Archive for the ‘legacy’ Category

Courage is a favorite topic when experts write about leadership. Often the kind of courage they write about is the big, bold stuff of legends: climbing Mount Everest and leading the team down safely in intrepid weather; safely landing a plane on the Hudson River; turning a company around against long odds.

I can`t deny that this kind of courage inspires me. However, there is another kind that inspires even more. It`s behind the scenes ?€“ and we tend to miss it. It doesn`t get headlines. It is not considered big, bold, or legendary. But yet it is HUGE in terms of transforming your leadership.

Before I describe this kind of courage, let`s consider that the word “courage” comes from the French word for “heart”. This kind of quiet, invisible courage is the kind that I am blessed to observe in the best leaders through the work we do, and it comes from the heart. And not coincidentally, it is this type of courage that encourages a leader to create and sustain the relationships required to do the big, bold stuff of legends.

What is this type of courage?

So what is this “type of courage”? Are you ready? The quiet, hidden courage that I am speaking of is the courage to look at oneself and make the changes necessary to be a legendary leader. Seems kind of anti-climactic compared to landing a plane on the Hudson.

But yet ?€“ I know leaders (and you do too) who are in self-denial about their bad or mediocre behavior. Or others who are unwilling to take a look at themselves through reflection, assessments or feedback from others.

Courage to look at yourself sustains you for the big stuff

Choosing the path of leadership is a personal (as well as professional) journey. It requires a great deal of toughness, persistence, and heart to make it work. It is a never ending path that takes ongoing learning, including some of the hardest lessons imaginable; sometimes against all odds. The best leaders know themselves well, and this knowing gets them through the tough times.

I`ll bet that Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, the courageous pilot who landed the plane on the Hudson, has done the courageous work of introspection. I`d wager a bet that he`s had the courage to look at and understand his strengths and gaps. I`m willing to bet that knowing those strengths and gaps were instrumental in his ability to stay calm and to save many lives.

So choose the leadership path with care. It isn`t easy. In order to be great at it, you must look inside and do the inner work required. And this requires great courage (the quiet kind).

Spring is a time of renewal, of looking ahead. If you are a gardener, you may enjoy watching the small green things poking up in the soil, knowing that they will grow, blossom, and fruit into something magnificent and useful. It’s a time of anticipating what can be.

However, we often dwell in the past. And more often than not, the past we dwell can be the less-than-pleasant experiences we’ve had. Knowing that, as a leader, you have a desire to move forward, the past is not the place to start. It’s too draining to keep rehashing the bad stuff.

We Need Optimism and a Future to Look Toward

Now, more than ever, your team, organization and peers need you to be positive and forward-looking. The best way to begin looking ahead is to begin with yourself.

So, start fresh – with today. Consider where you are at in your leadership journey at this moment with the following questions:

Consider Now

- What are you doing well in your leadership?

- What can you improve in your leadership?

Consider Your Future:

- If things were as great as you’d like them to be, what would they look and feel like?

- What is your role in creating this great future? What are others saying about you in the future?

- What immediate action can you take to move toward this great future?

Do you feel a positive shift in energy when you start “living toward the future” and stop “dwelling in the past”?

Much of the work I do, particularly with 45+ year old executives, is concerned with discovering what they want to leave behind (or be remembered for) in their organizations and communities. We take the time to reflect, clarify and write a statement about their personal leadership legacy.

I am occasionally asked what this individual legacy statement has to do with the organization they lead. EVERYTHING! Finding that insight can create a sense of inspiration and purpose that becomes focused ouward toward those who are lead.

A wonderful book on this topic is called “Your Leadership Legacy” by Galford and Maruca. They make a good case for starting to think about this topic earlier in a career, and provide exercises that assist in developing a legacy statement.

There is also a self-assessment at the site to help you discover your “Instinctive Leadership Style”.