In response to last week’s essay about Captains and Lieutenants, one of my readers wrote this very insightful reply: I used to think about this a lot, because I was always more comfortable as a lieutenant than as a captain. I pushed myself to be captain to satisfy my ego, but I was never really comfortable in that role. As a lieutenant, it’s easy for me to make my captain look good and to get everything done that needed to be done.

Food for Thought ~

In his reply is The Tiny Word With The Potentially Huge Risks. The word is ego. In contemporary use, as in the above example, it is synonymous with self-esteem, self-worth, self-image, self-respect. However, ego is also used as shorthand for egotism, when healthy self-esteem slides into self-interest, self-importance, boastfulness, or hubris. If a leader is driven by egotism, their effectiveness as a leader diminishes dramatically. Their egotistic behavior reduces their positive influence, so they rely primarily on power and authority. Sadly, their behavior frequently undermines their own talents and goals. I have seen careers, projects, departments, and companies nosedive due to a leader’s ego. Often they are neither liked nor respected. For the individual, it’s a lonely penance. For companies, communities, and indeed, our world, the costs of egotism are huge. We see the results depicted in the news media every day.

Question for the day ~

Is your self-esteem healthy and well-balanced with concern for others and the greater good?

In Closing ~

My recent and relevant column in the North Bay Business Journal is about your values as a leader and your organization’s values. Click here to read the article.

Mary

One of my readers shared with me his conclusion that he was a better lieutenant than a captain. In other words, he prefers, and excels, in being second in command, rather than first. I certainly have seen this principle illustrated in my work with leaders. There are people who are ideally suited for the top leadership position and others who are best suited for the next level. And there are some, who in certain circumstances, can do either job equally well.

Food for Thought ~

The important point here is to have the self-awareness and clarity to understand your own skills and strengths. In turn, you can then seek the level of leadership that is the best fit for you. Both of these leadership roles are crucial to a well-managed organization. Although we might be able to generalize as to what traits are best suited for which level, I think the more salient issue is to use this concept to be sure that all the leadership and management bases are covered. Every top leader/captain will have strengths and weaknesses, and having a good lieutenant is ideally someone who complements your skill set, someone who has the strengths you don’t have. If you are young, early in your career, serving as lieutenant is certainly a time-honored way to grow into the captain’s role. A small aside… the lieutenant position goes by many names or titles. That’s not important. What’s important is the function, the role and the trust and collaboration between the captain and lieutenant.

Question for the day ~

Which role are you best suited for – captain or lieutenant? If you are a captain, do you have trusted and skilled lieutenant(s)? If not, how can you develop someone for this position?

In Closing ~

My new column in the North Bay Business Journal is about clarifying your personal values as a leader and then extending that to the renewal of your organization’s values. Click here to read the article.

Kind regards,

Mary

Leadership and love are interwoven. Indeed, exceptional leaders generally come to understand that leading is more a matter of the heart than we might think.

Food for Thought ~

In their classic book, The Leadership Challenge, authors Kouzes and Posner end their 400 page treatise with this summary observation: “The best kept secret of successful leaders is love: staying in love with leading, with the people who do the work, with what their organizations produce, and with those who honor the organization by using its work.” I witnessed a beautiful example of this philosophy in an interview with British filmmaker, Anthony Minghella, the highly acclaimed director of operas and films, including the Oscar award-winning The English Patient. Minghella said: “I think the job is to love everybody, to give as much love as you can to everybody around you, to make them feel good about what they’re doing and proud of what they’re doing.” One of his actors, Jill Scott, commented: “Anthony Minghella expects the best and encourages it in the gentlest way.” I will add that I believe this applies to any leadership situation, whether you are leading a family, a neighborhood group, or a business. Leadership is about love.

Question for the day ~

Does this philosophy ring true for you? If so, how can you expand your expression of these principles?

In Closing ~

I am fortunate to be able to say quite sincerely, I love my clients! As Katherine Graham, former publisher of the Washington Post, once said: “To love what you do and feel that it matters – how could anything be more fun?”
Happy Valentine’s Day,

Mary

Most of us are familiar with the axiom, “You are what you eat.” That’s certainly true on the physical level. I believe it’s also true that “You are what you value.” Our values are calling the shots – whether we are aware of it or not. Values are what we hold dear, what we believe in, what matters most to us and gives our life meaning. Oh, and by the way, did I mention that values determine the decisions we make and the actions we take? Our personal values are supremely significant, shaping our lives and our experiences.

Food for Thought ~

For these reasons, it makes sense to be intimately acquainted with your values, to know what’s important to you. For some, this is a ready awareness. Others may need to give it some thought or set aside a chunk of time to reflect on the matter. It would be time well spent, much like aligning navigational instruments so they provide accurate readings. Our values can change and evolve over time, and may need updating. And for leaders, this is just the beginning. Part of being a leader is to guide your team/company through the organizational version of this values clarification and commitment process. My new column in the North Bay Business Journal is on this very subject, and you can click here to read the article.

Question for the day ~

What are your top five values? How do your values synchronize with your behaviors?

In Closing ~

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” Rumi

Mary

One of my esteemed readers who responded to last week’s Minute on patience reminded me about Stephen R. Covey’s Time Management Matrix, outlined in his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey was one of the pioneers in the leadership development field, and contributed greatly to our understanding of how we can improve our personal effectiveness. His premise is that personal effectiveness is the essential foundation for good leadership.

Food for Thought ~

Covey identified the two factors that define how we choose to spend our time ~ urgency and importance. The most effective people spend their time on activities that are important but not urgent. Some examples include: identifying opportunities, relationship building, capacity development, prevention, and planning. Recreation is also included in this category because it’s important to “re-create” yourself, whether it’s with a mid-day walk, a weekend without your smart phone, or spending quality time with loved ones.

Question for the day ~

What percentage of your time do you spend on activities that are important but not urgent?

In Closing ~

“Leadership is different from management; it’s more of an art, based on a philosophy. You have to ask the ultimate questions of life when you’re dealing with personal leadership issues.” Stephen R. Covey

With kind regards,

Mary

Leadership, like life itself, is full of dichotomies. Opposites can both be true. In this instance, I am considering the case for patience in a fast-paced world where change is necessary and technology has contributed mightily to our constant sense of urgency. I see leaders faced with an ever moving landscape of circumstances and issues, necessitating a continuous reassessment of priorities. This predicament has prompted my call for patience.

Food for Thought ~

As a point of reference, here is the third definition of the word patience as cited in my Oxford Dictionary: “patience: the capacity for calm self-possessed waiting”
I love the mental image that definition conjures up! Even though the pressure of events and circumstances often conspires to induce reactive behaviors, there are many situations and i
ssues that must not be sacrificed to the tyranny of a rush to judgment. The wise leader is one who can make the distinction between what is truly urgent and what is not, and has the fortitude to invoke patience when it’s needed, both in themselves and others. For example, there are times when more information is needed; the path forward is unclear; factors must be allowed to season or evolve; or people need time to make a mental/emotional transition. The willingness and capacity to wait – patiently, in a calm and self-possessed manner – is one of the hallmarks of a mature leader.

Question for the day ~

What is your capacity for patience? What current issues or situations in your life, or your organization, call for patience?

In Closing ~

“Our patience will achieve more than our force.” Edmund Burke

With kind regards,

Mary

Last week I introduced a new idea that came to me when I was thinking about the usual annual cycle of setting goals and making resolutions. I called it a Dedication. It has a somewhat different purpose and approach that could work well for many people. It’s created by asking: What one thing is particularly meaningful to you at this time? Your answer becomes the essence of your Dedication. This clarity then serves as a powerful honing device to guide your thoughts and behaviors throughout the year. One reader wrote: “I love this concept! It’s focusing and centering without getting complicated.”

Food for Thought ~

Readers were invited to share their Dedications, and the response was warm and wonderful. I hope you enjoy reading these Dedications made for 2013.

Question for the day ~

If you haven’t yet created your own Dedication, here’s a second opportunity: What do you choose to dedicate yourself to this year?

In Closing ~

Thank you very much to my readers who sent their Dedications! Sharing our Dedications inspires all of us. With the simple act of reading them we acknowledge and support one another’s commitments and intentions.

Mary

Now that we have “welcomed the new year, full of things that have never been,” as inspired by Rainer Marie Rilke, let’s expand our vision of the potential offered by a new year. Typically we think of setting goals and making resolutions. Here’s a different approach you might enjoy.

Food for Thought ~

How about an annual Dedication? Of course, the essential first step is reflection and self-awareness, identifying something that’s very important to you. What one thing is particularly meaningful to you at this time? It will most often be something intangible, such as a quality, attribute, mindset, or attitude. It will likely be something that inspires you to be your best self, something that “pulls” you toward it like a magnet. Once you have identified the one thing that calls to you most strongly right now, then make a conscious declaration and dedicate yourself to it for the coming year. Some examples include: listening, kindness, creativity, honesty, empathy, simplicity, etc. Here are some additional examples in the organizational leadership context: delegation, clarity, team building, communication, excellence, etc. The possibilities are abundant! I like this approach because it generally benefits others as well as ourselves. An annual Dedication is a deceptively simple, yet powerful honing device that helps us focus on what matters most.

Question for the day ~

What do you choose to dedicate yourself to this year?

In Closing ~

If you are so inclined and wish to send me your Dedications for 2013, I will compile a list for my next blog or newsletter – anonymous, of course! I think it might be very inspiring for all of us to share (I repeat, anonymously) our dedications.

Mary

What an auspicious day to begin another year of Tuesday Minutes! This marks the start of my fourth year of writing and producing these mini missives. Since so many of you keep telling me you read and value them, I will keep writing them – every Tuesday – rain or shine, sleet or snow, holiday or no! Here’s my traditional favorite New Year’s quotation, from the German author and poet, Rainer Marie Rilke, who said:
“Now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”

Food for Thought ~

What a wonderful way to think of the coming year – full of new experiences, ideas, activities and insights. I invite you to take a moment right now to reflect on what you want your year to be. (If you don’t do it right now, schedule a specific time in your calendar.) Taking time for reflection is one of the most important things a leader can do maximize effectiveness and personal work/life satisfaction. Ironically, it also happens to be one of the most neglected, probably because it’s not a matter of urgency. Remember, what’s urgent may not be important, and what’s important may not be urgent. A fine, simple, yet profound resolution for the coming year would be to “pay attention to what’s truly important.”

Question for the day ~

In the coming year, what goals and aspirations do you have for yourself as a leader, for your organization? What’s important to you?

In Closing ~

Your feedback is genuinely valued. Knowing that you are reading these Minutes means a lot to me, and inspires me to keep writing. So please let me know when you especially enjoy or find something particularly meaningful. I may not be able to answer every message, but I absolutely do read, appreciate, and gain insight from them, so thank you!

With my very best wishes for the coming year,

Mary

The Christmas poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore, is not only one of the most well known and beloved poems in the English language, it is also one of the most parodied. And so today I add my version to the list of parodies, written especially to celebrate leaders.
I send this as a gift to you ~ I hope you enjoy it!

A CHRISTMAS POEM FOR LEADERS
by Mary Luttrell

Christmas Day is finally here, and throughout every town
Most of us have the day off, our computers are down.
We’ve hustled and bustled to wrap up the year,
So now is a good time to breathe, sigh and cheer.

We’ve done what we could with these 52 weeks,
Some gains and some losses, some valleys and peaks.
If we gave it our best, what more could be done?
There’s no guarantee in this game that we run.

The reports are completed, the data is in.
It’s been quite a year, both the thick and the thin.
We’ve agonized, criticized, analyzed, itemized.
We’ve calculated and forecast, missed the mark and surpassed.

We’ve been surprised and relieved, elated and downcast.
Will the future be better? Could we go back to the past?
(This is not what I pictured when I was in school.
I thought being the boss would be really cool.)

It seems being a good leader is not for faint hearts.
It takes great patience and skill. (They call it an art.)
I know I’ll never get bored at this job that I do,
There’s always something to learn, something that’s new.

And I will state here and now what really is true,
The important stuff happens between me and you.
It’s the work one to one and then as a team
That makes it all joyful and makes our eyes gleam.

Old St. Nick sent me a text; he’s just passing through.
He said: “Keep up the good work; I’ve got faith in you.
It may be hard at times, but hold to your dreams!
(Don’t forget about my list, if you know what I mean.)

Yes, good leaders are still needed, and now more than ever.
Lift up yourself and your team, and all work together.
Bringing good things to the world will take all of us.
Let’s always remember we’re on the same bus.”

With all good wishes for your health and happiness,
Mary