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Archive for April, 2014
Callan…Coffee…Contemplation for the Week of April 28th
April 28, 2014 | No Comments »
Hardiness
In watching the news I’ve become aware we are becoming a more fragile people; easily bruised, readily offended, and lacking in healthy confidence. So today I am contemplating hardiness; what is it that makes individuals, and groups, resilient? I believe the answer is mental toughness–knowing you can take a hit, move through the pain and be transformed by it, and then bounce back without sacrificing your honor, virtue, and courage. Mental toughness—the ability to focus, operate under duress, and press through pain thresholds—is both a state of mind and a habit. So, what is the lesson in this for leaders? We must develop mental toughness in ourselves first, and then cultivate it in those we lead. And the benefit if we do? We transform ourselves from fragile, brittle, easily-offended people into resilient, confident, and hardy folk who understand there is such a thing as necessary suffering and, if we endure suffering heroically, the abyss actually transforms our raw elements into gold.
Feeling Our Past in the Wind
I am often asked why I use myth, legend, lore, and history in almost all of my leadership teaching. A valid question, for it is easy to believe today, given the exponential speed of change and the globalizing effect of interconnected economies, that history doesn’t matter any more. I disagree. Great cultures have always had at their core a deep, vibrant, and acute awareness of their perennial knowledge–where they came from; how they got here; on whose example they relied for heroic guidance; and the rejuvenating wisdom that flowed from this broad arc of perspective. I equate this sense of history as being able to feel our past in the wind. Yes, we still move forward into the future and towards the horizon; however, as we do march forward we remain respectful of our part in the greater patterns to which we belong and on which we rely for wisdom. We need to remind ourselves via this historical lens that, yes, we have been here before, and yes, we can succeed again. Great leaders study history, uncover its patterns, and confidently feel their past in the wind.
Tuning Out
If I detach for a moment and observe the normal frenzy around me I become acutely aware how hyper-stimulated we are as a people and a society. 24-hour news cycles, cell phones that never power off, sound bites that drone across the web page, and a torrent of text messages and tweets. I raise this observation not to criticize technology. It is amazing, yes. However, I don’t believe deep insight, wisdom, or elevating leadership ever emerged from such a state of over stimulation. Hyper-stimulation only produces episodic reality—a state of being where right here, right now, is worthy of attention only until the next tweet rolls in. Is this stimulation fun? Maybe, yes. Is it capable of calling forth great leadership? No. I believe history teaches us that self-mastery, transformation, and genuine growth actually comes from silence and contemplation; from being under-stimulated. It is in occasional solitude that deep thoughts emerge, penetrating insight becomes possible, and wisdom reveals itself. So I remind myself daily: power off and tune out to make room for insight, thinking, and reflection.
Boundaries and Limitations
One of the truths I believe we are rediscovering after more than a half-century of “If it feels good, just do it” is the absolute need for healthy boundaries and limitations in the maturation of youth. It is essential we provide young leaders solid boundaries such as a clear sense of identity, a reverence for tradition, and an appreciation for self-discipline and personal accountability. Though it may feel good to begin without such boundaries, what our generation, who came of age in the 60’s and 70’s, knows all too well is a lack of boundaries just creates a lot of aimlessness and reactionary living. Just ask my dad about me! This is why I have always loved mythology and hero tales because these archetypal stories always show the hero starting out with firm boundaries and solid limitations (he’s an idealist at heart), and it is only when he is ready for the quest, and transformed by it, that he is able to move into a world of nuance and less boundaries. The hero needed early boundaries to prepare him for a later life of wisdom. Wise leaders must set boundaries and limitations to likewise guide the ascent of their emerging leaders.
Healthy Traditions
In my youth I had little interest in, or patience for, traditions. Instead, my gaze fell mostly upon the ladder I was climbing while pursuing my personal ambitions. Though surrounded with lots of healthy traditions—family rituals, church rites, sports icons, and later, the rich ethos of the US Marine Corps—it wasn’t until later I came to appreciate the role of traditions in my life. Traditions are not some pesky, antiquated leftovers from a by-gone era; they are the vibrant reminders of deep wisdom and enduring truth. Healthy traditions guide us as more effectively than any modern signpost we could create because traditions help move us from the circumference of life to the center of meaning. Moreover, healthy traditions convey a sense of timeless authority, helping us see a trustworthy bond linking generation to generation. Consider for an example this simple yet eminently powerful tradition: the family dinnertime meal. Healthy traditions teach, they instruct, and they inform, and when activated purposely by leaders, traditions give us a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves.
Check back next Monday for a round up of this week’s social media shares. Or check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest to see our posts every day!
Callan…Coffee…Contemplation for the Week of April 21st
April 21, 2014 | No Comments »
Being Intentional
I learned early as a Marine Officer the necessity of intent; the obligation of a leader to purposely describe compelling end states and objectives. As leaders, we must be very intentional in, and about, our leadership. Being intentional is for me a kind of mindfulness; knowing ourselves, being aware of the moment and the need, and then being very intentional about actions, focus, and energy. Too often we idolize concepts, theories, and plans and never move from this intellectual state. Great leaders develop an ability to start with vision but then move purposely into intentional action. We must be deliberate in our life and in our leadership. Yes, vision is necessary–it places us over the horizon to pull us forward. But once clear on that future azimuth, we must then return to the present—to a state of deliberate, mindful, and intentional action. Being intentional is to be mindful of our purpose and our end states; the opposite would be mindlessness and incoherence. Great leaders are deeply intentional and mindful; it is the only way to become great.
Greater Patterns
An essential thing heroic leaders do is lift us out of our private worlds and into the greater patterns of excellence and wisdom. When I reflect on heroic performance in any endeavor, a key ingredient to excellence is a leader intentionally binding individuals to a broader and more expansive view of history. The greater patterns are those heroic, transcendent, and archetypal examples that have and always will define excellence of behavior and performance. Things like service, sacrifice, reverence, obedience to something larger than self, fidelity, courage, and wisdom. These greater patterns remind us that we are truly part of a larger world–a grand parade. Today’s leaders must be particularly aware of this need to bind their people to greater patterns, because we live in a society defined by episodic living, present-tense context, and a narrowing focus on private feelings. Reading about and reflecting on heroes is one particularly effective way to connect to greater patterns, greater minds, and elevating models, which helps us break free from the tyranny of me and bind us instead to the power of we.
Creating Coherence
One of the surest signs of excellence in a group is the presence of coherence—a tangible sense of shared intentionality, unity or purpose, and deep bonds. When I reflect on how leaders best create coherence, here is what comes to mind. First, explain symbols, icons, and archetypes. A flourishing group has a living sense of its deeper truths and enduring wisdom—what we might call its “collective unconscious.” Leaders should weave symbols and icons into their speeches, stories, and gatherings to cultivate shared identity. Second, teach traditions. By incorporating rituals, rites, and ceremonies into the organizational fabric leaders can leverage powerful tools to teach traditions to emerging generations. Healthy rites of passage reinforce obligations and accountability. Third, celebrate customs and courtesies. By celebrating customs and courtesies, leaders can publically express shared values, promote shared beliefs, galvanize group identity, and create a feeling of positive healthy exceptionalism—a hallmark of championship performance.
A Sense of Community
When I look at those experiences in my life providing the greatest feeling of meaning I see a common thread, which is: a sense of community. Whether neighborhood bonds as a child; championship sports teams; unit excellence in the Marine Corps; or the current creative energy on our Callan Course team—at the heart of these peak experiences is a foundation of community and companionship. I believe this reflects two vital truths for leaders. First, it is leaders who must create these conditions–a kind of rich soil of shared intent and elevating meaning–from which community can emerge and flourish. Second, once this sense of community is created, it is the obligation of mindful leaders to cultivate companionship and deep mutual affection to galvanize solid bonds of fidelity between members. Private, individual dreams will never reach the level of excellence compared to shared dreams and common goals. The highest satisfaction a leader can get is to recognize one’s hand in helping create a community of companions, rooted in deep meaning, and aspiring to great things.
Awesome
One of the truths becoming clearer to me by the day is that leadership, done honorably and with fidelity, is truly awesome. I say this not in terms of superficial fun or trivial pleasure, but from the perspective of being involved in a majestic, elevating, truly peak experience. I believe we must always remind ourselves we still live in an enchanted world—a world still made better by good people doing small but great things. As leaders, we should view our roles as mentors, guides, and way finders with a healthy dose of awe. Think of this: What more profound undertaking, what more virtuous and necessary role is there than to devote oneself to leading and teaching others? And with this commitment to leading, consider the endless possibilities to be unlocked and released in terms of human potential, companionship, and excellence. As Native American warriors would say to their sons each morning as they set out across the Plains: “Today is a good day to do great things.”
Check back next Monday for a round up of this week’s social media shares. Or check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest to see our posts every day!
Callan…Coffee…Contemplation for the Week of April 14th
April 14, 2014 | No Comments »
Simplicity
As I look back over the arc of my life, one of the patterns I now see emerging is a growing appreciation for simplicity. As a young leader, I was enamored with sophistication; If a one-page mission statement was good, then two-pages must be better; If a five minute verbal brief was good, then a ten-minute version must be better. This mania for complexity is a natural pitfall for young leaders. What I now realize is that the beautiful, flowery, and glitzy communications I wrote were, in reality, only beautiful to me. I now find myself drawn to simplicity; a return to simpler language, simpler concepts, and simpler explanations. I find simplicity to be the backbone of the language of leadership. Our goal is not to impress, but to resonate; not to bewilder, but to clarify; not to confound, but to inspire. Simplicity and clarity are the antidotes for confusion, inertia, and incoherence. Simplicity does not mean simplistic; it means concise, unadorned intent capable of revealing the truth laying there in plain sight.
A Place to Stand
The ancient Greek theorist Archimedes said, “Give me a place to stand and a lever, and I will move the world.” Thought of as a leadership metaphor, the place to stand represents the leader’s foundation; who are we in terms of character, virtues, values, self mastery, and self discipline. The lever represents the leadership influence we dispense; is it effective, resonant, and elevating? And the world represents the group we are trying to influence; what are their aspirations, fears, beliefs? All three are ultimately important, as together they represent masterful leadership; however, where we must start if we want to be truly heroic leaders is developing ourselves—that firm place to stand. We must anchor ourselves on firm ground via the development of inner authority, vital experiences, and timeless wisdom. Only with this firm and dependable place to stand can we then develop a trusted lever and an authentic fulcrum from which to connect with and inspire those we lead.
Submitting to Classic Disciplines
One leadership truth we seem to have forgotten in our modern world and desperately need to reawaken is the need for healthy submission. Classic wisdom teaches that willing submission to something greater than ourselves, and to time-tested disciplines that bring about authentic mastery, is necessary for excellence. Today, we seem to have developed not just an appetite for instant gratification, but an addiction to it. We act as if we no longer expect to have to submit to mastering ourselves, and mastering the disciplines that unlock greatness from inside, out. Consider a master painter. Classically, the aspiring artist would spend decades enduring the tests and trials of perfecting his craft until, after enduring this crucible, he finally internalized the wisdom to be genuinely called a master craftsman. Today, we prefer to avoid such discipline and avoid submitting to this necessary journey and instead just throw paint against the canvas and call ourselves artists. The former reflects deep insight and timelessness, the latter—superficial self expression and episodic mediocrity. Great leaders submit to timeless wisdom.
Mindset
People often ask me this key question with regard to developing leaders: “Where should one start?” My answer is always the same: Start with mindset! Too often, and I believe incorrectly, leadership development starts with a focus on what leaders should know and what leaders should do. Yes, this is admittedly important stuff. However, a far more important foundation and a truer starting point in developing leaders is to focus on who leaders are. We have to start with paradigm–how to see ourselves as leaders, and how to see the world like a leader. To teach leaders the ability to see correctly and develop a heroic leader’s mindset, we must start by grounding in these truths: (a) I am a leader and I am always leading; (b) leadership is a way of life, not an act; (c) great leadership starts with self-leadership; (d) self-leadership is based on self-mastery; (e) self-mastery is built on self-discipline, and; (f) the ultimate test of great leadership is to become significant, to become the lesson. If we can teach young leaders to see correctly—to manage their leadership mindset—all else will take care of itself.
Questions, Not Answers
Too often in our pursuit of developing leadership we seek easy answers. We look for answer keys, menus, and checklists. I have found, paradoxically, that the truth in leadership is often found not in looking for answers, but in asking the right questions. When we reduce leadership to a simple answer key, we create a dumbed-down paradigm that falsely implies that leadership can be reduced to rote memorization. Nothing could be further from the truth. Like all master crafts, leadership is at its core a mystery; a kind of wisdom seeing that must be unlocked by each aspiring leader. It is only through solving the mystery oneself that wisdom can then be appropriated, deeply known, and then personally owned. We must therefore seek out the right questions and wrestle with them. Consider these: Why do people willingly follow? Given a choice, who would we chose to follow, and why? Why do some people choose to relinquish self interest and move to group interest? Why do others not? What are the true levers of passion and motivation? What are the catalysts of camaraderie, esprit, and companionship?
Check back next Monday for a round up of this week’s social media shares. Or check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest to see our posts every day!
Callan…Coffee…Contemplation for the Week of April 7th
April 7, 2014 | No Comments »
Self Mastery – Part II
A key component to self-mastery is self discipline. I believe truly great leaders apportion both time and energy to a disciplined control, regulation, and cultivation of their character. I believe there are three core elements of self discipline—think of them as investment zones or orientations, that distinguish great leaders from good ones. First, one must invest time and energy towards the future. This is what I call leadership projection. We must define the answers to these questions: What is it that we seek to become, and do, and leave as a legacy? Second, one must invest time and energy in the present—what I call leadership action. Leadership is an intentional set of actions that, like a muscle, must be constantly honed and strengthened. Each day, leaders should seek opportunities to practice, prepare, and perfect their leadership craft. Finally, one must invest time and energy towards the past. This is called leadership reflection. We must look at our behavior, performance, or lack thereof, and then courageously glean lessons learned to constantly transform ourselves. Self discipline is thus the means to self mastery.
Conversion
Conversion is a term I use describing the developmental journey of leaders. I focus on conversion because, as a concept, it naturally suggests an inner journey and self-mastery as critical prerequisites for leading others. The term conversion means “turning around,” which implies that to convert oneself there is at once both a turning away from something no longer effective and also a turning towards a new and more effective state of being. When leaders stay on the hero’s path, focusing on self-mastery and the perfection of their leadership craft, they will inevitably go through many conversions in their life. And what I have found in my own experience to be most catalytic in bringing forth positive conversions are experiences. It is experiences, felt deeply, which convert us and shape us, not concepts or ideas. All growth I have made as a leader, whether as a US Marine or as a leader in the private sector, has come through the crucible of experience and the cauldron of real life. Every person must solve for themselves the mysteries of leadership, and through personal experience, appropriate those truths so that they genuinely own the wisdom. Once owned and truly foundational to our character, this wisdom then becomes an authentic expression of who we are, how we live, and how we lead.
The Old Dusty Road
When I was enduring Marine Corps Officer Candidate School, our senior drill instructor always referred to the “old dusty road.” The old dusty road represented the grand parade of all Marines and the common tapestry of experience, tradition, and ethos that bound us together. I now see the wisdom of this metaphor. The old dusty road was meant to teach us that the private self was really an illusion and if we wanted to do something truly special, we’d have to leave behind our private world and orient instead to common purpose and selfless action. The old dusty road, like a great flowing river, was bigger than ourselves. Our solemn objective was thus to get on the old dusty road, stay on it, and be part of this grand parade. You see, on the old dusty road metaphorically marched every Marine who had ever served, and the last thing you ever wanted to do was let those other Marines down. Staying true to the old dusty road became a sacred obligation. It represented one’s responsibility to uphold the timeless essence of being a Marine, and in so doing—upheld the essential meaning of Semper Fidelis. We need more old dusty roads in our world.
Meaning
When I observe people and organizations from all walks of life and all sectors of business, I become increasingly convinced that what separates those who are satisfied and positive from those who are dissatisfied and negative, is meaning. One could say that, today, our society suffers from a lack of coherent meaning—a kind of crisis of meaning…which makes us feel unconfident, adrift, and fragmented. In the past, truly great societies and organizations always had an elevated core, a solid center of meaning, to which they were gladly reverent and willingly obedient; a common purpose creating a deep wellspring of shared intent and camaraderie. In my experience, deep meaning is found in the ethos of the group. It is ethos that describes for us the true meaning of our lives, our actions, and our aspirations. Ethos provides an elevated meaning—a deeper voice of wisdom, a greater pattern of excellence, and a larger truth capable of pulling us out of our private worlds and into the sphere of truly heroic ambition. Therefore, a sacred obligation of all leaders is to create meaning within our groups that elevates, creates awe, and results in peak experiences. Meaning is what ignites passion, unleashes excellence, creates confident and vibrant people, and allows us to bring cohesion to an otherwise disoriented world.
Enthusiasm
An unfortunate truth about today’s society is our incessant focus on what we are against, opposed to, or upset about. It seems we’ve become a society of highly offended, aggrieved, unhappy, and unhealthy people. Lots of negative energy refracted through a negative prism. The problem is, nothing great, majestic, or elevating was ever created from negative energy. Greatness comes from enthusiasm; from being “for” something. Heroic leaders must therefore break through current limitations, inertia, and malaise and point to what is possible, ennobling, and necessary to move us to the high ground. It is an unfortunate part of human nature that we get a strange satisfaction from complaining, bemoaning, and airing our petty grievances; however, great leaders know that being stuck in this negative energy will only make us more toxic and more feeble. Heroic performance will always be anchored in being positively “for” something, which is why Emerson reminded us, “Nothing great is achieved without enthusiasm.”
Check back next Monday for a round up of this week’s social media shares. Or check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest to see our posts every day!