I'm Broken

strength: 
- muscular power, mental power, moral power, power by reason of influence, endurance

I take pride in being strong. I work hard in the office, on the road with clients, and in the gym taking care of myself. I push myself to be current in the work that I do, and I am not afraid to make big sacrifices for those that rely on me in all aspects of my life.

Being strong, for me, has become part of who I am...not just something I "try to be."

But sometimes being strong all the time is hard.

Power
Power affects us all. For some, power becomes a drug that replaces our work and evolves into our primary focus. The work, the team, and sadly common sense are soon forgotten as the cult of personality takes over. 

For others, power is a scary burden that is simply too much too manage. Although those leaders believe they can handle the responsibility and impact that comes with power, it quickly becomes obvious to those around them that they 
are not yet ready.

Power corrupts our ability to be strong in a healthy way.

Strength
The peaks and valleys of being strong, feeling strong, and occasionally feeling like you've lost your edge are normal. The challenge, as I've learned over and over again, is to rise up each time you feel like you've slipped off course.

The danger is that we allow the feeling that we're somehow irreparably broken to become the lens we see ourselves through.

But that doesn't mean we don't feel that way sometimes. 

How About You
Who do you know that might feel broken today? Maybe it's a colleague, a team member...or you. Don't lose your momentum. Keep pushing...take care of yourself...and don't let the noise of the world turn you sideways.

You are stronger than you think...and you sure as hell are not broken. I'm not either.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Strength of the World

Do you believe you can make a difference in your organization? In the life of your employees? How about your customers, vendors, and other business partners?

Do you? 

Do you believe it deep inside. I'm not talking about the same old rah rah speech you've heard over the years from the executives in your life. I mean do YOU believe YOU can do it?

Talk Means Nothing

So much time is spent challenging leaders to be better, including this blog, that you would think all of the leaders out there would have to be good because there is so much to read, learn about, and practice in their workplaces.

But alas, we're talking about human beings...so no, we won't have perfect leaders running around. Instead we'll have leaders that continue to struggle with their ego, power, bias, and the nastiest of all burdens, the narrow lens that they see the world through.

"I must be right, I'm the manager!"

Decide To Be Better

The decision to elevate your leadership game does not happen in a single moment. It is a daily decision...a meeting to meeting decision...and sometimes a moment by moment choice to be better.

Are you ready to make that level of commitment? Don't answer yet. Deciding to be one of the most impactful leaders ever is not a decision you make thirty seconds into a blog post. It is something that you thoughtfully consider.

 

It's a decision that requires that you surround yourself with a team of people outside your organization that you can rely on when the fun part of leadership becomes the heaviest of burdens.

It requires your total focus and attention. Anything less, and you will simply be one of the many well-intended and woefully mediocre managers out there across the world of work.

How About You

The strength necessary to be a true leader is extraordinary. But you have it in you. Put your leadership plan together that will help you change how you work, think, act and perform.

It will change how you lead...in every moment. Now is your time.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Hire Your Weakness

I enjoy spending time with people who have similar interests as me. Whether it's business, sports, staying fit, or just being with an interesting person who is outgoing and engaging, I know we'll hit it off. If you happen to work in #HealthcareHR and you love hockey we will undoubtedly be friends for life.

I'm not kidding. For life!

Egos, Threats, and Teams
There is a big problem with focusing on people who are similar to me when it comes to building my team though. If I allow my ego to dictate that I have to be the smartest person on the team (read here --> we're doomed); and if I'm so threatened by someone who might be able to add something that I cannot to our work (read here --> we're doomed again); then I need to shut off my computer and call it a day.

Leadership isn't about knowing everything, or worse yet, putting pressure on yourself to perform as if you did have an answer for every challenge. That doesn't make any sense. 

Yet time and time again as leaders climb the corporate ladder they somehow convince themselves that because of their success they must know it all. Otherwise how would they have achieved such status to begin with?
 
I'd say that is just about the craziest thing I've ever heard.

It's Called Leadership...Not Me-ship
Why is it that so many successful leaders fall into the trap of believing they have it all figured out? Self-esteem? Pressure to perform? Insecurities that they feel would hurt their careers if they ever surfaced?

Yes, yes, and yes. However, showing your human side to your team not only makes you more real, but allows them to feel empowered to contribute, add value, and make the work you are ultimately responsible for that much better.

Now why in the world wouldn't we all show the human side of ourselves? We are in human resources, right? It's in our job title!

How About You
The next time you have a vacancy on your team, instead of defaulting to the normal process of evaluating the position, take a look at where you are weakest and make that skill set the number one priority for the search process. Does that sound scary, liberating or maybe a little bit of both?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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