Leadership Lesson

from Able Leader, July 2008

by Steve Kaye

Can it be this simple?

We are having lunch on the train, traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles.

And she told me that she had retired from teaching Home Economics in a middle school (6th through 8th grades).

So I asked her, "If you push the content aside, what were you really teaching?"

Her answer applies to all of us, whether we are a CEO or a parent. It was:

1) Maturity

The students have to learn how to be adults. As they move from fifth into sixth grade, they are leaving childhood.

Key point: We live our way into tomorrow. Thus, we must consciously work on growing into the roles that will be expected of us next.

If you are a manager, for example, you must be learning how to think, act, and work like a vice president. This will prepare you for advancement and make you a better manager.

And if you are a parent, you must be the most mature person in your home, instead of just another child.

She said that maturity means many things, such as:

* Doing adult things (such as planning, making decisions, and completing tasks)

* Being responsible for your work

* Being accountable for the quality of your work

Key point: Leaders set the standard for performance in their organizations by what they do. If they work at a high level on difficult, complex, sophisticated tasks, then everyone performs at a higher level.

Similarly, parents determine the success of their children. For example, parents who work on learning, personal growth, and career success, raise children who accomplish more.

2) Acceptance

In a Home Economics class, teams of students work on projects, such as cooking a meal.

And the success of a project requires that each member of the team accept the others.

Key point: Effective leaders realize that people are different and know how they are different. Then they use this knowledge to blend the differences of their team members into a harmonious effort that produces results.

Parents also realize that their children are different, and thus provide each with direction and guidance that is tailored to what will best help the child grow into a successful, independent adult.

3) Behavior

Every system must have rules. And this works best when the rules are simple.

Her rules were:

a. Be on time for class

b. Sit in your seat for attendance

c. Complete the homework on time

d. Follow the directions

e. Respect others

Key point: These rules could apply in any business, organization, or home.

She mentioned that some teachers had over two dozen rules, and others had no rules. In both cases, these teachers had difficulty controlling behavior in their classes.

Key point: Pause here to find your employee manual. How thick is it? (Does your business even have one?) Could you reduce the whole thing to five easy rules like these (e.g., show up on time, stay at your desk, do your work, follow procedures, and respect others)?

Then she told me the keys to her success. They were:

1) She liked the kids. She cared about them. She showed interest in them.

Key point: Effective leaders treat others as human beings.

2) She was consistent.

Key point: Consistency may be your greatest challenge as a leader. You have to apply discipline to make yourself follow your own rules. You have to set a standard for expanding personal excellence that is so good it attracts others to imitate what you are doing.

3) She made it interesting.

Key point: Work has to be more than work. Effective leaders lift work to a higher place so that everyone buys it. Then these leaders get more than attendance; they get dedication. And that's the difference between just muddling along and being significant.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
714-528-1300