At the beginning of our leadership meetings at ADDO, a different person on our team will share a new insight or lesson they are learning. Recently, one of my colleagues stood up to facilitate the session and began talking about this idea of leadership. The information shared was insightful and compelling, but the definition of leadership didn’t sit well with me. I was feeling uncharacteristically adversarial that day and stopped my colleague in the middle of the presentation. I had a visceral reaction to this statement about leadership and had to let my team know that I disagreed. ADDO is a leadership consultancy. But even within our company, it became obvious to me that we haven’t landed on a single definition of leadership.

So...what is leadership?

‍Harvard Business Review defines leadership as the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human assistants. Merriam-Webster defines leadership as simply the office or position of a leader.

John Maxwell says that “leadership is influence—nothing more and nothing less.” I personally believe Maxwell’s definition is close, but I think there is a little more. Leadership is influence, followed by action.

Leadership is influence, followed by action.

Influence is something that moves people mentally or emotionally. Influence changes their minds and their hearts. But changing someone’s mind isn’t enough if it doesn’t change their actions. True leadership causes people to do something differently. So if this is leadership...who is a leader?

‍Some people say that the term leadership has been overused and watered-down, arguing that if you aren’t actually in a position of authority, you are not a leader. On the other hand, some people say that everyone is a leader.

I believe that everyone is not a leader. However, I believe everyone has the potential to be a leader. If leadership is influence followed by action, then all of us have the potential to influence and to inspire action.

We do this through relational influence. This leadership can happen in positions of authority, but it can also happen in our families, in our friendships, in our churches, and in our communities. When we have meaningful relationships with other people, we have the opportunity to influence and move them to action.

‍Why does it matter?

‍The world is looking for leaders. People need help, and people need hope. Kids need to be educated; hungry people need food; individuals need jobs and opportunities; people need a faith to save and sustain them.  All of these things, from the more mundane to the meaningful, require somebody somewhere to stand up, leverage their influence, and move people to action.

So...what are you waiting for?

Did someone forward this blog to you? Did you stumble across it somewhere on the internet? Subscribe and receive these to your inbox every Tuesday morning.

It’s easy. Just sign up below.

SUBSCRIBE

When we think about leadership, a lot of questions come to mind.

Are leaders born or made?

What makes a good leader?

What are the biggest challenges facing leaders today?

In addition to these questions, there are always new trends and movements related to leadership philosophy and practice. There is one trend in particular—that I believe is positive—becoming more and more popular. But like most good things, it can be taken to an unhealthy extreme. The trend is community-driven leadership. As Americans, we have historically been an individualistic society. We are less reliant on other people, and we are pretty proud of that fact. This goes back to our founding principles and pioneering spirit. A capitalist society encourages people to work hard to pave their own way. But over the last several years, there has been a move to recognize the need for others and the value of community. This movement doesn’t knock individualism, but it reminds us that many of the things we seek can be accomplished with, and for, other people. Ultimately, it reminds us that we have a collective responsibility toward one another.

This community-driven culture has flowed into leadership. Leadership is becoming more about the team than the individual, and this philosophy is born out of a truth I believe wholeheartedly: Nothing of significance was ever accomplished without a group. This is 100% true, but here’s my caution: Focusing on your team doesn’t relieve you of your individual responsibility and God-given calling. Remember the bystander effect? Working with a group always comes with the temptation to fade into the background, to expect someone else to pick up the slack, or to wait for another person to lead.

Groups of people create and sustain movements that change the world, but there are always individual key players that act as catalysts to push them forward.

There were a lot of people and events at play, but ultimately, God used Moses to lead the children of Israel out of captivity in Egypt.

Mordecai advised, but ultimately, it was Esther’s role to go before the king. Hundreds of scientists and philosophers sought spotlight in ancient Greece, but Plato and Aristotle’s influence changed the face of education forever.

Many Christians made up the early church, but God specifically used Paul to take the gospel to the Gentiles.

It took thousands of lives to defeat Nazi Germany, but Winston Churchill’s words stirred his country to persevere when he said they would never surrender.

A group led the Civil Rights Movements, but when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, it was a catalytic moment that changed that trajectory of America forever.

Countless individuals contributed to the end of the Cold War, but Ronald Reagan's words at the Berlin Wall moved people to action.

A lot of people fought in South Africa, but ultimately, it was Nelson Mandela choosing reconciliation instead of retribution that made the biggest difference.

Thousands of people work for Apple to create, troubleshoot, and sell products, but ultimately, Steve Jobs was the key catalyst for the creation of the iPhone.The group creates change, but often, the individual is the catalyst.

‍

Today, it’s important to realize that you have a specific calling on your life. There is a plan and purpose for you, and the individual decisions you make and actions you take are significant. As author Andy Andrews said, “When faced with a decision, many people say they are waiting for God. But I understand, in most cases, God is waiting for me.”

Understand the power of community, but don’t use it as a scapegoat to downplay your individual responsibility. Stop making excuses for why you aren’t doing something. Do it. Your individual action combined with the people around you will do something remarkable.

Did someone forward this blog to you? Did you stumble across it somewhere on the internet? Subscribe and receive these to your inbox every Tuesday morning.

It’s easy. Just sign up below.

SUBSCRIBE

“The research says…”

In the past, we’ve talked about insights vs. instincts, but I think it’s time for a refresher. We must begin with this understanding: every decision in life can’t be dictated by data and research. I want to pause here to say that I am not anti-research. I am not anti-science. There are times that I rely on insights to make important decisions for my business and personal life. Data can be helpful. It’s nice to know the insights into what time of day people are most likely to open emails and to understand the market research about consumers and the next generation.

But if we start to build our businesses, brands, organizations, and churches solely on research, we end up with more of the same. And the products and people that change the world are the ones that create something different.

The products and people that change the world are the ones that create something different.

Did they have specific research that showed people would love the iPhone even before the money was spent to create it? Is the polling always accurate to show who will win the election? Do the accountants’ data show that being closed on Sundays is good for business? Where was the historical evidence that proved to the Wright Brothers that flying a plane was possible?

Do the predictive analytics have the right team winning the Super Bowl or the World Series each year?

It’s not just about data and research, sometimes the best ideas aren’t battle-tested because they haven’t been done before. Steve Jobs was known to say, “If Henry Ford would have asked people what they wanted, they would’ve said faster horses.”

Often, innovation requires you to think outside the box, rather than relying only on research or data. If you’re making your decisions based on the same information that’s available to everyone else competing with you, your solution isn’t likely to be remarkable.

Here’s the challenge for us this week: let’s think for ourselves.

God has given you a brain. He’s given you instincts. So leverage your unique perspective to create something new or to design a new solution to an old problem. Your impulses and instincts often lead to the greatest changes and opportunities; don’t ignore them!

Did someone forward this blog to you? Did you stumble across it somewhere on the internet? Subscribe and receive these to your inbox every Tuesday morning.

It’s easy. Just sign up below.

SUBSCRIBE

On a rural road in Texas, a man drove his car into a ditch. He was out of town, so he didn’t know where he was or who to call. Thankfully, a local farmer came walking by and happened to have his horse named Buddy. The farmer offered to help the man and hitched Buddy up to the car. He yelled, “Pull, Nellie, pull!” Not surprisingly, Buddy didn’t budge.

Then the farmer cried, “Pull, Buster, pull!” Buddy didn’t move an inch.

Again the farmer called out a different name: “Pull, Coco, pull!”

Still nothing.

Then the farmer finally said, “Pull, Buddy, pull!” And the horse bore his hooves into the dirt, pulled as hard as he could, and moved the car out of the ditch.

The man who had the car accident was grateful, but he was also kind of confused. So he asked the farmer why he called his horse by three different names before calling him “Buddy”.

The farmer explained, “You see, ole Buddy is blind. If he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't pull worth a flip.”

I recently heard this simple little story, and I love it. It’s a vivid and compelling illustration of the power of teamwork. It challenges us (me especially) that we can’t go it alone.

Here are two reasons why:

1. We need other people. We were not meant to live alone, and we won’t function well in our God-given roles and responsibilities without the encouragement, camaraderie, and connection of other people.
2. When we work with other people, our efforts are amplified. When everyone is pulling in the same direction, we pull harder. Our individual contribution is greater and more fulfilling when we connect it to a collective purpose that’s bigger than ourselves.

Our individual contribution is greater and more fulfilling when we connect it to a collective purpose that’s bigger than ourselves.

Today, take a moment to recognize the people around you. Remember that when we work together our efforts are more effective. And intentionally work together with others create something extraordinary.

Did someone forward this blog to you? Did you stumble across it somewhere on the internet? Subscribe and receive these to your inbox every Tuesday morning.

It’s easy. Just sign up below.

SUBSCRIBE

In our world at ADDO, we do leadership—we build leaders and develop inspiring leadership programs. So the first time we meet with our clients to assess their needs, it’s interesting that they often want to focus on improving one of two sides of their organization: internally on culture development or team dynamics or externally on better customer relations, branding, or messaging. They tend to be fixated either on the how they show up internally (culture) or how they appear to customers (marketing).

This creates a struggle when we’re in a discovery process and seek to understand more about their organization’s culture, but they really just want us to focus on customer relations. On the other hand, when a client wants us to develop an employee program, and we start discussing how this might impact their brand, they get confused. They might even feel like we’re going down a rabbit trail. What they often fail to understand is that the internal company culture and the external customer experience are inextricably linked. Your employee engagement will eventually come through in the way you treat your customers. In other words, the culture behind the counter will always show up in the customer experience on the other side of the counter.

The internal company culture and the external customer experience are inextricably linked.

One of the reasons the customer experience at Chick-fil-A is so great is because they don’t just care for their customers, they care for their employees. Because they intentionally care for their employees (team members), their employees intentionally care for their customers. Their second-mile service starts from the top.

If you find yourself focusing on marketing and customer experience, you might want to spend some time analyzing your organization’s culture. On the other hand, if you’re only focused on culture, you need to understand that it will carry into your frontline interactions. If it feels fake or forced in the office, it’s likely to appear that way to your customers as well.

Here are three practical ways to improve customer experience by focusing on internal growth.

1. Hire for character; train for competency:

Cultivate the right company culture by getting the right kind of people on your team. You can teach skills to teachable and passionate people. You can’t change a talented person’s motivations.

2. Make your purpose clear:

If your team is passionately committed to your organization’s purpose, fruitful interactions with clients and customers will come naturally. But if there’s ambiguity around your purpose, even the best script on how to respond in every scenario will not protect your customers from an unsatisfactory experience.

3. Listen:

Your team members are on the front lines. They see things you do not see on a daily basis. They are smart (or at least I hope so if you hired them!). Empower them and your organization by listening to their feedback and encouraging them to improve the work you are doing.

It’s easy to get in the weeds, to see the problems, and to work to improve them one at a time. But this week, take a step back. Get a bird’s eye view of your organization, find ways to improve the culture, and positive customer interactions just might follow.

Did someone forward this blog to you? Did you stumble across it somewhere on the internet? Subscribe and receive these to your inbox every Tuesday morning.

It’s easy. Just sign up below.

SUBSCRIBE

Recently, I was on a flight across the country. Typically, flying time is productive time for me. I buy a wifi pass and start knocking things out while I can’t be distracted by anything else. I am in the zone—except when the wifi doesn't work on the plane. That happened to me on this flight, so rather than stressing about the work that wasn’t going to get done, I put in my headphones and decided to watch the movie Christopher Robin.

At one point in the movie, Christopher Robin asks Winnie the Pooh what he’s doing, and he responds with “nothing” then further explains, “Doing nothing often leads to the very best something.” They are talking about play and adventure, but interestingly, this quote was a good segway to a lesson I learned on that trip. After my flight, I was at Chick-fil-A’s annual conference, and their president and COO Tim Tassopoulos spoke. He said that every month he schedules a library day, and he spends the whole work day in the public library. He said it’s especially helpful to be in a library because you can’t take a call on your cell phone. This forces the solitude he needs to read, to think, and to plan for the future.

When Tim got promoted to COO three years ago, he did the exact opposite of what you might have expected. Instead of ditching the library day, or at least reducing the frequency to adjust to his new responsibilities, he doubled down and went from having one library day a month to two days a month. He explained that the only way he will lead his organization effectively is if he takes time away from the noise of everyday life to think, to pray, and to strategically plan.

My friend Taylor Jones is the CEO of Whiteboard—the company that partnered with ADDO to create multiple websites for us—and his managing director looks at his calendar periodically to see if he’s scheduled a day off-site to think, plan, and prepare. If he doesn’t see a day on the calendar, he will come into Taylor’s office, stand by him, and say, “I see you don’t have a day planned this month to take time away from the office. I’m not going to do it for you, but I’m not going to leave your office until you put it on the calendar.”

This is a convicting concept for me; it’s not easy for me to pause and plan. But successful people, and the ones I look up to and respect, strategically schedule time away to stop and to think. I think this is something that every single one of us (especially me!) needs to find time to do. It’s valuable for anyone leading an organization, but it’s also helpful for anyone who is trying to be intentional about how they are going to lead their family, how they’re going to be intentional in their marriage, and how they will raise their children. Our families, just like any organization, require intentionality and planning. If we aren’t taking the time to do it, we will miss out. As much as I hate it, the old adage really is true: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Successful people, and the ones I look up to and respect, strategically schedule time away to stop and to think.

“Doing nothing often leads to the very best something” — while this is true for the adventures of Winnie of Pooh, it’s also a helpful reminder to us to take a strategic pause. Maybe some time of doing nothing will lead to the most important things in our lives.

Young children have no concept of social norms or societal pressures, so they don’t care what people think. I see this in my 3-year-old nephews. They don’t worry about what the people at the restaurant think when they are laughing or playing. They don’t care if their clothes match or think about how someone might respond to what they say. This sentiment is true of all young children, but as they grow, they become more aware. In many ways, this awareness is a good thing. Being aware of others and cognizant of their thoughts can make us more empathetic and helps us to better respond to the people around us. But this awareness can also lead to doubt—a sense that we’re not good enough. In fact, when we are truly aware of what others around us think or believe about us, it can even lead to shame. “Shame is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior” (English Oxford Living Dictionaries).

Painful feeling.

Humiliation.

Distress.

And over what?

Wrong or foolish behavior.

Here’s my question: Who determines this wrong or foolish behavior?

I’m afraid that we often feel shame because someone or something has decided that who we are, or what we believe, is wrong or foolish. It’s discouraging and disheartening for me to watch people sacrifice who they are because of a feeling of shame. Being ashamed causes good people to be unwilling to stand up for a cause they believe in, to espouse their deeply-held values, to speak out against an injustice they see. Sometimes, a sense of shame can even prevent us from simply sharing our idea around the conference table at the workplace. This silence isn’t for fear of physical or financial injury. It’s not that people are worried about getting fired or put in jail for speaking up, but they are worried someone somewhere might think less of them. So much of our behavior is driven by this concept of shame.

Here’s the question we all need to answer: What am I not doing or saying because I’m worried about what someone else is thinking?

‍

Professor, author, and speaker Brené Brown brings to light the original definition of courage in her book The Gifts of Imperfection—

"to speak one's mind by telling all one's heart." Maybe the most heroic thing you could do today is simply speak up.

This is a challenge to me and to each of you to live unashamed—unashamed of your faith, your beliefs, your ideas, and your identity. The world needs us to stand up and speak up. Once one person pushes back against shame, it’s not only freeing for that individual but also for anyone else who witnesses it. The Rev. Billy Graham said, “Courage is contagious. When one man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.”

Once one person pushes back against shame, it’s not only freeing for that individual but also for anyone else who witnesses it.

Decide today to live unashamed.

When you have the opportunity to share your faith, do it boldly and graciously. Your words could transform another person’s life.

When you have an idea about your company’s new project, speak up. Your insights could be the difference that moves this project from good to great.

When you witness an injustice in your neighborhood, step out and speak up. You could start a movement that drastically improves the well-being of your community.

When you have a passion for a creative project, get started. You’ll grow in your craft and inspire the people around you.

Speak up, step out, live unashamed. Do it for yourself and for the world around you.

We are waiting.

Did someone forward this blog to you? Did you stumble across it somewhere on the internet? Subscribe and receive these to your inbox every Tuesday morning.

It’s easy. Just sign up below.

SUBSCRIBE

It’s hard to believe we are already a week into 2019! Whether you’ve recently subscribed or been with me for a while now, thank you for reading. I hope these posts are valuable resources to you, both personally and professionally.

I’m looking forward to sharing new ideas and exploring exciting content this year. Before we get to the new stuff, I want to look back and highlight my five favorite posts from 2018. For some of you, these may be reminders, and others of you might be seeing them for the first time. Either way, I hope they are helpful to you this week.

1) Don’t Forget the Ice Cream: A reminder to remember what’s most important in your business (or organization, church, etc).

2) Find Out Who Your Friends Are: True friends always show up when we need them most, and the best way to find friends is to be a friend.

3) The High Cost of Low Engagement: Think employee engagement is just the fluffy part of business? See how low engagement and lost productivity impacts your bottom line.

4) The Way You See Yourself: How we view things affects how we do things. The way your see yourself can transform your entire life.

5)  What Controls You: When we focus on something, it consumes us. What consumes us will control us.

Whether you are a business owner, an employee working your first job, a pastor in ministry, a parent, or a student, I hope that these weekly posts encourage and challenge you. I am very excited for what’s to come and hope that you will continue reading. If this blog has been helpful to you, please tell your friends and invite them to subscribe! Forward this email along, or share on social media.

Did someone forward this email to you? Did you stumble across it somewhere on the internet? Subscribe and receive these to your inbox every Tuesday morning.

It’s easy. Just sign up below.

SUBSCRIBE

As a leader, my primary goal is to make sure our organization is thriving, moving forward, and performing well. In order to do this, I seek to recruit and select great people who will speak into what we’re doing. I don’t just bring people to ADDO to do a specific job, but I want them to use their ideas, backgrounds, and abilities to make what we’re doing better.

But the challenge that talented team members (and I think all people a part of a team) face is the tendency to fall into one of two extremes—being the loyal fan or being the harsh critic.

The loyal fan always affirms, encourages, and reinforces. These are the people you like to have around because they make you feel good. They nod approvingly as you roll out a new strategy and tell you they think it’s great. The downside to these individuals is that they rarely challenge us to get better. They seldom bring fresh insights or provide unique perspectives about a problem with our work. They are great encouragers, but to be honest, anyone can fill this role.

On the other end of the spectrum is the critic—this person always has a comment. They are the first ones to say, “BUT have you thought about this…?”

And even if they like your idea, they have to have the last word: “Well, you also need to …” Most of these people aren’t intentionally trying to be jerks, but it’s easy to get tired of the person that’s always poking holes in your work. In fact, when they do it publicly, their critique of the work can have dangerous ripple effects that create dissension among team members and prevent the idea from gaining traction.

I’ve found that the most influential people on any team understand that public loyalty earns private influence. I want to be clear; I’m not talking about blind public endorsement of every person, policy, or procedure. Instead, it’s intentionally saying, “Because of my role on this team, I’m going to do my job to the best of my ability, and behind closed doors, I will let my leader know the problems I see.” When a leader believes that someone supports them, this support does not only earn influence, but it often earns them the voice necessary to make fruitful, lasting change.

"The most influential people on any team understand that public loyalty earns private influence."

Think about the coach and players on a college football team. When the team loses, the players who rail against the play-calling of the coach in the post-game press conference lose the ability to speak into strategy or practices in the future. In the same way, the coach that throws the players under the bus probably won’t have much loyalty from their team going forward. However, the players and coaches that present a united front and wait to voice their opinions and ideas at the right time are far more likely to be heard, to be respected, and to have an impact on the success of their team.

The same is true in the workplace. When your company’s leadership rolls out a new strategy, the people that are quick to loudly voice their concerns to the rest of the team won’t be taken as seriously as the team members who work hard to implement the new plan and then privately challenge the flaws they notice.

This concept can even apply across any organization, team, or group of people. It’s about finding the right venue for feedback while showing you have the team’s best interest in mind.

There are going to be times you disagree with your leadership, but you should give your best anyway. In the sports world, the wrong play call that’s executed with excellence is going to be more effective than the right play call executed poorly. Alignment is key.

This blog is a word of advice for anyone on a team—a small company, a church, a nonprofit, a school, or a fast food restaurant. If you are a leader, surround yourself with people who encourage what’s good and deliver constructive criticism at the appropriate time. If you are a member of a team, work diligently, encourage generously, and critique at the appropriate times.

Did someone forward this blog to you? Did you stumble across it somewhere on the internet? Subscribe and receive these to your inbox every Tuesday morning.

It’s easy. Just sign up below.

SUBSCRIBE