Callan…Coffee…Contemplation for the Week of April 14th
Simplicity
As I look back over the arc of my life, one of the patterns I now see emerging is a growing appreciation for simplicity. As a young leader, I was enamored with sophistication; If a one-page mission statement was good, then two-pages must be better; If a five minute verbal brief was good, then a ten-minute version must be better. This mania for complexity is a natural pitfall for young leaders. What I now realize is that the beautiful, flowery, and glitzy communications I wrote were, in reality, only beautiful to me. I now find myself drawn to simplicity; a return to simpler language, simpler concepts, and simpler explanations. I find simplicity to be the backbone of the language of leadership. Our goal is not to impress, but to resonate; not to bewilder, but to clarify; not to confound, but to inspire. Simplicity and clarity are the antidotes for confusion, inertia, and incoherence. Simplicity does not mean simplistic; it means concise, unadorned intent capable of revealing the truth laying there in plain sight.
A Place to Stand
The ancient Greek theorist Archimedes said, “Give me a place to stand and a lever, and I will move the world.” Thought of as a leadership metaphor, the place to stand represents the leader’s foundation; who are we in terms of character, virtues, values, self mastery, and self discipline. The lever represents the leadership influence we dispense; is it effective, resonant, and elevating? And the world represents the group we are trying to influence; what are their aspirations, fears, beliefs? All three are ultimately important, as together they represent masterful leadership; however, where we must start if we want to be truly heroic leaders is developing ourselves—that firm place to stand. We must anchor ourselves on firm ground via the development of inner authority, vital experiences, and timeless wisdom. Only with this firm and dependable place to stand can we then develop a trusted lever and an authentic fulcrum from which to connect with and inspire those we lead.
Submitting to Classic Disciplines
One leadership truth we seem to have forgotten in our modern world and desperately need to reawaken is the need for healthy submission. Classic wisdom teaches that willing submission to something greater than ourselves, and to time-tested disciplines that bring about authentic mastery, is necessary for excellence. Today, we seem to have developed not just an appetite for instant gratification, but an addiction to it. We act as if we no longer expect to have to submit to mastering ourselves, and mastering the disciplines that unlock greatness from inside, out. Consider a master painter. Classically, the aspiring artist would spend decades enduring the tests and trials of perfecting his craft until, after enduring this crucible, he finally internalized the wisdom to be genuinely called a master craftsman. Today, we prefer to avoid such discipline and avoid submitting to this necessary journey and instead just throw paint against the canvas and call ourselves artists. The former reflects deep insight and timelessness, the latter—superficial self expression and episodic mediocrity. Great leaders submit to timeless wisdom.
Mindset
People often ask me this key question with regard to developing leaders: “Where should one start?” My answer is always the same: Start with mindset! Too often, and I believe incorrectly, leadership development starts with a focus on what leaders should know and what leaders should do. Yes, this is admittedly important stuff. However, a far more important foundation and a truer starting point in developing leaders is to focus on who leaders are. We have to start with paradigm–how to see ourselves as leaders, and how to see the world like a leader. To teach leaders the ability to see correctly and develop a heroic leader’s mindset, we must start by grounding in these truths: (a) I am a leader and I am always leading; (b) leadership is a way of life, not an act; (c) great leadership starts with self-leadership; (d) self-leadership is based on self-mastery; (e) self-mastery is built on self-discipline, and; (f) the ultimate test of great leadership is to become significant, to become the lesson. If we can teach young leaders to see correctly—to manage their leadership mindset—all else will take care of itself.
Questions, Not Answers
Too often in our pursuit of developing leadership we seek easy answers. We look for answer keys, menus, and checklists. I have found, paradoxically, that the truth in leadership is often found not in looking for answers, but in asking the right questions. When we reduce leadership to a simple answer key, we create a dumbed-down paradigm that falsely implies that leadership can be reduced to rote memorization. Nothing could be further from the truth. Like all master crafts, leadership is at its core a mystery; a kind of wisdom seeing that must be unlocked by each aspiring leader. It is only through solving the mystery oneself that wisdom can then be appropriated, deeply known, and then personally owned. We must therefore seek out the right questions and wrestle with them. Consider these: Why do people willingly follow? Given a choice, who would we chose to follow, and why? Why do some people choose to relinquish self interest and move to group interest? Why do others not? What are the true levers of passion and motivation? What are the catalysts of camaraderie, esprit, and companionship?
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