Unleashing The Power Of Rubber Bands Part 5

It is dangerous to allow any one person to wield thatmuch power, and therefore that much energy, in the organization. As soon as you, the leader, have convinced yourselfthat without Lisa or Eric the organization would have to shut its doors, you have positioned Lisa and/or Eric to make your life miserable. And the other members of the team get smaller as they come to understand that they don't matter as much.

Don't get me wrong, we need rock stars. But we needthem to figure out how to be team players as well.

Once you have all of these conversations going, youmust go back to the beginning with your leadership team and have a robust discussion about what your values are, how you are all living them out, and the best way to craft interview questions that allow you to find someone who fits those values.

I know a guy who recently started a new job at a great, well-known organization. His second day on the job, he found a lovely gla.s.s pyramid on his desk. The person who was taking him through the group orientation explained that the pyramid was engraved with the company's vision and mission statement, as well as its corporate values. My friend quickly put his hand over the words and asked the guy, "What are the values?"

The trainer couldn't recite them and was obviously frustrated and embarra.s.sed. Maybe it wasn't the best thing for my friend to do his second day at work. But he ended up leaving after eighteen months anyway; he found that the organization was not at all aligned with its values, and the only time he ever heard them referred to was during orientation.

Patrick Lencioni has written a great article about this very thing in Harvard Business Review Harvard Business Review, "Make Your Values Mean Something." (And after you've read that, please read everything everything Patrick has ever written. And no, I don't make a dime off of any of that!) Patrick has ever written. And no, I don't make a dime off of any of that!) Start working right now with your existing employees and/or volunteers to make sure everyone is a good fit. And at the same time, start to craft a hiring process that increases the number of great-fit people you bring on. This dual process can take a lot of time, but the rewards that you will reap at the end are well worth it. Imagine your organization full of employees who are deeply engaged in, pa.s.sionate about, and greatly gifted for what they do.

It's the difference between using a bit and bridle to steer a wild horse and lighting a fire to get a mule moving.

It's the difference between using a bit and bridle to steer a wild horse and lighting a fire to get a mule moving. I have been a bad fit in a number of organizations. The plastic coating company was just one example. I was miserable. I tried really hard. I slacked off and wasted time. I went home feeling guilty, and then came to work the next morning with resolve that wore offbefore the first coffee break. I had no sense of accomplishment. I certainly wasn't adding value to the organization.

Not good for me, not good for them.

The best leaders talked to me about it. The worst gotangry or avoided me. The very worst didn't even know.

When an organization is relentless in its pursuit ofpeople who are the right fit, it flourishes. No trash cans full of mistyped forms. As leaders, we owe that to the peopleand organizations we lead.

Teamwork Is a Strategy, not a slogan*

A LOT OF LEADERSHIP writing has been done in the past decadeabout the power of teams. Since I believe so deeply in teams, I have read much of what has been written, and to be honest, most of it is really, really good. Which makes me wonder, why it is that I so rarely encounter really great teams? writing has been done in the past decadeabout the power of teams. Since I believe so deeply in teams, I have read much of what has been written, and to be honest, most of it is really, really good. Which makes me wonder, why it is that I so rarely encounter really great teams?

Of course, some of that might be because my organization often works with teams in crisis or transition. But we also work with good teams that just want to get better. And even the good teams seem so plagued with divisive and draining issues that they aren't working anywhere near their potential. Beyond those we work with, I've also talked with a lot of people who lead teams or are on teams, and rarely do I hear descriptions of stellar experiences or stories of teams that are both a pleasure to be a part of and known for results.

* with thanks to Patrick Lencioni Of course, there are exceptions. On a recent school holiday, I made plans to meet with a friend and her kids for coffee (juice for the kids). When she arrived at the coffee shop, she immediately began talking in animated expressions about the great team meeting she had just come from.

"I thought you took the day off to be with the kids," I said.

"Oh, I did," she said. "The kids played in the boardroom while we had our meeting. I wouldn't miss these regular Monday meetings unless it was an emergency. We always have such great discussions and updates about our projects. We're really moving some exciting projects forward, and we all know that we are better people when we get around each other."

That was a pretty staggering statement.

So how do you create, develop, and maintain a great team that isn't just about buzzwords but truly is the real deal? How do you use teamwork to your compet.i.tive advantage as a part of your leadership strategy? How do you live out the conviction that your organization and the people in itwill be better as the result of being led by teams?

Create. One of the most significant jobs you have as aleader is the creation of your team. That means you come to work every day and you think about your team. Even with all the other things you have to do, you work hard to keep the formation and development of your team on the front burner at all times. When we commit to a leadership strategy, it drives our thinking, our meetings, and our decisions. That's easy to see when the strategy involves a direction in which we are heading, but it's perhaps a little less obvious when it is about the team that we work with every day. But if we don't make the team a priority, the breakdown begins and teamwork gets left in the heap of yesterday's buzzwords. One of the most significant jobs you have as aleader is the creation of your team. That means you come to work every day and you think about your team. Even with all the other things you have to do, you work hard to keep the formation and development of your team on the front burner at all times. When we commit to a leadership strategy, it drives our thinking, our meetings, and our decisions. That's easy to see when the strategy involves a direction in which we are heading, but it's perhaps a little less obvious when it is about the team that we work with every day. But if we don't make the team a priority, the breakdown begins and teamwork gets left in the heap of yesterday's buzzwords.

We need to take seriously the people who are on our teams. That sounds obvious, doesn't it? And it is, but rarely do I come across a team that doesn't include at least one member who probably shouldn't be there.

Do you have the right people on your team? That is not a vague, general question, but rather, it is one that you need to ask specifically in regards to each person: Given what I need from this person, is he or she a good fit? Why or why not? Given what I need from this person, is he or she a good fit? Why or why not?

Most of us are afraid to ask that question because any answer less than a resounding yes brings with it clear implications. We either need to work on developing those who don't fit, or we need to release them. Yep, that releasing part, that's hard. But while we might not admit it, it is even more difficult to have the wrong person on a team for years and years.

As we have already talked about, there is a big big difference between a bad fit and a bad person. Every once in a while, we have to move people off the team because their character and morality is simply so off that they do not lead through the lens of values and have become an obstacle togreat leadership. difference between a bad fit and a bad person. Every once in a while, we have to move people off the team because their character and morality is simply so off that they do not lead through the lens of values and have become an obstacle togreat leadership.

In 2007, Internet giant Yahoo! was brought before Congress for providing China's government with confidential information belonging to a Chinese journalist. I read an article about the hearings, in which California Representative Tom Lantos made this great statement: "Much of this testimony reveals that while technologically and financially you are giants, morally you are pygmies." It really is possible to lead successfully but not lead well. That is a critical distinction for leaders to make.

Leaders who take action and initiative to make sure the right people are in the right places engender trust. Those who don't, create cynicism and mistrust.

Development is a great and necessary first step, and sometimes that is the ticket. But it's easy to hide behind "development" in order to avoiding the difficult conversations that could bring clarity to the problem.

And when the emerging clarity is that you need tomove someone off the team, don't let avoidance set in. We will never move forward in the way we are hoping without the right people on the team-the right people in termsof integrity, in terms of giftedness, in terms of energy, in terms of initiative, in terms of drive, and in terms of team-player mentality. You get to decide what the "right people" list looks like, but you need a list.

It really is possible to lead successfully but not lead well.

We worked with a really good leader recently. Every time we interacted with him, we were impressed by so many of his strong leadership qualities. He had integrity, vision, and drive. He articulated to his team what he appreciated about each of them, as well as a simple developmental plan designed to stretch them. He paid well and led dynamic meetings, and the company was succeeding in pretty fundamental ways.

But he had the wrong team. He had gathered this group around himself five years back when the company was just getting started. But the more we worked with them, the clearer it became that this one man carried the weight of the leadership.

Don't get me wrong, they were all great people. Weliked each one of them, and they were good managers and implementers as long as someone handed them the instructions. But this wasn't a leadership team, and if they wanted to get where they wanted to go in the future, they needed a leadership team.

This was a painful discovery. There was a lot about this team that was good: strong loyalty and a feeling of family-things they didn't want to lose. But as we worked together to clarify the difference between a leader and a manager, and to discover how a leadership team functions to drive an organization, it was painfully obvious that what had gotten them to this point wasn't strong enough to take them to the next level.

Develop. Sometimes what will get you to that next level is development. You have the right people, but you can see that they need growth and maturity within their giftedness. Sometimes what will get you to that next level is development. You have the right people, but you can see that they need growth and maturity within their giftedness.

Here is one of the things that I most deeply believe about leadership: Leadership is the promise of development. Whether it's stated or not, inherent in great leadership is the promise that as a result of being led by me, you will emerge more connected in your relationship to G.o.d and stronger in your gifted areas. If you are my leader, it is my right to expect that I will receive that from you. And not only that, but to expect that as my leader, you will be a primary source of my development.

Part of what it takes to be a developmental leader is curiosity, the kind of curiosity that makes you a student of the people you lead. How well do you know them? You need to know their stories if you want to build trust. You need to know their giftedness if you want to fan the flames of potential. What kind of training, conversation, and opportunity do they need (deserve) in order to grow in their ability to lead?

I recently met with a guy who is the head of the graphic and video design department of his company. He was lit up like a kid at Christmas because his budget had been recently approved and he was sitting in front of some state-of-the-art computer and videoequipment.

"This is one of the reasons I love working here," he told me.

Leadership is the promise of development.

"They keep me in some of the newest and most exciting technology. I just can't wait to get to work most days. In the evenings and on the weekends, I sometimes find myself thinking about new ideas, because the way they equip me is so motivating!"

Can you image, contextualized of course for different jobs and budgets, if all of our leaders felt this way?

When I was leading Axis, we often had great conversationsabout some of the more innovative or creative ways the gospel was being furthered in other ministries. Whenever I could, I asked members of my team, "Would you like to fly out there for a couple of days to see firsthand what that group is doing?"

These trips went a long way in developing my team and making them feel known. They always came back reener-gized and excited to get back to work.

Maintain. Surely this is not an exciting word. In fact, maintaining is near the bottom of my list of both interests and giftedness. But people need care and tending. If you do all this work to attract and develop the rightpeople, you also need to keep them connected, provide the feedback (especially the positive side for maintaining), and know what is going on in theirlives outside of work. When we describe it that way, maintaining takes on a much more interesting definition, one that I find quite motivating. Surely this is not an exciting word. In fact, maintaining is near the bottom of my list of both interests and giftedness. But people need care and tending. If you do all this work to attract and develop the rightpeople, you also need to keep them connected, provide the feedback (especially the positive side for maintaining), and know what is going on in theirlives outside of work. When we describe it that way, maintaining takes on a much more interesting definition, one that I find quite motivating.

If you have great people and a great environment, you will do great work.

I want to make sure people on my team are getting time off when they have worked more than usual. I want to creatively and effectively reward their efforts and celebrate their accomplishments with them. I want them to know I am noticing and paying attention, and that I am grateful and amazed by their contributions.

It's our job as leaders to cultivate the teams that we have created and are developing, and to provide conditions under which they will flourish, in many areas of their lives, not just leadership.

I want to run into more teams where people are energized by the results they are experiencing and fully connected to the people they work with. One leader I worked with recently said, "I think if you have great people and a great environment, you will do great work."

Maybe it's that simple.

the hardest person to Lead.

IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG to realize that leadership is hard. Youshould be able to conjure up the names of at least five people who make that a true statement. All kinds of things make leadership difficult, but certain people are one of those things. to realize that leadership is hard. Youshould be able to conjure up the names of at least five people who make that a true statement. All kinds of things make leadership difficult, but certain people are one of those things.

As the picture of those certain people comes to mind, take a minute to let that picture fade. Because of all the difficult people you will lead, the hardest person to lead will be yourself.

Call it whatever you want-the discipline of a leader, self-leadership, managing yourself-you've got your work cut out for you. Many of my former bosses will laugh aloud when they read this part. They will find it humorous that I am writing about self-leadership, and perhaps be relieved that I am finally getting it.

The journey of leadership is as much inward as it is outward. Leadership, done well, will continually be a force that drives you back into the center of yourself to find out what you are really made of. Great leadershipoccurs when you understand your own motives, your "dark side," what you want to misrepresent in order to look better than you really are.

Leadership, done well, will continually be a force that drives you back into the center of yourself to find out what you are really made of.

One of the things I believe deeply is this: Leaders ought to be the most self-aware people in the room. Sure, who doesn't agree with that? Especially if I clarify that I am not talking about a narcissistic self-awareness. You know the kind: thepeople who only know two p.r.o.nouns: I I and and me. me. No, notthat kind of self-awareness. No, notthat kind of self-awareness.

I'm talking about the kind of self-awareness that makesyou comfortable in your own skin. You know who you are and who you aren't. You lean into and lead out of your strengths. You have words for your brokenness, and while you may wish you had none, you know that you do and you know what they are. And you know that other people know. You wouldn't have it any other way.

People like that are lovely, aren't they? Strong and lovely.

When I was in my early twenties, there was a woman in our church like that. She was probably in her midforties,and I remember thinking that if G.o.d would let me live that long (I was sure she was near death, at her age), I would love to be just like her.

Good leaders lead well for the sake of themselves. We must possess a deep level of insight into who we are and why. In order to lead out of good motives, we need to be aware of our blind spots and lead for the good of others rather than filling some void in ourselves.

And good leaders lead well for the sake of others. A significant part of leadership is helping others function out of that centered place, and the best person to lead us there is someone who has already traveled that difficult road.

This brings me to the tough part. Why is it that so many leaders lack self-awareness? Because it's hard. Some of the hardest work you will ever do. The difficult inner journey.

And because it's hard, and because it's on the inside, sometimes we just don't do it. It's easier to simply cover it up with outside stuff that looks impressive, burying the soul under a heap of life's rubble. You, me, and Dorian Gray.

Here's the paragraph where I write what you alreadyknow: Eventually, avoidance will catch up with you, so you might as well pay attention now. If you don't, it's only a matter of time before you will be exposed for the empty, hollow sh.e.l.l that you are. The outside will get stripped away and the big reveal will show that your motives and ego were bigger than your leadership. And you will crumble.

Maybe.

Sure, that's possible, and we've all been spectators of that unraveling without having to buy any tickets. But it is also possible to keep on living and leading out of a hollow and selfish center, and do it until you die.

There are a lot of reasons to lead yourself well: so you don't get caught, so your influence won't disintegrate, so you won't lie on your deathbed with overwhelming regrets. But none of these are reason enough. Only authenticity will do.

Good leadership is about what is real and right. It is about G.o.d, and isn't He real and right?

My husband, John, once asked this question: Is the life you're inviting others into, the life you're leading?

I love that line because it speaks to authenticity and truth. Do I believe it?

It's such a simple truth. If I really believe that G.o.d's way is best, I would be a fool to live any other way. And if I don't believe that, why in the world would I give myself to leading others to it?

Like so many things, self-awareness comes down to the bedrock of G.o.d. Can we trust Him? Is He good? Answer those two questions and you will be a long way down the road of that inner journey.

Leading yourself is largely about living a rhythm of life that renews the life of G.o.d in us. It's about doing what it takes to know G.o.d and enjoy Him and follow and trust Him. It's about being utterly convinced of His goodness. It's about pa.s.sion and energy and joy that come out of that center.

Good leadership is about what is real and right.

Leadership that's built on the bedrock of G.o.d is about a lot more than "quiettime." In fact, let me go out on a limb here. I think for many Christian leaders (whether in a church or an organi-zation), one of the biggest detriments to their relationship with G.o.d is quiet time. Connecting to G.o.d in the same way, at the same time, every day can be a surefire way to squeeze the life of G.o.d right out of you.

Good leadership is about developing a rhythm of life, not an equation. I think setting aside some time to read the Bible, to pray, and to journal is a wonderful, life-giving practice. Sometimes. But I am talking about something much larger and more integrated than that single practice.

Over time, if we're not careful, ritualized quiet time can foster an external behavioral modification approach that leaves us smiling and praising G.o.d on the outside but distant and empty on the inside. External practices have never been the end goal. But because they are visible and measurable, we are often tempted to subst.i.tute them for the real thing.

In Isaiah 29:13, G.o.d registers His strong displeasure with His people: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

Ouch.

I hate hate it when He hits the nail on the head. I much prefer when He rails against somebody for doing something I don't struggle with. Then I can join in the amen chorus. it when He hits the nail on the head. I much prefer when He rails against somebody for doing something I don't struggle with. Then I can join in the amen chorus.

Yeah, that's right . . . you tell 'em.

But He goes on to further expand his gripe: "Their worship of me is made uponly of rules taught by men." As if this message wasn't painful enough already. All right, all right, I get it.

Good leadership is about developing a rhythm of life, not an equation.

There is a hauntingly strong parallel between this Old Testament pa.s.sage and Matthew 23, where Jesus levels His criticism at the Pharisees. Starting in verse twenty-five, Jesus tells them that their insides clearly don't match their outsides. He says they are like a cup that is clean on the outside but filthy on the inside.

It's easy to sit back with Jesus and point our fingers at those awful Pharisees. Those bad religious leaders. Then Jesus goes on to tell us what it is that makes the cup dirty: greed and self-indulgence. I sure wish He would have said murder and adultery, or at the very least, extortion and embezzlement.

But no, He goes with greed and self-indulgence. Two things that get Him so worked up that He accuses the Pharisees of hypocrisy. So close to home.

This rhythm of life with G.o.d that renews the life of G.o.d in us is about a whole lot more than a daily quiet time. It is about knowing and connecting with G.o.d in transformational ways. Ways that change us, release us, quiet us, engage us. Ways that utterly convince us of His goodness, ways that free us from fear and give us a lightness of spirit in the midst of the burden of leadership.

I live about twenty-five minutes from the Pacific Ocean. There are times when walking along that wild coastline centers me with G.o.d in deeper ways than any quiet time I have ever had. The sight and sound of water that has traveled for thousands of miles, releasing its energy onto the sh.o.r.e . . . the enormous immenseness of the sea . . . the breeze, the smells . . . the dolphin slicing up through the water and a pelican diving down. The ocean has a bigness that envelops; it is still in motion even when I am away from it and have forgotten its power and majesty. I am no match for it, and yet I feel a sense of calm when I am present with it.

Some days this ocean is the nearest thing to G.o.d that I know.

Recently, John and I had lunch at a nearby Mexican restaurant. It is small and family owned, and festive inside. Just walking in the front door brings a smile to my face. We ordered, and within minutes, servers were placing plates of mouth-watering, beautiful food in front of us: grilled fish with mango/red pepper/cilantro salsa, green and red cabbage dressed in a light vinaigrette. Soft, warm flour tortillas with beans covered with a dusting of cheese. Three different kinds of salsa to add to the mix and a pico de gallo to kick it up a notch.

Looking at and eating that meal was a prayer. A reminder of a gratuitous G.o.d who is so full of goodness that mangoes and red snapper exist. A lesson in the abundant nature of G.o.d and His provision. A lesson in joy.

I know a lot of leaders who need all of those lessons and reminders.

I am one of them.

I want to lead out of a core in my being that is deeplyconnected to that G.o.d. I believe that if I grow a core like that, it's more likely that my motives for leading will be good ones. I believe it will cause my leadership to be more authentic and visionary. Only good things could come from working on a core like that.

Leading myself well and connecting deeply to G.o.d involves acts of serving that are outside the limelight: kindness to a harried busboy, patience with a slow driver, an extravagant tip for a waitress. These are responses that help me to remember that I am not the center of my or anyone else's leadership. They are responses that reflect what I believe to be true about G.o.d.

I remember a coaching session I had once with a pastor of a large church. After listening to him talk for a long time, I had one question for him: "When is the last time you picked up your own dry cleaning?"

I could tell by the expression on his face that he was quite confused, but I knew I was onto something. This man's leadership role had isolated him from everyday living to the point that he was almost completely devoid of understanding or compa.s.sion for people. Of course there was much more to it than that, but we decided that the best place to start might be by picking up his own dry cleaning from time to time.