It's a Wonderful Life

"It's a Wonderful Life" is my favorite movie of all time and will soon be on TV. I have seen it (all or parts of it) over 200 times (that is kind of sad to most people, but not me). My wife will not watch it with me anymore since I have a tendency to say the lines during the movie (fun for me, not so much for her). Enough about my weirdness.

One reason I love the movie is that it can be viewed from many different perspectives. One of those perspectives is leadership. I believe that "It's a Wonderful Life" has a huge leadership message that is very simple:

Leadership is about influence; nothing more and nothing less.

George Bailey, the lead character, modeled servant leadership. He focused on serving others by helping people through hard times, standing up for what is right, and giving of himself. At one point he got in trouble and wished he had never been born. That wish was granted and turned into a great gift -- the ability to see his true influence on his family, friends, community and business. That insight allowed him to stop playing the victim and regretting his decisions in life. George changed his perspective and could embrace his life (the good and the bad). His life did not turn out how he wanted and that was ok. He had a tremendous positive influence on everyone because of his leadership. With that revelation, he saw that he did make a difference. He did have a Wonderful Life.

During this Christmas season, take time to reflect on your life and your leadership. Each day, week, and year we can get caught up in our struggles and feel like George. We will never have the same opportunity that George had. However, we can be thankful for how blessed we are.

You have a Wonderful Life. You are making a difference to your family, friends, clients and teammates. As you grow as a leader, your influence will also grow. So, lead the Interstates Way and all of those people will continue to benefit from it (and so will you).

Thanks for making this year's EIL amazing, and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Scott Peterson

Options - Not Just for Delegating

Team,

 

Delegation may suck (sometimes), but options are awesome!! This is true for several reasons:

1. It gives people an opportunity to choose what they really want
2. They feel they are in control
3. You don't get "stuck" doing things the same old way 

Options are awesome when you are on the receiving side, but they also rock when you provide them to others. Why, you ask? I find that they help me discover better ways to do things and therefore, I can deliver results for clients.

 

Here is a recent story that demonstrates the power that options can have.

 

One of our clients had their project grow substantially in scope. They were proactive and asked if we would be willing to help them finance a portion of our contract. I'll be honest. We don't like being the bank. At times, we entertain the idea depending upon the situation, their being proactive, and the relationship we have with them. I had three choices:

1. Ask them to explain exactly what they wanted
2. Provide them with what we were willing to do
3. Provide three options that we were willing to do and ask them for feedback 

I chose #3. If I hadn't, it would be pointless to be sharing the story right now -- ha ha. The reason I picked #3 was that I did not think they knew exactly what they wanted/needed, and I did not know for sure what I would be willing to do. Providing options allowed us to understand each other and the situation better. Through discussing these options, we created a 4th option.

To be clear, the original three options were each different. This made the client prioritize what was important to them (e.g. did they want more time or to have a lower interest rate?). I did this on purpose because it forced them to make that decision. Thus, their feedback allowed me to understand their priorities.

The next time you are in a situation and you aren't sure what to do, focus on the basics and provide options. This will help you discover what the needs truly are, make it a positive experience for the client, and determine the best way to deliver the results they want and need.

Make it a great day and contine to Lead the Interstates Way by providing options.

Scott Peterson

Delegating Sucks

At times, delegating to other people sucks. Sorry, but it's true. In the beginning, it takes more time and energy than doing it yourself. There is also a lot of risk related to delegating (if they mess up, waste time, etc.). Or maybe you don't know them and/or trust them.

But then you take a step back and realize that delegating to people is one of the most important responsibilities you have as a leader. Your team is counting on you to train them, develop them and help them become better. If you don't, they will look for another leader.

Here is a little trick I learned a long time ago that helped me get more comfortable delegating. When you are delegating a task to someone or helping them solve a problem, set this direction (e.g. SAM):

"I would like you to come back with 2 or 3 options on how to complete the task and/or solve the problem. Please identify the pros and cons of each option. Then we will sit down together and review the information. We might even come up with another option together."

What does that direction do? Simple - it makes the person think (which I love!). They think about the task from different perspectives. They also consider the downside of the various solutions. Both of those items allow you to assess how well they understand the situation and the options. It also creates an environment where you are partnering with each other. This will lead to better coaching by creating an opportunity for plus/delta feedback.

If they nail it, great. You have the solution in front of you. If they miss the mark, no problem. You have a great coaching opportunity in front of you. Seize it!!

Either way, everyone wins. They are learning and growing. And guess what, so are you. You are getting better at delegating. Isn't it great when you can kill two birds with one stone?

Make it a great day and continue to Lead the Interstates Way!!
Scott Peterson

Ridiculously in Charge of Your Response

Team,

Today's blog post is written by Jessica Weiss. Jessica recently shared it with me, and it has two cool things in it --- being in control and dump trucks. Enjoy and continue to lead the Interstates Way!

Good Morning,

I had an experience that doesn’t directly link to leadership, but more an attitude regarding leadership and I think it is a valuable thing to apply to EIL. This morning on my way to work, it was pretty typical. I followed a vehicle that was from out of state and I think she was lost. I followed as I usually did - roughly 3-4 car lengths behind on cruise control. She started tapping her breaks and acting weird so I figured she was really lost and I got concerned and willing to help if needed. As she started to pull over, I didn’t have anyone directly behind me so I slowed down just in case and I looked over at her with an obvious expression of “are you ok?”. She flashed a very obscene gesture and I had no idea why because I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary. So I decided it was probably not the best thing to stop as she was having a bad morning. I waved, and I continued on my way to work, all the while wondering why she was being so rude and feeling sympathetic to her hostility. I posted my story on Facebook to voice my confusion, and I friend from home instantly sent me an article and said “good for you for being the bigger person and carrying on with your day”. I have attached the article she shared, but the most important part of the article for me is…

“The best leaders know that they have to be ready for their next meeting. The best sales people know that they have to be ready for their next client. And the best parents know that they have to be ready to greet their children with hugs and kisses, no matter how many garbage trucks they might have faced that day. All of us know that we have to be fully present, and at our best for the people we care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their lives.”

http://bewareofgarbagetrucks.com/wordpress/the-law-of-the-garbage-truck/

I think this story is important because we all run into confrontational clients, co-workers, drivers, and even family, but the way you process it can affect everything in your life and if you don’t take it personally and you learn from it, you can be more successful. This may not be relevant for the blog, but it was something I felt needed to be shared! Thanks for reading.  -  Jessica

Thanks,
Scott Peterson

P.S. - Don’t take the dump. (I could not resist that pun.)

Making the Most of Mistakes

Team,

Some days I feel as if making mistakes is the only thing I am good at. Mistakes happen all the time and they can be so frustrating.

So, are mistakes good or bad? Well, it depends (you've got to love answers like that). It depends on why you made the mistake and how you handle it. For example:

The Why

• If the mistake was made while you were trying something new to see if it was a better way...it is a good mistake (as long as you take time to learn from it).
• If the mistake was made because you were in a hurry and did not ensure your normal quality…it might be a so/so or bad mistake. It depends if you use it as a reminder to slow down.

Your Response

• If you let everyone know all the reasons why the mistake was made (excuses), that would be a bad mistake. Letting people know you were too busy to do something correctly or that someone did not help you or live up to their end of the deal makes it a bad mistake because you are excelling only at assigning the blame.
• If you own the mistake, it is a good mistake. It allows you to lead and to solve the issue or fix the mistake. Until ownership is accepted (not assigned), people are normally stuck. Stuck in the past. Stuck on who is to blame. Stuck with the mistake hanging over their head. Taking ownership is truly a freeing experience.

The choice is yours. You can let a mistake own you or you can own it. One of my favorite sayings is: "Mistakes are one of the few things in life you can truly call your own". Try to prevent them. But when that does not work, lead by learning and taking ownership.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you again at next week's class. Thanks for your leadership!

Scott Peterson

Welcome to The Leading Edge

EIL1 Team,

I hope you had an awesome time at the EIL1 kick-off event. And by 'awesome time' I mean that you had some fun, learned a few things, and have direction on your leadership development. It was great seeing everyone jump in and embrace the challenges, topics, information and feedback. Keep up the great work!

This year we are trying something new (pursuing a better way) by joining the blog world. The purpose of The Leading Edge blog is to keep various topics in front of you, your mentor and other leaders; share general leadership ideas/principles; and encourage you to just go for it (try new leadership ideas). Some posts will be directly related to EIL topics and some will be different or new. I hope that what you find here will enable you to grow as a leader and help your teams be more successful. So, here we go!!

Remember what Dr. Henry Cloud said in his book Boundaries for Leaders about being ridiculously in charge. Then think of Thomas Jefferson's quote: "If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done."

My challenge to you (if you choose to accept it) is to find one new thing you have done since the kick-off. Have that one thing in mind? Now share it with your mentor.

Whether that new thing you tried gave you the results you were hoping for or not, taking that first step of your leadership journey (at least the past week or so) is a success. Trying and learning things = the beginning of success.

Thanks for Leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson