5 Questions as You Start the New Year

 

As 2014 comes to a close, consider this post from Mark Sanborn who shared this list of question on Linked In. Read his full post here.

 

Answer These 5 Questions for a Successful 2015:

1. What are you going to say 'no' to this year?
2. What is the most important thing you plan to learn?
3. What habitual time waster will you eliminate?
4. Which relationships, personal and professional, will you focus on improving?
5. What one thing will you do extraordinarily well to create the greatest success in your work?

 

Happy New Year!

Continue leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson

Perspective and Priorities

This week's post comes from Dave Crumrine.

The Holidays are coming fast. For many of us, it can add even more stress to our already busy lives. 

From a leadership perspective, holiday activity is an event, an environmental condition, something that is going to happen (whether we like it or not). How we engage this time is an important choice. To lead ourselves through it well, we need to keep our perspective and follow our true priorities.

Often, the key in self-leadership is simply making choices. Saying yes to one activity will almost always require saying no to another; that's where priorities come in. I would encourage you to make your choices based on what is really in your heart, do it joyfully and do it with a foundation of what your true priorities are. 

Priorities emerge from our perspective. I have grown to really enjoy the opportunity to reflect during the holidays. Whether it is part of my faith practices or simply thinking about the right things while I am in the midst of what others might be saying "humbug" about.  Opportunities like:

• Really reflecting during all that extra driving or traveling time about what is really important to me in my life. Really quieting the mind and "listening" to what pops in there.
• Understanding and celebrating what really brings joy to others when I consider what gifts to share with them.
• Reading those Christmas letters and cards from far-away friends and really connecting with where they are and the joy they are experiencing in their lives. 
• Truly listening when I am reconnecting with people that I haven't seen for a while and making both of our lives richer with those conversations.
• Using the "non-routine" time and days to refresh my body, mind and spirit and come back with more clarity and purpose.

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions because they have become so cliché, but I am a fan of having a time to deepen my perspective and reset my priorities. If that’s a New Year's resolution ritual for you, go for it. If you have another ritual or time to do it, make sure you carry through on it--it is an essential part of growing as a leader. If you don't have an annual ritual of renewal, you should develop that time and way to go deep on what is important to you and why. For some, it might be an annual reexamination of your Personal Mission Statement or other exercise. Without a time to reflect, your perspective will be weaker and you priorities will be more difficult to set (and follow) because they risk being shallow and may constantly change. 

Only with a solid leadership foundation can we lead ourselves with clarity and conviction. Only then will we be prepared to lead others.

Post a response on some ways you refresh your perspective or check your priorities.

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Dave Crumrine

A Thankful Leader

This week's post comes from Scott Peterson.

Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving. It’s a day set aside when many people take the time to reflect on the past year and recognize those things or situations for which they are thankful. 

It’s easy to forget to say those two simple words that could really make someone’s day. Thank you. Sometimes that is really all that people want to hear. They want to know that the things they are doing each day are making a difference to someone. But we get busy and put it off. 

If you have attended Excellence in Leadership, you have heard about “planned spontaneous recognition.” Sometimes I think that Sid is a genius. Look for those things around you that are going well and then show your appreciation. There are many ways to do this; some are elaborate and some are very simple. That’s the great part – there isn’t one right way to do it. What matters is that you’re making the time for it. I want to encourage you to say those two words – thank you – not just during Thanksgiving, but throughout the year.  

Now it's time for a blog brainstorm. As a way to help others out, please share one suggestion in the comments of how to thank someone. It can be something simple, unique or grand  The point is just to generate ideas that others can use.

Oh - and thank you!    

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson

You are Unique

This week's post comes from Catherine Bloom.

I recently attended the first session of EIL1. During that session participants are challenged to think about their worldview and develop their own personal mission statements. To be honest with you, I had not spent much time thinking about my worldview. During the session, I started to jot down some of the items I feel are true about my world. I ended my list with the following comment: "I feel good about who I am today, and I didn't always feel that way. I want others to feel good about who they are."

Several years ago, I heard a sermon that helped to shape that thought for me. Like any good sermon, the message had three important points. I have thought back to those points and realized they can apply at home, at work and in almost any circumstance in life. Here's how I see those applying at Interstates.

1. Each one of us is in a unique circumstance.
We all have unique roles, work on different projects, and interact with various employees, clients and vendors. No two jobs are the same or require the same approach.

2. Each of us has a unique personality and unique experiences.
Our DISC profiles describe our diverse personality traits. Because we are wired differently, we approach problems from different angles. In addition, we each have unique life and work experiences. We have different educational backgrounds and different degrees. Some of us have worked at a number of other companies. Others have worked at Interstates for 20+ years and have a deep knowledge of our business and customers.

3. We all have the opportunity to uniquely influence others.
Our different personalities and various life and work experiences can make us a better team. If we are willing to share our thoughts and listen to another's perspective, the team will dream of better solutions. Your perspective may be exactly what the team or a co-worker needs to hear. And sometimes what you need to hear may not be what you want to hear.

Last week, I read the article found below about Becky Hammon. Becky was recently named the first female assistant coach in the NBA. The article outlines Becky's unique drive and personality - she is studious, intellectually curious, has a strong desire to get better and grow and possesses a natural basketball instinct. Becky had a number of unique experiences including sitting next to the San Antonio Spur's head coach on a transatlantic flight which led to her current position. She now has the opportunity to influence and coach some of the greatest basketball players in the world.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2241483-the-can-do-kid-becky-hammons-incredible-journey-from-rapid-city-to-the-nba?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&hpt=hp_t2

Becky Hammon is unique. You are unique. You bring a unique personality and different experiences with you than the person sitting next to you, and that should feel good. You don't have all the answers, and you likely can't see all the sides of an issue, but you can be confident that those around you (who bring their own unique personality and experiences) will help to expand your thinking while you expand theirs. If we embrace our uniqueness and who we are created to be, we will be a stronger team.

How can you utilize your unique personality and experiences to influence your team this week?

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!
Catherine Bloom

What's Your Class Label?

This week's post comes from Jack Woelber.

Remember when you were in high school and people would talk about the class above of you or the class below you?  They might say things like “wow, that’s a really rowdy class,” or “that class is really competitive” or something along those lines.  It seemed as though each class had a personality of its own.  How did those classes get labeled as such?

In an article written by Joseph L Badaracco Jr. entitled “The Discipline of Building Character,” he suggests the actions or path one takes over the course of time makes up one’s character. 

I’d like to suggest the high school class ahead of you that had that “personality” was not the character of the class but instead the character of the kids in the class who had influence.  The actions and path the leaders in the class took made up the personality of the class. 

As leaders in an organization, it is no different.  The actions and paths of those who have influence make up the character or personality of the organization.  Take Enron for example.  I’m guessing something comes to mind as you think about that company’s character.  The same holds true for Apple, GE, or any other well-known company. 

As a leader at Interstates (I’d like to remind you of Doug Post’s last blog post that you don’t need people reporting to you to be a leader), the actions or path you take over time makes up not only your character, but also influences the character of your team and the company.  What do you suppose our clients and vendors would say about our class?  Hopefully those speaking of our class would say we are dependable, have integrity, are trustworthy, produce quality, and value family. 

My challenge for all of us is to use our influence to lead the Interstates way. 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Jack Woelber

SLOW DOWN

This week's post comes from Scott Peterson.

SLOW DOWN!!! LOL, I think I have to tell myself that about 10 times a day. Why is that? It's pretty simple -- the faster I go, the less effective I am as a leader. The slower I go, the more effective I am. I know, I know -- you are thinking, "whatever, Scott."  Give me two minutes to explain.

When I go fast, I:

• Focus on the task or the challenge in front of me (but I forget about the people)
• Find the facts that support my mental model (but the quick or first solution is not always the best)
• Communicate quickly (but I often leave out key information or leave people out of the loop)

When I slow down, I:

• Focus on the individuals and teams
• Listen better to understand what people are saying (and I know that they feel heard)
• Ask questions
• Have better EQ (emotional intelligence)
• I'm aware of my emotions and can control my reactions better
• I can read other people's emotions better
• I manage interactions better and achieve a positive result
• Can be more objective about situations and recognize when I need to identify more options
• Can use SAM/POC/GRAD effectively

I have a challenge for you. During the next seven days, SLOW DOWN. Each day,

1. Identify one personal situation and slow down. Take time to listen and connect with your spouse, kids, family, or friends. Write down the date, the person's name, and what you did.
2. Identify one professional situation and slow down. Take time to use great EQ, ask questions, focus on the other person, and lead the Interstates way.

As a leader, you can make someone's day for the good or for the bad. Modifying a famous quote from Clint Eastwood, "Go ahead, make their day."

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson

 

 

But I'm Not a Leader

This week's post comes from Doug Post.

 

I first heard it in the late '90s when our CEO at the time, Jim Franken, began teaching at Interstates about leadership. As we all signed up for John Maxwell's video course, 21 Laws of Leadership, someone said, "I'm not sure why I'm here; I'm not a leader. I have no direct reports." Last week, a new Excellence in Leadership (EIL) candidate was surprised to hear he was selected since "I don't have anyone working for me." In the 15 years between, I've heard the same sentiment expressed many times at Interstates, often by EIL students grappling with their assignments.

 

Managers often make the same assumption: "I'm not the IPM," says the PM, "so I can't do anything about the problems I see on this project."

 

It's a sentiment I don't agree with, but one I struggle responding to. So I was excited to read Brene Brown's definition of leadership: "I've come to believe that a leader is anyone who holds her or himself accountable for finding potential in people and processes. The term leader has nothing to do with position, status, or number of direct reports."*

 

What a license to lead!

 

Think of the opportunities around us to "find potential in people and processes!"  Here are a few:

 

• The next time our team discusses how to do something different, we can lead by playing an active role in the conversation and volunteering to help investigate or implement.
• Any one of us can help the group by bringing up the proverbial "elephant under the table."
• When someone is being disparaged, we can lead by sharing what that person is doing well.
• At a poorly run meeting, we can choose to get frustrated or actively contribute by requesting an agenda and engaging in productive, positive dialogue. 

 

Whether or not we are a leader is our choice. Remember, it has "nothing to do with position, status or number of direct reports."

 

All of us--parents, teachers, volunteers, team members, executives, PMs--can lead the Interstates way by "finding potential in people and processes."

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

 

Doug Post

 

*Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead, p. 188

 

 

What Are You Afraid Of?

This week's post comes from Dave Crumrine.

It's not quite Halloween, but there still seems to be plenty of stuff around to scare us.

Recently I have had a number of opportunities to reflect on why I'm not moving ahead on something or why I'm simply slow to act. When kicking this around with a trusted colleague, they asked "what do you think you are afraid of?" 

After thinking about this a little, it was pretty obvious why I was dragging my feet...and pretty obvious that I really hadn't acknowledged it. I think much of this comes down to awareness. There are things most of us don't even know we are afraid of. Our self-defense systems start working, our brains classify something as "dangerous" and it doesn't make it out of our "lizard brain" to the rational part of our brain where we can really think about it. We filter it…somewhat automatically.  

Since watching this a little more closely for myself, I notice it happens quite a bit. I have found a few tricks that help me get past being reluctant to act or to not get certain things done. When I feel this is happening,  I ask myself the question "what are you afraid of?" and almost magically…it becomes clear. The question seems to move the fear from the subconscious part of my mind to the rational, thinking part. After that, I can make sense of it and it almost always becomes more manageable. Sometimes (maybe most of the time) I end up feeling silly about what was slowing me down. 

If it is bigger than that, or a "repeater" (something I keep avoiding), I have learned to make progress by asking "what is the worst that can happen?" or "how likely is it that this will turn out poorly?".  Again, this rational effort works great for getting me to be real about the fear and the importance of what I am avoiding...and then more active at moving ahead.

Are you resisting change? Are you not "leaning into" your challenges? Is your progress not satisfactory in your mind?

Simply ask "what am I afraid of?" and see what happens. When you get that mastered, you can start helping other people question what they are afraid of.

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Dave Crumrine

Reputation of Awesomeness

This week's post comes from Scott Peterson.

One of the best ways for a leader to engage people and create an environment that people want to follow them is simple -- be vulnerable.
 

By being vulnerable, you are letting people know your mistakes, your weaknesses, your flaws, and your fears.  This makes you real to them.  They can relate to you more and connect to you better.  It also models trust.  You trust them enough to share information that could hurt you. 

By being real (being vulnerable), you are also creating a standard for your team.  They need to be real with you and the rest of the team.  If a team knows everyone's weaknesses and fears, they will be stronger and more productive/effective.  If a team knows everyone's mistakes, they can help with the recovery and learn from other mistakes. 

This is common sense, but it is not common practice.  Believe me, it is hard.  When I feel myself getting tense and uncomfortable, I know it is an indication that I really want to hold back (e.g. my fears, mistakes, flaws and weaknesses).  This is a daily struggle, and some days are worse than others.

So, this blog might feel like a bait and switch.  Well, yes and no.  If you watch this video (which is one of Mr. YouTube's favorites).  You will fully understand how by not hiding your mistakes/flaws, but embracing them -- you can build a reputation of AWESOMENESS!!! 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mls-0X09bDQ

 

Continue leading the Interstates way!

Scott Peterson

Getting "Chicked"

This week's post comes from David Krahling.

Oh the stories we tell…

I recently enjoyed a great conversation with my forty-something female cousin who is into competitive bicycle racing. This is not the skinny wheel, road racing you might know from Lance Armstrong and Tour De France. This version features fat tired bicycles and courses that go up and down steep hills, through trees, over small logs and around large rocks. Some may think her a tad crazy, but I think she has a perfect attitude about it. She mostly competes against herself, always striving to improve against her own time. She will admit, though, that one of her recent thrills was that she “chicked a guy.” 

“Wait, what was that? You what?”

“I chicked a guy. That means I passed a male racer. The men start most races well ahead of us, so passing one of the guys is a big deal. I didn’t gloat. I’ve been passed lots of times myself, so I know how it feels. In this case, it just felt good to know that I was on top of my game.” OK. Good to know that my 48-year-old cousin can still bring her A game to the race course and to dinner table conversation.

Fast forward a month to one of my recent bike rides. I was fourteen miles into a fifteen mile ride, just a tad winded, when I saw two bikes coming up from behind, closing the gap. When I noticed they were female and young, I dug a little deeper to stay ahead, but it soon became clear- I was going to get “chicked.” 

And then my stories began. I told myself, “They must be in mile one of their ride, probably doing a two mile sprint, no need to be embarrassed by my pace.” And “Oh man! Added together, the sum of their age is still 10 years short of my own. Oh to be as fit as I was in my twenties.” or “ I wonder if I know them. Maybe they are just messing with me.” or even, “They must have really good bikes. If I had a better bike I’m sure I’d keep up.”

The stories that we tell ourselves often lead us in the wrong direction and to wrong assumptions. My stories were classic victim and villain stories. I told myself stories that framed others as villains [I bet they’re messing with me] and myself as a victim. [Yeah, right, it’s my bike’s fault.] Being aware of the stories we tell ourselves can help us replace our stories with more rational thinking.

Seeing these stories as the defense mechanism that they are is a key concept associated with Crucial Conversations training. Knowing that we all have a tendency to tell such stories can help us see things differently. Recognizing the story and separating fact from feelings can help us keep conversations safe and help us react appropriately. Keeping conversations safe is a fundamental leadership skill. Recognizing the stories we tell is a great first step in doing just that. 

What whoppers have you been telling yourself lately?

Continue leading the Interstates way!
David Krahling

Margin in Life

This week's post is from Jack Woelber.

 

While reading Doug Post’s blog on leadership margin dated July 17, 2014, I was reminded of a video series I had watched several years ago featuring Christian speaker Andy Stanley. The series talked about margin in our lives in multiple areas and while reading Doug’s blog, I thought it might be good to share some other thoughts about margin in other areas of our lives.  

 

In this fast paced and hectic world, we often say we are too busy or don’t have enough time or money. Often we do whatever we can with whatever time or money we have to “get the most out of life”.  

 

Andy suggests that there are multiple areas in life that could use some margin. Andy defines margin as the space between our current performance and our limits or an amount beyond what is actually needed. There are four areas I’d like to touch on regarding margin. 

1. Schedule Margin – Often we have our days booked so tight with exercise, work, house work, to-do's, kids games, etc. that every minute is scheduled. Because of this, our stress level goes up, our focus narrows, and our relationships can suffer. If we could create some “margin” in our schedule, our stress might go down and we might have some space for the things that come up unexpectedly (both good and bad). Maybe we wouldn’t have to give up the important for the urgent.  
2. Financial Margin – Have you heard the phrase “the one with the most stuff wins”? Society has placed an incredible amount of pressure on individuals and families to have “stuff”. I can get caught up in this easily. The need to “have stuff” often puts pressure on our finances. If I had less stuff, it might give me more margin in both my finances as well as my time. Having some financial margin could also reduce stress. 
3. Moral Margin – If we are always living our life on the edge of morality, then it doesn’t allow much margin when we are challenged or pushed to go over the line. Once we are pushed over the line, it can affect us psychologically as well as in our relationally.  
4. Professional Margin – In addition to Doug’s comments on leadership margin, what about professional margin? Are the things that you are doing adding value to you, the company, or society? Are you spending your time at work on the right things? Or are you filling up your time with things that maybe could / should be done by others? Would having some margin in our time at work allow us to spend our time on the right stuff? 

After watching Andy’s video several years ago, I have thought about it often. When things get too busy or too tight and I start to lose focus or get stressed, I try to evaluate the margin in my life and determine if I have over committed in any of the above areas. I’d challenge you to grade yourself in the four areas above. How do you score when it comes to “margin” in these areas of your life? 

 

Thoughts taken from Take It To The Limit by Andy Stanley.  

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

 

Jack Woelber

 

True Grit

This week's post comes from Scott Peterson.

 

Sure, True Grit is a great western movie. It is also something that we have at Interstates. Grit is about facing challenges with courage and strength and working through them. It is about leaning into challenges and tough situations, no matter how difficult they are. It is about doing the right thing and getting the job done (and done well).

 

Grit is about tenacity and having an open mind, which sounds like an oxymoron -- but it is true. That open mind is about having a growth mindset and having a passion to learn and to improve. It is about not being scared or avoiding situations that you might fail. Embracing the situation and potential failure - "I don't have it figured out, YET!!" It is truly one of the best qualities of Interstates' employees and leaders.  

 

I could stop there, but that would not be the Interstates Way. In order to pursue a better way, all of us should think about what the next level of Interstates Grit would look like. For me, and I am guessing for a lot of leaders at Interstates, it is adding the "We" to the grit mentality. It is about asking for help, offering help, leaning into tough IPD issues and giving feedback across business units. It is applying something we are already great at ("GRIT") to "One Interstates, One Service".  

 

As leaders, we have the responsibility to teach and develop grit in our teams and new team members. We have hired a lot of talented people in the last couple of years, and we will be hiring more. If we, as leaders, can model, teach and develop grit in our team members -- that would have huge impact on our employees, teams, and clients. It would be about carrying on the Interstates Way to the next generation.  

 

Your challenge: 

• Show your passion to figure challenges out (passion to learn) 
• Show your passion to recover from failure (tenacity and perseverance) 
• Lead with vulnerability - "I need help" 
• Lead with the "We" -- We don't have it figured out, yet.  

 

As leaders, lets leverage our grit. We need to continue to model grit; we need to live with grit; and we need to teach new people grit…that True Grit and is the Interstates Way.  

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson   

 

** This video was a reference for me as I wrote this article and may provide you with more insight on grit (on.ted.com/psuF).

Servant Leadership Margin

This week's post comes from Doug Post.

We technical leaders are often our own worst enemy. It’s likely we were promoted to lead because of our ability to get things done. Often we find it tempting to keep ourselves too busy doing, or jumping into, our past job (our “occupational hobby”). The problem is that we don’t prioritize time to be effective servant leaders helping others excel at the work we once did.  In other words, we often do not get to what is now our most important role.

Ask yourself this, have you built enough leadership margin (available time) in your day to serve?  Here are some quick test questions for you:*

1. Do you put your direct reports first?  This means finding out what others need and making those needs your priority, not your own. Putting the interest of others first involves finding out what matters to them. It is not serving –although it might feel more efficient—to impose your own grid on others! We need to understand their situation and their needs accurately, and this comes from listening to them, not coming in with our assumptions.

2. Are you eager to meet your peoples’ needs?  When they stop by do you see it as an interruption or an opportunity? Do you respond with eagerness and joy, or with grudging reluctance?

3. Are you proactive, not reactive, in helping your stakeholders? A servant leadership ethic is being on the lookout to identify needs proactively and then take action to meet those needs. We should look for opportunities to do good for our people.

4. Are you willing to make things harder on yourself to make them easier on others?

While these questions might be cause for reflection on one's character, our focus in this article is on leaving enough margin in our day to be available for others. That is, making time to be servant leaders.

I’ve found that building routines into my  calendar is very helpful in prioritizing time for others at work.  For example, I like to get up early and complete my top personal assignments before I go into the office. This helps alleviate the personal deadline pressure that can make me treat people like interruptions. It helps me be more available for others than when I let myself get too busy.

If this approach interests you, an excellent podcast and article on finding leadership margin through routines is available at http://michaelhyatt.com/081-how-to-create-more-margin-in-your-crazy-busy-life-podcast.html. It includes a helpful Excel template to get started.

What are your challenges and wins in finding time to be fully present for others? Please share, I’d love to hear from you on this topic.

*Questions adapted from What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done by Matt Perman, p. 89-92.

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Doug Post

The Power of Being Wrong

This week's post comes from Dave Crumrine.

What's really going on here?  Am I seeing this properly?

Recently I watched a TED video on "being wrong" and why most of us generally avoid it so much that it is making us far less effective than we could be.  If we would just take a minute and get real about how much we know and don't know, we would be much more effective as leaders.  To simply acknowledge that our mind dramatically affects what we "see".  Or that our own personal filters are different than those around us and "the truth" looks different to just about everybody around us.  In other words, our perspective is unique. (and so is everyone else's by the way)

For me, one leadership responsibility is instilling confidence on the direction. This means that I often am not 100% sure of something but I believe the followers need to be confident and we need to get going. So I step out there, set direction and take action. The problem is, I often do it in a way that doesn't leave enough room to be "wrong" and make proper adjustments. Not too far along, I don't want to be wrong (even though I wasn't 100% sure when I started) and certainly the followers don't want to tell me I'm wrong. Will that keep any of us from making the important, quick adjustments to be successful…..?  Almost certainly.

Many of us understand that any journey takes a huge number of adjustments. Heck, a good casual family vacation at my house takes dozens. Why would complex business be any less so?

This forced me to consider how well I, and we at Interstates, test our ideas. Are we comfortable with telling people we aren't sure? We believe we have an edge and can be "more right" or "right more often".  Is that true? Or is it just for own ego that we need to be right?  If we set out on our direction with "this is how we are going to start, and we are going to look for ____ " to know we are on track, would we be better at making adjustments? With everyone looking for the signs and basically set-up to adjust, would we be better?

Many productive and accomplished people throughout  history have said that failing faster and failing "better" is the secret to making progress and doing great things. So why is being wrong so hard on us?  Why do we avoid it?  Don't we get it?  Or don't we get it way down deep, where it really counts?  Do we understand all this on an intellectual level, but when it comes time for us to be wrong...we would just as soon let someone else step out and volunteer for that?

I'd propose that we should all get better at knowing that we will be wrong and setting out looking for it. We need to get great at listening to each other to "see " when it it isn't working and adjust.

As leaders, we can't set out to be perfect. That's for elementary school spelling tests.  Our work as leaders would be way more effective if we set ourselves up to expect to be wrong and get great at seeing it and making timely course corrections using the people around us.

Challenge going forward... Ask yourself "where am I wrong and am not admitting it?"  "Where could my being wrong and not seeing it, be holding back my team?"

The 18 min. video I watched if you are interested is found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QleRgTBMX88

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Dave Crumrine

What Makes a Great Team

About a month ago, I watched a video about the San Antonio Spur's philosophy. Please take a few minutes and watch it from a leadership perspective, rather than a sports perspective.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=694340777299682&fref=nf

     *You may need to open this using Chrome

That's a cool video, but now what?

There is one thing that I would like you to take away from this video --- a Team First Mentality. I know, that is a lofty topic coming out of a sports video, but here it goes.

Team First Mentality: When a player can put their trust in the team and decide to put the team's goals over their own, great things happen (most of the time). Why only most of the time? Because it takes hard work, perseverance, and feedback to get all the way there. Your responsibility as a leader is to ensure your teams get all the way there. Here are a few ideas to help you:

• Each and every person on the team has to understand the direction, buy into that direction, and be 100% committed to that direction.
• Everyone must believe in the direction and each other which involves a lot of trust.
• Each teammate must act unselfishly by helping others succeed (the team's goals before personal goals).
• When a teammate is not meeting expectations (either with performance or putting themselves first), you must provide delta or corrective feedback.
• When a teammate is meeting or exceeding expectations give them plus/positive feedback (celebrate). 

As the leader, you set the tone. The team will follow your lead (with words and actions).  

• Great examples of this from the video are:
• Tim Duncan requesting Gregg Popovich coach him just like every other player
• Tim Duncan pulling Tony Parker away from another player and the referee 

A leader's job is to spend time with SAM and GRAD:

Setting Direction

Aligning Resources

Motivating

Goal setting

Regular feedback

Accountability and Measurement

Development

Whether you are leading a small team or a big team, if you are the primary leader or are a supporting leader; leverage SAM/GRAD and your team will be more successful.

Remember One Interstates, One Service; and lead the Interstates Way!!

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

I Love Getting Delta Feedback; Hate Giving It

It sounds odd, but the study linked below proves that in general, people really do appreciate delta feedback. They see it as a way to improve their performance and to be more successful. The problem is that people hate giving delta feedback.

Please take a few minutes and read this blog/study. I hope that it gives you the courage to take a chance and give someone the opportunity to improve their performance via delta feedback.

Lead the Interstates Way by giving plus AND delta feedback.

Three Little Words...Big Impact!

This blog entry is shared by David Krahling.


Following the suggestion of a co-worker, I have bought into Chris Brogan’s idea to use three simple words as a central focus for my goals for the coming year. Chris Brogan is a writer whose insight on marketing matches our philosophy at Interstates, so I was inclined to trust his judgment on this subject, too.

Brogan’s claim is that choosing three simple words will remind us of what we really want and will have a powerful impact on our ability to reach our goals. He suggests that three simple words can become part of your identify and trigger the action you wish to take, or perhaps to avoid. The word green should remind you to choose vegetables and salads over french fries and sundaes and have a greater impact than a goal to lose 25 pounds.

His website http://www.chrisbrogan.com/my-3-words-2014/ features his “three words” from previous years along with an explanation of what they meant and an assessment of how much progress he made toward his goals. 2009 - equip, armies and needles. 2012 – temple, untangle and practice. One year he had four words for his “three words.” That was not a good year for Chris.

My three words for 2014 are purpose, pause, path.

Purpose – playing on the meetings improvement initiative, being crystal clear about the purpose for doing what I am doing should help me be more effective. Recently, I made a good choice because I had this word in my head. I spent twenty minutes of quality time with one of my team members. My purpose is to lead my team. I still had to finish the project that I set aside to spend that twenty minutes, but I made a good choice because I was clear about my purpose.

Pause – The word is pause, not stop and not full steam ahead. My relationships with others will benefit from me taking a moment, just a moment to pause and reflect. I need to listen with genuine interest, not listen enough to formulate a response. I need to take a moment to reflect and then push forward.

Path – Chip and Dan Heath in the book Switch talk about preparing the path in order impact change. One of the illustrations they use is that the size of our dinner plate impacts our consumption. Not only do I need to eat from a smaller plate, I need to think about what other things I can change by altering my path.

It may be a little late to write New Year’s resolutions, but you may want to consider three words to help you focus. If you've found your three words for the year and wish to share, post a response.

David Kraling

Your Bag is Fine; YOU are Lost!

During the holidays, I had the opportunity to fly to Texas with my family. I found myself in the baggage claim department for Southwest Airlines. I have heard a few war stories related to traveling. The following story is one I will always remember:

I was talking to this little old lady who was telling me the story of her lost bag. She could not believe that the airline had lost her bag. It was not that hard and she needed it.

Then, I got to hear the story again when she told the Southwest employee. The employee politely asked for the ticket. After she looked at it, their conversation went something like this:

Southwest employee: "Ma'am, your back was checked in Jacksonville."
Little old lady: "I know."
Southwest employee: "You are in Houston."
Little old lady: "I am?"
Southwest employee: "Yes, you are."
Little old lady: "Oh my."

The employee had to tell the woman that her bag was fine --- she was lost. She had to go to the ticket counter to get on the next flight to Jacksonville.

As I reflect on this story, I have mixed reactions. It is funny. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. But I also feel sorry for the little old lady. I can't believe the airline made that mistake (and I'm curious what they did to make it up to her).

Then, I wonder if it could apply to us. Sometimes, you think you've got it all figured out, then BANG!! You are the one that is lost; not your bag. We have all been there, we are certain that the other person messed up and we can't believe how they can be that clueless. How can they not get it?

Next time you have that feeling, ask yourself:
Am I the person that is missing something?
Can I look at the situation from a different perspective?
Did my mental model mess me up?

Before you jump on the blame train, take a step back and make sure you haven't missed something. It is much easier to recover and fix the situation if you haven't told everyone and their dog that they lost your bag. :-)

Be observant, be humble and ask for help. Our teams want to help. Lead the Interstates Way.

Are You Mentally Tough?

What does it mean to be mentally tough and why is it an important characteristic of a leader?

Be Resilient.
Being mentally tough is about being resilient. It is about handling major setbacks well; taking a failure and figuring out to do with it (not getting defensive, not dismissing it and not playing the victim).

Show Courage.
Second, a leader that is mentally tough shows courage by doing the right thing (correcting the situation) and does not let the failure hold him/her back. They keep moving forward.

Be Persistent.
Finally, it is about persistence. No matter how many times you get knocked down, you get back up. One of the things I am most proud of at Interstates is the "don't quit" attitude of our leaders. A great part of our culture is to persist and finish things well.

As a leader you have the opportunity to give your team the hope that the vision is possible and the confidence to go for it. It is always your responsibility to set the standard by demonstrating mental toughness.

The next time you have a major setback, you have a choice:
Play the victim and complain, or
Show mental toughness.

Seize the opportunity by not asking "Why me?", but by asking "What should I do with this?"

Lead by example -- Lead the Interstates Way.

Leading the Interstates Way

"Leading the Interstates Way". This phrase has closed several blog posts. But what does it really mean?

It probably means something a little different for everyone. With this blog post, I hope to get some insight about what this phrase means to you.

Your assignment is to share your thoughts. I'm asking each EIL participant and each mentor to post a comment to the blog with two ideas of what you believe "Leading the Interstates Way" means. There are no wrong answers; I am simply looking for insight into your thoughts about leading the Interstates Way.

In 2014, we want to make sure we are all "Leading the Interstates Way". So take this as an opportunity to step out and share your ideas.

I will kick it off with one of my ideas about "Leading the Interstates Way":

I believe that 'Leading the Interstates Way" means living out our Core (Core Values, Vision Statement and our Why).