It’s subtle and pervasive in many corporate cultures. Talk substituting for action. I’ve often found a frequent offender to be the manager who’s gung-ho about a new management book. He likes the concepts. He talks about them often. He gets others to read the book. They like them too. The book’s jargon makes its way into their everyday language…
By definition, if you want to create something extraordinary you’ve got to leave the majority. You’ve got to break free from commonly accepted ideas and practices and go out on a limb. The catch, of course, is that you risk your sanity in the process. It’s never easy to be a non-conformist, dissenter, or rebel. You end up walking the fine line between crazy and brilliant.
Last week I facilitated a planning offsite for the senior leaders of a financial services firm. They’re a sharp group known for taking smart risks and have been very successful at it over the last 20 years. Never ones to hold back, the conversation became very intense at one point. Two executives angrily argued back and forth on an issue for 10 minutes. The temperature in the room felt like it had tripled in that time. We needed to break the tension.
Greatness isn’t calculated and it’s never by the book. It’s born from the moments when – after studying the book – you put it down and let your instincts take over. The moments when you stop thinking, trust what’s in your bones, and let loose. However, it never happens on its own. Preparation is key…
The person with the firmest grip on reality is the one who realizes that he DOESN’T have a firm grip on reality. That his opinions are always limited to the world he’s seen. And that no matter who he is, that world is small. He stands by his opinions, but has no illusions that they’re “right”. His power comes from humility.
One of my clients is regularly abrasive with his staff members. As we discussed it a few weeks back, he shared that he really hated this aspect of his behavior. He only acted this way because he felt it was the only way to keep things on track. He then asked for my advice on how to stop it. “Before we try to stop your current behavior,” I said, “let me ask you a question”…
Passion is easy when you’re young. You don’t yet understand all the reasons why your dreams are so tough to pursue. Everything seems possible. As you get older, harsh realities set in. You realize it takes a hell of a lot of effort to achieve them. Roadblocks to your plans are everywhere and it becomes tougher to stay passionate.
This week a client asked me what I felt was the most important quality of a successful leader. My response was authenticity because, like a knife, it can cut through undiscussed issues, opening up conversations and making a lot of other problems solvable. Many leaders unfortunately pervert the concept of authenticity, using it as justification to rip into people and ideas without making themselves vulnerable.
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