Spark: How to Lead Yourself and Others to Greater Success

by Angie Morgan

OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET at FedEx is our culture.

A SPARK IS ALL ABOUT CHANGE.

Sparks are people who recognize that they don’t have to accept what’s given to them. They can do things differently to create the change they’d like to see. Their actions can directly shape their future, and they can make things better.

A Spark is also a moment when you realize that you have the ability to be a part of the solution you seek. You don’t have to wait around for someone to create opport...

They’re the individuals who have the courage to stand up and say, “We don’t have to do things like we’ve always done them. We can do things better.” They then cultivate the fortitude and temperament to lead themselves and others toward the results they seek.

They’re defined by their actions, commitment, and will, not by job titles. They’re the ones who say, “I’ll lead this,” “I’ll take responsibility,” or, “This is tough, but we’ll get it done.” And then they follow through.

The workplace reality is that the rate of change, the emergence of technology, shifting workforce demographics, and industry disruptions have created a VUCA environment: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous.

Long gone are the days when one leader—or a select few leaders—called all the shots.

Organizations need leaders at all levels who will ensure that Sparks—and those with Spark potential—have the ability to create impact.

Becoming a Spark is a choice, and one that begins with rethinking how you respond to the most pressing challenges you’re facing.

Do you submit to them, assuming that you can’t possibly do anything about them? Do you approach them the same way you always have, expecting to get a different result? Or do you take a stance and lead?

Excellence and high performance happen only when everyone on the team—not just a select few—chooses to lead.

most people think of leadership as a title, not as a set of behaviors, so they don’t see themselves as leaders capable of applying leadership to their challenges.

Our world isn’t slowing down. We work in a knowledge economy, and there’s a premium for leaders who can rise above the noise to take on new challenges and drive results.

Although no one can slow the universe down so that everyone can catch up, there is one thing that all of us can do—in fact, must do—to gain control of our circumstances. We must lead.

her breakthrough leadership moment came when she realized that she couldn’t change others but she could change herself in order to improve a relationship with a coworker.

The first step in solving people problems is recognizing that you don’t have to stay on the well-worn path you’re used to, getting the (unsatisfactory) results you’ve always gotten. You can Spark by purposely choosing to change your approach.

the next time you feel like you’re about to act on your instincts, remember to first “stop and wind the clock” before you do.

The first aspect of self-awareness is “what you know and everyone knows” about you. This aspect covers the truths about yourself that you have shared and that have become common knowledge among others.

The next aspect of self-awareness is “what you know and no one knows” about you. These are our secrets, and while we’d never advise you to share all of your secrets at work, there might be key information you haven’t shared that is holding you back from either accessing opportunities or building relationships.

The next aspect is “what you don’t know and no one knows” about you. We consider this quadrant “untapped potential.”

The final aspect of self-awareness is the gold mine: “what you don’t know and everyone else knows” about you.

In summary, on your Spark journey you must: Choose to lead. No one else makes you a leader. You make you a leader. Embrace the struggle within—instead of worrying about what you weren’t born with, build upon what you already have. Focus on responding, not reacting, to the people and events you encounter. Anticipate your blind spots—challenge yourself to gain a full view of your strengths and limitations. Be open to examining your beliefs about your abilities and exploring your hidden talents.

By gaining awareness of what you truly value, you can think and act in ways that allow you to direct your life and have influence over others.

Values can serve as your North Star, guiding you when you’re making some of life’s important decisions

Making choices that are aligned with our most deeply held values can be validating, both personally and professionally. These decisions free you, mentally speaking, to live up to your Spark potential because you’re not distracted by what’s going wrong with your life and trying to fix it. Instead, you’re focused on leveraging and capitalizing on what is actually going right.

No one wants to look back and regret what they didn’t do in critical moments. Living your values is the best way to prevent this from ever happening.

Living your values prevents you from making choices you’ll regret, or even muttering the phrase “If only I had . . .” later in life, because you feel that you did everything you could to fulfill the expectations you had for yourself.

before you lead others, you have to be able to lead yourself. Self-leadership requires that you give yourself direction. It’s creating a pathway where there’s no paved road.

if you know you value honesty, you’ll be the person who speaks truth even when it’s uncomfortable to do so.

In the working world today we emphasize doing, not thinking. We’re all constantly busy, moving so fast that it’s hard to find the time to slow down.

In fact, sometimes it seems like the real world is plotting against you and undermining your efforts to be a Spark.

develop strategies for yourself by slowing down and giving yourself a few breaks in the day so you don’t reach your melting point.

People who live their values exude a quiet confidence—they worry less about what others think and instead focus on being true to themselves.

We grant followership to those people in our organizations we perceive as authentic—that is, the people who aren’t playing politics, who aren’t always trying to say the “right things” to whomever they’re talking to, who aren’t seeking popularity in exchange for their integrity.

MANY OF US PLOW through the day without giving much thought to the impact we have on others.

the four keys to credibility that ensure a high level of performance: Understanding and meeting the standards of others Having a very narrow “say-do gap” Communicating your intent and expectations to others Holding others accountable when they fail to meet standards

What I’ve observed over time is that many professionals, even the most conscientious of the bunch, don’t spend enough time considering the perspectives of key stakeholders.

I challenge you to start uncovering these unspoken standards by paying attention to your environment and inferring what your stakeholders value.

Another important consideration as you discover the critical standards in your environment is that even if meeting some of these expectations feels uncomfortable to you or they don’t quite mesh with what you want to be doing, they remain important to others.

Understanding and meeting the standards of others is the first level of achieving high performance.

Sparks always ensure that they honor every commitment they make throughout the day by following through, because they know what’s at risk if they let their standards slide—their influence.

a Spark wouldn’t go back and try to reset expectations; instead, if you’re a Spark, you make a Herculean effort to follow through on your commitment because your reputation is at stake. Your commitments are critical, and not honoring them should be a true exception to the rule, not the norm.

But leadership isn’t what you expect from others, but what you demonstrate to those around you.

This sometimes requires that managers dial down their efforts to control their teams by telling them what to do and how to do it.

to share the “what” that needs to happen and then leave the “how” up to team members.

This is when you stop yourself and ask, Did I share what success looks like here? Did I establish the right expectations? Chances are good that someone’s poor performance is a result of something you did not do versus something he or she did do.

if you’ve been able to demonstrate all three aspects of high performance that we’ve detailed so far—understanding and meeting the standards of others, having a very narrow say-do gap, communicating intent and expectations—this

The idea, though, is that when you develop the courage to deliver performance-based feedback to your colleagues in a way that inspires them to grow from it, you can effectively influence the trust, candor, and performance of your team.

In the best organizations, everyone knows where they stand. Holding someone accountable is strictly between his or her performance and the expected standard—it’s not about you and that person personally.