Leadership Quote: Tell Me And I'll Forget…

Leadership Quote: Tell Me And I'll Forget…

Opt 7 May 25This month’s leadership quote:

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.

-Chinese Proverb

We are often reminded that the key to successful leadership is successful delegation. And yet, many of us struggle with making delegation stick. I hear responses, like

  • It takes too long; I may as well do it myself
  • I can’t get my team to take ownership
  • When I delegate, it doesn’t get done right

While there may be other reasons for these results, I wonder if one might be, we are too often telling and showing? And, if we changed that ratio to more involving, if we might see different results?

Elisa K. Spain

Hold The Advice…

Hold The Advice…

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When we discover something new, or see someone we know in pain, or struggling with a problem, we want to help, to solve the problem. And off we go, giving advice. And, more often than not, that advice is received with resistance. “How can that be?”, we ask, “I genuinely wanted to help, and I am sensing my advice is not being well received”.

Here are some examples I have experienced lately, perhaps you can name one or two of your own:

  • I was watching my partner try and figure out how to do something on his Ipad. He didn’t ask for help, but there I was offering a “better way”; just wanting to save him time I said…
  • A friend found a new exercise program for his back, and instead of simply sharing his happiness with the results, he was working really hard to convince me to agree to try it (even though I reminded him I have one I use).
  • A colleague and I were discussing best practices, sharing ideas and then, without asking, I received a series of emails offering advice.

Offering unsolicited advice is the opposite of asking the better question. So, next time you are tempted to give advice, don’t. Wait until you are asked. And if you must say something, consider asking a question.

 

Elisa K. Spain

Here's To The Crazy Ones…

Here's To The Crazy Ones…

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As my regular readers know, I collect quotes, share them here and on my website. Typically I publish one quote a month, but this month you get a bonus quote.

The last few weeks I have been on the theme about leading change. The quote below from Steve Jobs is a wonderful reminder that ideas only come and change only happens, when someone has the courage to disrupt the status quo.

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Steve Jobs

Here’s to the crazy ones! I hope you are one of them and if you aren’t, that you at least have one of them working for you.

 

Elisa K. Spain

The Other Side Of Change

The Other Side Of Change

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As leaders, we are frequently driving change. Lots has been written on how to do it effectively. Two weeks ago, I published a blog about the challenges and opportunities associated with changing, or bending an organization’s culture.

And, while change can be good for an organization, tinkering sometimes may not. We all know the leader who loves change for change sake, whether it’s a new award system, a new comp plan, a new training program, a new sales structure, the key word is new. Change, for change sake. Harmless, perhaps. And perhaps not.

My experience is those of us who say we like change, are thinking “we like driving change”. I have yet to meet a person who says “I love having change thrust upon me”.

With this in mind, next time you are thinking about making a change in your organization, pause and ask yourself, “what is driving this desire for change”?

Is something not working or is something going on with me, perhaps I am bored? And if it ain’t broke, perhaps the best thing to do is to pause, before setting out to fix it.

 

Elisa K. Spain