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Where are you going? How to P.L.A.N. A.H.E.A.D. to help you get there

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John Maxwell describes the Law of Navigation –
“Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course”

Two Antarctic explorers sought to reach the South Pole.  Roald Amundsen, and Robert Falcon Scott.  Amundsen saw success with few unanticipated challenges, while Scott and his entire team perished.  A comparison of the two journeys can be found here.

In a nutshell, Amundsen prepared intensively and strove to plan for a huge number of contingencies.  His preparation, drive and intense focus on ONLY the goal – reaching the south pole – was rewarded with success.
Scott, on the other hand, had tremendous courage but poor planning skills, and got distracted from the core of his mission.  When he arrived at the south pole, he found that Amundsen had beaten him by 35 days.  On Scott’s return trip, he and all of his men died.
In the words of Amundsen:

“I may say that this is the greatest factor — the way in which the expedition is equipped — the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.”–from The South Pole, by Roald Amundsen.

Here’s John’s P.L.A.N. A.H.E.A.D. acronym to help with planning:

P = PREDETERMINE a course of action
L = LAYOUT your goals
A = ADJUST your priorities
N = NOTIFY key personnel

A = ALLOW time for acceptance
H = HEAD into action
E = EXPECT problems
A = ALWAYS  point to successes along the way
D = DAILY review your plan

Planning well as you chart the course to your goal is a key part of “Raising Your Game”

If you’re in the DC area summer 2011, you may also want to check out the National Geographic Antarctica exhibit.

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Where are you on your leadership journey?

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Let’s talk about what John Maxwell calls “The Law of Process” – Leadership develops daily, but not *in* a day.

John identifies 5 phases of leadership development:

  1. “I don’t know what I don’t know” – Did you know that leadership is influence, and you can learn how to develop your skills influencing others – even if you’re not “the boss”?
  2. “I know that I need to know” – At this phase, you know that leadership is out there, and you need to figure something out about it.
  3. “I know what I don’t know” – Leaders in this phase are aware of their weaknesses and strengths and begin to develop coping strategies so that they can be effective.
  4. “I know and grow, and it starts to show” – Here’s where you start to get payoff – people intentionally watch you to see how you do it – your meetings run more smoothly, your projects run faster, you get more done, and people respect that.
  5. “I simply go because of what I know” – This is where you’ve practiced these principles so consistently that you do it out of habit – and you’re really effective because of it.
So… Where are you on this list?  
What are you doing to get from the place you are today to the next level?  What process do you have in place to make sure that you’re growing?  

This week I spoke with a leader in the banking industry who knows he needs to grow his skills in lending.  His “process” is that even though it’s not his responsiblity today, he started reviewing every loan that the bank issues.  That way he expands his knowledge of the business climate and the process that the bank follows as it meets the needs of their clients.  Great example of modifying his processes to grow his skills.

What books are you reading?
What seminars are you attending?
What sacrifices are you making to “Raise Your Game”?
Who you will be in five years is determined by the books you read and the people you spend time with.  Choose wisely.

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Do you leave space for other leaders? (A cautionary tale)

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This week I attended a great presentation at the Capital Technology Management Hub where Frank Strickland spoke about corporate culture and developing leaders.  One of the takeaways for me was “leave space for other leaders.”

The Story

At the end of a long project, the technical lead sent out a notice that the last major milestone of a project was completed on schedule.   

I was not the key leader in charge of this effort, and yet I was appreciative of the work that was done by the project team.

When I read the update email, it felt like the project communication was…. incomplete.  The project manager recognized his directs and otherwise engaged people on the extended team, and noted all of the relevant facts.  It was a solid “status” note, but it lacked the bigger picture that (according to my leader’s intuition) was needed. 

I took a moment and drafted a reply to the same crew who had received the original missive, putting some organizational context around the project and thanking the team for their efforts.  I think it was a good note.

The Theft

Unfortunately it only occurred to me later that I had stolen something important from another key leader in the organization – the opportunity to do exactly what I had done – except that leader is closer in accountability to the delivery team, and that message would have been more potent and more relevant. 

In fact, that leader did take the time to author a significant note to the team leader and the team members.  But I had “stolen the thunder” because I was ready to act immediately.

The Lesson

So – let me ask you:  Do you give enough space to other leaders to express their leadership, or does your leader’s penchant for action based on your intuition drive you to do what’s “needed?” 

If you’re the “only one” who does such things in your organization, perhaps that’s because no one else has been given the room to do it. 

Note to self – next time, wait – you can count on other leaders to do great things – if they have room enough to do them!

Thinking strategically about how to let other leaders lead is a key part of “Raising Your Game”

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Can you get people to do things for you when they don't report to you? Here's how…

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Today I want to talk about The Law of Influence.

 Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.

Your effectiveness as a leader is directly tied to your ability to influence those around you.
There are 7 factors, and three key questions related to your ability to influence others.

The 7 Factors in Leadership:

  1. Character  – People can sense Truth, Integrity
  2. Relationships  – Surround yourself with the right people
  3. Knowledge  – Study, learn. Know the facts. Do your homework!
  4. Intuition  – Energy, morale, timing, momentum. What do you feel?
  5. Experience  – What challenges have you had in the past?
  6. Past Success  – What is your track record? Have you extended yourself, taken a risk and succeeded?
  7. Ability  – What are you capable of? 

There are three key questions that potential followers have for potential leaders:

  1. Do you care for me?
  2. Can you help me?
  3. Can I trust you?

Do you have the 7 factors?  In which ways do you need to grow?

Can you answer the questions?  Do your answers inspire others to follow your lead?

Geting this right is a key part of “Raising Your Game.”
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Want to grow as a leader? What's the "lid" holding you back?

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As an overview, consider the following 4 ideas:

  1. The Laws of Leadership can be learned
  2. The Laws Can Stand Alone
  3. The Laws Carry Consequences – follow them, and people will follow you. Ignore them, and people will NOT follow you.
  4. These Laws are the Foundation of Leadership – once you learn them, you need to practice and apply them to your life.

This week I’m spending some time thinking about “The Law of the Lid” –

John Maxwell in his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, says:
“Leadership Ability Determines a Person’s Level of Effectiveness”

What’s your level of effectiveness? Let’s say that you’re naturally a 5 on a scale of 10 – just about average. You’re a solid individual performer who leads yourself, and you experience success. That’s good. But we’re really talking about “you leading *you*” not “you leading others.)

If we graph that, it might look something like this:
(Please excuse the graphics – I know I have poor drawing skills.)


Let’s say you invest in study and application of these concepts and you raise your level to a 7 out of 10.

All of a sudden, you’ll see significant increase in your leadership effectiveness. Now the graph looks something like this:


You just LEAPT up from an area of 25 to an area of 49 – almost doubling your leadership capacity by only growing 2 points on a 10 point scale!

  • Talent is not enough.
  • Dedication is not enough.

You need to learn and apply these leadership concepts to “Raise Your Game.” This brings you to a whole new level of results.

Now, what’s holding down that lid of yours?

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Do you need more cash for your business? Read on!

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Scott Fay tells the story about the first troubled company he bought.  Things were running along for a bit until the fateful Friday when his office manager said “Hey boss.  I think you’re going to want to sit down.” (Words an entrepreneur never wants to hear!)

The cash position was bad.  Really bad.  They were overdrawn in the checking account.  The gas cards were being shut off.  They had no cash.  They were upside down 2:1 in payables to receivables.  Oh – and it was Friday, so they needed to make payroll.  Today.  This was devastating news.

Scott decided the only thing to do was to go borrow the money.  He visited his confidant and mentor.  His friend was retired, and had available cash.  As he told his tale of woe, his mentor listened patiently, and asked a few questions.

When Scott was through, his friend said:

“Scott, I have the cash you think you need, but I’m not going to loan it to you.  You don’t need the cash.  You need this experience.  99% of leaders in your position will give up and go bankrupt.  You won’t.  Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Decide that you will win.  Period.
  2. Create a plan to get out of this spot, then
  3. Drive a stake in the ground and resolve never to get to this place again.”
Scott says “I was mad, crushed, disappointed.  He didn’t loan me a nickel.”
Thankfully Scott heeded the advice of his mentor.  He created a plan, executed it, and has never returned to that place financially again.
His mentor loved him too much to let him take the shortcut of borrowing cash – Scott had a powerful opportunity to grow through this season, and did exactly that.  He learned and applied what John Maxwell calls “the Law of Victory.”  One of John’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.
Let me ask you – do you need to “borrow cash”, or do you need to grow?  
  • Will you use this opportunity to grow in your leadership?  
  • Will you do the work to become the person who can lead your organization through this season?
  • Who is your mentor?  
  • Will you listen when they give you sound advice that will be hard to hear?
Deciding to win.  Period.  is a part of “Raising Your Game.”

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