Reflections on Leadership

Recently, I spoke in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the Arizona School Administrator’s Institute for Excellence, and had a great time. My audience was responsive and fun to speak to. The setting, the weather and the food were just perfect. I even enjoyed the drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff and back. The scenery took my breath away.

However, I will always remember this conference for one thing–the emphasis on others. The evening before speaking, I had a pleasant dinner with three of the committee members who coordinate this event. Throughout the conversation, they focused continually on how they could help principals, teachers and students. Even as they shared personal stories, the exchange revolved around ways to help, methods to improve and systems that could enhance learning.

Following my presentation both that day and in emails since, I have experienced the same focus from the conference attendees. These good people are concerned about their staffs and students, and want to do the best things for them. What a great group of CHAMPS! I salute you all.

“A CHUMP’S world consists of himself.

A CHAMP’S world consists chiefly of others.”

The Power of Group Focus

I recently participated in a Sunday-through-Sunday professional training program directed by Drs Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli. Counting the two leaders, one hundred fifty-two people investigated insight meditation together from six in the morning until about nine-thirty each evening. We were a highly diverse gathering of people from many countries, professions and age groups.

Kabat-Zinn and Santorelli guided us through the theory and practice of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. We “mindfully” sat, walked, ate, stood, laid on mats and conversed. During the plenary sessions, I was amazed at the group’s focus. Everyone listened to the speakers with singularly undivided attention. Only once during the eight-day retreat did I hear a “side conversation.” It was so out of character for the week that many of us turned and stared at the two individuals involved. I suddenly realized how disconcerting private conversations are to group dynamics.

The experience has influenced my behavior in every meeting I attend. Now, I am “mindful” of how I listen to each person who speaks. I determine each moment to keep my focus on the meeting’s agenda rather than my own. Of course, there may be times when a side conversation is imperative, but those occasions are few in number. My goal is to foster the group’s success with my silence and attention in meetings.

CHUMPS cause chaos. CHAMPS create order.

The Power of Praise

A friend of mine has had a new job for the past four months. Changing industries wasn’t easy for him, and he has been working hard to learn about and explore the new company. In addition, he wanted to discover and exceed his new bosses’ expectations of him.

During a recent phone call, my friend told me that both of his supervisors have let him know that they are pleased with his efforts and have expanded his responsibilities. As we conversed, I heard a noticeable lift in his voice and enthusiasm about what he was doing at work.

The noted American author Mark Twain recognized the power of praise. He once said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” In fact, research has provided incontrovertible evidence that leaders who praise successful employees encourage more successes. An immediate, specific, positive expression of appreciative feedback on good performance goes a long way toward improving both an employee’s morale and work. While it takes a little time and effort to praise good efforts, the dividends of the positive reinforcement continue far longer than the moments invested.

“CHAMPS celebrate your successes publicly.” (Champs and Chumps: Antiphonal Proverbs for Leaders)

Champs Include People

I once chaired a board of directors whose members included a farmer, an internist, a surgeon, a homebuilder, a professor and a certified public accountant, among others. The longer I served as leader, the more I began to notice how each person had a different method of arriving at decisions. The surgeon made the fastest decisions while the farmer took the longest to come to a conclusion. The accountant always thought about the costs; the builder wanted things to be better; the professor wanted to study the proposals longer; and the internist thought that we should give everything just a little more time. The others were just as diverse in their thinking.

I remember being frustrated, wishing that I could convince everyone to parallel my decision-making processes, until I realized that each method contributed a valuable element to the whole. If I could get everyone to share their specific perspectives, we had a deep reservoir of ideas from which to draw our conclusions. Gil Stern has written, “Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute.”

Fortunately for all of us, I discovered that when I modeled acceptance, trust and inclusion as a leader, the board of directors listened to each other more closely and made better decisions collectively.

CHAMPS include people.

Leaving the Past Behind

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
–Carl Brad

I like Brad’s perspective for several reasons. First, looking backward rarely helps us. When we concentrate on our past, we miss current opportunities, sometimes with disastrous results. The TV show America’s Funniest Videos, for instance, is full of clips of people riding bikes while looking backwards and then crashing. And, police accident reports are replete with stories of distractions that caused damage to both people and property. Focusing on the past while moving forward is never a good strategy.

Brad’s quotation also reminds me of our ability to imagine and create a different future for ourselves and others. Reality is indeed open ended, so we are not stuck with a predetermined future. Our efforts today can and do make our pathways better and brighter. We truly can change situations and ourselves.

Furthermore, I like the statement’s emphasis on today. While the past is gone and the future has not arrived, today is here. My work is in the present moment. I don’t have to wait for the perfect moment, great conditions, an ideal situation or anything else. I can begin my journey to a better future right now.

CHAMPS take the first step.