Bridging Leadership Lessons from the Workplace and Those Experiences Shaping Today's Youth and Tomorrow's Leaders
 At some point in adulthood, you have established goals to help you navigate through life. Whether as part of your job, a member of a volunteer organization, setting up retirement plans or simply setting a budget to buy a new car. We’ve all done it and have seen the value.
So why do we not teach our kids to do the same thing? It seems that as parents, we forgot this lesson when it comes to our own kids, especially when they are involved in sports. The last couple of blogs that I have shared, I wrote about parents who are trying to live out their child’s life and the negative impact that can have when the goals of the parent don’t align with the passion of the child. Because of the challenges I have described, you find kids that are not prepared for next level basketball, let alone life. They haven’t had to do an assessment of where their actual strengths reside - not what the parents, friends or wannabe AAU coaches are saying, but looking at the data to see where they stack up. Introducing Next Level Impact To help high school basketball players understand the importance of goals, understanding strengths, and uncovering what is needed to get to the next level, I partnered with Kobe Wands of the Wands Skills Academy to create Next Level Impact. Next Level Impact takes a foundational leadership development approach to help players define goals by performing an iSWOT to understand where they stack compared to players at the Next Level. We then use those findings to identify areas to improve as well as the sweet spots that we need to leverage and then match that up with specific skill development to enhance their strengths and address the challenges. Benefits of Next Level Impact The result of going through Next Level Impact will be that your player has moved from having a DREAM to having a GOAL. From HOPING to get to the Next Level to having a PLAN to get to the Next Level. When they leave this 3-hour session they will have:
Establishing the Next Level Impact Process The basic skills or critical thinking, creating a goal, and building a plan are not taught in school. Sadly, as parents who are trying our best to help our kids, we are not teaching them to do this at home either. Then we wonder why they struggle to do things on their own. That’s why we created Next Level Impact. Establish a goal setting process using self-reflection and some tough talk to make sure they understand their starting point. There is no one-way ticket to Easy Street. You can’t ask Siri to tell you how to get there or find it on Tik Tok. It takes work to earn things in life. But more than work, it requires you to work on the right things, in the right way, at the right time to make sure you are working towards the right goal for YOU! If you have a player that has dreams of playing at the Next Level, then you need to reach out and let us help them create their plan - not your plan, not the other guy’s plan, but the plan that is customized for them. Having a dream won’t get you to the Next Level. Having hope won’t get you there either. But creating the right GOAL and executing the right PLAN are the steps for your player to get to the Next Level, Beyond Today. To find out more about Next Level Impact, CLICK HERE and register your player for the next event or DM me to start a conversation.
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 As adults, with a lifetime behind us, we have a tendency to believe that things come naturally to us. We don’t recognize the processes that we have gone through to learn, grow, and develop the skills that we now practice without a second thought. Being a leader isn’t always natural. Especially as a young person where practicing some leadership skills can result in backlash from their peers. They can be seen as a try-hard, sweat or whatever word kids use now to describe a brown-noser. While some of that stigma still exists, there is also an increased awareness in this generation. Especially with student-athletes where social-media isn’t just to watch highlights but also has a network of influencers sharing positive coaching and leadership examples. Here are 5 proven strategies that can be applied to sports, work or life in general to help you become the leader your team needs. Consistently engage your team members away from practice / game Create a group chat. Send out texts prior to the game as a reminder about potential or key focus areas identified by the coach. Do the same for practices - not every practice, but when there is a big game coming up, or when there are new plays being introduced. Post game, highlight things that went well and those areas that as a team you can continue to improve. Focus on the positive future state - the potential of the team. Be an additional voice and a different voice for the coaching staff. Notice that I didn’t say a different message, but a different voice - a different way of delivering the same message. Build personal connections with your team members Take the time to high 5 or fist pound all of your teammates before practice begins. Provide encouragement to lock-in and to make it a good practice. Identify people that need some extra encouragement and take the time to have a personal conversation. It needs to be sincere and intentional; you can’t go through the motions as if you are working through a checklist. Understand what the individuals not only like, but what they fear. Help them understand their strengths and how they can play to them, as well as what they can do to avoid the challenges that they fear. Ask questions to show that they are part of the team. Do the same thing at the end of practice. Steve Nash, a two-time NBA MVP, averaged 239 touches per game during the 2009-10 NBA season. He knew that connections mattered to the unity of the team and that a team’s unity gave them a better chance of being successful. Be the voice of encouragement Show you have confidence in your teammate by words and actions. Be a positive voice and not a critical voice. Focus on what they can achieve going forward instead of dwelling on the past. Don’t focus on mistakes, but on potential. We use encouragement as a form of motivation, but not just to create action. We want to use encouragement to change the mindset of the teammate so that their belief system changes and is driven to achieve. We want to help inspire our team. Stephen M.R. Covey in his book, Trust & Inspire, discusses how inspiration is an internal, intrinsic drive rooted in belief and purpose, while motivation is an external force, like rewards or punishments, used to prompt action. Challenge them to reach their potential This goes hand-in-hand with encouragement and ties back to the 2nd Pillar of Impact, the Courage to Challenge. It’s how you challenge as well as creating an environment where it is okay to challenge. We are not talking old-school confrontation where you rip their butt’s thinking that will light a fire under them. But to respectfully challenge them to Be Better Today than they were yesterday. As a leader, you use the previous 3 strategies to help establish trust to prepare for a discussion where you may have to challenge them. To help build that trust, you need to show vulnerability by sharing your own challenges. By asking for feedback on where you can improve. Reveal areas that the coaches have provided instruction to you. When you challenge, you need to point out their potential future state and help them envision what they can become. You encourage them to get there by reinforcing your confidence in them, but the challenge comes from helping them see the pathway that they have to travel to get to that future state and that pathway, isn’t always easy. Be inclusive It’s much easier to spend time with the people you enjoy. Your friends, your classmates, the starters. As a leader you are the leader for the team, not just the starters. You are a leader for the larger program and not just the players. The freshmen must feel as connected to the team as the seniors. The managers, trainers, video personnel all deserve the same respect as the All-Conference performer. As a leader, that is your challenge, to be a rising tide to lift all boats. To engage and connect all members of the team so that they see themselves from the larger team perspective. A successful leader Engages. A successful leader Connects. A successful leader Encourages. A successful leader Challenges. A successful leader Includes. A successful leader is one who is willing to do these things to impact the future success of the team as a whole and as individuals, to establish a culture of success, Beyond Today. If you are interested in growing the leadership abilities of your captains, reach out to discuss bringing an IMPACT Leader workshop to your University, High School or Club sports program.
 There are teams everywhere - in sports, in business and in social settings. But just because you are part of a team, it doesn’t mean it’s a good team. From your own experiences, you probably would struggle to name a good team you have been part of in your past let alone a great team. Then, the very few are able to be part of an IMPACT Team. In the mess that currently exists in collegiate sports due to NIL and the transfer portal, building team chemistry is almost impossible. It typically takes years of kids playing together to build connections through repetition and comradery that allows a great team to be built. But with the new era of hired guns, it’s an uphill battle to get people to move from focusing on themselves to focusing on the team. But it can be done. But it requires you to first spend your time in the classroom with players learning how to be a team before putting the time in practicing what a team would look like on game day. While the importance of impact on teams and individuals is something that I spend a lot of time on in my 3 Pillars of Impact sessions I first introduced the IMPACT Team to this Blog just a couple of months ago. From my studies what I found is that IMPACT Teams all place an emphasis on these 3 things:
IMPACT Teams Communicate It’s not enough to recognize that communication is essential, but IMPACT Teams focus on HOW they communicate with their teammates. They recognize that communication is a two-way street and that your intention for communication isn’t always how it is received or perceived by others. IMPACT Teams know that individuals will be more willing to flex their communication style to match up with the style of others, when a foundation of trust has been established. It’s essential so that teams can be open and honest with each other and trust that they are communicating to help and not to harm. IMPACT Teams Have Roles Many times, you see a team made up of stars or high achievers, but the teams never seem to reach their potential. A common failure point in those situations is that the team has taken the time necessary to define the roles of the individuals. It’s not always easy for people to adjust to fit a role that is needed, but not one that they see themselves filling. Because this can be a laborious process and one where you can easily lose the person, we spend a lot of time on the Communication process above so that we go beyond WHAT we are saying, and focus instead on HOW we are saying it. Having that Communication structure in place we turn our attention into the Shared Vision that we can utilize to establish a ground zero. It can’t be the Coach’s vision or the Boss’s vision alone. It must be a shared vision that the entire team can get behind and become aligned. Once we have agreement, we start breaking down the roles that are required and through our KARS Process, we build a framework that shows the value every member of the team rings to move them toward the Shared Vision. KARS Process
We cap that off by bringing out what i call the “I SEE YOU’s” where we show respect and appreciation for our teammates by publicly recognizing the value that each brings. IMPACT Teams Grow Finally, all of this leads to the growth of the team and the team members. Even though you know, accept, respect and star in your current role, it doesn’t mean that you don't desire a different role or that a different role will be required of you in the future. We will break down your skills and abilities and look at where they can be leveraged for growth. We identify your challenge areas and either try to “de-risk” them or find ways to overcome your challenges through individual IMPACT plans. The reality of the Transfer Portal forces Coaches to look at the players differently. While players may be willing to work hard on their skills and game, are they willing to work with the same commitment and passion on their personal growth as a teammate? This is what will change the recruiting landscape. Ultimately as we grow as individuals and grow in our understanding of the needs of the team, our team will grow. This is the process to become an IMPACT Team, Beyond Today. If you would like to find out more about bringing IMPACT Teams to your program reach out and let's talk.
 One of the incredible things about March Madness is witnessing the good teams that have made it to postseason play. As a leadership junkie, I revel in the back stories, interviews, and interactions you see on the court with players and coaches. While all these teams are good teams, not all of them are great teams… with even fewer being IMPACT Teams.
A few weeks back, I wrote about IMPACT Teams and the importance of the KARS process and is the differentiator between great teams and IMPACT Teams. KARS is a method of making sure that the team embraces and honors the roles necessary for a group of individuals to move from a good team to a great team. KARS stands for: K – Knowing the Roles A – Accepting the Roles R – Respecting the Roles S – Starring in the Roles I talk about this now because with March Madness dominating the airways, it provides real time case studies to see the results in action. If you happened to watch the opening round match-up between the #6 seed Missouri Tigers and the #11 seed Drake Bulldogs, the impact of the KARS process was on full display. David vs Goliath You can read about Drake’s improbable year with a head coach who came from the NCAA DII level and brought 4 DII players from the program with him. To be fair, all they did at DII Northwest Missouri State University was win - as in four National Championships. That is what they kept doing at the DI level knocking off Power 4 opponents such as University of Miami, Vanderbilt, Kansas State, & eventually, Mizzou. Drake was able to defeat Mizzou, 67-57, despite everything stacked against them.
The Power of the Team How was Drake able to defeat Mizzou? It was the classic Team vs Individuals. Mizzou was the odds-on favorite. They competed in the vaunted SEC with 14 teams making the tournament. They had size, athleticism, speed, and length. Mizzou had 6 players who actively played taller than 6’8” versus 1 for Drake. Coach Gates, for Mizzou, has been coaching at the DI level for 21 years, the last 6 as a Head Coach. Coach McCollum of Drake is in his first year of DI coaching. Mizzou’s team consisted of players from Duke, Iowa, Iowa State, Indiana and South Carolina. Drake had 4 DII players from Northwest Missouri State University, 2 players from Wyoming and a juco player. It should have been a beat down… on paper or with the eye-test. But it wasn't. One team became an IMPACT Team which was the difference. The KARS process builds upon the first part of IMPACT Leadership where you focus on recognizing the value that everyone brings, and you build trust by improving how you communicate within the team. Moving forward in the KARS process, it is about aligning the team and individual goals to create and pursue a shared vision. This is the centerpiece of the process. Embracing the Role Drake was made up of Role Players with lone player Bennett Stirtz, who emerged as a superstar. As a sophomore he was a 2nd Team All-Conference performer for his DII school. Fast forward to this year and he was the Missouri Valley Player of the Year and an Honorable Mention All-American. Mitch Mascari, Drake’s long-range sniper, is a graduate student who also came from the DII program and upon securing a job after graduation, chose to put his Finance Career on hold for one more year to play with his teammates. Mizzou on the other hand is loaded with future professional basketball talent. Where each game is an audition for the big stage. They come to the team with stars and national rankings, with established NIL deals. While the Mizzou players also Know their roles, in watching them play this year, I’m not sure how Accepting they are of their roles. For instance, Drake is limited by the number of 3-point shooters that they have on their team. Non-shooters, if you will, are not putting up 3’s for them. But for Mizzou, the bigs know that the NBA likes bigs that can shoot, so they have a tendency to step out and put up the low percentage shot. Mark Mitchell, the Duke transfer, is a dominant inside player that should have and could have had a field day over the smaller Drake post players. But during the game, he kept floating out to the perimeter where he was considerably less of a threat to score. This isn’t meant to bash or criticize a team but to highlight the process and importance of Knowing, Accepting & Respecting the roles of individuals on a team. Then, once those 3 things are established, you can Star in your role. And sometimes, because of how you have embraced the KARS process, you will have the opportunity, because of the trust built through the process, to take on the role of the star when it is required. IMPACT Teams know that individually you need to improve and be the best you can be for you and the team. But what sets apart IMPACT Teams is the trust built through the process that allows the impact of the individuals, through the strength of the team, to be much greater than anything they could achieve on their own. Through being part of an IMPACT Team is how an individual creates a legacy of IMPACT Beyond Today.   A common theme I write about is being the leader that you need to be and not the leader you like to be. Because leadership is NEVER about you!
Last week, I wrote about 4 Leadership Assumptions to Avoid. I mentioned IMPACT Leadership as a way to flex your leadership style to what is needed by your team members. Today, I’m going to break down what IMPACT Leadership is all about. Leaders Have to Flex When I was a new manager, I was introduced to Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership™ which focused on changing your leadership style to match the willingness and the ability of the employee. I really connected with this concept, but the quadrant tool and verbiage were clunky and did not translate well to the newer generation. So, I adapted this approach to my own teachings in the 3 Pillars of Impact and it evolved into IMPACT Leadership. To drive home the importance of a leader flexing to the needs of their team, we start with self-reflection. With which style are you most comfortable operating? Which is your preferred approach. Which has the least amount of stress. The Four Leadership Styles All four leadership styles are needed and have value. Each style has a time and place depending upon the team member. Many times, people will try to choose the one they THINK they should be instead of being honest with themselves about how they like to lead. Regardless of your comfort or preference, it’s not about you. Failure to recognize what is needed by your team member can lead to disengagement, toxicity, and turnover. That’s why we look internally first, to confirm our style, before looking externally at our team. Knowing Your Team Unlike the Leadership Styles, we use a Readiness Level to assess the team member. They are listed below in order based upon whether they have the necessary skills as well as the confidence or willingness to move forward. While there is a progression to their readiness level, it is not an all-encompassing categorization of the team member, it is associated with specific tasks and responsibilities. So, a person could be at a certain readiness level 90% of the time, but for a specific task they may drop or rise to a different level. Newbie - Lacking the skills, confidence, & willingness Typically, new to the team and lacks experience. Also, they may be familiar to the team but are gaining new responsibility. Think about a technical expert that gets promoted to a supervisory role because of their success. They have never been a manager and are not sure what to do. They have been an individual contributor and spent most time working alone. Growing - Lacking the skills but is confident & willing May not know what to do, but they are not afraid. Excited for the opportunity but need some guidance. Crossroads - Has ability but may lack confidence or willingness I use this to think about people that are being asked to take on an expanded role that may be out of their comfort zone. They may not feel that they have the ability, but you know they do. Also, found in people that are coasting and may be getting too comfortable in their role. Impact Player - Has ability, is confident & eager Get out of their way! These are the stars that you need to make sure have alignment on the purpose and then make sure they know that they are appreciated. Be the Leader Your Team Needs This is not one size fits all. Your leadership style needs to be adopted to the person AND the situation. In my very first management role almost 30 years ago, I wanted to be the empowering leader… I had read books! But, when it was a new team that didn’t have experience or confidence in the roles that were being asked of them, they struggled. They didn’t have clarity, nor did they know how to move forward. I failed them as a leader. I was the leader I wanted to be and not the leader they needed to be successful. Awareness is the unsung hero of great leaders. It is absolutely critical that a leader has self-awareness and awareness of those around them. You must understand the needs of your team - when they need temporary “micromanagement” to help learn skills and gain confidence, and when they simply need the encouraging words and validation that they are moving in the right direction. To be the leader your team needs, you need to lead them how they need to be led. Having alignment on why you are using that style is very important to help them with their own self-awareness. Your ability to flex is what will help your team continue to grow Beyond Today.  During some of my IMPACT Coaching sessions last week, I saw a pattern where experienced leaders fell into the Assumption Trap. You know what happens when you assume… that’s right you make an A$$ out of U and ME. But it is so easy to fall into the Assumption Trap, probably even more so for the experienced leader.
We will take a look at four common assumptions made by leaders. Assumption 1: Because I said to do it, they will do it. In your best imitation of Captain Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation you told your manager what you need and finish with a “Make it so…” and it doesn’t happen. It’s easy to get comfortable with your team. You know each other. They do a great job. They are proactive. We are on the same page. Then, on some days, they nod at you as if they understand and it never gets put into place. A Leadership Tool I use to help in this area I call Connecting the Whys. It is an essential tool used in creating a shared vision but also one essential in IMPACT Teams and Engaged Leadership. We will touch on Connecting the Whys as we look at the next two Leadership Assumptions that are typically buried in this first one. You need to Connect the Whys. Assumption 2: They understand what success looks like. Did you verify with them that when you said “Make it so” that they understood what “SO” means? Is their picture of “SO” the same as your “SO”? Did you deliver a suggestion or possibly a nice to have? Did you explain it was urgent or something that can happen when they get around to it? Did you explain the WHY? Just because it is clear in your mind doesn't mean it translated the same way to them. In my 3 Pillars of Impact, the 2nd Pillar is Expect Excellence in yourself and others. One of the activities we do is to identify, in detail, what success looks like for each of your team members. It’s amazing how when you ask a leader if their team member knows what success looks like they say yes, but when you follow that up with if I ask them to put it down on paper, without you in the room, will they say yes… they get quiet. You need to create understanding. Assumption 3: Since they say they understand, then we must be aligned. Just because they understand doesn’t mean they agree. Just because they may agree with you doesn’t mean that they are aligned on what needs to happen and how it needs to happen. Back to the Picard reference, even though you both understand what the “SO” means, it doesn’t mean you are aligned about how to make “SO” happen. As a leader, you need an understanding first on the importance of how the “SO” looks. If it’s not that important, then you must be prepared to accept their “SO” even if it doesn’t look like your “SO.” If it is important, the onus is on you to make sure you have alignment on what is “good enough”. You then must verify that expectations are established, understood and that there is clarity around the end-result. You need to make sure you have alignment. Assumption 4: Because you know each other well, you don’t have to change how you lead. “They know me." "They know what I mean." "They know how I operate.” Sound familiar? When we get comfortable with relationships or with positions, it’s easy to think things will move forward with momentum. That we have it all under control and that we know what we are doing. But that is the biggest Leadership Trap of all… we think we arrived, and that leadership comes naturally. In IMPACT Leadership, we remind people that Leadership is not about you, but about those you lead. You need to flex your leadership style based upon what is needed by your team member. (Next week, I will talk more about IMPACT Leadership) It’s not about how WE like to operate, it’s about what they need to be successful. Sometimes they simply need to be empowered to get it done. Other times, when they lack confidence because something is new or they lack some critical skills, we need to be more directive with our leadership approach. Leadership is not a one size fits all approach. Leaders need to flex their approach to what is needed to help the team succeed. Leaders need to be on the lookout for the Assumption Trap… it happens to new and experienced leaders alike. As a leader, you need to be vigilant so that you don’t make an A$$ out of U and ME, Beyond Today.  Through my experiences in the workforce and in sports, I can safely say that success is found where great teams exist. The sad reality is that great teams are not nearly as common as they should be and more importantly, could be.
We will take a quick look at the four steps I use to help teams understand what it means to be a great team in their world and then align them so that they individual pieces will fit together and foster that culture of success. In my leadership development work, defining the traits and behaviors of great teams is an activity that we do in the beginning of each session. When combined with the traits of a great leader, it’s easy to tell that people understand the characteristics of a great team. So why is there such difficulty in creating great teams? Teams are built. A few unicorns may exist that seem to have a natural connection but the alignment that happens “naturally” comes through the same process. The 4 Steps to an IMPACT Team Before I ever get into the 4 steps, I work with the teams on the #1 trait referenced from my sessions, communication. While we won’t be divining into it here, we would take time to understand the communication style of the individuals, how it is experienced by others, and then work on ways that we can use that awareness to build stronger connections. Foundational Value System It all starts with Trust & Respect. You must build, establish, give it and ultimately earn it for the team to have a chance. We tie it back to communication and make sure that they are listening to understand to demonstrate that they value what their teammate is saying. We open up about the importance of transparency and vulnerability while showing the courage to make deposits in others' emotional bank accounts. We focus on what we can control and where we have influence instead of dwelling in those areas of concern. Shared Vision While I have a detailed session that works on creating an organizational wide shared vision that aligns departments as well as the hierarchy, this is a focused approach that is solely directed at why the team exists. What are the team goals? What do they mean to each individual and how can they impact them? This is the step where we create understanding. The KARS Process Once we understand why the team exists and the goal(s) that they are trying to achieve, we then focus on alignment. The approach I use for this, I have called the KARS process. It’s a 4-step method of making sure that the team is aligned on the roles necessary for this group of individuals to move from a good team to a great team. While the methodology is the same, regardless of the team, the roles and how they align are unique to the team as you must take into account the goal(s) as well as the skill sets of the individuals. K – Knowing the Roles A – Accepting the Roles R – Respecting the Roles S – Starring in the Roles Move to IMPACT In the first 3 steps, we laid out all the pieces to build a great team. We understand the roles, we know how they align, and now we need to start taking action to make the changes necessary for the pieces to be put together. We utilize commitment tools such as I Will vs I Want and share our I SEE YOUs where, individually and as a team, we recognize and share the value of our teammates and their role in making a great team. A lot of teams want to be great but are not always willing to get past their own ego, their own fears, their own biases to do what it takes. This process is a proven way to define how your team can become an IMPACT Team, and then create a pathway to move your team, Beyond Today. —--- If you would like to find out more about how we can help your team become an IMPACT Team DM me so we can set up a time to talk.  When I chose the name, Serve2Lead for my business, I wanted to capture what I felt I was called to do. But I also wanted it to serve as a reminder to myself that I have to focus on Serving and Leading even when life shows up in ways that flood you with emotions and stress.
In some ways, it has always come natural to me and something I never thought much about focusing on. Others would describe what I did as service, but I never felt it was really accurate as it seemed that the way they described it seemed much more noble than I felt. How we view ourselves, knowing our thoughts, inner voices and feelings, doesn’t always support the image others see and experience. Our fears, anxiety and anger are a part of what shapes us but that is the part people don’t see. It’s how the sausage is made! Servant Leadership My mentor, Steve Moles, shared a book with me early in our relationship called, The Way of the Shepherd written by Dr. Kevin Leman and William Pentak. It drove home the message of Servant Leadership which has been at the forefront of how I have tried to lead, but maybe not always as successful as I intended. I started writing this blog as part of my journey to become a more intentional leader - to serve otters through leading. The topics I have chosen to write about were ones that were relevant to my experiences with others and areas that I hoped could connect and help others, even if they didn’t recognize that they needed help. The Serve2Lead Logo I bring this up because it comes back to why I chose the name, Serve2Lead. When creating the logo, I felt it was important to include the circular arrows. It reinforces that while you must Serve to Lead, I wanted to call out why I choose to Lead, and the reason is to Serve. It also serves as a reminder that lives and actions are connected and that what you do impacts others - either positively or negatively. I used the number two, not just to be trendy, but I wanted a reminder that to be successful you need both. You can Serve and not Lead just as you can Lead and not Serve. But to truly be a Person of Impact you need to do both. Fostering a Serve2Lead Culture Establishing #LeadersLead is another part of my Serve2Lead journey. It is a free monthly, virtual gathering where leaders discuss pertinent topics facing leaders today. I use the subtitle, Leaders Growing Together because we don’t have to be alone on this journey. Others have travelled a similar road, maybe with similar experiences and different reactions. What can we learn from others? What can we share with others? If you have not yet participated in a #LeadersLead session, you can watch the past sessions and then register for the next session and join us in the Leadership Arena. The Serve2Lead mindset is at the heart of the 3 Pillars of Impact. The approach used in our development sessions, in the individual and small group IMPACT Coaching, is all about how we can make an impact through serving others. We say it’s about building a culture of success, because it’s based on a culture of serving. So that’s it! That’s why I chose Serve2Lead. My energy comes from the opportunity to Serve AND to Lead. That energy is used to feed others and in turn is used to fuel me. Whether you choose to Serve to Lead or you Lead to Serve, you are choosing to make an impact, Beyond Today.  Celebrating failure to protect someone's feelings is a pathway to another failure. It’s what you do with the failure that matters.
I recently spent time with an organization engaging their leadership in a session on the 3 Pillars of Impact: Building a Culture of Success. During our conversation around the 2nd Pillar, Expect Excellence, we were discussing the power of learning from mistakes. F.A.I.L. - First Attempt In Learning I shared the adage that FAIL stands for First Attempt In Learning. Participants responded with stories of their own and you could hear enthusiasm in their voices as they talked about the growth that comes from failing, about getting beyond your comfort zone and the power found when you stretch your potential. Afterwards, an attendee texted me a Mark Twain quote his father shared numerous times growing up. “Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.” It was a great connection we shared as a group on that common message. The Leader's Mindset That evening, as I was scrolling through X and reflecting on the day, I came across a post from Dr. Jim Afremow who has written some excellent books such as The Champion’s Mind & The Leader’s Mind. He wrote: “Failure doesn’t automatically equal learning - It’s how we approach it that counts. Reflecting on what didn’t work, seeking feedback, and adjusting our mindset turn failure into a meaningful lesson. Without that, failure is just a waste of time.” This really hit home to me and something I realized was really easy to get caught up in when you are trying to move people forward. In coaching, we try to not dwell on what “you did” but more on what “we need” in an effort to spend time on the behavior we want instead of on the one we don’t. But sometimes, people need to know that there needs to be a change. To recognize what needs to change. Then celebrate making the change - to celebrate action and not just desire. I had written in the past about Helicopter Parents in a Road Less Traveled where parents have a tendency to try and make life easier with their kids. It continues in the workplace as cultures have become People-Easy thinking that is how you create engagement but instead you are reinforcing a behavior that doesn’t recognize the importance of overcoming obstacles. Focus on the Response to Failure As leaders, we have to be careful that we are conveying the right message. We love that you push the boundaries. Failure is okay… as long as we learn and grow from that failure. You don’t say “Nice try, but you failed.” Just like you don’t say, “that’s okay everyone fails, you’ll do better next time,” and walk away without expecting a course correction. It has to be “nice try, it didn’t work out, NOW what adjustments can you make to get success?” I have written much on this topic in previous articles:
Because you can’t cover this topic enough. Success is built upon the foundation of failure, but only when you choose to adjust - to learn and grow - and find a new pathway or be better prepared to travel the same pathway. Don’t Celebrate Failure It’s trendy to celebrate failure. But instead of celebrating failure maybe we should simply acknowledge it and NOT demonize it. Then, we only celebrate if we do something with it. We don’t celebrate failure in order to save someone’s feelings. We wait for the response. We cheer as they rise to their feet and we celebrate when we see the change, the growth, in the person. Failure is an investment. There is a price for failure. Time, money, reputation, and products. Some failures can be life altering and in the extreme case resulting in loss of life. So, what are you going to do with your new opportunity? How will you rebound? How will you use this experience to make a positive impact Beyond Today?  Creating a shared vision has been a centerpiece of the 3 Pillars of Impact and a topic throughout my blogs, talks and development sessions.
The more 3 Pillars of Impact sessions I led, the more it became evident that the shared vision concept was having a tremendous impact on the attendees. What I used as a story to highlight the importance of building a successful culture, was something they wanted to hear more about. They wanted to know how they could build this within their organization. Something I had considered to be a foundation of the process was something they considered to be the outcome of the process - and something they wanted to experience first-hand. Something they needed help in implementing. The 6 Steps So, to help these organizations and the leaders struggling to break down silos between groups and foster employee engagement, I dug deeper into the concept that I had taken for granted and introduced the 6 steps to create a shared vision. Step 1: Define the Vision The vast majority of organizations today already have an established vision statement to use as a starting point. In some cases, we will create a vision statement for the Department or Division that supports the larger vision of the entity. So, whether it already exists or is being created, we start with Top Management and peel back the onion to either confirm or uncover the why’s of the organization. We establish understanding and create alignment that the vision, as written or with adjustments, can serve as the why to connect the rest of the organization. Step 2: Refine the Vision In this step, we move away from the board room or executive lounge, and we take those Division Leaders who were at the first session with Top Management, and we had back to their areas. Each of these leaders will gather their leadership teams and key drivers so we can work together and define what the vision established in step 1 means to their teams. Can we translate the high-level vision to something that will connect to the teams, unit and staff? Is the message understandable and relatable to them or is it a total miss that will leave disconnect and frustration? WARNING: If your management team does not have a good feel for the staff, then you need to bring in next level people that have a better connection. This is the critical part of the process in that if it doesn’t connect with staff, then the vision will be viewed as an edict from on high and will never truly be shared. Step 3: The 3 R’s (Reflect, Review, Revamp) We reconvene the Top Management group to reflect on the initial Vision message after the discussions in Step 2. We reflect and compare “translations” that were uncovered in the Division discussions and consider the best ways to refine the vision. At this point, we should be confident that we have an understandable and uniting vision. Step 4: Finalize the Vision We head back to the Division Teams, explain the adjustments and set to work creating the messaging. This is where the introduction or roll-out plans are created and defined to make sure we have a good approach to connect the whys of the organization to the why of the teams. Step 5: Creating the Vision This is where the magic actually happens. To me this was the easy part because I had spent time establishing and reinforcing the 3 Pillars of Impact. But for some organizations that do not have a history of empowerment and are more autocratic in nature, well this where the work really begins. This is where we take the time to show how each of the teams and each of the staff members fit into the vision. The first 4 steps were about deciding what we were going to paint and then start painting the picture enough that people could see the potential. This step is not just about showing the staff where they fit into the picture but trusting them enough to hand over the paint brush and let them paint themselves into the picture. We connect their whys, show how everyone benefits, and then create ownership plans showing how their actions connect to the vision. Step 6: Owning the Vision To reinforce ownership you must build the Expect Excellence mindset and a great way to do that is through showing progress on your ownership plans. We establish monthly check-in sessions with the Division Teams where we celebrate successes and understand the challenges. We make adjustments because we reinforce a culture to Be Better Today. Quarterly, we meet with the Division Leadership to see if we are moving the needle in engagement levels and to assess if we are making alignment to the vision. We repeat this with Top Management to identify if there are best practices to found at certain Divisions that could be applied to others. We can reinforce or adjust our approach to connecting with staff. Because at all levels, we can Be Better Today. The vision must be more than a poster on the wall or an About Us page on your website. It is the unifying force behind your culture. It’s where you connect the whys to give your staff the Vision to see Beyond Today. |
AuthorTom Brown - a husband and a father who is simply trying to make a difference. Using my experience as a Manufacturing Executive to connect leadership from the boardroom to the hardwood to help teams grow and develop to make a difference in the lives of others. 
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