Doug Dickerson is an award winning columnist and director of Management Moment Leadership Services. He is the author of the new book, Leaders Without Borders: 9 Essentials for Everyday Leaders. Visit www.dougsmanagementmoment.blogspot.com to learn more.
When you have got an elephant by the hind legs and he is trying to run away, it's best to let him go. – Abraham Lincoln
A well-known story in some sectors of coastal communities such as where I live is that of the crab mentality. It is used to describe selfish or short-sighted people whose thinking bends toward the notion of, "If I can't have it, neither can you".
The crab basket mentality says that if you have a pot of crabs and one is climbing out in an effort to escape then the others will pull him back down rather than allow it to go free. The other crabs had rather share the same doomed fate than allow another among its ranks to climb out.
As a leader you may find yourself in a crab basket with others who have the same intentions for you. You get the raise or promotion and inevitably someone is jealous and you feel that subtle tug. You landed that coveted new account and strangely now begin to feel the claws of others around you. Every time you make an effort to move up and better yourself you have to resist the tug of those who would like to pull you down and hold you back. But you have to learn to let them go. Here are three things to consider as you climb out of the crab basket.
Let go of your past. Before anyone in your present can restrict you in a negative way you must lighten your load and let go of negative things from your past. So long as you hold on to past defeats, mistakes, or bad attitudes you will never climb to the heights you desire.
Your climb to the top of the basket begins when you make peace with your past and place yourself in a position to climb unencumbered toward your goals and dreams. When you let go of the past you can create your future. Your climb up begins here. You may have to forgive others; you may have to forgive yourself. But you will not move up so long as you allow your past to hold you down.
Let go of bad people. This is perhaps one of the hardest things to learn as a leader. But if you are ever going to climb your way to the top of the basket and live above the level of mediocrity you will have to separate yourself from those who want to hold you down.
It may be hard because up until now you may have seen these crabs as your friends. They have been colleagues; you have enjoyed happy hour together, and thought of them as allies. But keep this in mind - good people do not try to sabotage your success they celebrate it. Good people do not try attempt to pull you down and but had rather climb up with you. As a leader you have to wise up and recognize that not everyone in the pot with you wants to see you succeed. Be strong enough to acknowledge it and have the courage when necessary to climb alone.
Let go of small dreams. In the bottom of the crab basket there is not much room for growth and the view is always the same. The way out is up. It's when you fix your eyes on larger dreams and possibilities that you begin to realize that life in the basket is never going to change. The road to your improvement begins with the choice to climb out.
It's been written and asked many times but I will share it again here: What would you attempt to do if you knew that you could not fail? What are you dreams? I don't know what's in your heart but I do know this to be true – until you let go of your past, and let go of bad people, you will always have small dreams. It's time to let go of every bad attitude, toxic relationship, and negative influence that would attempt to pull you down.
Your way out begins with by taking the first step. Let go and start climbing!
Circumstances don't make a person; they reveal him or her. – Richard Carlson
The story is told of two hunters who came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune.
Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the hunter in the cave came rushing out, almost ran into the waiting bear, hesitated, and then dashed back in again. The same thing happened a second time. When he emerged for the third time, his companion in the tree frantically called out, "Woody, are you crazy? Stay in the cave till he leaves!" "Can't," panted Woody, "there's another bear in there."
It's certainly not uncommon as a leader to be in tight spots from time to time. Like the two hunters you can find yourself in a bear jam that can alter the course of your day in a hurry. And when you take into consideration the way stress impacts your team members then it is important as a leader to put it all in perspective.
Research conducted by businessknowledgeresource.com (http://bit.ly/11Kaa6Y) cited some of the top causes of stress at work that include: no appreciation, no feedback good or bad, unclear policies and no sense of direction, random interruptions, and lack of control to name a few. If these causes or any other infringe on the daily demands of your leadership then the necessity for perspective will be even greater.
We learn from the example of the hunters four lessons to consider when you find yourself up a tree, in a cave, or otherwise stressed out by the demands of your job.
Don't panic. The first mistake the hunters made after discovering the bear was to drop their rifles and run. They immediately gave up any leverage they had by making a hasty decision based upon their assumptions.
When your first inclination as a leader is to panic without gathering all the facts you place those around you in compromising positions. Not every problem is as bad as it may appear at first glance and if you stay calm under pressure you can make smarter decisions.
Stick together. Each hunter reacted in a way that seemed right at the moment. One climbed a tree and the other ran into a cave. Now instead of being united in strength they are divided in weakness and have multiplied their problems. By doing their own thing they limited their options.
Sticking together and working together is a Leadership 101 principle. But when you consider the predicaments you can find yourself in when you ignore it then it makes the reminder worth repeating. John Wooden said, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." And in this case it can make the difference between sitting atop a tree as a meal-in-waiting for a bear and using your leadership skills to your advantage. Play it smart and stick together.
Consider the big picture. In the heat of the moment the hunters did what they thought was best. We all do.? But unfortunately they failed to keep the big picture in mind. Ultimately, it was not the bear they could see that was the problem but instead it was the one in the cave they didn't see at first.
Having a clear understanding of the big picture of your organizational mission and values is an essential element of your leadership. It's through the prism of the big picture that the smaller ones are put into context. Don't allow your immediate short term problem to change your long term view.
Run in the right direction. Out of fear the hunters ran. One ended up in a cave and the other in the top of a tree. Each had a perspective that was created by the direction they ran and where they stopped. While their problem (the bear) was stationary their approach was scattered.
Moving in the right direction is essential to solving the challenges you face as a leader. Having everyone on the same page is important. While differing perspectives is valuable it will not do you any good if you are not working in harmony.
It's as you refuse to panic that you succeed. It's as you stick together you win bigger battles. It's as you consider the big picture that you stay focused on your mission. And it's as you run in the right direction you solve the right problems.
The bigger we get the smaller we have to think. Customers still walk in one at a time. – Sam Walton
A story is told of how many years ago a man conned his way into the orchestra of the emperor of China although he could not play a note. Whenever the group performed, he would hold his flute against his lips, pretending to play but not making a sound. He received a modest salary and enjoyed a comfortable living.
Then one day the emperor requested a solo from each musician. The flutist got nervous. There wasn’t enough time to learn the instrument. He pretended to be sick, but the royal physician wasn’t fooled. On the day of his performance, the imposter took poison and killed himself. The explanation of his suicide led to the phrase that found its way in to the English language: “He refused to face the music.”
Facing the music with your customer is a matter of good leadership. Knowing where you stand with your consumer is paramount to your success. The findings by the 2013 Edelman Barometer of Trust (http://bit.ly/VKfWVd) indicate that there is a great deal of work to be done. Everyone wants to be a leader and we understand the need for it, but there’s a problem: many consumers don’t trust leaders. According the to report less than a fifth of the general public believes that a business leader can be trusted to tell the truth or make an ethical decision.
Making the leadership connection with your customer is a leadership issue of the highest order. Facing the music is how you begin. Are you taking an honest look and properly assessing your relationship toward your customer in a way that will build trust and credibility? Here are three ways to begin the process.
Be open to the facts. Facing the music may not be a pleasant experience as you assess your current footing but if you are going to build trust with your customers you must be willing to do it. If you are not listening to them then they will go where their voice is heard and valued.
Internally you must analyze your customer relationship in many ways. A great example of how this is being done is found with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and their ‘culture of metrics’ (http://bit.ly/RrWmd4) approach that keeps all eyes focused on the customer. Amazon tracks its performance against nearly 500 measurable goals, and nearly 80% of those have to do with customer objectives. The first step to making the leadership connection with your customers is to be open to the receiving the facts as they currently exist.
Be willing to change. When you face the music as it relates to your customers and you have an honest assessment of your positioning with them you must then be willing to act. Change works to your advantage only because of what you do with your knowledge. For example, if you have a disgruntled customer then you have a choice. Listen to them, help them, and keep them, or lose them.
Writing for Inc., (http://bit.ly/12C9apz) Maria Tabaka says, “Be thankful that your customer is willing to tell you what most won’t. It’s a gift that may offer you insight into problems that other customers aren’t willing to share… It’s a proven fact that when conflict is resolved well, a customer can become an even more devoted fan than they would have if there was never a problem in the first place.” When you empower yourself with the facts and demonstrate a willingness to change in order to meet your customers’ needs then you are on the path to greater success. Embracing this leadership challenge is essential to building the kind of relationships that will sustain you today and into the future.
Be vigilant going forward. The corrections you make today will help you today but the longevity of your success is a matter of vigilance. The needs, desires, and wants of your customers is constantly changing and evolving. Are you prepared to meet the challenges they bring?
A working formula for your vigilance looks like this:
Simply put, making the leadership connection with your customers begins by building relationships and knowing their wants and needs. When these two things become your priority you will not have to worry about your success. It will take care of itself. And it shows good leadership.
Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. – Mark Twain
A story is told of Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, who was angered by an army officer who accused him of favoritism. Stanton complained to Lincoln, who suggested that Stanton write the officer a letter. Stanton did, and showed the strongly worded letter to the president.
“What are you going to do with it?” Lincoln inquired. Surprised, Stanton replied, “Send it.” Lincoln shook his head. “Put it on the stove. That’s what I do when I have written a letter while I am angry. It’s a good letter and you had a good time writing it and feel better. Now burn it, and write another.”
Anger is one of those emotions that if not dealt with can cause many problems for leaders. What’s more important is for your team to know how to deal with the anger of your customers. This was the topic of a recent Open Forum column by Rieva Lesonsky. In the column Lesonsky cited a Futures Company survey that was conducted last year that revealed more consumers are in a state of generalized rage – not necessarily about customer service, but about most things in general.
The general state of mind of most consumers’ worldwide highlights a growing challenge for business leaders, and having an intuitive staff that can handle the growing tensions is imperative. The survey highlighted three primary sources for this heightened consumer anger: stress, suspicion, and anti-business attitudes. Any one of these ingredients is cause for concern but when combined as part of a growing consumer trend it is important not to ignore it.
Stemming the sentiments of consumer anger will require a proactive approach. While space restricts me from presenting an exhaustive approach for dealing with the consumer anger issue I will offer starting points that can position you to address it. Here are three steps to begin with that can help you tame the savage beast of anger.
Create awareness. Internal awareness is the first step toward addressing consumer anger. Is your company or organization paying attention to the warning signs of consumer anger? How consumer anger is manifested towards your business should be on your radar. If you are not aware of how it affects you, your competitors, or your suppliers it can have potentially negative consequences.
Creating awareness within your organization is crucial to its health and vitality. Make sure your frontline staff is sensitive and proactive in how they represent your company and the image they are putting forth. Being aware of potential conflicts can prepare you to surprise your customer with a greater than expected experience. You win your customer over tomorrow by preparing your staff today.
Build relationships. Externally, the success of your business is grounded in relationships. Mark Sanborn nailed it when said, “Customers don’t have relationships with organizations; they form relationships with individuals.” How do you see your customers? If you merely look upon them as transactions you are missing the point and always will. The key to dispelling the consumer anger sentiment is to make it personal which begins by building relationships.
Value is created where value is given priority. The reason consumers feel suspicious is due to their belief that businesses are ready to cheat customers whenever they can get away with it. Dispelling the anger is found in building trust. That can only happen in relationship. Loyalty to the business is not always an economic decision it is one of relationship.
Deliver service with excellence. Taming the savage beast of anger is an internal work (creating awareness) and it’s an external work (building relationships), which can now be solidified with how you deliver your product. When excellence is the standard by which your company or organization operates then it will be reflected at every level of the consumer experience.
The blueprint of your success in taming the savage beast of anger begins with leadership. Your capacity as a leader to recognize the need is the beginning of solving it. Creating a culture of awareness is essential to your teams’ ability to recognize consumer anger and defuse it. And everyone delivers with excellence at every phase of the consumer experience it will keep them coming back for more.
Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected. – Steve Jobs
While you may be familiar with the many inventions of Thomas Edison which include the incandescent light bulb and the microphone, but there is a back story to one invention that is of great significance.
It was December 1914 and Edison had been working ten years on a storage battery. One night fire tore through his lab. Fire companies from eight surrounding towns arrived in an attempt to douse the flames, but the heat was too intense and the water pressure was too low. Everything was lost.
In the midst of the rubbles the next day Edison is reported to have said, “There is great value in disaster. All of our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Amazingly enough, three weeks after that devastating fire, Edison delivered the first phonograph. His attitude and determination coupled with his commitment to excellence is why we hold him such high regard today.
We hear a lot of about excellence and the need for it. Theoretically we understand its importance and the need to set a high standard of quality in our work and in our expectations. While this is admirable we will never achieve excellence until we denounce the toxic attitudes and beliefs that prevent us from achieving it. Here are four of the most common excuses that stand between you and excellence. Conquer these and you can fast track yourself to a path of excellence.
Past failures. The road to success will be paved with failures and mistakes. But they don’t have to be fatal. Consider President Abraham Lincoln. He first went into politics at the age of 23 when he ran for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly. He lost. Afterwards he opened a general store. It failed. But we all know how he has taken his place in history and he is considered by many to be one of our greatest presidents.
Dale Carnegie said, “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” Do not allow your past failures to define you or your future. It’s when you shake off past failures, learn from your mistakes, and commit to excellence you can achieve it. Let go of the past and move on.
Past rejections. Achieving excellence will require a certain level of fortitude as you learn from the past. But rejections sting because it’s personal. Consider Walt Disney. He was fired by the editor of a newspaper for lacking ideas. He could have sulked in self-pity and given up on achieving anything of significance. But Disney persevered and millions of people the world over have been enjoying the magic ever since.
Albert Einstein said, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Don’t be discouraged when you face opposition or when you experience rejection. It is all a part of the growing process on your journey to excellence. Don’t give up!
Lack of education. Your lack of education is not a disqualifier for achieving excellence. Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school and applied to attend film school three times but was unsuccessful due to his C grade average. He could have taken that rejection along with his C grade average and given up. Because he didn’t give up we have enjoyed many great films such as Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Jaws, Lincoln, E.T. and Indiana Jones to name just a few.
John Wooden said, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” You may not have been the brightest student, your grades may not be a reflection of your potential or passion, but with the right attitude and determination there is nothing you can’t achieve if you choose an attitude of excellence.
Physical limitations. Harry S. Truman was rejected by the U.S. Military and Naval Academies due to his poor eyesight. At one point he was a clerk in a newspaper mailroom, and worked as an usher in a movie theatre. Yet, he did not allow his poor eyesight to keep him from achieving excellence as he later became President. His inspiring story is but one of countless others who have also experienced some type of physical limitation on the way to success.
Les Brown said, “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” It’s as you embrace this attitude that you will know, live, and enjoy a life of excellence. There is no limitation, physical or otherwise, that can keep you down but by your own choice. Shed the negative, embrace the positive, live with excellence.
Like as the waves make towards the pebbl’d shore, so do our minutes, hasten to the end. – William Shakespeare
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life. The winter he was 9, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no- nonsense uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then young Frank's tracks meandering all over the field. "Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again," his uncle said. "And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that."
Years later the world-famous architect liked to tell how this experience had greatly contributed to his philosophy in life. "I determined right then," he'd say with a twinkle in his eye, "not to miss most things in life, as my uncle had."
So much is made over the responsibility and demands of leadership that we fail to learn the lesson that Frank Lloyd Wright points out. It is part of the delicate big picture of leadership that if not addressed can have lasting negative consequences.
This is evidenced by a recent report by ExecuNet that revealed more than half (57%) of the executive recruiters they surveyed rated workloads as very high, and an additional 25 percent saying they are the highest they have ever seen. The survey also found that 53 percent believe executives’ current workloads are unsustainable and that employers will feel significant repercussions because they have stretched management leaders far too thin. So what are some of the warning signs of burnout in leaders? Here are three for your consideration.
Placing your policies above your people. When leaders place a higher value on policy than they do on people it will eventually lead to burnout. A disconnect between policy and people puts the leader in isolation with demands that only the leader wants or cares about. This approach reinforces busyness over productivity, conformity over creativity, and rules over relationships.
While policy is necessary it must not interfere with the leader’ first priority and that is the relationship he has to his people. Don’t allow policy burn you out; allow your people to be your source of inspiration and energy.
Placing your position above your principles. If all a leader cares about is his position then all he is going to be concerned about is protecting it. This attitude reveals both the weakness of the leader and his motives. It most certainly will lead to burnout.
Being a leader of principle is where the joy of leadership is found. If you are driven by your principles then you will not have to worry about your position. Fighting for a position will drain you of your energy, your effectiveness, and your longevity. Discover the joy of serving others and living by your principles. It will give greater satisfaction and reward than a title ever could.
Placing your popularity before your perspective. When the energy of the leader is bent towards popularity over perspective it is a sure pathway to burnout. It is the age old pitfall and trap that leaders must be on guard against. The temptation to embrace popularity over substance has been many a leaders’ downfall.
Being popular is not what makes you a strong leader. Perspective is what allows you to learn from the past, see into the future, make the hard decisions, and to lead with courage. The burden of choosing popularity over perspective is that the direction you travel is not of your choosing. Perspective causes you to lead with a steady hand.
Burnout has claimed many a leader. But you don’t have to be a casualty. Care about your people, lead with your principles, and keep your perspective. Save your energy for what truly matters and never forget to enjoy the journey.
The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision – Helen Keller
Max Lucado shares a story about Bob Edens. For 51 years he was blind and could not see a thing. His world was a black hall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through five decades of darkness. And then, he could see. A skilled surgeon performed a complicated operation and for the first time, he had sight. He found it overwhelming.
“I never would have dreamed that yellow is so…yellow,” he exclaimed. “I don’t have the words. I am amazed by yellow. But red is my favorite color. I just can’t believe red. I can see the shape of the moon- and I like nothing better than seeing a jet plane flying across the sky leaving a vapor trail. And of course, sunrises and sunsets. And at night I look at the stars in the sky and the flashing light. You could never know how wonderful everything is.”
Sight is a beautiful thing. Blind spots, especially for leaders, can be problematic. A story in QSR magazine cited a study by Development Dimensions International that said 91 percent of managers have at least one blind spot, and the average manager has three. Brad Thomas, a manager at DDI said, “Those blind spots don’t just hurt the individual who has them, they can hurt the entire company.” Leaders today must be aware of their blind spots and be willing to correct them. What are yours? Here are four common blind spots you need to see and why they matter.
The effect of a bad attitude. Zig Ziglar said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.” This is a powerful truth to know. It is even more powerful when you can practice it. The attitude you have is one of the most contagious and visible characteristics of your leadership. It is important to understand the effect that your attitude has on the culture of your company.
Your attitude is the thermostat by which others around you will conform. On average, the attitude of your team will not rise any higher than yours. If your attitude is poor it will be reflected in the company’s morale, performance, and is an indicator of its future. Simply put, you cannot allow a bad attitude to be a drag on your company because it is a blind spot for you. Pay attention to it and check it daily. After all, it is a choice.
The consequence of prejudices. This blind spot goes far beyond the scope of any racial implications. It is the result preconceived notions you make about colleagues, clients, or customers. It is making and embracing assumptions that may not be accurate based upon your limited understanding.
When you allow your prejudices to influence you as a leader you are allowing them to define you as a leader. Instead, why not abandon your prejudices and look upon everyone with an open mind, give clients the respect they deserve and your customers the benefit of the doubt. Prejudices have no place in your business and they certainly have no place in your heart. It is a blind spot you need to see and remove.
The price of poor people skills. This blind spot is the source of many of your leadership headaches. Your business savvy and skill will be undermined if you lack courtesy and respect. It is one thing to possess the ability to cast vision and manage the company’s bottom line, but if you can’t have a 30-minute lunch with a client without checking your phone messages five times it screams of poor etiquette.
Frederick L. Collins said, “There are two types of people in the world: those who come into a room and say, “Here I am!” and those who come in and say, “Ah, there you are!” People skills will make you or break you in leadership. Take care of people and they will take care of you. It is a blind spot you simply cannot ignore.
The trappings of an over-inflated ego. This blind spot will destroy your effectiveness if left unchecked. Colin Powell said, “Don’t let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down you ego doesn’t go with it.” Unfortunately, many leaders are trapped in the surroundings of their own creation that skewers reality. As a result they see the world they work in through the lens of “yes” people which can hinder more than help.
Blind spots can cause problems regardless of who you are but for leaders it has a far-reaching effect. The blind spot of ego is overcome by humility and serving others. Keep a healthy perspective of who you are and keep it grounded in reality. By paying attention and keeping yourself accountable you can steer clear of these pitfalls and lead with clarity.
Life is a long process of getting used to things you started out to change. – Frank A. Clark
As the story goes, it was on June 4, 1783 at the market square of a French village of Annonay, not far from Paris, that a smoky bonfire on a raised platform was fed by wet straw and old wool rages. Tethered above, straining its lines was a huge taffeta bag 33 feet in diameter. In the presence of “a respectable assembly and a great many other people,” and accompanied by great cheering, the balloon was cut from its moorings and set free to rise majestically into the noon sky.
Six thousand feet in the air it went—the first public ascent of a balloon, the first step in the history of human flight. It came to earth several miles away in a field, where it was promptly attacked by pitchfork-waving peasants and torn to pieces as an instrument of evil.
From the earliest days of man change has been a difficult proposition. We are creatures of comfort and creatures of habit. Shake up the apple cart and you will have a fight on your hands; especially if you are a leader. Take the workplace for example. In a recent survey commissioned by talent management firm Plateau and conducted by Harris Interactive, finds that 74% of workers-satisfied or not- would consider leaving if approached with another offer. In other words, change is always in the air – yes, even at your office.
Steven Covey said, “There are three constants in life; change, choice and principles.” And as a leader how you integrate those truths is an important part of your leadership style. Here are three insights about change that will challenge the way you think about it and how it can help you as a leader.
The change we want – looks outward. In leadership when we think about the changes we want it usually has something to do with someone else. Our grumblings often center on what someone at the office is doing; or not doing, that frustrates us. People are not performing at the level you want, there is too much in-fighting or office politics, performance goals are not being met, etc.
The change you want is the frustration of your leadership. It is frustrating because it has you focused on things at the margins that steal quality time in terms of productivity. All you know is that you are frustrated and something has to change. And unfortunately, creating change out of frustration tends to lead to unhealthy choices regarding change and does not help you in the long term.
The change we need – looks inward. One of the hardest things for a leader to do is to look inward with a critical eye. The British politician Nancy Astor said, “The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything, or nothing.” And so long as you want to change everything else but remain unwilling to change yourself it will remain an encumbrance on your leadership.
The change you need is the necessity of your leadership. It is when you honestly evaluate your strengths and weaknesses; your blind spots and attitudes that inward change begins. Improvement will only happen when you look honestly in the mirror and make the changes you need to make before expecting them from others. But it’s when you are transparent, ask for feedback, and demonstrate humility that you can begin to create a culture of change in your organization. And the day you learn to let go of the things you can’t change in other people is the day you let go of many of your frustrations as a leader.
The change we celebrate – looks upward. Max Depree said, “In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to by remaining what we are.” In leadership the goal is not to sit back and rest in our comfort zones. We should constantly be striving to become what we need by embracing that which we must. Change is a constant and we must welcome it and be open to it if we are to grow.
The change you celebrate is the blessing of your leadership. It is a blessing when you forget about trying to change other people and change yourself. It is a blessing when you embrace your calling and purpose as a leader and fulfill your destiny not because you resisted change but because you dared to welcome it.
I would like to be remembered as a player who was there for others –Mariano Rivera
In announcing his forthcoming retirement from Major League Baseball at the conclusion of the 2013 season, Mariano Rivera will certainly be bound for Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame. By the numbers Rivera has no equal. His stats speak volumes as to his skill as a dominant relief pitcher. Rivera enters the 2013 season with a career ERA of 2.21, 1,119 saves and 608 strikeouts.
In recognition of his stellar career it is worth noting the leadership lessons that can be drawn from his career and how these principles transcend the game of baseball. These are life lesson every leader can learn from and apply. John Wooden once said, “Success comes from knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” Certainly Rivera did that and you can too. Here are three take-away leadership lessons from the career of Mariano Rivera and why they matter.
How to enjoy every season. Rivera entered the Major Leagues in 1995. After 19 seasons it will be over and he will enter a new chapter and phase in his life. Every leader goes through seasons. And just as Rivera enjoyed seasons where he finished on top with World Championships, there were also lean years for the team.
The leadership lesson to learn here is that each season is to be embraced with enthusiasm, passion, and a desire to win. Your leadership will be called upon and tested. You will face obstacles and challenges. You will experience the thrill of victory and taste the disappointment of defeat.
The important thing to remember is to enjoy the journey regardless of the outcome. The mark of your leadership is found in the discovery of making the most of every season and opportunity that comes your way.
How to be a team player. Rare in professional sports today, Rivera’s entire career was played in the famous pin stripe uniform of the New York Yankees. It was only fitting that all of his teammates were in attendance at his retirement announcement.
The leadership lesson to learn here is that of being a team player. In his retirement announcement interview Rivera was asked about being labeled the greatest of all time. Rivera responded by saying, “First of all, I don’t feel I’m the greatest of all-time. The reason I say that is because I’m a team player. If it wasn’t for my teammates, I would never had the opportunities.” This summarizes both the power and importance of teamwork.
The mark of your leadership is found not so much in what you can achieve individually as rewarding as that can be, but in how you can be a part of something greater than yourself.
How to leave with your head held high. Rivera will leave at the end of the season celebrated as the game’s greatest closer. When asked how it feels to exit the game he said, “There’s nothing to be sad of. I did everything within my power to enjoy the game, to do it well, to respect baseball. I have so much joy about that. So to me, there’s no sadness. I would say joy.”
Rivera’s legacy as a baseball player is secure. It is Hall of Fame material. What about your legacy? As a leader it is being created by the work you do, the decisions you make, the service you render, the obstacles you overcome, the lessons you learn, and your desire to leave your mark on the world.
Your calling is not to be a Rivera, but to be the best version of yourself as the leader that you were created to be with passion and purpose. With a touch of class, Rivera simply showed us the joy of doing it.
Nothing last forever – not even our troubles. – Arnold H. Glasow
In Bits & Pieces, a story is shared about Somerset Maugham, the English writer who once wrote a story about a janitor at St. Peter’s Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him. Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny tobacco shop, where he prospered, bought another, expanded, and ended up with a chain of tobacco stores worth several hundred thousand dollars.
One day the man’s banker said, “You’ve done well for an illiterate, but where would you be if you could read and write?” “Well,” replied the man, “I’d be janitor of St. Peter’s Church in Neville Square.”
As a leader you will face troubles. In fact, you will probably have more. How you handle the pressures and troubles of life is crucial to your leadership. The truth is no one is immune from troubles, stress, and the pressures that either affect performance at work, or is the source of it at home.
As a leader how you confront those obstacles is what will elevate you as a leader and can be a source of inspiration for those you lead. The choices you make in facing your troubles will define your leadership. Here are three observations to consider.
The troubles that discourage you. The troubles that discourage you are not uncommon. These come as a result of the rough and tumble world in which you live. They come about as a result of the pressures of work: a deal that didn’t come through, earnings expectations that came up short, low morale, petty office squabbling, etc. These issues and more are things that tend to wear you down and take the edge off of your performance.
Discouragement sets in when you allow these things to shape an unhealthy attitude. Dale Carnegie said, “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” This is great advice to consider going forward. How you see and how you react to the troubles you face will make all the difference. When you choose a good attitude you are in a position to emerge from your troubles stronger and more successful.
The troubles that deny you. The troubles that deny you are those that have a way of getting under your skin and preventing you from being the leader you are meant to be. They are caused by a variety of external factors that eventually take their toll and deny you of the joys of leading and serving. Even the best of leaders are not exempt from the grueling daily demands that eventually wear you down.
Unfortunately, some leaders have to learn the hard way that they are not Superman and that at times their setbacks are self-inflicted. Troubles will only deny you if you allow it. The attitudes you choose and your responses to adversity will demote you or promote you. Troubles will reward you or deny you. The choice is yours.
The troubles that develop you. Every leader faces trouble and every leader will have setbacks. The important thing to remember is that those troubles do not define you; they develop you. Many “famous failures” have overcome great adversity and chose not to be defined by their troubles.
Despite the criticism from a newspaper editor for lacking ideas, Walt Disney succeeded anyway. Although he struck out 1,300 times Babe Ruth is a Hall of Fame baseball legend. He was rejected by the US Military and Naval Academies due to poor eyesight, but everyone remembers President Harry S. Truman. As a boy his teacher told him that he was too stupid to learn, but Thomas Edison proved the teacher wrong. This household name dropped out of high school and applied to attend film school three times but was unsuccessful due to his C grade average- but Steven Spielberg has been entertaining us for years.
As a leader you will face troubles. But they do not have to define you. When armed with the right attitude and perspective your troubles can promote you to something far greater than you could have ever imagined.
