It's Your Choice

Seth Godin shared these thoughts in his blog recently in a post named 'Your Choice'.

You can read it directly from Seth here:

Or, I you can read it here.

Your Choice
    Habits are a choice
    Giving is a choice
    Reactions are a choice
    Ideas are a choice
    Connections are a choice
    Reputation is a choice
    The work is a choice
    Words are a choice
    Leading is a choice

No one can be responsible for where or how we each begin. No one has the freedom to do anything or everything, and all choices bring consequences. What we choose to do next, though, how to spend our resources or attention or effort, this is what defines us.

Today, there is something that you need to choose. Will you choose the option that…

Redirects your bad habit into a new positive one?
Gives of your time or knowledge to someone else who will grow from your gift?
Responds with grace to the situation at hand?
Contributes to the pool of ideas that will initiate change for the better?
Builds connections with others within your world?
Enhances someone's reputation, not tearing it down?
Requires extra work effort to create that extraordinary experience?
Says a kind or supportive word in place of stinging or destructive words to those you love?
Leads to a better ending?

What you choose today, starts to define your tomorrow.
Keep leading the Interstates Way!
Scott Peterson

Git 'er Done!

One of the best qualities of Interstates is leaders who want to make a difference for their clients, help their teams, and solve problems (e.g. the Git 'er Done mentality). This attribute has helped build Interstates and our reputation of being responsive and providing great service to our clients, which is awesome!!!

Could this same strength become a weakness? I hate to say it --- Yes it can. You might be thinking, "sounds like a crap sandwich, Scott!" Maybe it is; maybe it isn't. Let me explain and then you give me your take on it.

If we as leaders only focus on getting things done by jumping in and solving problems, then it will become a weakness. We will focus on the challenge. We will set the direction at the beginning and then forget about it. We will also forget about the people. We and our teams will become lost in the challenge. Think back to your leadership challenges in EIL. As the challenge moves along, we forget about the direction/the goal. We become more intense and more focused on getting it done (winning). That is when this strength moves from an asset to a leadership liability.

The next time you are faced with a challenge:

• Set the direction
• Embrace this strength
• Remember the direction/goal during the whole process of overcoming the challenge 

If you do this, it will be a great example of how to Lead the Interstates Way. 

So, what's your take on it?
Scott Peterson

 

 

10 Leadership Thoughts and 1 Challenge

Are you working to keep your leadership platform strong? To help you continue to build a strong leadership platform, the leader team is challenging you to an assignment. In the next 48 hours, take 15-30 minutes to:

1. Read the "10 Thoughts About Leadership from Jon Gordon" below.
2. Identify 1 item from the list that you could focus on in order to develop one stronger relationship and thus, a stronger leadership platform. As Nike would say (everyone together) - "Just Do It!".
3. You're down to 47 hours 59 minutes and 15 seconds.
4. Please post your focus area in the blog comments. The goal is to see at least 10 comments showing how we are working to strengthen our platforms - and I'd love to see you blow that number away. With 13 current EIL participants, 13 current mentors, and many leaders from EIL2 and refresher classes, we can get there.

10 THOUGHTS ABOUT LEADERSHIP from Jon Gordon

 

1. People follow the leader first and the leader's vision second. It doesn't matter if the leader shares a powerful vision, if the leader is not someone who people will follow, the vision will never be realized. As a leader, who you are makes a difference. The most important message you can share is yourself.

 

2. Trust is the force that connects people to the leader and his/her vision. Without trust there is a huge gap between the leader and the vision. Without trust people will stay off the bus. However, if people trust the leader they will hop on the bus with the leader and will help move the bus forward toward the vision.

 

3. Leadership is not just about what you do; but what you can inspire, encourage and empower others to do.

 

4. A leader brings out the best within others by sharing the best within themselves.

 

5. Just because you're driving the bus doesn't mean you have the right to run people over. Abraham Lincoln said "Most anyone can stand adversity, but to test a man's character, give him power." The more power you are granted the more it is your responsibility to serve, develop and empower others. When you help them grow, they'll help you grow.

 

6. Rules without Relationship Leads to Rebellion. Andy Stanley said this and it's one of my favorite quotes. As a leader you can have all the rules you want, but if you don’t invest in your people and develop a relationship with them they will rebel. This applies amazingly to children as well. It's all about relationships.

 

7. Lead with optimism, enthusiasm and positive energy; guard against pessimism and weed out negativity.

 

8. Great Leaders know they don't have all the answers. Rather they build a team of people who either know the answers or will find them.

 

9. Leaders inspire and teach their people to focus on solutions, not complaints. (The No Complaining Rule)

 

10. Great leaders know that success is a process; not a destination. One of my heroes, John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, never focused on winning. He knew that winning was the byproduct of great leadership, teamwork, focus, commitment and execution of the fundamentals. As a leader, focus on your people and processes, not the outcome.

 

 

Thanks and keep leading the Interstates Way!
Scott Peterson

Quarter Turn to the Right

Today's blog post is by Lisa Johnson.

Twice a week I participate in an indoor cycling class. We use bikes that have monitors to report your RPMs (pace), elapsed time and mileage. However, the tension is not monitored or controlled electronically. It's all by feel. How hard I choose to pedal is completely dependent on how I feel that day. We can safely say that some days I pedal harder than others and that the same tension setting one day feels easy and another day feels like it might kill me. But, I digress.

As you might expect, the workout starts with a tension setting '1'. As we go, the instructor directs us to add a quarter turn to the right which puts the tension at a '2'. Another quarter turn to the right and I'm at '3'. You get it. The workout includes 'climbs' where you start at '1' and then add a quarter turn to the right to move up gradually to 2, 3, and 4. 

For me, the change from '1' to '2' usually isn't that noticeable. I can still keep my pace pretty steady with that change. Moving from '2' to '3', I notice a little more. I slow down a bit but can still stay within the target range that the instructor shouts out over the music. I start having to think more about my form. I remind myself to relax the shoulders, push and pull with both feet, keep the core tight. Then we go another quarter turn to the right. Now we're at '4' and I feel like I'm pushing uphill into a stiff Iowa wind. I wonder why the instructor hates me. My pace slows. A lot. I have to pedal harder, pushing and pulling to keep the pace. What am I thinking getting up at 5:00 am to do this? A '4' is hard. I hate cycling class.

Then the downhill. The instructor shouts out to turn the tension down to a '3'. Ahhhh. Relief. Oh yeah, I can do a '3' for a long time. Which is funny, because earlier '3' was getting tough. Why is it that '3' feels better on the way down than on the way up?

What's my point? The other day, as I rode like a hamster in a wheel hating on the class, I started thinking about how the tension on my bike is like tension in my life and work. 

The pace of life and work essentially operate the same way. When things are easy (1 or 2), I can cruise along nicely. I'm feeling pretty good about the progress I'm making. I'm knocking out the miles and getting things done. But, when life or work cranks to a '3', I start to notice. I have to pay closer attention so I don't miss something. When I hit a '4' and stay there for too long, something has to give. I'm pushing and pulling on the bike to stay in motion.

Then, something happens to set me back to a '3'. A deadline passes and a project closes. Or, help appears. Suddenly '3' feels like something I can handle for a while. Ahhhh. Relief.

I think we need to remember that as we work with our teams. We need to remember as we are delegating or evaluating workload that, like you, everyone else is also on their bike and the tension settings are different from one bike to the other. What might be your '1' is possibly my '2'. People can only add so many 'quarter turns to the right' and ride at a '3' or '4' for so long before they need to turn off some of the tension.

Before you make another 'quarter turn to the right', consider if a quarter turn to the left for a short recovery time might help prepare you for the next climb.

Continue leading the Interstates Way!
Scott Peterson

The Seven Point Code

John Wooden was a great basketball coach. His UCLA teams won 10 championships in 12 years (7 of them were consecutive). This success is impressive. However, the players and coaches said that it was Wooden's leadership that set him apart and had the biggest impact on them.

One way he did this was by focusing on his Seven Point Code. 

1. Be true to yourself
2. Make each day your masterpiece
3. Help others
4. Drink deeply from good books
5. Make friendship a fine art
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day
7. Give thanks for your blessings every day 

I thought about how I could personally apply the code. So, here are my thoughts on each one.

1. Be true to yourself
   - Know and live my mission statement and core values. Make big and small decisions that are aligned and reinforce my mission and values.
   - Live with the 'front page' mentality - be comfortable with everyone and their dog finding out what you did (that means your Mom and Dad).
2. Make each day your masterpiece
   - Each day, I am given a gift of 24 hours. I will never ever get it back. I want to use my skills, talents and time to make a positive impact on my family, co-workers, and friends.
3. Help others
   - With a caring heart, serve people by leading well (SAM/POC/GRAD).
   - Make one person's day (via encouragement, thanking them, serving them, caring for them, listening, etc.).
4. Drink deeply from good books
   - Be a lifelong learner.
   - Be curious.
   - Read meaningful books that help you make a difference.
5. Make friendship a fine art
   - Invest in others; meet people where they are at; give people what they need (not want); live the core values, value them by giving them your time and energy.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day
   - Know that hard times will come (professionally, personally, individually, and as a team) and be prepared for them.
   - If you do the right thing for the right reason, things will work out for the best.
7. Give thanks for your blessings every day
   - A thankful heart leads to a positive perspective. This enables me to be more creative and helps me see all the amazing people around me and all the great things happening. It also allows me to encourage people more (via positive feedback). Add all that up --- being thankful helps me to be a more effective leader

I'd encourage you to take a few moments to think about the Seven Point Code. Then apply it. 

Take a chance and lead the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson

Fine Isn't Always Fine

True Story: About a month ago, I was working with a talented co-worker to complete an action item. I asked if it would be ok to push the deliverable back a week. They thought about it and said "that is fine".

Side story: My 12 year old son is one that wants to keep people happy and does not want to burden them. He will sometimes answer a question with "that is fine". Over the years, I have learned to ask a second question -- "Fine - good, or fine - no?" He will look at me and smile, then he will tell me want he really wants to do.

Back to the True Story: Leaning on my past lessons learned (aka mistakes), I asked the follow-up question, "Fine good or fine we should not push back the date?" After some silence, they responded that it would be ok to push it back since most people would be ok with the later date. It is not ideal, but would be ok. Based on that non-convincing answer, I decided to keep digging (or being a pain -- depending on how you look at it). "So, what do you really think?" After a more little silence they said, "Well, I really think we should keep our original date. That was our promise and it is better that we keep our promise. So, I would feel better if we not let it slide."

What did we do? I agreed with their point and we kept the original date.

I decided to be a miner and kept digging by asking, "Why didn't you say what you really wanted right away?" They thought about it and said they were not sure. I shared with them that my plus feedback is that they pushed me and we made a better decision based on that. My delta feedback is that they did not share what they really wanted or thought right away. They agreed and laughed that they may end up in the blog someday.

They called it.

What are the lessons?

• Scott can be a pain.
• Share want you really think or want right away. Don't be mad if they do not agree or do it, but give them a chance by hearing your insights.
• As a leader, sometimes you have to dig for what people really want or need. The first answer may not be the real answer.

Don't settle for being 'fine'. Lead the Interstates Way!!

Scott Peterson

So You Want to Be a Great Leader...

So, you want to be a great leader. What will it take for you to become a great leader? Well, it would it take:

• More guts
• Being bolder
• Taking more chances
• Blazing new trails 

BUZZ!!! Those are not the correct answers. It takes asking for … (you guessed it) … feedback.

So, if you want to make the top 90% of all leaders possible (e.g. be in the bottom 10% of effective leaders), then DON'T ask for feedback. You will allow the other leaders to shine and you can be the caboose.

However, if you want to be a very effective leader, it is simple - ask for feedback (general feedback and specific feedback). Ask teammates, supervisors, direct reports, peers, and clients. They all have a unique perspective that will help you identify how you are doing now, as well as what you could be doing to improve your leadership and your performance.

The best part of asking for feedback is that you are in control. You are mentally prepared to receive that feedback. This means you will not get as defensive and will be ready to receive the feedback as a gift. It also validates their opinions and forces you to listen. And listening to people will help you engage them and you will broaden your perspective (and keep you humble, since you will hear all the great ideas and feedback that people have).

Ask for feedback and continue to lead the Interstates way.

Scott Peterson