Kerry Hamilton, CPCC

Point of Leadership

Leadership is a favorite topic for many.  The way in which we view our political leaders is the stuff of hallway conversation and lunch table debate.  It is a subject that is endlessly fascinating...endlessly because, I believe, we can always improve our leadership.  Leadership is a journey, not a destination.  Each day, as leaders in our jobs and in our lives, we are offered opportunities to grow our edges, and to push beyond where we were yesterday-- in experience, in skill and in action.

 

 

I believe leadership has five basic components, all integral to creating the change we wish to see in the world.   Leadership's Five Pointed Star   Imagine leadership in the very center of a five-pointed star.  Let's define the five critical points.   Be Real We each have an authentic leadership style that is ours and ours alone, that is created from the very center of our being.  Connecting with our authentic style, re-connecting with it intuitively, is the profound work of the active leader -- at work, at home, in life.  Ask yourself, what will bring you 100% into your authentic leadership?   Stake Your Intention   As leaders, we must know what we intend to create from our leadership. Some call this vision, some call it mission.  I like the word intention.  Intention holds us to the standard of identifying what we intend to do in the world, and the 100% commitment to make it happen.  What do set your intention for in your leadership?   Be Curious   Ask open-ended questions, questions that cannot be answered by yes or no.  Train yourself to spend 75% or more of your conversation with those you lead asking questions that begin with 'what'.  Curious, powerful questions. And stay open to hear curious questions from others.   Ask Everyone for Feedback   What is our impact, and is it what we intended? The only way to know is to ask for feedback.  And if you ask only one person for feedback, make it your harshest critic.  Our critics offer some of the best creative ideas for us as leaders.    Invite Healthy Conflict   Number five is one of the sharpest points of the star.  Begin to train your organization to be in a dialogue that welcomes disagreement for the sake of creativity, productivity and outcome.   Work with your team to create a way of working together that supports conflict in safety.    My challenge to you as leader is to pick one of the five points of the star that is calling out to you.  Reflect upon what you would like to change in your world.  And begin.    Create a step, commit to it, and be accountable.  Then, importantly, notice what happens.  Leadership is a journey, and we as the traveler can choose what change we wish to see in our world (paraphrase from Ghandi).  The first step to creating change is to dream it.

 

Keep It Simple

In thinking, keep it simple.   Lao Tzu

 

Keeping it simple is something we often lose track of in business and in life.  Focusing on what is important, and weeding out the rest, is a powerful and simple way to create outcome.

 

 

It became pretty clear to me as I was weeding the gardens in the front of my house yesterday.  Although I wanted the entire dirt area around the plants to look as perfect as possible, what was  most important in the weeding process was removing the weeds from around the flowers and plantings, in order to be sure that there was nothing impeding their ability to grow.  Removing the stray weeds here and there was a nice thing to do, AND what was most important was identifying the big plants that were a priority, and removing the obstacles that were getting in the way of their growth.   Why is it that the most profound thoughts come to us when we are engaged in activites that are, well, not work?  Well, the Wall Street Journal did an interesting story on that (WSJ, June 19, 2009, A Wandering Mind Heads Straight Toward Insight).  But that isn't really the point of my gardening story.   The point is that in creating outcome, we must first choose focus and then be clear about what obstacles need removing.  In our Western World way, we might want to achieve perfection, like my desire to remove every stray weed.  And yet, that has never been the purpose of weeding.  Just as perfection has never been the purpose of Business Planning and Execution.   So what is important?  In the high performing team, focus on Goals and Strategies is defined this way.  The team has clear, challenging objectives.  There is alignment on strategies and priorities.  Objectives are linked to recognition, rewards and compensation.  The team is highly resilient and not easily defeated in their goals.    And the team is focused.  Choosing to 'not do' things that are unimportant in the execution of strategies and priorities.  Choosing to intentionally focus on the important strategies, and there to execute powerfully.    Powerfully simple.

 

Choosing 'What Is'

Compared to what we ought to be,  we are half awake.  William James

 

Half awake.  This is a place where we might get stuck, if we are not careful.  So often, as leaders, we engage in the conversation about what isn't working. Being fully awake means something different.

 

 

As leaders, it is not enough to share what is not working. We notice this type of languaging all of the time in our everyday communications.  We point to what is not being done, what is not enough.  And as we share in the anxiety that this produces, our ability to think creatively and problem-solve diminishes proportionately.   What is necessary is to define what it looks like when it is working. This is the profound work around vision setting.  Setting aside the unfulfilled wishes and disappointments, and courageously asking the question, 'What do we want?'    Here are three simple steps: 1.  Avoid what is not working  In Edwin H. Friedman's leadership book, A Failure of Nerve, he speaks of our tendency to 'adapt to (civilization's) immaturity.'  We slide through anxiety (the what is not working) to the lowest common denominator.  The first step is to acknowledge that we are stuck in what isn't working.   2.  Develop clarity of vision  The solution to stuck-ness is clear, decisive, well-defined leadership.  Or, in other words, clarity of vision, AND the courage to define clearly what success looks like, today, tomorrow and in the future. Setting the vision of that success clearly so that anyone on the team can create the image immediately, without reference to paper or data. 3.  Set your intention And then, once we have stepped away from what isn't working, and defined what success looks like, it is important to set our intention -- to journey dauntlessly toward that clear picture of success.

Team

One thing I am noticing lately is the importance of awareness and intention in creating the outcomes that we wish to see in our worlds.  Explore with me the meaning of teams, and how creating a strong team will make a powerful difference.

 

 

Creating Powerful Teams   If you work for a living, or even if you don't, chances are that teams play a very important role in your life.  Teams get work done, and in today's environment, creating powerful teams, and providing the context for these teams to survive and thrive, may be the ultimate goal of leadership.   There are four guiding principles for teams:   1.  Teams exist to produce results.    Of course.  This seems obvious. AND getting really clear about the reason why the team exists is the most important first step for a team.  Teams have a mission.  And creating clear awareness and commitment to the compelling mission of the team is job one.    2.  The team is a living system.    The 'living' word is a critical distinction here.  The traditional view of teams has often been mechanical -- as in, working like a well-oiled machine.  And, teams are actually human systems which are naturally dynamic.  Expect that teams and teamwork are sometimes messy and chaotic.  The good news is, teams grow and change to adapt to changing conditions.  And this is necessary, to accomplish the compelling mission.   3.  Team members want to be on high-performing teams and want to contribute.    We are shaped by thousands of years of working in collaboration for a common purpose, whether it was elk for dinner or pyramids in the desert.  Humans are wired to be in community.  And, when all is said and done, we want to be able to say 'I made a contribution, my work today had meaning."  Most people hunger to be on a great team that makes a difference to the company.   4.  The team has within it the means to excel.    If we start from a declaration that the team is creative enough, resourceful enough, capable enough to excel, we create a positive, encouraging atmosphere and the expectation of success. This is an operating stance, and one with a lot of juice.  Think of operating from the alternative stance.  Assume that teams do NOT have the means to excel.  From that position, we are constantly noticing weakness.  This 'NOT' position is actually old, heirarchical thinking, a leftover from the top down, directive leadership model. What is powerful for teams is expecting to excel and achieve the mission.

 

The Next Twenty Five

Well, I must say that philosopher Peter Koestenbaum has got me thinking again (see book list right column of blog for further details).

He asks the most brilliant questions.  Well, you all know I love a great question.  His are truly powerful.  He asks "what unit of time is your unit of time?"  One day, one week, one month, six months, a year, five years, twenty five years?

Now, I don't think I have ever had a five year plan for my life, never mind a twenty five year plan.  This is something that I have often felt proud of.  I use my intuition to seek what is next.  Sure, I have written business plans that view five years out.  But what my whole life will look like?  Nope, haven't done it.  

But, now, Koestenbaum asks "What is the time frame in which you experience your lived time?" If you look ahead at a twenty five year span as one unit, what do you see?

This question really has me pondering.  What amazing things might I dream up for myself for the next quarter century?

I am 58 now.  In 25 years I will be 83.  It is possible I'll still be healthy (of course it's possible I won't be, but what's the harm in planning for a healthy life?)

When I look at this chunk of time, it seems like another lifetime.  When I look at what I have experienced in the last twenty five years, it is quite a lot.  Two kids, 5 jobs, my marriage, lots of great friendships, some fabulous travel...the list goes on.

I am no longer counting the years until retirement.  Now, I am paying attention to the next twenty five year block.  That's pretty stunning. 

The first thought that occurs to me is to get more education.  I am a life-long learner, so it is no surprise that education excites me.  This is something that President Obama challenged us all with last Tuesday.  It was a prolific speech.   He covered an immense range of topics in great detail.  Obviously, education was high on the list.  And the President had a lot to say on the subject.  One thing he charged each of us with as Americans is to take up some form of education for ourselves.  Model life-long learning by becoming a learner again.  If we are to return this country to its former glory we must focus more on education, and each and every one of has a responsibility in this. 

So, education will be one thing I will consider in my Next Twenty Five Year plan.  Also, I will be visioning and dreaming.  As just so you know, it is not idle dreaming I am speaking of.  When I speak of dreaming, it is as an important part of creating and manifesting what I want in my life.  Dreaming and then acting on those dreams.

I must attribute this next thought to my brilliant coach.  As we were talking about this idea, she asked "What if everyone our age starting visioning the next 25 years, what would that be like?"  Oh my, doesn't the thought of this just take your breath away?

The largest generation, the baby boomer generation (or even if your not a boomer), not retiring, but planning their next twenty five years -- with powerful intention to contribute positively to the country and the world.  The world is ready for this.  I am quite sure of it.

Phew!

I am in.

Who out there will join me?

Bringing Life to Work

The very phrase 'work-life balance' seems to be a contrivance. It is just plain misleading.  Possibly even a scheme.

We go to work each day, and then what?  We get to have our life?  Is that it?

If life is alive, what is our presumption about work -- that it is not alive?  If we lead our lives at home, whose life are we leading at work?

These are profound questions.  How often are we at work thinking of things to be done at home, or at home preoccupied with work?  The constant struggle to strike a balance between the two may be an impossible task.  Perhaps, we want a different perspective.

What if we trusted ourselves enough to push back from our desks at 6pm, regardless of what papers are on it, and set out with a calm mind to that field where our son is playing ball?  What if we knew in our hearts that bright and early the next morning, we would know exactly what to focus on at work, what priorities to set, what conversations to be in.  Would that allow us to live, and be alive at work AND at home?  What if we trusted ourselves?

The answer might lie is something called 'lived time.'  Peter Koestenbaum defines lived time as our whole lives.  Rather than separating work and life, Koestenbaum looks at creating our work as a meaningful part of our lives.  We live from the inside out -- we connect our values and our courage to the work we do every day.

Then instead of checking our lives at the door on the way into our workplace, we actively engage who we are and what we believe in -- into our daily rounds at work.

Lived time.  A very powerful concept.  Being present to our lives, at home, at work, while working at home.  Making conscious and meaningful choices as we live our lives one moment, one value, one courageous act at a time.

That's what I call bringing life to work!

Time Out of Time

I rarely meet anyone these days who has enough time.  And in fact, if I am ever in a conversation with someone who intended to do something and did not, usually the reason is that they didn't find the time.  It seems this is true for many of us.

There are actually two words for time, though.  Both originating in the Greek language.  Chronos, which is the word for chronological time or clock time.  Kairos, which refers to time out of time; timeless, or perhaps even the perfect moment.

I have been intrigued about ths type of time for many months now.  It has been a place holder in that messy file that includes clips, and articles, and scribbles that I intend to use as fodder for 'someday blogs.'  I guess until today, I didn't have enough time to write about it.

I haven't found a lot written about Kairos, and yet, we all know what this is.  It is that moment when time stands still.  It is qualitative time...or liminal time, a moment or moments when we are situated at the threshold.  

I have found this in a few places.

I caputured one of these moments just recently when I was away at a retreat house for the weekend.  It was a Sunday morning, and I had paused at a window to look out in the snowy yard.  Nothing special was happening until a few moments into my pause.  And then, the sun drove beams through the trees toward me.  It was as if the rheostat on the sun had been dialed up just for me!

I have also noticed other times -- reading a story to a friend's child, in a kayak out on the Charles River with no one in sight, sitting with a loved one in the evening, reading quietly.

What makes these times special is that we intuitively step out of chronos time, and ease into time that stands still, making these moments some of the most precious moments of our lives.

The discipline is to set aside our daily grind, our daily 'to do's,' and give ourselves over to these liminal, kairos moments.

As Colbie Caillat says at the beginning of her song, Bubbly,

'Will someone count me in?'

 

 

Animals at Play

Whether you are an animal lover or not, this two minute slide show found at the url below will delight and teach you. 

As the narrator says, this is one example of some of the amazing things that are actually happening in nature.

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/play/audiogallery/soundseen.shtml#slideshow

 

Take a look.

 

 

Neurobics: Keeping Your Brain Alive

This morning I decided to make a change to my morning routine.  I realized that the thought of taking my normal walk with my dog Tuckerman was boring me.  I was in the frame of mind to just get it over with.

I recalled a book I had bought recently at Barnes and Noble.  One of those bargain books, it was called Keep Your Brain Alive (Katz and Rubin), and heralded 83 Neruobic exercises to help prevent memory loss and increase mental fitness.  What I was recalling is something that I have known for a long time, which this book had reminded me of -- varying something that we do each day keeps our brains fit, and begins to create a new neural pathway.

So I weighed the pros and cons of a new walking route.

Pro -- new nerual pathway, stimulating memory, creativity, better task performance, interesting not boring

Con -- It will take more time

Now although there is only one con, it is a big one.  I live in a neighborhood that was once farm land.  The streets grew up in a rather haphazard way, perhaps following cowpaths, not unlike Boston. My current walking route is the shortest route.  If I take another, I need to add at least 10 minutes onto the walk. In reality, I will need to add more than 10 minutes, if I consider that the Tuck will want to sniff every blade of grass along the way, it being a new route and necessary instinctively for him to 'learn' it in this way (The Dog Whisperer has great advice on this subject, but that's another blog).

I decided to take the new route.  I have a busy day ahead of me, AND...no time like the present.  'If not today, when?  If not me, who?'

Tuck did sniff every blade of grass. And for me it was a wonderful, if long, experience.  I really noticed parts of my neighborhood that I haven't seen in a long time.  I drive by these areas, but walking by them creates a completely different perspective.  I also came home approaching my house from the opposite direction.  It was like looking at my house for the first time.  I am not sure when I actually SAW my house last.  Not recently, I can tell you that.

So, I am running a little late, and that is okay.  Because life feels a little fresher, a little more exciting.  Well worth the change in routine that I committed to this morning.  A little gift to myself.

Some other ideas that are offered by Katz and Rubin in Keep Your Brain Alive:

• Shower with your eyes closed

• Take a different route to work

• Go through your food store aisles in a different direction or pattern

• Sit in a different seat in meetings at work

When I look at the simplicity of this list, I realize just how much of my day is on autopilot.  And just how simple it would be to change it up, and exercise my brain each day.

So take up the challenge with me.  I plan to do at least one routine thing differently each day.  Every day for 21 days.  I plan to use a rubber band on my left wrist as a reminder.  I'll write today's date on it.  If I miss a day, I will move it to my right hand, and begin again. 

It may be as simple as brushing my teeth with my left hand.  Or something as big as wearing gloves when I am driving.  (Apparently wearing gloves blunts your sense of fine touch, so that you have to use other cues to steer the car or change stations on the radio.  Do this, unless of course you drive one of the snazzy cars that require you to wear driving gloves...in which case, you would take the gloves off!)

So the idea is this, each day will bring at least one new experience out of something that was once routine.

So, this is the challenge. 

Will you step into this challenge with me?

 

Staycation

A wonderful Wall Street Journal article caught my attention this week, on Wednesday to be exact.  It is a story about some families that have decided this year that a vacation away is too expensive, and they have applied their creativity to a vacation at home, dubbed by one interviewee 'staycation'.

One woman was unable to take the trip to Japan she had planned due to the exchange rate, cost of living, cost of airfares -- basically what we are all experiencing.  So, she decided to visit Japan at home by shopping at a traditional Japanese market, ordering in Japanese, watching Japanese films.  The concept here is brilliant.

Another family is pitching a tent in their living room. I am not sure I would go that far, and yet there was one summer when the kids were younger that we pitched a tent in the backyard, and it was there practically all summer.  The kids slept out many nights, invited friends in the neighborhood.  And the comforts of home were closeby too.  I slept a little less well.  My choice to worry a little more than if they were safetly tucked inside the house, and yet that was my choice to worry.  The sheer joy that they experienced was incalculable.

So, I think the 'staycation' has something going for it.  And it may even go beyond saving money.  The study of neurobics says that we can keep our brains healthy by doing things differently every day.  There is even some evidence to link Alzheimers avoidance to keeping our brains neurobically fit.  Brushing our teeth with the left hand (if of course you are right-handed).  Driving to work by a different route. 

If we take this neurobics concept into the 'staycation' realm, what possibilities lie in 'staycationing' not just for a week or two but often, and continually.  As a way of life.  Thinking of things that we would like to do and see, and applying creativity to bringing them here, instead of going there.

I know I love to travel.  It thrills me, shows me what is possible in the world.  Exposes me to new cultures, people who are different and exciting.

The 'staycation' opens up a big question for me.  What is 'in here' as opposed to 'out there' that I want to do right now to 'travel' more often? 

Off to do some traveling here at home!

Ohhhh, the possibilities are endless.

PostScript:

When taking a staycation, discipline is very important.  And by this I mean, the discipline to shut down email, turn off  Blackberries, to get away mentally.  The good thing about going far away is that the destination enforces the discipline.  If you are in remote mountains without cell service or in Europe, for instance, it's inconvenient to 'check-in.'.  The ability to 'check-out' is quite high. 

So, another good thing about a staycation is the practice it will give in the discipline of getting away.  While being here.  Something to think about.