Beliefs

5 things great leaders believe

Strong leaders have long known that leading doesn’t start with actions, or even thoughts. Instead, great leadership starts with what we believe.

© istockphoto / DNY59

Covey calls these beliefs our moral compass. Peter Senge calls them mental models. They are the lens through which we view the world. They influence how we perceive and respond to all that happens.

These beliefs are not corporate values we aspire to, but instead the principles that determine what we think, say, and do. I often think of Enron, and their corporate values of communication, respect, integrity, and excellence. For them and many others, their values represent things that they were have the most difficult time doing.

So what do great leaders deeply believe? What mental models guide them? Here are five principles I consistently see great leaders believe in and act on.

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Posted on February 8, 2012 in Beliefs, Leadership

Without desire there is no hope

We can only hope for what we desire.
- C.S. Lewis

With no desire, there is nothing to hope for.

Our deep desires don’t always create hope, but there isn’t anything that I hope for that I don’t desire.

What are your deepest desires? And what hope do you have for them?

Posted on January 25, 2012 in Beliefs, Leadership, Vision

Take the hero’s journey to extraordinary

Why do we love superheroes–Ironman, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and more? Why are movies about heroes some of the highest grossing of all time?

For many, the hero represent our greatest hope for ourselves. They introduce us to a mythic journey every hero takes from ordinary to extraordinary.

Joseph Campbell was expert in mythology who wrote extensively about the path heroes from every time and culture take. He called it the hero’s journey. [Read more...]

Posted on July 29, 2011 in Beliefs, Leadership, Vision

When do you feel smart?

According to research done by Carol Dweck and others, the answer to the question–”When do you feel smart?”– can give us direct access to our mindset. I asked myself this question recently and my response tells me I have work to do.

© @boetter via Flickr

Ask yourself, “When do I feel smart?” and look at the table below and see which set of responses most closely match your own.
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Posted on June 30, 2011 in Beliefs, Leadership

The virtue of ‘I don’t know’

I just read Gregory Rodrigeuez’s insightful editorial in the LA Times entitled, “The virtue of ‘I don’t know’.”

© Alessandro Pinna vai Flickr

We seem to be obsessed with opinions because we take them to be a marker of individual independence, distinctiveness and reasoned intelligence. Expressing opinions is how we also express our freedom of conscience and flex our political rights. But when we’re obliged to have an opinion on everything, all the time, our expressions of conscience are less about independent thinking than about making stuff up.

A 1981 study out of the University of Michigan found that roughly 30% of survey respondents were willing to offer an opinion on a highly obscure piece of legislation if a “no opinion” option wasn’t available. The researchers concluded that people “who really have no views on the issues under inquiry ” often “simply flip mental coins in order to satisfy the interviewer’s expectation.”

The authenticity of a meaningful “I don’t know” is powerful. Let’s stop flipping mental coins in order to satisfy each other’s expectations and use “I don’t know” whenever we don’t.

Posted on June 29, 2011 in Beliefs, Leadership, Vision

The most embarrassing moment in NFL history and the choice it offered

Jim Marshall was a defensive lineman drafted in the NFL in 1960 by the Cleveland Browns. In 1961 he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings and played for them for an inconceivable 18 years–starting in 270 consecutive games. Jim play in two Pro Bowls and in four Super Bowls.

However, Jim may be best known for what is considered by many to be the most embarrassing moment in NFL history. Four years into his NFL career in a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Jim recovered a fumble and ran for what he thought was a touchdown. Jim looked to the sideline and quarterback Fran Tarkenton yelled, “Jim, you ran the wrong way!”

Jim Marshall runs the wrong way.