Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sabbatical
The Meditations for Thoughtful Leaders blog has been on sabbatical for a while and will continue to be for a while. Sorry for the inconvenience. Send us an email and we will let you know when we are back on line!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Integrity
Photo by Paul Nevil http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/526782.html"I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside me."
- Abraham Lincoln
"Integrity includes but goes beyond honesty. Honesty is telling the truth - conforming our words to reality. Integrity is conforming reality to our words - keeping promises and fulfilling expectations."
- Stephen Covey
Integrity is a very important value to me. "Integrity comprises the personal inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from honesty and consistent uprightness of character." (From wikipedia). The dictionary states that integrity is a noun. Sometimes I think of "integrity" as a verb, an action word. Living with integrity requires constant attention and intention. It requires active congruence between one's beliefs, words and actions.
What do you think it means to walk the talk? To me, this means first understanding what you stand for, expressing it and then living by it. It means making and keeping commitments. It does not mean, "I'll try to do it."
When I was a young engineer, I was poor at estimating the time it would take to accomplish a project. For some reason, people kept asking me to estimate timeframes. I finally fell into a formula that consisted of determining what I thought it would take and multiplying that by four. That method allowed me to make and keep commitments.
Another example is stepping up to counter racist behavior. In college, people would tell jokes (primarily the professors.) Sometimes they were sexist or racist. I'd just ignore them. Later, in awareness/sensitivity training, I learned that by not saying anything I was in essence supporting the comments. If you don't speak up, people assume you are OK with what the person has said. It's not enough to disagree inside, you must act! You must be willing to lose friends, a job, or respect to maintain your integrity.
Looking at another aspect, how does one create the sense of "wholeness"? This means everything is intertwined, interconnected, nothing is separate.
Early in my career, the conventional wisdom for women to be successful in business, was that you had to wear a suit, not be emotional, carry a briefcase, not talk about your family, not talk about your religion, and certainly not be compassionate. I found that I had a "work self" and a "personal self". I'm fortunate that I only had two. Some people have additional compartmentalizations of how they show up in various groups; even secret selves that they only share with strangers.
After I became more confident in my abilities, and tired of my "restricted self" at work, I finally decided that I needed only one self. I needed to be a whole person, the same one everywhere I went, with everyone I encountered, an integrated human being. I decided that if "they" (whoever "they" are) didn't respect me as I am, then I couldn't do anything about it; I had to be true to me and to my values.
- Abraham Lincoln
"Integrity includes but goes beyond honesty. Honesty is telling the truth - conforming our words to reality. Integrity is conforming reality to our words - keeping promises and fulfilling expectations."
- Stephen Covey
Integrity is a very important value to me. "Integrity comprises the personal inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from honesty and consistent uprightness of character." (From wikipedia). The dictionary states that integrity is a noun. Sometimes I think of "integrity" as a verb, an action word. Living with integrity requires constant attention and intention. It requires active congruence between one's beliefs, words and actions.
What do you think it means to walk the talk? To me, this means first understanding what you stand for, expressing it and then living by it. It means making and keeping commitments. It does not mean, "I'll try to do it."
When I was a young engineer, I was poor at estimating the time it would take to accomplish a project. For some reason, people kept asking me to estimate timeframes. I finally fell into a formula that consisted of determining what I thought it would take and multiplying that by four. That method allowed me to make and keep commitments.
Another example is stepping up to counter racist behavior. In college, people would tell jokes (primarily the professors.) Sometimes they were sexist or racist. I'd just ignore them. Later, in awareness/sensitivity training, I learned that by not saying anything I was in essence supporting the comments. If you don't speak up, people assume you are OK with what the person has said. It's not enough to disagree inside, you must act! You must be willing to lose friends, a job, or respect to maintain your integrity.
Looking at another aspect, how does one create the sense of "wholeness"? This means everything is intertwined, interconnected, nothing is separate.
Early in my career, the conventional wisdom for women to be successful in business, was that you had to wear a suit, not be emotional, carry a briefcase, not talk about your family, not talk about your religion, and certainly not be compassionate. I found that I had a "work self" and a "personal self". I'm fortunate that I only had two. Some people have additional compartmentalizations of how they show up in various groups; even secret selves that they only share with strangers.
After I became more confident in my abilities, and tired of my "restricted self" at work, I finally decided that I needed only one self. I needed to be a whole person, the same one everywhere I went, with everyone I encountered, an integrated human being. I decided that if "they" (whoever "they" are) didn't respect me as I am, then I couldn't do anything about it; I had to be true to me and to my values.
This was powerful.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Legacy
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth--and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up--that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had."
- Elizabeth Kübler-Ross
“The nearest way to glory is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be."
- Socrates
Do you think about your legacy? I've found this to be a powerful tool in helping me focus on the important things each day. How?
Every so often, I think about how I would like to be remembered after I die. I've thought about this ever since I graduated from college. It has helped me determine my short term and long term goals.
The focus is important. So many things happen each day, interruptions are constant, and then significant events occur such as a death or illness. Clarifying your goals and principles will not eliminate these events from happening, but it will help you to deal with prioritizing and focusing on the most important.
Consider whether you would like to be remembered for "HOW" you lived your life or "WHAT" you accomplished. As usual, it is easier to explain by examples.
Example 1: Consider Maggie who is a leader in a church. She has led several committees and has been the head of the church council (i.e. the lay leader of the church) two or three times. People complement her on her leadership capabilities. She will be remembered either by "HOW": collaborative style, decisive action, good planning and deliberate values covenanting with colleagues. Or she could be remembered by "WHAT": raised huge funds for a capital campaign, streamlined the worship service, directed the Youth Choir, was a youth group advisor, was chair of the Long Range Planning committee producing a plan, protested the war(s) and produced several adult educational programs.
Example 2: John is a vice president in a hot nanotechnology company. His education was in science and he also has an MBA. He has moved up in the industry, initially creating patentable technology, then identifying new marketable applications of technology and finally becoming a manager of a large product marketing and management organization. People complement him on his technical capabilities and innovative approach. He will be remembered either by "HOW": engaging his colleagues, constantly learning, respecting the work of others, and intuitively understanding how to apply complex technology to real world practical problems and applications. Or he will be remembered by "WHAT": the number of patents he has, the intellectual papers he has written, his inventions which have been successful in the marketplace, and the increased sales he delivered during his tenure in marketing.
My point is not actually what these persons are remembered for, nor choosing whether to be remembered for "HOW" or "WHAT".
My premise is that each of us needs to THINK about our legacy, and this will focus our actions in the present.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Principles and Values
"A principle is something you’re willing to lose your job over."
- Walter Roth
Before we can talk about specific principles and values, we need some definitions – not necessarily dictionary definitions – but practical ones.
A principle is a "rule", "truth" or "standard" which underlies your thoughts and actions.
"Principle. A principle is a general law which gives action; a fundamental truth as a basis of reasoning."
- 1997 NATO Logistics Handbook Annex A: Definitions
Values are beliefs that are held over long periods of time and guide people's behavior. People are more emotionally tied to values than principles.
There are so many possible principles and values that compete with each other. Each person must determine those that they believe in most strongly, almost prioritize among them. Again, the best way to illustrate this is with an example:
Jenny is an accountant at a small public company. She also happens to be a single mother and is the source of all support of her five-year-old daughter. She believes her "family comes first" and is happy with the flexibility her job offers her in handling emergencies. She also follows accounting standards to the letter of the law and keeps up to date with the issues in her profession. One day the president of the company tells her to book a sale from November 5 back to October 31. Jenny knows that back dating revenue is against standard accounting practice and will result in October profits being higher than they would otherwise have been.
What would you do if you were Jenny?
Would you book the sale in October and go on as if nothing happened?
Would you book the sale in October and begin looking for another job?
Would you not book the sale in October and give two weeks notice?
Would you tell the president that you are not comfortable booking the sale in October and suffer whatever the consequences are?
What Jenny needs to do is prioritize her principles. In going on as if nothing happened, Jenny clearly places her family over accounting principles, risking being caught for doing something unethical, possibly illegal. In booking the sale in Oct. and looking for another job, Jenny balances the two principles with the idea of finding a job where she can keep true to both principles in the future. In the last two cases Jenny clearly is operating on the accounting principle and it isn't clear whether it is higher priority than the family principle.
Often something like this happens before people have thought about what they would do in a situation like this.
How about me? I've never been in this exact situation, thankfully. In a similar situation, tho, I told my boss I was uncomfortable doing it. I wasn't fired.
How about you?
- Walter Roth
Before we can talk about specific principles and values, we need some definitions – not necessarily dictionary definitions – but practical ones.
A principle is a "rule", "truth" or "standard" which underlies your thoughts and actions.
"Principle. A principle is a general law which gives action; a fundamental truth as a basis of reasoning."
- 1997 NATO Logistics Handbook Annex A: Definitions
Values are beliefs that are held over long periods of time and guide people's behavior. People are more emotionally tied to values than principles.
There are so many possible principles and values that compete with each other. Each person must determine those that they believe in most strongly, almost prioritize among them. Again, the best way to illustrate this is with an example:
Jenny is an accountant at a small public company. She also happens to be a single mother and is the source of all support of her five-year-old daughter. She believes her "family comes first" and is happy with the flexibility her job offers her in handling emergencies. She also follows accounting standards to the letter of the law and keeps up to date with the issues in her profession. One day the president of the company tells her to book a sale from November 5 back to October 31. Jenny knows that back dating revenue is against standard accounting practice and will result in October profits being higher than they would otherwise have been.
What would you do if you were Jenny?
Would you book the sale in October and go on as if nothing happened?
Would you book the sale in October and begin looking for another job?
Would you not book the sale in October and give two weeks notice?
Would you tell the president that you are not comfortable booking the sale in October and suffer whatever the consequences are?
What Jenny needs to do is prioritize her principles. In going on as if nothing happened, Jenny clearly places her family over accounting principles, risking being caught for doing something unethical, possibly illegal. In booking the sale in Oct. and looking for another job, Jenny balances the two principles with the idea of finding a job where she can keep true to both principles in the future. In the last two cases Jenny clearly is operating on the accounting principle and it isn't clear whether it is higher priority than the family principle.
Often something like this happens before people have thought about what they would do in a situation like this.
How about me? I've never been in this exact situation, thankfully. In a similar situation, tho, I told my boss I was uncomfortable doing it. I wasn't fired.
How about you?
Sunday, October 29, 2006
The Leadership Backbone – Why?
"Anyone can hold the helm while the sea is calm."
- Publilius Syrus, 1st Century BC, Maxim 358
I am a sailor. Well, at least I usually like to sail. When the seas get rough, I'm glad my husband is fearless on the lake, a strong experienced force at the helm. Somehow I'm unbalanced on the water, and inexperienced.
When it comes to tough situations requiring leadership or crisis management (on the land), something inside of me kicks in and I have the strength and confidence to handle them. This is why I think it's important to spend quality time clarifying your principles and make them second nature. When you are tested, you will naturally act in alignment with your values and principles.
What do I mean by "tested"? Well, each of us will come upon situations that require confidence, strength, decision, action and motivation of a team. So what are the tests that I’m talking about? We might be forced into a situation by natural or man-made disasters, encounter unethical behavior of co-workers or worse superiors, experience pressure to conform to the norm, or suffer burnout from constantly trying to make a difference in an organization which resists change.
The best way I can think of to explain the concept is by use of examples. Here is the first.
A crisis arises and an individual rises to the occasion. He handles the situation with amazing clarity and purpose. He becomes a giant in the opinion of those who experience him. Out of a crisis, he emerges as a leader.
Rudy Giuliani is a perfect modern example of rising to the occasion when confronted with a disastrous crisis. Prior to the terrorist attacks on the world trade center, Rudy Giuliani’s reputation was far from unanimously favorable. Some people liked how he cleaned up New York, some were unhappy with the issues surrounding his very public messy divorce proceedings, some thought that his approach to the homeless was inappropriate and some admired his analytical approach to evaluating the police force. On September 10th 2001, Mr. Giuliani had written approximately 80% of a book on leadership, later entitled simply “Leadership”.
On September 11th, he along with the rest of the nation was put to the test. He led New York City through the crisis and gained the respect of many across the United States earning him the title of “America’s Mayor”. He believes that he didn’t become a leader on September 11th but that "I had been doing my best to take on challenges my whole career.” The writing of his book focused his attention to the principles he believed in and this was useful when he was thrown into the chaos.
Rudy Giuliani had the helm when the "Perfect Storm" hit, and he weathered it well.
- Publilius Syrus, 1st Century BC, Maxim 358
I am a sailor. Well, at least I usually like to sail. When the seas get rough, I'm glad my husband is fearless on the lake, a strong experienced force at the helm. Somehow I'm unbalanced on the water, and inexperienced.
When it comes to tough situations requiring leadership or crisis management (on the land), something inside of me kicks in and I have the strength and confidence to handle them. This is why I think it's important to spend quality time clarifying your principles and make them second nature. When you are tested, you will naturally act in alignment with your values and principles.
What do I mean by "tested"? Well, each of us will come upon situations that require confidence, strength, decision, action and motivation of a team. So what are the tests that I’m talking about? We might be forced into a situation by natural or man-made disasters, encounter unethical behavior of co-workers or worse superiors, experience pressure to conform to the norm, or suffer burnout from constantly trying to make a difference in an organization which resists change.
The best way I can think of to explain the concept is by use of examples. Here is the first.
A crisis arises and an individual rises to the occasion. He handles the situation with amazing clarity and purpose. He becomes a giant in the opinion of those who experience him. Out of a crisis, he emerges as a leader.
Rudy Giuliani is a perfect modern example of rising to the occasion when confronted with a disastrous crisis. Prior to the terrorist attacks on the world trade center, Rudy Giuliani’s reputation was far from unanimously favorable. Some people liked how he cleaned up New York, some were unhappy with the issues surrounding his very public messy divorce proceedings, some thought that his approach to the homeless was inappropriate and some admired his analytical approach to evaluating the police force. On September 10th 2001, Mr. Giuliani had written approximately 80% of a book on leadership, later entitled simply “Leadership”.
On September 11th, he along with the rest of the nation was put to the test. He led New York City through the crisis and gained the respect of many across the United States earning him the title of “America’s Mayor”. He believes that he didn’t become a leader on September 11th but that "I had been doing my best to take on challenges my whole career.” The writing of his book focused his attention to the principles he believed in and this was useful when he was thrown into the chaos.
Rudy Giuliani had the helm when the "Perfect Storm" hit, and he weathered it well.
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