Category: Vistage

This month’s leadership quote:

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

–George Bernard Shaw

We discussed this quote in my Vistage groups this month, and of course each of us had a recent story to tell. What we discovered was for most of us, our failures to communicate occur most often in our personal lives. We found that in our business lives we tend to be more intentional about ensuring that communication has in fact taken place.

The question we then asked was, ‘what can we do to up the success rate of communication?’ Below is a summary of the answers. As you think about your own recent stories, perhaps you will find this list useful:

• When you are the listener, pause, focus, look at the person, stop doing other things. In short, be present.
• When you are the speaker, check-in, ask if this is a good time for a conversation and notice the listener’s body language. If this isn’t a good time, save it for another time. After you speak, discover by asking questions; if you were heard and understood.

Bottom line, communication will not take place if you are speaking and the other person isn’t listening. Seems obvious and yet, each of us has a recent story to tell about when it did not take place.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

This month’s leadership quote:

“Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely that simple, and it is also that difficult.”

–Warren Bennis

The challenge of course is gaining this self-awareness.

• Identifying our genius
• Learning how we show up to others and the impact we have
• Learning when to lead from the front of the room and when to lead from the back

Whether we have been in a leadership role for a long time, or the experience is more recent, each day is an opportunity to move toward this simple, yet difficult, goal.

One of the great benefits of Vistage private advisory boards is the opportunity to learn all these things from our peers. We can then take what we learn back into our organizations and become the best version of ourselves.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

This month’s leadership quote:

“I love listening. It’s one of the only spaces where you can be still, and moved, at the same time.”

–Nayyirah Waheed

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

This month’s leadership quote:

“Be decisive. Right or wrong, make a decision. The road of life is paved with flat squirrels who couldn’t make a decision.”

-Unknown

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

This month’s leadership quote:

“A leader that won’t listen to others will eventually be surrounded by people that have nothing to say.”

-Andy Stanley

When you ask most leaders if they listen, they will say yes. And yet, when you ask most employees if their boss listens, few say yes. Why is this?

Here’s my theory.

Most employees believe that to speak up is to risk being viewed as a troublemaker, disagreeable, not a team player, etc. etc. And most leaders believe they “have an open door policy”. They further believe that if folks have something to say, they will stop in and say it. And often they do. That is, the folks that have the courage to speak up. Sometimes though, it’s the quiet ones that wait to be asked that have the most to say.

And, on the flip side, how we respond when folks do speak up, matters too. Instead of making a case for why we want it done the way we said, what if instead we simply said, tell me more, what are you thinking or simply, thank you for the feedback. 

Not always easy to pause and ask. And, if we don’t, we risk being surrounded by people that have nothing to say.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

This month’s leadership quote:

“Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent. You will be amazed at how your whole approach to a person or problem becomes very different. When you assume negative intent, you’re angry. If you take away that anger and assume positive intent, you will be amazed.”

-Indra Nooyi, Chairman/CEO Pepsi

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

This month’s leadership quote:

“Courage is not limited to the battlefield. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like enduring pain when the room is empty or standing alone when you’re misunderstood.”

-Charles Swindoll

For me, the leadership lesson here is courage of our convictions. The courage to stand alone as a leader. Those times when you know you are headed in the right direction, but you are feeling resistance along the way. Yet, you continue to lead your team to the goal.

It’s hard. Sometimes the feedback we are hearing is valid and we should change direction. And other times, the feedback is based on fear and we must muster the courage to keep marching.

Both wisdom and courage are required to know the difference.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

This month’s leadership quote:

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

-C.S. Lewis

Enough said. When we focus outwardly on others, especially our team and their success, we simply become more successful ourselves. I’ve watched this time and time again with the leaders I work with. Those who are simply enjoying the ride, asking themselves and others, how they can be of service, and not thinking about themselves, show up as humble and attract people to them.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain