Teams must have hope if they are to move on to a possible future. They must see a path toward a new day. This is true even if that path is narrow and unlikely. The possibility that is found in the future should be enough to spark hope and confidence can come from that spark. Finding a
Teams have to make a choice when faced with the reality of moving forward. They have to choose what to cherish. To cherish something according to Merriam-Webster is to “entertain or cultivate with care and affection.” Does the team cherish their mission or their tradition? This is a very distinct choice that cannot be mistaken as a
Permission is like a key to a locked door. How many times have we allowed a perceived lack of permission to hold us back from taking the action we know would benefit the team? This is like waiting around a locked door only to watch someone else try the handle and open it. When we use permission
Perspective matters and leaders must maintain the proper perspective. Experience can help a leader know that what their team is attempting is possible even if no one else thinks so. The leader must see past the current circumstances so that they can push the team through both good times and bad. Someone has to act like they
When I am building a team, I must have enough self-confidence to ask someone to commit to something big. If I approach someone with an apologetic attitude, I am communicating that I am not sure that my endeavor is worth our conversation. While this demeanor may seem polite, it is absolutely ineffective in inspiration. I have to
I always find it interesting to see how different teammates respond to challenges. I have found that many of the naysayers in the initial discussions are not saying no because they don’t agree with the direction. They cast doubt because they secretly doubt themselves and their ability to step up to the challenge. Usually what ends up
Regret is also a habit of the nostalgic. Remembering watershed moments is important but allowing ourselves to become overly affectionate about the “good ole days” can cause us to miss the good of today or the potential of the future. It can also set us up for regret when things do not turn out like they used
Our experience as a leader can be respected but the trick to inspiration is not to come up with every idea. Telling isn’t very inspiring. Instead, a nuanced guiding of people toward their own ideas and cheering them on until they feel trusted is what separates the dictator from the inspirational leader. Constant correction and direction can
Our appetites for entertaining information are so easily fed by social media and other convenient phone applications that anything that requires effort without entertainment can just seem unreasonable and even evil. The truth is that work is not always as pleasant as our internet profile. That is why we are compensated for it. Even people that enjoy
Every team goes through cycles of planning, implementation, evaluation, recovery, and then more of the same. When life begins to become predictable, it becomes safe. When safety is optimized, comfort begins to become a priority. It’s the leader’s job to inspire the team to move past familiar cycles so that its purpose doesn’t lapse into the preservation