WORDS TO LEAD BY - Decisive

Repost from February 24, 2013.

Continuing with lessons from Wally Adamchik's book, titled Construction Leadership from A to Z which explores "26 Words to Lead By."

This session's word is DECISIVE

DECISIVE

Decisive - having the power to solve or conclude; absolute; characterized by determination and firmness; resolute

"It's better to be boldly decisive and risk being wrong than to agonize at length and be right too late." - Unknown

People want those who lead them to be able to make a decision – and stick with it. Ambivalence is confusing, demoralizing, counterproductive, and can even be life threatening. Decisiveness gets things moving; it can help you accomplish great things.

A decision may not be perfect, but it is far better to execute a good plan in a timely manner than to continue to plan, analyze, and agonize over the 100 percent right decision that gets implemented too late. The Marine Corps calls this the “75 Percent Solution.” They recognize that conditions will never be 100 percent perfect for you to make your decision and execute your plan…. They define it as the ability to make decisions promptly and to announce them in a clear, forthright manner.

One of the best things you can do to make better decisions is to expose yourself to situations and scenarios that add to your library of scripts. … The mind doesn’t need to actually experience the event to learn the script. Talking about or participating in a simulation is good enough if properly described, discussed, and debriefed.

Here is the deal: If you choose to be a leader, you are being paid for two roles – to make decisions and to get people to act on those decisions. But know this: You will make mistakes. That is not a reason to be indecisive. In fact, make the decision, right or wrong, and learn from it (create a new script). Those you lead will thank you with higher productivity.

"The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision." - Maimonides

Decisiveness Jumpstart:

• Embrace imperfection.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Create scenarios and "what if" them so when faced with them you will be ready.
• Don't be angry. Angry people make poor decisions.

Today, we live in a fast-paced world demanding fast-paced decisions. And yet, we do not want those decisions to be wrong, or even less than perfect, because of the potential human or financial impact. I certainly struggle with this lesson myself. I am always looking for a little more data and information to obtain the 100% right answer. You know what? There may or may not be a 100% correct solution; however, there are many 75%, 80%, 85%, and 90% correct solutions. As long as the safety and well-being of our employees and the public are not at risk, then perhaps a 75% solution executed effectively and implemented in a timely manner is an acceptable course of action. Let’s choose to be more decisive today and every day!

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

WORDS TO LEAD BY - Zeal

Continuing with lessons from Wally Adamchik's book, titled Construction Leadership from A to Z which explores "26 Words to Lead By."

This session's word is ZEAL

ZEAL

Zeal - fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor

"Experience shows that success is due less to ability than to zeal. The winner is he who gives himself to his work, body and soul." - Charles Buxton.

How bad do you want it? No matter what it is, for you to get it, you have to want it. Enthusiasm is a Marine Corps leadership trait. The Corps defines it as the display of sincere interest in and exuberance in the performance of duty. No false motivation; just pure fervor for the cause.

(c) Boians Cho Joo Young

If you don't care, neither will your employees.

Leadership is not a popularity contest. Leaders face challenges on even the best of days. More often they are running an uphill race to implement change in the face of employee resistance and economic uncertainty. Who motivates the motivator? The better question is what motivates the motivator? Passion is the answer.

Smith says that passion for anything starts the moment you get a glimpse of the potential for the project, yourself, the mission, and so on. When you get that glimpse, the passion is born. Of course, this means you actually have to have an open mind and be on the lookout so you actually can catch a glimpse. (Zig) Ziglar breaks passion into three steps: (1) analyze what you want in life and develop a plan, (2) take steps toward those goals, and (3) use your head to work with your heart to gain maximum benefit.

"Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion." - Hegel

Zeal Jumpstart:

• Develop goals and work to achieve them.
• Spend time doing what energizes you; it creates more energy.
• Find ways to merge your passion and your work. (Do you even know what your passions are?)
• Smile.

Remember when you wanted that bicycle with the banana seat and sting-ray handlebars (or, Lady Gaga CD or MP3 player) so bad that you were willing to mow as many lawns (or, pick cotton or deliver pizza) as it took to earn enough money to buy it? Some lawns were easy, some were uphill (both ways), some had the added stress of the neighbor's dog barking and snapping at your heels, but they all helped earn the coveted goal. You were filled with enthusiasm and desire, and nothing was going to stop you! Let's choose to live our life with that same zeal today and every day!

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

WORDS TO LEAD BY - Yield

Continuing with lessons from Wally Adamchik's book, titled Construction Leadership from A to Z which explores "26 Words to Lead By."

This session's word is YIELD

YIELD

Yield - to give way to influence, entreaty, argument; cease resisting

"You got to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em, know when to walk away, know when to run." - Kenny Rogers, The Gambler>

As a leader, you face challenges every day. Some are easily overcome; others, not so easily. The art is in knowing the difference.

Clearly there are some causes worth fighting for. But there are many worth not fighting for. In Shakespeare's Henry IV, Falstaff tells us, "The better part of valour is discretion; in which the better part I have saved my life."

The concept of losing the battle to win the war is not new. Sun Tzu wrote of this in the sixth century B.C. In fact, it is one of the keys to success for leaders. Time simply doesn't allow you to do everything you think you need to do. Your inbox is full, and there are people who don't see things your way. In an ideal world, you would address all of these things. Reality is different. Sometimes you need to know when to walk away.

(c) Stuart Miles

"We lost the American colonies because we lacked the statesmanship to know the right time and the manner of yielding what is impossible to keep." - Elizabeth II

Yield Jumpstart:

• Recognize you don't have to win every battle. Some simply do not have the need to be fought.
• Ask yourself if the fight is worth giving a piece of your life to.
• Delegate.
• You can be happy or right.

The heavy snowfall a week ago certainly gives this lesson a dose of reality. Anxious to get the walk and driveway cleared, I considered grabbing my snow shovel. (Yes, I have a snow shovel...and I know how to use it!) But, is that really a battle I need to win? Is that fight worth giving (possibly) my life to? Nope. That's when I decided to take the time and make the effort to get my snow blower ready to go. (Yes, I have a snow blower too!)

In short, let's choose to yield the battles that are not worth fighting, today and every day!

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc

WORDS TO LEAD BY - X Generation

Continuing with lessons from Wally Adamchik's book, titled Construction Leadership from A to Z which explores "26 Words to Lead By."

This session's word is X GENERATION

X GENERATION

X Generation (and Others) - a group of individuals, most of whom are the same approximate age, have similar ideas, problems, attitudes, etc.

"It's hard for me to get used to these changing times. I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty." - George Burns

(c) africa

Your challenge as a leader is to understand and navigate those differences.

Within each generation are people who want to excel. They want to be led, and it is up to you to lead them.

In Generations at Work, Zemke, Raines, and Filipczak present the ACORN principle for leading across generations. This principle is:

1. Accommodate differences.
2. Create workplace choices.
3. Operate from a sophisticated management style.
4. Respect competence and initiative.
5. Nourish retention.

"Different" is not a question of good or bad. It is simply...different. If you accept that leadership is about building positive relationships with people, then it will not be difficult for you to accept your responsibility to get to know each of your people. It may be harder to get to know some more than others, but the final outcome will make it worth the effort.

"There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age - I missed it coming and going!" - J.B. Priestly

X Generation Jumpstart:

• Get to know someone from a generation you have a hard time with.
• Remember what is was like when you were young - then get over it.

This most recent Thanksgiving Day family gathering was an "in your face" reminder of the many generations each of us encounter every day. Helping Grandpa to the head of the table to carve the turkey, hushing the crowd to lay the baby down for a nap, holding the door open so the cousins could carry in their contribution to the dinner, and washing the dishes (without drowning the rest of the family) requires working together across all ages. Let's choose to enjoy the differences and to lead across the generations today and every day!

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc