I love this notion. Our society used to value character and I think it is something we should do once again. Character is something that is formed by doing the right things over and over again. There are no hacks or shortcuts, There is no get-rich quick scheme to being a person of character. We have to do the right things and respect others…can’t imagine anything worth more to society.
The best leaders can take the most complex issues and simplify into terms that everyone can relate to. When faced with an issue, look at what the impacts of NOT solving it are and then paint that vision for your team. They will be able to solve a well defined problem if you give them the chance.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this quote. I can see how an idea could incite action, but without action words are useless. Thoughts?
We talk a lot about empowering and delegating; however, when the person makes a mistake, we are prone to step in and take over. Empowering another is giving them power to control that thing. When a mistake is made, coach, mentor, and hold them accountable. Don’t take the thing from them…they’ll never learn that way.
It is scary to think of all the opportunities I have missed by “hoping” someone would do something for me. It took me 39 years to realize that we are all trying to succeed in our own way and no one is responsible for my future except me. Sure there are those great mentors who help and guide, but still the effort is our own. Don’t waste your time waiting for someone to hand you everything, go earn it.
Good times make weak leaders. Weak leaders make bad times. Bad times make good leaders. Some of the times I have grown the most were when I was working for a bad boss. I did not like the way the team was treated and had to learn things on my own. Bad leaders made me better; however, when good leaders refuse to get comfortable, they take their teams to amazing places. Refuse to get comfortable when things are going well, look for ways to set up your team for the next challenge.
This is a very powerful notion for NCOs and SNCOs. We spend more of our time focussed on ensuring our teams are doing the right things. If we spent more time developing our teams, they would be better equipped to take care of the mission. Develop your team and let them do the rest.
This is such a simple concept for leadership. We can all do this. We don’t have to have the charisma or even the experience. We just need to be humble. Not the type of humble that people like to trample on, door mats are not humble. We need to take action to help others succeed. Everyone can focus on one person and just one thing that can help them get just one step further.
I don’t think I could any wisdom to the Dalai Lama. I do think this is a great mandate for those with any form of leadership role. We have to set them up to be successful without you and still seek ways to continue to add value into their lives. I love how this is an on-going challenge that pushes them to grow and doesn’t allow me to get lazy.
