Holy Shift
You have a holy shift in your story. It happened when you realized you still had room to grow and more to learn.
Humility and humiliation:
“We learn about humility through humiliation.” Bill Treasurer
Nothing like a “good” failure to compensate for dangerous over-confidence.
You thought you knew, but you didn’t. You thought you could, but you couldn’t. Something happened that humbled you. Bill Treasurer, co-author of The Leadership Killer, believes it’s a pivotal interruption.
Interruption:
Arrogance – apart from interruption – rushes blindly toward oblivion.
Bill taught me how to effectively interrupt people.
- Care for people.
- Build trust with people.
- Help people find clarity and congruence with their values.
- Point out incongruence between values and behaviors.
Bill said, “Hold the mirror up and people interrupt themselves.”
4 ways to practice the holy shift:
- Hold your finger over your lips when someone else is talking.
- Use W.A.I.T. – an acronym for, “Why am I talking?”
- Walk the deck plates. (Capt. Havlik, Ret.) You want to spend time with the bosses, but humility spends time with people who are actually doing the work.
- Appoint a C.E.D. – Chief Ego Deflater. Deputize a person who can hold up the mirror and tell you when you’re full of yourself.
Watch the “nose hair” incident:
Bill’s holy shift tips:
- Watch what happens to you when other people have something good happen to them.
- Honor people who are doing better than you.
- Learn from people who are smarter than you.
- Put yourself in situations where you’re smaller.
- Remember that at the end of the day, we all go into the dirt. Know that you’re frail.
- Honor the work. Don’t rest on past performance.
- Arrogance is about individuals. Confidence knows it’s more about the team.
Practice humility even if you don’t feel it.
How might leaders make the holy shift?
This post is based on my conversation with Bill Treasurer, co-author of The Leadership Killer.
Watch the entire interview on youtube.
The Leadership Killer by Bill Treasurer and Capt Havlik hits the nail on the head and has very much helped me grow and more fully keep my ego in check. A must read for any leader!
WAIT – I absolutely love this acronym! Hiring a CED is another good one! Can’t wait to read this book!
Leaders need to be self- aware. (know thyself-Aristotle) .
Write down your core beliefs, values, goals and priorities. Read and reflect on them once per day. That helps keep me grounded.
Dan, this one hit me right between the teeth. Booom. The longer I lead, the more I realize it is about what God does through me when I am not looking.
Wow, good one! A failure is good if the leader recognizes it’s their failure. Some leaders always figure that failures are due to the actions of others.
I like the W.A.I.T. – Why Am I Talking… awesome reminder.
Very interesting video! It really opened my eyes. Finding that person that puts you in check in leadership positions. I open the door for people to help make me better. That starts by treating everyone with respect and having an open line of communication in a professional manner! I think that’s a great starter!
I watched the whole interview, which was great, but the last statement….lead yourself first…I am in middle management, government and struggle with leading my team and getting the same enthusiasm back from them. The more I read and listen to coaches the more I realize that I need to get myself organized and focused before I can expect my team to be on board with whatever the project is. I love your blog, it’s part of my morning routine. We actually used WAIT at a retreat of elected officials, and it was remarkable to watch them struggle with wanting to get their words out first and be heard (like any “good” politician) but needing to WAIT, and only contribute to the conversation if they had something to add to the discussion instead of just talking because they want to.
Great Blog! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing the video! I actually believe my wife is also a chief ego deflator! I don’t believe she’s been deputized but I am lucky to have her tell it like it is. I was discussing some specific experiences at work and her comments (unaware of the environment or the specifics) provides me with a perspective that takes the ego and she doesn’t the soften the blow. When it comes to the leadership, I always want to surround myself around others who will challenge me and ensure any idea or thoughts are vetted prior to rolling out.
“Go clip your nose hairs.” hahaha Love it and especially the point it served to make.