Leadership Quote: One Sees Great Things From The Valley…

 

This month’s leadership quote:

“One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.”

-Gilbert K. Chesterton

Another way to say this, the higher we rise in an organization, the less we see. The challenge for leaders, therefore, is to spend time in the valley. Easy to say; harder to do. And, the great leaders I know spend most of their time in only three ways: strategic thinking/strategic conversations; visiting and listening to customers and potential customers; and siting down with and listening to employees.

Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

 

Better, Better, Maybe Not?

 

The notion that we can constantly make ourselves and our companies better, in theory, is a great idea. But when does it become too much?

For me, the best way to answer this question is to notice our strengths and work to enhance them. In my Vistage work and as a leadership coach, I refer to this as discovering and working in our genius.

Sometimes we become so focused on achieving that we are never able to appreciate who we are or what we and our people have already accomplished. When we’re constantly reaching, rather than occasionally being satisfied with what we have in front of us, that’s a recipe for perpetual dissatisfaction.

For me, the best way to avoid the “better, better, better” trap is to ask the following questions:

  • What are we, as a company, already good at? Are these the things our customers value?
  • Among the things most important to our customers, what are we good at and what do we need to do to become excellent at these?
  • Of the things we are not good at and striving to improve, what can we outsource, or simply stop doing?

Once we know and understand what we are good at, and focus on that, not only do our companies and our people become more effective, we become more satisfied and ultimately become better leaders.

Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

How Does Your Company Handle Conflict?

 

Which of these describes your culture:

  1. Conflict is out in the open; we respectfully disagree in meetings and discuss the issue until we reach resolution or acceptance
  2. Conflict is handled by the boss; we all agree in the meeting and then lobby our position to the boss afterwards and he or she resolves the conflict
  3. Conflict is buried; we all agree in meetings, whoever is the leader decides and if we disagree, we keep it to ourselves

If your company operates under either #2 or #3 above, what is the cost?

  • What new ideas or innovations are being lost when people are afraid to speak up?
  • What is most important to you as a leader, being right or being effective? How does this show up in how you respond to conflict?
  • Are high potential team members giving their all somewhere else in their life? Or even leaving to contribute somewhere else?
  • How much are you leaving on the table that might be there for the taking, if people argued for the best answer?

Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

The Meaning Of Labor Day

 

When the first nationally recognized Labor Day was celebrated in 1894, the day consisted of a street parade sending up a message of “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” (in the words of the AFL). We have come a long way since then. Today most employers focus on offering opportunities and benefits to attract and retain talent; as a result, the need for unions has diminished and few remain.

Yet we still celebrate the day as a national holiday. Perhaps it is simply tradition, or the acknowledgment of the end of summer. Or a reminder to celebrate how far we have come as a nation of leaders and followers, where two-way communication has become much more the norm than work place “negotiations”.

So, as you enjoy your family barbecues, or however you celebrate the day, I encourage you to pause and ask yourself:

  • As a leader, what can I do tomorrow to let each member of my team know they are valued and are essential to our success?
  • As a follower, what I can do tomorrow to let my boss know what else I can do to add value to the success of our company?

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Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain