High Performance Leadership

Old advice could still be good -- if it ever was good. Some old advice does not age well and so we throw it out. Stock market tips from 1980 won't do you much good today. Fashion statements from 1990 probably won't serve you well now. But some old advice holds up well. Take care of others. Tell the truth. Always do your best. Lots of old advice is still great advice. What's your best advice? -- doug smith

Once I was lost in Washington, D.C. That's easy for me because the streets are unconventionally situated compared to many other cities, plus I get lost quite easily. I could get lost in a hotel. While I was lost (before GPS was widely available) I stopped and asked for directions. Maybe the advice was good, maybe it wasn't, but I stayed lost. I asked someone else, at a deli. New directions, same outcome. Lost. Thank goodness for GPS these days! And also, thank goodness that I've learned not to take every piece of advice that's been offered to me. If I had, I might have: Given up on training Kept a dead-end job Never called an old friend just because she'd broken my heart Fired some people who later turned out to be exemplary team members Used facilitator's guides word for word You get the idea. There's a lot of bad advice out there. That's why a deep foundation of knowledge is vital. You don't get lost when you know where you'...

I've noticed that often, when I am tempted to give someone else advice, that it's really intended for me. It's an action that I should take. It's an intention that I should express. It's a direction meant for my team. How about you? The next time you catch yourself coaching someone, check to see what's in that message for you. Advice we give to others is often intended for ourselves. -- doug smith

Do you like to give advice? High performance leaders are often asked for advice. The temptation is to give it no matter what. After all, aren't we the experts? If someone is asking for advice, doesn't that mean that they trust us and believe we have the wisdom needed to answer? Maybe. Giving advice is limiting, though. What if you helped that person think thru their possibilities instead? What if they already knew what they wanted and needed to do, and were only hoping that you'd advise them accordingly? And what if your advice doesn't work? It's better to stay curious. Ask questions. Help them with their thinking. You could still end up giving them advice, but probably not. Probably, they'll develop a strategy all of their own, one that they can own and implement and achieve. "I wonder what you'll do about that" is more powerful than "here's what you should do..." -- doug smith Leadership Call to Action: Stay cu...