Age of Radical Thinking With Heart And Soul

"I think a major act of leadership right now, call it a radical act, is to create the places and processes so people can actually learn together, using our experiences." ~Margaret J. Wheatley

We stand in the midst of radical social change because radical thinking servant leaders with the expertise and wisdom empowered with heart and soul are standing up, speaking out and leading others to learn and work together to create solutions only dreamed by prior generations.

A smart leader today is both a radical thinker and a servant. Because these are times when leaders are thinking like and learning from the likes of George Washington when he recognized that The People were declaring it was time for change.

Washington recognized the influence the pamphlet Common Sense by Thomas Paine was having on colonials, when he said, "I find Common Sense is working a powerful change in the minds of many men." And, John Adams wrote, “Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain.”

Smart leaders are tuned to the needs and will of the People and find the ways to harness that energy into a direction for doing good and making big things happen. These leaders create the opportunities for people who want to participate in creating a better life for themselves and their progeny. It is clear that today, through social media People are writing, blogging and commenting on how they want to be a part of making changes in their local schools, communities and government. Smart leaders are hearing and answering these calls. 

These radical thinking leaders are accomplished with a deep passion to make a difference. Most will tell you they have been 'called' into that of a serving leader. Their eyes have been opened to see a need, which has become glued to their hearts so deeply that each beat resounds deeply into their soul with a compelling desire to experience individuals, families, businesses, agencies and communities being transformed. Any leader who chooses to be less than radical about serving those who work with them will soon find they have few, if any, followers. 

Who are these radically thinking servant leaders? 

Character: Their character is the cornerstone of who they are. Only those leaders who have had their character tested by fire, no longer smell like smoke and have developed the capacity to deal with uncertainty and manage change will thrive in today's rapidly changing environment.

Valued Relationships: You will know these leaders by how they speak about, respect and revere each relationship. They value their relationships not for what others can do for them, but for how blessed they feel for being associated and knowing people who inspire these radically thinking leaders to become better servant leaders.

Wisdom: Radically thinking leaders demonstrate their wisdom in the midst of chaos and change. Their agenda becomes to authentically serve the People. They actively listen with the intent to not seek compromise in the squall of diversity, but look for how that diversity empowers the process to reveal and release an entirely new possibility that is both inspiring and compelling for all involved.

Influence: Influence is not something one can just do. It is bestowed upon the leader in that a leader's quality of influence is recognized by the people who associate with the leader. Influence is the capstone of leadership, which clearly signals the vibrancy, stability and sustainability of the leader's cornerstone of character. Their character is revealed in the answers to these questions.

• Who are they in the quiet of their homes?
• What will their family and best friends truthfully say about them to others?
• What truths will be revealed when the leader is gone? 

Radically Big Thinking is relative to a leader's location, level of accomplishment, desire to make a difference and willingness to serve. A radically big thinking leader may be the one who leads others to stop the bullies in the schoolyard and workplace or those who lead profit or nonprofit organizations. No matter the place, time or numbers, the true test of a radically thinking leader will be recognized by the impact on the people involved. 

• Are people growing and developing? 
• Do they have a better life from being served? 
• Are they doing as has been done for them - are they now serving others?

This infographic is like a roadmap to encourage you to find where you are in the context of being a radically thinking servant leader and empower you to focus on the attitudes, behaviors and skills that form the character of an authentic servant leader.

Choose to be a radically thinking leader and only follow radically thinking leaders with good hearts and souls,

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

ZFactor blog explores and discusses a variety of techniques, tools and discoveries by successful people that will assist others to achieve greater personal and professional success. ZFactor is a proprietary coaching methodology based upon the premise that successful people think and act differently. The ZFactor methodology is proven to accelerate a person's ability to think and act differently.

What Do Your Choice Of Words Reveal About Your Leadership?

How much do you pay attention to the words you think, speak and write? Highly capable leaders will be aware of the words they use as they craft the various messages they have to deliver throughout their day.

How much do you pay attention to the little words? For example, I-words, we-words and you-words. Interestingly, these little words can reveal your psychological state and how you view your leadership status in a group of other leaders. 

The little words referred to as 'function words' by James W. Pennebaker, PhD of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin,* may ultimately reveal your genuine thoughts, feelings, motivations and to what degree you connect with your audience. Dr. Pennebaker makes this observation from his research:

"High-status people use we-words and you-words at high rates and use I-words at low rates. In fact, this same pattern emerges when people are chatting with each other on the Internet."**

If you catch yourself in a room of leaders and notice you or someone is saying, "I did this... or I've done this... or this is who I am, etc.." this individual may be nervous about being the room of other leaders and trying to prove something.

The research has also proven this holds true through internet communications, as well. Look back over some of your communications by email or online conversations. If you consider someone to be of higher status than yourself, you might notice you have used more I-words. Likewise, if you are communicating with an employee you most likely have used more we-words and you-words. For fun, look at your LinkedIn invitations you receive and send. Which ones have more I-words?

This just touches on the extent of this interesting research into how language reveals more about us than we know. I tend to think of it as the body-language of language. The little words can reveal more about us than all the nouns, verbs, names, adverbs, etc... we put our primary focus.

This knowledge can help leaders to more quickly understand themselves and the people they work with. And, most importantly, be another tool in your coaching-mentoring development toolkit.

I highly encourage you to learn more from the website and book [links below].

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

ZFactor blog explores and discusses a variety of techniques, tools and discoveries by successful people that will assist others to achieve greater personal and professional success. ZFactor is a proprietary coaching methodology based upon the premise that successful people think and act differently. The ZFactor methodology is proven to accelerate a person's ability to think and act differently.

* The Secret Life of Pronouns [website]
** Pennebaker, James W. (2011-08-23). The Secret Life of Pronouns (p. 182). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. [book link]

Your Blog Can Predict Your Success Or Failure

How you write and the words you use can make a difference and predict your success or failure in achieving your goals. Do you really want to make a change in your life to achieve greater success? How about lose weight, make more money or check an item off your bucket list?

Blog about your personal goals. Not just listing your goals, but write and talk about how you feel whether or not you are achieving your goals.

Cindy K. Chung*, Dept of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, researched bloggers writing styles in reference to losing weight. The research found that bloggers who wrote about their attitudes, feelings and emotions were more successful at losing weight than bloggers who wrote about their food intake.

I know this sounds very counter intuitive, but consider this. Think about the success people have when they fully engage in a mastermind group, roundtable of like minded professionals or Plus Your Life, Google community.

Participants will initially set their goals and then begin discussing their practices, disciplines and emotions relative to the process of achieving those goals. Apparently, the research shows that people who do this in their blogs are more successful in achieving their goals.

If you are really serious about achieving your goals, stop making daily lists of what you are doing and start writing about your feelings and emotions about it. Better yet, write about it and talk about it with your friends. And, the more frequent you do it, the faster you achieve your desired results.

Funny story: My wife used to weigh herself every morning. The scale was next to the breakfast table where our youngest son, then age 5 (now 19), had observed his Mother doing this. One morning, he asks, "Mom, why do you weigh your feet every day?" After that, it became less important to weigh herself everyday and she moved the scale back to our bathroom.


* Cindy's research is based upon the research by James W. Pennebaker, PhD of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

• Cindy Chung research overview [pdf]
• James W. Pennebaker, The Secret Life of Pronouns [website] [book]

Keep on blogging what you really think about achieving your goals, 

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

ZFactor blog explores and discusses a variety of techniques, tools and discoveries by successful people that will assist others to achieve greater personal and professional success. ZFactor is a proprietary coaching methodology based upon the premise that successful people think and act differently. The ZFactor methodology is proven to accelerate a person's ability to think and act differently.

4 Most Common Behaviors Of Ineffective Leaders

For a servant leader this INC article is good reading to do a checkup and refinement. For an ineffective leader who masquerades, as an effective leader, this should be a wake-up call.

Authentic servant leaders will take a moment to think through these behaviors while the ineffective leader probably isn't reading the article in the first place.

In this article by Les McKeown, his experience with ineffective CEOs reveals these behaviors:

1. The weaker the leader, the more they know.
2. The busier the leader, they don't spend quality time thinking strategically.
3. Their general perception of others is negative.
4. The weak leader is either in the room and dominating the conversation or they aren't in the room.

What I enjoy about articles like this is it appears in a publication that has many readers who are not in the leadership role. For them, it gives them a way to measure whether they are working with an ineffective or effective leader. 

That is important for continually learning servant leaders because it confirms that not only are you being watched, followers are learning how to measure your leadership.

Think about it.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

Purpose-Driven vs Results-Driven Leadership

I have just launched a new Google+ Community on the topic of Servant Leadership. Please check it out. All are invited. This blog provides some background for the Community as to the tag line for the community 'Purpose-Driven Leadership'.

The xy graph below, which is called a ZMap, is an infographic that presents how two primary concepts, when viewed with a 'Both/And' thinking perspective will reveal and release new possibilities and untapped potential. The two concepts in the ZMap below are 'Leadership Competencies' and 'Servant-Focus'. This shows how a Purpose-Driven leader should strive to maintain both Leadership Competencies and Servant-Focus thoughts, at the same time. The ZMap can act like a 'one page book' for helping a leader think though all the various situations and challenges they face in their leadership role.

I have found when a ZMap is presented to someone, it provides a framework for a more engaging and synergistic conversation. Two or more people can quickly get on the same page and begin to create new alternatives. Likewise, for an individual, they will find themselves thinking through different scenarios and situations much differently than if they considered the two concepts to be separated from the other. 

Thinking things are separated is called 'Either/Or' thinking. This is when the individual says a leader can either be a results-driven leader or a purpose-driven leader. They cannot be both at the same time. The 'Either/Or' thinker severely limits new possibilities for personal and professional growth. Who do you know who thinks like this? Often their comments may sound like "it is either black or white. There is no gray or in between." 'Either/Or' statements and thinking can kill any chance for an innovative process to create new possibilities.

Take a moment to notice your thoughts. Which thinking style are you using? Also, notice in your next conversation with someone. Are they making 'Either/Or' or 'Both/And' comments?

Purpose-Driven versus Results-Driven Leadership

'Both/And' thinking is an essential skill for a purpose-driven leader. Yet, a leader without clarity as to their purpose is like a ship without a rudder and the ship is full of people for which the leader is responsible. Because the leader has no clear direction or purpose, they are prone to 'Either/Or' thinking. This is obviously not in the best interests of the people on the ship. The leader is likely to toss the person, who knows how to build a rudder, off the ship due to some emotional whim by the leader. 

A results-driven leader in most organizations can get by without a clear purpose based upon their performance, as long as things are going well. The moment things start to go wrong, which at some point something goes wrong, a leader without a purpose is only operating with half the ZMap, below. They have only their leadership skills and capabilities and they have limited capacity for dealing with change and uncertainty.

A leader without a clear purpose depends upon performance. You could say they are 'results-driven' instead of 'purpose-driven'. Without a purpose, this leader sits on a two-legged stool. It requires much more work by the leader to keep everything in balance. Thus, when something gets too heavy on one side, the leader and all topple over. You know this type of leader. As long as things are working well, it appears as if the leader can do it all. They amaze everyone with their skills of balancing on the two-legged stool and juggling a dozen balls. When this leader starts to topple, the ship sinks fast.

The purpose-driven leader can also be results-driven because they operate with the whole ZMap. They sit upon a four-legged chair. They have much more stability, flexibility and capacity to deal with all the uncertainty when things go wrong. They have the time to assess the situation and adapt by making appropriate changes in people and resources to deal with the challenges. The purpose-driven leader has both capabilities and the capacity. 

Over the past three years, during the economic crisis, we have seen many of each type of leader. I'll assert the leaders left standing had clarity about their purpose or they figured it out very quickly. And, the results-driven leaders are in recovery and hopefully they are figuring out how to become a purpose-driven leader.

Are You a Results-Driven or Purpose-Driven Leader?

Look at the ZMap and think about which quadrant best describes who you are and where you are in your leadership role. Think of this ZMap like a roadmap and this quick self-assessment helps you plot where you are. When you know where you are on a roadmap, it becomes much easier to start planning your journey to get to where you want to be.

You can use a ranking from 1 to 6, where '1' is you have just started developing and '6' is you are highly experienced and have mastered the quadrant. Rank yourself for each quadrant.

1. Practices and Disciplines: How consistent is your attitude,emotions and behaviors? Do these establish solid and highly productive habits for you?
2. People and Principles: How would you rank your ability to maintain a focus on the needs of others? Include in this rank your clarity for your personal core values and how consistent you model your values and principles in all your relationships. How often do your principles act as a guide or compass for your leadership decisions?
3. Process and Performance: Rank the consistency of the organization's processes and the sustainability of performance. Are processes clearly identified and defined such that they produce consistent, predictable results?
4. Purpose-Driven Leader: Rank the level of positive impact and influence you have on the growth and development of others and making a difference. Are people, the community and world better off because of your leadership? How well defined is your purpose or calling? How consistent do you model and express your purpose in your daily life and leadership practices?

Score:

• 4-8      Practices and Disciplines
• 9-12    People and Principles
• 13-20  Process and Performance
• 21-24  Purpose-Driven Leader

It makes no difference which quadrant you find yourself. Remember, it is like a roadmap. Knowing where you are makes it easy to set the course for the next part of your journey. The important thing is to be honest with yourself and be determined to make the changes to make yourself a better Purpose-Driven leader.

More information will be coming in future blogs and any feedback or comments are always welcomed.

The Purpose-Driven Leader ZMap:

This is just one of the ZMaps we have developed. We have hundreds of these, all tailored to specific roles, situations, companies, markets and industries. There are currently three books focused on professionals in Product Sales, Financial Advisory and Insurance sales. Other books are in development that use a similar ZMap process and methodology. You can click here to learn more about the books.

This blog is part of an upcoming book The Servant Leader Framework, which will be available March/April 2013.

Thank you for taking some of your valuable time to read and consider this blog.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing