Temptation

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A Leadership Lesson from Ice Cream Cake

July 16, 2010 in Disciplinie, Leadership, Leadership Summit, Temptation, Uncategorized, random by Scott Cochrane | 4 comments

I did something remarkably stupid the other day.

It was so ridiculous I can’t believe I not only did this, but also that I’m about to tell you about it.

I had just completed a 10k run along Okanagan Lake, and returned home feeling great. I went to the freezer to get ice to put in a glass of water and was confronted with a left-over ice cream birthday cake from Dairy Queen.

I ate it. I ate it ALL.

I sat down on my deck, admiring the view of where I had just run, and ate a thick slice of ice cream cake.

As I wiped the last bit of chocolate icing from my chin, it was only then that I paused to consider the absurdity of the situation. Here I had done something reasonably healthy in completing a good run, and had basically nullified its effectiveness by wolfing down a million calories and a boat-load of fat from this ice cream cake.

Now, at the risk of hammering an illustration pretty hard, I think we sometimes do this in our leadership. I’ll call this the Ice Cream Cake Syndrome.

I’ve noticed, for example, that a lot of people attend The Leadership Summit every year, get all fired up about their leadership, but immediately afterwards put their conference binders on the shelf, never to refer to them again. They then plow back in to the grind of daily life.

It’s kinda like eating ice cream cake after a run. By not paying attention to ongoing leadership development, it nullifies a lot of the benefit of the Summit experience itself.

At a recent gathering of our Summit host pastors from across Canada we asked them how they place the Summit in the context of an ongoing leadership development plan. Check out their answers in this 2 minute video and see if it sparks some ideas for you.

What is your plan for ongoing leadership development?

Let me know how you develop your own ongoing leadership development plan and I’ll share these with other leaders. And let’s commit to avoiding the Ice Cream Cake Syndrome!

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The Temptations of “Nice-People Leadership”

November 9, 2009 in Leadership, Temptation by Scott Cochrane | No comments

Nice-people leadership. It almost looks like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?

And let’s be honest, in our culture being labeled as ‘nice’ has become the kiss of leadership death. I can still remember comments on my report cards going back as far as first grade, where my teachers would note, “Scott is very conscientious, and he’s a very nice boy.”

Great. Why not just say, “Scott is destined to a life of obscurity.”

But I’ve since learned that nice people can and do lead with just as much effectiveness as our tough-as-nails counterparts. It’s just that we have to pay particular attention to a few temptations. Here are four temptations of nice leaders.

1. The temptation to avoid hard conversations.

Every leader needs to be able to tackle tough issues with those whom they are leading. Nice leaders need to recognize their aversion to these conversations and compensate by being disciplined and focused.

2. The temptation to avoid clarity.

Nice leaders can be so afraid of hurting someone’s feelings that they’ll shroud their comments in vague euphemisms. Every time you walk away from a conversation ask yourself, “Did I get my message across with crystal clarity?”

3. The temptation to seek popularity over respect.

Can you say ‘Michael Scott’? The branch manager from TV’s ‘The Office’ is the poster child for seeking being ‘liked’ over being respected.

4. The temptation to expect too little from people.

Nice leaders will sometimes lower the bar so low for their people that the organization flounders in a sea of mediocrity. Your people will accomplish more if you set the bar high and show them how to get there.

I’d love to hear from other ‘nice people’ in positions of leadership. What other temptations do you face, and how have you conquered them?

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