Categories
General Leadership

Of the Heart and Head

Things of the heart and head. Phillip Kane

August 31, 2018

21 years ago, this week, my first daughter, Caroline, was born. At first, she appeared to be perfect. She was big: 8 pounds, 14 ounces. Her color was ideal. And she could scream like a banshee. But a few hours later, she started to turn blue. We learned that she was born with a very rare heart defect called transposition, and she might die.  That night, she was flown 200 miles in a Citation jet to Ann Arbor, Michigan where she would have a very complicated open-heart surgery. 

During those weeks in Michigan, I learned an awful lot about the human heart. But I also learned about my own heart too.  No doubt, I will share a few of those lessons with you during our time together, but the most important one came at the end, when it occurred to me that we – Caroline, my wife, Annie, and I – had all survived it, mostly unbroken, with the exception of a rather large wound down the chest of my little girl. 

And what I took away from that experience is this: that I had seen the worst that life has to offer, and lived through it. I realized that the things that used to cause me to become agitated, scared, or worried didn’t anymore – because I knew that I was capable of outlasting the most horrible thing I could imagine. I realized that unless an awful boss or customer or situation in my life or work could duplicate what I just lived through, they/it better pack a lunch, or back way up.  I also realized that anger, anxiety, or other negative energy, either directed at me or from me is both unproductive and ineffective. 

And that’s the point for the week.



Things go wrong in life.  Because we are not made to be infallible, humans make mistakes. We aren’t perfect. My own daughter wasn’t made perfectly. I mess things up every day – here at work and at home. People around me don’t always get things right. When others around us let us down, we have a choice: to react poorly, or to respect the dignity of the human being in front of us and work with them to make sure that things are better next time. And when we are on the receiving end of negativity we also have a choice: to first and foremost never give the abuser control of our own perception of ourselves, next to recognize but we are capable of withstanding any petty trial, but most importantly when we err, to recognize our faults, ask forgiveness and work hard to never make the same mistakes twice. 

On our way to building the sort of business we want for our futures here, things are going to go wrong. People will make mistakes. I want people to try things and to fail. But when things go awry, I likewise expect that we always treat people the way we want to be treated. That the leaders here never overreact to setbacks, and that all of us recognize that any difficulty will be temporary on our way to something better.

Pretty much all I ask is that when we mess up, because we will, that we be kind to each other, and that we all work very hard not to repeat the same errors. Because when we do these things we will more often win, for no other reason than we will not waste time on the negativity that most companies invest when mistakes occur.  Because you see, when things go wrong there’s a right way to react. 

So, choose the better way. 

And win.

P.S. As you can see, Chick did just fine in Michigan, thanks to Dr. Edward Bove and hundreds of other beautiful people. She’s 23 now, still the light of my life and a constant reminder to me to see the good in everything.

If you like the blog, you’ll love the book. To purchase a copy of Phillip’s book, The Not So Subtle Art of Caring: Letters on Leadership, from John Hunt Publishing, London, please follow this LINK. “Letters” is based on 85 story-backed lessons Phillip used while leading actual teams to accomplish extraordinary things. It is an outstanding resource for those who wish to commit to becoming the sort of leader that people WANT to follow.

To learn more about Phillip, please click HERE.

Categories
Service

To Lead is to Serve

To lead is to serve. Andwin.net
Civil Rights Photographs of Joseph M. Chapman 1960-68

August 28, 2020

I woke up today thinking about the words of Martin Luther King. See, today, August 28, is the anniversary of MLK’s “Dream” speech, delivered 57 years ago from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  Almost five years later, King gave the last sermon he’d ever preach – at Ebenezer Baptist Church, in Atlanta.  The sermon was titled, “The Drum Major Instinct” and included these words:

“If you want to be great, wonderful.
But recognize that he who is greatest among you 
shall be your servant…
everybody can be great,
because everybody can serve.“

To me, what King was saying was simple. Greatness has nothing to do with wealth, status, or words on a business card; it is solely a function of service to others. 

And that’s the point for the week. 



Greatness is not assumed or claimed.  One cannot say by themselves, “Look at me, I am great.” Greatness has nothing to do with title or trappings. Being rich, or the Vice President or Chief of something doesn’t make one great.  Greatness isn’t a function of education. Having a masters degree or PhD in anything has exactly zero to do with being great in life. 

All of those things guarantee only that anyone who follows you will do so because they have to – even those with the same last name as you. 

True greatness is derived from service. 

Serving others means providing them whatever they need to grow, and to achieve their fullest potential. Sometimes that means having tough conversations, to make them aware of the fact that they’ve let you down – but doing so without destroying their dignity. Most of all, it means purposefully putting oneself in a place subordinate to those we have the privilege to lead – whether at home, at work, or in our communities. 

Those regarded as great will be willingly followed anywhere, without demand or threat. Those regarded as great can expect others to behave the same when they are gone as when they are three feet away. Those regarded as great will be made aware when something goes wrong, instead of having to find messes hidden by anonymous culprits. Those regarded as great will be watched out for by those they lead. Best of all, those regarded as great will win more often, because those behind them understand that when the servant they follow wins, their lives will get better too. 

Tyrants can win through intimidation for a while to be sure. Jerks can use fear to achieve results for a time. The worst of all can promise retaliation to push teams to a finish line. But this false greatness is temporary. It never lasts. Because such awful behavior is always exposed, the oppressed are always liberated, and light always overcomes the dark. 

Anyone can be great. Likewise anyone can be a jerk. It’s a choice. All that is necessary is a loving heart and a dedication to the service of others. When brought to anything, a servant heart will fuel progress, then pace, then winning. And ultimately greatness, and impressions on the lives of those we touch that will last forever. 

So serve others. Be great. 

And win. 

If you like the blog, you’ll love the book. To purchase a copy of Phillip’s book, The Not So Subtle Art of Caring: Letters on Leadership, from John Hunt Publishing, London, please follow this LINK. “Letters” is based on 85 story-backed lessons Phillip used while leading actual teams to accomplish extraordinary things. It is an outstanding resource for those who wish to commit to becoming the sort of leader that people WANT to follow.

To learn more about Phillip, please click HERE.

Categories
General Leadership Perseverance

True leaders are those doing things

True leaders are those doing things. Phillip Kane

August 21, 2020

On the wall in the office at our shop in Baltimore is a sign with a quote from James Baldwin that reads:

 “Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by those doing it.“

I like that sign.  Clichés and sayings that find their ways onto signs, and into books for people to read and be motivated by, end up that way because they are true. I can personally vouch for the truth in this one.  It describes part of the experience in each of the many changes I have helped lead during my career. Saying something can’t be done is just talk – usually by people who have never sold anything, ran anything, or turned a wrench ever in their lives.. Proving whether it can or can’t is the stuff of doing and the people who have the courage to do it.

And that’s the point of the week

Talk is cheap. So are theories and opinions about what will work and what won’t. My personal favorites are: We tried that once. Or, I ran the numbers on that, and the data says it won’t work. Or, my spreadsheet shows something different will happen. Or, that may have worked where you came from, but that will never work here. All of these, and more, are simply defenses from those who can’t do, don’t want to do, have never done, or don’t want to see done by someone else. 

Progress without effort is impossible. Achieving anything requires doing something. In business, At home, or in any community endeavor, standing still, or any other defensive measure, will actually result in moving backwards.  Because as one stands still, the rest of the world, those who actually do things, breeze by. 

But when more and more members of a team join the ranks of the doers, grabbing an oar and pulling on it with force, something fantastic begins to happen. Momentum is achieved. Progress toward the desired destination hastens. Rough water, which before seemed significant, presents little impediment at speed, and a higher plane.

Best of all, the bonds that are built from the practice of doing as a team become nearly unbreakable with time, enabling us to achieve what only weeks before might have seemed unthinkable. All because we did. All because we defied the talkers, the doubters, and the never did one thing in their life crowd. And best of all, because we dared to grab an open oar and yank as if our life depended on it.

Because it did…maybe not the one we’re living today…but the better one we want for tomorrow for sure. 

So be one of the ones doing it. 

And win. 

If you like the blog, you’ll love the book. To purchase a copy of Phillip’s book, The Not So Subtle Art of Caring: Letters on Leadership, from John Hunt Publishing, London, please follow this LINK. “Letters” is based on 85 story-backed lessons Phillip used while leading actual teams to accomplish extraordinary things. It is an outstanding resource for those who wish to commit to becoming the sort of leader that people WANT to follow.

To learn more about Phillip, please click HERE.

Categories
Embracing Change

Love Change

True leaders love change.

August 14, 2020

This week, my oldest daughter Caroline, who is starting her first real job as a school teacher, received details regarding plans for the start of classes. Then things changed. And changed again. For Caroline, who we call Chick, this has been a frustrating series of events. See, humans are naturally averse to change. Change is uncomfortable. But without change, progress or any capability to confront either opportunity or adversity becomes impossible. 

That’s the point for the week. 



The more open to change we are in all aspects of our lives the more we’ll win.  It is no more complicated than that. 

When we avoid change, we miss opportunities to learn and grow – as individuals and as teams.  We also say by our actions, whether we mean to or not, that we are more interested in our own feelings than the success of the team.  We erode trust and stifle progress. 

Life will present us with myriad opportunities to change…or not. To try things that seem scary. To do things we don’t particularly enjoy but that need to be done.  Or to sit tight, clinging to the falsehood that because we’ve always done things a certain way, it must be the right way. As with any crossroads, it’s a choice – one that ultimately separates winners from everyone else. 

When we choose to accept change, we’ll accelerate the pace of success.  We’ll learn new things that help us accomplish more today and better position us for tomorrow. We’ll experience things that add to the richness of our lives, and we’ll end up, quite often, wondering why we avoided these things in the first place. 

Moreover, we’ll show others, by our own example, that there is nothing we won’t do or try, and that there’s not one thing we’d ask them to do that we aren’t willing to do ourselves.  Such is the heart of the golden rule.  Such is, quite simply, what being a leader is all about.

Maybe most importantly, through the process of change, you’ll find that what gets changed are things those around you already knew needed changing. By finally addressing the things they’ve been waiting to be fixed, you will not only move your business forward, but you will add the glue of respect to the bond between you and others, enabling you, together, to achieve more than you ever dreamed was possible. 

So be open to change. Try new things. 

And win.

If you like the blog, you’ll love the book. To purchase a copy of Phillip’s book, The Not So Subtle Art of Caring: Letters on Leadership, from John Hunt Publishing, London, please follow this LINK. “Letters” is based on 85 story-backed lessons Phillip used while leading actual teams to accomplish extraordinary things. It is an outstanding resource for those who wish to commit to becoming the sort of leader that people WANT to follow.

To learn more about Phillip, please click HERE.