Due to
my affiliation with the John Maxwell team, I have access to powerful content.
One involves a video lesson John was teaching called “Leadership Off the Wall”.
Essentially he was referring to the pictures, books, items, etc. that he
notices every time he walks into the office of some of the world’s top leaders
in business and government. This got me thinking out loud about what our own
offices, homes, etc. say about us as leaders.
Theorist
and author Edgar Schein is an authority on organizational culture. He
stipulates that one of the defining levels of an organization’s culture are its
artifacts. In other words those logos, mission statements, publications, etc.
that an organization puts on display. So what does your work space say about
you? What is there that offers a glimpse of what you value, how you lead
others, or what is important to you?
Here
are some examples that I have seen or read about:
President
Harry Truman had a sign on his desk stating “The buck stops here” which was his
way of saying that the Office of the President should never defer a decision or
leave a problem for the next administration.
A
childhood friend of mine had a mural professionally painted in his garage next
to the home’s interior entrance. It stated things that they stood for as a
family like “we do fun, we do forgiveness, we do tough love”, etc. What a great
reminder for his family that they see at the start and end of each day!
Author,
speaker, and Pastor Andy Stanley keeps a simple index card on his desk that
asks three core questions.
What
are we doing?
Why
are we doing it?
How do
I fit in?
The
point is he uses this card to keep his organization focused on its primary
mission.
I have
a former supervisor who keeps a simple cardboard sign under his desk pad that
has the word “IMPACT” written on it. He has had it there for the 27 years he
has been with the same organization and it is both a reminder and a challenge
for him to make a positive impact on people every day.
In my
own office you will find lots of leadership books from many authors and a stack
on the floor that still needs to be read! Pictures of former students and staff
that I value highly are there as well. Perhaps the most important “artifact” is
a copy of a PowerPoint slide that asks “Are you making things better for those
that follow you?” I place it right by my door so that every time I walk out, it
is a reminder to focus on people versus things.
Again,
these are just examples of what you have in your work space allows you to
demonstrate to others what you value and what they can learn from you.
Motivational posters, pictures of your family and friends, awards and
recognitions, etc. will all point visitors to your “true north” in terms of
what you value. So take a look. What could you add or replace that will make a
good reminder of why you do what you do? The thing to remember that whether we
are speaking or not, we are ALWAYS Leading Out Loud!
As
always if I can help you and
the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would
invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the
training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a
bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your
contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring
initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical
in order to add value to your organization!
Yours in Leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant –
Out Loud Strategies
Independent Coach,
Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email = bill@outloudinc.com
Visit our website
at: www.outloudinc.com
Feel free to “LIKE” our
FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc
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