High Performance Leadership

The art of leadership is keeping the ego out of the play. It's not about you. It's never about you. As a leader, it's about the cause. -- doug smith  

When it's all important, it's important to determine what is MOST important. Filling our days with little things could squeeze out the big things. The big things matter. High performance leaders keep the big picture in mind from project to project and from goal to goal. -- doug smith

How much of leadership is service? Maybe a better question is, how much should it be? It is not unusual to struggle with serving and being served. As we progress as leaders, it can feel as if we need to be served a bit more. We have people report to us. We have responsibilities and levels of authority. And yet, at the heart of it all, isn't what high performance leaders do most is serve? We serve our mission. We serve our goals. And, most importantly, we serve our people. Team members, customers, constituents, peers, leaders...we serve our community. When we do that, it suddenly all makes much more sense. The strongest motivator is service to others. Are you ready to serve? How will you serve your people today? -- doug smith

What's the difference between a mission and a vision? You'll get different answers to that question. Here's what I think. Your mission is your practice call to action. It's what you are paid to do. It's how you keep your customers happy. Your vision is bigger. Your vision is largely aspirational, meaning you are not there yet but you aspire to be there. It's something to work toward. It guides your strategy, your goals, your actions. As you get closer to actualizing your vision -- when you become KNOWN for doing that -- it's time to evolve. Evolve your vision so that you can elevate your game. Raise the bar, so you can go far. Your vision evolves. When has it shifted the most for you and where is it now headed? Keep growing -- it's our best choice. -- Doug Smith

Have you ever seen someone who is so flexible that it's hard to know where they stand? There have been times when I felt that way myself. It feels free, but then limits because it's so hard to make a decision. How do you choose? What's best? I've since learned that it helps in making decisions to rely on a solid set of values, a strong sense of purpose, and a committed set of goals. Everything else, from projects to past times, falls in line with those three things. When you add your sense of faith to your values (or as one of your values) it becomes much easier to see when it's necessary to be flexible and when it's necessary to remain firm. High performance leaders maintain flexibility without losing focus.  They know when to be flexible and when to be firm. How about you? -- Doug Smith

Are your goals aligned with your mission? That, of course, implies that you immediately know your mission. So, if you don't, isn't it time to either: a) memorize your mission, or b) create your mission? We achieve our goals in order to achieve our mission. When we've created true alignment in our efforts, when our goals support and bring about our mission, we gain the leverage to accomplish great things AND enjoy the process. What do you think? -- Doug Smith

If you suddenly appeared to your much younger self, would your much younger self even recognize you? Despite maybe resembling your parent, you are a very different person. At least you should be. We grow. We change. Our points of view evolve. Sometimes in that change we can get lost and forget the heart of what is still most important to us. Our point of view can shift so gradually OR so suddenly that we do not even notice. We go on. We muddle thru.  We do things that at one time would surprise us. Right or wrong, do you know what you've changed in your values, your goals, your dreams? I've recalibrate some of my expectations formed from an evolving point of view. I've played roles that no longer suit me. I've left so much work on the field that the field of play has hidden completely some days. Enough of that. Enough of slipping into oblivion. I'm going kicking and singing! How about you? -- Doug Smith

Remember that advertising slogan for a very questionable publication that kept saying "Inquiring minds want to know"? We all have inquiring minds. We all need to know. And what we need to know the most is why. Why do we do what we do. What makes what we do cool, important, necessary? It's never just a job. It's never just an interaction. There is always a reason why. Know why. Figure out your why. Identify your mission. Then roll with it. -- Doug Smith P.S. My good friend David Spiegel has pointed out that Simon Sinek is a great source on WHY. Here's the video where I first was drawn to his thinking on this:

Ambiguity could be good but might not be. That's purposely ambiguous. It reminds me of something a fraternity brother of mine once said to another brother: "John, you're a nice guy, but you're a little wishy-washy." "No I'm not," said John, "well, maybe a little..." Yeah. And maybe a lot. Ambiguity drives me crazy. People who don't commit for whatever reason cause me a kind of anxiety. There may not be much that I can do about it, but I do my best to clarify what the heck is going on. Leaders must clarify. We live with ambiguity -- we can't always know how things will turn out. Not everything is even in our control. So things can get fuzzy around the edges. In the mean time, there are important things that we can clarify: - who we are - what our values are and mean - what is our mission and vision - our most important goals - our character Once we have a firm, clear understanding of those five important things, a...

There is strength. There is courage. There is assertiveness. None of them have room for bullying. When leaders cross the line from courage to bullying they may feel immediate gratification but they have planted the seeds of long lasting and critically damaging conflict. If people cannot obtain what they are entitled to fairly, they will find another way. And that other way could be bad for the leader who created the disparity. No matter how committed we are to a cause, to a mission, to a goal, it is never our right to impose any of that on others. The courage of our convictions does not allow us to disregard the rights of others. There is no license for that, ever. -- Doug Smith

How committed are you to your mission? To your goals? How much do you think that other people notice that? Our commitment matters. People only follow leaders who are clearly committed to their central purpose. Y ou can't fake your level of commitment. People know. We constantly show our level of commitment through our actions. Are we working on those goals? Are we serving our customers in ways that support our mission? Are we creating a better world through clear, compassionate, courageous, creative words and actions? Let's work on living our commitments. Otherwise, they aren't really commitments are they? -- Doug Smith

Do you spend most of your time on strategic issues or tactical tasks? The common thought on leadership is that the higher you go in an organization the more you should focus on strategic things and the less you should spend on tactical tasks. That makes sense. And yet, is it the whole picture? Wherever you stand as a leader, your team members look to you for help and support in both the mission AND in their individual goals. So yes, focus on the strategic aspects of communicating your mission. Remember also that your people may need help on their goals - and you are likely the best source of that help. The art of leadership is keeping a team focused on its mission while also helping each member with individual goals. Are you ready for that? Are you doing that? -- Doug Smith Front Range Leadership: Training Supervisors for Success  doug smith training: how to achieve your project goals

How do you know when your vision has crossed the line into your ego? Is what you want part of a noble plan or a symptom of a simple pain? Centered leaders test their vision against their values to separate character from ambition. They do this by: - Asking people they trust to give them very honest feedback - Checking in on their values: are they living them or just aspiring to them? - Comparing their actions to their values - Comparing their vision to the character they want to be remembered for Centered leaders know the difference between their mission and their ego. How will you stay centered in your quest for success today? -- Douglas Brent Smith Solving Problems. Achieving Your Goals

The essential question is "How can I help?" This is a question for everyone, and especially for leaders. In your vision, in your purpose, in your mission, in your goals, how can you help to make this a better world -- not just for yourself but for everyone at no cost to anyone? It's an ethical and moral standard that has been beyond the reach of most leaders but that is critically important in an evolving world. How can you help make this a better world, for everyone at no cost to anyone? That doesn't mean no cost in money, time or effort. Of course those expenses must be made. What it means is that as a leader never exploiting anyone in order to advance your agenda. Because not only is exploitation ethically shaky, it inevitably produces side effects that negate your progress. What will you do today to answer the essential question? -- Doug Smith http://frontrangeleadership.com