We celebrated the International Day of Human Space Flight on Tuesday, acknowledging the beginning of the space era for mankind, with Yuri Gagarin, 61 years ago this week.
Some celebrated and some didn’t as the Space Race intensified in April 1961.
John F. Kennedy immediately fired off a letter to his vice-president, Lyndon Johnson, demanding to know if the USA was giving its maximum effort. The Soviet Union’s early successes in the Space Race were becoming an embarrassment to a new and young administration that was still unproven in the eyes of many.
“We are neither making the maximum effort nor achieving results necessary if this country is to reach a position of leadership,” Johnson said in his reply dated six days later.
Kennedy’s clear demands and Johnson’s authentic response are characteristic of resilient relationships, a signature strength that I help leadership teams practice and then replicate throughout their organization. If you cannot get the unspoken spoken and speak honestly about what is not working you will never create a high-performance culture in your organization.
Kennedy and Johnson were able to inspire and engage thousands of people required to put a dozen people on the moon; and do so within the same decade that had started so dismally.
As you look forward to the transformation opportunities in front of you, do not get distracted by the complicated terminology of change, fears, and being politically correct.
Share what you think and listen respectfully when you discuss uncomfortable hot topics. When you and those around you take ownership for creating resilient relationships, there are no limits to what you can accomplish.
Successful change and transformation start with resilient relationships, which enable us to go to the moon, and beyond.
Enjoy your April news2use.
Regards,
Dan
“Relevant & pragmatic ideas, tools and insights to play at your best.”
For You
The art of personal reinvention comes down to asking better questions about yourself, where you want to go and why you want to go there while being honest with yourself.
We all have the capacity to do this, however, fear and self-doubt derail many before they get a running start.
Reinvention is making big decisions about fundamental areas of one’s life. And when you’re doing that, it’s critical to clarify and define your fears. Most of the time, it is the undefined, abstract fear that is preventing action, and then also having weak or vague goals.
If you choose weak goals, you’re going to quit when you hit the first set of obstacles. You need a goal that is going to drive you through those walls when they pop up.
To overcome self-doubt, try this fear-mapping exercise.
Put whatever your concern is at the top of the page.
Draw three columns.
In the first column, spell out the worst-case scenario(s) resulting from your concern.
In the second column, write out what you could do to minimize the likelihood of damage.
In the third column, write down the things that could be done to repair the situation if it goes badly.
After this exercise, many see that their worst fears are often not really as troublesome as they thought.
For You & Your Team
How are you helping others to make mistakes and learn quickly from them, transforming mistakes into learning moments?
I thought about the lessons from Chao-chou, who lived during the golden age of Zen in T’ang dynasty China. Towards the end of his life, he set out on a twenty-year learning pilgrimage with the following ambition:
“If I meet a hundred-year-old man and I have something to teach him, I will teach.
If I meet an eight-year-old boy and he has something to teach me, I will learn.”
An attractive and compelling mission. Chao-chou would certainly have no problem finding followers today.
Our attitude and actions around learning define our leadership brand and our ability to create followers.
How does your leadership brand describe how you embrace and encourage making mistakes, learning and teaching others?
For You, Your Team & Your Business
Has your strategy gone into a stall? Did you come out of the gates with a big bang and now you and your team struggle to make the strategic impact you intended to when you created your strategy?
There are many reasons why your strategy might stall, in this recent episode of Norenberg’s Ninety Seconds, I share three “strategy stallers” and how you can overcome them.
People, Places & Technology
Would becoming a more Strategic Leader be a breakthrough for you and your business?
If anyone has ever suggested that you become more strategic, or strategic competence is highly desired in your organization, consider getting involved in this open learning program to take place in Munich. Click on the strategic leader link above and take ownership for your growth as a strategic leader.
There is an interesting partner option if you know someone else that wants to grow their strategic leadership skills as well. I’m looking forward to this exciting breakthrough learning experience and I hope you will join me.
Thought for the
“I can never stand still.
I must explore and experiment.
I am never satisfied with my work.
I resent the limitations
of my own imagination.”
-Walt Disney