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