High Performance Leadership

  How many eighty-hour work weeks do you put in? That's not meant to judge, but to ponder. I've put in plenty of eighty and more hour work weeks and while I don't regret any of them I know that they haven't all paid-off proportionately. It's possible to work so hard that you miss what's important. It's a frequent paradox that the longer one works they less productive they become. I've learned to tell myself: Take a break. Relax. Let it all come to you, flow thru you, and go on its merry way -- if only for a little while. Drink water, exercise, meditate, pray, and relax.  To be truly centered, to be truly focused and balanced, high performance leaders need to be healthy. Healthy leaders build healthy teams. Take care of yourself. -- doug smith

  Doesn't it seem a little hazy sometimes? The future is fuzzy. Uncertainty rules. It can knock us sideways with a dizziness that dazzles us without rest. Breathe. You are up to this. You are made for this. You can center yourself, focus yourself, clarify your own goals, and push. Relentlessly push positively in the direction you choose. If it's the wrong direction, you'll discover that and shift. High performance leaders are constantly shifting. From the old, to the new. From the uncertain, to the clear. Shift. Centered leaders live with ambiguity while pushing for clarity. Keep pushing. -- doug smith

I once had a friend (OK, much more than a friend) who wrote a lovely song with the words "slow down and enjoy the view." It made perfect sense in 1977 and it makes even more sense now. We're in such a hurry. We're focused on our goals and on our results. We drive, drive, drive our people to do ever more -- faster, and better. Sometimes, though, we need to breathe. When a high performance leader shows that it is OK to take the time to breathe, that it's OK to slow down once in a while to center yourself -- that pays off for the whole team. Sure, achieve those goals. And -- take care of yourself and your team as you do great things. The ride is never long enough so don't miss the view. -- doug smith

Do people need to earn your respect? Some people do believe that it is necessary to prove yourself worthy of respect before someone should grant you respect. What's the problem with that? When we put ourselves into the position of judge we also open the door wider to being judged. Can people tell when you respect them?  Undoubtably. We seem to have an inner radar that differentiates respect from disrespect -- or worse, disregard. We can tell, and we care. Deeply. Whatever a person has done in the past that we might question, it is still possible to treat them with respect. Kindness, compassion, even love know no limits. Respecting someone does not mean that you agree with everything that they've ever done -- or even with what they are  doing or saying right now. Respect means that you treat them with human dignity, fairness, compassion, and honor. I know that it can be tough to show respect in the heat of an argument or when someone is not acting in a likable mann...

High performance leaders solve problems. They solve their problems and they work with their team members to solve collective team problems (because any team problem becomes a collective problem - impossible to isolate.) Using the right balance of clarity, courage, creativity, and compassion high performance leaders facilitate the kind of dialogue that challenges, encourages, cooperates, and collaborates. They talk about it. Their team talks about it. They get it done. It can be rough going solving problems. Personalities can get excited. High performance leaders find ways to remain centered. How? Of course it depends. Here are some ways to remain centered when you're solving problems: Breathe Pause Maintain respect Think creatively Consider many, many possibilities Suspend your inner judge and stay curious Trust that others have ideas as great as yours There's more to it of course. Solving problems is a dynamic, difficult adventure. But by taking the time to...

Centered leaders remember that people are not perfect and are not surprised by their imperfections. -- Doug Smith

Centered leaders do not judge people for being imperfect. -- Doug Smith

How centered are you? Don't ask me! That's the kind of humility-busting question that invalidates whatever answer I could muster up. Centered? Sure. How centered? It depends on when you ask. High performance leaders stay centered. They come off their center sometimes, sure. We all do. No one is perfect. And being centered does not imply perfection. It implies control. It conveys flexibility. It denotes composure in the face of pressure. High performance leaders maintain their composure in the face of unrelenting pressure. You know, the world that we're in. Staying centered is a practice, a discipline, and perhaps a bit of good fortune. I'm working at it everyday. How about you? -- Doug Smith

There is a balance that leaders must find. Go too easy on your team and they will perceive that you don't care. You're not there to create a country club atmosphere. There are standards. There are goals. There are expectations. Your job is to communicate those goals and expectations and follow-up to make sure that your team is achieving them. That does not mean shouting, demanding unreasonably, or bullying. You know who works for a bully? Only people who have no choice, and then they deliver the bare minimum. The popular image of a yelling, demanding boss only works in the movies. In real life, people find ways to leave the bully flat. No one wants a weak supervisor. They want someone who has their back, who backs them up, who lets them know when they are delivering exemplary results and who also lets them know when they need to feedback. People want and need feedback. Just choose it carefully. Focus on the behavior, not the person. No one wants a bully, either. Yell at...

How are you under pressure? When deadlines loom, when the client calls upset, when demands are unreasonable -- how do you react? High performance leaders are not screamers. That stereotype might play on TV but never in a real workplace. Real leaders remain calm under pressure. It's possible to communicate a sense of urgency without being a jerk. It's possible to elevate a conversation without yelling. If we get angry it just gets in the way. People will react but they will also (actively or passively) get even. The cost is too high to get loud and emotional. High performance leaders stay calm. Take a breath. Heck, take three deep breaths. Center yourself. Keep a view of the big picture. And then let the work take care of the work. -- Doug Smith

Problems resist easy answers. That's why we need to ask the tough questions. Why are things the way they are? What is the deeper cause? On the surface, we may think we understand a problem. Digging deeper, asking probing and open ended questions, we can get at the heart of what is really going on. Are people being rewarded for incorrect behavior? Is someone benefitting from the problem situation? If so, who? Is it too easy to ignore the problem? Is the source of the problem aware that there is even a problem? For example, those who most resist a fair distribution of work are those who may not be working too hard. Why change?  Executives making juicy bonuses may not even be aware of how hard it is to live paycheck to paycheck. Creative problem solvers ask the tough questions with curiosity. Not to judge. Not to punish. But to know. What's really going on? Centered problem solvers use their creativity to separate people from the problem. They use their compassion to f...

Do you ever rescue your team? A mistake that I made when I was first starting to supervise was to rescue my team (and everybody on my team) every time they made a poor choice. I considered it compassionate, and maybe it was, but sometimes people need to see the results of their actions. What's to stop me from being rude to a customer if I never see the reaction on the customer's face or have to deal with their disappointment? What's to stop someone from wasting resources on a project if their resources are constantly expanded? Sometimes we have to step back, take off our superhero cape, and let results fall where they will. Centered, high performance leaders sometimes must let people feel the consequences of poor choices. Not to put them in danger. Not to embarrass them. But to help them learn. Have you rescued anyone from the consequences of their actions recently? What will you do the next time they need to be rescued? -- Doug Smith

What do people look for in a leader? I believe that there are four key strengths that leaders must develop: clarity, courage, creativity, and compassion. As leaders we should develop these in connection with each other. I was thinking about this as I was leading a workshop on controlling chaos yesterday. When we are leading our way (and others' way) through difficult situations it is no time to be shy. It's not the time to sit back and wait for something to happen. It's not the time to get passive. High performance leaders make their expectations clear. They raise the bar. They look for people to give their best, speak up, and be assertive. It's easy to go over the edge, though. It's easy to fall into an extreme. Leaders do it frequently and are often portrayed in the media as strong and confident even though that occurs at the expense of other people's self-esteem and well being. Centered, high performance leaders do not lead and achieve at the expense ...

Which learning curve are you climbing? The lessons keep coming. When we keep growing, our energy sparks with new creativity, new courage, new compassion, and new clarity. When we keep growing, life's adventure brings more smiles than troubles. High performance leaders make it a point to keep learning. That means taking on the tough assignments. That means listening to the needs of your team and building on their ideas. That means constantly debriefing, decoding, and deciding. There's a lesson in all of this somewhere. Centered leaders find the lesson and grow. Life never stops teaching. What have you learned today? -- Doug Smith

Just because someone tries to give you a problem doesn't make it yours. Leaders get shoved problems all the time. Because your good at solving things, people are inclined to help you with more work. Do you really want more work? One of the first jobs of a high performance leader is to develop the people on the team. Teach them to resolve conflict. Train them to solve problems. Help them achieve their goals (but don't achieve them for them). It takes more time. It takes more patience. It's the centered, high performance approach to leadership. Building your team frees you up to stay strategic. Building your team makes your team not only more effective but also happier. Isn't that what you want? So the next time you see a little reverse-delegation heading your way, cut it off at the pass. And pass it right back. -- Doug Smith

We are the giants that are so dependable. We have risen from the ground,weathered the seasons and the storms. We stand tall against all skies, the bright blue ones and the ones that are grey and daunting.  Yes my friend,we are as the mighty oaks. Beautiful and majestic and vital in a very special way.  -- David Spiegel Do you have a mentor? Is there an older person in your life you trust who can guide you and coach you as you work on your goals? I've been fortunate enough to have worked with some strong and bold mentors. They haven't always been older than me. Sometimes a great mentor is younger than you, and when you get to be my age, it's highly likely than many younger people can provide expert advice, guidance, and coaching. In fact, most of the best coaching I receive now comes from people younger than me. Here's my point. Whether the guidance and feedback comes from someone older, younger, or the same point, don't disregard it. Think it over. Evaluate i...

Do you laugh out loud? People have all kinds of laughs. Some are very quiet. One of my best friends can laugh without making any noise at all. I like a laugh that makes a lot of noise. I like the sound of life in its finest ripping thru the air with a boisterous happiness unmatched by any regulations. Laughter says so much. It tells us that things are funny, things are good, things work out, and that even the toughest events, given time, can turn into big laughs. Laughter is good for the creative spirit. When we laugh, we release enough stress to open up space for more creativity, more compassion, more clarity, even more courage. Laughter helps, laughter builds, laughter releases. High performance leaders know how to laugh, and they laugh often. It's fuel for your success. Find something worth laughing at today, and let it rip. You'll feel good about it, I'm sure. -- Doug Smith

I wrote an aphorism that I wanted to share, but have held back because it sounds a little edgy; it sounds a little presumptuous, maybe even conceited. That's not my intention. So in order to share it, let me first share this: it's up to each of us to be our best. Whatever anyone thinks about us, that does not define us. What defines us is what we see in ourselves and how we put that into action. How much clarity we bring to any issue, is completely up to us. How courageous we are under pressure is not up to anyone else but us. The degree of creativity we bring to the world depends on our daily practice and our willingness and discipline to develop that creativity. Our compassion can not be given to us -- we must make it, feel it, show it ourselves. It's true for you. It's true for me. Your best you is up to you. That keeps changing. That keeps growing. It's our lifetime project and adventure: perpetual improvement. Now here's that aphorism that...

Are you playful? Can you find the fun in your work situation? Whether you are solving problems, achieving your goals, communicating for results, energizing your team, or improving your performance, whenever you can find the play you can find the power. Play gives you the power you need. Make it fun. Fully focused, fully centered, fully balanced, fun. My favorite leaders have been quick to laugh. The people I enjoy spending time with the most have a joyful sense of play that helps both relationships and results. Centered leaders play. Centered leaders see play the heart of enhanced performance.  Then they play. Are you having fun? What could you do more of as a leader that would bring more fun to your team? -- Doug Smith

Why don't people understand? Sometimes I get so frustrated because I'm trying hard to make someone understand about a problem and they just don't get it. It doesn't seem big enough, important enough, or urgent enough to prod them into action. For example, why do we tolerate a banking system that pays less than one percent interest on savings and then charges up to 20% interest on loans? Isn't that a system for robbing the poor? And why do we allow banks to charge people $39 overdraft fees, and then another fee when there's no money to pay the overdraft fee? Isn't that profoundly cruel and stupid? That's just one example. Problems abound. Some folks will listen, some won't. Some will take action, some won't. How other people respond to our problems may be inaccurate or incomplete. They don't understand...yet. They don't get it...yet. They are not ready to act...yet. High performance leaders do not give up. Centered leaders find...