High Performance Leadership

How often do you get feedback on your performance as a leader? We're all busy. We all have things to tend to. Yet, if we are leading people, how do we know that we are leading with hearts of service and helpfulness? How do we know that our own agendas are not displacing our true mission? We all make mistakes. We all have weak spots. We need someone to let us know when we go off the track and when we miss the mark. Even people of noble character have weak spots in their values. That's why we need feedback and coaching. -- doug smith

Give it your best and give time to the rest. The rest will work itself out, while you get better. -- doug smith

High performance leadership is a hands-on enterprise. Communication is essential. It is always worth remembering that communication is more than words. Communication is conveyed on three essential channels: the words, the tone, and the body language. Providing feedback means more than telling someone how they did. It could also include showing them how to do it better. When I was a young baseball player, when I struggled at the plate my coach would not just tell me how to do it better, he would show me. "Here's a better place to grip the bat...it's a better way to step into the ball...if you stand like this you'll see the pitch more clearly..." feedback and instructions. When I was taking music lessons on my old Lowry Organ my teacher would not just tell me how I sounded -- when it helped she would also show me better ways to hold my hands. When it was useful she would also move my hands to an inversion that made the chord sound more rich and full. She was ...

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