Lee Ellis's Blog, page 128
November 19, 2020
The 50th Anniversary of the Son Tay Raid – A Lesson in Leadership
November 21, 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Son Tay Raid where servicemen from Army, Air Force, and Navy coordinated one of the most well-executed rescue missions for Vietnam POWs. Even though the mission was not successful (there was no one in the POW camp when they arrived), it is still regarded as one of the most important military moments in history.
Col Lee Ellis, USAF Ret and former Vietnam POW, recounts his experience during that time as well as commemorating this special anniversary – please watch
In celebration of this historical event, the brand new book, Who Will Go: Into the Son Tay POW Camp, is a 360-page retrospective that [image error]includes 90 photos and uplifting stories of the Raid by 40 of the Raiders, participants, and POWs, written in their own words for this book.
From a personal perspective, the author explains his experience from Special Forces training, to the mission, to returning home. So many of the Son Tay Raid Association members are in the book.
Purchase Your Copy on the Son Tay Raid website.
You can also listen to the interview about this extraordinary from a raider and POW perspective. Listen on the Ready for Takeoff Podcast.
The post The 50th Anniversary of the Son Tay Raid – A Lesson in Leadership appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
Quick Advice on How Leaders Can Loosen Up and Tighten Up
This “loose-tight” leadership principle isn’t necessarily a new concept, as it’s always been crucial to great leadership. This paradoxical approach seems contradictory, but it’s something that all honorable leaders must conquer.
Tighten Up to Perform
You may have realized that you’re more talented in some areas than in others. We do our best work when we employ our best natural talents and strengths. The appropriate analogy when this scenario happens is “swimming downstream.” Because our best natural talents are strong and easier to develop, we can more easily move from a six to a ten on the success scale. We see this example in athletes, singers, executive assistants, sales reps, speakers, analysts, engineers, customer service reps and literally every other field. When we and our teams are swimming downstream and loving our work, it can be fun and it’s the best road to success.
Loosen Up to Adapt
The best leaders learn that using their own personal talents and strengths isn’t enough, so they must loosen up their mindset and empower others. By making that adaptation, they can recognize, inspire, and exploit the myriad of talents embedded in their people.
The Conclusion
How do I personally need to adapt to more comfortably operate with a loose-tight mindset? Generally, it’s not by tightening our focus to personally solve the problem from our perspective with our own best talents. More often it’s going to come from identifying and empowering the enormous talents that are ready and waiting in our people.
Please also post your advice in the comments section below.
Also, read the entire article on this topic – “The Loose-Tight Leadership Mindset: Why It May Be Just What You Need”
The Primer for Learning How to Manage Differences
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Every human is unique — and the best leaders know why this might be an advantage. Learn how embracing different talents and abilities, both our own and those of others, can lead to more effective leadership and success.
Grounded in statistical research and supported by data from millions of clients and more than 45 years of workplace experience, Lee Ellis and Hugh Massie reveal their personal stories and experience on how they’ve successfully helped organizations achieve their goals by applying practical insights on human design.
Get Your Copy
Additional discount available for bulk orders.
“…There are few that have made significant strides on making ‘knowing yourself’ operational and real as Lee and Hugh have in this marvelous book. Reading this book is a compelling adventure. If you follow the path, you will change for the better!” – Richard Boyatzis, Co-author of the international best seller, Primal Leadership and the new Helping People Change
“This is the book that I have longed for during my decades in managing talent. Having seen the positive impact of DNA Behavior on my teams, this is a must-read for leaders who desire to build strong teams by accelerating natural talents in an authentic and lasting way.” – Belva White, CPA, MBA, Vice President for Finance & Treasury, Emory University
The post Quick Advice on How Leaders Can Loosen Up and Tighten Up appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
November 18, 2020
Guest Panel Webinar Invitation on December 1st – Join Us!
Relying on your best behavioral strengths and talents is still not enough for the success-focused leader. What’s the next step? It’s learning how to manage your gaps and struggles to be more well-rounded as a leader.
In this new live webinar event with Hugh Massie and Lee Ellis, we have two guest panelists to offer their advice and experience on what and how to balance your leadership “in the moment” –
Raellyn Kovich is an executive and team development coach and owner of Kovich Strategies.
USAF General (Ret) Robin Rand currently serves as CEO of the Gary Sinise Foundation after serving active duty in the United States Air Force for over 40 years.
You do not want to miss the complimentary online event with these experts–register here for this free online event.
*Can’t attend that day? Register and receive the complimentary on-demand recording.
The post Guest Panel Webinar Invitation on December 1st – Join Us! appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
Infographic – How to Build a Culture of Courageous Accountability
Free Infographic! A lack of positive accountability in personal and work relationships can be catastrophic for all involved. Want to know the 5 primary obstacles to accountability? This practical tool shows the lack of accountability, the obstacles, the 4C’s of making accountability a regular part of honorable leadership.
Check out it and post your comments and experience too – thank you
The post Infographic – How to Build a Culture of Courageous Accountability appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
November 17, 2020
Gift-Giving Offer – Buy Together and Save 30% Off
Purchase these award-winning books by Lee Ellis in one package.
Leading with Honor is the 2012 release outlining the 14 leadership lessons learned in the POW camps of Vietnam. Engage with honor is the 2016 release that applies many of the original leadership lessons into a practical Courageous Accountability Model.
Purchase in the Leading with Honor Store
The post Gift-Giving Offer – Buy Together and Save 30% Off appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
November 16, 2020
Coaching Clip: Learning the Loose-Tight Method of Leadership
Knowing and using your behavioral talents and strengths isn’t enough anymore. Innovative leaders must understand this method of thinking and leading to grow.
Watch my 6-minute coaching clip this month to see how to build the courage to adopt this mindset with your team or organization.
(video won’t play? Watch it here.)
Also, read the entire article on this topic – “The Loose-Tight Leadership Mindset: Why It May Be Just What You Need”
The post Coaching Clip: Learning the Loose-Tight Method of Leadership appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
November 15, 2020
Today in Leadership History for November 15th
On this day in leadership history in 1806, explorer Zebulon Pike spotted the mountaintop that became known as Pikes Peak. What’s the leadership lesson? As an honorable leader, what kind exploration do you build into your schedule? Whether for work or fun, choose to adopt a curious, exploratory mindset!
Pikes Peak – Wikipedia
The post Today in Leadership History for November 15th appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
November 12, 2020
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, November 12, 2020
“One of the most important leadership lessons is realizing that you’re not the most important or the most intelligent person in the room.” – Mario Batali
The post Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, November 12, 2020 appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
November 11, 2020
Coaching Article – The Loose-Tight Leadership Mindset
How many times have you heard from others in 2020, “You need to adapt”? If there ever was a time during which we’ve had to adapt, it’s been this year! Let’s continue talking about it but from a different angle that I think you’ll appreciate. The “loose-tight” leadership principle isn’t necessarily a new concept, as it’s always been crucial to great leadership. This paradoxical approach seems contradictory, but it’s something that all honorable leaders must conquer.
Tighten Up to Perform
You may have realized that you’re more talented in some areas than in others. We do our best work when we employ our best natural talents and strengths. The appropriate analogy when this scenario happens is “swimming downstream.” Because our best natural talents are strong and easier to develop, we can more easily move from a six to a ten on the success scale. We see this example in athletes, singers, executive assistants, sales reps, speakers, analysts, engineers, customer service reps and literally every other field. When we and our teams are swimming downstream and loving our work, it can be fun and it’s the best road to success.
But here’s the rub—leadership success is not based solely on what you do well with your best talents. In fact, history is replete with leaders who got in their own way by overusing their natural strengths. In his biography of Churchill, Piers Brendon pointed this out about the young leader –
“’…Churchill’s vices were simply his virtues in exaggerated form. Dash became rashness.’ ‘…His overwhelming faith in himself closed his mind to the opinions of others.’”
“Leadership is about getting the best performance out of others, and that requires a different focus—it’s not what you can do, but what they can do.” [Tweet This]
It’s about energizing others and managing a variety of different people with different talents.
Loosen Up to Adapt
The best leaders learn that using their own personal talents and strengths isn’t enough, so they must loosen up their mindset and empower others. By making that adaptation, they can recognize, inspire, and exploit the myriad of talents embedded in their people.
Watch this month’s Leading with Honor Coaching clip as I share the loose-tight mindset. Be sure and interact by clicking the emoticons and posting your comments –
(Video not playing? Watch it Here.)
This concept is also beautifully illustrated in the new book, The Grit Factor, by Shannon Huffman Polson. Shannon was one of the first women to pilot an Army Apache helicopter gunship. Using interviews with other pioneering women aviators and warriors, Shannon describes what she and many of them had to learn—sometimes the hard way—that good leaders learn to ask questions, listen and pause to reflect with an open mind.
As a young lieutenant commanding an Apache platoon, the idea of asking her experienced Warrant Officers and Sergeants questions would indicate that she was uninformed and inexperienced in key work areas. That perspective brought fear that it would make her look weak. But not asking was going to increase the likelihood of mistakes and that would make her look even worse. She described how she and other women who were crashing the “good old boys” clubs of aviation learned that leaders who ask questions and truly listen make much better decisions and gain the respect of their followers.
The Greatest Leader Attribute
In the last twenty years, we have surveyed thousands of leaders on the qualities of their greatest leader. We assume that all good leaders must have strong character/integrity and they are hard workers, so those qualities are taken off the table. With that as the only ground rule, the most frequent response to the question, “What attribute made your leader a ‘great leader’?” is consistently, “They listened to me.”
“Leaders that ask questions and listening with an open mind isn’t easy and often feels a bit ‘loosey-goosey,’ but it’s a powerful tool that we all need to learn and practice.” [Tweet This]
So here is the challenge for every leader: How do I personally need to adapt to more comfortably operate with a loose-tight mindset? Generally, it’s not by tightening our focus to personally solve the problem from our perspective with our own best talents. More often it’s going to come from identifying and empowering the enormous talents that are ready and waiting in our people.
For the next month, what if we all worked harder to loosen up and courageously ask genuine questions, actively listen and then pause to reflect with an open mind? Based on our research, Shannon Huffman Polson and I would likely predict—the payoff will be big.
LE
Download a free copy of the Courage Challenge Card, and coach yourself on how to stay engaged in conversation.
The Primer for Learning How to Manage Differences
[image error]
Every human is unique — and the best leaders know why this might be an advantage. Learn how embracing different talents and abilities, both our own and those of others, can lead to more effective leadership and success.
Grounded in statistical research and supported by data from millions of clients and more than 45 years of workplace experience, Lee Ellis and Hugh Massie reveal their personal stories and experience on how they’ve successfully helped organizations achieve their goals by applying practical insights on human design.
Get Your Copy
Additional discount available for bulk orders.
“…There are few that have made significant strides on making ‘knowing yourself’ operational and real as Lee and Hugh have in this marvelous book. Reading this book is a compelling adventure. If you follow the path, you will change for the better!” – Richard Boyatzis, Co-author of the international best seller, Primal Leadership and the new Helping People Change
“This is the book that I have longed for during my decades in managing talent. Having seen the positive impact of DNA Behavior on my teams, this is a must-read for leaders who desire to build strong teams by accelerating natural talents in an authentic and lasting way.” – Belva White, CPA, MBA, Vice President for Finance & Treasury, Emory University
The post Coaching Article – The Loose-Tight Leadership Mindset appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
Happy Veterans Day!
Happy Veterans Day from Lee Ellis and Leading with Honor Team!
The post Happy Veterans Day! appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
