A business owner who read my newsletter regularly for more than a decade and often told me how much he always learned from me unsubscribed recently. All because of two words. Two words! Wow! It’s no loss to me, but why would someone walk away from an abundant and free source of insights they value because of two words? There are only two reasons I can think of. First, my two words were utterly horrific. Second, the person was wired for blind rage. What were the two words that leaped out at this guy from all the other words I’ve written in 4 books and over 600 articles? What terrible words sent him running with seething indignation?
When a client finally accepted that the root cause of their many struggles was that they keep hiring the wrong people, it was a major breakthrough. What will likely take even longer is for them to realize that they aren’t even qualified to hire the kind of people they really need! “How can we be hiring the wrong people when we hire such great people?” they demanded to know. Every one a top notch subject matter expert just like themselves. People with great experience and knowledge in the field. People who care as much as they do. And people who fit in really well. How could this be a problem? The problem they finally recognized is that by hiring people like themselves, they don’t really have people managers or project managers or product managers or branding experts or…
While speaking at the Elevate Leadership Summit in Idaho, I wanted to illustrate how differently we all see things so I relayed a story about the day I brought my future husband home for the very first time. Within about two minutes of walking in the door, he asked for a hammer. He wanted to pound in a protruding nail on our stairway before something or someone got caught on it. He could not not see that nail. Nor could he leave it sticking out. I, on the other hand, along with my two parents and four siblings, had lived with that nail for a cumulative count of over 200 years without it ever occurring to any of us to do something about it. I certainly knew it was there; I used to wrap the phone cord around it while sitting on those steps and chatting with friends. (Yes, that dates me!) If a protruding nail can be a preoccupation for some and effectively invisible to others, you can never assume your co-workers are noticing or thinking the same things you are. Nor can you fault them for not seeing what you see. This fact is at the heart of my Disconnect Principle.
Even my best clients have been known to forget some of the most critical distinctions, so I thought some reminders were in order.
I used to hate giving feedback. I hated that uncomfortable feeling of delivering bad news or confronting employees who screwed up or came up short. I didn’t know anyone who felt differently. I still don’t. I am hoping this article changes that.
I had a really nice trip to Washington, DC at the end of February to work with a client. One of our goals was to create more honest, open communication so people can say what needs to be said without tiptoeing, squirming, avoiding, or unleashing untold anger. It was a great success.
It’s all the rage to measure results and progress. Which is good! But, if you don’t know what to measure, it can be a disaster. I work with a lot of nonprofits that are really struggling to figure this out. Time for a dose of clarity! There are three basic types of metrics.
With the trust of your employees and colleagues, you can accomplish amazing things. Trust generates commitment. It generates energy. It encourages people to think for themselves, speak up with confidence, and assume greater responsibility. It eliminates the stress and waste associated with self-protective behaviors. When others trust you and believe you have their best interests at heart, they can be a better version of themselves. Everyone wins. So how does a leader build trust? Here are eight steps that will help you become a trusted leader able to accomplish amazing things.
Since publishing The Clarity Papers a year ago, my business has really changed. My traditional core is in greater demand, as you would expect: Clients who want me to come in and lead their teams to greater clarity and better results, whether strategic planning, solving complex problems, or increasing the team’s ability to work together honestly and effectively. Executive coaching clients who work with me one-on-one as their trusted advisor to unlock their insights, challenge their assumptions, and enhance their ability to manage the host of decisions and situations they face with greater confidence and integrity. Keynote addresses that transform audiences into fans of clarity. What’s new:
You don’t get to the top by being lazy. It takes a lot of hard, careful work. You need to be thorough and avoid mistakes. At the same time, you need to keep your eye on the big picture so you know when to push back and change course. You also have to be alert to your environment and know who can be relied upon and who needs help or watching. By the time you’ve earned a long series of promotions, you’ve made ultra competence your habit. That’s great! Congratulations! Now it’s time to stop that. It’s time to be lazier!