Don't Squander This Moment.....

What should we be saying to our teams about race and privilege today? How about beginning with this? “I value and believe in each and every one of you. I believe in your abilities and I believe in our joint capabilities. I will do everything I can to understand the challenges we are facing and I will provide you with the time, space, and support you require to do what you need to do; to find a sense of justice and a deeper sense of peace.”

And then affirm.

We will get through this together. 

There will be difficult days ahead, that much is certain. Each of us at Thoughts2Lead, believe being empathetic, honest, and transparent present the clearest path through these uncertain and difficult times.

This is a moment we cannot squander – it presents us with an opportunity to change who we are, how we see the world, and how we react to it; not just for a moment but through the long arc of our lives. It is our chance to move beyond a history of injustice and oppression. In this moment we have both the opportunity and the moral and political obligation to create the American dream for all. If we honestly believe that all men were created equally, this is our chance make those words a reality for all, if we honestly believe that all men have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, then this is our moment. 

Our team at Thoughts2Lead encourages leaders to begin this journey by truly seeing each team member for who they are; as men and women, and by acknowledging that everyone matters. 

We are encouraging leaders to learn more about injustice and oppression, to learn more about systemic racism and privilege. We are encouraging leaders to develop a deeper understanding of what each team member needs today to fell mentally and physically safe right now, as they support an organization or business. 

With all of the craziness of a world seemingly gone mad: the threat of Corona virus, senseless killings, unhinged politics and the perverse ugliness of some who simply don’t understand. Coupled with the anxiety of the economy, worries about family and friends and personal safety. Leaders must step up in meaningful ways. Leaders must explicitly ask their colleagues and team members what they need to feel and be safe and to be valued in the workplace and beyond. They need to ask what team members need in the workplace if they are going to be successful in their work during these difficult days? 

Do your team members need more information about what is going on in the community? In the industry, or in the workplace? Do they need greater flexibility in how they access the workplace in these difficult times? Do they need time to talk to others in similar situations? Do they require clearer expectations about what is expected and needed in this moment, or just the simple reassurance that you’re in this together and they can count on you.

Written by : Clayton Wilcox (CEO, Thoughts2Lead)

How We Can Become Stronger Together

I was reading a book yesterday, The President’s Devotional by Joshua Dubois and a passage jumped out at me – it was taken from the book of Matthew and it seemed strangely compelling for the days we are living through –

[Jesus said,] “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me.” – Matthew 25:35-40 – (NIV)

It’s easy to get caught up in the politics of the day. It’s easier still to get caught up in our own personal circumstances today. As they say – these are unprecedented times – but are they? If you are really hungry, not just that you missed lunch or dinner – but hungry in the sense that you don’t know where your next meal is coming from – are these unprecedented times? If you don’t have a change of clothes if you don’t have a home or place to rest. If you don’t know anyone as a friend to turn to for help – are these unprecedented times?

Maybe inconvenient times might better describe the times for many of us. 

Please know I am not for one moment dismissing or discounting the suffering and even loss of life for so many of our brothers and sisters. I am only trying to point out that for so many others – life is hard every day. 

 My guess is that if you are reading this – you have it better than most. I think this is the moment for those of us who enjoy such great privilege to ask ourselves if there will ever be a better time to lean in and fix what we are seeing so clearly today through our own experience and discomfort – that for some – the injustice of systemic and institutional biases, greed and our own prejudice has created a perpetual state of living in a pandemic like a certainty for many of our brothers and sisters every day – where hunger is the norm, where unemployment is your reality, where even death is likely to come too quickly because you don’t have access to medical services and the benefits of good food, shelter, and friendship. 

This is a time when leadership matters – when perpetuating the status quo simply isn’t acceptable. When returning to normal isn’t acceptable. We have to become better than before – we have to become more inclusive, more compassionate, and more responsive. We have no excuses. Consider once again the verse from Matthew, with the insert from Clayton – 

“Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink?

When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? (you saw me before, during, and after the Pandemic)

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? (you saw me before, during, and after the Pandemic).

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Did you Have a job or a Career?

When you look back over your career, can you honestly describe it in just a few words? When I read this line to my wife she said, “So have you? How would you describe your career in just a few words?” She sort of stunned me, because while I had stewed over my career – how I treated others, how I had been treated, I had thought long and hard about the places I worked and the colleagues I had worked with and yet I hadn’t simply done what I was asking you to do. So, I did. I decided to write my own short career story and it goes like this. 

I became an educator because I wanted to re-create and build the joyful place that I loved for years, for others. The place that made all my dreams come true. From learning to read and write, to really think and explore, the place that instilled my love of art and athletics and ultimately lead me to find my wife of now over thirty-three years, while teaching science at West Intermediate School in Waterloo, Iowa. I became an assistant principal, principal and district office administrator because I wanted to expand the reach of my dreams and provide those same joyful spaces to larger and larger groups of kids, and the adults privileged to serve them. I became a superintendent of four great school districts for those same reasons – creating great schools and places for kids and adults and some other compelling reasons that began to shape my service and commitment to others – to address a growing literacy problem and racial and address social justice through equitable services to students and their families. I also was privileged to serve as the vice president and later as senior vice president of corporate and government relations with the nation’s most important children’s publishing house because I had come to view literacy as a fundamental way to break down the walls that divide us. During my career I worked with countless great teachers, support personnel and administrators and we improved educational outcomes for kids every day, literally hundreds of thousands of kids who are now better able to lead productive lives, we passed bond issues, we built buildings and improved millions of square feet of school space, we won countless awards, and we supported the dreams and aspirations of so many children, young people and adults through programs, services and personal financial contributions. And perhaps most significantly I helped to raise two beautiful children with Julie, the same women I met at West Intermediate School in Waterloo, Iowa, thirty-vice years ago. And I’m okay with all of that.  My career in 300 words.

 If you haven’t tried up to this point, stop right now and try it. It is not easy, but it is easier than it seems when you leave out millions of important details … smile. Try to speak to where you have been, the steps you took, and why you chose the path that you did followed by a few key accomplishments. 

As you evaluate where you have been, what you did along the way, and why you did what you did – a funny thing begins to happen. You begin to see with great clarity what was and is important to you. Your vision for the future may begin to crystalize allowing you to decide what is next for you in terms of your career. You may decide to continue the same path as before, just in a different place, or you may choose a new path altogether. 

Remember this, my friends: your current situation does not determine your future. Your next steps are just that, next steps. I am encouraging you to step boldly into a new sense of possibility and achievement. I believe each of us is destined for greatness – greatness not in the sense of social standing, holding material possessions, or great worth but greatness in the sense that we have lived a life well. We have become the best version of ourselves that we could possibly be, and in the course of that journey, we have made others better through their association with us. 

Adapted from the new book, Leadership in Crisis by Dr. Clayton Wilcox

Leadership in Crisis

 “Great” leaders seem to be in short supply these days – maybe not short supply really, maybe unrecognized really. It seems like we live in an era when anyone with a platform feels empowered to call themselves a leader through their ability to criticize, to second guess, and to demonize any decision and the person accountable for it without really understanding, experience, or perspective. 

They offer their “leadership” skills simply because they disagree with a decision or for some reason things didn’t work out as the real leaders planned. Rarely a day goes by when someone we believed to be a real leader – someone we thought we knew, someone we trusted suffers a fall from grace – a crisis in leadership.

Traditional media driven by click rates have become more sensational, creating headlines that scream “fire in a crowded theatre” and offer stories which rarely match the glare of the headlines which live on as the story, self-anointed voices of the internet pounce, current and former colleagues and acquaintances weigh in after the fact on the reason behind the fall – most of these commentators offer their with little regard for the leader and oftentimes because they harbor an unspoken issue with the leader in free fall, they care little for the truth or the reality of the situation. Friends and colleagues “ghost” leaders fearing they will get swept up in the firestorm that surrounds an embattled leader.

It’s of little wonder that folks are shying away from positions of real leadership today – the stakes and the consequences of decision making have never been greater – the rush to judgment has never been quicker or crueler.

So maybe it isn’t that there aren’t “great leaders” today or that they are not recognized – maybe it’s that we see them differently. And while seeing leadership and leaders differently might be good in many ways – I think we have to maintain some balance in how far and how quickly we shift our thinking.

 I believe we may have lost something if we fail to recognize that good and great leaders make honest mistakes, they often initially place trust in folks who prove to be untrustworthy, they sometimes misread challenging landscapes or fail to recognize the impact of technologies or events – and in our rush to judgment, we fail to afford them at least a sense of grace and forgiveness. As a lifelong Catholic, I also understand the difference between venial sin and a mortal sin. I get that some sins are more serious than others.

 Two quick observations:

 Many leaders have a mindset and leadership style which disrupts the status quo, not to mention a mandate from owners and the Board of Directors; which doesn’t necessarily engender the types of relationship gravity that binds the leader to people within some organizations.

 More and more today, it seems that changing the leader is less painful and more acceptable than changing the organization and the entrenched powers within. 

Look, leading any organization can be challenging, and oftentimes leaders make decisions based on intuition or information they “knew” to be true at that moment. And sometimes they make decisions based on a good idea not fully formed or thought-through due to circumstances well beyond what might have been expected. I believe we need to stop some of the judgmental madness and think before we leap to judgment about the quality of those decisions – let alone the intention of the leader. 

There are times when failing to fully understand the circumstance, context, or impact of those judgments is more than counterproductive; it’s hurtful to the community, the leaders, and the organization entrusted to them. Maybe it’s time we pause and consider the leader’s full body of work and extend a little grace.

 One could suggest that I am the wrong person to point any of this out, as my own perspective has been colored by recent events in my life. So, let me acknowledge that I come at this as one who was questioned about decisions I made, about my allegiance and trust of colleagues “not from here,” about my own style of leadership and my view of and care for some of my colleagues. 

 I am not wholly innocent; I know I have made mistakes; I know that I placed my trust in some I now know I should not have, and I have not always done what I said I would. I have paid a heavy cost for my real and perceived missteps. My faith in people and some systems have been shaken, my circle of trusted friends and colleagues has been reduced to a tiny fraction of what it once was. 

Yet on balance I know that I made a positive difference in the organizations I have been privileged to lead. I also know that I have never intentionally harmed or mistreated another, and I have strived to build positive work cultures in every one of my leadership stops. I write this because I fear we are in a leadership crisis – where doing your best is not good enough, where a career of positive and thoughtful leadership can be erased over a misstep or error in judgment seemingly overnight. And while there are surely “bad” leaders, I believe we should be concerned with how some are now using the toxic lens of hindsight to second-guess, impugn, and undermine good leaders, even great leaders, who simply have made honest mistakes or are perceived to have done something that doesn’t pass the day’s evolving standards of practice or cultural re-norming.

So, this is written not just to chronicle a personal leadership crisis, but rather to take lessons learned over forty years in the public and private sectors to help new and even veteran leaders navigate the challenges associated with creating change and altering course in our new reality. A reality that is a contradiction in practice - less forgiving of leaders while demanding leaders that forgive, a society that is more judgmental while demanding judgment-free zones and a culture that demands empathy without understanding. I will share personal experiences, the compelling stories of others who disrupted the status quo or caused others to act in ways not initially comfortable but leading to a better place, and I will offer some practical applications for weathering your crisis in leadership – because if you really lead others – you will face a moment that feels like the beginning of the end – a crisis in leadership.

 New Reality

 Today, it seems everyone believes they could have done it better, whether or not they have the skill, tools, or experience to tackle the task. Cynicism and snark are valued by many over the honest effort that falls short. It’s becoming increasingly clear that there are some who will use a momentary lapse in judgment or understanding to tear down an organization or a person who might otherwise have an unblemished, longstanding record of service and support. Critics today weigh in instantly on decisions after the fact - never mind they have no real understanding of the issues at play in many of the real decisions of the day nor have never led an organization making this type of decision before. We seem to be blessed with a new breed of the critic today – the newly elected leader, the activist board member, or new-age journalist (read anyone with a keyboard and a platform) who has no real experience that might provide worthy, honest insight or credibility into the decision. They simply have a “mandate,” an opinion, and a platform  giving them a voice, not to mention because they are not in the arena - the time to offer their version of the “truth.” 

And their “truth” or critique – while sometimes well-intentioned - can honestly just be wrong. They may not have all of the facts and the benefit of the deliberations leading to the decision. Or they can simply be uninformed or misinformed. Their version of the truth can be designed to advance an alternative narrative or to take advantage of the moment or emotion around the incident. Yet, an emotion-driven perspective from someone with voice rather than responsibility often competes for airspace and credibility in an unfiltered and unbridled environment.

Today, there are more and more leadership critics posting comments posing as truth offered publicly to make others look small or to cause damage through misinformation and innuendo. People are being led to connect dots through social and other media to create a narrative that serves an audience rather than the leadership, the truth, or an organization. 

Sadly, this is all too frequently coupled with a growing trend in society, the need to appear to be in the know, to be more relevant than the current position or situation allows a critic to be. This troubling new ethos empowers some users of traditional and non-traditional media to publicly humiliate others – to make leaders look bad, small, or insignificant in order for the commentator or author to grow in his or her own social status as measured by clicks, forwards, and likes. 

In this book, we will consider the new world leaders must navigate. I will share some of my story and the stories of others who have faced potentially defining moments in their leadership careers. I will offer practical tips and insights into leadership strategies that successful leaders and the research supports.  

Leadership in Crisis?

Look, leading of any organization can be hard and often times decision-makers make decisions based on earned intuition or information they believe to be true or ideas they don’t fully understand in the moment. I simply believe we should stop and think before we leap to the judgment about the quality of those decisions – let alone the intention of the leader. 

 There are times when rushing to judgment without fully understanding the context or the impact of those judgments is more than counterproductive – it’s hurtful to both the leader and to the organization entrusted to them. Maybe it’s time we pause – consider the leader’s full body of work, extend a little grace, and get back to the real work needing to be done.

 One might suggest that I am the wrong person to point any of this out, as my own perspective has been colored by recent events in my life. So, let me acknowledge that I come at this as one who was questioned about decisions I made, about my style of leadership and about my view and treatment of those who I worked for and with. 

 I am not wholly innocent, and I have paid a heavy cost for my real and perceived missteps – perhaps disproportionately so but that is a topic for another day and a much longer post. I write this because I am worried that we are in a leadership crisis. And while there are surely “bad” leaders – my concern today is more concerned with the toxic lens others now use in hindsight to second guess, impugn and undermine good people who simply have made a mistake or are perceived to have done something which didn’t pass their understanding of what needed to be done or was actually done.. 

 Today, it seems everyone believes they could have done it better – it feels like we are living in a time when second-guessing, cynicism and snark are valued over any honest effort that falls short. It’s clear to me that there are some who will use a momentary lapse in judgment or understanding to tear down a person who might otherwise have an otherwise unblemished record. Critics weigh in on every decision after the fact - never mind they have never done it before or that they have no experience which provides worthy honest-insight or credibility. They simply have a voice, an opinion, and a platform – and the time to offer their “truth.” 

 And their “truth” perhaps well-intentioned can simply be wrong. It can be uninformed or misinformed. Yet it often competes for airspace and credibility in an unfiltered and unbridled environment. Today, there are more and more instances of comments offered simply to make others look small or do damage through misinformation and innuendo. Where people connect dots to create a narrative that serves them rather than the truth or organization. Sadly; this is all too frequently coupled with a growing trend in society, the need to appear to be in the know, to be more relevant than their current situation allows them to be.  This troubling new ethos empowers some users of traditional and non-traditional media –to publicly humiliate others – to make leaders look bad, small or otherwise ill-intended in order for the author to grow in their own social status measured by clicks and likes.   

 Over the next few months, I will offer thoughts and comments about my journey – the fall from grace and the road to recovery. Each post will have practical tips for leaders in the public or private eye to deftly move through the Crisis of Leadership.