recognition |

Here’s another excerpt from Jim’s newest book, The Sensei Leader, on track for release in March!

Your own power- your effectiveness as a leader, only expands through sharing.

“…power is an ‘expandable pie,’ not a fixed sum; effective leaders give power to others as a means of increasing their own power. Effective leaders do not see power as something that is competed for but rather as something that can be distributed to followers without detracting from their own power.” ~Shelley A. Kirkpatrick and Edwin A. Locke from The Leader’s Companion by J. Thomas Wren

There is nothing more inspiring to your followers than your willingness to help them become more powerful.

Once again, power is your ability or capacity to act or perform effectively. The source of all human power resides in body, mind and spirit. You’d think this would be common sense- you’ve got to take care of yourself in body, mind and spirit if you want to be happy and successful or to perform to your full potential.

To share the power, you’ve got to share the source. You’ve got to provide the support and resources for people to develop in body, mind and spirit.

So why do so many leaders ignore one or more of these areas in their own daily lives and in the lives of the people who serve their organizations, especially mind and spirit?

I’ll tell you why- it’s because it’s difficult to measure an exact return on investment in these areas. What can’t be measured doesn’t get done, right?

The problem is, the negative impact you get when you don’t invest in these areas is not just measurable, it’s frightening. The cost of not sharing the power- of not developing people in these source areas, shows up in diminished performance, disengagement, health care expenses and lost time. Losses are in the billions every year.

Support the body…

Healthy people are more productive. They use less sick time. Invest in proactive health initiatives and you reduce health insurance costs and claims.

Support the mind…

Support your people emotionally and invest in personal development. People who are supported emotionally are again more productive. They are more engaged and far less likely to waste time. They’re also far more creative and better equipped to solve problems and deal with adversity.

Support the spirit…

This is where you share vision, meaning and purpose. You want more engaged people? Give them a clear purpose and share a meaningful vision that works for both the individual and the organization. This is how you increase the spiritual capital that you see as dedication and loyalty.

If you want to lead a powerful organization, you’ve got to share the power. You do this by developing people- in body, mind and spirit.

A recent Facebook post ranted, “Aren’t you sick of all these stupid quotes on social media?”

What good is this endless stream of one-liners considering the real challenges and problems we all face every day?

I wanted to agree and almost hit the “Like” button- but I stopped myself. I don’t agree- these words and thoughts are powerful…

…if you’re willing to do more than just tack them on your cork board.

Look beyond the quotation. Who said it? In what context? Why? What are the thoughts and ideas that framed that particular quotation?

How can you apply these thoughts in your life- today?

Some 2500 years ago, the Chinese sage Lao Tzu said:

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”

Had he shared that thought today, he’d be considered a point man for the democratic theories of relationship, servant or compassionate leadership.

I always find it interesting the the more we try to “evolve” theories and styles of leadership, the more we find ourselves back at the roots…

One of the most powerful forces driving human performance is the need for meaning and purpose and the desire to be recognized for one’s contribution.

Isn’t this the basis of so many contemporary leadership styles? You engage people not by command and control, but by influencing, inspiring and revealing the best talents and abilities of others.

Isn’t this what Lao Tzu is teaching?

You can choose to stand in the spotlight and cast a shadow on your followers, or you can shine your light on others to inspire their best work- knowing that the end result is more important than personal glory.

One of the gripes about our addiction to quote sharing is that these ideas are simplistic. I’d counter that by arguing that we’re addicted to complexity- and that complexity is killing us.

Sometimes simple is best…

Sometimes these quotations are powerful because they cut through the fog. These words resonate because we need to break the inertia of complexity and actually do something.

At any given moment, that something we have to do is usually simple- not easy.