Especially in this holiday season, there seems to be magic in the air. Whether it's the excitement of children about Santa Claus or the various richly woven religious stories about the meanings of the season, stories and legends seems to be at the heart of this magical season.

 

I recently heard a story about a powerful symbol in American culture: the bald eagle. Now, I've also heard that the facts of this story don't exactly add up, but, being that we're in a season of magic, I'm choosing to believe in this story, as the symbolism is rich. And who couldn't use a little more magic in their life?

 

 

After a little research, I found that the eagle has the longest life-span among birds. It can live up to 70 years. But to reach that age, the eagle must make a hard decision. In its 40’s, its long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey which serves as food. Its long and sharp beak becomes bent. Its time-worn and heavy wings, due to their thick feathers, become stuck to its chest and make it difficult to fly.

 

So, the eagle is left with only two options: die or change.

 

The change process requires that the bird go through a very painful 150 days. The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest. There the eagle knocks its beak against a rock until it plucks it out. After plucking it out, the eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back and then it will pluck out its talons. When its new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old-aged feathers. And after five months, the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and lives for 30 more years.

 

Incredible, right?

 

So, let's zoom back and ask, "how does this relate to me and my need to change?" Many times, in order to survive, we have to start a change process. We sometimes need to get rid of old memories, habits and other past traditions. Only once we are freed from past burdens can we take advantage of the present.

To teach their young to fly, the eagles nudge their young nestlings out of the nest, causing them to free-fall off the side of the cliff. If the baby eagle isn’t able to discover how to fly in the pressure of the moment, the mother eagle swoops downward and “catches” the young eagle on her extended wings. She then flies around with her young offspring to give it the sensation of flying. This process is repeated until the young eagle learns how to fly.

We were not created to stay in the safety of the nest. We must nudge ourselves out of our comfort zone. Though this constant nudging might seem stressful or even unbearable, we must use it to renew us rather than exhaust us.  An eagle can’t fly by being scared stiff. It must relax and flow with the wind. Likewise, we must relax, let it be done to us, and let the wind of the Spirit carry us.  When we abandon ourselves to Life’s nudges, we discover that instead of stressing out, we learn to fly.

When it rains, most birds head for shelter; the eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the clouds.

 

No wonder we are called to spread our wings and soar with eagles! Believe in magic!

Happy Thanksgiving to us all!

Clearly, as a nation, we are in a time of uncertainty. We have discussed the role that leadership plays in these times, and the ability to provide a clear, concise and compelling vision of the future is critical, especially during these times of weak economic growth. As leaders, our teams look to us to provide that steady hand on the wheel and to put this situation into context. When others are only looking at each piece of the puzzle, by being able to see the whole puzzle, you are letting the team know you are confident with the strategies being executed. Without that clarity, you will just be creating more uncertainty and zapping your team’s confidence in you.

When communicating with you team, by using terms like “struggling,” “frustrated” or “scared,” I’m sure your team will be relieved (and maybe even happy!) that you are feeling what they feel. They might encourage you and tell you that much of this is outside of your control. Maybe they’ll offer that YOU really are a victim of the environment. They will hold your hand and comfort you… but what they won't do is follow you! This is one of the prices of leadership.

You must not allow yourself to be dumbed down or to look outside of yourself for strength in tough times. Attributing and pawning off poor results to outside forces may buy you some time with the board or owners, but it will not help you build "embedded" ownership with your team. The more we lack the strength and passion for driving results and providing compelling clarity, the more our team will look for leadership in others.

Easy to say, tough to do! Some of us have never faced this kind of market and financial and political uncertainty. Looking backwards to lead will not work. Facing forward with clear vision of growth is the only option for us today.

I WAS ON AN AIRPLANE LAST WEEK, AND I SAT NEXT TO A SALESMAN.  AFTER WE INTRODUCED OURSELVES AND I EXPLAINED MY REASON FOR THE VISIT, HE ASKED ME A QUESTION THAT REALLY CUT TO THE CHASE.  WHEN HE ASKED ABOUT THE COMPANY I WAS GOING TO BE VISITING, HE SIMPLY ASKED, “WHERE’S THEIR PAIN?”  I WAS TAKEN ABACK AND ASKED, “THEIR PAIN?” “SURE,” HE SAID. “THEIR PAIN—WHAT KEEPS THEM UP AT NIGHT!” WE LAUGHED, AND I SAID THAT I REALLY DIDN’T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR HIM RIGHT THEN.  BUT AFTER SOME THOUGHT, I REALIZED THAT “WHERE’S THE PAIN?” REALLY IS A GREAT QUESTION FOR ALL OF US THAT WANT TO IMMEDIATELY PRESCRIBE A SOLUTION FOR ANY SITUATION WE FACE.

MANY TIMES, WE ARE SO ANXIOUS TO GET TO THE RECOMMENDATION OR SOLUTION THAT WE REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR CLIENT/CUSTOMER/EMPLOYEE’S MAIN ISSUE REALLY IS. WE LISTEN TO THEM SPEAK, BUT, IN OUR MIND, WE HAVE ALREADY FINISHED THEIR SENTENCE AND BEGUN OFFERING OUR OPINION ON HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM.  LIKE AN INEXPERIENCED DOCTOR, WE’RE TREATING THE SYMPTOMS, NOT TREATING THE REAL, CORE ISSUE THAT’S CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. AS A RESULT, WE TAKE THE PILL AND THINK THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, NOT REALIZING THAT WE ARE JUST MANAGING THE PAIN AND, ULTIMATELY, STAYING IN THE SAME PLACE.

IN BUSINESS, WE MUST CONTINUE TO GET TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE GAP IN PERFORMANCE AND NOT SETTLE FOR DEVELOPING OUR STRATEGY AROUND THE SYMTOMS. IT’S EASY TO DO, AND MOST OF US HAVE DONE EXACTLY THAT AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. SIMILARLY, IT’S EASY TO GET CONFUSED OR FRUSTRATED ABOUT OUR TEAM’S ABILITY TO MOVE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WHEN WE REALLY AREN’T MEASURING RESULTS, BUT RATHER, ACTIVITIES.   THAT IS MOST CERTAINLY A RECIPE FOR FAILURE.

HAVING THE DISCIPLINE TO LISTEN TO YOUR CLIENT OR CUSTOMER AND REALLY DIGGING INTO THEIR PAIN WILL HELP YOU DEVELOP STRATEGIES THAT FIX THE PROBLEM, NOT THE SYMTOMS.  THIS SKILL IS NOT COMMON, IN MY OPINION, AS MOST OF US WANT TO JUMP IN AND STARTING FIXING—W ETHER IT’S THE RIGHT PROBLEM OR NOT!  AS JIM COLLINS REFERS TO IN HIS BOOK, GOOD TO GREAT, “IT IS THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LEADER THAT MOST TIMES DETERMINES THE GOOD FROM THE GREAT.”

SO, THE NEXT TIME THAT YOU VISIT A CLIENT, CUSTOMER, EMPLOYEE, OR FAMILY MEMBER, AND THEY TELL YOU THEY’D LIKE YOUR HELP, FIND OUT WHERE THE PAIN REALLY IS!  IT WILL HELP YOU PRESCRIBE THE RIGHT FIX.

Whenever we are having a party at Dunn Enterprises, people will often call and ask, “What can I bring to the party?” Sometimes, they are just being polite, but, many times, they really do want to contribute to making this party better! We usually say, “Just bring yourself, “ and really, that is ultimately the only thing you can bring.

When bringing on new talent to your team, “your party,” that’s really what you are looking for in fresh, new talent: people that can bring qualities that make your team better than if they didn’t attend.

The two qualities that many hosts (leaders) can never have enough of are enthusiasm and curiosity.

 

 

So, as we look to bring on new talent into the organization, it is important to know that certain competencies are difficult or impossible to develop. To build passion and enthusiasm in your culture, you must start with people of passion and energy to build the fire. Sure, there are incentives and rewards programs that can be used to build this in the short term, and I support these strategic efforts. But once the incentive program is over, you really want to be surrounded by those people who are motivated from the inside out, people who understand that, while the recognition is nice, it is not what drives their behavior. It is the drive for perfection or making a difference that motivates these people.

Bringing in new people that have a passion for learning and are curious to ask the question “why?” is key to building a culture of embedded ownership. People that strive to improve every situation they confront are always looking for a better way to solve problems and provide solutions. It’s how they are wired!

Think of how you walk into a conference or meeting with your team. Are you enthusiastic to contribute to the program? Are you asking questions to get better clarity and build your ownership? People will be watching you, and your actions will say it all.

So, the next time you’re looking to invite so people over to join the team and they ask, “What can I bring?” Tell them to bring themselves with a side of enthusiasm and curiosity.

 

Live strong,

Kevin Dunn