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Who’s Watching Your Lead?

30 Aug

Great leaders are a little bit crazy.  There is always something about them that looks odd.  Mother Theresa spent hours in prayer each day.  Martin Luther was obsessed with his own salvation.  Steve Jobs is so secretive about product development that Apple’s success now depends on it.

Leadership is often marked by these odd traits, often only observed behind the scenes.  But to those who work closely with leaders, the quirks and foibles are evident on an almost daily basis. They become “normal” and the organization either works around them or through them.

In short, someone is always watching your lead.

As a school leader, I’m aware of this fact and yet try not to think about it too often.  The cult of personality is not something that would help my organization and would do terrible things to my ego!

My family comes first and provides the ultimate grounding for how I see my work.  The root of the word “humility” is humis or earth.  In other words, a humble person is well-grounded.  Their leadership first sets an example for others.

My daughter reminded me of this principle when I came home to find that she had completed a project for school.  When I asked her how she did it, she shrugged and said, “I just figured it out Dad.”  Here’s what she did, with no guidance at all from me or her mother:

  • Took a digital photo of herself on an iPhone
  • Synced the iPhone with our home computer and transferred the photo
  • Found the photo in iPhoto
  • Plugged in the printer cable and proceeded to print out her picture
  • Cut out the picture to be included in a poster for school

Not bad for a 9 year old who is bored out of her mind in the late shadows of summer!  I realized that she must have seen me do this same project many times.  (ok minus the poster part)  It was her chance to show Dad her stuff.  And show she did.

Who’s watching your lead?  Is a family member observing your good example?  Are your colleagues at work witnessing virtue unfold?

The key of course is to trust in God for the grace to live well.  The follow through is all yours.

*Photo by UND-CFC-USFK

 
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Posted in At Work, Faith, Family, Leadership

 

Should the CEO Practice GTD?

28 Aug

What do you think of this new clip courtesy of GTD Times?  I’ve made it a habit of recommending David Allen’s books and resources to all new hires.  It’s become a bit of a game to see which GTD tool will help each person.  Will it be the GTD Implementation Guide, the DavidCo website or one of David’s books?

As an executive myself, I’ve seen time and time again that the principles behind GTD never get old.  Write things down…clear your head…manage your lists.

 
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Posted in GTD, Leadership, Uncategorized

 

Podcast 15: Interview with Dean Soto of ProductiveCatholic.com

22 Aug

In this cast, we interview Dean Soto of ProductiveCatholic.com. Dean is a friend of TDS and is a great example of what it means to meld the secular with the spiritual. Enjoy the cast!

Click Here to Play

 
 
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Posted in PODCAST, Productivity, Uncategorized, Work/Life Balance, spirituality

 

A Simple Way to Structure Your Day

20 Aug

Michael Hyatt’s recent post, Your To Do List as a Personal Command Center, piked my interest in how others are approaching their work.  After all, it’s a personal, almost sacred process. Michael’s system naturally varies from the next person’s. I also remember a post from Leo Babauta that discussed what he calls “M.I.T.’s”, or his Most Important Tasks.  Bottom line- everyone has a different way of organizing a given day.

I use a simple, three column system.

This flows from a hybrid paper/digital framework that seems to be working. (at least that’s what others tell me!)  I’ve tried the all-digital approach and I just can’t seem to escape the power of old fashioned paper and pen.

My day is organized as follows:

  • To Do: the essential tasks that absolutely have to get done.  These are typically 5-10 items.
  • To Connect With: the people I need to call, email, or drop by to see.  These are not meetings but points of connection.
  • To Meet:  the “hard calendar” items that are also in my Google Calendar.  I force myself to write these out so as to reinforce the calendar in my mind.

So I’m wondering about the framework that’s working for you and YOUR daily system.  What’s working?

*photo by dmachiavello

 
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Posted in At Work, Productivity, Simplicity

 

The Single Most Important Book I’ve Read this Year

15 Aug

At a party held this past week, a friend asked me about the past year at work.  A new leadership position has given me an opportunity to shape an organization and learn from some of the best and brightest that New Jersey has to offer.  Most of my friends are curious about how the job has changed me and my family.  Our core is pretty solid so our family has rolled with the punches of added evening commitments and earlier mornings.

Me on the other hand?  I’ve learned a ton.

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that I’m a strong introvert and while I knew this on some levels, the job has challenged me to learn even more about myself.  Learn more or burn out- that’s the thing on most days.  Thankfully, school life is a hotbed for learning so things are getting easier every day.

I turned to a book which has, and I’m not exagerating, literally changed my life.  As an avid reader, few books leave the impression that Devora Zack’s latest book has made in my everyday outlook.  Networking for those who Hate Networking is phenomenal!  It shows an introvert how to retain energy, listen more deeply and navigate life.

Zack argues that many introverts feel judged according to an extrovert set of metrics.  Think back to when you were a student in high school.  The old “class participation” portion of your grade was largely made up of the number of times that you raised your hand and spoke up.  Unfortunately, this metric is almost totally geared to extroverts- those who talk in order to think.  It can leave an introvert feeling slighted or worse yet, unintelligent.

Introverts, on the other hand, think in order to talk.  They need to process things on their own and then, only later, speak up.  Process is the key word.

They also crave time alone.  Like oxygen, the introvert needs to close the door and do work on their own.  This certainly applies to me as I need to go  for walks, put my head down and focus on a deep level.  When I don’t, I feel wholly drained of energy and things get cranky.  My dad would go for drives on summer nights and now I know why- he’s an introvert and needed time to think.

I’m learning how to attend conferences smarter.  My daily schedule is also getting some adjustments as to how best to use my energy and windows of focus.  In short, Zach’s book has taught me more about myself than any other in the past year.  It’s terrific to go deeper into myself so that I can then be more for those around me.

Application Points

As you go through your week, consider those around you who are introverts.  These could be family members, coworkers or neighbors.  They’re not being rude by spending time alone- they’re just recharging.  Find ways to give them the space they need to operate on a daily basis.  They’re just wired differently and that’s perfectly OK.

Bonus Material

Here is a brief interview with author Devora Zack on her introverted insights.

 
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Posted in At Work, Books, Education, Faith, Motivation, Uncategorized

 

Podcast 14: Interview with Michael Bungay Stanier

10 Aug

In this cast we interview Michael Bungay Stanier, author of one of my favorite books, Do More Great Work.  Michael and I discuss the difference between BAD, GOOD and truly GREAT work.  Interestingly, Michael points out that almost all great work is relational.  His company Box of Crayons helps people do less good work and more great work.  Lastly, I have to mention that Michael is a true gentleman as evidenced by his membership in Red Sox Nation.  Enjoy the cast! (click below just after the video)

Bonus Content: below is just one of Michael’s videos about the deeper meanings of everyday work.  For more of these, visit www.boxofcrayonsmovies.com.

Click Here to Play

 
 
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Posted in At Work, PODCAST, Productivity

 

Spiritual Effects of Unemployment

08 Aug

I ran into a friend of mine at church recently.  Still out of work, he smiled and tried to be positive about his prospects as another week went by without work.  I could see him clinging to a possible interview in the near horizon.

I wish this were the first such conversation with a friend who is unemployed but it wasn’t.  These days, it feels like every week holds another conversation with someone I care about who is still out of work.

The good news in all of this is that a serious revealing of God’s will is right around the corner.  No joke- there is nothing like unemployment to increase your dependence on God’s will.  You would never choose it but it can be of some value.

The AP reported this past week that over 70K jobs were gained last month.  For those who are outside of that number, it’s meaningless.

Unemployment can have some spiritual consequences as well.  From the emotional drag of being “without work” to the mental focus it takes to keep on looking, joblessness is by all standards a real test of one’s faith.

A few things are helpful in this period of transition:

  • Focus on God’s will.  This is a time of faith.  Become more prayerful than ever before and seek His will on a daily basis.  For God to allow this, there has to be a lesson in it.
  • Stay physically active.  Work expert Dan Miller encourages folks to keep fit, especially during unemployment.  It will allow you to stay mentally alert and will provide a sense of accomplishment.
  • Set a timeline for when you must return to work.  Unemployment should not (and cannot) last forever.  Nail down your finances in order to know when you absolutely must return to work.  Even if you have to pump gas, some income is better than no income.

In all of this, the words of John Paul II in 1981 ring true:

“Work is a good thing for man – a good thing for his humanity – because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes ‘more a human being’.” (Laboren Exercens)

*Photo by erix

 
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Posted in At Work, Faith, Motivation, Productivity, Stress

 

Focus and Detachment: Getting the Right Things Done

05 Aug

“Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” — Jim Elliot

You are plugged in.  Your cell phone is with you nearly all of the time.

You are media savvy.  You have access to music, video and the Web nearly all of the time.

You are productive.  You capture ideas when they arise and put them in placeholders.

You are relational.  Your family and friends matter to you.

Put all of these together and you have an opportunity to do great things.  Or, an opportunity to be distracted.  I don’t mean distracted for 5 minutes when you should be working on a project.  I mean the kind of distraction that creeps into a life and leads it off course.

I was walking in my neighborhood last night with my kids.  As a productive guy, I had my cell phone in my pocket as a capture tool.  Inspiration can strike at any time.  We were enjoying the muggy New Jersey night air and a moment flashed in front of my eyes- I had a choice.

I could be the dad whose kid is riding in the neighborhood, having fun while he was chatting on his cell phone and missing the action.  Or, I could be the dad who practices what the ancients call “detachment” and focus instead on my kids.

Thankfully, in that given moment, I chose the latter.  I wish I could say I make that choice all of the time but I don’t.  A work in progress.  At these times, we need the spiritual principle of detachment more than ever.

What is detachment? A good article can be found here.

As Marcellino D’Ambrosio puts it, “Detachment does not mean that you shouldn’t enjoy your secular pursuits and approach them with energy and enthusiasm.  It just means that your daily activity must be placed on the altar, offered up to God as a living sacrifice.”

In other words, put first things first.  God, family, work, friendship, worship, generosity, and compassion.  Your list is probably similar.

It’s not always about getting more things done.  It’s about the right kinds of things.
*photo by nathaninsandiego

 
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Posted in Communication, Faith, Family, GTD, Productivity, Simplicity, Stress, Work/Life Balance

 
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