Last Week's Leadership Lessons - April 3, 2023

Lessons From The Week of March 27, 2023

This Week:?Apologizing / Preparation / Bad Habits

Reader Beware: If you were here last time, you know the drill. Please feel free to jump right on ahead to the list of stories. If not, read from here on to understand what I'm trying to capture in this series.

Talking about leadership can be boring as hell!

We're always seeing and hearing the same old definitions, constructs, and formal tips related to and regurgitated about the leadership field, every so often punctuated by a perpetually rotating door of the latest industry buzzwords.

Even with all its great energy and intention, the themes and hopes of the leadership discipline, admittedly, can become a little monotonous -- without great stories and living examples to wake them up.

(Granted, I post about them as well. Guilty. So I guess maybe I mean "overkill." The?overkill?of your run-of-the-mill leadership ideas is what I'm trying to supplement -- and maybe unlock -- here through more unique takes and lenses.)

Hence why I launched this series.

In this series, I want to capture themes and ideas for leadership -- while being particularly cautious that they not be necessarily conveyed as leadership lessons in the articles or sources I cite. I want to find examples that demonstrate more lessons about HUMANITY than the usual script of clichéd leadership building blocks.

The way the world is going, I think it's essential to think about and take in more lessons on humanity in general than leadership specifically. And it's not like I'm forsaking one for the other; the former should inform and be the foundation for the latter. (That's just me. That's just my take.)

And to be clear, these valuable lessons, as I express them, aren't carved in stone. My translations aren't absolute. They can't be. It's not that simple. I think that's what gets us in trouble when it comes to learning (or not) about society and each other: Most issues are typically seen as black and white, left and right, up and down, one side or the other. But again, it's not that simple. Not everything can be. We force it to be that way. In most instances -- not all, but in most -- there is room for interpretation and different ideas and views to be exchanged somewhere on the middle ground. More nuance exists than we typically see -- or will admit.

And in that nuance there's beauty. Because in that nuance we can learn from each other. And because of that nuance, each of my interpretations is just one option for consideration in that middle ground of learning.

All that being said, below are three stories I came across last week that have valuable lessons for leadership, purpose, and expression. In reading these articles, you may find the lessons for leadership may not immediately stand out or reveal themselves -- and that's because lessons can range from the loud, obvious, and obnoxious to the subtle, unassuming, and hidden.

And although the source materials are not all leadership-related per se, they can all apply to leadership -- in terms of how you present yourself, navigate through life and work, and move, impact, inspire, and appreciate others.

Even if you feel you've already crafted your leadership to where you want it to be and the results clearly show it -- where others can get behind them and vouch for you -- it never hurts to continue learning from your fellow human beings, whether you know them or not.

Gestures, speeches, action, inaction, decisions, announcements, etc. They all tie in.

So bear with me. Some of them might seem like a stretch. But have some faith that I may be crazy -- but not?too?crazy.

This practice is merely effort to learn about ourselves, where we can improve, and how we can evolve.

Lessons are everywhere.

1. Need To Apologize For Your Apologies?

Apologizing is very important. If we've done someone wrong in some way, whether big or small, making amends -- authentic amends -- is key to an ongoing building and maintaining of trust. It's a seemingly simple gesture that carries giant ramifications, setting the tone for everything that happens afterward. It can set the stage for a great relationship or for its demise. (And "demise" doesn't mean it has to end abruptly. Relationships that continue without any level of trust, and indeed with apprehension and hesitation, serve no purpose and have essentially ceased.) To stress again: The predictable words or run-of-the-mill script of an cookie-cutter apology alone will not do. The mea culpa needs to be sincere, real, and genuine. And there needs to be proper follow-up after the fact, avoiding anything that negates the apology or that indicates one is falling back into their offending actions.

Leadership Lesson: Leaders shouldn't exist or operate above apology, remorse, reflection, or humility. In almost all cases, they've been granted and bestowed the honor of leading others. They've been looked to for guidance, to serve as an example of what can be possible in that environment in which they operate. And trust is a pillar of leadership. If a leader is not trusted, nothing is built and no one can move forward. Apologizing falls within that code of trust. If a leader has wronged someone, especially someone they lead, when appropriate, they should apologize. It demonstrates humanity, community, humility, and, most of all, respect. It demonstrates that no one is above the common mission.

Find the article?here.

2. What's Your Preparation Method?

We are all so unique. Let's say you put out a job ad and description. Let's also say you get 100 people with identical experience apply. Regardless of the same past work, they would all work with different styles, personalities, and methods. Everyone has their own thing. Yes, the fashion in which they do their work matters, but the result matters even more. We all need to make sure we're delivering for our customers, clients, employers and/or target markets, and not limiting ourselves. So, short of illegal or unethical work, or work which might go against the values of others -- all very important considerations and dealbreakers -- does it really matter how someone taps into themselves to do their best work?

Leadership Lesson:?One of the most important things about leadership, aside from how it is expressed, is where it comes from. We never know at first blush where a leader's approach to their work comes from -- what inspires them, what their motive is, or how they pump themselves up. So if you're the leadership in question, how do you respect your own process if it's one known to others and which others might not understand. If the focus is another leader who might have an unorthodox approach to their own self-preparation, how do you respect their space and identity -- so long as they're coming through for others and the mission gets accomplished?

Find the article?here.

3. Breaking Bad (Habits)

We all have them. Whether they're deep in our closet or in plain view for the world to see. Bad habits. They exist across all of our circles -- work, business, relationship, family, etc. We may have the same bad habit across all these groups, or different ones present in each of those bubbles. Some may be light in nature and others dealbreakers in the relationships we operate within. Regardless, oftentimes we know we need to stop them. We know they neither get nor achieve us anything.

Leadership Lesson: Another reason we always need to reassess our growth, whether in leadership or other areas, is that we have to figure out where we're doing ourselves a disservice. Part of building into greatness and finding our stride in effectiveness is breaking our bad habits. Whether they're testing our relationships, crippling our productivity, stagnating our growth, or compromising our work, we need to make sure to adjust what is within our control. There is enough out there we can't control, why not do what we can to control what we can? Why let ourselves be stopped by something we can get rid of? The same way we would resist and stop someone who is trying to sabotage us is the same way we need to react to ourselves when we know we're doing something that might be our downfall -- even if they are small habits.

Find the article?here.

Honorable Mention

Sell Me On Who You Are

Leadership Lesson:?Leaders of every level, of every strip, in every industry, whether with a formal title or not, need to understand who they are and what they're good at. Never mind training on a real script that's work-related; they need to learn the chapters of what they stand for, who they already are, and who they want to be. In this instance, it has nothing to do with how good they are at their job. This is about character, integrity, desire, commitment, curiosity, etc. People who want to be viewed as leaders need to understand what they're all about. And yes, I have had clients write down what they're all about. Pushing forward in the everyday with the best of intentions and the biggest of hearts is not the same as being able to list off exactly what you stand for and what you deliver. Know yourself first!

Find the article?here.

Honorable Mention

The Power of Micro-Interactions

Leadership Lesson:?Never underestimate what you can do in the briefest of moments and interactions. In this podcast episode, my guest, Jim Frawley , and I discuss his book, Adapting In Motion: Finding Your Place In The New Economy. In the course of the discussion, Jim shares his take on the power of micro-interactions -- those random and often brief encounters with strangers. We can make an impact anywhere we choose, regardless of the power of that impact. We can make or break someone's day with our words, intentions, and acknowledgement. So what will you do in those moments when you might share some human commonality with a stranger? You might see how great your impact is on others -- what you teach, how they laugh, and how you see each other.

Find the episode?here.

That's it! That's the list for this week.

What other examples of leadership lessons – maybe even those that aren’t so apparent and obvious – do you come across in your everyday life and work?

What have you read lately that offers some insight on being human and navigating life -- and yes, by default, leadership.

Reach out and let me know what you think of these. Please share your own if you've found articles or stories with great lessons or insights that can contribute to how we carry ourselves through our lives and work.

Previous Posts

March 27, 2023 - Procrastination / Confident Introversion / Thought Leadership

March 20, 2023 - Trust / Multitasking / Untrustworthy

March 13, 2023?- Listen Up! / Anxiety / Manhood

March 6, 2023?- Slow Down! / Hope & Happiness / Primitive Empathy

February 27, 2023?- Public Speaking / Being Interrupted / Sensitivity

February 20, 2023?- Communication / Doing Just Enough / Self-Compassion

February 13, 2023?- Self-Belief / Leadership Branding / Inner Child

February 6, 2023?- Happiness / Facades / Wisdom

January 30, 2023?- Legacy / Emotional Intelligence / Stupidity

January 23, 2023?- Leadership Vulnerability / Creativity / Respect