Category Archives: Leadership

Taking and Giving Offense

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When someone takes offense easily, the aphorism is that “they wear their emotions on their sleeve,” implying that their emotions are so near the surface that they are easily provoked. That provocation can come in any number of ways, for instance, a word, a facial expression, or even a touch can evoke a response seemingly out of proportion to the stimulus. People who wear their emotions on their sleeve are difficult to be around for any length of time because of the inevitability that something will eventually offend them and cause an emotional response.

For more on this check out the video below:

 

Find the Balance

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You may have walked across a balance beam as a young person, or perhaps across a log stretching between the banks of a stream or gully. When we were growing up, my brother and I would walk across a log over an empty streambed, but when we got to the middle we would do whatever we could to get the other one to fall off. I learned quickly that, while it takes balance even to get across the log, when you are faced with challenges, keeping your balance can be much harder.

For more on this check out the short video below:

In the Moment

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Mother Angelica said, “If I’m living in the future or I’m living in the past, I’m not receptive to the grace of the Present Moment.” For her, the Present Moment took on the importance of a sacrament. As she explains it:

…I was getting too caught up in the problems of each day. They would overwhelm me. At that point, I decided I couldn’t do that. You handle this moment, then the next, and then you forget about it and move on to the next moment. …to bear everything that happened today and everything that will happen tomorrow all at one time is too much for anyone. (Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality)

For more on this check out the short video below:

Before You Respond . . .

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The normal thing to do when attacked is to respond in kind, or run away. If someone yells at you, the natural inclination is to raise your own voice in response. If someone strikes you, the natural inclination is to strike them back. If someone sends you a critical email, the natural inclination is to send back an equally critical email. These are all natural reactions and in almost every case, these are the WRONG reactions. Responding in kind to these kinds of stimuli displays poor emotional intelligence and weak leadership skills.

For more on this check out the short video below:

 

A Little Paranoia is Healthy

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A wise person will always understand that things rarely go as planned. Helmuth von Moltke stated: “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” It is good to have a plan, the sad truth, however, is that as often as not the plan doesn’t come together, at least as originally conceived. So, be prepared, at least mentally, for things to go awry. Always keep in mind the very real likelihood that you WILL need a plan ‘B,’ and perhaps even a plan ‘C’ and ‘D.’ This little bit of paranoia will give you the ability to accept reality as it unfolds, and be flexible in modifying the plan as necessary.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Blind Spots – Johari Window

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The Johari window is a psychological tool that looks at self-awareness, specifically mapping awareness of our idiosyncrasies into a matrix of four blocks:

1) that which is known by ourselves and others,

2) that which is known by others but we don’t know it about ourselves,

3) that which we know about ourselves but others do not know, and

4) that which neither others or we ourselves know about our personality/behavior.

The reason I include this in a proverb is that self-knowledge is fundamental to wisdom.

For more on this check out the short video below:

WIIFM

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WIIFM stands for: “What’s In It For Me.”  WIIFM is the operational philosophy of nearly 100% of the population, nearly 100% of the time, including you and me. Yes, there are a LOT of people who say they operate under a different philosophy, and there may be a few who do, at least occasionally, but, by and large, that number is low.  Christians strive to operate out of a philosophy of love and consideration of others above self. This is as it should be and God’s design, but most give little thought to anyone or anything without first considering the WIIFM.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Pride goes before a Fall

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That is actually a variation of Proverbs 16:18 (from the Bible): “Pride goes before destruction….” Here is another, “Do not think of yourself more highly that you ought….” Romans 12:3. Jim Collins in Good to Great described the difference between companies which performed at good levels, and those which could be considered great. Several years later he wrote a follow-up book titled How the Mighty Fall which described how many of those “great” companies had crumbled.

For more on this check out this short video:

Pick up the PHONE!!

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I know we live in a digital age.  I know that we depend on email and text messages for almost all of our communication, not to mention LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, Instagram, etc.  In most cases these forms of communication are entirely adequate to get a message across. In fact, these forms of communication can be extremely effective because they leave a nice digital trail to refer back to if necessary.

For more on this check out this short video:

Mission Statement

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The benefits of the mission statement are that it clarifies what the company DOES and does NOT do, which allows greater ability to focus on quality. People can have mission statements, too. A personal mission statement clarifies why YOU exist. It provides boundaries in your life that can be very useful in keeping your focus on the goals you have for your life. Mission Statements must be dynamic, by that I mean that a mission statement’s value is in its active guidance in your life.

For more on this check out this short video: