Are You The Answer to Your Team's Problem?

Who is going to solve your team's problem?

Sometimes it takes the whole team.

Sometimes it takes a strategic part of the team.

Sometimes it even takes part of the team and some people from outside of the team to solve a problem.

And, sometimes the complete answer is with the leader.

Strong leaders know that sometimes they are not the answer to the problem. And sometimes they are.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Remember the Quiet Ones

Have you ever assumed that a quiet person was fine, in agreement with you, or simply not interested in what was going on?

Quiet people process differently. It can seem like they are disinterested, when really what is going on is important thinking. Maybe we agree. Maybe we don't.

Centered leaders know that quiet people have ideas and feelings, too -- and do not ignore them.

You can count on vocal people to tell you how they feel. It may take a little more patience to identify how a quiet person feels and to get their best ideas flowing forward. But it is worth it.

Are you a quiet person or a vocal one?

How do you make sure that none of your people are ignored or taken for granted?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

P.S.
About half of the people on your team are probably quiet ones -- some focused on results and the others focused on relationships. They bring both the clarity and compassion to your team, so it's well worth your efforts to draw them in and open them up for dialogue. You won't regret it!

The Truth With Kindness

Do you tell the truth no matter what?

What about the feelings of the person you are telling that truth to? Do you keep some things to yourself to prevent hurt feelings? If you did, would that be the best thing for that person?

Centered leaders tell the truth with kindness.

That means no lies, AND no loaded and harsh judgments. Centered leaders tell the truth with the compassion to seek what's best for all concerned. It can be emotionally draining to be confronted with our truths sometimes. Centered leaders find ways to challenge without crushing -- to deliver without draining.

What are some ways that we can tell the truth with kindness?

-- Remain open to the truths of others: they may see things differently
-- Identify both the facts and the feelings of a situation
-- Suspend judgement at least until all facts and feelings are open
-- Respect everyone involved
-- Acknowledge your own strengths and weaknesses
-- See the problem as the opportunity for a stronger relationship
-- Realize that hiding the truth is a temporary solution at best
-- Face the reality that the truth will always bubble to the top
-- Sort thru each relative truth to find what can be agreed on

What other ways do you have for delivering the truth with kindness?

-- Douglas Brent Smith
http://frontrangeleadership.com

Time Changes Everything

Do you sense the pace of change?

Is life vastly different than what you remember it to be when you were a child?

Things do keep changing. Sometimes unexpectedly. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes not.

As leaders, it's our job to facilitate change. We're here to lead others in the direction of improvement, for the cause of positive change.

Not every leader acts that way, but some part of every leader does believe that they have the right changes to bring about.

Part of every leader's job is to make certain that the changes we create ARE for the better. It's our strength of character that keeps our acts of courage helpful.

Time is going to change everything anyway. Wouldn't you like to influence what those changes look like?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Unique Problems

Is your problem unique?

Are you dealing with a problem that is so unlike any problem you've ever dealt with that you aren't even sure where to begin?

That's OK. That is, in a bizarre kind of way, progress: new and unique problems signify change.

Unique problems represent distinctive opportunities to trying the truly different. Revolutionizing. Evolving. Growing.

And growth is the key to success.

Unique problems call for unique solutions that may not go by the book.

Get creative. Get courageous. Get moving.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Laughing

Do your people laugh?

Do you encourage them to laugh?

Do you allow time for your team's collective sense of humor to grow?

Centered leaders find time for their team members to laugh.

There's nothing quite like a sense of humor to get people thru the toughest of times (and to create the best of times).

Laughing -- it's good for your team, it's good for you.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

http://frontrangeleadership.com

Perfect Relationships

Is your partner perfect?

Are you?

I've made enough mistakes in my life and in my relationships to know that the
search for perfection is illusive at best and at worst, frustrating. There are
no perfect people out there waiting for us, to fall in love with us, to fix us,
to bring us what we need, to fulfill our dreams.

But that's OK.

In fact, that's wonderful.

We don't need a perfect person in order to create love. Love creates the perfect
person.

-- Douglas Brent Smith