It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
LEADERSHIP QUOTES
I'm going to spend a few weeks looking at some great quotes. Over the past few weeks we've looked at quotes from Genghis Khan, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ghandi, Steve Jobs, Avot de Rabbi Natan, Abraham Maslow, Stephen R. Covey and Patrick Lencioni. You can read these posts HERE.
The format for this season is the following:
#1) LEADERSHIP QUOTE: I'm going to share a quote with you. I'd like to encourage you to think about it, respond to it, process it. You can stop here, or go to Section 2.
#2) A LITTLE BIT DEEPER: I'm going to share a couple of thoughts that come to my mind when I think about the quote. Just a short reaction from me. You can stop here, or go to Section 3.
#3) DEEPER STILL: I'm going to share something I've found from someone else: A quote, some tips, a challenge, a thought....
#4) RUSS' LIST: I'll continue to share some links, ideas, books or products that I think some of you might benefit from.
Russ
LEADERSHIP QUOTE:
"If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time." Patrick Lencioni
What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:
I read this quote today after watching a couple of rowing events in the Olympics in Tokyo. I was amazed at the speed, timing, and teamwork that was demonstrated by these paddlers in a variety of events, and his quote just jumped out at me.
I've done some rowing, and I've learned that sometimes it's easier to just row by myself than to try to coordinate with someone else. However, by myself, I can only go as far as I can push myself. When I work with other people, and we are working well together, we can do so much more!
Don't take the easy route. Getting my team and organization moving together in the same direction is worth the work it takes.
What is it that keeps you from successfully moving together as ONE? Think of a time in your organizations history that you were all moving in the same direction, together... what stands out for you from that time? What was the cause of that? What were the results?
DEEPER STILL:
Lencioni backs up the above quote with this second quote on teamwork:
"Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare." Patrick Lencioni
Don't forget the first part of the quote: "Rowing in the same DIRECTION...."
Many times the reason we don't row together is because we don't know where we're going. Defining the direction for every organization is one of the leaders most important tasks.
"Teams Row Together When They Share The Same Destination"
Does your organization know where you're going? Do YOU know where you're going? What are you doing to communicate this to your team and the full organization?
Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:
One of my favorite artists dropped a new album this past week, and I'm enjoying it: Jackson Browne Downhill from Everywhere
Procrastinate on Purpose by Rory Vaden is a great book that helps you "Multiply Your Time". I pulled it off the shelf this past week to remind myself of a couple of his principles. Good Stuff.
August 10th, 1809, "El Primer Grito de la Independencia". Happy Ecuador Independence Day! Ecuador History
Play the Word Quiz on Word Genius
Lencioni's book, The Advantage, is his greatest work on organizational health. A truly MUST READ for anyone who leads or is part of an organization.
I've followed Dan Rockwell for years at Leadership Freak. Great insights in 300 words or less.