Not all leadership lessons come from professionals or even adults. Last week, I was able to witness firsthand the leadership development of 820 girls and 160 boys as they ran a 5k in Kennett Square (PA). They didn't decide to get up that morning and run. They have been coached for 10 weeks by dedicated volunteers who have bought into the Girls on the Run and STRIDE (boys) programs sponsored by the YMCA of the Brandywine Valley (my employer).
The program had over 50 girls teams and 10 boys teams running. They were joined by running buddies and their coaches creating a backlog at the starting line lasting nearly 5 minutes. Not one of the 2,200 runners associated with the program was jostling, checking their watches, and disturbed by waiting to start. I saw smiles on each and every face as parents and children joined to achieve a goal. Girls on the Run prepares girls in grades 3-8 to be joyful, healthy and confident using an experience based curriculum. Though the program culminates in a 5k, the lessons learned are lifelong. The mission is similar for STRIDE. The program also ends with the 5k and is for boys in grades 3-5. It teaches them to exhibit excellence in character in all aspects of their lives.
As we've seen countless of times, success in sports can be a metaphor for success in life. Most of these kids have never run a distance race. Many have not lead healthy lifestyles. Some come from homes where there are no role models. All of the participants don't understand their potential. Over the 10 weeks, they learn to make good decisions, feel good about who they are and understand there are obstacles to achieving goals. This may be their first experience at not quitting when the going gets a little tough.
It is easy to give up. It is easy to discard your values to join the "in" crowd. It hard to be picked on but easy to let it go. The boys and girls in these programs understand that no one should be bullied; friends come in all shapes, races and sizes; and how to achieve a goal. The first step to leading others is to lead yourself. To do so, you must love yourself and develop self-esteem. Last Saturday, I saw nearly 1,000 kids with self-esteem and pride in the achievement of a goal. Here's hoping that more kids get involved and that the lessons learned on a beautiful spring day last a lifetime.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Balance
I was shocked to hear of Junior Seau's death this afternoon. My memories of him are as a spirited competitor that played with controlled rage. He made your team better by his play, leadership and conditioning. He's been away from the game for three years but was playing middle linebacker in his late 30's. Police are calling it a suicide. He is the eighth member of the 1994 San Diego Charger team to pass away. He was 43.
Football is an all-in game. I suspect there is an adrenaline rush playing football that you don't get in all sports. This is why leaving the sport can be difficult and why retiring can be hard. The game takes a mental and physical toll leaving players ill equipped to handle life. This appears to be the case with Seau. His star burned bright but was fleeting. Such a tragedy.
Though the white collar world isn't physical, there can be a mental toll taken daily. Often, we don't know until someones health deteriorates, social issues are surfaced or risky behaviors are witnessed. It is often hard to turn off the work day and relax, contribute to society, and enjoy family and friends. As leaders, we must talk and walk the tightrope of balance. We must show that we can turn it off and expect our teams to do the same. We all need to develop other interests, take vacations and be able to smell the roses. This is difficult on many levels and not experienced by many.
Take a look in the mirror. As a leader, are you balanced in your life or are you all-in like the football players mentioned above? Live long and prosper and lead your team in appreciating life.
Football is an all-in game. I suspect there is an adrenaline rush playing football that you don't get in all sports. This is why leaving the sport can be difficult and why retiring can be hard. The game takes a mental and physical toll leaving players ill equipped to handle life. This appears to be the case with Seau. His star burned bright but was fleeting. Such a tragedy.
Though the white collar world isn't physical, there can be a mental toll taken daily. Often, we don't know until someones health deteriorates, social issues are surfaced or risky behaviors are witnessed. It is often hard to turn off the work day and relax, contribute to society, and enjoy family and friends. As leaders, we must talk and walk the tightrope of balance. We must show that we can turn it off and expect our teams to do the same. We all need to develop other interests, take vacations and be able to smell the roses. This is difficult on many levels and not experienced by many.
Take a look in the mirror. As a leader, are you balanced in your life or are you all-in like the football players mentioned above? Live long and prosper and lead your team in appreciating life.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
What are They Thinking?
Too frequently, the sports headlines report on the infidelities of athletes and coaches. The pain is always self-inflicted. Such is the case the past week. First, we have the former Arkansas Razorback coach, Bobby Petrino, involved in a motorcycle accident where he broke four ribs among other injuries. He reported that no one else was involved. Surprise, surprise, he later admitted that a former Razorback volleyball player he just hired was with him and that he was involved in an "inappropriate relationship." This appears to be code for an affair.
Next up to the plate is one Ozzie Guillen, the new manager of the Miami Marlins. As many of you know, Miami is the home of many Cuban immigrants whose families fled Cuba to avoid Fidel Castro's regime. Guillen, whose team plays in Little Havana, said he loves Castro and admires the fact he has been in power so long. He has been suspended five games by the team. It should be an interesting season in Miami.
Finally, new Boston manager Bobby Valentine decided prior to the season that he will appear weekly on the Michael Kay radio show. No problem except that the show is in New York and Michael Kay does the TV broadcast for the Yankees. Does this seem odd to anyone else?
The interesting thing about these three men is that they all have brought baggage with them to their roles. Petrino walked out on the Atlanta Falcons mid-season, Guillen shoots his mouth off regularly and Valentine has worn out his welcome in many places. An old boss of mine said "what you see early is what you get." Those that have hired these men knew what they were getting and will be paying the consequences as long as they are under contract.
We make these decisions daily as leaders. Everyone has baggage (I suppose), but how much are you willing to accept for the good of the organization? How many expense reports are going to be falsified? How low will morale go? What is the cost of "winning" in your organization?
Great organizations build a culture and a team dedicated to winning the right way. In each case, the organization involved in hiring these men are taking short cuts. In some cases it works-in all cases however, there is a price to pay. Build the right way-one person at a time to develop a culture of excellence. Mercenaries won't do it. You don't want people saying - "What are they thinking" about your organization.
Next up to the plate is one Ozzie Guillen, the new manager of the Miami Marlins. As many of you know, Miami is the home of many Cuban immigrants whose families fled Cuba to avoid Fidel Castro's regime. Guillen, whose team plays in Little Havana, said he loves Castro and admires the fact he has been in power so long. He has been suspended five games by the team. It should be an interesting season in Miami.
Finally, new Boston manager Bobby Valentine decided prior to the season that he will appear weekly on the Michael Kay radio show. No problem except that the show is in New York and Michael Kay does the TV broadcast for the Yankees. Does this seem odd to anyone else?
The interesting thing about these three men is that they all have brought baggage with them to their roles. Petrino walked out on the Atlanta Falcons mid-season, Guillen shoots his mouth off regularly and Valentine has worn out his welcome in many places. An old boss of mine said "what you see early is what you get." Those that have hired these men knew what they were getting and will be paying the consequences as long as they are under contract.
We make these decisions daily as leaders. Everyone has baggage (I suppose), but how much are you willing to accept for the good of the organization? How many expense reports are going to be falsified? How low will morale go? What is the cost of "winning" in your organization?
Great organizations build a culture and a team dedicated to winning the right way. In each case, the organization involved in hiring these men are taking short cuts. In some cases it works-in all cases however, there is a price to pay. Build the right way-one person at a time to develop a culture of excellence. Mercenaries won't do it. You don't want people saying - "What are they thinking" about your organization.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
A Vote of Confidence
Last night, the Phillies were struggling to score runs. I'm afraid this will be a common refrain in 2012. An interesting thing happened however. In the 10th inning, with two men on and two outs, Manager Charlie Manuel allowed rookie second baseman Freddy Galvis to bat. Galvis is hitless for the season and doesn't look like that streak will end soon. He allowed him to hit even though there were big left-handed bats on the bench. Unfortunately, he struck out and the Pirates won the game in the bottom half of the inning.
At first I scratched my head. On second thought, it was a stroke of genius. Charlie Manuel is a very underrated manager. I think what Charlie stated with his actions is Young man, this is your job. Don't worry about looking over your shoulder. Give it your best shot. Charlie knows it's a long season and this vote of confidence may help in the development of a struggling rookie. The move may pay dividends in September.
It's easy for us to do it ourselves and not let the new person have a chance. Sometimes you have to fail to ultimately succeed. Charlie Manuel knows this-but many of us don't. It's hard to watch someone fail. It's harder to know that they might but let them try anyway. We get better through experience and repetition. We learn by being put into difficult situations. Baseball is no different than life. Think about it the next time to give out an assignment or fail to delegate. After all, it's better to try and fail than to never try at all.
At first I scratched my head. On second thought, it was a stroke of genius. Charlie Manuel is a very underrated manager. I think what Charlie stated with his actions is Young man, this is your job. Don't worry about looking over your shoulder. Give it your best shot. Charlie knows it's a long season and this vote of confidence may help in the development of a struggling rookie. The move may pay dividends in September.
It's easy for us to do it ourselves and not let the new person have a chance. Sometimes you have to fail to ultimately succeed. Charlie Manuel knows this-but many of us don't. It's hard to watch someone fail. It's harder to know that they might but let them try anyway. We get better through experience and repetition. We learn by being put into difficult situations. Baseball is no different than life. Think about it the next time to give out an assignment or fail to delegate. After all, it's better to try and fail than to never try at all.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Lowering the Boom
It is rare in sports that the punishment fits or exceeds the crime. Today, the NFL made a statement that bounty hunting will not be tolerated. The head coach of the New Orleans Saints was suspended without pay for the 2012 season. His defensive coordinator, Greg Williams, has been banished indefinitely. Others involved have been suspended for 8 games including the Saints general manager.
Several weeks ago, I stated that leaders have to make hard choices and sometimes set an example. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did both today. I can't imagine any team condoning bounty hunting in the future. The risks are too high. There may be other teams guilty, but I doubt it will happen (formally) going forward. This punishment is unprecedented and will work. The players and coaches may not be happy but he has stood up for what is right and supports the values and rules of the league.
In the coming days, Goodell may get a lot of slack and may have a lawsuit come his way. He has proven to be a tough and fair leader in the nearly six years he's been in office. That's all anyone can ask for-consistency. Great leaders share this characteristic. Though they may deal with people differently, everyone knows what they stand for and how they will react to situations. You may not like the message, but know the message is the same for all.
Think about your leadership style. Are you consistent in your daily interactions? Are you consistently fair? Does your organization know what you stand for? Great leaders answer yes to all three questions. Are you a great leader?
Several weeks ago, I stated that leaders have to make hard choices and sometimes set an example. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did both today. I can't imagine any team condoning bounty hunting in the future. The risks are too high. There may be other teams guilty, but I doubt it will happen (formally) going forward. This punishment is unprecedented and will work. The players and coaches may not be happy but he has stood up for what is right and supports the values and rules of the league.
In the coming days, Goodell may get a lot of slack and may have a lawsuit come his way. He has proven to be a tough and fair leader in the nearly six years he's been in office. That's all anyone can ask for-consistency. Great leaders share this characteristic. Though they may deal with people differently, everyone knows what they stand for and how they will react to situations. You may not like the message, but know the message is the same for all.
Think about your leadership style. Are you consistent in your daily interactions? Are you consistently fair? Does your organization know what you stand for? Great leaders answer yes to all three questions. Are you a great leader?
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Bubble Busters
Ah, the NCAA tourney kicks off tonight with some play-in games. It's hard to beat the first two days of the tournament. Buzzer beaters, upsets, Cinderella stories. The first two days have it all. If ever you need to have a wisdom tooth removed, do it the morning of the first day of the tournament. You have wall-to-wall basketball the rest of the weekend. I did it once and would have a tooth extracted just to have the experience again!
Of course, last weekend brought us Selection Sunday. This is where all the teams were announced and seeded. Like every other year, there are teams left out of the tournament that feel they should have made it. In our area, the Drexel Dragons were in that camp. They finished 27-6 and are relegated to the NIT. This is college basketball's consolation tournament. The problem with Drexel is they had a couple of conference losses that they should have won and their strength of schedule was suspect compared to other teams that made it. One more key win would have done it for them.
How many times do we see this in our organizations? Losing a bid, missing a sale, coming short in a promotion. In most cases it would have taken a little more effort, one more call, or more dedication to a project. Every day we are playing in our own tournaments-constantly being reviewed, analyzed, hopefully seeded or left out. Just as Drexel wishes they had won another game, many of us wish we had another opportunity to do something over.
The problem is that we don't always take responsibility for the loss or missed opportunity. We blame in on circumstance, others or bad luck. I don't know who said it, but the harder you work, the luckier you get, is a great quote. As leaders we need to remind our teams that doing a little extra goes a long way in being successful. Think about the consequences up front, confront your weaknesses and make them strengths, make the extra call and follow up on the open item. It's not easy being successful. The alternative is that you're on the outside looking in.
Of course, last weekend brought us Selection Sunday. This is where all the teams were announced and seeded. Like every other year, there are teams left out of the tournament that feel they should have made it. In our area, the Drexel Dragons were in that camp. They finished 27-6 and are relegated to the NIT. This is college basketball's consolation tournament. The problem with Drexel is they had a couple of conference losses that they should have won and their strength of schedule was suspect compared to other teams that made it. One more key win would have done it for them.
How many times do we see this in our organizations? Losing a bid, missing a sale, coming short in a promotion. In most cases it would have taken a little more effort, one more call, or more dedication to a project. Every day we are playing in our own tournaments-constantly being reviewed, analyzed, hopefully seeded or left out. Just as Drexel wishes they had won another game, many of us wish we had another opportunity to do something over.
The problem is that we don't always take responsibility for the loss or missed opportunity. We blame in on circumstance, others or bad luck. I don't know who said it, but the harder you work, the luckier you get, is a great quote. As leaders we need to remind our teams that doing a little extra goes a long way in being successful. Think about the consequences up front, confront your weaknesses and make them strengths, make the extra call and follow up on the open item. It's not easy being successful. The alternative is that you're on the outside looking in.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Results Matter
As baseball's spring training begins, I find myself conflicted. The weather is turning warmer, the players have begun their exhibition games and hope runs eternal for all teams. I have one problem-I don't care. I don't remember a season where I haven't had a sense of excitement at the start of spring training. In Philadelphia, we have a good team, great players and coaches, a beautiful stadium and fun announcers. It doesn't matter, I just can't get into it.
Here's the problem. I watched or listened to at least 150 of the 162 games last year-probably more. I watched the Phillies win 102 games and only lose 60. They tore through the league with ease on the backs of their pitching staff. They stumbled a bit in September but came out of it before the playoffs. Then, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual World Champion, St. Louis Cardinals. The regular season didn't matter. All that time investing in the team went down the drain in less than a week. To make matters worse, our best hitter was at the plate and made the last out for the second year in a row.
We have all worked with people in our organizations that follow a process but don't get results. They make their calls, they track their time, the fill out the project management paperwork but they can't seem to get results. In essence, they aren't productive because they're not moving the organization forward. So it is with the Phillies. Since 2008, when they won the World Series, they have gotten further and further away from their goals. Good organizations don't let that happen. Processes should be put into place that assist the organization, not hinder it.
As leaders, we need to make sure we are putting the emphasis on results and not only the process. Make sure your processes yield the results you're looking for so you continue to move forward, not stagnate in place.
Here's the problem. I watched or listened to at least 150 of the 162 games last year-probably more. I watched the Phillies win 102 games and only lose 60. They tore through the league with ease on the backs of their pitching staff. They stumbled a bit in September but came out of it before the playoffs. Then, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual World Champion, St. Louis Cardinals. The regular season didn't matter. All that time investing in the team went down the drain in less than a week. To make matters worse, our best hitter was at the plate and made the last out for the second year in a row.
We have all worked with people in our organizations that follow a process but don't get results. They make their calls, they track their time, the fill out the project management paperwork but they can't seem to get results. In essence, they aren't productive because they're not moving the organization forward. So it is with the Phillies. Since 2008, when they won the World Series, they have gotten further and further away from their goals. Good organizations don't let that happen. Processes should be put into place that assist the organization, not hinder it.
As leaders, we need to make sure we are putting the emphasis on results and not only the process. Make sure your processes yield the results you're looking for so you continue to move forward, not stagnate in place.
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