Category Archives: Leadership

Resistance is Inside

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“You told me to listen to my stomach,” Ryker said. “My stomach tells me there is trouble ahead for this project. At least, now I know the trouble is inside me and not in someone else.”

“The stomach is a valuable radar detector if we will only listen,” I replied. “When we blame the resistance on someone else like your team’s ringleader, our stomach is happy, it does not tell us that we are the ones that have to change.”

“And, that suited me just fine. I could put all of the project pain on someone else.”

“Resistance is very real. It keeps us in the status quo, where it is comfortable. Resistance must be wrestled with before any real progress is made. So, tell me what you are going to do? How will you fight the resistance?”

The Resistance

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Ryker was deep in thought about his doubts to lead his team in a difficult project. “I see the resistance in my team’s ringleader, but the real resistance is in my own mindset.”

“Even though you signed off on the contract. Even though you promised the customer, face-to-face. Those do not erase your own self-doubt,” I said. “Moreover, you think it is easier to change the mindset of your ringleader than it is to change your own.”

“I was so focused on the resistance from outside,” Ryker replied, “that I couldn’t even see my own resistance.”

“And, until you slay that dragon, your leadership on the project will be full of second-guessing, squandered preparation and halted momentum.”

Dungeons, Dragons and Demons

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“If I could change the mindset of the ringleader, I could change the mindset of the team,” Ryker thought out loud. “She does not believe we can be successful in the project. It’s a limiting belief in herself.”

“So, she has an internal demon that prevents her from signing on to the project? The very same project that you already promised the customer?” I asked.

“I’m not going back to the customer to renegotiate my commitment,” Ryker was adamant.

“So, let’s talk about internal demons that reside in the mind of your ringleader,” I nodded. “But, before that, let’s talk about the internal demons you have to face.”

“What do you mean?” Ryker was puzzled. “I am not the one confused here. I already signed the contract. I’m fully committed.”

“Yes, but you have doubts,” I smiled. “You are the manager of the team, but you feel it’s important to change the ringleader’s mindset about the project. You feel that not doing so will jeopardize the success of the project. You have doubts about your own leadership ability in the face of the team. You have your own demons to slay. Who is the real leader of your team?”

This put an abrupt halt in the flow of the discussion. Ryker was thinking. “You are right. I do not see myself with the power to pull this off. I mean, I have the authority, but the team has the power.”

“And, what is it about yourself that makes you think this way?” I wanted to know. More accurately, I wanted Ryker to know. “You suggest that changing the mindset of the team’s ringleader has more impact on the team than changing your own mindset. What is the demon that you have to slay?”

Comfort Zone

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“But, the ringleader of the team doesn’t believe in the project. As long as that is what she believes, the project is doomed,” Ryker explained.

“What are your alternatives?” I asked. “And, I am looking for more than one.”

Ryker thought a bit. “I could try to change what she believes. That’s one. I could try to change her influence over the team, find a new ringleader. Or, it might just be easier to resign the project, let it go.”

I nodded. “Yes, it would be easier to abandon the project, stay in your comfort zone.”

Ryker pursed his lips. Seconds ticked by. “Nope, not going to abandon.”

“Okay, then,” I stared at Ryker. “Then, tell me what you are going to do.”

The Rhumb Line

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In sailing, the rhumb line refers to the navigation direction, the line between two points, getting from here to there. Before we can get there, we have to figure out where there is, or what there is, or who there is. Without the destination, we have no rhumb line to guide us.

We spend a lot of time figuring out how we are going to get there, without thinking about where it is we want to go.  And, taking a team along with us.  Will it be fruitful to travel there? What lies at the destination? Will arriving be worth the trouble along the way? And, there is always trouble along the way. So, when you pick your destination, aim high.

Who You Hang With

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“You have collected the data, what you know, from people around you?” I asked a rhetorical question.

Sebastian pursed his lips, “That’s where I get my data from,” he replied.

“So, what you know, is what people have told you?” Same question, different words. “And, not just the data you collect from your team, but what people tell you about other things. What you want, your strategy, guidance and ideas. As you look at the people around you, it makes a lot of difference who they are. You cannot pick your parents, often cannot pick your school teacher, but as we go through life, we do select the people around us and who we depend upon to share their view of the world. It’s the reverse of the old adage – if you lay down with dogs, you’re going to get up with fleas. Take care who you hang out with. Do these people have your best interests at heart? Do they want to help you get where you want to go? Do they even know, or care to find out where you want to go?”

Most Important Variable

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“But, shouldn’t we start with the great management books in the literature?” Leonard questioned. “I mean the great management books, not the mediocre, not the lousy ones. Those people have tried and failed, tried again and finally succeeded. Shouldn’t I pay attention to how they did it?”

“How they did it, might be instructive,” I replied. “IF you were in those exact circumstances, at that exact time and IF you were who they were. But you’re not. You expect all things to be equal. Your circumstances are different, your time is different. Most importantly, YOU are different. The cogent variable is not the step-by-step instructions. The most important variable is YOU.”

The Way It Works

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“So you are not so high on reading books about leadership?” Leonard pushed back. “You read books on leadership. Are you saying that I shouldn’t listen to you. After all, you are the teacher.”

I smiled. “Yes, I read books. And, you choose whether to listen to me or not, it’s your choice. I know for a fact that I cannot teach leadership or management. It doesn’t happen that way. I also know, for a fact, that leadership or management can be learned. That’s the way it works.”

Real Life

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“I just read this great new book on leadership,” Leonard reported.

“Great,” I replied. “It’s always good to feed your head with new ideas.”

“No, I mean, this guy really hit the head of the nail. I think this will help me get the to root of some of the problems I experience with my team,” Leonard said. “Do you want me to tell you the ideas?”

“Nope,” I smiled. “Information on how to do something may be helpful, but it’s the application, the implementation that is more important. Rather than you tell me the great ideas in the book, go back to your team and apply those ideas. Next week, you can tell me how the ideas worked in real life.”

Watch What They Do

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“I’m not sure I get it,” said Rolando. “I talked to my team, asked them to explain how they would solve the problem. They gave me really good answers. Almost perfect. I left and came back. They were still struggling with the problem, trying to fix it the old way.”

“If we really want to understand someone,” I replied, “as the leader of the pack, can sit down and have a conversation. We can go really deep. A conversation is very expedient. But, if you really want to understand someone, watch what they do. Often, we can talk a good game, execution is a different story. The best measure of performance is performance.”**
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**Shades of Lee Thayer