LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"When there is trust, conflict becomes nothing but the pursuit of truth, an attempt to find the best possible answer." Patrick Lencioni

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I used to avoid conflict.

I assumed that if there was conflict, then something was wrong. Why would people who work together ever disagree?

Much to my amazement, early in my career I found conflict everywhere and there weren't many models where conflict was managed well.

What's your personal experience with conflict? Do you run from it and avoid it or do you embrace it?

I've learned over the years to not say "if conflict comes", but I say, "when conflict comes" because it ALWAYS comes.

Lencioni focuses on organizational health, and the idea of building trust is the foundation of this, and it helps leaders and teams manage things at a whole new level.

Think about a time you FAILED in your management of conflict. What did you learn from that experience? How have you changed as a result of that?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time." Patrick Lencioni

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We spent 4 weeks looking at some Drucker quotes, and I want to spend the next 4 weeks looking at one of my favorite authors and organizational consultants, Patrick Lencioni. His thoughts will challenge you and they can be applied to any organizational setting.

The Lencioni quote above might sound great, but in reality it's much more complex than just rowing in the same direction.

I think he's talking about vision, goals and purpose. If people can be aligned around those things, then they could "dominate".

The reality is that "rowing together" isn't a simple thing. People push and pull, and sometimes you want people on your time heading in a different direction, however if you take away the simplistic metaphor, I love the image.

Have you ever been on a team that is moving TOGETHER in the same direction: vision, goals & purpose? What was that like?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." Peter F. Drucker

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

So many good Drucker quotes, but this will be the last one at this time.

I'm getting ready to take some time to do some planning, thinking and dreaming for 2023, and this quote is something I have taped up on my computer screen!

This should be a great reminder to all of us.

Sometimes, we spend so much time perfecting the way we are doing something, or working on something that really doesn't make a difference.

Stephen Covey talks about this in his Time Management Matrix and he's talking about Quadrant III and Quadrant IV. Learn what this matrix is HERE.

Sometimes we get lost in things that might be "good" but they're not "important".

I'll give you some examples from my life below, but this isn't that difficult for us to examine.

What have you learned to do in your life to be focused on the RIGHT things? What triggers have you found that pull you away from those things?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

Peter F. Drucker

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

So many good Drucker quotes, so I want to share a couple more with you.

Last week, I shared Druckers quote on "MEASUREMENT" and had a couple of people push back with these comments:

• "I'm not sure all things can be measured. Those things that can't be measured are often important to evaluate even if their value is only anecdotal."

• "It's difficult to measure things that are internal, and not seen on the outside."

I agree with both of these comments, and thank you for responding...

My goal is to get us to think and to be willing to ask ourselves some questions that take us deeper.

This new quote from Drucker above, is also attributed to Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States.

I don't think the idea behind this is of FORCE. I think it's of OWNERSHIP. We need to take responsibility for our lives and the future we want to live.

This begins with our current reality and our ability to think forward positively instead of being overwhelmed and in a spiral of negativity.

It's not just our thought patterns, it's the fact that we have been created for a purpose and God has called each of us to pursue His call and purpose in our lives.

Ownership and Responsibility begin with us giving our lives to Him in obedience, and then trusting Him each step of the way as we live our the call and plan He has for us.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"If you want it, measure it. If you can't measure it, forget it." Peter F. Drucker

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

When I first read this quote from Drucker, I'm not sure I understood it. Now I think I do.

Throughout my years of leadership, I have spent a lot of time, energy and resources working on things that I haven't been able to measure. I've been busy, I've been working hard and I've initiated some really good things, but some of these things, well, really MANY of these things haven't produced results.

It's easy to confuse "being busy" with "being focused on the right things".

Figuring out what to measure is always the most important work because it provides you with a goal, with a way to evaluate and a finish line.

Think of something you're doing right now that is just BUSY WORK. It's not measurable, it doesn't move you in the direction you want to go, and it's absorbing much of your time and energy.... What would happen if you just STOPPED doing this today?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Management is doing things right; Leadership is doing the right things." Peter F. Drucker

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I learned about Peter Drucker when I was studying business in university years ago. I remember really liking some of the things he said and I resonated with them. I'm going to spend some time unpacking some of my favorite quotes from Drucker.

If you don't know who he is, CLICK HERE for a quick overview.

The quote above is something that is foundational to Druckers vision for organizational leadership. He focused on culture and on behavior at a time when everyone else was focused on sales and results.

I remember writing a paper in graduate school on this quote, and the process of trying to determine what kind of leader I was going to be pushed me to want to learn more about myself, my goals and my style.

When you think about this quote, what NAMES OF PEOPLE come to mind that were either great Managers or great Leaders?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Dreams are meant to be lived."

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This is the last quote on this journey with , "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and we'll move on next week.

There are a number of these themes in the Mitty Movie:

"Stop Dreaming: Start Living"

"Go Further"

"Explore New Territory"

"Adventure Waits for No One"

If you feel STUCK, the themes of this movie challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone and LIVE.

"Dreams are meant to be lived"

Are you living your dreams or are they aspirational ideas that you keep locked up in a secret place that you don't spend anytime time thinking about or working towards?

I think the overall them from Walter Mitty is simply about LIFE and for many of us, we are so busy living our life that we don't spend much time dreaming about our life.

What challenges you from the world of Walter Mitty?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Beautiful things don't ask for attention." The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

A couple more weeks and quotes from this film, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and then we'll move on.

Think about that line above: "Beautiful things don't ask for attention."

I found this thought from Brian J. Hertzog on this line:

"Beautiful things don't ask for attention: Nor do they beg, cry, pander, hustle, bribe, or coerce. Intrinsic beauty radiates outward from its source. It doesn't launch multimillion dollar marketing campaigns to garner attention for itself. Truly beautiful things are just noticed. Then, one by one, other people start calling attention to them to share in their splendor."

I love that description of this quote and Hertzog captures this concept of beauty really well.

Think of something beautiful that you've seen or that you've witnessed. How did you find it?