A win, win, win...

About a week ago, I shared with you some business lessons that my soon to be 19-year old son shared with me.?Today, I want to share some advice given to me by my dad, Barry. My dad knows a thing or two about leadership - he was captain of the 1966 Rose Bowl winning UCLA Bruin football team (he's sporting #63 in the pic).?Following college, he went on to earn his PhD in Systematic Theology & became a world-renowned subject matter expert on the Holocaust.?He's been a part of leading teams and individuals for well over 50 years & he understands human nature better than anyone I've ever met.?So when he shares his thoughts on leadership - my ears perk up.

When I was in high school he shared with me this nugget:.?

"Good leaders always lead by their strengths, they hire to their weaknesses & always leave room for the odd man out."

Now, to be fair, I don't know where my dad picked this bit of wisdom up.?Since there is really nothing new under the sun, perhaps he picked this up from one of his mentors. Regardless, this little maxim has stuck with me over the years.?

And in the 4-5 weeks, I found myself sharing this tidbit with three leaders who were struggling with doing way more than they are equipped to do.?They all shared similar frustrations - they are working hard to lead their businesses, involved in tasks & responsibilities that they neither enjoy nor are good at.?As a result, they've found themselves weary because they are simply trying to do too much of the wrong thing.?I have a lot of sympathy because I've worn those threadbare clothes before.

It's exhausting.?It's demotivating. It's life-sucking.

It's not good for them. It's not good for their team. It's not good for their customers. And that means it's not good for their business.

Let me quickly unpack each one of these clauses:

• A good leader leads by their strengths.?Inherent in this statement is that a leader be aware (& unashamed) of their strengths - the things that they are wired naturally to do…the things that they have worked hard to improve & refine.??
• A good leader hires to their weaknesses. It's really freeing for a leader to know and to come to terms with where they are weak. It helps them to say no to the wrong opportunities, tasks & deployment of time. (Let me insert here - I think we all generally understand that they are times when you HAVE to do something that falls squarely in your weakness camp. That's just the nature of the beast.?But - an exception should be just that….it should not be the norm). I used to feel pressure to try and be all things to all people - and that's just not sustainable. There is tremendous freedom in coming to terms with our strengths AND weaknesses. Guess what??It's actually okay to admit that we're not great at everything. Because no one is good at everything - be free!?
• A good leader always leaves room for the odd man out. This last clause is the one that I've never heard from anyone else.?What does it mean? It means that a good leader should actively include within their inner leadership circle that person who looks at life differently.?I don't mean a person who doesn't share your core values (pardon the double negative), I mean someone who consistently sees the other side of the coin.?And to clarify, when I say "odd man" out - this is not a pejorative description. It's someone you WANT in your life.?What do I mean??By way of example - in my life, the odd man out is the creative…the artist…the musician. My brain works in outline form.?I see structure (or the lack of structure) at every turn. I am a linear learner - I love data, Excel & charts. I'm a realist (or some say a pessimist).?It's how I'm wired.?But, for me to be a healthy leader, I need people around me who see the world in colors. Spontaneous individuals who start the day off with glowing optimism. Those with big visions of what could be.?In my experience, most leaders do not make room for the odd man out and they do so to their own detriment.?We are better leaders when we have, at the leadership table someone who can challenge us, encourage us through a wildly different perspective.?

Do you know & can you communicate what your superpowers are? Do you have clarity on and can you articulate your weaknesses??Have you purposefully made room for the odd man out at your table? If the answer to any of these questions is "no" - then let me encourage you to make it a priority in 2022.?

You'll be better for it.?Your team will be better for it.?Your customers will be better for it.?And we call that a win, win, win.