High Performance Leadership

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:

It takes complete honesty to understand yourself. No illusions. No delusions. No fantasies about perfection. Seeing yourself, flaws and all, takes willingness to listen without judgment to the feedback you get. Ask people honestly, what do they think? It should never take an anonymous 360 survey to know how people really feel about you. Once you create an environment where people know that they will still be valued, still be respected, and still be listened to no matter what their feedback is, they are far more likely to give you the kind of feedback that you really need. It takes honesty from others, and honesty from yourself: - what are you working on that matters? - how closely is your life aligned to your purpose, your values, your vision? - what kind of environment do you create around you for communicating? - how close are your closest relationships? Understanding yourself is a lifelong process. - Doug Smith http://frontrangeleadership.com