Category: Meanderings

Playing Through

Dan McCarthy at Great Leadership explores five decision-making models that leaders utilize with their people: 1. Tell“I want to inform you of a decision I’ve made and give you an opportunity to ask any questions.”2. Test“I’m thinking of choosing option A to solve the problem – what do you think?”3. Sell“I’m thinking of choosing option A to solve our problem – let me convince you why I think it’s a good option.”4. Consult“I need to select an option, and would like your input on which to choose.”5. Consensus“We need to make a decision, and I’d like us to make the decision together.”

Leaders tell, test, sell, consult, or build consensus with others … knowing which to do when is key.

The following are several criteria that McHugh explores in this article, beyond the business typologies explored more deeply in his book Introverts in the Church (2009). Charisma. For many people charisma is the preeminent trait that distinguishes a great leader from ordinary people. It is an intangible quality—perhaps better described than defined—that attracts others to a leader like a magnet. Charismatic leaders have a theatrical quality to them, and they relish playing the lead role amid other actors on the stage. Public attention is an intoxicating force that brings out their best qualities. They are able to inspire and captivate others with their passion and presence.People with charisma have the uncanny ability, as my friend describes them, “to speak to millions but make you feel like they’re speaking just to you. You don’t know them, and you’ll never meet them, but they feel like your friends.” A truly charismatic leader has a mystical ability to mix the appearance of an untouchable, larger-than-life persona and an accessible, sympathetic friend.Dominance. People who are dominant are hard-charging, persuasive and directive. They can motivate people and accomplish their goals by sheer force of will. This trait is primarily positional, meaning dominant leaders rely on the authority of rank or title to compel others. Their understanding of leadership “assumes that humans are naturally still, at rest, and that they need some motivating force to get them going.”When I think of a dominant leader I think of an extroverted pastor I once met who has built a large and successful youth ministry. He has positioned himself at the heart of the program, to the point that people cannot conceive of the ministry without him. He is constantly pushing things forward, starting new programs and rallying people around his ideas. He will not take no for an answer and will debate and persuade until the other person relents or ends the conversation.Gregariousness. Gregarious leaders relate comfortably with people of different personalities and backgrounds. They are able to initiate and prolong conversations and are at home among strangers. They have the capacity to disarm people and assuage conflict with their warmth and charm. Gregarious leaders in the Christian community are the face of a welcoming, friendly, inviting church. They set the tone for hospitality and openness among the congregation. They are skilled in the ministry of chat, filling awkward silences with engaging conversation, and people quickly feel at ease around them.In a highly verbal culture, words carry power. The person who wields words with the greatest fluency, or even just uses the most words, is invested with authority. In group contexts people often give leadership to those who are most willing to present their opinions, even though their solutions may not be the right or best ones. Speaking is construed as confidence, whereas reserving one’s opinion, or speaking up only on topics one has previously considered, is interpreted as timidity or deference to others.Superstardom. The superstar leader is one who excels at everything. Anyone with church leadership experience knows that the tasks of leading are manifold, even to the point of contradiction. Those in charge are called on to provide visionary, intellectual, administrative, financial, social, spiritual and emotional leadership. Superstar leaders are able to successfully address both the overarching needs of the organization and the particular, more personal needs of the individuals who comprise the organization. They have a rare combination of skills, which are often bolstered by intangibles like charisma and high energy, and are able to assert those qualities in a variety of settings.

Adam McHugh asks whether introverts can lead? This is a good summary of a dated topic.

How does a Minnesotan become obsessed with Southern gospel? Unlike many conversion narratives, I can’t pinpoint the hour I first believed. I do know that my encounter with gospel music has transformed my understanding of American popular culture. … My favorite comes from the pen of Big Smith’s Jody Bilyeu. Frustrated by Southern gospel’s death-haunted lyrics, he focuses on the life and teachings of Jesus. Here is Bilyeu’s version of the “upside-down kingdom”: The rich man’s poor– That poor boy’s wealthy. The strong man’s weak– The sick girl’s healthy. The stranger belongs The right man’s wrong When Jesus turns the world around Hearing Bilyeu put the gospel in Southern gospel makes me fly away.

John Schmalzbauer (a Minnesotan Lutheran) says southern gospel is a key to understanding American pop culture

So true!  Here’s how Seth days it: Lots of things about work are hard. Dealing with trolls is one of them. Trolls are critics who gain perverse pleasure in relentlessly tearing you and your ideas down. Here’s the thing(s): 1. trolls will always be trolling2. critics rarely create3. they live in a tiny echo chamber, ignored by everyone except the trolled and the other trolls4. professionals (that’s you) get paid to ignore them. It’s part of your job. “Can’t please everyone,” isn’t just an aphorism, it’s the secret of being remarkable.

Seth Godin says one of the hardest things about work are the trolls that enjoy tearing you down.

The most effective designers know instinctually how to navigate bureaucracies. They handle matters “often in subversive ways,” Lucente said. “They quietly figure out how to end run the system and get things done. They know how to work it.” It helps for a designer to have multiple interests. “The people who are going to flourish are the schizophrenic ones,” said Bill Moggridge (shown at left in the photo above), co-founder of IDEO. “A lot of people at IDEO have degrees in different areas than they work in. You have to be great at one thing, but interested in working with people in different areas.” His term for this personality type: “cross-dressers.” Example: Raymond Loewy and Henry Dreyfus both designed theatrical sets before turning to industrial design. Design thinking works best when integrated. Engineers start with technology. MBAs start with funding. Designer start with people. The trick is to get interdisciplinary teams to raise their collective I.Q. by working in the overlap of those three areas. “That’s where innovation flourishes,” said Moggridge. PowerPoint is the enemy. The kind of discourse associated with Power Point presentations, with bulleted observations marshaled in support of an argument, tends to be team divider, not a unifier. “What organizations are good at is debating,” said Jeanne Liedtka, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business. “Debating very rarely leads to real solutions.” That’s because debates tend to revolve around data and examples drawn from the past. Design thinking should be about future possibilities. Be stupid often, but early. Executives often harbor the unrealistic ambition of being right 100% of the time. A few stupid mistakes can actually make you smarter, in the same way that physical exertion rounds you into shape. For obvious reasons, mistakes are less costly if they’re committed early in the process.

5 ways design thinking can raise the collective IQ of your organization as it looks to the future.

via Mashable and CNET Should you be one of the five participants chosen for the five week bathroom extravaganza, your title will be “Charmin Ambassador.” Your mission will be to work inside the makeshift bathroom site in Times Square and update your own blog, share content on social media sites, and even add your insight and experiences to Charmin’s online properties. As a privileged potty party, you will also need to share, “family-friendly video from the restroom space and surrounding areas.” While most of us are absolutely horrified by the thought of taking photos and videos of families using Charmin toilet paper while enjoying their go, we’re pretty positive that there are at least five people in the New York area interested in the $10,000 check for compensation. Should that be you, you can audition on November 5 at the New York Hilton Hotel (53rd St. and 6th Ave.) from 10am to 6pm. Just be prepared to answer questions like, “why do you enjoy the go more than anyone else?,” and “what qualifies you to be a bathroom ambassador?.” We’re not joking.

Charmin is paying for five “Enjoy the Go” ambassadors in Times Square. Is social media going down the toilet?