What Do You Believe?

I was fortunate enough to work with Noel Tichy early in my career. Noel is recognized as one of the “Top 10 Management Gurus” of all time by Business Week and Business 2.0. Our team implemented one of his principles called “Teachable Point of View” from his book, The Leadership Engine. Tichy describes this concept as an “intellectual framing of a leader’s key ideas”, representing the values, ways to energize others and the principles guiding tough yes/no decisions. Such “points of view” are of high value in many of our personal and professional roles. They communicate what we believe and provide guide rails in advance of difficult choices. This clarity offers predictability “in the moment” for yourself and others.

Below are a few of my own Leadership Points of View. The principles transcend beyond my role as a leader:

I believe that…

…in our careers, we serve in particular roles based on our skills, experiences, backgrounds, as well as what we are believed to contribute in the future. However, regardless of the job title or the size of our “office”, we are equally important as people.

…as we increase our scope and scale of leadership responsibility, we become increasingly unimportant and it is others who matters most in implementing the plan. However, I also believe that leaders dramatically underestimate their influence; what we say/don’t say, what we do/don’t do, and how we respond/do not respond, has significant impact on those we serve. Whether we like it or not. It’s “part of the deal.” The feelings, emotions and beliefs we create in others are based on our conduct.

…with each passing day, I am reminded of how much I do not know and how much there is yet to learn.

…IQ is important to a certain degree and is respected. That said, it is not what I admire. I admire those who strive to be aware of themselves and those around them. I believe those who are purposeful in continuing to learn and develop both self awareness and social awareness “win” in their ability to positively influence outcomes and make a difference.

…the “simple” is often most significant. Never underestimate how you might touch someone’s life.

…compassion and courage, kindness and strength, are not independent qualities. Together they create powerful combinations that inspire excellence.

Consider your many roles such as fellow coworker, leader, friend, family member, spouse/significant other, parent…what is your Teachable Point of View? Do others know? If not, I ask you to consider what benefits might result from engaging in this process. Others who have done so believe the return on investment is worth the effort.