High Performance Leadership

How many times have you thought you'd solved a problem, only to see it re-emerge? So often we work on a solution without realizing that we are simply impacting a symptom of the problem, and not the problem itself. It takes deeper inquiry to get at the heart of the situation. It takes patience to discover the root of the problem. The root cause of many problems is misunderstanding the goal. It turns out we are working on the wrong thing, or we are delivering something our customer did not expect or ask for. We get our goals confused and it feels like a problem. It is a problem Get clear on your goals. Align your goals to your organization's mission. If a goal does not contribute to your mission, ask yourself seriously why you are working on it. If there is no reason, maybe THAT'S the problem. --  Douglas Brent Smith Learn more in the teleclass: "How To Solve Problem"

What are the benefits of solving problems together? Problem solving as a team has far more value than simply solving the problem. Of course, we want the problem solved -- and we want more. We want more cohesive teams. We want healthier organizations. We want people who are open to growth and change. Solving problems together can achieve all that and more. By solving problems collaboratively we come up with better and longer lasting solutions. We engage our team members and constituents. We connect in ways that were once disconnected. We grow. The solutions we find together will bring us together -- and that's worth more than any solution. What problem could you be helping to solve collaborative in your organization? -- Douglas Brent Smith Learn more in the teleclass: How To Solve Problems

Does it sometimes feel like you're caught in a dog eat dog fight? One of my favorite TV quotes from an old episode of "Cheers". Norm enters as he usually does to the usual rousing greeting and imparts his insight of the day. In this episode it was, "it's a dog eat dog world and I'm wearing Milkbone underwear."  That about describes some days, doesn't it? As leaders, we impact that. We often create the environment for our people. At the very least we influence the environment. Will that be a competitive environment of winners and losers? Or will that be a place where everyone, absolutely everyone can create a measure of success far beyond their previous expectations? Our success does not require anyone else's failure. It's not about winning so that someone else loses. We do no need to behave like beasts in the jungle fighting for survival. If we are higher, more centered, more focused compassionate and courageous beings we can create m...

What do you do when your project seems so off track that you'll never find your way back? What if you're so lost that nothing makes sense to you? Most of us do experience times when things get rough. We lose when we thought we couldn't. We struggle when it started so easily. Our resources dry up just when we need them most. How do we hold on? How do we move forward? Someone can help. You may not know who it is. You may have to ask more than one person (you probably will have to ask more than one person). But help is out there. Someone who has experienced similar troubles. Someone who has finished an equally gnarly project. Someone who knows how it feels to be lost and can help you navigate your pathway out of the darkness and into success. If you have help, you have hope.  And that my friend will take you very, very far indeed toward where you need to go. -- Douglas Brent Smith Image credit: Southeast Regional Climate Center, University of North Carolina a...

Have you ever just waited for a problem to go away? Does it ever seem that things will get better on their own so the sensible thing is to let that happen? Well, your problem will change, that's for sure. But most times if it is a problem it gets worse on its own, not better. And even if it does seem to go away, what it leaves behind is more troubling than ever. The landscape changes. The culture shifts. The processes stick. What you'd come to expect becomes unrecognizable. Nature eventually solves every problem but she does not consider your goals in the process. Take charge. Move the flow. Solve the problem. -- Douglas Brent Smith

It made me angry. How dare the customer push me like that? Clearly, he was accustomed to getting what he wanted by bullying people. I'd show him. He wouldn't get what he wanted from me. But wait. Was I being at my best? Was my anger getting in the way? And, why exactly was I angry anyway? Jim stepped in. He offered the customer a solution I hadn't thought of. One that would not cost us anything but simply require a minor shuffling of resources. In the end, no customer would be harmed by the shuffling and wouldn't even be effected. The bully left happy, but maybe he wasn't a bully at all. Maybe I was the one being unreasonable and hasty. If it makes you angry, work with someone to fix what's wrong. I'm grateful to Jim for stepping in. His calm perspective didn't see anger, but only possible solutions. That's what I needed in that moment. That's what the customer needed, too. It doesn't take a perfect leader to be a centered leader. B...

Can you remember the first time you were playing an exciting game and realized that your opponent was cheating? What did that do to the game? What did that do to how you felt about your opponent? We need the clarity of rules. We need to know that when we take the field of play there is a sense of organization that transcends individual will to win. If will to win is someone's first and only motivation, there is no limit to the damage they can do in pursuit of that goal. It's not worth it. The game is more important than the outcome. Your character is more important than your won/loss record. Just don't play with those who cheat. And for goodness sake, don't ever cheat yourself! Centered leaders play fair, even if that extends the game, even if that causes them hardship, even when that puts the outcome of the game at risk. -- Douglas Brent Smith