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I just finished a conversation with a young woman with exceptional and well proven leader skills. She finds herself in an organization where mediocre is good-enough. Her talent will never be appreciated, leveraged or rewarded; and she will undoubtedly burn herself out trying. Change-agents/leaders need to be in appropriate/receptive environments. Her priority needs to be to change HER environment not THE environment.
Leadership is all about FIT. How's your fit?
All The Best!
Bob
(c) Copyright 2011
Performance Builders
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Leadership – Are we there YET?
It seems leaders have two choices – protect performance or provoke potential. Leaders with protection priorities focus on compliance. Leaders with provocation priorities focus on alliance. The difference is a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset.
If all one has, is all there is, then the priority is likely to “protect it” – avoid risk and vulnerability …to conserve, constrain, compete, and comply with others. On the other hand, if all one has, is all there is YET, then the priority is to “provoke potential” – take risk and be vulnerable; to experiment, learn, collaborate, and align with others.
The difference is an attitude of scarcity or abundance.
It seems the prevailing attitude amongst health providers these days is the fixed mindset. That attitude is self-reinforcing and self-fulfilling. “That’s all there is.”
Yet, in a “market- on-the-move”, whether up, down , or to the side, there is always opportunity – lot’s of it! It takes a growth mindset attitude to dare move to the market or better, get ahead of the market. It too is self-reinforcing and self-fulfilling. “That’s all I have, YET!”
As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right!”
All The Best!
Bob
(c) copyright 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Leadership - Anyone Can
I visited my daughter recently on the upper west side of Manhattan. While there, I stumbled across an old statue of Joan of Arc, sculpted by Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington in 1915. ...If you are interested, it stands at the far west end of 93rd Street on a hilltop in a small park.
At age 17, Joan of Arc, daughter of a farmer with no military training and wearing borrowed armor, lead French forces into a series of astonishing and decisive battles late in France's 100 year war with England (1429). A year or so later she was captured in battle by the English. There was a show trial and she was executed (burned at the stake) at age 19. She is recognized as both a French heroine and a Catholic Saint. Her story is fascinating.
The statue was sculpted by a little-known sculptor, Ann Huntington while in her early 30s and was erected in NY in 1915. It was Huntington's first figurine to be exhibited and the first statue in New York to memorialize a woman.
Which brings me to the following quote...
“The Jewish people, ever since David slew Goliath, have never considered youth as a barrier to leadership.”
... A valuable insight for all of us, and a reminder that anyone can become a leader.
...Just keep doing the next right thing at any cost!
All The Best!
Bob
(c) copyright 2011
Performance Builders
At age 17, Joan of Arc, daughter of a farmer with no military training and wearing borrowed armor, lead French forces into a series of astonishing and decisive battles late in France's 100 year war with England (1429). A year or so later she was captured in battle by the English. There was a show trial and she was executed (burned at the stake) at age 19. She is recognized as both a French heroine and a Catholic Saint. Her story is fascinating.
The statue was sculpted by a little-known sculptor, Ann Huntington while in her early 30s and was erected in NY in 1915. It was Huntington's first figurine to be exhibited and the first statue in New York to memorialize a woman.
Which brings me to the following quote...
“The Jewish people, ever since David slew Goliath, have never considered youth as a barrier to leadership.”
... A valuable insight for all of us, and a reminder that anyone can become a leader.
...Just keep doing the next right thing at any cost!
All The Best!
Bob
(c) copyright 2011
Performance Builders
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Leadership - Walk the Talk
I've had the privilege to lead an ongoing conversation over the past several months involving a half dozen private practice owners whose practices are scattered across America. Each owner is both my client and a dear friend.
Each is a gifted professional with advanced clinical skills who walks the talk of commitment and excellence in the care they provide their patients every day.
Each also walks the talk in nurturing and mentoring staff members who daily juggle the complex realities of balancing personal, family, and professional responsibilities.
Each walks the talk through generous contribution of time and wisdom to schools, churches, and civic groups in communities they serve, and by facilitating volunteerism by staff members.
During those conversations, the owners each honestly shared their own pain associated with the the challenge to provide job security to staff and innovative personal care to patients within an environment where care needs were growing, costs were escalating, reimbursement was eroding, and competition was increasing. In their candor each was again walking the talk.
In that candor, it was apparent that though their practices were thousands of miles apart they were on the same journey and facing the same challenges.
Each struggled with the reality of the increasing gap that separated their aspirations from their resources. Each acknowledged soberly that the future held more, not less, of the same.
In the end, they came together with one voice and one path. They announced that they would walk the talk boldly together - in doing so they would pickup the pace - they would run, not walk; and rather than just talk, they would put their money where their mouth was. They came together with a shared vision and goal - to become nothing less than the North Star of innovation in an increasingly ordinary industry.
Now that's leadership!
WOW!
They acknowledged that they don't have all of the answers - YET!
BUT, they will!
They are smart and creative - together they will figure it out! I love their spirit, determination, and resolve. My money is on them!
Now they are running together, not alone. Now they have a bold vision and a promising destination. No longer are they in a reactive mode waiting for "the next shoe to drop". Now they are crafting their own futures! For them its not only a New Year, but a New Future!
That's what I call walking the talk!
All The Best!
Bob
(c) 2011
Performance Builders
Each is a gifted professional with advanced clinical skills who walks the talk of commitment and excellence in the care they provide their patients every day.
Each also walks the talk in nurturing and mentoring staff members who daily juggle the complex realities of balancing personal, family, and professional responsibilities.
Each walks the talk through generous contribution of time and wisdom to schools, churches, and civic groups in communities they serve, and by facilitating volunteerism by staff members.
During those conversations, the owners each honestly shared their own pain associated with the the challenge to provide job security to staff and innovative personal care to patients within an environment where care needs were growing, costs were escalating, reimbursement was eroding, and competition was increasing. In their candor each was again walking the talk.
In that candor, it was apparent that though their practices were thousands of miles apart they were on the same journey and facing the same challenges.
Each struggled with the reality of the increasing gap that separated their aspirations from their resources. Each acknowledged soberly that the future held more, not less, of the same.
In the end, they came together with one voice and one path. They announced that they would walk the talk boldly together - in doing so they would pickup the pace - they would run, not walk; and rather than just talk, they would put their money where their mouth was. They came together with a shared vision and goal - to become nothing less than the North Star of innovation in an increasingly ordinary industry.
Now that's leadership!
WOW!
They acknowledged that they don't have all of the answers - YET!
BUT, they will!
They are smart and creative - together they will figure it out! I love their spirit, determination, and resolve. My money is on them!
Now they are running together, not alone. Now they have a bold vision and a promising destination. No longer are they in a reactive mode waiting for "the next shoe to drop". Now they are crafting their own futures! For them its not only a New Year, but a New Future!
That's what I call walking the talk!
All The Best!
Bob
(c) 2011
Performance Builders
