Leadership

Leaders are Responsible for Constructing a Narrative That Inspires

Posted by on Sep 12, 2013 in Leadership | 324 comments

The senior leaders of an organization recently shared with me that they were facing a challenge in motivating themselves to engage with the changes that were happening in their industry. Through coaching, they came to realize that they did not have a narrative for themselves that allowed them to make sense of these changes in a positive way. The story they were telling themselves was frustrating and demoralizing. It prevented them from showing up as effective leaders. They began to create a new narrative that got them excited again. It helped them to remember what they loved about the work they did. It inspired them to recognize their role in making the decisions that were necessary to move their organization forward. This new story would help them help their people to make sense of the changes, to understand their roles in managing the changes, and to know that they had leaders who were energized to move the organization forward. I shared one of my favorites quotes with them to underline what they were doing by creating this new narrative. “As I considered the importance of language and how human beings interact with the world, it struck me that in many ways the development of language was like the discovery of fire – it was such an incredible primordial force. I had always thought that we used language to describe the world – now I was seeing that this is not the case. To the contrary, it is through language that we create the world, because it’s nothing until we describe it. And when we describe it, we create distinctions that govern our actions. To put it another way, we do not describe the world we see, but we see the world we describe…” found on page 178 in Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership written by Joseph Jaworski. They came to understand that they were replacing a narrative that would keep them stuck in the past with a narrative that could create a new future for them and their organization. Ask yourself… What is the narrative you are telling about your circumstances? Is it energizing and inspiring? If not, what is a new narrative that will move you, others, and/or your organization forward? What is the story of the future you want to create? You get to choose. Please feel free to send your comments and...

Read More

Great Leadership Creates an Environment for Success

Posted by on Aug 30, 2013 in Leadership | 9,426 comments

I facilitated a session on leadership for a senior management team the other day. Here is some of what we talked about. Great leaders create an environment for success. We defined that environment it as one in which the members of an organization or team want to give of their best freely – ideas, energy, creativity, innovation. This list can go on to include any and all of the best qualities of our ideal colleagues and partners. What are some of the elements you might want to consider as you create your environment for success? • Respect for all human beings and as a starting point for all interactions • Consistency in the messages you send through your words and behavior. Are you managing your reactions and emotions? You are always conveying a message. • Positive Emotion can inspire you, others and your organization to change, to open to new possibilities, and to accomplish your desired results. Are you paying attention to your thoughts – beliefs, perceptions, expectations and assumptions? Your thoughts along with the emotion they create become your attitude. You get to choose your thoughts. • Focus is power. You get more of what you focus on. Focus on – What is working in your organization? What results do we want? What did she just do really well? What are you aspiring to create and/or to be known for? • Leveraging strengths as a foundation for addressing gaps and challenges. • Accountability. Commitment and job responsibilities matter. What are you doing to create and support accountability as a tool for growth and development? You may think that creating an environment for success is only for leaders of teams and organizations. It is also something you may want to do for yourself and those you care about. Ask yourself… 1. What strengths do you bring to creating an environment of success for you, others, and/or your organization? 2. What elements above are most challenging for you? 3. What one area would you like to focus on improving? What specifically will you do differently? What is a way for you to create some accountability for yourself? My best to you. Please feel free to send your comments and...

Read More