Leadership Fundamentals: Part 1 of 4 - Vision Test

You know how when you get a new gadget, you start noticing all the other people who have the same gadget? Before I got an iPad I never saw them; now that I have one, they're everywhere; it's the same way with leadership. Now that I spend so much time writing and coaching in the area of leadership, the behavior of leaders jumps out at me wherever I go. I've noticed some inspiring examples of leaders who really get it, and almost every day I see examples of leaders totally wiffing, missing the point, forgetting their role.

Whether you're a leader in your family, your team, your company or your community, there are four vital functions that, as the leader, it's your job to fill. So often, leaders ignore, gloss over or delegate these functions, always to the detriment of those who follow them. This article is the first in a four-part series that will help you identify if you've got this leadership thing nailed, or whether you've got important work to do.

Develop a clear vision of where you're taking your family/team/company and communicate that vision with the rest of your team in a way that they can understand

Remember, as leader, YOU are the captain of the ship; does the rest of your crew know where the ship is headed, or do they think it's just drifting aimlessly on the currents? It may sound like a trivial thing, but when a wife understands that her husband has a plan and is leading their family towards a common goal, she will support him through anything; when she feels like the family is aimless, she gets scared, frustrated and loses confidence in him. The same goes for the workplace; the people whom you manage will throw themselves and their passion into their work if they know that you're leading them someplace they want to go. If you don't provide this vision, they lose interest, maximize their sick days and do as little work as possible. After all, if their work isn't important, why should they spend the energy it takes to do a great job?

Imagine that you work for an aimless company; the culture has eroded, the employees are cynical, people do barely enough to scrape by in their roles. Whoever creates a vision that people can get excited about and believe in, will start being looked to by their peers and by their "superiors" as a leader. Leadership isn't about position, it's about vision.

There's a great example in one of my favorite movies of all time. Why was William Wallace such a powerful leader in Braveheart? People followed him because he had a profound vision of a Scotland that was free of the English; his passion came through when he communicated that vision and he got his people to risk everything to follow him. The same holds true in real life; Nelson Mandella had a vision for a South Africa without aparteid, George Washington had a vision for a United States of America. I challenge you to think of a great leader without a powerful vision; one cannot exist without the other. In order for you to become a great leader in your own life, the vision must come first.

So, what's your vision? Where are you leading your family? What is your team working so hard to achieve every day at work? Get clear about your vision, get good at sharing it with the people around you and watch what happens.

Take the Lead

Jeremiah

3 Things Coaching Has Taught Me About Leadership

Over the past six months, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be the leadership coach to a handful of amazing men. These are men who are working to be better leaders in their family, in their business and in their communities. In that time, I’ve learned as much from them as they have from me; this article contains some of the lessons that have meant the most. Take these lessons and use them to become a better leader in your life.

1. Get THEM to say it

In our lives, the way that most of us try to influence, or solve problems, or inspire somebody is to tell them what to do, to give them the answer. I’ve learned that rather than giving somebody the answer, if I can ask them the right questions to lead THEM to say the answer, it will mean so much more to them and they are much more likely to actually do something with it. If I tell them the answer, it’s my answer; if I get them to say the answer, it’s their answer; they own it. To use this lesson in your life, stop telling people what to do and stop giving people the answer; resist the urge. Rather, ask them probing questions so they are able to come up with their own answer.

2. If you clearly define the problem, the solution presents itself

So much of the frustration that we face in life is due to a lack of clarity about the problems we face. I’ve learned that with any problem I face, the first and most important step is to define that problem with absolute clarity. Until I’ve done that, any effort I spend in solving that problem is wasted. Much of the time, the problem my clients thought they were faced with, was actually something else entirely. Once they clearly defined the problem, the solution always presented itself. To use this lesson in your life, stop jumping right into problem solving; I know guys, it's nearly impossible. Spend more time in clearly identifying the problem; when you think you know what it is, ask five more questions. Only when you are absolutely certain about the problem, then, start thinking about a solution.

3. The truth is never the first thing we say

People protect what’s important to them. I know that to be true, but for some reason, I still assumed that my coaching clients would just open up immediately and pour their deep truths at my feet. I’ve learned that many people have never engaged in conversation with someone who is just interested in listening. I’ve learned that most people haven’t even admitted their deepest fears and motivations to themselves, much less someone outside of their family. I’ve learned that by listening and by asking thoughtful follow-up questions, eventually, people say what is true and what is important. I’ve learned that the first few answers people give are surface level answers meant to appease, but not to reveal. The truth is never the first thing we say. To use this lesson in your life, stop accepting the first answer you get. Ask follow up questions like, "tell me more about that", "how does that make you feel?", and "why is that important to you?". If you're not sure whether you're at the truth, just shut up and let them keep talking; silence is the best revealer of truth.

It wasn't until after I finished writing this article that I realized that all three lessons teach the same thing. Stop talking; ask questions and listen.

If you have any questions about any of these lessons, or about leadership coaching in general, feel free to reach out to me at forgingleaders@gmail.com

Take the lead,

Jeremiah