Walk The Talk #10

WALK THE TALK #10

Welcome to a special edition of Leadership Lessons - straight from the desk of Santa Claus.

Dear Santa:
What can I do to break down the “us vs. them” barriers that so often exist between people – especially between employees and leaders?
“Looking for Clues” in Laughlin

Dear “Looking for Clues”:
“Us vs. them” thinking and behaviors unfortunately are facts of life. To minimize them, both sides must be willing to make changes and meet in the middle. But as the leader, you must take the lead. Here are some things you should do and remember. They’re from one of my most favorite books, Walk Awhile In My Shoes, and they’re the words of an employee ... your employee: “Appreciate the fact that my work is no easier than yours. I’ve got a tough job, too.     Tasks often look easier than they are ... especially when somebody else has to do them.

Don’t assume the worst of me. You don’t wake up in the morning asking, “How can I make life miserable for someone today?” Well, neither do I. Give me the benefit of the doubt and I will reciprocate.

Adopt the mindset that to be successful at work, you need me as much as I need you.

Assume half the responsibility for our working relationship. If we work well together,     take half the credit. If we don’t, assume half the responsibility for making it better.     Even though you’re the boss, our relationship is a two-way street.

Remember that I’m human. Before you judge me or decide how you’ll deal with me,     walk awhile in my shoes.”While these pleas came from an “employee,” they just as easily could have come from a colleague, a friend, a family member, from me … or from YOU, yourself. They are, after all, universal needs that leaders at all levels – and all situations – need to remember and address.

 Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.-- Samuel Johnson 

Dear Larry,Reminding us that we can appreciate “right now,” no matter what else is going on in our lives, Giving Thanks is the perfect book for this Thanksgiving Season. With inspiring quotes and beautiful pictures this book is a breath of fresh air. Whatever is going on in your life or in the world, there is always time to give thanks. Please pass this along to family, friends and coworkers.

Learn more... Giving Thanks: The Gifts of Gratitude By  MJ Ryan Gratitude connects us to others and feeling gratitude allows us to be our best selves--in good times and in hard times. When we are truly grateful, we can count on living the life we want.

Excerpted from Giving Thanks Do you know that happiness, the sheer joy in being alive, is within your reach? All you need is an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude creates happiness because it makes us feel full, complete; it’s the recognition that we have all we need, at least in this moment. Recent scientific research has begun to indicate that positive emotions, such as gratitude and love, strengthen and enhance the immune system, enabling the body to resist disease and recover more quickly from illness, through the release of endorphins into the bloodstream. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers. Among other effects, they stimulate dilation of the blood vessels, which leads to a relaxed heart. That this means is that the more we experience a sense of gratitude, we literally bathe ourselves in good hormones and feel happier and more content with our lives. Like most great spiritual truths, gratitude is stunningly simple. This is not to say it’s necessarily easy to practice. All kinds of distractions, obfuscation, and negative attitudes from our upbringings may get in the way. But all you really have to do to receive gratitude’s gifts is make a commitment to be thankful on a daily basis, and the world will be suddenly transformed into a beautiful wonderland in which you are invited to play. If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. ~ Lao Tzu

Mr. Scorpio says productivity is up 2%, and it's all because of my motivational techniques, like donuts – and the possibility of more donuts to come!-- Homer Simpson The way we choose to respond when others make mistakes can cause them to feel ashamed or can allow them to remember our kindness and share our stories with future generations. -- Michelle Sedas Just play! Have fun. Enjoy the game! -- Michael Jordan People need me…they depend on me. We're doing something important here. And knowing that gives me the energy to carry the sack, lead the pack, and keep coming back.-- Santa Claus Whether you realize it or not, you have the power to be successful by helping others succeed.-- David Cottrell  Welcome to a special edition of Leadership Lessons - straight from the desk of Santa Claus.

Dear Santa:
I haven’t been a leader all that long, so obviously I have a lot to learn. What can you tell me ... where should I look for guidance ... what do I need to remember as I lead my team?  
A Newbie in Newark


Dear Newbie:
Over the years I’ve learned a simple truth: If you need guidance on being a better leader, go to the people you’re leading. That’s why one of the most valuable resources I have is a powerful handbook entitled Listen Up, Leader! Here’s a passage – one of many important messages from team members that all leaders need to consider:

“We are watching everything you do. Even when you think we’re not paying attention, we are. There is never a time when you’re not in your leadership role. You may think that when you choose to ignore an issue, you are not leading. You’re wrong! If you show up late for a meeting, you lead us to believe that our time isn’t valuable. If you lose your cool and over-react to small issues, we wonder how you will react when something big comes along. It’s a fact: You are always leading. You can never NOT lead! Everything you do counts!

Believe it or not, we DO understand that leadership isn’t easy. As we watch you each day, we see the incredible responsibilities you’re charged with. You’re accountable for your actions and for our actions – plus all the fiscal requirements, employee problems, feedback, training, technology changes, hiring, de-hiring, communicating, staff development, prioritizing, eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy, and much more. Your job is tough. But it is the job you chose. What we ask of you is to accept responsibility for being the very best at your job so we can be the best at our jobs.”

Whether you’re a leader at work, at home, in your community, or even at the North Pole, never forget the four most important words from the passage above:Everything you do counts! With more understanding, we can meet in the middle and walk the rest of the way together.-- Eric Harvey  The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.-- Anne Frank We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.-- Georg Hegel The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases. -- Carl Jung Dear Larry,

Believe you me, having to smile and be jolly every day when you’re wearing the same thick, hot, red-wool suit (that itches like crazy) is no picnic. This is a job that will definitely strain your sanity and drain your ego if you let it. Seems like everyone wants a piece of me. Yet many of the people I serve question my existence…or just plain don’t believe in me at all. And those who do believe often expect me to do the impossible – rarely caring about what I have to do, or go through (including chimneys), to meet their expectations. And they ALL have expectations.

There’s no doubt that my biggest challenges come from two roles that people rarely associate with this red-cheeked, bag-carrying sleigh driver: Santa the MANAGER and Santa the LEADER. I am, after all, running a business here. I’m a boss. I’ve got responsibilities – both to the gift-getters and the gift-makers. There are workers to lead, letters to read, orders to fill, processes to manage, stuff to buy, stuff to make, standards to maintain, new technologies to adopt, skills to develop, elf problems to solve, and reindeer droppings to scoop (although I delegate that one.) Trust me, I’ve got some big and not-always-easy-fitting boots to fill.

Like most managers, I have to deal with marketplace fluctuations (“Dear Santa, I thought I wanted that, but now I want this.”). And I’ve seen more than my share of budget cuts, staff reductions, employees who are either unwilling or unable to adjust to change, technology advancements, increasing demands for higher quality and better service, fluctuations in the economy, competing priorities, ever-growing performance expectations (for all of us), and a whole lot more. Whew!

No, it’s not easy being Santa Claus. But in spite of that, I love what I do. People need me…they depend on me. We’re doing something important here. And knowing that gives me the energy to carry the sack, lead the pack, and keep coming back. By now, you may be wondering how I meet all of these many challenges and responsibilities…how I manage to bring everyone and everything together to complete our mission. Some people think I use magic. But really, there’s no magic about it.

So, if it’s not magic, what is my secret? Actually there are eight of them!  And you can find all eight practical strategies for leading others and getting big things done all year long in my book called The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus. A few of my elves helped me put together this book and I guarantee that if you read it and apply these “secrets,” you’ll find them more valuable than anything you might have written on your holiday wish list.

 Step out of your comfort zone once more each week and create over 50 additional opportunities for excitement, challenge and possibility each year. This is what life's about. -- Sam Parker Welcome to a special edition of Leadership Lessons - straight from the desk of Santa Claus.

Dear Santa:
Awhile back, I heard a colleague say, “The quality of a workplace is directly related to the quality of its leadership.” That blinding flash of the obvious had a real impact on me. To help build a positive work environment, I need to be the best leader I can be. What can I do to make that happen?
Wondering in Wisconsin

Dear Wondering:
Well done … you’ve broken the code! While all team members must help build great workplaces, leaders certainly are the primary architects. To be the best “architect” you can be, you need to Enter the Learning Zone. That’s a concept I learned from Monday Morning Leadership – one of the most powerful books in my personal library. Here are a few short passages that should help:

“For you to be the very best, you cannot allow yourself to become complacent in your comfort zone. You need to be reaching for improvement. To fulfill your potential, you need to move out of your comfort zone and into ‘the learning zone’ …”

“There are three rooms in the learning zone. The first room is the reading room. Look around this library – there are more than a thousand books in here. More than half of those books are about management and leadership … Suppose you decided to read one book a month on management or leadership. During the next year, you’d have read 12 books. Do you think you’d know more about management and leadership if you read that many books a year? …”

“The second room in the learning zone is the listening room. Did you know that the principal reasons executives fail are arrogance, out-of-control egos, and insensitivity? They forget to take the time to listen to their people. Soon they become insensitive to the needs and desires of the individuals on the team. Don’t allow     yourself to fall into that trap – listen to your people! …”

“The third room in the learning zone is the giving room. You cannot succeed without giving back. Your legacy will be what you give [and teach] to others.”

Modify the above strategies a little, and you’ll have some great guidelines for being a more effective leader in your personal life as well. How far you go in your life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.-- George Washington Carver The great man is he who does not lose his child's heart.
-- Mencius  "To coach" comes from the root meaning "to bring a person from where they are to where they want to be."
-- David Cottrell