Callan…Coffee…Contemplation for the Week of October 14th
Bound & Energized
I believe camaraderie to be the cardinal measure of a group’s enduring excellence. True camaraderie is incredibly hard to cultivate, yet when leaders produce it–the team is unbeatable. I think of camaraderie like mortar binding bricks in a strong wall; it is the element that at once acknowledges the individual component (brick) while honoring the collective purpose (wall). Camaraderie, therefore, is that magical elixir that bounds and energizes champions. When leaders effectively cultivate camaraderie in their groups they bring forth an environment rich in mutual affection, loyalty, and support. Teams become champions when the whole group values and trusts each other. Likewise, individuals become stellar when they similarly share these bonds of trust and respect. Camaraderie is deep mutual affection arising from only two sources: fraternal love and common sacrifice. Why? Because it is only these two things that transform and convert us, and then—elevate us from good to great.
Living at the Double Time
In the military, the command to move from a standard marching pace to a jog is “double time.” Picture the image of a person with one foot planted on the ground and the other foot raised as the jog begins. This is a good analogy of how leaders balance non-negotiables and negotiables. Our one foot planted on the ground represents the non-negotiables– those elements of our personal character and group ethos that should never change regardless of time, situation, or circumstance (e.g., honor, trustworthiness, courage, and cornerstone principles). Non-negotiables are solid touchstones anchoring us in virtuous behavior and collective fortitude. The one foot raised represents the negotiables—those things we should and must alter in response to change (e.g., policies, procedures, processes, techniques, tactics). Our one foot raised keeps us from falling pray to status quo mindsets. Great leaders, and championship teams, are able to masterfully balance non-negotiables and negotiables, and therefore, they confidently run at the double time into a changing future while still feeling their traditions in the wind.
Opportunity
Leaders can make the mistake of waiting for grand opportunities to arise and come to them before they unleash their motivation. What great leaders do is the opposite; they see every opportunity, even small ones, as a potential to mine gold. The former is passive and reactionary—like waiting to be handed the golden fleece. The latter is vital and energized, like going to find the golden fleece in even the most unlikely source. The leadership principle this distinction reveals is the nature of motivation. What leaders must never forget is the levers of motivation are inside of us, not outside. Great leaders are self motivated; they don’t wait for opportunity to find them, they move forward with vitality to find the gem hidden in each opportunity. I believe great leaders seize opportunity because they have great inquisitiveness and unquenchable discovery in their nature and they believe, at their core, there is “always something more” to be known and to be done. We must always dedicate ourselves to seeking the golden opportunity, not waiting for it to find us.
Twice Born
I read a quote the other day that said, “All great leaders are twice born.” How true! In my leadership teaching I often use imagery of classic heroes and hero tales, told via the construct of a heroic journey. What is important in this delivery, and the use of this heroic prism, is the realization that heroic ability is a second act—usually the by-product of many tests, trials, and challenges. Who we are initially, often a limited version of ourselves, must be transformed via some crucible. If not, we remain a prisoner to our ego and our small-minded, private, and selfish world. However, if we stay true to a heroic path and endure the cauldron of experience, we are forced to first move inward and convert ourselves, and then reemerge stronger and wiser to reenter the arena and lead more effectively. We become, in this sense, twice born. Study any truly significant leader, one who has truly stood the test of time, and you will find this conversion element in their biography and clearly see these periods of heroic rebirth and transformation. We don’t inherit great leadership ability; we forge it via the crucible of the journey.
C2
Camaraderie and companionship. I use these two words a lot when reflecting on winning cultures and championship environments. Too often, when trying to determine the difference between good and great, we look solely for tangible discriminators. I think it’s often the more mysterious intangible factors that elevate teams from good to great. Camaraderie and companionship—what I call C2– are two such intangible peak-performance factors. Teams imbued with C2 have deep mutual affection and bone-deep trust making them extremely confident, resilient, and unified. But here’s the important part: If we know that C2 is necessary to produce excellence, why do so few companies produce C2? Why in our modern society do we seem to be losing the conviction that companies should be, and can be, groups of great friends? It is no mere coincidence that the words company and companion share the same root. Leaders must reawaken heroic ambition within their groups and intentionally cultivate deep companionship and mutual regard to ensure camaraderie is not an antiquated concept in the modern workplace.
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