Are Your Values Creating the Problem?

It's so easy to judge the behavior of others and perceived failings of ourselves. Even when we make significant progress on multiple projects, we often focus on what we haven't done yet or 'should' have done more of and better. The result is we, as the classic song by the Rolling Stones says, 'just can't get no satisfaction'.

No wonder so many leaders who are doing great work still feel frustrated. You're working as hard and fast as you can, yet always feel woefully behind schedule. What if the problem (you internalized) isn't you? Maybe the problem is your values.

This is what my client Tim discovered when he slowed down enough to see that what he thought he valued was the problem. Here's a recap of that part of our coaching conversation.

Tim: Since we last talked, I've had a 'come-to-Jesus' moment.

Me: Really! What was that?

Tim: I finally got that it's okay for me to slow down. And that has changed the whole game of business for me.

Me: How so?

Tim: Letting go of the idea that I have to work nonstop in order to drive mega results in my business has freed me to narrow my focus, stop feeling scattered, and think more clearly. I realized that as a leader I was judging myself and my team harshly because I had some mistaken notions about my values.

When I looked at why we were so overscheduled and overcommitted, I could see I had confused busyness with what I value -- progress. This confusion was also apparent in my team. We have all been moving at such breakneck speeds that even our accomplishments are a blur. This realization caused me to reassess what I value about progress -- the fun of engaging in a challenge to achieve amazing results. Instead, my team and I have been running nonstop adrenalin races to 'faster, bigger and better results'. No wonder team morale is low and we've been struggling to get results.

I've been less effective as a leader because my belief that I had to work nonstop to drive mega results was masquerading as 'progress'. My confusion compounded our problems. Well, I'm ready to change that situation.

Me: Congratulations on the clarity you've gained about the role your limiting belief played in challenges you and your team face. Given what you know now, what are you ready to do differently?

Tim: That's what I want to brainstorm with you today.

Me: Perfect! Let begin...

Non-Judgmental Approach

As a leader, you too can stop judging yourself and your team so harshly. Instead, stop multi-tasking for a few minutes and ask yourself: What limiting beliefs do I have that are creating problems for me and my team?

The Fife Player - Edouard Manet (1866)

I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced with dear friends nearly 100 paintings at the DeYoung Museum exhibition The Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay. I now understand why collectors pay millions of dollars for an original work of art that captivates their attention - holding some deep part of them ransom. Viewing these masterpieces up close I could see the innovative brush strokes, thickness of paint, exquisite use of color and light in the artistry of Monet, Renoir, Degas, Sisley, Manet, and a number of other extremely talented impressionists. The experience nourished my soul.

A day after we visited the exhibit, I received emails from each person in our small group about their experience of these leadership masterpieces. Exceedingly powerful were the thoughts on the exhibit and leadership sent to me by my friend Obejoyful Lynd. With her permission I am sharing her words verbatim with you.

The Dancing Lesson - Edgar Degas (1873-76)

"I relate so passionately to the underlying yearning of the  defiant 'New Painting' artists. What strikes me is the leadership that history reveals they contributed. Not 'merely' leadership breaking through the thick ice of the hyper-academic art establishment. The common urge they shared for recognition notwithstanding, this was an incredibly diverse group of artists giving expression to something that was yearning to happen, something new that was try to emerge in the system, something boisterous, unruly, 'bold and outrageous', and fully alive."

The Floor Scrapers - Gustave Caillebotte (1875)

"Each of these artists was propelled forward by her or his own life, talent, challenges, resources, vision. Wishing acknowledgment within a derisive, hostile establishment, they still followed their own GPS, discovering similarly inclined others along the way. Just like the mavericks in your Leadership Journeys of a Lifetime, they were drawn forward into terra incognita to discover what was trying to emerge."

"What an inspiration!"

What is yearning to emerge in your business, organization, or industry? Let that inspire you as a leader.

Pont de Maincy [Maincy Bridge] - Cezanne (1879)

Sound Business Practices

Guest blogger Patty Azzarello shares with us one of her not-so-obvious secrets to success. Patty was the youngest general manager at HP at the age of 33, ran a $1B software business at the age of 35, and became CEO for the first time at 39. So you may want to pay close attention to what this success expert has to say.

As it is the summer, I thought I would share 10 of the many sound business reasons to go on vacation — in addition to the fact that you deserve it and are supposed to enjoy your life and have some fun…

1. Going on a vacation shows you are competent at your job because you can manage and plan enough to free up some time in your schedule, and not leave a festering mess in your absence. Not being able to take a vacation for years shows that your work and your team are so out of control that you can’t even be gone for a week.

2. No one is impressed that you have not had a vacation. If you think your company, or your team appreciates your extra-work ethic, they don’t. 

3. Your team is motivated from seeing that you support and allow people to have a life — as long as you don’t send them email every day! Set the expectation you will be generally out of touch. Arrange 1-2 check-in points if you can’t stand to let go entirely, but don’t just go somewhere else and keep working.

4. Your team gets more productive when you go away. You give them a break from worrying about all the things you throw in their way when they are trying to get their work done. After about 2 weeks they will miss you and need you again, but in the mean time their productivity will actually go up.

5. Being unavailable is an effective technique for developing people. It forces them to step up. Just be careful not to un-do everything they did in your absence just because it was different than the way you would have done it.

6. If something comes up in your work that you can’t avoid and you need to cancel your vacation, reschedule another one while you are canceling. This will minimize resentment and disappointment, give you something to look forward to… and ensure you don’t go too long without a vacation.

7. You will be more productive at work, if you step away from it and give your back-of-mind processes a chance to chew on things while you are otherwise in a good (or at least different!) mood. 

8. You will realize that some of the things that you thought were important before your vacation don’t actually need to get done after all. When you step away, the most strategic things re-assert themselves and all the clutter drops several notches in volume.

9. Your company prefers people who enjoy their life because they have more positive energy to bring to their work.

10. You need a break whether you know it or not!

If you're still not convinced or just don't think you can afford a vacation, take a 15-minute virtual vacation to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Then notice the difference.

Torguguero Park, Costa Rica

Inspiration Leads to Innovation

Travel transforms who we are as business owners and leaders. Vacations that take us away from our familiar environments and expose us to new exciting experiences shift our way of seeing and thinking about the world. Our global perspectives naturally expand, and we gain new awareness of what is possible. Even virtual and vicarious vacations to distant destinations free our mind, body and spirit to enjoy a well-earned escape from the overload of work that surrounds us. When we return from our real or vividly imagined vacation, we feel refreshed and satisfied - ready to re-engage in business and leadership challenges with a greater sense of commitment, clarity and focus. This quickens our effectiveness. With more ease we craft solutions that produce the results we want and need.

Experience Freedom Now

Need some downtime now? Take a free virtual vacation to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. This wildlife reserve of vast open grasslands hosts the world's greatest natural spectacle - the Great Wildebeest Migration of the Serengeti. It is also the heartland of the Maasai, semi-nomadic tribes with centuries-old traditions and rituals that keep them in harmony with the earth, wildlife and climate change. Discover what their gentle yet wild spirits and enduring decisions teach savvy women leaders today.

Your Free Ticket (click below)

Transformational Travel

Let the beauty of the wild leave footprints on your heart. ~Peggy Anderson

Measure What Counts

Chip Conley presents a 'simple leadership truth' in the 21st century. He says that instead of managing what we can measure, innovative leaders value the intangibles in their business and find a way to measure them. As a 'curious CEO' (his words, not mine), he points out that 63% of the world's GNP is in the intangible area of services. His business, Joie de Vivre (joy of life) Hospitality, measures what makes life worthwhile - for its employees and customers. Its sustainable success is evident in its inspired leadership, inspired employees, and sizable profits.

Don't take my word for it. See what you think. Watch Chip Conley's TED presentation. Then ask yourself: "What one thing can I start counting today that would be more meaningful in my business, work, or life?"