Organizational success is more complex than leaders often recognize. Many uncontrollable factors play an oversized role in the results organizations and leaders enjoy. Issues like market conditions, competitors asleep at the wheel, regulations, the timing of new products or services, and the introduction of new technologies, among many other elements have a tremendous influence on how leaders navigate and succeed. Or not.
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." ~Mike Tyson. I think the second part of this quote is about freezing up like a rat unable to move. That's where behaviors and hard training is required to create the routines and habits necessary to trigger the right behaviors without having to think about them. A lot of people mistakenly attribute this to having natural talent or good instincts instead of hard training. While both of these are necessary to compete at the highest level, they are not sufficient.
An important reminder. Thanks. I am cynical about big-time leadership gurus and even more so about success stories. By the way, I’d add one more item to your list of potentially highly transferable information: the leader’s operating principles and how they applied them.
I agree that behaviors are more important than principles. It is never enough to just be good inside or mean well when you are doing harm. Nonetheless, the more aware one is of principles (and the more willing to assess and challenge them), the more centered one can be, which has an effect on behavior. But you are right, behavior is key.
Thanks for these valuable insights! Skills, behaviors, actions taken can be "highly transferable." Strategies require context. Reminder to avoid the dreaded "Halo effect."
Like what Jim had to say - principles (if they truly are principles) should be timeless.
Timing to me is something we constantly underestimate the importance of, probably because we have too high an opinion of self and our knowledge/skills. Timing matters even in the application of principles.
Principles do not require nuances. They may need the right timing and to be communicated in a thoughtful or sensitive manner, but principles are not to be nuanced. That is what makes them standup as principles.
How to live out a principle definitely takes nuance.
Take, for instance, something as simple and straight forward as HONESTY.
It fits well in a bromide statement to 'always be honest', but there a countless times in a day when a leader might choose to be either fully transparent or less than candid. If you are guided by the ideal of 'always be honest'... it can get a leader into quite a pickle or two.
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." ~Mike Tyson. I think the second part of this quote is about freezing up like a rat unable to move. That's where behaviors and hard training is required to create the routines and habits necessary to trigger the right behaviors without having to think about them. A lot of people mistakenly attribute this to having natural talent or good instincts instead of hard training. While both of these are necessary to compete at the highest level, they are not sufficient.
An important reminder. Thanks. I am cynical about big-time leadership gurus and even more so about success stories. By the way, I’d add one more item to your list of potentially highly transferable information: the leader’s operating principles and how they applied them.
Remain cynical of the gurus, Dr, Jim. :)
We don't mind operating principles... but how they applied them -- that is what we call behaviors. We love talking behaviors.
I agree that behaviors are more important than principles. It is never enough to just be good inside or mean well when you are doing harm. Nonetheless, the more aware one is of principles (and the more willing to assess and challenge them), the more centered one can be, which has an effect on behavior. But you are right, behavior is key.
Thanks for these valuable insights! Skills, behaviors, actions taken can be "highly transferable." Strategies require context. Reminder to avoid the dreaded "Halo effect."
Like what Jim had to say - principles (if they truly are principles) should be timeless.
Timing to me is something we constantly underestimate the importance of, probably because we have too high an opinion of self and our knowledge/skills. Timing matters even in the application of principles.
Hi Ben! I've found principles lack the instruction necessary to tell an eager leader what to do.
Principles might act as helpful reminders and guideposts, but often lack the nuance to be helpful.
That is what draws me to the behaviors that these folks at Admired Leadership discuss.
The 4th video in this series they offer for free outlined it best for me:
https://explore.admiredleadership.com/v2/users/access/direct
Principles do not require nuances. They may need the right timing and to be communicated in a thoughtful or sensitive manner, but principles are not to be nuanced. That is what makes them standup as principles.
Hi Ben.
How to live out a principle definitely takes nuance.
Take, for instance, something as simple and straight forward as HONESTY.
It fits well in a bromide statement to 'always be honest', but there a countless times in a day when a leader might choose to be either fully transparent or less than candid. If you are guided by the ideal of 'always be honest'... it can get a leader into quite a pickle or two.
You might appreciate this 15-minute conversation that unpacks today's Field Notes a bit more:
https://x.com/AdmiredLeaders/status/1803127741224493467