Category: Leadership

Have you ever noticed how simple everything becomes when you can become calm and clear my mind? ~ Jay Wren

Crisis as a Tool

Difficult managers use crisis as a management tool. Everything is serious. Everything is urgent. They shake everybody up.

Old school football coaches were well-known for public sideline tirades. Nothing was ever good enough. No one ever performed up to his level of expectation. Every referee call against their team was an incorrect call.

When to Turn it Off

Effectiveness Depends on the Individual Employee.

I remember John Madden (Oakland Raiders) has talking about the importance of knowing when to use crisis management and which people to manage that way. There are players you light a fire under. You create a do-or-die, now-or-never sense of urgency. With other players, pressure is like a lighted match and gasoline. They can combust. They can become so intense that they mentally leave the game.

Creating crisis thinking, depending on the individual, can destroy the mental flow of performance.

How Soft Voices and Clear Directions Build Better Decisions

In a world often dominated by loud pronouncements and complex corporate jargon, the image of a truly effective leader might surprise you. It’s not always the booming voice or the elaborate strategic framework that inspires the best performance. Often, the most impactful leaders are those who speak softly, yet with unwavering clarity, providing simple, actionable directions that empower their teams to make superior decisions.

Consider the contrast: one leader barks orders, micromanages every detail, and offers a torrent of often contradictory advice. The result? A team paralyzed by fear, hesitant to act, and constantly seeking external validation. Decisions are delayed, innovation is stifled, and individual initiative withers.

Now, picture another leader. Their voice is calm, their demeanor composed. When they speak, it’s with intention, not volume. They offer directions that are stripped of unnecessary complexity, focusing on the core objective and the desired outcome. They define the boundaries, clarify the expectations, and then – crucially – step back, trusting their team to navigate within those parameters.

This approach is, in fact, a powerful architect of good decision-making. Here’s why:

1. Reduces Cognitive Load and Fosters Focus: When directions are simple and clear, employees don’t expend valuable mental energy trying to decipher convoluted instructions or ambiguous goals. This frees up cognitive resources to focus on the task at hand, analyze relevant information, and weigh options effectively. A simple “Our goal is to increase customer satisfaction by 10% this quarter; focus on improving response times” is far more impactful than a lengthy dissertation on market dynamics and strategic imperatives.
2. Builds Confidence and Psychological Safety: A leader who trusts their team with clear, concise directions signals confidence in their abilities. This fosters a sense of psychological safety, where individuals feel empowered to take calculated risks, experiment, and learn from mistakes without fear of harsh reprimand. When the path is clearly marked, but the specific steps are left to the individual, it instills a sense of ownership and responsibility.
3. Encourages Ownership and Initiative: Vague directions can lead to confusion and a reliance on the leader for every micro-decision. Conversely, simple, clear directives, especially when combined with a defined outcome, encourage team members to take ownership. They understand the “what” and the “why,” leaving them to determine the “how.” This cultivates initiative, as individuals are motivated to find the most efficient and effective solutions within the given framework.
4. Promotes Clarity of Purpose: Softly spoken, clear directions often cut through the noise and distill complex challenges into their fundamental components. This clarity of purpose ensures everyone on the team is aligned, pulling in the same direction, and understanding how their individual contributions feed into the larger objective. When the purpose is clear, even difficult decisions become less daunting.
5. Facilitates Agility and Adaptability: In today’s rapidly changing environment, the ability to adapt is paramount. Leaders who provide simple, clear directions enable their teams to be more agile. When the core objective is understood, teams can more readily adjust their tactics and strategies in response to new information or unforeseen challenges without getting bogged down in re-interpreting complex, outdated plans.

The quiet architect leadership style is not about being passive or disengaged. It requires a deep understanding of the team’s capabilities, a clear vision, and the discipline to articulate that vision simply and precisely. It’s about empowering, not commanding; guiding, not micromanaging.

In a world clamoring for attention, the leader who speaks softly and offers simple, clear directions stands out not for their volume, but for the profound impact they have on the quality of decisions made by the people who work for them. They create an environment where clarity reigns, confidence flourishes, and better decisions become the natural outcome.

 

Fear arises when individuals perceive a threat. Respect is the feeling people have for those they admire and believe in.
~ jaywren

Fear is not equal to respect.

Fear is what people say behind your back.

Respect is what people say to your face.  You can push people with fear.  You can fight people with fear.  But you can’t lead people with fear.  That takes respect.

Want Respect? Do These Things.

1. Give Credit.

People gain respect when they give credit to the correct person.  Giving credit is a compliment with substance.

On the other hand, people who claim credit for the work of other people lose respect.   People who know that these people are undeserving of that credit will resent the dishonesty.

If you give credit, you will get respect and make your company stronger.

1. Admit Mistakes.
   Everyone makes mistakes.  Successful people admit them and do not repeat them.  People will respect you if you correct your mistakes and move on.

Don’t make excuses for failing to do your work.  Be honest.  You just did not do the work.  You regret it.  When you admit your mistakes and do not repeat them, you will get respect.

1. Do Your Job.

Get a copy of your job description.  Read it with your boss.  Discuss regularly with your boss what you are doing.  When you are uncertain about what you are doing, ask your boss for information.

Be conscientious about the way you do your job.

Your boss will respect you for knowing and doing what you are supposed to do.  Your co-workers will respect you.

1. Let Other People Do Their Job.

There are two parts to letting people do their job.

First, do not let people take advantage of you.  Being a team player and helping other people occasionally is one thing.  Having people use you to do their work is not the way to get respect at work.

Second, do not interfere with other people by meddling in their job.  People do not always want your advice.  People certainly do not want you to do their job and take credit for what their job is.

By respecting the job of other people, you will get respect.

Simple Steps for a Better You.

1. Lighten Up.

If you don’t take yourself too seriously, people will respect you more.  Your daily routine is a marathon, not a sprint.  If you come to work every day and load the workplace with pressure, you will create tension.

Be sincere.  Work hard.  Be straightforward with your supervisors, co-workers, and people you manage.  Take your work seriously.  However, don’t take everything so seriously that you can’t accept mistakes and adjustments in the daily routine.

People will enjoy working with you and you will get respect.

1. Keep Your Word.

Honor your commitments.  If you know that you can’t do something or that you will not do something, be honest about it.  Don’t make a commitment to do things that you can’t or will not do.  Keeping your word is basic to getting respect.

1. Be Punctual.

People will quickly get weary of dealing with you if you are late all the time.  Make your appointments on time.  Complete your work on time.

You will get respect when people know they can trust you to complete your work on time.

1. Avoid Gossip and Confidences

A quick way to ruin relationships is to gossip.  Avoid people who gossip.  The only people who respect people who gossip are other people who gossip.

Keep confidences.  When someone tells you something personal or private, keep it to yourself.  Even if you do not make a commitment to keep the information private, respect the trust that people have given you. People do not respect people who break their confidences.

You will get respect as a person who is trustworthy.

1. Gaining Respect by Giving Credit

People gain respect when they give credit to the correct person. Giving credit is a compliment with substance.

On the other hand, people who claim credit for the work of other people lose respect. People who know that these people are undeserving of that credit will resent the dishonesty.

If you give credit, you will get respect and make your company stronger.

1. Do Your Job

You will get respect when you do your job.

Get a copy of your job description. Read it with your boss. Discuss regularly with your boss what you are doing. When you are uncertain about what you are doing, ask your boss for information.

Your boss will respect you for knowing and doing what you are supposed to do. Your co-workers will respect you.

11. Lighten Up

You will get respect when you lighten up.

If you don’t take yourself too seriously, people will respect you more. Your daily routine is a marathon, not a sprint. If you come to work every day and load the workplace with pressure, you will create tension.

Be sincere. Work hard. Be straightforward with your supervisors, co-workers, and people you manage. Take your work seriously. However, don’t take everything so seriously that you can’t accept mistakes and adjustments in the daily routine. People will enjoy working with you and you will get respect.

12. Keep Your Word

You will get respect when you keep your word.

Honor your commitments. If you know that you can’t do something or that you will not do something, be honest about it. Don’t make a commitment to do things that you can’t or will not do. Keeping your word is basic to gaining respect.

13. Be Punctual

You will get respect when you are punctual.

People will quickly get weary of dealing with you if you are late all the time. Make your appointments on time. Complete your work on time.

You will get respect when people know they can trust you to complete your work on time.

14. Personal Appearance

You will get respect when you take care of your personal appearance.

Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Keep your hair groomed. Keep your shirt or blouse tucked in. Wear clean clothes.

Don’t overdress for the job. You just want to look professional. You want to look neat.

If your boss wears khakis and an open-collar shirt, don’t wear a three-piece suit. If your boss wears a blouse and a skirt, don’t wear expensive dresses.

You want to look like part of the team. Imagine the manager of a major league baseball team wearing a suit in the dugout during the baseball game instead of wearing a team uniform. Imagine a professional basketball coach wearing a basketball uniform instead of a suit.

You will get respect when you respect yourself in how you dress.

15. Gaining Respect through Confidence

You will get respect when you show confidence.

Show confident in your body language. Show confidence in what you say, and how you say it.

“Courage is grace under pressure,” to quote Ernest Hemingway. Staying calm under pressure shows confidence is grace under any circumstance.

Photo by mymind on Unsplash

 

I learned today that the docent on the USS Midway Museum who gave my family the presentation on carrier landings, Rear Admiral Pete “Viper” Pettigrew, passed away. He was the real life pilot who was the model for the character Viper in the movie “Top Gun.” He was so friendly. When I met him on the pier, he said, “Just call me Pete.” So, hard to believe.

The words “we,” “our,” and “together” create bonds of ownership and commitment in a team. ~ Jay Wren

Successful Teams: Words that empower and motivate teams create bonds among the team members. These words acknowledge ownership of responsibility. Furthermore, they show recognition of team member contributions. What are some of these words?

Categories for Words that Motivate Successful Teams

Here are four categories for words that help teams become more successful.

1. Inclusiveness
2. Ownership
3. Recognition
4. Honesty

Inclusiveness

The words “we,” “our,” and “together” create bonds of ownership in a team.

Additionally, calling people by their name increases bonds.

For example, picture this presentation. A team leader is recognizing a team’s efforts in front of other people in the company.

The presentation of the team leader might go like this.

“Bill and Sue are new members on our team. Together, our team has finished ahead of schedule and below cost. Furthermore, we have exceeded our team goals.” ~jaywren.com

Ownership

Accepting responsibility for mistakes is an important trait for members of a team. These are examples of ownership statements.

“I regret my mistake.” “I accept responsibility for the things I could have done better.” “I can and will do better.”

Recognition

Award ceremonies serve several purposes. One is to make people feel good about their work. A second, is to motivate people through recognition.

However, team leaders don’t need to wait for an award ceremony to give credit. Here are words to recognize contribution.

“You did a good job.” “Thank you.” “I would not have expected less from you.”

Honesty

Nice words are not enough to empower teams. The members need honesty. When they make mistakes, team leaders must help them see those mistakes.

Misleading team members damages the team’s effort.

People who are defensive about their mistakes lack self-honesty. Insecurities cripple their ability to bond with a team. Rather than accept responsibility and correct their mistakes, these people become a burden to the team.

Here are some ideas for dealing with people who struggle with self-honesty.

Criticism of these people makes them feel more insecure. They become more defensive.

Team leaders can help defensive people become more effective team members by teaching them that taking ownership for their mistakes builds trust.

Additionally, team leaders can teach these people that most people make mistakes. However, denying mistakes or repeating mistakes makes these team members ineffective.

Team leaders can teach people how to own their mistakes with the words they choose. For example, “I was wrong. I made a mistake and will try not to make it again.”