Self-Preservation is Your Enemy

This sounds a bit preposterous when you think about it. I mean what is wrong with protecting yourself?

Please hear me on this — you do nothing for yourself when you work hard to protect yourself. When you work hard to protect your job, your reputation or your salary you will increase your chances of not receiving what are trying to preserve.

Here are the primary reasons for this:

1. You become more focused on you than on others — that only leads to people being put off with you as they see you being selfish. They ultimately know you are not for them and that leads to a lack of trust, which affects everything.

2. Your demeanor changes — Have you ever seen a bird protect their nest? They become overly aggressive towards you when you have no plans to destroy their nest. The same happens with humans. The change in demeanor changes the chemistry of a team and the level of influence you had diminishes.

3. Your quality of work decreases — as someone focuses more on themselves they take their eye off what is really important. Once again, what they hope doesn’t happen begins to happen because the quality of their work decreases as their focus on themselves increases.

Self-preservation is dangerous. It sounds honorable — especially as family and friends try to make a case for your grumblings by giving you fuel for your frustrations. Yet, I have seen it destroy some great people. You see, self-preservation always makes you think more highly of yourself than you should and makes you see others more negatively than they truly are.

The irony is that seeking to protect yourself typically leads people towards the very things they don’t want because of the change that happens within them. In the year ahead may I encourage you to give more rather than protect more. Believe me, that will do more for your self-preservation than any other strategy.

#GiANTworldwide #leadership #SelfPreservation #enemy #focused #change

Leadership Principles: Healthy Cultures and Conflict

You have finally arrived! After years of college preparatory planning, you are officially on campus for college orientation with great anticipation of the best year ever! Your dorm mate matched your “roomie” profile and from what you could pull from exploration on the social network, he appears to be a great fit. You prep your room-“Neat as a pin.” Your roommate arrives. You are fired up!

Day Two

You and your new room buddy are now officially moved in and enjoying first encounters of dorm life, cafeteria food, and the liberating feelings of independence.

Day Five

You are building disciplined routines to study with little distraction, come to class early and prepared, staying to your exercise routine, keeping a tidy living space, and flossing before bed. Your roommate however is the exact opposite. He plays obnoxious noise at all hours, wakes up late for class, carelessly litters the room, and takes delight in nearly everything that is appalling to you. You are no longer excited about sharing your space with your new pal. He drives you mad!

Every Day

If you think about it, there is conflict across the messiness of human system every day. In life and leadership we interact with individuals who have completely different working styles, personality types and irritating tendencies. If we pause briefly between stimulus and response to know this about ourselves, we can more effectively lead ourselves and consequently, better reflect grace and understanding in the broad distinctions of others.

The Tap Root of Conflict

Conflict is a pervasive feature common to all levels of social organizations, including teams and departments. Organizational conflict can be described as a state of discord between individuals or groups of individuals interacting together and driven by a variety of relational or external factors stemming from the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values, and interest.

Relational Conflict

The reality for most is that we spend most of our waking hours at work. The social points of contacts we engage throughout the day are numerous and frequent. Invariably, misunderstanding and miscommunication caused by language and social variances lead to ill will among teams. In addition, office politic, gossip and the persistence of drama lead to internal culture clashes. As such, leaders must stand at attention to recognize interpersonal conflict swiftly to confront and crush the potential of accelerated organizational dysfunction.

External Conflict

Sources outside the organization can equally cause conflict. Positive vendor, customer and client interaction is essential to meet bottom line operational expectations. It is not uncommon for a breakdown in communication to occur as fast paced transactions are produced. A hot head and temper will only provoke and deepen misunderstanding and mistrust with those served. Likewise, organizational leaders must quickly identify and remedy these trials to salvage trust and any financial implications in the balance.

When conflict is not handled effectively, the results can be quite damaging. Manifest conflict can quickly turn into personal animosity and fractured relationships. Teamwork ultimately breaks down. Talent is wasted as people disengage from their work and the vicious downward spiral of negativity, blame, and passive aggressive culture becomes the norm.

“Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

#GiANTworlwide #leadership #understanding #conflict #relationship

6 Key Leadership Principles: Healthy Cultures and Conflict

Leaders worth following respect individual differences while helping team members avoid becoming entrenched in myopic positions of “self.” Leaders of high caliber consistently exercise the following principles of high support and high challenge:

• Ensure Relationship is the First Priority — Make sure that others are treated with fairness while building mutual respect. Be courteous to one-another and remain constructive under pressure.

• Keep People and Problems Separate — Recognize that in many cases, the other person is not just “being difficult.” Real and valid differences can lie behind conflictive positions. By separating the problem from the person, real issues can be debated without damaging working relationships.

• Engage in the Interests Presented — By listening empathically, healthy leaders can likely understand why others are choosing their positions.

• Pull Before Push- To solve a problem effectively secure leaders must understand where the other person is coming from before defending one’s own position.

• Set the Facts — Agree and establish the objective, observable elements that will have an impact on the decision.

• Seek Common Ground — Be open to the idea that a third position may exist, and might possibly lead to a jointly celebrated “win/win.”

By following these principles of empowerment and opportunity, leaders keep contentious discussions positive and constructive. Effective conflict management is emblematic of a leader worthy of following and a key measure in the secret sauce of healthy organizational culture.

#GiANTworlwide #leadership #principle #relationship #mutual #bond #interest #priority

Abdicator: A Brief Guide to Bad Leadership

What is an Abdicator?

Have you ever thought about the kind of leader you DON’T want to be?

(Hint: You don’t want to be an abdicator)

The one type of leader I don’t want to be…

…is an abdicator.

To abdicate means: “to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like.”

Basically, it means to abandon.

Have you ever gone to restaurant, retail store, or government office and see employees who were completely “abandoning” their duties? As if they didn’t care about the work they were (supposed to be) doing? That’s abdication.

Abdicators create a culture of apathy and low expectations, and in addition to keeping an organization in maintenance mode, it is just flat out boring!

Here are 3 Reasons Leaders Abdicate

1. They themselves are not being challenged

Someone is allowing the abdicator to function as a laissez-faire leader.

The solution if you are overseeing an abdicator is to increase challenge! Help them set goals and “get after it”!

2. They don’t know what to do

When I function as an abdicator, it’s because I simply don’t know what to do. I’m stuck. I’m at a place I haven’t been before and my creative solutions aren’t working.

The solution is to ask for help. I’ve never been afraid to ask for help and people who have managed me have never held my lack of knowledge against me. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

3. They are wounded

Sometimes we know what to do, but because of some emotional or relational challenge, they are sidelined. Fear and anxiety can cause us to do nothing.

The solution is to have that tough conversation with a trusted friend and be made well.

2 Ways to Thrive When Your Boss is an Abdicator

1. Embrace this Leadership Style

Abdicator style leadership (AKA Laissez-Faire leadership) is considered to be a hands-off form of leadership. You’ve been looking at it as non-leadership, but to make the best of your situation, embrace the freedom and permission by viewing this as a leadership style.

First: You get to set the direction! Go for it! Test the boundaries of Alex’s kingdom. Pick up the pace, be the change, and see how far you can extend your influence. (Lest you be found to be an abdicator!)

Second: Spend time on self-leadership. When you come up against a wall in your leadership, embrace the challenge of researching or identifying others who can help lead you to breakthrough understanding.

You can actually be having a lot more fun that you think right now.

2. Don’t Try to Change Alex, Wait Until He/She Initiates Toward You

Some of you may be wasting time attempting to change the abdicator. If you’ve been up to bat three times with support and challenge, I’m saying you’re out.

Stop trying to change Alex, do your thing, and wait until he/she softens and begins to pursue you.

It will happen. Wait for it.

I’m not guaranteeing that your increased influence will be met with a celebratory party, but you may be surprised.

When your colleagues begin pursuing you for input and speak of your competency and credibility, you may have awakened Alex from his/her slump.

#GiANTworldwide #goodleader #badleader #abdicator #influence #selfleadership #leadership

10 Vital Leadership Lessons From the Farm

One reaps what is sown.

The mind is a wide-open field on which seeds are planted with impact broadcasted to cover just about any area in one’s life — Financially, Materially, Emotionally, Spiritually, Recreationally, Etc.

Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny — Ralph Waldo Emerson

These Law of the Farm principles apply to every facet of life. Life decisions are made daily. The effects of decisions five years ago can be seen in one’s quality of life today. If a bad seed is planted, no fruit or perhaps bad fruit is generated. The overarching truth in the Law of the Farm is in the discipline of cultivation — staying intentional to envision the preferred harvest we expect to produce in life, leadership and in service.

Vital Leadership Lessons of the Farm

1. Dying to Live — A Seed Can Not Grow Until it Dies

   • When seeds are planted, they begin to decay and only then can germination and multiplication begin. This law is true across our finances, relationships, and professional growth. When one deliberately invest in others is when the operation of addition shifts to multiplication and true impact is discovered. The death process is in the time and resources invested in others. 

2. Investment — Each Seed Has Capacity to Meet a Future Need

   • One’s future need can be met by present seed. Seed is not to be kept in dry storage. Seed is not for consumption. Premature harvests will only meet partial need. Create life and leadership disciplines to suspend immediate reward with the hope of a cornucopia of provision for those with patience and self-regulation to endure.

3. Timing is Everything — There is a Time to Sow and a Time to Reap

   • Seedtime and harvest has endured since the beginning of time and will continue for as long as time exists. There are strategies for skirting to quicken the process of harvest but the natural rhythm, tempo and balance for growth exists in greatest quality when allowed to take natures best intended channel. Be careful not to shorten the life of your dream/vision by trying to short-circuit natural progressions set out in the seed.

4. Size Matters Not — The Size of the Seed is Not Directionally Proportioned to the Size of its Potential

   • A mustard seed grows to a huge tree while a maize seed (bigger than mustard) develops into a perennial maize plant which is nowhere near the size of the size of the mustard tree. One can often observe organizational leaders perplexed by imbalance of linear investments. A dollar invested in one opportunity might be magnified by 2x. Another might be 10x. Sow seed in people’s lives in the dimmest of light and headline and watch how the seemingly insignificant seed takes root in magnanimous proportion. The heart matters!

5. Soil Matters — The Condition of the Soil is an Essential Factor for Growth

   • Growth requires fertile soil, the correct amount of moisture, and the right temperature. The plant will grow favorably with the right amount of nutrients in the soil and access to water. Every dream requires a conducive climate for development. The outcome of your seed is dependent on the setting of the correct environment and conditions for its manifestation of full potential.

6. Blueprint — The Core of the Seed Determines the Performance

   • At the core of every seed is an embryo. The embryo has the blueprint of the plant in terms of all instructions pertaining to the genetics and character of the plant to be. If the seeds of the mind are engaged in the correct instructions (habits), the outcome in terms of character is positive. Over time, what enters the mind in terms of stimulus will be reliable to the response observed in words, deeds and actions.

7. Location. Location. Location. — Where the Seed is Sown Will Impact the Quality of the Produce

   • Farmers thoughtfully determine where to maximize the seed’s potential. Likewise, leaders must be mindful of keystone habits of maximizing investments toward healthy organizational cultures and performance. Life and leadership are not great arenas for sloppy and unwise ventures. Having a solid council of reference to provide insight, wisdom, challenge and support is most important when considering investing our seed for growth, development and potential.

8. It’s Personal — Each Seed has an Identity

   • A farmer can almost predict a yield based on the measure and quality of seed sown. When positive people and messages influence the mind, it is expected that those impacted will pay even more forward. Like the sign in the junior high lunchroom reads, “We are What We Eat.”

9. Model Teacher — A Seed Teaches Resilience and the Power of Overcoming

   • When a seed is buried in the ground whether by mistake or by intent, it has to fight its way up all by itself. The sower can no longer be the lifeline of support. Each of us must plant seeds that stand the test of time and the challenges of crisis, loneliness, weariness fear, doubt and betrayal.

10. Prevent Defense — Each Seed is Equipped to Protect

    • When a seed’s protective cover is removed, the core of the seed suffers and dies, never to see the joys of germination. In life and leadership, it is common to use our natural instincts to defend against unwanted or unhealthy activity.Having one’s guard up to fight for the highest possible good in the lives of others is the mark of a leader worth following. 

#GiANTworldwide #youreapwhatyousow #dogood #leadership #leaderslead #farmlaw

Humility or Pseudo-Humility?

Liberating leaders operate from a base of humility.

Humility is a tough concept.

I’ve detected a difference between HUMILITY and PSEUDO-HUMILITY. Since humility is an absolute essential for liberating leaders, it is important to detect genuine humility.

Humility

• I receive compliments

• I say “thank you”

• I focus on expanding capacity in others

• I am generous with coaching and compliments

• I know the specific character & competency areas of my team because I am perceptive of where they are at.

• I am secure enough to apologize

• I celebrate that some of my advancements have come through the demonstration of trust and relevance.

• I listen and ask many questions.

• I pursue feedback about my affect on others

Psuedo-Humility

• I deflect compliments

• I say “Oh, well, it wasn’t me”

• I focus on how others can help me win

• I give occasional compliments when others are discouraged

• I don’t really know where my team needs to grow because I am more focused on my own development

• I am insecure enough to not admit when I have made a mistake

• I am frustrated. I self-promote and wonder why I am not getting ahead

• I talk to display my knowledge.

• I am easily offended when others point out challenging areas in my life.

#GiANTworldwide #humility #pseudohumility #leadership #leaderslead #integrity #generosity

5 Benefits of Humility in Leadership

Have you ever noticed periods of your leadership that were less effective and satisfying than others?

Ask yourself, “what attitudes and actions defined my leadership during those times?” For many people, the root answer reaches all the way down to the base issue of pride- vs. humility-based leadership.

Here are five key benefits of humility in leadership:

1. Humility gives a leader the capacity to lead out of a position of strength.

When you’re humiliated — a negative experience — it’s usually at the hands of someone else. But when you choose to be humble, you are choosing not to think less of yourself, but to think of yourself less and others more. The choice makes all the differnce.

2. Humility makes a leader more persuasive.

This is an especially essential quality in those who lead because one of a leader’s most powerful tools is his ability to cast a vision to his followers, and to persuade them to unite to make that vision a reality. Such humility engenders trust, loyalty, buy-in, and enthusiasm far better and more purely than fear, manipulation, or even people-pleasing will ever do.

3. Humility gives a leader the courage to set aside personal gain for the good of others.

A humble person sees others as inherently valuable while prideful leaders focused on themselves and manipulate others.

4. Humility gives a leader the candor to be honest with their followers and change course if necessary.

A humble person separates himself or herself from their accomplishments. When their accomplishments receive criticism, they don’t take it personally, but constructively. Prideful leaders, on the other hand, lash out due to fear, anger, or self-entitlement.

5. Humility gives a leader the character to respond charitably when attacked.

Because a humble leader doesn’t derive his or her identity from their accomplishments, they are able to deal with the kind of searing criticism that’s so common in today’s political, business, and social arenas with ease and grace.

#GiANTworldwide #Leadership #humility #character #persuasive #strength #responsibilities

Work ON Your business, Not IN It: 3 Questions to Spur Growth

Here are three simple, strategic lenses and questions by which to analyze your business from a different perspective — one that will hopefully help you spend more time working on the business and take you to greater heights in the process.

1. Are your offerings Simple?

Keeping things simple is actually the art and science of making things clear and concise, which are the recipes of customer interaction and employee engagement.

 It is much easier to wallow in complexity and inefficiency than to fight for clarity and focus, but our challenge for you today is to do the extra work of making your offerings as simple as you possibly can.

2. Is your business Scaleable?

What we’re asking here is this: Does your organization have the potential to eclipse you? Can it scale without you at the center of everything? If you were removed from the business tomorrow, could it survive and go on without you? Perhaps you don’t want it to or perhaps you simply don’t know how.

3. Is your business Sustainable?

Does your business have the potential to sustain its growth or are all your eggs in one basket?  A self-sustaining model is worthy of the hard work it takes to get it there.

At the end of the day, three facts hold true for any business:

Simplicity wins over complexity.

Scalability expands your impact.

Sustainability keeps the engine running.

#GiANTworldwide #Leadership #business #simplicity #scalability #sustainability #responsibilities

How to Cultivate Change in Those You Lead

“How do people really change?” Since no one is perfect, it makes sense that every employee and leader will need to go through a continual process of growth and change.

Instigating Change

The most significant means of generating positive change in those you lead is to effectively calibrate the right levels of support and challenge to foster healthy growth. It means having difficult conversations when necessary while also providing the right resources and support for your people to become the best, healthiest, most productive version of themselves.

1. Show You Are For Others

 It means that you care enough about their well-being that you’ll set aside your own convenience and agenda to provide the support or challenge they need to grow. Sometimes there is simply nothing you can do and the person needs to be let go and move on to a better fit elsewhere.

2. Hold Up a Mirror — What is it like to be on the other side of you?

The biggest opportunity for change comes from actually holding up the metaphorical mirror through the questions and approach you use. When a person sees themselves in a mirror THEY have the choice to change. In general, most people don’t want to be known as “jerks” or lazy or whatever issues others seem to have with them. 

Lasting change in a person typically happens from the inside, rarely the outside. This means that leaders need a great deal of patience, a “for others” attitude, and a commitment to learning how to bring both high support and high challenge with precision.

If you keep these two scenarios in mind and work to apply the mirror and “for others” mindset, you’ll be surprised at how quickly your capacity to cultivate change in those you lead expands.

#GiANTworldwide #Leadership #cultivatechange #lastingchange #attitude #Leaders

3 Thoughts Every Leader Must Master

It’s simple: healthy leaders impart healthy leadership, unhealthy leaders impart unhealthy leadership. If you cannot effectively manage your thoughts and feelings about your current role, the people you lead, and your place within the wider organization, then you will find yourself becoming your own worst enemy. 

Below are 3 common thoughts that often impair leadership potential. 

1.) “Grass is Greener” Thoughts

Opportunities come from success. Success comes from hard work, focus, and buy-in. When you are looking for something else your energy, focus, and contribution diminishes drastically. Divert your greener dreaming into giving yourself to what you are paid to do and you’ll find that the right doors will open for you down the road.

2.) “I Deserve…” Thoughts

The reality of life is that none of us will fully receive the honor, respect, or compensation that our minds tell us we deserve. The “I deserve” thought is usually a sign that we are having internal, self-indulgent conversations with ourselves rather than focusing on giving to others. If you make the switch to outward giving instead of internal self-inflation you will be surprised by the amount of respect that will follow. 

3.) “No one gets me” Thoughts

 The easiest way to overcome this tendnecy is to shift the focus of your conversations from internal to external — to focus your energy on something more important than your obsession with security, status, or some other tendency of self-preservation.

Eliminating Unhealthy Thoughts

 Often, the hardest part to accept is that tendencies of this nature never lead to the place of promised solace you hope for, but rather a morbid view of life that weakens your leadership capacity. Rid yourself of these tendencies and watch your influence increase exponentially as you accumulate the respect, maturity, and people skills that come from giving yourself away.

#GiANTworldwide #Leadership #unhealthythoughts #thoughts #communication #leaders