Our Persons of the Year – 2017
For us, the coming New Year always generates reflection on what we’ve been able to do (and not) over the past year, as well as anxious anticipation for the next. This holiday season has been no different. In fact, those of you who subscribe to one or more periodicals or think groups likely have received at least one “best of 2017” e-mail, highlighting the “10 best” of this or that. So…we’re thinking, but some additional context might be useful.
We visited my grandchildren in Montana over Thanksgiving. My grandson, 4, and my granddaughter, 2, are joyful, curious, and honest beings, especially where their Pawpaw is concerned. As I’m sitting with Elijah one morning, he looks at my belly and asks, “Pawpaw, is there a baby in there?” I smile and reply, “No.” He ponders that response for a moment and asks a second question, “Then, is that all food?” I laugh (and cry a little on the inside).
When I left the Army in 2004 after 22 years, leaving the physical conditioning behind was extremely easy for me. I’ve celebrated the “no pain, no pain” philosophy of exercise ever since, mocked my friends and family (including Elijah’s Mom and Dad) for their workout efforts, and…well, watched my belly grow. Friends urged me to take on healthier activities, including workout and diet. They were strongly rebuked, at least until the moment when my precious grandson called me fat. Since that visit, I’ve joined a gym (actually, a box), invested time and treasure, and started exercise again. It hurts and I’m sore, but I do feel like something productive is happening.
Back to my point here…
I respect and admire my accomplished colleagues at LGL. Most of them are in much better shape than me, and each have, in their own way, admonished me to do something about exercise. Yet it was my 4-year old grandson that led me to make a change I was unwilling to make over these last 13 years. Why was he able to accomplish what they could not?
This generated further reflection – who are the real drivers for positive behavioral change (New Year’s resolutions anyone)? Is it my boss? Spouse? Colleagues? Friends? Children? Elijah (or his little sister, Adalynn)? Of course, the answer is “yes, but…” Despite whatever change model (e.g., Kotter, Dannemiller, etc.) you may decide to apply to any new circumstance, an individual’s decision to change is ultimately driven by caring more for another’s perspective than my own.
More broadly, being around “the led” demands we be professional, exercise positive emotional intelligence, consider and practice effective communication, hold ourselves accountable so that we won’t feel hypocritical when we’re bound to hold others accountable, effectively manage conflict, etc., etc… Out of sight from those who are undoubtedly watching us (their leaders), we must additionally, and most importantly, exercise strong character (our behaviors when no one is looking). Leading is hard.
Like exercise, the work of leading requires personal discipline. That’s our job as leaders – to build the skills necessary to lead, and then apply them, when appropriate. But, what got us to the point of wanting to learn to lead (or exercise) and leading well? For me, that was Elijah, and it makes me wonder, “who’s leading who?”
LGL would argue we’re all leading more effectively when we consider “the led” foremost in our minds. By the way, that’s Servant Leadership. So…in the spirit of lists reflecting on 2017, LGL would vote “The Led” as our persons of the year. We’re hoping those we lead show up as strongly for us in 2018 and we’re committed to growing and exercising our leadership for them.
Need help growing your own leadership skill set or building on those capabilities for our Persons of the Year? Give us a call. Leadership: We Didn’t Just Learn It – We Lived It!