know It All
Checklists and Solutions
Root Cause (example)
The book highlights the example of Dr. Snow related to his work in tracing the source of an outbreak of cholera in London, in 1854. At the time everyone thought cholera was airborne. Dr. Snow went on a hunch. He felt it was something else. He was creative and looked outside the norms to map it out leading him to discover the source was a water well that had a cesspool leaking into it. He found the root cause which inspired the adoption of fundamental changes in water and waste systems. He is credited for a significant improvement in general public health around the world.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Snow)
Always Use Soap (example)
• Another example in the book was the availability and use of hand soap to help rid the geographical area of illness and disease in Karachi. Diarrhea, pneumonia, etc. fell as much as 50% in one year by utilizing soap with an antibacterial agent in it. The sad part is the residents had soap, but they were poor and wanted to “save it.” Handing out free soap resolved that part of it.
• The second part came down to instruction on washing significantly more, routinely, and properly. The free soap smelled and felt good, even better than the soaps they were saving, so it encouraged them to use it more frequently and longer, thus reducing illness causing bacteria.
• So much of our common knowledge and many of the practices we take for granted today were unknowns in previous times.
Speak Up and Listen (example)
Another example in the book has to do with a surgical assistant who did not speak up and a surgeon that the assistant worked with who did not like to listen to and accept observations from others. The author provides examples of where speaking up could have prevented failure and/loss of life. The author also provides other moving examples on the importance of speaking up and listening.
Final thoughts on Checklist Manifesto
Many of the doctors in the studies highlighted in the book were change adverse as were many of the hospital administrators who did not want to enforce a checklist policy, but when 24 people from one very small study survived because of the proper use of a good checklist the results speak for themselves. As a patient, wouldn’t you want the team treating you or your loved ones to utilize a simple checklist?
Short-term thinking people complain about checklists as they say it adds time and effort to sometimes chaotic timetables and schedules. What they fail to realize, is that checklists actually reduce gaps in wasted time and resources and often mitigate touching things twice.
Many think checklists are beneath us, or that they reflect weaker minds. We have had a strong held belief that the great minds don’t need notes or checklists. Sound familiar? Checklists remove human egos, especially when highly skilled and experienced people are working together. A checklist removes the subjectiveness and interpretation between people.
This was a great book that I could not put down. Go get it and read it – you will really enjoy it.
Please leave any comments on the site.
Here is a demonstration of a failed attempt to use the WHO Safe Surgery Checklist. This clip shows how implementation of the Checklist without obtaining buy-in from clinical staff and providing appropriate education in the checklist use.
Please also watch the video on how to use the checklist in a fashion that improves patient safety:
Here is a summary of the book:
“People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
Not sure if you are a boss or a leader? Here are a few I Power Seeds to offer insight.
From the article “Leader vs Boss – The 6 Major Differences”
Difference #1: The focus
A boss the end objective is profit
A leader is focused on changing people and the organization
Difference #2: The driving force
The boss, the motivation stems from the focus on standards
The leader is driven by the values they hold dear
Difference #3: The approach to work and objectives
A boss approaches work in an administrative fashion
A leader approaches the work through innovation and collaboration
Difference #4: The source of authority
The boss gets his or her authority from the position
The leader receives his or her authority from an internal place
Difference #5: The way to communicate and delegate
A boss uses communication as a way to delegate tasks and responsibilities among his or her subordinates
A leader uses communication that is more participatory, collaborative, and provides positive feedback
Difference #6: The level of accountability
A boss delegates responsibility and therefore, places accountability on the shoulders of the person performing the specific tasks and the emphasis is on having someone accountable for the failure, not so much the understanding of what went wrong
A leader the full accountability is on the leader’s shoulders – the ethos of learning from mistakes is at the heart of the leader’s strategy.
I found this infographic that I really liked.
From Volaris
Couple of articles that are helpful:
Management and Leadership Like a Bike?
Leadership is more Than Leading – Show You Care
Difference Between Boss and Leader from Villanova University
Do you develop your employees or are you more focused on developing yourself? Do you consider yourself a humble and empathetic leader? Are you energetic or have integrity? Some great questions right?
The post below will provide some nuggets or seeds (I Power Seeds) to encourage you to stop and reflect and hopefully provide some knowledge to help you become a better leader.
A key element of an effective and successful manager is developing your employees so they grow, thrive, and stay engaged.
I really enjoyed this article and why I am posting it. The insights in the article can enhance the what managers and leaders do for their employees. The first part is about developing employees and the second part is directed towards traits and habits exhibited by effective and caring leaders.
I am a firm believer in developing employees and the ROI is very clear and apparent and the time and effort put into their overall development as they are happier and their quality and productivity is quite evident. For example, in my current role I spend an average of $1,000 per year per employee on development such as seminars, workshops, conferences, and training and professional development.
The other component are the traits and habits the author highlights below, and when you pause and reflect on them and compare them to what you experiences as an employee or as a manager, it will be clear they are accurate and true.
I have utilized these traits and habits in staff development meetings where I provide insight and fun exercises to help employees recognize them as well as help increase their skills and knowledge as they grow and develop their management and/or leadership skills. It takes a lot of effort and time from you to develop the topics and then present them to your team. I will be posting some PowerPoint slides as seeds (I Power Seeds) to give you some ideas.
Here are a couple other related posts that will provide additional insight into employees development and engagement.
The Ideal Team Player (Humble, Hungry, Smart)
Leadership Development – Humility as Leadership
“Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.”
Simon Sinek
Employees Don’t Quit Their Job; They Quit Their Boss!
Brigette Hyacinth
Employees might join companies, but they leave managers. Too many managers view their position as one of entitlement rather than one of responsibility. In days past, managers would focus on developing their employees. Today they are more focused on self-promotion and securing their position. A managers’ job is to facilitate a good working environment for his/her employees. The focus should be to help everyone around you succeed. Managers define culture, and culture under-girds the lasting health, success and sustainability of an organization.
The biggest danger of leadership: Arrogance
According to research from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, humble people are more likely to be make the most effective leaders. It turns out, humility offers a competitive advantage.
So why has arrogant or narcissistic leaders become the norm:
It has been historically perceived that humility is a sign of weakness and an antithesis to leadership. There is still an expectation that successful leaders are more arrogant than humble. Narcissism is mistaken for self-confidence and toxic leaders seem to be in control of everything. They are able to provide short-term results but the truth is they leave a trail of destruction in their path. Organizations pay heavily for such managers with low engagement, high turnover and reduced productivity. Arrogant leaders have a shelf-life within their organizations. They may “rule the day” but eventually people tire of them and their tactics, which lessens overall commitment from the team. Intimidation and threats of punishment can only work for so long.
“The x- factor of great leadership is not personality, it’s humility” – Jim Collins
The Power of Humility in the Workplace
Leading with humility means focusing on others and practicing servant leadership. Humble leaders:
1. They put people first.
Their focus is on serving others. They do not get consumed by seeking out more power. Instead, they seek more ways to help others.
2. They admit their mistakes.
All leaders make mistakes. Humble leaders own up to them. They don’t play the blame game when things go wrong. Instead they hold themselves accountable. Vulnerability builds trust.
3. They share information and delegate.
Humble leaders are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They realize that they cannot do everything. They delegate because the work is more important than their ego.
4. They listen.
They are approachable to employees and this allows them to create an environment of open communication and effective feedback.
5. They do not hesitate to give credit where credit is due.
They appreciate the contributions of others. They are quick to recognize and reward the efforts of team members.
6. They are empathetic to those in their charge.
They genuinely care about employees and employees can feel this sincerity. Empathy allows them to build healthy relationships and bond with team members.
7. They are authentic.
They are the same person in every situation. This makes them trustworthy. Authenticity goes hand in hand with integrity. They are individuals of integrity.
“No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people tells all. Integrity is everything.”
Humility doesn’t mean that leaders can’t make tough decisions. A humble leader should not be mistaken for a weak one. It takes strength, courage, and wisdom to practice humility. I have learned that the best leaders are selfless and more concerned with the well-being of their team than with personal titles or status symbols. Easily offended leaders with inflated egos don’t build strong teams. You cannot be an effective leader if you feel that you are better than your subordinates. No one likes dealing with egomaniacs. Arrogance is a deterrent, it destroys relationships and lowers employee morale whereas genuine humility has a way of winning others over.
Good leaders empower. Bad ones micromanage. It is dreadful to work under a manager who is more worried about pushing their weight around than building relationships. The role of any leader within a corporate framework is to build up the team and to encourage growth. If we want employees to feel commitment to the organization, we need to show we respect and value them. This takes humility. For loyalty, there has to be a relationship that develops between employee and employer and this develops over time through trust that gets built and sustained. Once people trust you, they will follow your lead. You won’t need to flaunt your title to get them to do the best possible job.
People might tolerate a boring job or long commute, but they are more prone to leave if their boss treats them poorly. Humble leaders get the best from people. They have more influence, they retain top talent, and they earn more respect and loyalty than those who rely upon ego and power. Want to be a good boss? Start by taking a slice or two of humble pie!
Please leave comments or feedback.
This is a good article and one that does not, on the surface, sound that important. But it is. Let me give you a personal example.
When I get into deep thought or something is on my mind, I have a “face” too. It is not that I am upset, angry, or agitated, but when I am in deep thought, my face morphs into “my face”. I remember being in a meeting and someone asked if I was upset and I said “no” but rather I was in deep thought regarding the subject of the meeting.
I did some self-analysis and realized that was not the first time I heard this about my face. The next time I was in deep thought, I tried to keep the same face and looked in the mirror and sure enough, I looked agitated. Not good I thought.
But the good news is I am now aware of it and can adjust accordingly. For example, when I am in deep thought, I tend not to walk down the halls so people walking by don’t think I am agitated or upset. This awareness has helped tremendously. And of course we all get lazy now and then and just the other day I was walking across the parking lot at work and someone said, “Hey, tough day?” and I said “no” – but then it hit me that I had something deep on my mind and turned and let them know. And then I reminded myself not to be in deep thought and walk at the same time.
Here is an I Power Seed for you and try it yourself – the next time you someone calls you out, take some time to self-reflect and become aware of “your face”. Knowledge is power.
Good luck and happy face hunting.
Please leave comments or offer feedback.
What’s Your Face?
By Patrick Lencioni
Years ago, my wife told me that I had a “face,” but I didn’t believe her. What she meant was that I had a particularly unattractive facial expression that I unintentionally displayed when I was feeling frustrated by my inability to be understood by someone. What the face actually displayed was that I was disgusted with the person who didn’t understand me, and that I thought they deserved to be flogged for their stupidity.
Since that time, I’ve come to learn, with the help of my colleagues at The Table Group, that I do sometimes have that face. Even though I have a difficult time conjuring up the face on demand (it seems to require an emotional prompt), I am well aware that it evokes an unwanted reaction from those who are unlucky enough to witness it.
To that end, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that everyone has a face. It is usually the product of a strong emotion that is difficult for us to articulate, and so it is portrayed in a less-than-accurate way, and often more extreme than we want it to be. For instance, one of my colleagues often feels frustrated that she can’t adequately verbalize her concern for others in the moment, so her face portrays a level of pity that borders on patronizing. This is not what she wants to portray, but it happens nonetheless. It’s her face.
Another colleague, when she feels let down by someone, takes on the look of judgmental disappointment. It’s as if she’s thinking, “so that’s the best you can do, huh? How sad.” She doesn’t know that she’s conveying this, but her colleagues—and her husband and children—certainly do.
Why is it important for all of us to know what our faces are, and when and why we show them? Because if we don’t, we will find ourselves puzzled by the reactions of our employees and team members who have no choice but to respond to the emotional content of what they see. And their reactions are only going to exacerbate what our faces are already exaggerating, leading to further misunderstanding. If that sounds trivial, understand that this can lead to broken trust and unnecessary division among people who have no real reason to be at odds.
The solution to this problem is for every one of us to identify, most likely with the help of our colleagues and loved ones, what our faces are. Once we do this, we need to not only invite those colleagues and loved ones to call us out when we display that face, but to exhort them to do it! We need to beg them to alert us when we are inadvertently expressing an emotion that is unintended, so that we can stop and explain what we are really feeling and allow others to help us address those feelings.
My wife inadvertently came up with a fun way of identifying and staying aware of our faces in a team or family environment. It happened the other night when I was a little grumpy and judgmental, and she said, “You’re a little harsh, aren’t you?” And then she laughed and said, “Hey, that should be your rapper name. ‘Li’l Harsh’.” After I got over the initial sting of her accurate nickname for me, I realized that it was a good way of describing my face. So I went to work, announced my new moniker, and helped everyone come up with their respective rapper names. We now have Li’l Sour, Li’l Dismissive, Li’l Annoyed, Li’l Denial, Li’l Disappointed, Li’l Prickly, Li’l Condescending, Li’l Patronizing and Li’l Tense. That might sound silly, but within the day we were using those terms to describe one another in moments of stress, and it brought real clarity, not to mention humor, to situations that could have otherwise been unnecessarily tense.
So, what’s your face? And what’s your rapper name?
Peace Out.
Li’l Harsh, aka…
"Leadership - leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses"
"People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel."
"Leadership is the ability to decide what has to be done and then get people to want to do it."