Leadership

Have you ever had someone who believed in you, trained you and then empowered you to take on key responsibilities? If so, how did that make you feel? What did you learn? How did it help you grow?

John Maxwell wisely states that “the true measure of leadership is influence; nothing more, nothing less.” One key way to influence people is to invest in them and empower them to take on responsibility. The goal of leadership should be to develop other leaders, not gain followers. If you are simply gaining followers who are unable to learn from you and do what you do, then you are shortchanging them, the organization and yourself. One of the key lessons I learned as a young leader is to “work yourself out of a job.” If you develop people who can do what you do, you will be free to work on new and more important tasks or initiatives. And you will strengthen your team and organization.

So, how do you empower others? Follow the following four-stage process:

Stage 1 – I do, you watch

In this stage, you are simply showing your developing leader(s) what you do. Observation is critical for them to get a vision of what they will do. This stage doesn’t need to last long. Simply invite them to shadow you for a reasonable time frame. This could be a few days or a few weeks depending on your circumstances, but your goal is to move them to stage 2 as quickly as you believe they’re ready.

Stage 2 – I do, you help

In this stage, you are now having them help you. You start to apprentice them in a hands-on manner. Give them tasks to do as you are doing your work. Give them more and more pieces of projects as appropriate and as they are ready.

Stage 3 – You do, I help

In this stage, loosen the reigns of what you are controlling. Instead, let them take the lead on what they’ve been doing with you in stage 2. You then will act as their back-up support. Step in only if their failure will be detrimental to the project or organization. Ask them questions along the way to evaluate how well they are absorbing your training and to help them think through changes they need to make.

Stage 4 – You do, I watch

In this stage, you send them off on their own and watch from a distance. Let them know you’re available, but that you won’t be “holding their hand” anymore. You shift from a hands-on mentor to a trusted advisor. At this point you should check in on them occasionally, but create intentional distance so they will feel the weight of their responsibility and understand that it is now theirs to “own.”

If you work through this sequence with those you are leading, you will begin to see leaders multiply and you will feel great joy and relief as you see them succeeding and taking on responsibilities that frees you up to work on other important matters. This is a repeatable process that all leaders should be working through with their followers.

Empower people and watch your influence grow!

Be Intentionally Great today!

It’s been said by many that people do business with those they KNOW, LIKE  and TRUST. We may not consciously think about this, but I’m confident that subconsciously we’re evaluating everyone we meet to see if they meet this criteria. To be a an effective, influential leader we need to realize these three qualities are critical.

But how do you achieve this with people? You connect with them.

Well, what does that mean? There are many ways to connect with people, but let’s look at a few practices that John Maxwell shares in his wonderful book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect:

#1 – Connectors connect on common ground

This is a simple practice that anyone can do, but you have to start by making your conversations about the other person. To find common ground you cannot be focused on yourself. You need to be curious about the people you are engaging. Ask good questions. Listen intently. Be on the lookout for common interests, backgrounds, etc. Spend time on their turf or obey the old adage of “walking a mile in their shoes.” Find common ground and you’ll create a connection.

#2 – Connectors do the difficult work of keeping it simple

Whether you’re talking one on one, to a small group, or to a larger audience, keep your communication simple. Find ways to make complex information easy for people to understand. When you do this, people value your conversations. They will appreciate you! It’s been said that you haven’t mastered a subject until you can explain it to a child. To grow in influence with the people you lead (or want to lead), adhere to the K.I.S.S. principle – keep it short and simple.

#3 – Connectors live what they communicate

This is vital to connection and to your integrity. Do you “walk the talk?” Do you demonstrate in your daily actions what you speak? If you are in sales, do you believe in your product or service? If you’re a teacher, do you adhere to the information and principles you teach? If you are in health care, do you take care of your own health? One definition of integrity is “who you are when no one is looking.” Does your inner and outer life match up? People can spot a phony a mile away. Authenticity is critical if you want to connect with people and grow in influence.

While this is not an exhaustive list of how to connect with people, taking time to implement these three key principles will take you far. Remember, the true measure of leadership is influence; nothing more, nothing less. Take these principles seriously and watch your influence grow.

Be Intentionally Great today!

***If you would like to take a deeper dive on this topic personally, with your team, or your entire organization, email me at chris@leadlifebig. I offer keynote presentations, workshops, and team mastermind group studies on Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John C. Maxwell.

Have you ever been lost and needed someone to come alongside you to point you in the right direction?

Have you ever been struggling and having a difficult time gaining clarity to understand what decisions are the right ones to make?

Sometimes in life we need a navigator to come alongside of us and help us move forward and in the right direction. It’s not uncommon as young drivers and young adults to call “shotgun” and want to sit in the front passenger seat on a road trip. What we don’t often think about is the responsibility of sitting in that seat to help make sure the trip goes well.

It may not be a huge deal to get lost on a road trip. You can typically stop and ask for directions. But what about being lost in your life’s direction? What about when you feel up against a wall or simply “stuck”? That’s when you need a navigator to come alongside you.

If you desire to have greater influence in the lives of people, consider the following ways of how you can be a navigator for them:

• Spot obstacles ahead and give warnings of danger ahead
• Lead people by the hand through the fog in their minds
• Be a listening ear so they can process what’s going on and help them make sense of it all
• Share your past experiences that can help others avoid the traps you fell into

We all go through times where we need someone to come alongside of us and help us navigate the challenges and potential opportunities in front of us. Commit to being that navigator for others and watch your influence and impact grow!

Be Intentionally Great today!

Do you realize that your personal growth (or lack thereof) affects those around you?

Have you ever considered how YOU can affect the environment you live and work in by making personal growth a priority?

Perhaps you’ve heard the analogy of being either a thermometer or a thermostat. A thermometer simply reads the temperature of a room. A thermostat controls the temperature. When you make personal growth an intentional part of your life, you become a thermostat. You begin to affect the “temperature” in your family, your workplace, and your community.

As a personal growth and leadership coach, I am always on the lookout for people who are growing. I love to observe how one person has the power to make things better in their environment. As a leader, your goal should always be to make things better for those around you. You should be paying attention to what is broken and how you can  help fix it. Leadership is about relationships. Broken things get fixed by people. Consider the following questions:

Who are you investing in?

Whose “lid” are you lifting so they can be more successful?

Who are you encouraging to make themselves better?

What is the condition of your environment?

What needs to change?

What actions can you take to make things better?

You are powerful…more powerful than you probably imagine. As you grow, you have the ability to lift others to new heights. To improve the conditions of your environment, invite others to join you in your growth journey. Your invitation may be just what they need to improve their lives at home and at work.

Key Question – Who is one person that you should reach out to today and begin this journey?

Be Intentionally Great today!

It’s the beginning of Spring as I write this post and I’m thinking about seasons of growth. We made it through a very mild winter where I live and I’m thankful for that. But another season is upon us and it’s time for new growth to start showing up. Flowers are blooming. Trees are budding. Grass is becoming green and growing. It’s what happens during Spring!

But do you think about our personal growth much? Seasons come and go in nature. The same is true in your life. What season are you in? Are you growing? Do you have a plan to grow? Many people drift through life essentially staying the same as they were 5, 10, or even 20 years ago. Is that you? Or are you someone who seeks new growth opportunities?

Personal growth is a choice. In fact, it’s a daily choice. Change is something that most people resist, but the fact is that change is going to happen whether we welcome it or not. Things around us will keep changing. We can’t control most of it. But we can control our own growth. We can pick up a book. We can take a course. We can seek out mentors. We can step out of our comfort zones.

As you reflect on your life, are you choosing to grow or are you staying the same? When we are born, physical and mental growth happens at an exponential rate. As children, we learn something new every day because we’ve never experienced it before. As adults, many things are repetitive and we don’t learn much new. But we have a choice to make.  We can let the days slide by with the same ol’, same ol’ OR we can make the decision to stretch ourselves and learn something new through study or action.

What is one area of your life that you’d like to change? Determine one key action to take today and then do it! Choose to grow. As you grow, new opportunities will come your way. Spend a few moments thinking about the last days of your life. What do you want to look back on and be glad that you did? In order to avoid a life of regret, you’ll have to sacrifice a life of comfort. Determine to take a courageous step of growth.

Be Intentionally Great today!

Do you ever desire to be respected more?

Do you want to receive a promotion so you can achieve greater income and influence?

Start by being responsible where you are.

This is a principle that is often overlooked. We want the promotion before we’ve done anything to receive it. We want credibility before we’ve earned it. We want the benefits before we’ve done the work to receive them.

The way to receive a bigger platform is to shine in your current situation. I recently heard the story of a young woman who desired to be hired for an important role in a non-profit organization. However, she didn’t have the experience to be hired for the position. What did she do? She took an entry-level position in that organization and proved herself in the course of more than a year. Then, when her desired position was open again, she applied and was easily promoted into it.

One of the challenges of today’s culture is we expect to jump into top-level leadership roles without “paying our dues.” In past generations, people understood that they would have to work their way up the “ladder.” Today we have a microwave mindset. We expect to jump right to the top without having to gain experience along the way. If you start your own company or organization, you can do that, but I guarantee you’ll have to learn many hard lessons along the way in order to survive. It’s possible, but not as easy as many like to think.

However, if you work hard and “bloom where you’re planted” in your current role, opportunities will come. While it requires patience, you will be better prepared because of the daily work you do and the incremental growth you experience.

Don’t take it as an insult if/when people say you aren’t ready. Instead, embrace your time in the “incubator” as you mature and grow into the role you desire. Start working at the level you’ll need to when your opportunity comes. There’s a saying of “when you prepare for the moment, the moment is prepared for you.” Are you preparing for your moment? Are you doing the work today in order to receive the level of influence, impact, and income you desire tomorrow?

Being responsible where you are today leads to greater credibility and opportunities later. Show up every day and do your best work. People will notice. However, simply showing up and “putting in your time” will be noticed too. Just because you’re there doesn’t mean you’re contributing at a level that stands out.

You can do this. I believe in you! Don’t settle for coasting and expecting a promotion. Instead, prove yourself by working hard each day.

Be Intentionally Great today!

Have you ever found yourself “stuck” because you didn’t feel you were ready to start something yet?

Have you ever worried about launching a product, service, or initiative before you were confident it was “just right?”

I have good news for you!

If you truly want to become great at anything, you have to start with “imperfect action.” Imperfect action means that you start and adjust along the way. Think about it…technology companies do this all the time. They launch a product or service, then update it based on user experience. Think of how many times you’ve had to update your phone, tablet, or computer. Those updates make the device perform better. That means the product wasn’t perfect when you bought it! It has room for improvement.

Too many people die with their dreams inside of them because they are too afraid to take action before they’ve perfected everything. Too many people live frustrated lives because they don’t achieve their goals, but they never start because they aren’t confident enough at what they are offering. Don’t let that be you!

I’ve experienced this personally. A colleague and I talked about a workshop idea for months before we finally put a date on the calendar. When we did that, it forced us to take imperfect action. It forced us to learn skills we didn’t already possess. It forced us to GROW! And you know what? We led a great workshop that impacted the lives of several people. But it wouldn’t have started without taking imperfect action.

Start before it’s perfect. Implement, then adjust. Become comfortable with imperfect action and you’ll be amazed at how much farther you get in your life and work. You’ll be amazed at how you learn and grow along the way.

I believe in you!

Take imperfect action and Be Intentionally Great today!

If you’re like me, you want instant results. You want to take X action and see Y result NOW. But what I’ve discovered is that lasting results take time. It takes going through a process of growth and development to become the best versions of ourselves.

We live in a “microwave” society where we expect everything to happen FAST, but long-term development and lasting results take time. We need to learn how to patiently go through the process in a very impatient culture. Our expectations have changed exponentially over the past 30 years as computers and technology have changed the game. Remember when we waited for the screech of dial-up internet to load up so we could use email and do some browsing online? Then high-speed internet was introduced and we became impatient with dial-up. Now high-speed continues to get faster and faster, yet we are impatient with it.

So, how do we manage expectations when things are constantly speeding up? We need to embrace the process. We need to realize that it takes daily growth in order to have long-lasting, sustainable results. Don’t be a “flash in the pan” that has no long-term impact. Instead, make a commitment to work through the process to grow daily and experience the compound effect of intentional action steps.

You are becoming daily who you were created to be. Instead of wishing away the pain and struggles of today, embrace them as growing pains and catalysts to become a better, stronger, wiser person who will be able to make a greater difference tomorrow and in the years to come.

John Maxwell states in his Law of Process that “leadership develops develops daily, not in a day.” I believe that is true for so many areas beyond leadership. Your relationships, your skills, your impact develop daily, not in a day.

Realize that growth and progress often take longer than you want and cost more than you expect. But if you embrace the process and keep a long-term view of development you will be able to better manage your expectations and find yourself being more patient.

Embrace the process.

Be Intentionally Great today!

Perhaps you’re like me – you want to take action and slowing down to think and plan is awkward and challenging. Perhaps you’re the opposite – you love to think and make plans, but taking action on those plans is a challenge for you. Wherever you fall on this continuum, we must all realize that strategic planning is critical for our long-term success.

John Maxwell’s “Law of Priorities” is “Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment.” We can be busy doing many things without accomplishing much. We live in a society that wears “busyness” as a badge of honor. Ask most people how they’re doing or what’s new and they’ll say something like “Staying busy!” But one lesson I’ve learned from people much wiser than me is that slowing down and doing “deep” work is much more impacting than going fast and doing “shallow” work.

If your goal is to feel like you’ve accomplished something today, make a list of 20 menial tasks and get them done. You’ll feel good about it at the end of the day, but will you really have accomplished much? What if instead you sat down for 15 minutes each morning to think through your day and write down what matters most? What would it look like for you to strategically map out your days and weeks? Do you think your impact would increase? Do you think it could affect your influence – even your income?

A gentleman I know shared that he dedicates one hour every Monday morning just for “thinking time.” He sits down with only a notepad and pen. He dedicates this time to think about how to move forward in his business. He said the first 15 minutes can be rough sometimes, but once he’s in a good mental place, ideas start to flow. What do you think would happen in your life and work if you dedicated time to stop and think about your life and work?

Don’t get me wrong, this will require discipline and commitment for many of us. For action-oriented people this can be a real challenge. But let’s not forget the value of slowing down and planning so that we can increase our influence, impact, and income. I’m confident we’ll all be better for it.

Be Intentionally Great today!

Would you like to live a life of greatness and leave a lasting legacy? I think it’s safe to say that most people would say “Yes!” to that question. But many people aren’t sure how. Maybe that’s you.

Achieving success in your life is to be admired. It means you’ve put in a lot of energy and hard work to get there. It means you made the decision to go after your goals and visions. It means you made sacrifices in order to achieve at higher levels.

But what if there is a way to up-level your success to achieve an even greater reality? Would you want that?

The way to achieve this is to shift from “success thinking” to “significance thinking.” It’s a subtle shift, but it is what leaves a lasting legacy. A personal example of this is my grandfather. He passed away at the age of 69 when he lost his battle with cancer. He had a successful business career that he retired from several years earlier. He was a leader in his church. He was a city councilman for many years. He was an incredible father and grandfather. He took every opportunity to make an impact in the lives of people he met, even the hospital staff that took care of him up until his last day of life. He left an incredible legacy for me and my family. He did this because he didn’t settle for “success” alone. He chose to live a life of significance.

You can too. But how do you do it?

When I coach clients on how to discover their purpose, I share four key areas to reflect upon:

1 – Gifts/Skills/Abilities – What are you good at?

2 – Experiences – What personal and professional experiences have you learned from over the years?

3 – Passions – What energizes you? What angers you that you want to fix? What motivates you to get out of bed each day?

4 – Needs – What needs do you see around you that you can address?

When you find the intersection of each of these areas, you will find your life purpose. As you grow throughout your life, your purpose will grow as well. Defining your life purpose is a key step to shifting from success to significance thinking.

Let me give you two ways to make this shift:

1 – Invest in your personal growth.

Are you continually growing? Are you finding new books, articles, conferences, and trainings to attend? Do you have a mentor or coach? Are you filling your own tank so you are filled up to pour into others?

While it may be an overused analogy, putting your own oxygen mask on before you help others is critical in emergency situations and investing in your personal growth is as important in living a life of significance. Create a personal growth plan and determine to grow day after day.

2 – Find ways to invest in others. 

As you grow personally, you will be able to help others more. It could be mentoring a fellow employee. It could be helping a neighbor. It could be mentoring your child(ren). It may be serving the under-resourced and homeless population in your city. It literally could be dozens of ways. Go back to the process of discovering your purpose and seeing the needs around you. Investing in others is what builds legacies.

You have so much more to offer than you can imagine. Don’t settle for a life of mediocrity. Instead, go after a life of significance. Read one of my favorite quotes from Nelson Mandela:

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

You are capable of so much! Choose to lead your life BIG – Be Intentionally Great – by growing and investing in others. I believe in you. I can’t wait to see the legacy you leave while you move ahead in this incredible journey called LIFE!

***If  you need to clarify your purpose and/or learn how to break through barriers holding you back from reaching your potential, please contact me. I would love to help you advance in your life.