Leading in the Midst of Differences
Leading in the Midst of Differences
These days, leaders are increasingly facing expectations to respond to circumstances and situations occurring outside the work environment about which their employees and society have strong and differing opinions. No matter how or if they respond, many will be criticized, either for not doing enough or for doing too much.
These leaders recognize their teams represent a broad range and complexity of values and beliefs. At the same time, they understand the importance of their role in engaging the group to collaborate, support one another, and deliver results for their organizations.
So how can leaders create and support a positive work environment in the midst of such differences? By modeling the following behaviors: (more…)
0
Read More
Think of being in one of the following situations. How will you respond to it? Or if you’ve already been there, how did you respond?
An anchor serves a common purpose on a ship or boat…to stop it from moving. Lower the anchor and it engages and connects the vessel to the seabed, ensuring it stays put. It prevents drifting in the wind and current which would put those onboard at risk. It is a basic requirement for vessels on the water, typically with a sharp projection that hooks into the rock and soil. The stability it provides enables a variety of productive and pleasurable activities for those onboard.
As I sit here writing, I’m staring at my left foot. Several months ago, I injured the tendons in the ball of it. I was walking in a pair of shoes that I normally wear, but something was amiss and by the time I recognized I was experiencing constant pain, the damage was done.
I’ve become a recent fan of playing the New York Times’ daily puzzles online, and one of my favorites is Connections. Sixteen words are provided, and the goal is to form four groups of four words that are in some way connected. You have to figure out what the connection is, and you get four mistakes, after which the game ends and the correct answers pop up. For example, on the day that I’m writing this, four connected words are bar, dinner, liberty, and tinker. They’re all “words before ‘bell’”.
One of the most important roles of leaders is making the tough decisions.
Hiring The Right Players
My baking skills are marginal at best. I can follow a recipe to bake a loaf of bread, but if it doesn’t rise properly, I likely won’t understand why. Skilled bakers on the other hand know the secret to preparing a fully risen and delicious loaf of bread. They recognize the importance of a small but powerful ingredient…yeast. And they can perform consistently by making loaves that look and taste identical, time after time.
Many years ago, when I was newly appointed as the leader of a large team, I met with them to introduce myself and to learn more about them. And I shared an analogy that continues to ring true in my mind today; that we’re an orchestra and I was their conductor.
This ancient quote, attributed to Aristotle, speaks to the importance of synergy between components of a system. As important as the heart, liver, kidneys, and other physical organs are, they only come to life when they’re properly connected in the context of a living human body. And a weak or failing organ similarly has a negative impact on the entire system. Each organ or element must function at a certain level to maximize a person’s health.