Misguided Mercy
Leaders are often victims of their own emotions. Nowhere is this more the case than when they engage in what I call “misguided mercy.” We all want to be compassionate. We all want to lead with our humanity intact. This is as it should be, because robotic, unfeeling leaders are destined to fail. Yet leaders must temper their feelings with wise judgement. Otherwise, they can give themselves to a style of leadership that salves the emotions but sabotages the company. They can fail to do the right thing because the sentimental thing is easier to live with—and more popular. Here’s[read more]
The Start of a New Year
It is the start of a new year and so we are all besieged by advice about how to make resolutions, spark change, and live renewed lives. Frankly, I find most of this kind of advice trivial and inconsequential. However, there are a few steps I take at the start of each new year that lead to genuine change, and I want to offer them to you now. First, I make an enemies list. I know this sounds very snarling and dark, but we all have people in our lives who would hurt us if they could or who have[read more]
Leadership and the Holidays
In this last Leading Thoughts of the year, I want to give you an assignment that relates to both leadership and the holidays. Fear not. You’re going to love this. This assignment is built upon the power of words. Leaders must understand the power and mystery of words. The best way to think of words—and words of encouragement in particular—is that they paint pictures. Since we human beings think in pictures, the pictures painted by the words we hear and believe define our entire understanding of the world. They also, of course, define how we see ourselves. This is one of the[read more]
Decision Phobia
There is a disease that plagues some leaders and it is one of the deadliest. It is rooted in fear. It is powered by pride. It has destroyed entire organizations. I call it “Decision Phobia.” Some leaders are secretly terrified of making decisions. Though it is their job to both set direction and make the decisions that facilitate direction, these leaders simply cannot face the possible negative outcomes and criticism of their decisions. They become mesmerized by options. They are paralyzed by the possibility of failure. They can’t act. A good leader wants responsibility. He wants “the ball.” He knows[read more]
What Kind of Leader Are You ?
We tend to speak of “leadership” as though it is a single thing, as though the word describes one type of role. The truth is that there are many leadership types. This is important to know because disasters come from miss-matching the style of the leader to the needs of the leadership role. We know this viscerally. We’ve all seen the entrepreneur who can start a venture but who can’t manage that venture once it is launched. The entrepreneur and the manager are both leaders, but two different types. One breaks new ground. The other steadily grows a multifaceted organization.[read more]
Survey Your Leadership
It is the Monday after Thanksgiving as I write this. As you may know, I am called upon to tell the First Thanksgiving story dozens of times during this season every year. This is not only because my academic field is American history but also because I love the Pilgrim tale and revel in recounting it in all its gritty, humorous, inspiring detail. One theme in this tale that moved forefront for me this year is how much maintenance the Pilgrims and their ship’s crew had to do on the Mayflowerwhile she was crossing the Atlantic. Boards had to be braced.[read more]
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and it has become a bit of a tradition for me to take this time tell the story of the Pilgrim Thanksgiving, the one that has inspired the American holiday. So gather the family and listen to this brief, exciting account of an episode from our nation’s history and from our heritage of faith. http://stephenmansfield.tv/story-first-thanksgiving/ Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and thank you for being such faithful followers. Stephen
Situational Reality
In my consulting work with leaders, often my most difficult challenge is pushing them toward “situational reality.” By this I mean simply a realistic assessment of the situation. The facts. The truth. The state of things. You would think that every leader would insist upon knowing their situational reality, but it isn’t so. Myths abound. People believe their own PR. They cling to old stories that no longer have any relationship to current reality. In this condition of what I call “situational fantasy,”—the opposite of situational reality—wise decisions can’t be made. No one knows where they are and so they[read more]
A Life Philosophy
I used to often say, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well.” I got this saying from my mother who said it about matters like cleaning rooms and getting good grades when I was growing up. Like much that our mothers say, the words formed themselves into a life philosophy. It is a philosophy that has led me to work hard and to strive for excellence in whatever I do. I’m grateful for the fruits of this in my life. However, these words and the philosophy that grew from it have also hampered me. You see,[read more]
The November 8th Election
This is my last Leading Thoughts before the November 8 election, and so I would like to talk about leading in the era that is about to dawn. This has been an election like no other in American history. You’ve heard this many times in recent months, I’m sure. Never before have the two leading candidates for president been as disliked and as distrusted by the American people. Never before have Americans been as disillusioned or as disappointed in the nation’s institutions. We are entering a time in which fear, uncertainty, and despair are going to reign in many an American heart.[read more]