Callan…Coffee…Contemplation for the Week of September 15th
Soul Work
When I contemplate championship performance I discover ethos to be at the heart of peak achievement. Think of it–whether a sports dynasty, an enduring Fortune 500 company, or a world-class University—at the center of enduring excellence is a galvanizing ethos creating deep meaning, elevating purpose, unity, resilience, and perennial knowledge bridging generation to generation. Why is this true? Because our souls are drawn to meaning! Sure, our minds crave logic and reason; but enduring excellence does not emerge from logic and reason. Peak performance comes from soul work; when leaders create an ethos built on deep meaning, noble purpose, honorable aspiration, and right action. When leaders do this soul work within their groups, they pull their followers out of their heads and into their souls—the source of lasting excellence. It is only when individuals learn to commit to something greater than themselves that magic happens. And it’s the leader’s obligation to create the conditions for such magic.
Balancing Ambiguity and Action
We like to think of leadership in black and white terms; see a problem, fix it. Certainly, yes–leadership involves action. However, the greater truth about leadership is this: We have to become comfortable with balancing ambiguity and action. The most important word there is “and.” There exists in every decision process a period where we just don’t yet know. So, we have to learn to develop a tolerance for ambiguity and a willingness to live in, and with, the tension of not yet knowing. This ambiguity generates internal anxiety, and the natural impulse when we feel anxious is to just decide—do something. Impulsive reactions usually don’t solve problems; they make them worse. Great leaders learn to live with ambiguity and they learn the habit of leading in tension. They retain self control, self regulation, and self awareness even in a state of anxiety. It is only when we learn to live and lead in ambiguity, and learn to go deeper into the problem or crisis while holding the tension, that we can break through into deeper knowing. Then, and only then, can leaders act and lead with clarity.
Expansion or Contraction
As we age we’ll all reach a crucial threshold that will fundamentally define who we will become in the second half of our lives as leaders. I call this “the leadership crossroads.” We usually reach this crossroads about mid-life, in our forties or fifties. At this crossroads, not unlike the literal juncture of two major paths, we will have to choose our way—our defining paradigm–to guide us into the second stage of life. One path is the course of contraction. This is the lens of diminishment and small mindedness characterized by increasing negative energy, ideology, grievance, victimization, and polarization. Contraction is a leadership death spiral in which the person gradually loses all capability to inspire, elevate, and transcend. Luckily, there is another path–the course of expansion. This is the lens of broadening horizons and wisdom characterized by positive energy and vitality. Expansion is the beginning of an internal leadership renaissance—the explosion of masterful leadership, wise stewardship and expert mentorship. The crossroads await us all with this crucial question: Which path will you take?
Rapport
Rapport is a word I used a lot as an athlete and throughout my career as a US Marine. Rapport, however, is another classic quality losing its meaning and relevance in our modern world. Before we can reverse that unfortunate trend, we first need to reawaken our understanding of rapport and rekindle our respect for its value. So, what is rapport? It’s deep harmony and accord among people who are joined in a common endeavor. Rapport must be nurtured and developed by leaders, as it is based on a foundation of empathy. Moreover, rapport requires deep mutual focus, what we might call “group attention,” on those things we share in common. And how do leaders do this? By celebrating through customs, courtesies, and traditions the bonds creating affinity! When people are in accord with their ethos, and with one another, the resulting affinity becomes natural, resilient, and galvanizing. Rapport is not something you do; it is something you feel. Rapport is not something you give to others, it is something you call forth from others. Rapport is not the wall; it is the mortar binding the bricks in a strong wall.
Peak Work
An essential question for leaders to reflect on is, “What produces in people the conditions to perform at their peak?” This is what I like to call peak work…a place where you feel in the zone and in total flow. This state of peak work, or flow, doesn’t happen often, however, which reflects how hard it is to produce and sustain peak performance. In my opinion, these are the key elements that, if intentionally created by leaders, set the conditions for peak work. First, identify the meaning and purpose of the enterprise. This purpose must be real, but it must also be elevating and inspiring. Second, align people with what they are excellent at—the things that fully engage and motivate them. This is where passion comes from. Third, connect their ethics with your ethos—those things in which they deeply believe and are worth fighting for. When leaders create these things (meaning, purpose, engagement, ethos), they create perennial knowledge, shared intentionality, and full absorption into the wellspring of the organization’s soul. This is the source of peak work, elevated achievement, and championship performance.
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