​As leaders, we often see how things should be and strive to make it a reality. A vision is necessary. As are having a compass, “must haves” and BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). All are fundamental to providing us structure and space to innovate and accomplish cool things.
 
Now to 2020. Your team is working remotely while homeschooling their children during the pandemic. Or other countless scenarios of the norm of the day. Overwhelm and disruptions on a daily basis could be weighing them down. Others could be just fine with working from home and are isolating nicely. The possibility is that in an attempt to inspire your team to greater heights, you may not be meeting them where they are. Imagine being on a mountain-climbing expedition, and your guide, in his exuberance, is already a mile ahead of you on the climb while you’re still at basecamp packing your backpack. You might feel a bit frustrated, perhaps even angry and bitter, for signing up for this trip. 
 
One way to find out if you and your team are in sync is to get to know them. Some humility and transparency are helpful when you are trying to motivate the hearts and minds of others. If you are not sure how to meet folks where they are because you have a lot on your plate and deadlines looming,  consider these ideas about how you might slow down and allow your team to catch up:
 

• One-on-One’s without an Agenda. Remember it’s not all about your agenda. And it’s not about your assumptions about who you think people should be. It starts with getting to know who they are right here and right now. Start with making time to have an intentional conversation. I’m sure you’ve met that leader that does a rapid check-in with “Hey, how are you doing? Yea, me too! Busy, busy…catch up soon!” It feels pretty disingenuous when leaders do not make time to connect, consistently cancel/delay one-on-one meetings, or show up late for meetings with their subordinates. We can’t pass each other in the hallway right now, so schedule time to do that virtually. It’s worth it even for a 15 minute catch up to spend uninterrupted time with your team members on the topics they want to discuss.
• Plan for Time to Learn and Develop. Schedule time on your calendar daily to slow down and think. This is important for both you and your team. Be curious and ask questions, rather than making assumptions and acting only from your gut. Gather facts (not the same as opinions). Dig deep and do your due diligence, even if it takes some time. Operating from facts rather than opinions and emotions can help you make better decisions and reduce team drama.
• Show Your Gratitude. Adding a message of sincere gratitude for your team and also empathy and understanding is good practice as well. Understand that not everyone will be coming out of the other side of this pandemic without pain and grief. Show gratitude for the many people along the way who have shared their stories and vulnerabilities and for life constantly being a teacher. 
• Know the Difference Between Support and Co-Dependence. You can support, develop and hold people accountable for their work without removing responsibility. You may be able to do a task better and faster, but that doesn’t teach anyone else to master a new skill. You can become a barrier to attaining your own vision by not sharing responsibility. Your team members are capable. Give them the opportunity to step up to the challenge one step at a time.
• Ask for Feedback.  Now is a good time to learn from your team about what they need from you in order to succeed in this constantly shifting environment. Nothing like a pandemic to create an opportunity to learn how to do things differently, with agility and humility.  You are not alone and your team can help you uncover what’s most important right now for your leadership.

 
Once you meet your team where they are, it will be easier for them to follow your lead. They will respond better to a challenge that stretches them and moves them toward your vision in a way that allows them to be with you, rather than a team that never leaves basecamp.

​​Most of us are so excited when we take on a new leadership role. We’re convinced that we’ve got the goods to make change happen. So, we tie on our capes and fly off to save the day. Because that’s why we were hired or promoted in the first place, right? To improve things. Well, that maybe the truth, but it’s never the whole truth. 
 
When entering a new role, it’s natural to see ourselves as agents of change. To somehow exceed the expectations of those around us and to prove that we are different from, and perhaps better than, our predecessor. Often, we misinterpret other’s perception as a desire for change, rather than what it truly is – a hyper-awareness that things could change. The whole truth is that very little could change, and that may be the best course of action.
 
Tips to Guide Change
Leaders often step into their new role and want to start “fixing” what their predecessor did. Perhaps the desire to “fix” the situation comes from a need to reaffirm their hiring or to cement their authority to make changes. Or perhaps, it’s a matter of establishing their brand or putting their stamp on the company. But before you jump in and enact “change for the sake of change,” I suggest that you consider the following recommendations to fully understand your new role so that you can determine where change would be beneficial. 

• Check your ego at the door. Change isn’t about you. It’s about what is best for everyone. To understand that, you must be willing to listen and learn from others.
• Take time to get to know your co-workers. Understanding their work and the constraints that they operate within will inform your decisions about change.
• Assess what’s working. Ask a lot of questions of your team and those who interact with your team to get the full scope of the issues. Don’t begin by assuming the incumbents to be wrong.
• Until you’ve done your due diligence, don’t decide that everything is wrong and needs to be fixed. There may be good reasons not to change some things. 
• Learn from your previous mistakes and those of others.
• Consider new options and things that have never been thought of before you decide to be conventional in what you want to change. 

 
Without buy-in and support, it’s impossible to execute change in a manner that is not catastrophic, in some way, to the organization. You achieve that support by doing the work required to understand better the challenges you are presented with. Just initiating “change for the sake of change” is often unsustainable, counter-productive, and ironically can result in you taking a few laps on a hamster wheel.
 
Few of us intentionally set out on a course to make “change for the sake of change.” The best way to make sure that we don’t fall into that trap, as leaders, is to tune into our purpose and intentions for making decisions.
 
Are you struggling with organizational change? Send me a note.
 
 
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You’ve seen it scaling the walls of tall buildings. Scaffolding and its intricate latticework provide access to new heights for the people on the ground. While skilled, their talent lies dormant until they climb the rungs and apply that skill to the task at hand, one section at a time.
 
Scaffolding is a lot like the frameworks I use with my clients to help them see themselves as the leaders they need and want to be. These frameworks are designed to support learning in a way that has meaning and context while moving aspiring leaders into position to advance. Once the scaffolding is in place, then my clients begin to navigate the sections, filling out the form and function of the what, why and how of their learning and development.
 
The Four R’s
I refer to one of my “go-to” frameworks as The Four R’s. While not applicable to all executive and leadership development tactics, from what I’ve observed, experienced and studied, great leaders will exhibit a strong showing of each of the four R’s in some way. Let’s take a closer look at what I mean:
 

• Resilience: Effective leaders are those who can bend in strong winds without breaking. They manage the demands of change and the stress of being hyperconnected. Often the coaching process investigates ways to develop and strengthen resilience and improve responses to stress and change. Team members are more apt to trust a resilient leader and follow where they need to be led.  

 

• Relationships: Building workplace relationships is critical to productivity and success. The most crucial relationship-building tool is frequent and honest two-way communication. Successful leaders are the product of successful teams. That success hinges on the regular, healthy exchange of information. Great leaders insist on honest dialogue and foster a culture in which this is respected and expected from team members. Otherwise, teams become confused, mislead and demoralized.  Think of a rowing team that works well together and imagine what kind of chaos happens when they don’t. Yikes.

 

• Real: The fear of humiliation often keeps people from being themselves or being vulnerable in the workplace. It’s tough to admit you don’t have all the answers, particularly if you are the leader. When leaders come to accept vulnerability as a value add and lean into it, team members lean in, too. Together, the collective experiences a greater degree of connection and cooperation.

 

• Rhythm: How work gets done within an organization is as important as the work itself. Creating a proper work rhythm allows members to speed up and slow down together, gracefully give entry to new members and create an environment of reciprocal trust. Leaders who create that rhythm minimize disruptions and provide productive and joyful work experiences for their team members.  The flow of work and interaction becomes more predictable and consistent. Go back to that rowing analogy. If there isn’t a rhythm, that boat’s not going anywhere.

 
Consider what framework helps you orient yourself to your personal and professional development. How are you building competence and mastery in the Four R’s and is your team responding? Send me a note and let me know.
 
 
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​

Leadership lessons and inspiration can be gained from everyday experiences, whether we are participating or observing. While not automatic, we can choose to look through the lens of inspiration, and that lens can move us to change and grow, or sometimes just keep going. Most recently, I was inspired by the run for the Stanley Cup by Nashville’s local NHL team, the Predators.  Here are a few things that I took from the experience:
​

• Having grace under fire is a way of being, and in spite of all of the challenges they faced, our team and coaches took the high road. Their focus was moving forward and playing one game at a time.  As leaders, learning from the past, but realizing that we can’t change it, gives us the energy to adapt, apply and keep moving toward our goals.  In addition, focusing forward prevents us from being distracted by unproductive rabbit holes.

• Pulling together as a team takes work and belief in each other, as well as commitment to each other’s success. 17 Predators scored, both offensive and defensive players. Excellent teamwork enabled these young men to succeed without heavy reliance on the work of just a few. While the team has some outstanding performers, they couldn’t have truly been their best without the commitment of their other team members to “get it done.”

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• Hard work pays off, and sometimes you have to gut your way through, pushing for just one more effort, to see a project or plan to completion.  Our team played with unfailing commitment, even in the face of some failures and tough performances.  The Predators showed us the importance of believing in your purpose, even when the situation feels challenging.

 

• Never underestimate the value of having fun and believing in the possibilities, regardless of the odds stacked against you.  While disappointed that they didn’t bring the Cup to Nashville, each player expressed their excitement in returning in a few months to start the new season and build on what they learned this year.

 

• The halo effect of their positivity and character truly inspired the community to respond with a combination of our Southern culture and hospitality, blending the traditions of the game of hockey.  As a leader, it’s a great outcome to elevate an entire team by creating values and behaviors that transcend the “game” of work.  We love our players, and appreciate their commitment to the community and the fans, and they, in turn, rallied for us.  You can’t ask for more than that in a win-win environment.

Certainly bringing the Cup home would have been an amazing end to this story, and yet we celebrate the Predators' demonstration of commitment, focus and integrity, as well as the great sense of fun that they brought to each game. Their best inspired the rest of community to be committed and bring our best.  It wasn’t perfect, indeed, yet spectacularly successful none-the-less.  It was a nearly ideal leadership experience, and was certainly inspiring enough to consider what worked well that could be applied in other work environments.  How can you bring these lessons to your team?