High Performance Leadership

Do you know many people who dominate a conversation? It seems like no matter what the topic is, some people have the most to say. And, they insist on saying it. My grandmother used to describe that kind of situation by saying, "I couldn't get a word in edgewise." Communication is not a broadcast. For true communication to exist, the people involved need to reach some sense of shared meaning. They do not need to agree for this happen, but they do need to understand each other. Sometimes that takes many words, sometimes it takes just a few. Listen, understand, and then speak up to make your own meaning clear and understood. It could take an extra measure of assertiveness with some people. It is worth it. Just because someone wants to dominate a conversation does not mean that you must allow it. Share responsibility for success. -- doug smith

Teams get confused. They compete, they collaborate, they get stuck. As a high performance leader, how do you get them unstuck? What if you want your team members to compete with each other to enhance their performance AND you want them to cooperate on projects? Can you have both? Can you embrace the paradox? Here's what helps: tell the truth. Let your team members know what works. Let them know how you decide what to compensate. Sort thru the details with honesty. Wrestle with the contradictions and focus on your team's mission. Because whether you choose to embrace the paradoxes of leadership or not, they will find you and how you deal with them will largely calibrate the success of your team. What if the opposite of what you want is also what you want? Get more clarity around what you want. Go for that. Let your team know. -- doug smith

We can get stuck in disagreement. We can get stuck reaching for agreement. One thing helps both problems: reaching a shared understanding. You don't have to agree, but if you understand you are one step closer to influencing someone to your view -- or perhaps even one step closer to remaining open to being influenced. So many of us are stuck in our positions. It's not working. We need to listen. We need to focus. We need to understanding. Understanding brings us together. Understanding smoothes our rough edges. Understanding makes us adjust our perspective enough to make room for others, and when we make room for others miraculously there is more room for us as well. Shared understanding is a powerful bond. Will you work on that today?  -- I know that I will. -- doug smith