depth leadership
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Depth LeadershipMeaning and Freedom at Work
Daniel Crosby, Ph.D.www.doctordanielcrosby.com
Why do you work?
The Best Leaders Have a “Why” to
Their WorkPart I
Prisoners possessed of a deeply-felt reason for being enjoyed psychological and physical benefits not afforded those who lacked such meaning.
This meaning took the shape of large goals, rooted in deeply-held personal beliefs, as well as viewing seemingly un-extraordinary events as special.
Frankl’s Observations
“Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.”
“Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather he must recognize that it is he who is asked.”
Frankl’s Observations
“He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
Leadership in Tough Times
“I believe the most important attribute for a leader is being principle-centered. Centering on principles that are universal and timeless provides a foundation and compass to guide every decision and every act..” –Stephen R. Covey -
Decisional Guide
“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and do what really matters most.” –Stephen R. Covey -
Time Management
Gladwell suggests that passion, not genius, is what differentiates the Beatles and Bill Gates from their contemporaries
Without viewing our work as meaningful, Gladwell states, we will never put in the necessary time and effort to become an outlier
10,000 Reasons for a Reason
“The thematic goal is not a number, and it is not even specifically measurable. It is a general statement of a desired accomplishment. It requires a verb, because it rallies people to do something. Improve, increase, reduce, grow, change, establish, eliminate, accelerate.”
- Patrick Lencioni, Silos, Politics and Turf Wars
Lencioni’s Rallying Cry
Flow – the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.
Colloquialisms for the mental state include being “in the zone”, “on the ball”, or “in the groove.”
Flow is the study of the psychology of optimal performance.
Meaning and “Flow”
“Creating meaning involves bringing order to the contents of the mind by integrating one’s actions into a unified flow experience…People who find their lives meaningful usually have a goal that is challenging enough to take up all of their energies, a goal that can give significance to their lives.” – Flow, p.217
Meaning Provides Unity
Pujols Family Foundation “If you talk to me five minutes, four minutes are
going to be about my faith and my family, and for one minute, if you wanna talk about baseball we can talk about baseball.”
Motto: Some things are bigger than the game. On PFF Night – Watch out!
What is the most meaningful thing you have ever done? What made it so meaningful?
What three adjectives would you most like to describe you? What three adjective do most describe you?
Reflect on a “boundary experience”. What insights did you have in that moment?
Creating Meaning
What will it say?
Who here would like to be a letter carrier? “Going Postal” – boredom, repetitiveness,
exposure to elements, irritable customers “I don’t just deliver mail. I see myself helping to
connect people to other people. I help build the community. Besides, people depend on me and I don’t want to let them down.”
Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. – Herodotus, Greek historian, 1st Century B.C.
Meaning and the Mundane
Pick your least-preferred work task.
How can you view this task in a more meaningful way?
What tasks do you reduce to meaninglessness that actually serve a higher purpose?
What positive aspects of your work are you rushing past?
Applying our learning
Meaning is a critical common factor that is ignored at the peril of the individual or organization.
Overarching meaning increases performance, structures our goals and our time, and gives unity of purpose to our endeavors.
Finding meaning in the mundane makes work more enjoyable and opens our eyes to possibilities.
Summary
You Are Free to be Great (or Really
Terrible)Part II
Big Decision?
Sounds nice, right?
If it’s so great why do we give it up so frequently? How do we?
Freedom is a gift with a price.
The price of freedom is responsibility.
Who likes freedom?
Belief that is “just how I am” Failing to adapt leadership style Choosing tradition over excellence Relying on others; vilifying them Not making decisions Remaining in unsatisfying careers Blaming mistakes on externalities (e.g.,
genes, family, co-workers, boss) Waiting for others to change before risking
it
Forfeiting Freedom
Hard Truth People often value
comfort over greatness.
Impedes personal development.
Impedes organizational development.
Change begins with YOU.
Frankl on Freedom of Choice
“Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” – Viktor Frankl
“Happiness is not something that happens… (it) is a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated, and defended privately by each person. People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives.” – Flow, pg.2 -
“Flow” and Freedom of Choice
Situation = Behavior
Situation + Chosen Response = Behavior
More difficult, riskier, but ultimately more rewarding.
You are the author of your own story!
Radical Responsibility
Locus of control-refers to an individual’s generalized expectations concerning where control over events resides. In simple terms, who or what is responsible for what happens.
Internal LOC – responsibility rests with us
External LOC – responsibility rests with the environment
Locus of Control
Group 1 – placed in cages with escape
Group 2 – no effective escape behavior
Time 2 – “why try” attitude for those in Group 2
We make our own cages
LOC and Learned Helplessness
Boone (1996) et al. reported the CEO locus of control was significantly associated with profitability in small business
7% of small businesses with Internal LOC CEO’s failed
45% of small business with External LOC CEO’s failed
Locus of Control and Profitability
List five personal and/or professional opportunities that have emerged as a result of the recession.
Applying our Learning
External LOC is linked to poor executive performance, helplessness, and inaction
You cannot help but decide Every exploiter needs an exploitee Adversity can redirect, enlighten, and
strengthen us Accepting personal responsibility does not
guarantee success but shirking it does guarantee mediocrity
Summary