Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
1 comment »
We Forgive Because, Together, We Work
It was my last night in Italy on what was was a particularly draining, transatlantic business trip. The average day included 12+ hours of working sessions, followed by 2 or 3 hour email marathons. The trip was immensely successful, but I was drained – physically and emotionally. I plopped down in a leather chair in front of the fireplace. It was nice to finally appreciate the comfort our Italian villa bed & breakfast intended.
Soon after I sat down, two fellow business travelers struck up a conversation with me. The British pair were account representatives for another manufacturing firm and were wrapping up “aggressive negotiations” with one of their partners. As the dialog progressed, I was struck by how well these two balanced each other.
The more senior gentleman was more reserved and filled the role of the conservative, voice of reason and patience in negotiations. The younger gentleman was much more tenacious and referred to as occasionally ”unrelenting”. Throughout the conversation, there were comments from the superior such as, “that’s why I didn’t bring you along on that negotiation – you would have destroyed them!” Yet the younger gentleman did not mind, responding “of course! I understood and agree with you – I would not have been a good fit in that trip.”
» Read more: Foregiveness For Balance
Like it? Please share it:
Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
2 comments »
Leaders Who Cry Wolf May Leave Their Flock to be Eaten
As the story goes a child shepherd, seeking attention, cries false alarms of “Wolf! Wolf!” on several occasions. Over time, the townspeople and neighbors learn to ignore his cries and soon, stop responding at all. As a result, when a wolf really does come and the boy shouts for help again, he’s left to fend for himself. The wolf eats the flock and, in some versions, even eats the boy. This tale offers wisdom to us in a business context as well.
Have you ever seen someone jump from fire drill to fire drill because their boss believed every issue was a crisis? Often, this stems from the culture of the organization and the overreaction is simply passed down the chain of command. Regardless of their source, constant fire drills may:
1. Burnout employees
2. Reduce creativity and innovation
3. Emphasize expedience over quality
» Read more: Leaders Who Cry Wolf
Like it? Please share it:
Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
No comments »
Crashing Into a Ditch Teaches A (Leadership) Lesson
At 7:15 AM, I was already well on my way down the hour-long commute. On that morning I drove “the wife’s car”, because my regular vehicle was in the shop. It was a classic Midwest winter day, with plenty of lake effect snow, but the region was prepared for the conditions. As such, the roads were fairly clear. Still, occasional sections looked suspiciously like ice. As a result, I drove under the speed limit, but still passed a few people who “probably shouldn’t be on the road anyway”.
It was during one of those passes that I felt the back end start to slide out. After several counter-steering attempts, the fishtailing continued and I realized there was no escaping it. » Read more: Leadership Lessons From My Accident
Like it? Please share it:
Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
No comments »
Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have A Dream
Martin Luther King is among the greatest Servant Leaders this world has ever seen. His vision, leadership and ultimate sacrifice blazed a path for millions. There are many great posts, videos and other references that remind us of his vision and social injustices he would fight still today. Below are some of my favorites:
1. Wikipedia Article – For a brief background and history on the man and his amazing contributions.
2. I Have a Dream Speech – The famous speech, in full length. Link here to YouTube. Video embedded below.
3. Look Here Interview – This is one of my favorite interviews of King. It is particularly humanizing of the man while displaying his great intellect and the foundation of many of his beliefs. » Read more: Martin Luther King – Celebration of a Servant Leader
Like it? Please share it:
Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
No comments »
I recently spoke about Servant Leadership principles to an audience of CIOs, CTOs and Data Center executives at the Next Data Center Conference. Attached below is a copy of the slides from that session.
From Servers to Servant Leadership - Data Center Leadership
The slides complimented the presentation and were not written to stand alone as an independent communication. However, if you have questions about the content or seek a speaker on the topic of Servant Leadership for your next meeting or conference, please contact me.
Like it? Please share it:
Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
2 comments »
What are your Leadership New Year's Resolutions?
Thinking about your New Year’s resolutions? Here’s a quick list of ideas for leaders. The list includes a few of the standards, but aims to inspire some new ideas for each of us:
- Physical Fitness - Whether it’s weight loss, increased exercise or dropping a bad habit, this standard is important for leaders to maintain stress levels. You may also find increased productivity.
- Listen More – Find yourself speaking more than you listen? Did your latest 360 feedback suggest the team may not feel their input is valued enough? Commit to listening a greater percentage of the time.
- Succession Planning - Too many leaders let real succession planning wait too long, if they do it at all. Why not start the new year right with specific steps to ensure strong succession planning throughout the organization? » Read more: New Year’s Resolutions for Leaders
Like it? Please share it:
Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
8 comments »
All I want for Christmas is Servant Leadership
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all of the staff
Sat around hoping a leader would come, on their behalf.
Tired of the power model still in the air,
They hoped a servant leader, soon would be there.
There had been no focus on long-term success,
And Short-term drivers too long caused distress.
While some struggled for a solution, others had fled,
We needed a change before going in the red.
Then amongst the board there arose such a clatter,
“Ego-based leaders” they said, “no longer matter.”
“We’ve ousted the selfish, greedy narcissists,
Replaced them with servant leaders, here to assist.”
Ego’s torn, pride drowned, the power leaders walked out,
Their golden parachutes and bonuses now in doubt.
Then, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
Not whom we expected, but one we all held dear. » Read more: The Servant Leader’s Night Before Christmas
Like it? Please share it:
Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
No comments »
Stop Tailgating & Brake Checking at Work
Imagine you’re driving down the road in the passing lane, already exceeding the speed limit, when you see somebody following very close. The tailgater’s message is clear: “I need to get somewhere and I need to get there quicker than you are going”. Some people in this situation might “brake check” the tailgater – they slam on their breaks to send their own message. The brake checker’s message is equally strong: “Watch out! If you follow too close, you may cause an accident and it will be clearly your fault.”
Does this sound familiar to disagreements at the office? Two people are working on a project and it appears both are trying to get to the same destination. Yet one person demands greater risks for quicker results. This happens a lot, especially in organizations where near-term results and quarterly goals are prioritized over sustainability. As a result, employees are often competing for who can get the job done quicker and not necessarily who gets there with the best balance of risk and reward. Both the Brake Checker and the Tailgater have better options to serve their company. » Read more: Project Tailgaters & Brake Checkers
Like it? Please share it:
Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
No comments »
One misconception about Servant Leaders is that they are just “too nice”. Many executives hear the term “Servant Leader” and think, “that person will never make it in our environment” or, “they’ll just go easy on the staff and we’ll never get anything done”. Then there is my favorite: “Servant Leaders just want to be liked by everyone”. In reality, Servant Leaders can seem quite mean, depending upon the circumstances. Below are four examples of servant leaders that even Donald Trump could be proud of….
- Accountability
Servant Leaders accept the blame for failures within the team. However, in serving their organization and their stakeholders, they must ensure » Read more: Servant Leaders Can Be Mean Too
Like it? Please share it:
Posted By Benjamin Lichtenwalner
No comments »
In Boston, my commute was 90 minutes a day, in the car. In New York, it was 3 hours, each day on the train and walking across midtown Manhattan. Now in Michigan, I still spend 2 hours a day in the car. You might say I am proficient at commuting. With this proficiency comes many solutions for maximizing productivity during the commute. Here’s what I find helps and recommend to fellow commuters:
1. iPod / MP3 Player: The obvious. I won’t say much about it, as an MP3 player is ubiquitous these days. However, it also underlies many of the tools / tips below.
Like it? Please share it:
