High Performance Leadership

" Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation." -- William Arthur Ward Is it possible to be a high performance leader and still be kind, compassionate, participative? Absolutely. In fact, that's the best way to sustain leadership and success -- by combining courage with compassion, clarity with creativity. Centered leaders focus on both people and results, with no compromise to either. If the pie isn't big enough, bake a bigger pie. If the solution leaves out constituents, choose another way. Leadership isn't easy - that's why so few people really rise to the call. It's essential, it's necessary, it's vital -- and it's your choice. How will you lead today? -- Doug Smith

"Constant and determined effort breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles." -- Claude M. Bristol I enjoy designing a plan to achieve a goal. Listing the tasks, estimating the times, scheduling them - that all appeals to my analytical side. Then comes the hard part: getting it done. But it's not really hard. It's one step at a time. One movement, one action, one call, one thing . At - a - time. Design a cool, appealing plan. And then, most importantly, act relentlessly on your plan. As Larry the Cable Guy says, "get -er done!" -- Doug Smith

"I never saw a pessimistic general win a battle." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower "The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails." -- John Maxwell Are you feeling optimistic? I like that sense of "things will be great, things will be better" and the energy it takes to make that true. It's hard to summon up energy for change when I'm pessimistic. That doesn't mean carrying an attitude of everything-will-work-out-no-matter-what. We do need to work. We do need to focus. We do need to set meaningful goals and then work like heck to achieve them. But staying optimistic helps. Then, lead. Take charge. Move ahead. Help it to happen. What are you optimistic about today? -- Doug Smith

"Make failure your teacher, not your undertaker." -- Zig Zigler You know that we can learn from our mistakes. You might also know that failure carries many valuable lessons. I like the expression that comes from NLP (Neurolistic Programing) "there is no failure, only feedback." There's always something to learn. Any effort that results in learning is not a complete failure. So it's up to us. While we would never choose to fail at anything (oh horrors!) sometimes we will. Whether we learn or not is completely up to us. Find the learning. Find the success. What have you learned today? -- Doug Smith

"The greatest motivational act one person can do for another is to listen." -- Roy Moody How would your work and your life be different if everyone you encountered listened carefully, compassionately, and attentively to each other? It seems so simple, yet it's not. Listening takes focus. Listening takes attention. Listening positively takes curiosity. How curious are you when you listen? Here's what I'm working on: listening without judging. I remember a time when I had an answer to every question, an opinion to every view, and something to say in any situation. I wasn't wise enough to know that smart wasn't always enough. We need to listen. Listening is a gift as profound as any you might give today. Who will you give that free yet awesome gift? -- Doug Smith

"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." -- Vincent Van Gogh A big project can seem overwhelming. Our aspirations can seem too big. Our expectations are frequently recalibrate by what seems like a tough reality. Instead of looking at the big, big, too-big-to-achieve goal, what if we looked at what David Allen calls "the next actionable step"? What if we, as Brian Tracy advised, "chunk it down"? Do one thing. Do the next thing. And keep going. I find it useful to project from when I need to finish something and then spread the little tasks out on a plan to accomplish the big thing. The Big Thing is just a series of little things. And little things don't scare me a bit. How about you? -- Doug Smith

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