Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and Paderwski added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a potentially embarrassing situation into a wonderfully creative experience. And the audience was mesmerized.
Successfully Negotiating Challenges
Almost anybody can lead when things are rosey ... when the team is content, when the boss is happy, when the customers are satisfied, when market share is growing and sales and profits are on target. But what about leading when things are not so great? What kind of leader does it take when it seems like the roof is falling in, when it seems like everything is falling apart.
And what happens when this challenged leader slips into the all-to-common Degrees of Weakness stance, typified by focusing on what's not working, who's to blame, and all the reasons our hands are tied?
In a recent business periodical, I noticed the following quote from the COO of a well-known international company. "We've dug ourselves a very deep hole. Most of the key indicators are down and getting worse. Cuts are going to be deep and across the board. We're going to have to pull all the stops just to survive."
Even worse, many Degrees of Weakness leaders avoid problems and bad news all together, and try to create a false rosey picture that even the most-recently-hired custodian knows isn't true. Can this shattered trust ever be rebuilt?
Contrast that with the Degrees of Strength leader. They run from nothing. They hide from nothing. They know that good things happen and bad things happen. It's all part of being in business and all part of being a leader. And when the bad things happen, they put all the facts on the table in degrees of strength and move things forward in degrees of strength.
In another recent business periodical, a noted Degrees of Strength leader whose company was facing an even more dire situation said, "All the facts are on the table. We know exactly where we stand and where we're going next. I trust our team to focus on both our considerable strengths and lessons learned as our foundation to move forward. Most of all, I trust our team. We have dedicated people that are committed to take our vision into the future."
What does it really mean to frame our lives and events in Degrees of Strength?
An average third grade teacher/leader will work on fixing little Johnny's behavior problems, and almost always perpetuates those very problems and beliefs. A Degrees of Strength third grade teacher/leader will focus on how to help Johnny contribute more to the class and how to help him excel at his studies. Same situation and facts, but one response moves Johnny backwards and one moves him forward.
An average Degrees of Weakness leader typically has an obsessive focus on why things aren't working or why his people don't care and aren't motivated, usually creating even more of these elements, and certainly lowering energy, self-esteem and engagement. A Degrees of Strength leader creates a continuous focus looking for what's working and why, and where we want to go next. He/she is masterful at discovering and focusing on his/her team member's strengths, as well as supporting them in continually raising the bar.
Does the Degrees of Weakness/Strengths choice also affect the basic events of our day?
What about waking up in the morning focusing on how we didn't get enough sleep last night vs focusing on the blessing of a new day? And what about focusing on all the reasons we don't want to meet with somebody vs focusing on how can we best utilize this time to serve this person and create solid results? Are these also "Degrees" choices? And how do these simple choices affect our momentum and our ability to operate at our peak throughout the day?
Rich Crawford, the President of O-I, Latin America, is one of the strongest Degrees of Strength leaders I have ever met. Here's a sample of a recent communication to members of his top team.
"We are now 4 weeks removed from our Pathways Session and I have to tell you, it feels like yesterday. From my perspective I have been extremely pleased with the Wellness Culture that is being created for our
team. I personally feel more connected and confident in our relationship, decisions and results. As the year 2006 begins I see great opportunity for our region. Challenges and issues no longer seem so difficult, they actually look like great opportunities."
An average leader handcuffs themselves with endless obstructions. A great leader sees beyond appearances and thrives in all circumstances. They consciously choose to see the world in Degrees of Strength.
In the story above, at one point the piano master said, "Don't quit, keep playing." In the moments that I slip into Degrees of Weakness, I find endless reasons to give up and stop playing. In Degrees of Strength, I find endless reasons to move forward.
The next time you are faced with a choice of how to view a situation, I hope you'll think about what a recent Pathways participant had to say. "When I'm in Degrees of Weakness, every thought I have is a vote against myself, my potential, my hopes and dreams. When I'm in Degrees of Strength, I'm voting for my life. I'm voting to move forward."
