Brent Filson's Action Leadership Report is a monthly e-zine helping leaders achieve more results, faster results, continually.
In this issue: DEEP RESULTS: IF YOU DON'T GET THEM, YOUR CAREER MAY BE A WASTE NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE.
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"Authority is a poor excuse for leadership. Poor leaders order people to do a job. Action leaders have those people choose to be the cause leaders of that job -- for more results faster, continually." –Brent Filson
Vol. 3 Number 11 – November, 2005
Publisher: The Filson Leadership Group, Inc.
brent@actionleadership.com
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Reprinted from "Brent Filson's Action Leadership Report," a free e-zine helping leaders get more results faster (continually). Subscribe at www.actionleadership.com and receive Brent Filson's free report: 49 Tips On Using Action To Get Results.
IN THIS ISSUE:
SECTION 1: DEEP RESULTS: IF YOU DON'T GET THEM, YOUR CAREER IS A WASTE NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE.
SECTION 2: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
SECTION 3: Points of Light.
SECTION 4: Message from Brent Filson: The Listening Leadership Talk.
SECTION 5: News.
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SECTION 1: DEEP RESULTS:
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I've challenged leaders I have worked with during the past two decades to achieve "more results faster continually."
They can get on track to start achieving such results primarily by using Leadership Talks on a daily basis. http://www.actionleadership.com/ezine/v1n6.html
But in doing so, I've told them they have only just begun to fight. They must also begin focusing not just on the quantity and speed of results but the kind of results they aim to achieve. There are roughly two kinds of results, standard results and deep results.
Most leaders understand standard results but fail to come to grips with deep results. In fact, these leaders go through their entire careers getting the former but not having a clue about the latter.
We know what standard results are. They are the results we must get in our jobs, such as: speed, productivity, operations efficiencies, sales closes, sales leads, sales to new customers, failure prevention, health and safety advancements, quality, training, quality control, logistics efficiencies, marketing targets, new revenue streams, sales erosion, price calibrations, cost reductions, demand flow activities and technologies, inventory turns, cycle time reductions, materials and parts management, etc.
Whereas achieving standard results enables us to do a better job and have a more successful (though not necessarily fulfilling) career, deep results are different. Deep results are about being better leaders.
And being a better leader means being a better individual human being. Who we are as a leader and who we are as an individual should be the same thing. If they're not, we diminish both our leadership and our personhood.
Standard results are about "doing"; and deep results are about "being". Our most important achievements as leaders are not just what we achieve but who we become in that achieving.
For instance, if we don't get standard results in our job, we fail in that job or at least in that particular aspect of the job.
But in the realm of deep results, such failure might lead to success if in that failure, we find a better way to lead, a better way to improve ourselves.
How does one go about getting deep results? There are many paths up this mountain. But one path is straight and steep and clear. That is the path of the Leadership Imperative. http://www.actionleadership.com/ezine/v3n5.html
I WILL LEAD PEOPLE SO THEY NOT ONLY ACHIEVE THE RESULTS WE NEED BUT ALSO BECOME BETTER AS LEADERS AND AS INDIVIDUALS.
The Imperative has two parts: one is results-accomplishments and the other is self betterment.
You are never more powerful as a leader as when, in getting results, you are helping others be better than they are -- even better than thought they could be. Guided by the Leadership Imperative, you'll find yourself delving into deep results.
Deep results are not a measurement or a direction. They are not a central purpose. They are a process of being. They are not something achieved. They are an achieving — taking place not at a special place in a special time but at every place at all times.
You are deep results before you know that you are. Though deep results are easy, though often they do not come easily.
We are this mind/body in this space/time continuum. We know that. But to realize it, we must live it. To live it, we must seek it in our living. And that knowing and living and seeking is deep results.
The task that we shoulder reveals our heart to the world. Deep results show our soul to the world.
Examples of deep results:
--A good friend of mine who is a writer and business executive told me: "My senior year in high school, a teacher asked my class, who's going on to college next year? I saw my friends raise their hands. So I raised my hand, too. The trouble was, I had a terrible secret. I couldn't read well. I always had trouble with reading and had taken mostly shop courses. That was the worst feeling I ever had in my life. Raising my hand, I knew I couldn't make it in college. I was right. I flunked out. Had to join the Army. In the Army, I shoveled coal in Germany for four years. But that's where I taught myself to read. I went on to graduate from Harvard. I've made it this far because my career has not been a series of jobs. My career has been a vow. A vow that I would do my best in my life never to have somebody feel what I felt when I raised my hand all those years ago."
--Doug Collins, member of the '72 U.S. Olympic team that ultimately lost the gold medal on a disputed call to the Soviet Union, describes the dramatic moments at the end of the game. "We're losing by one. The Soviets have the ball. The clock's running out. I hide behind the center, bait a guy into throwing a pass, knock it loose and grab it. A Russian goes under me as I'm going up for the lay-up. I'm KO'd for a second. The coaches run to me. John Bach, one of the assistants, says, 'We gotta get somebody to shoot the fouls.' But coach Hank Iba says, 'If Doug can walk, he'll shoot.' That electrified me. The coach believed in me. I can't even remember feeling any pressure. Three dribbles, spin the ball, toss it in, same as in my backyard. I hit 'em both and got the lead. I didn't know what I was made of until then."
–A General Electric client of mine in the late 1980s, told me this. "I was a young Naval officer reporting with many other new sailors aboard an aircraft carrier. The captain met us in a formation on the flight deck. He shook my hand and went down the line greeting many other sailors. I didn't think anything of it until several weeks later when he passed by me in a passageway. He said, ‘Hi, Herb!' I never forgot that. He remembered my name despite the fact that he had met scores of new sailors that day. It's made a tremendous impact on me till this day."
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SECTION TWO: The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.
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The Good: --With the disasters of the Franco-Prussia War tumbling down upon Paris, a remarkable event took place, the word of which spread like wildfire through the city. The great author Victor Hugo, exiled for 19 years, had come to Paris. Traveling through German lines, through the war-ravaged countryside, he had come into the city on virtually the last train. He had come to share the sufferings with the Parisians in their darkest hour when his arriving meant virtual imprisonment in the city. Throngs gathered at the station to applaud him. One man shouted over the crowd, "If defeat brings us Victor Hugo, we couldn't be better rewarded!" –Deep results often come not from what we get but from what we give.
The Bad: The spark that ignited the great India revolt against the British in 1857 - 58 was caused by the introduction of brand new technology, the rifled-bore. This bore enabled soldiers to shoot farther and with more accuracy than with muskets. In the hands of the sepoys, the common Indian troops, however, the introduction almost proved fatal to the British rule of India. The rounds were greased, for easier ramming home. The word spread through the sepoys grapevine that the grease was made from pigs and cows. To Muslims, pigs were unclean, to Hindu cows were sacred. Since the sepoys had to bite off the round before ramming it down the bore, they revolted against the use of the rifles. The revolt turned into an outright rebellion, one of the bloodiest in English history. It was put down only after a great deal of bloodshed and sacrifice – mainly by Sikh and Indian troops loyal to the Crown. The introduction of greased rounds would not in and of itself have caused the Mutiny, it merely set in motion long simmering hatreds felt by the Indians toward the English.
–Deep results can cut both ways. They can go against you with terrible consequences.
The Ugly: --Seeing abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison dragged with a rope down a Boston Street, Wendell Phillips became so outraged that he joined the abolitionist movement and became one of its most effective activists.
–A single moment can often trigger a life time of deep results.
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SECTION THREE: Points of Light.
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"One of the most delightful feelings one can have is to do a good deed by stealth and be found out by accident." –Charles Lamb
"In giving, forget; in getting, remember." –Brent Filson
"Is devotion to others a cover for the hungers and the needs of the self, of which one is ashamed ? I was always ashamed to take. So I gave. It was not a virtue. It was a disguise." Anais Nin
"It is sweet to be remembered. But it is often cheaper to be forgotten." Kin Hubbard
"What is bought is cheaper than a gift." Portugese proverb.
"We'd all like a reputation for generosity, and we all like to buy it cheap." –Mignon McLaughlin
"The real giving has nothing to do with the past and everything to do with the future." –Brent Filson
"He who refuses nothing, Atticilla, will soon have nothing to refuse." --Martial
"Liberality consists rather in giving reasonably than much." –La Bruyere
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SECTION FOUR: Message From Brent Filson: The Listening Leadership Talk.
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com
Word count: 900
Summary: The Leadership Talk is an important tool for leaders of all ranks and functions. But some of the most effective Leadership Talks are not what leaders say but what the people they lead say. Here are three ways to give what is often the best kind of Leadership Talk, the Listening Leadership Talk.
The Listening Leadership Talk
by Brent Filson
For more than 20 years, I have taught the Leadership Talk to thousands of people worldwide. And maybe the most important thing I've taught isn't about talking -- at least the leader's talking.
I've taught there is a hierarchy of verbal persuasion. The lowest levels, the least effective, are speeches and presentations. The highest levels, the most effective, are Leadership Talks.
I've taught that speeches/presentations communicate information; Leadership Talks, on the other hand, have leaders establish deep, human, emotional connections with audiences -- indispensable in achieving great results.
Of course, the Leadership Talk is by definition about talking. But often there's a more effective dynamic to employ: listening. Not passive listening -- but listening for one purpose, so the other person gives you your Leadership Talk.
After all, it's not what you say that's important in a Leadership Talk but what your audience does after you have had your say.
And if they do the best thing not after you speak but after you listen, then you have given one of the most effective Leadership Talks of all -- a Listening Leadership Talk.
The Listening Leadership Talk focuses on what other people are invariably interested in, themselves. (Who isn't interested when they themselves are talking?) But here's the key: their simply talking is useless to your leadership. It is only useful when their talk is the talk you need for them to give.
Moving people from talking their talk to talking your talk -- and ultimately walking your walk --is the art of the Listening Leadership Talk.
Here are a few tips to make it happen.
(1) Use question marks. Asking questions encourages people to reflect upon and talk about the challenge you face. After all, we can't motivate anyone to do anything. They have to motivate themselves. And they best motivate themselves when they reflect on their character and their situation and are also given the opportunity to talk about their reflections.
You may not like what they say; but often their answer is better in terms of advancing their motivation and your results than your full-stop sentence.
Furthermore, their answer may prompt them to think they have come up with a good idea. People tend to be less enamored of your ideas than they are of their own.
However, be aware of the difference between asking a question of somebody and questioning them. When asking a question, you communicate you're interested in the answer the person wants; when questioning, you communicate you're interested in the answer you want. And if the people you are interacting with think you are there not for them but for yourself, you damage the environment a Listening Leadership Talk can thrive in.
(2) Create a critical convergence. This will help you avoid the "herding cats" syndrome. Once you get people talking, they may be all over the map, talking about everything but what you want to have talked about.
Keep things on track by establishing a critical convergence, the joining of your enthusiasms and theirs so they're as enthusiastic as you about meeting the challenges you face. Do that by understanding their needs as problems and seeking to have them voice solutions to those problems, solutions that advance your leadership concerns.
For instance, at a police academy classroom, the instructor passed a note to one of the recruits. It read, "CLEAR THIS CLASSROOM OUT NOW!" The recruit started shouting, "Everybody out of the room!" People looked confused. A few left. The remainder stayed. The instructor gave the note to another recruit, who pleaded, "Please, everybody out." Still, people remained there. Then the instructor gave a note to a third recruit, who developed a Listening Leadership talk by creating a critical convergence. He asked, "What time is it?" "Quarter to twelve," someone answered. The recruit with the note simply shrugged and in the silence, let the idea emerge. "Lunch break!" the recruits called in unison and quickly cleared the room.
Creating a critical convergence establishes and environment in which the Listening Leadership flourishes.
(3) Develop a Leadership Contract. This may be written -- from a few ideas scribbled on a scrap of paper to a more formal typed version calling for your signatures -- or the Contract may simply be an oral agreement, sealed with a handshake. Clearly, it's not a legal instrument -- nor should it embody legalese. It's just a spelling out of the leadership actions you both agree must be taken to accomplish your goal.
Here's the key: The best way to get that agreement is first to have them talk about actions they propose to take. Make sure they describe precise, physical actions. And not just any actions but leadership actions. Discourage them from talking about how they'll be doing tasks. Instead, encourage them to talk about how they'll be taking leadership of those tasks. (There is a big difference in terms of results generated between doing and leading.) Then ask how they need to be supported in those actions. Finally, ask them how those actions should be monitored and evaluated. In getting answers to these questions, you'll be putting together a Leadership Contract by giving a Listening Leadership Talk.
The Leadership Talk is the greatest leadership tool. But the tool has its gradations of effectiveness. Often your talking is not as effective as your audience's talking. When your Leadership Talk comes out of their mouths, not your mouth, you may find you are raising your leadership effectiveness to much higher levels.
2005 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. – and for more than 20 years has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get a free white paper: "49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results," at http://www.actionleadership.com
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SECTION FIVE: NEWS:
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Brent recently gave three seminars in Orange County, California, two with business leaders, one a train the leader session, and for the first time, a life course session: i.e. using the Leadership Talk to help improve relationships. The response was highly positive, resulting in a growing community of Leadership Talk practitioners in Southern California. For more information on Brent's seminars in Orange county and ways to connect with the Southern California community: brent@actionleadership.com
On October 26th, Brent conducted a Webinar for the Distinguished Guest Lecture Series sponsored by the Cardean Learning Group. Email Brent for more information.
Brent's latest leadership books, The Leadership Talk: The Greatest Leadership Tool and 101 Ways To Give Great Leadership Talks, are in bookstores. You can also purchase copies by calling 800-403-5368. Mention this e-zine and you'll receive a free wallet card with the Leadership Talk processes. If you purchase the hardcover book, you'll receive a free copy of Brent's new book, 101 Ways To Give Great Leadership Talks. In addition, you'll be eligible to receive a set of Brent's previously published books at half price.
The Leadership Talk: The Greatest Leadership Tool was a finalist in the "career" category of nonfiction books. The awards ceremony were held at the BookExpo America.
Brent has put together two great systems that will boost your leadership and your leadership communication abilities. One is Brent Filson's The Leadership Talk System: www.theleadershiptalk.com The other is Brent Filson's The CEO Public Speaking System: www.theceopublicspeakingsystem.com
Read Brent's interview conducted by Alistair Craven in ManagementFirst, an international business magazine out of London. http://www.managementfirst.com/management_styles/index.htm
Brent's article, "Are You Sabotaging Your Career?" http://www.actionleadership.com/articles/0018.html has been translated into Chinese and is featured in a recent issue of the Chinese magazine, "Global Sources: Career Sources China." Http://csc.globalsources.com
During the past few months, Brent has been interviewed on more than 125 radio shows – and many more are on the way.
If you are interested in having Brent on your show or at your meeting, go to the Action Leadership website and click on either the "meeting planner" button or the "media room" button.
Meeting planners: If you want a video of Brent's latest session, this time with a group of senior executives at a top global company, contact The Filson Leadership Group.
Brent has a new web page, which will be posted on 11/8/05, exclusively for meeting planners: www.brentfilson.com
Email Brent for a special, downloadable PDF one-pager on how he has gotten results from a variety of top global companies.
Brent has a new web link on the home page, "Seven Minutes With Brent Filson". Let Brent instruct you on a new concept that will immediately improve your leadership effectiveness.
Listen to Brent being interviewed: http://audiomotivation.com/go/brent-filson1204.htm
Brent has a number of new articles up on the internet. You can read the articles at:
http://www.actionleadership.com/articles
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