What? Inspiring sacrifice? That sounds...well...miserable. Vision First Where am I headed with this notion of inspiring sacrifice? It starts with each of us as individuals. More specifically, it comes from those times in our lives when the world seems to be closing in around us. Whether it's a personal issue, a complex professional challenge, or your desire to change your life for the better, two things (at least) are in play: 1. The pressure of getting through whatever "it" is 2. Finding the strength to make the necessary changes to "get there" For me, it starts with a vision. What do I want my professional life to look like? How do I want my life to be outside the world of work (remember, work is not your life, it's just an important part.) How do I want to feel from a health and fitness perspective. All of these pieces are linked together. We literally can not separate them into convenient little buckets. Trust me on this one...I've tried many, many times. Finding Strength Moving our grand visions from concept to reality requires much more than wishing them to be true. How exactly does one move past pain, challenges, frustration, disappointment, anxiety all the while staying fired up and believing they will achieve their goals? How do you inspire this kind of sacrifice? Where do you draw the strength necessary, when you have run out of resources, but still need to push harder? How do you continue to challenge yourself to excel when you are exhausted? How do you push beyond every boundary when you are ready to collapse physically, emotionally and mentally? When it must be done...how do you get there? Go Deeper There is more to draw upon actually, but there is a powerful barrier in the way. It is our mind. It tells us we can't continue. It tells us we will get hurt, physically, emotionally and mentally. It never stops telling us to take the easy path. - No need to push for that organizational change...it will be too political - No need to do any more reps, you've worked hard enough in the gym today - No need to have the tough conversations in your life, just shut down and it will pass Well my friends, our minds are wrong. We can withstand so much more. Our minds are in fact constantly searching for the easiest path forward. However, the easiest path produces zero results, physically, mentally and emotionally. The easiest path is paved with familiar, and sadly, comfortable excuses for you to remain mediocre. It is only when we reject our soft self-talk that we achieve breakthroughs. It is only when we decide to push through the pain and stress and fear that we achieve greatness. It is only when we decide to be something much better than we are today, that we take our entire lives to a completely new place. How About You So, what is the secret source of the necessary focus to "get there?" For me it is a combination of faith, self-reflection, and a bold commitment to turn off the noise (my own, and from everyone else) to achieve things I never thought possible. Who's with me?
"Nice office...great job title...big team and budget...ahhh...life is good. This gig feels like I've finally arrived in paradise." - Said every new leader since forever For those leaders that have scored the proverbial hat trick of landing a great job, work that they love, and a company that has great leadership, life can be really good. For some that means they believe they can take their foot off the pedal. It's almost as if they have convinced themselves that now they can delegate their work and simply operate in a "strategic" role. Bahahahahaha. Leadership Is Hard As Hell I'm not exactly sure how "hard" hell is, but let's assume it's pretty rugged. To me, the privilege of leadership requires a whole new commitment on several levels: 1. Personal Leading requires sacrifice. Not only in the extra time necessary to get the job done, but in understanding much more about the business than just the collection of boxes on your organizational chart. For those not willing to put in the time, leadership will be a short and inglorious experience. I don't care what Generation (Boomer, X,Y or Z) thinks about this point. Leadership requires a new level of dedication; but trust me, there's still time to save the world too. 2. Strategic vs. Tactical I see leaders at high levels all the time that believe they shouldn't have to "get into the weeds" of the work. I hate to burst their bubble, but the only effective leaders are those that can effectively flex between both high level work and also understand what it takes to get the job done. For those tossing around buzzwords and jargon you are not fooling anyone. In fact, you're actually playing the fool in front of your colleagues. 3. Energy Is More Important Than Ever Before Leading effectively consumes an inordinate amount of energy. If you are going to perform at a high level (which by default is a minimum requirement of every leader) then you must take care of yourself. Good nutrition, exercise and sleep are not just things you "should do." They are required. Commit to modifying your lifestyle today...and for God's sake don't say you're too busy. That makes you sound like you can't get your life organized, and no one wants to follow that person. Ever. How About You Does leadership feel like paradise sometimes? You bet it does. I wouldn't trade it for any other job on Earth. The ongoing (and quite humbling process of leading effectively) means that I have to unravel my vision of paradise so I can be my absolute best. I'd love to hear from you. No Excuses. pic
I spend a lot of time thinking about leadership, and more specifically what it takes to be an effective leader. So much is written about this topic (including this blog) that it almost seems impossible to read it all, process it in a timely way, and execute the approaches that make the most sense to us in our professional lives. We have so many options to consider, perhaps we are over-thinking the core concepts of leadership; and in so doing, we're missing opportunities to achieve our primary goal of leading effectively. Use The Data The more I struggle with my own leadership and the behaviors of other leaders, I find myself returning to the work Jim Collins did relative to Level 5 Leaders. The piece in Harvard Business Review is a fantastic resource that describes what it takes to get to this lofty status. Collins' data suggests that there are two primary behaviors that are essential for leaders to move beyond their own myopic view of the world: humility and fierce resolve. When was the last time you tried that combination at the office? What It Means To Me Read the article, I don't need to reprise it here. The evolution in my thinking has shifted from Collins' focus areas and the subsequent hierarchy of achieving Level 5 status down to one word: sacrifice. Sacrifice. What comes to mind when you hear that word? Pain? Suffering? Loss of personal or professional freedom? Sacrifice to me means all of those things and more. It's a commitment to something more important than ourselves; yet at the same time it can be a selfish move too. Sometimes we make sacrifices for others or our organizations. In fact, that type of sacrifice has dominated much of my life. There is another type of sacrifice. When we take risks to try new things...when we test out new strategies that others have been afraid to try...when we move out of our comfort zones...these are sacrifices too.
When we are willing to sacrifice our credibility in order to achieve a breakthrough that could benefit our companies and ourselves, we are also making a sacrifice. Those sacrifices are not easy...in fact, most don't dare give them a try. How About You How do you define success? Are risk-taking and sacrifice part of your definition of effective leadership? For me, they are two of the most important pieces. Think about what is most important to you. This stuff matters. I'd love to hear from you. No Excuses.
If you are motivated to read the true story of one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, pick up Eric Metaxas' book Bonhoeffer. You will learn about a whole new level of leadership sacrifice that goes far beyoned the day to day worries of onboarding, vacancies, and corporate strategy.
Let me know what you think. I'd love to discuss Dietrich's work, and Eric's book, anytime.
