Follow the Leader

Ever since I can remember, I have seen an interesting dynamic in human behavior. A certain percentage of any given population will always not want to follow the leader. For whatever reason, they resist or rebel against those in positions of leadership and/or authority over them. I’m intrigued by this.

Many of us avoid positions of leadership for this reason. It’s too much work. It exposes us. It comes with much grief with little benefit. I totally understand this point of view. At the same time, we need leaders to function. Without leaders, we will have chaos.

This idea of leadership has been written about extensively. Everyone has their own take on what makes a good leader. I have some thoughts about this topic as well. But that’s not the point of this blog post. I simply am considering the fact that many people don’t want to follow the leader, no matter what.

So, what’s a leader to do? I suppose that they should expect and even plan for some resistance and defection. It should not be surprising to them that some will not quickly line up behind them. A leader may need to more clearly articulate their position. They may need to offer reasons for their position. They many need to build consensus. Even so, they may never gain 100% support.

The leader who relies on his or her position to command a following is simply an authoritarian. This works well in the military but not in most other organizations. A leader is much better off to seek to build support by offering great ideas, inspiring others, and being an example.

Phil

Proverbs 4:1-4

1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a boy in my father’s house,
still tender, and an only child of my mother,
4 he taught me and said,
“Lay hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands and you will live.

Who is the father in this verse and who is the son? David and Solomon? God the Father and you? Does it really matter?

The point of Proverbs 4 is that it is the wise man that listens to instruction and lives according to what he has learned. “Keep my commands and you will live” is a pretty strong statement, wouldn’t you agree?

Many times we hear things but do the opposite. We receive the instruction but we don’t internalize it. It enters our mind but not our heart.

We’ve been challenged. The challenge is clear. Now what are we going to do about it?

Phil

Great Ideas vs. Big Ideas

I have big ideas; lots of them. They often come to me when I’m the least likely to write them down. These ideas come to me when I’m driving, running, sleeping, or am in the shower. I rarely have a pen, paper, or a recording device handy. If an idea is a really big one, or a great one, I usually remember it. If it was just a regular big idea, I may not capture it at the time. However, if the forgotten idea is truly great it will come back to me. This process is simply the natural selection of big ideas. The great ones stick while the others don’t.

Now, let’s think about this for a moment. If I were to write down every big idea that I have, I’d have pages and pages of big ideas to consider. I’d spend an enormous amount of time and energy trying to decide which to act on, which to ignore for now, what action needs to be taken, and when to take this action. I’m exhausted just thinking about having to do this. My process of letting the great ideas stick is much simpler and less time-consuming.

Yesterday I had lots of big ideas but only two great ones that stuck. I’ve already taken action on both of them. I’ve shared them with other people. Both ideas began as just a seed in my mind. Now, less than 24 hours later, both are firmly planted, have been watered, fertilized, and are beginning to sprout. That is the hallmark of a great idea.

Phil

GM Loses Again

Simply amazing! Generous Motors pounds another nail in the coffin while lying in it, ready to be put out of its misery. The company announced this week that 1.5 million cars are being recalled for possible engine fires. This is the same company that continues to tell us that the only quality gap between them and the foreign automakers is in the mind of the consumer.

Now, let’s use some common sense here folks. How exactly did this perceived quality gap get there in the first place? Furthermore, why is it being perpetuated? Would it, could it, possibly have something to do with engine fires and recalls? Hmmmmmmmmm…that’s probably a stretch. Let’s not go that far. That would be un-American and not politically correct.

Let’s just continue to say that the buying public—the average Joe American—is really stupid. They just don’t get it. The quality gap has been gone for decades. Sure, the American automakers were guilty of making rust buckets in the 70’s and 80’s but come on, this is 2009. There’s no quality difference! At least, nothing that a fire extinguisher can’t take care of.

Phil

Proverbs 3:35

35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools he holds up to shame.

Proverbs have many verses referring to wisdom. So, it is no surprise that there are also verses that address what the outcome of having wisdom is. If the outcome is the inheritance of honor then sign me up; not honor in the eyes of other men but in the eyes of God.

On the other hand, foolishness leads to shame. No argument there. Unfortunately, our world is full of foolish people who are shamed when the spot light is on them. Just watch the news. You’ll see what I mean.

Phil

Lawn Dilemma

Today is the first day of spring for me, as it is the first day that I’m actually going to do some yard work. Here in Michigan, the official first day of spring is really meaningless. Often times, there’s still snow on the ground. So what’s the point of it?

Nevertheless, today is the day. I’m beginning to think about my options. Uncover the outdoor furniture or pick up sticks? Clean up the leaves in the beds or edge the lawn? These are major decisions, especially since I only have a short window of time today and limited availability on the next several weekends. I need do something with some high impact.

After careful consideration, I’ve decided to attack the front yard today. I’m going to be a one-man horticultural crew this afternoon. The back yard will have to wait until another weekend. At least my neighbors and passersby will think my yard is tight from end to end. Only you and I will know the truth.

One of the dilemmas this year is what to do about lawn fertilization and weed control. The Canadians to our north, I mean south (here in Detroit), say that cosmetic lawn care is evil. I’m not sure if I want to go that far, but I am concerned about the environment. Phosphorous is out. But my lawn needs some Nitrogen, baby!

Weeds are not much of an issue for me since I’ve always stayed on top of them. Nuking the weeds is probably not the best alternative but it sure works. I know that my Canadian friends would not approve of lawn Nukes. But, for me, I think it’s the best way to annihilate a weed.

Moles are another story. If I could find them, I would kill every mole in my neighborhood. And I would not be at all remorseful. They are an underground plague sent by the demonic underworld to make me go insane. And they deserve to die.

Well, I better get to work. Let’s recap: lawn dilemmas, nuclear warfare, and death.

Oh by the way, Happy Easter!

Phil

Giving Feedback

In many organizations, nobody knows how they’re performing, either individually or corporately. Feedback processes are completely missing or broken. Accountability is poor. Honesty and transparency is missing. This, by the way, is not an ideal situation to be in, especially during a recession.

Consider your organization. How is performance feedback communicated? How often? Is the feedback useful? Does it promote higher levels of performance? Are people held accountable? If not, I would suggest that you take a serious look at this area of your organization.

Performance feedback structures may be established to report specific metrics daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. Some of these metrics may be quantitative while others may be qualitative in nature. I would encourage you to consider this today in your organization. Good luck.

Phil

What Are You Reading?

I have a pile of unread books on my nightstand. It’s not that I don’t like to read, it’s just that the pile grows faster than I can get through it. In addition to books, I’m a ravenous consumer of articles, magazines, podcasts, etc. I can’t get enough.

At the same time, I’m aware of the fact that I cannot download everything out there into my brain in one lifetime. I’ll run out of years. Again, the pile stacks up faster than it can be processed. So, I have to choose. I have to decide what to read and what not to read. This decision-making process is complicated by the explosion of content and the availability of it.

I have a couple of ways to tame this monster. First, I keep a running list of books that I want to read. Whenever someone I know and trust recommends a “must read” I make note of it. This is the primary source of the pile that continues to grow on my nightstand, as these books appear under the tree at Christmas.

Secondly, I select certain things to read on a regular basis. Some are daily reads while others are weekly or monthly. I put a lot of thought into this because my decisions affect what I choose to focus and what not to focus on. I proactively maintain this list with an eye toward getting multiple sides of an issue or event.

It’s amazing the difference in perspective between news articles reported by the BBC, Fox, CNN, Al Jazeera, and other news sources. However, sometimes it’s necessary to read every angle to find the truth.

It has been said, “You are what you read.” I don’t know about this. But, what we read certainly does affect our thinking.

What about you? What are you reading? What are you reading next? What do you read on a daily basis? Are you in control of what goes into your mind or do you leave it to chance?

Phil

Selling Time

Many small business owners get so caught up in the activities of their businesses that selling time gets squeezed. Some days, it may be squeezed a little bit while other days it may be completely eliminated.

What is selling time, you ask? That’s a great question. Selling time is the scheduled time that you’ve set aside for selling each day.

The typical small business owner is a sales person, among other things. Most businesses in the U.S. consist of one person. This person not only wears a sales hat, they wear every hat that exists in their business.

Selling time is important because businesses need to sell. Selling is different than marketing. Marketing involves generating interest and leads. Selling is converting these leads into paying customers. Selling takes time, commitment, dedication, and skill. Skill is acquired through training, practice, and experience.

When selling time gets squeezed out, guess what happens. That’s right. Sales decline. How many of us can survive in a declining revenue situation? That’s what I thought. Not many. So, let’s protect selling time like it’s as precious as gold. Let’s not allow interruptions and pet projects distract us.

Take a look at your calendar today. How much selling time is scheduled? What are you going to do about it?

Phil

Welcome!

If this is your first time to my blog, I just want to extend a warm welcome.

This blog serves a couple of purposes. First of all, it is a place for interested people to find out who I am. Many of my potential clients and other business associates find this transparency to be refreshing.

Second, it is a place where I can write on various topics, usually related to business management. I try to cover all six areas of my consulting business: leaders, teams, strategy, marketing, people, and processes. I will also occasionally write about sports and leisure events.

On Sundays, I have been working through a personal commentary on the book of Proverbs from the Bible.

My goal is to post every day but the realities of life keep me from doing so.

Please bookmark this page and check back often!

Thanks for stopping by!

Phil