ExpirationDates

That job we've been looking for...

The raising of our children...

That relationship we need to mend...

That work we're investing ourselves in...

The forgiveness we need to ask for...

The review and revision of our life habits...

This day...

Opportunities, each and every one.

Even righteous acts committed or right decisions made, done one minute too late, are meaningless.

Opportunities come with expiration dates.  

DealingWithIt

The best leaders I know are exceptionally adept at dealing with challenges.  It's not that they seek out problems; nor is it that they feed on disfunction. 

Somehow, some way, these powerful leaders seem to be perfectly comfortable with the fact that problem-solving comes with the territory as one presumes to lead others.  Dr. Steven Sample speaks eloquently to this attribute in The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership (2003). 

Rather than bristle or commiserate or whine about or shrink in the face of problems, the strongest leaders seem to see problems as opportunities.  Opportunities to:

• Clarify - vision, responsibilities, direction, desired mindset.
• Strengthen - the capacity of others, organizational processes/protocols.
• Reflect - on antecedents, on relationships, on systems.
• Connect - key people, needed resources, lines of communication.

In short, they just "deal with it."

It's almost as if they view continuous improvement as a habit.  ;-)

Prevent&ReverseHeartDisease

I recently read Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.  (2007).

In this book, Esselstyn makes a compelling case, founded in his experiences as a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, that we need not succumb to the effects of heart disease.  CE insists that we can whip heart disease (and many of its downstream cousins) purely by the diet we choose to consume. 

The second half of the book provides numerous recipes that align with the eating regime CE recommends. 

My biggest takeaways:

• Don’t eat anything with a face or a mother; No dairy products; No oils – of any kind; Avoid nuts and avocados.
• Eat all veggies, except avocados; Eat legumes, of all kinds; Eat whole grains and their products, as long as they don’t contain added fats; Eat fruits, of all kinds; Drink water, seltzer water, oat milk, no-fat soy milk, coffee, and tea (alcohol is fine). 
• 3/4 of the world's population does NOT have significant instances of heart disease (all in cultures that eat predominantly plant-based diets).
• OUR health is OUR responsibility, not that of our physicians or food vendors. 

My favorite quote:
“If you eat to save your heart, you eat to save yourself from other diseases of nutritional extravagance: from strokes, hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis, adult-onset diabetes, and possibly senile mental impairment, as well.  You gain protection from a host of other ailments that have been linked to dietary factors, including impotence and cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, rectum, uterus, and ovaries.  And, if you are eating for good health in this way, here’s a side benefit you might not have expected:  for the rest of your life, you will never again have to count calories or worry about your weight.” (pp. 7-8)

Much to ponder.  The journey of learning about health and wellbeing continues...

Ownership

The best leaders I know foster a sense of ownership among the stakeholders they serve.

What are some of the ways they affect that dynamic?

• They communicate pervasively and openly, resisting mightily an atmosphere of secrecy.
• They consistently and persistently beat the vision drum - "this is what we're about, this is where we're headed."
• They create the conditions that allow folks autonomy in the pursuit of that vision.
• They focus relentlessly on the "Us" and the "We" and the "Our."
• They insist on an environment of equity and fairness.
• They operate on the basis of covenants, not contracts.
• They make others feel valued (in hundreds of ways).

Sounds like the kinda folks I'd gladly follow.

Tackling

I learned early on as a young football coach that there was not just ONE magical offensive or defensive scheme.  If there was, of course, then everyone would deploy them.

The analogy of football coaching informs us as to the challenging elements of complex problems:

• Constantly shifting circumstances
• Talented, often VERY talented, competitors
• Uncontrollable contexts
• Competing objectives within one's own team/organization
• Limited resources (of all kinds)
• Opponents who are extremely smart

So, whether in football coaching or in organizational leadership or in personal life, what tenets should drive our solution crafting?  How best do we tackle (pun intended) complex problems?

Solution crafting strategiery:

• Be crystal clear about our objectives - know exactly what we're trying to achieve.
• Focus on the things we CAN control, not on the ones we can't.
• Adopt principles that drive desired behavior, not rules that manage undesired behavior.
• Work on the "fundamentals" (i.e., the habits) that reinforce those principles every day, regardless of current standings or skill level.
• Build adaptability into our systems - conditions, people, weather, markets are constantly changing.
• Communicate, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE!

And know, without doubt, that tomorrow will bring more complex problems to tackle.

P20

What?  P20?  Huh?

My service to public schools has taken me this year to Throckmorton ISD in Throckmorton, Texas.  I have been blessed to serve as their interim superintendent this year.
Over the last few years Roscoe Collegiate ISD has been spearheading a very bold vision of education for rural children.  That P20 Model has been gaining traction in the minds, the planning, and the actions of some visionary school leaders in Texas and West Virginia.  Throckmorton ISD school and community leaders have adopted a similar aspiration for their own children (and invited me along for the ride).  

So, what gives?  The intended learning outcomes of the P20 Model for ALL students (not just some of them) is that they exit high school with a high school diploma, with a college-level associates degree (60 hours of college credit, completely funded by the school), and/or industry-approved certification(s).  In education-speak, the goal is for our children to be College- AND Career-Ready by the time they leave the hallowed halls of Throckmorton High School.  In non-education-speak, it means that we intend to purposefully and optimally prepare our children to lead happy, productive, and successful lives.  

This is a VERY bold vision for crafting a World Class learning environment and experience.  Ambitious?  You bet!  Easy to accomplish?  Uh, no!  Worthy endeavor?  Absolutely.    

I can't think of a reason any parent might want otherwise for their own children...    

Psycho-Path

The best leaders I know are students of psychology.  Whether parents, teachers, coaches, managers, or presidents, the most effective leaders have (either intuitively or by training or both) an understanding of how best to move people (themselves included).

These insightful influencers understand that the path to high performance is initiated, grounded, and habituated in the mind (in the psychology behind the behavior).

Common traits of these effective leaders?

• Persistent and pervasive respectfulness
• Intense awareness of right behavior/actions
• Consistent and authentic praise for right behavior/actions
• Intentional incentivization of right behavior/actions
• Relentless focus on development

And what about the worst kind of leaders?  Psychopathic - pretty much the opposite of that list above.