I’m privileged to serve as a facilitator with Leadership Reno County, a program of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. Today, a new leadership journey begins for a group of our program participants. Right about now, they are starting to get oriented to the big problems our community is facing, how we can think about them differently, and how we can act or behave in ways that might help us make progress in these areas. If you’d like more info on the type of curriculum we use to develop people who engage in acts of leadership, check out the many resources at the Kansas Leadership Center.
LRC Email: Head and Mouth
Here’s my Monday Email to Leadership Reno County Alumni on 2/17/14:
We’re always on the look out for new and exciting ways to press you into thinking differently, to not be about “work avoidance” (anything below the threshold of change above) but to get into the “productive zone” (the orange highlighted area in the middle). Hopefully, my Monday emails get you to think about these things (or at least keep them on your radar). Here’s a short summary of a recent experiment we tried with the current Leadership Reno County Class.
In their book, The Practice of Adaptive Leadership, Heifetz, Grashow and Linsky suggest that one of the reasons we don’t break into the productive zone by lingering in work avoidance is that we often don’t “speak the unspeakable”, giving language to the more provocative interpretations that are going through our minds. On any issue, there are 2 conversations happening: the conversation you or someone else is saying publicly and the conversation inside your head related to the public conversation. Usually, only a small portion of the “in my head” conversation emerges in the public convo. And, what emerges is “polite banter” which we call “Kansas Nice.”
So, think about a time when the head and mouth didn’t line up. What could have been voiced? What progress might the group achieved as you voiced your “in the head” conversation? It’s not so much about others hearing you roar as much as helping the group or organization make progress on what you care about. Today, then, think about how the head conversation needs to inform the public conversation and see if it doesn’t help you break out of work avoidance and engage the productive zone more effectively.
LRC Email – The SOP
Here’s my email to Leadership Reno County alums today, 2/10/14:
S.O.P. Many of us live by it. Certainly our work operates by it. We trust that those police, fire safety and ambulatory service individuals among us will follow this for our good. S.O.P. is a terrific was to engage in work. What is S.O.P.? Our standard operating procedure.
I was challenged recently by a quick update from the Kansas Leadership Center which encouraged us to make experimentation your standard operating procedure. The reasoning? “Over time, ‘acting experimentally’ will become a way of being in situations that demand leadership. It’s somewhat difficult at times to see experimentation as relating to leadership, though. Here’s another quote: “Exercising leadership requires a resilient spirit and willingness to fail for the purpose of learning. Test your assumptions by actively experimenting. Imagine several possible approaches, then pick one and see what you learn. Take smart risks to reveal the best path forward.”
Another reason this is such important activity is because one of our main contentions is that we aren’t making the progress we’d like to see because we are doing the same old things in the same old ways. The gap (between our reality and dreams) isn’t necessarily shrinking, in some cases it’s expanding. So, it will require us act in different ways.
How can you act experimentally today? What can you try? Experimenting might just be a key that helps unlock progress on your difficult challenges. So, experiment and see what happens.
LRC Email – The Side of Caution
Here’s my email to Leadership Reno County alums for 12/16/13:
Are you paralyzed to error on the side of caution? I know I am. As we’ve rounded out this year thinking about the “gap” that exists between where we believe things need to be and what our realities are, one thing we don’t like to admit is how much we are driven by the path of least resistance, erring on the side of caution or never ever upsetting the apple cart. The only problem with being paralyzed by this way of thinking is that it rubs against a core leadership principle: leadership is risky.
On this day many years ago, our country’s founders decided to engage in an act of leadership and rebel against King George by dumping some tea in the harbor (the Boston Tea Party). Undoubtedly, they were driven to do something out of norm. We love stories like this. We don’t typically celebrate the acts of leadership that never had any risk to them. Now, I am saying that engaging in acts of leadership can be risky and not necessarily encouraging you to be reckless. The risk for many of us is simply doing things a little differently than we typically have done them in the past or like we typically do them. By experimenting in this small way, I believe we can make progress in the gap.
So, as this year moves toward an end, what acts of leadership—even daring, risky acts of leadership—do you need to engage in? What kind of progress might you make in the “gap” if you did things just a tad differently? That’s what “leadership is risky” is all about.
With you in this risky adventure…
LRC Email – Your Purpose in the Gap
Here’s the email I wrote to Leadership Reno County alums today, 12/9/13: So it’s been a couple of weeks and I thought I’d check back in. First off, I might remind you that I’ve been writing about how there is a huge gap between our current reality and our expectations. Part of my contention was that bridging the gap between those challenges we face and where we’d like them to be takes us acting different. It requires us to engage in an act of leadership, which will help move people to difficult work. We talked a bit about authority and how anyone can lead, anytime, anywhere; it’s not just the most gifted people at the table that can bridge the gaps you see in your reality. We also mentioned how these acts of leadership start with you and engage others. Too often, we’re sitting waiting for someone else to act not realizing that we have the capability to engage. Today, I want us to think about the gap and how a clear purpose helps our way of behaving in the gap. You might recognize that sometimes the gap is a scary place. People of all different political stripes and spectrums think that engaging in the gap requires this or that. In other words, progress may look different to different people. Moving from our current reality to make things better needs a clear purpose. This way, the focus isn’t on the change but on the purpose. This is hard to do. We want to focus in our results and effects. But, if we spent more time thinking purposefully about our engagement, I believe we’d make more progress. So, today, take this idea out for a spin by clearly articulating why you do what you do. And why is that true? And why do you that? And why is that so important? Press those why questions and see if you get at a purpose that isn’t so disagreeable as much as something that must be pursued at all costs. Seeking to be purposeful with you….
LRC Email – The Gap and Others
I sent out my email to Leadership Reno County alumni on 11/20/13. Here’s what I wrote this week:
About a month ago, I wrote about how there is a huge gap between our current reality and our expectations. Part of my contention, as reflected in recent weeks was that bridging the gap between those challenges we face and where we’d like them to be takes us acting different. It requires us to engage in an act of leadership, which will help move people to difficult work. We talked a bit about authority and how anyone can lead, anytime, anywhere, it’s not just the most gifted people at the table that can bridge the gaps you see in your reality.
Today, one further point I want to hold up is how working to bridge this gap starts with you and must engage others. There’s way too much (of the wrong kinds of) action in two extremes, methinks. On the one hand, many of us sit around and make excuses as to why we can’t make progress. Maybe we’re not the authority or the decision maker or how it may be costly and we don’t have time. On the other hand, it’s easy to slip into “expert mode” and give a million reasons why those working for progress aren’t effective. One is kind of a passive critique (I’d do it this way) and one is an active one (what could little ol’ me do). And, our principle today is that making progress in these areas starts with you. You. Not the other person or someone who’s going after it “wrong” but you. And, your engagement is with others. It’s working in collaboration with others for the common good.
So, today, revisit that area that you’d give yourself for. What progress would you like to see made? What are you waiting for? Acts of leadership start with you and must engage others. Let’s move in, then, for the common good and progress of our community.
LRC Email – Anyone, Anytime, In Any Gap, Anywhere
Here’s my email to Leadership Reno County Alumni for 11/4/13:
Been racing through the KLC’s Leadership Principles the past few weeks offering a review/reminder of the important things that define our activities of leadership. Specifically, we’ve spoken of the gap that exists between our reality and where we’d like to be and seen how it’s not so much authority (which can be helpful/necessary at times in providing protection, direction and order) but engaging in the activity of leadership that will help us make progress. Today, is the simple reminder that anyone can lead anytime, anywhere.
You see when it comes to the gaps of our current reality and where progress needs to be made, we tend to default, I think, in letting the experts handle things. We like to offer up all kinds of solutions on Facebook, coffee meetings and a host of other venues, but rarely do we get our skin in the game. And, yet, this is what is necessary for progress to be made in the gaps of your world. Anyone. Anytime. Anywhere.
Today, what steps can you take to make progress? What conversations, diagnoses, interventions or considerations could you pursue to help make progress on the matters of life that you face? You can engage in an act of leadership today where you are. This is a core defining principle that we believe. So, why not engage in something in someway at sometime and see if it doesn’t help us make progress in those areas we care about deeply.
LRC Email – About the Gap (Another Take)
My 10/28/13 email to Leadership Reno County alums:
For a couple of weeks now, I’ve been talking through how we go after our toughest challenges, suggesting that it takes a different kind of behavior. You might be mindful of a current problem or reality facing us and see areas in which progress could be made. We call this the gap. And, this gap requires an act of leadership. And, my bigger contention last time was that it’s not so much about the authorities we can get in place as much as people engaging in activity, after all leadership is an activity, not a position.
Here’s a different angle today and it’s relevant as we are gathering people for our 2014 Leadership Reno County Class. Maybe you’ve been reading my Monday emails and wondered what in the world I’m talking about? While I talk a lot about competencies like Diagnosing the Situation, Managing Self, Intervening Skillfully, or Energizing Others, you may want more. Even if you’re alumni of Leadership Hutch or Leadership Reno County, you might benefit from a refresher in this curriculum we’ve been using since the Fall 2009 class.
If so, you are invited and encouraged to apply for Leadership Reno County…even if you previously participated in our program. The curriculum changed in 2009 reflecting a state-wide initiative of the Kansas Leadership Center to help us make better progress in the gap.
I can tell you as one who benefited from this curriculum that it’s helped me in all parts of life. By continually seeking to apply these competencies and principles, I feel like I’ve been able to make progress on issues as I engage in acts of leadership. If this is something you might be interested in, please contact Kris, Lynette or me, and we’d be happy to answer any questions. Thanks for your consideration in this and we hope that by engaging in acts of leadership through better behavior, we can make progress on those issues we care about deeply.
LRC Email – Activity In the Gap
Here’s my Monday AM email to Leadership Reno County on 10/21/13:
Last week, I wrote about the gap that exists and suggested that to bridge the gap (between our current reality and where we’d like to make progress) we would have to act differently; we would have to engage in different behaviors. At its most basic level, then, what I’m proposing is that you, yes you, engage in an activity. Really that’s what leadership is: an activity, not merely position.
Sure, position can be helpful and is definitely needed at times to give protection, direction and order. But, position or authority may or may not be engaging in acts of leadership. And, when we think about the gap that exists in our world today on some of our most pressing questions, we need activity, not simply more positions of authority.
Today, my simple challenge is this: what can you do to make progress in the gap? How can you engage? What activities can you pursue? Rather than slipping into expert mode and complaining about all the problems that exist in the gap, why not engage in an activity of leadership and see if progress isn’t made on those issues you care about deeply.
LRC Email – Feeling The Gap
Here’s the email I sent to Leadership Reno County Alumni today, 10/14/13:
What are the big challenges facing us? Not only do we have a federal government shutdown but even on the local level, today’s Hutch News reported that there’s a mediator working between USD308 and teachers. They are still at odds when it comes to an agreeable salary negotiation. All around us, then, we have areas that are challenging (undoubtedly, I’m guessing that you have a personal challenge or the organization you work in has a pressing challenge that it’s facing).
Opposite of these challenging situations, we have ideals. We have areas that we’d like to see headway made. We have an end goal in mind. And, as you can maybe feel reading this, there is a gap between our current reality and where we’d like to be.
So, what is going to bridge that gap? Doing things the same old way? Part of my contention is that no, that won’t work. It will take a different kind of behavior. It will require we engage these things in a different way. And, this is what the leadership principles and competencies of the KLC speak to. That to make progress on these deep issues, we have to engage in often risky acts of leadership and act differently: diagnosing the situation, managing self, intervening skillfully, and energizing others. Today, take some time and review these on the KLC site (pp.9-17) and see if they don’t help you envision a small step you can take to see progress on the deep challenges you face.
Feel the gap and join me in pursuing progress for the common good…
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