Category: Leadership

A Failure of Ethics

Recently, a Philadelphia prosecutor was charged with accepting luxury gifts in excess of $160,000 in exchange for official favors. He has admitted to receiving the gifts, but has plead not guilty to bribery and extortion charges.

I do not know how this will be resolved, but whatever the outcome, it is clear that the prosecutor had a breakdown of ethics. This news stood out to me as an all too common example. The strength of our democracy relies on the values of its individuals. It was a strong sense of values that led the United States to declare independence.

Every individual that is willing to ignore the human values that are within their heart, will ultimately destroy themselves and others.

That is a strong statement. I believe it to be true. If you can not live out your own values, you will have a negative effect on our society.

No one is perfect. We struggle against challenges, issues, and problems each day. It is easy to give in… to bend the rules. In the case of this prosecutor, he accepted inappropriate gifts.

We become better by overcoming the challenges. We become stronger by solving the problems. It is not easy to stand by your values. But it will make you stand out in a society that at times seems to be crumbling at the edges.

Are You Sometimes Reluctant to Delegate?

As Ronald Reagan said, “Surround yourself with great people; delegate authority; get out of the way.” But at times, you may find this difficult to do. Here are three key reasons, I have found that people fail to delegate.

1. A desire to maintain control. If a leader tries to maintain control through involvement in all the details, the team will be limited in their success. A leader will be more likely to embrace delegation if they can develop their leadership knowledge and skills. Moving the focus from task success to team success can unleash amazing results.

2.  A belief that the team does not have the required knowledge. This can be a valid reason to stay more involved with a team. But as a leader, you should be focused on getting your team the education they need to be successful. A leader’s worth is not in the knowledge they hold, but in the knowledge they share.

3. A belief that the team does not share your values. This may be the hardest challenge for a leader to overcome. Teams need shared values. However, not all values will be shared. Individual values also play a part in the strength of a team. To overcome this delegation roadblock a leader must be able to identify the difference between key team values, and supporting individual values. A leader will be more successful if they embrace the diversity of individuals within a framework of strong team values.

If you are feeling stress because your team is not achieving to their potential, examine your level of delegation. Is one of these reasons holding you back?

Stop Interrupting and Listen

When I find myself interrupting a conversation, it is usually because I am excited to make an observation, a point, or share my opinion. But I have learned that what is important to me, may not be important to the other person.

I hate to be interrupted before I am able to finish my thoughts. Others are too. So why do we tend to do it so often? For me it seems to happen more with people that I know well. In my head I can finish their thoughts, so I don’t listen as closely.

To become a better listener, I had to make an effort not to interrupt. I had to stop finishing other people’s sentences. I had to focus intently on their words, not my thoughts.

The most important lesson I learned was that in many conversations, people just want someone to listen. The topic of the conversation is not even important. They just wanted to be heard.

We can all be better listeners. It starts with being quiet.

“When you interrupt, you’ve stopped listening. People need to be heard.” – Jerry Seinfeld

Why Think About Your Values

You probably are very aware that cost and value are different. In fact, when examined closely they may not even be related. Perceived value and true value for any item is also different from person to person.

I find it interesting to reflect on what I value, and why. Depending on the item I must consider usefulness, durability, and enjoyment.

How would you compare the value of a prime rib-eye steak versus a brand new Ford F-150 truck? A rib-eye may cost you $15 per pound in a grocery store. A new Ford F-150 you can buy for about $5 per pound. Isn’t that amazing? A rib-eye you can enjoy for one meal. The truck will provide value for many years.

What is interesting to me is not comparing value of things, but understanding what I value, especially in people. My values include honesty, authenticity, and compassion. I value people that are able to put others first.

We may share values, but I am sure our list of values would also be unique. What do you value? How would you differentiate between what you value, and what you appreciate.

I appreciate people that are candid, but I value compassion. I appreciate people willing to voice their opinion, but I value peaceful solutions. I appreciate people willing to challenge my ideas, but I value debate, problem solving, and collaboration.

If you create a list, challenge yourself to look at it as you make decisions throughout your day. I find that it helps me stay aligned with who I want to be.