Tag: leadership

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motivation

How do I know if something is too risky?

Cartoon of a boy and a shark. The shark says, "Hey, Buddy! Let me know when you're going to get in the water, okay?"

When we would take family trips to Florida in the summer, it seemed that no matter what week we took, The Discovery Channel was playing Shark Week. There was nothing like watching shark attacks the evening before, then going to the beach. I probably had those experiences in mind when I posted this cartoon.

Watching Shark Week didn’t prevent us from going to the beach. We laughed about the over-the-top stories. Sure, some of them were harrowing and we took what we could learn from them. We knew it was more dangerous to wade in the water at sunrise or sunset. We realized we needed to be aware of our surroundings in the water. But it didn’t prevent us from having a good time.

Leadership in Risky Times

Today, leaders are facing all kinds of decisions involving risk. COVID-19 is causing business, government, and institutional leaders to make some tough decisions.

  • When should we open businesses?
  • When and how should we open churches?
  • Where and when should we wear masks?
  • How do you enforce social distancing without being authoritarian?
  • What will be the best way to get kids back in school this fall?

It would be nice if the answers were as obvious as a shark enticing a bather with fake sincerity. There are a lot of unknowns. Our decisions will be complicated with the understanding there will be some risk that wasn’t there last year. Yet, all of us will have to take on some of that risk to move forward.

The odds of being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million even when you only include people who go to a beach. We are still trying to get a handle on how likely someone is likely to get the coronavirus. It will likely increase as time moves on. In any case, it will be best to continue practices such as social distancing, frequent handwashing, and sanitizing surfaces. We will need to learn how to live with this virus while maintaining safe practices and restarting our lives.

Cartoon of a boy and a shark. The shark says, "Hey, Buddy! Let me know when you're going to get in the water, okay?"
Categories
motivation

Hiding in the Balcony

Cartoon: Roosting in the balcony

The first time I saw a balcony, I was enamored. I was about seven. We were seeing a kids’ movie in an old theater. I thought of how cool it would be to be above everyone else and see not only the movie but what was going on in the audience. 

I figured you didn’t have to behave yourself up there. If the movie was boring, you could chat with your friends. You could even run between the seats… as long as you were quiet. I saw the balcony as a place with freedom and without commitment. I could be anonymous.

Cartoon: Roosting in the balcony

I now know that freedom comes with a price. If I have no commitment to what is going on in front of me,

  • I miss out
  • My attention is divided
  • I do not affect the outcome
  • That’s where the critters hang out

I can’t be a leader from the balcony. I am not really a participant. I have found it to be more fulfilling and I have a better time when I am in the front row. The balcony offers freedom. The front row is where life change happens.

Categories
motivation

Iron Fists are Fragile!

Cartoon of mad scientist and accountant

Some believe leadership requires a plan to squash any rebellion. The temptation is to rule with an iron fist and extinguish any opposition before it gains a stronghold.

It may work for a time. You see dictators remain in power for decades. But inevitably, the power can’t be maintained. It takes a lot of resources to rule with an iron fist, or hatch an evil plot.

You can choose to rule with an iron fist and attempt to remove any opposition. It can never really be eliminated. The opposition just goes underground. A better way is to work with your team. Learn from them. Share and delegate power. Allow discussion.

You can try to rule with a fragile, iron fist. Or you can build a team and work towards the future. In the end, it’s really about The Golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated.

Categories
motivation

Unless Everything is Perfect, Embrace Change

Have you achieved everything you ever dreamed? If not, embrace change.

Does everything around you work exactly as it’s supposed to and could never be improved? If not, embrace change.

Even if things are perfect, can you guarantee they will stay that way in the future? If not, embrace change.

There is always something about our lives that can be improved. People, places and things change whether we want them to or not. Successes bring new challenges. We can embrace the change that will inevitably happen, or we can become bitter and live it a past that was never as great as we remember it.

Embrace change! It’s good for you.

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cartoon

Leadership and Responsibility

Sketch of a king holding a sign that says, “Not Responsible for any of Your Problems.”

It’s fun to be in charge. Everyone loves the perks that come with leadership. But with each leadership position, there comes responsibility.

A king that that loves to rule, but takes responsibility for nothing makes for a lousy ruler.

If you want to be in charge, What responsibilities are you willing to take on? The larger the role, the more you will be accountable for.

Charisma and seniority only takes a leader so far.