Episode 3: Discerning

In this Forethought lightning podcast episode we take 4 minutes and discuss 1 thought. Today we talk about discerning what matters to you. And building trust in others.

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I’ve written about it before and I’ve talked about it before, but I don’t think I’ve ever done so in relationship to being a good leader. So that’s our lightning fast podcast topic for today! Are you busy, busy, busy…doing nothing? Great leaders make the most of their time. Of course just like anyone else they lose time on things and they don’t always make the right judgement call on a particular task or project. But as the great quotable Deadpool says 4 or 5 moments are all that define a hero. In this case though great leaders make the most of their time, most of the time. Great leaders realize that just being busy is not the same as being productive. There’s an old quote by Mary O’Connor I’ve shared before on my blog which says, “It’s not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.” This the fundamental truth we heard in the song at the beginning and in this quote. Why you are busy is what matters.

Bravery is an interesting trait in a leader. Many times in the past people would associate bravery with fearlessness. Thankfully we’re seeing a shift in thinking in recent years in this regard. There is a growing recognition that bravery is the acknowledgement and appropriate response to fear. But what does bravery look like? I’m glad you asked. Bravery in leadership can be exhibited in a number of different ways. Here are a few of the most common ways a great leader exhibits bravery. Great leaders exhibit bravery by standing up for what they believe regardless of the consequences. Great leaders recognize bravery means accepting damaging things and dealing with them instead of running from them. Great leaders demonstrate bravery through consistency. That’s an odd one right? But it ties in with the first, bravery means continually standing up for what they believe in. Day in, day out. Great leaders show bravery in the face of fear. They take their fears and put them in their proper

Great leaders recognize the importance of a strong foundation. They understand this foundation is a basis by which they think, live, and work. Without a strong foundation when the stress of the job comes they will stumble, fall, or give up. What does a strong foundation mean? What does it look like? Here are 3 principles I believe you can find in the foundation of every great leader: Great leaders have built a strong network of trusted friends, and allies. Great leaders have identified ways to handle stress before they are experiencing it. Great leaders have created a realistic plan for what they expect to achieve.

The idea of perfection is a tricky one for leaders especially. Leaders want to strive for perfection but not at all costs. There comes a point where goal of perfection can stand in the way of progress. Rather than perfection, I'd suggest great leaders recognize the pursuit of excellence. And that's worth noting, the pursuit of excellence and perfection are different things. The difference lies in the focus. Perfection focuses on how things look and what others see. Excellence focuses on why things look a certain way or why a task is done. You've heard me talk many times before about starting with why. Even in this we should recognize striving for excellence comes before striving for perfection. Waiting for perfection before releasing (in the case of software), or not accepting anything other than perfection (in general) is a dangerous mindset. Great leaders recognize the constant pull of perfection but rather focus on the pursuit of excellence instead.

There's a very fine line between celebrating and boasting. I can't remember where I first saw the discussion, but the topic centered around one of the loudest mouths in history, the unmatched, unforgettable Mohammad Ali. I've written about him on my blog and there are many, many positive lessons we can draw from his example (confidence, strength, courage, self-worth just to name a few). But one aspect of Mohammad Ali which I would doubt anyone could contradict was his celebrating. In fact, I would venture so far as to suggest his celebrating was actually something a bit more than simple excitement over success. He was boastful. He bragged on himself. This brings me to my 4 minute thought for today. Great leaders celebrate. Great leaders don't boast. What's the difference? I'm glad you asked (or at least thought the question...)

Great leaders care about others. They don't focus only on solving their own problems or finding the solutions their business alone needs. Great leaders seek to raise other people up and draw attention to their needs and situations as well. Great leaders find ways to help solve their problems and issues. Sometimes this is through their business, but many times this is as simple as advocating for others and raising awareness to their needs. A great leader is able to recognize the stage and audience they have and then use that audience to serve a greater good. Leaders advocate for others. Taylor Swift is a great example of this. She's always been a strong a advocate for others in the music business. She uses her noteriety and fame to raise awareness and advocate for artists and musicians everywhere. When Apple made a strong move to offer a service which would harm many new, undiscovered, and struggling musicians she wrote the following...

Each week I undertake a bit of a historical deep dive into the life of someone I would consider a Thinker. These thinkers are often leaders as you might imagine. You will of course agree with me that not every great thinker is a leader, there are differences and the relationship is not a bi-directional equivalency. The reverse though I believe is quite often true. Great leaders are often thinkers. I focused this week on an individual who may not be immediately recognized as a leader but I think even in this we do him an injustice. John Mauchly was a leader in a very important way and exhibited a leadership trait which I believe we would do well to learn from and understand better. Great leaders understand the importance of helping others find success. They recognize their position and knowledge can be used to influence others. - Great leaders show discretion in how they share their opinions and ideas. - Great leaders use their position and knowledge to benefit others. - Great leaders

To quote the infamous character created by the U.S. Forestry service, Only YOU can prevent forest fires. This was the marketing message and strongly endorsed outreach effort created In the longest-running public service advertising campaign in the United States history. Smokey Bear, was eventually protected by U.S. federal law, the Smokey Bear Act of 1952 and continues even today to serve as an instantly recognizable marketing campaign. In fact, According to the Ad Council, 80% of outdoor recreationists correctly identified Smokey Bear's image and 8 in 10 recognized the campaign Public Service Announcements. But this is a 4 minute podcast about leaders. So, a slight modification of the quote might yield a rough paraphrase, "Only great leaders can prevent fires." Putting out virtual fires in the company (or community) is often an unrecognized quality of a great leader.