Mark Miller's Blog, page 4

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

Have you ever noticed, the more you look for something, the more you find it? Like when you get a new car – the next week, you see dozens of them. That’s what I’m feeling right now about today’s topic. I’ve been shocked by how many leaders I’m encountering who have low self-awareness.

Self-awareness is huge for leaders. You can argue it’s important for everyone, but for leaders, a gap here may be the determining factor in your ability to lead at all.

How self-aware are you?

An exercise I often a...

Today’s Challenge: You Can’t Lead!

Each Friday, I respond to a question submitted by a leader. The series is called Today’s Challenge. This week’s question comes from a recent event in Birmingham:How do you tell someone they are not a leader – without crushing them?

I have several ideas that may help with this question, but first, I want to relieve you of the anxiety you may be feeling regarding how someone will receive truth. You cannot control, nor should you assume responsibility for, their response. Your role is to share tr...

Golf and Leadership

Today, I had the opportunity to play in a golf event to raise money for a good cause.The course was amazing, the weather was perfect and I was playing with my son. What could be better? The only thing missing was a consistent golf swing.

When I was younger, I played a lot of golf. Then, after my children were born, I played almost none – it was too time-consuming and too expensive. Now, as I’ve gotten older, I’m trying to play more. In part, because of my son’s desire to play. I do love the ga...

What Makes an MVP?

How do you become an MVP? It helps to have amazing statistics. It also doesn’t hurt to be part of a winning team. But I think the truth is more complicated than that. Last week, the NBA named Kevin Durant their MVP for the 2013 – 2014 season. Yes, he had great numbers and his team is in the playoffs, but what makes Kevin a real MVP was revealed in his acceptance speech.

Some are saying Kevin’s speech is one of the greatest sporting speeches of all times. His basketball prowess is featured on t...

Today’s Challenge: Complacency

I love fielding questions. It’s my favorite part of my speaking engagements. I’m always thrilled when the format and timing works out so I can address the audience’s questions. My desire to speak to your issues is why I love the Today’s Challenge series. Today, someone has asked: How do I respond to complacency on my team?

As with most of the questions I receive, this issue can be complicated. However, one thing is for sure – it is the leader’s responsibility to resolve the problem.

First, let’...

When You’re Dead…

I went to a funeral today. When’s the last time you went to one? How did it affect you? Do you ever leave a funeral service with questions? I do. One of my recurring questions is… Did the people who spoke say what the deceased would have wanted them to say?

The answer to my question always depends on one thing – if the person lived their life on purpose, the remarks were likely on target. If the person lived a life devoid of purpose, the deceased may not have been happy with what was said in t...

Don’t Change That!

Last week, I wrote a post asserting that leaders must create change. I stand by that. If you and I can’t create positive change, we won’t be allowed to lead for long. However, there’s another facet of our role. We are also the guardians for what should not change.

Jim Collins wrote about this idea in Built to Last. He used the phrase “Preserve the core and stimulate progress.” He said this is the hallmark of a visionary company.

Although Jim’s statement makes perfect sense, it is often the fail...

Today’s Challenge: Investing in People

In challenging economic times, one of the easiest items to cut from the budget is training and development. The rationale is understandable. Rarely will any organization see immediate negative consequences when training is discontinued. It looks like found money in the budgeting process.

Unfortunately, this logic is flawed. Learning and development is like time-released medication: the benefits are derived over time.

Imagine someone who believes they don’t need to save for retirement. This mont...

Talk is Cheap… Change is Hard

Leaders are paid to create change. Our vision calls for change, the journey is about change, people ultimately have to change – new priorities require new behaviors, the culture often has to change, the success metrics usually have to change, and the leader always has to change, too. Can you orchestrate changes like these?

The discipline of executing change is often referred to as “Change Management.” There are many different approaches and templates to make change happen. Here are a few of my...

People Love a Good Story

As I mentioned in a previous postentitled Why Story Matters, I recently attended the Story Seminar conducted by the legendary Robert McKee. It was fascinating and grueling – Robert taught for 32 hours over a four-day period!

Since I have returned from the event, I’ve gone through my notes several times. I’ve been attempting to sort through pages and pages of amazing content to identify a few ideas that will help leaders be more effective storytellers.

As you craft your next presentation, be sur...