Choose the Life you Want.

When I tell people that I live in the mountains the reaction I get is astonishingly similar. 

"Wow!  You're so lucky.  How did you get to live there?"

My response always surprises them. 

"I chose to move there."

It's not meant to be a terse, or an insincere reply.  In fact it's the most sincere response I can give.  You see most of us, myself included, put up barriers that keep us from living the life we want.  The life of our dreams.  And often, the bigger the dream, the bigger the barrier(s) we create.

So why do some people "get to" live where they want and the way they want?  Why don't we all live like that?

This question almost always creates a defensive posturing.  We often reply with thoughts like, "they don't have the responsibilities I have" or, "they have more money, or opportunity, etc".  We always cite circumstance.  The reason I can't do this is because of that.  Our circumstances become our barrier.

We impose limits on the possibility that exists for us.  In fact, we let our circumstances determine the choices we make.  And in the process we actually forget that we have a choice.

When we plan and make decisions from a place of circumstance our life can feel out of control.  That's because we can't control all the circumstances that happen to us.  We may unexpectedly lose our job, or lose a family member.  We didn't plan for this, but it happened anyway. 

So you can't control your circumstance.  But you can control decisions you make.  And the decisions you make will create your reality.  A reality that is more aligned with your dreams.

Case and point.  For each of us to live we need food, shelter and connection to family or friends.  And in today's day and age that basically means we need to live somewhere, make money, and provide for or share time with others. 

Each of us will have other unique circumstances surrounding our lives, but the basic premise is the same.  We need to meet our needs under the circumstances we are currently in.

After graduating from university I needed a job and a place to live.  I chose to live in the mountains.  This decision impacted the type of place I could live in and the job I could get.  By choosing to live in the mountains I chose to rent for many years before being able to buy a house.  And when I bought a place it was a fractional ownership.  I also chose to be limited in the number of job opportunities that we're available to me.  Meanwhile I watched my friends buy big homes in the suburbs and explore many career opportunities.

The funny thing was, they were often jealous of me.  I walked to work and spent my leisure time playing in the Rockies, while they commuted through traffic and fought lines to buy home renovation materials.

The point isn't that one decision was better than the other.  My friends are equally as happy, they just have different values than me.  What makes them happy is different than what makes me happy.

The point is that you have a choice. 

You have circumstances that are different than mine.  You also have dreams that are different than mine.  But we both have a choice.  We have the ability and opportunity to make choices that bring us closer to our dreams.  Circumstances will always be there, and circumstances will always change.  Sometimes predictably and sometimes unpredictably.  Making choices that resonate with you isn't always the easiest path to take, but by becoming concious of choice you can choose to live the life of your dreams.

We all get to live the life we want.  We simply have to make a choice to live it. 

So, what are your dreams?  And what choices do you need to make today to get you closer to that life? 

with Metta

The First Follower.

This short 3 minute video (watch video) is brilliant.  It speaks to how no leader can exist without the first follower.  The camera work is blurry, but the message is strong, clear, and powerful.  The content of the message is great and the delivery style makes the message impactful.

What movement will you follow in order to lead?

with Metta.

Leadership, the Military, and Alberta Health Services?

Leadership lessons from the military was the focus of the November 2010 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

Interestingly enough the article by Groysberg et al (view article) made me reflect on the massive merger in Alberta's health care system.

The idea in brief was this.  The military develops many leaders who become successful CEO's in the corporate world.  The type of organizations they become successful in, however, appears to be greatly related to which branch of the military they come from, and the leadership competencies required to be successful within that branch.

Veterans from the Navy and Air Force tend to become very successful in highly regulated industries where strict adherence to process is necessary.  Army and Marine Corps Veterans, on the other hand,  succeed as CEO's in smaller industries where flexibility predominates.  Give a general objective, then allow staff the autonomy to take whatever actions are necessary in order to achieve that objective.

Why? 

The Navy and Air Force environments require strict processes to ensure safety and precision in execution.  Personnel from these branches are often highly specialized and performance in one area is closely tied to all others.  In these types of environments controlled process are imperative.

Army and Marine Corps do their business through on the ground interactions.  They work in environments that are constantly changing.  Those "on the ground" need to have a defined mission, but need to make changes to a plan based on what's happening in front of them.

So what does this have to do with the health care merger in Alberta Health Services?

If you think about the difference in leadership competencies required between the Navy/Air Force and the Army/Marine Corps, and then consider the difference in leadership competencies required between urban and rural/community health care you can begin to draw some parallels.

Urban care is often provided in tertiary care centres.  These are centres where there are specialists working to provide specialized services and treatments.  These centres are often tightly coupled and very interdependent to other services.  In these systems process is imperative to ensure safety and maximize quality.

Rural and community care often requires a different approach.  In these areas, although safety and quality are equally important, the diversity of each community requires managers to adapt service delivery to the unique needs of their community.  What success looks like in one community is not overly dependent on any other community.  In this environment a general mission must be articulated for the whole, but each local context will define their unique solutions.

Bring in the merger of Alberta Health Services and you bring together leaders and systems that come from two unique environments.  The Urban leaders bring with them a history of importance of right process and tight control.  The Rural leaders bring with them a history of flexibility and adaptability to general vision.

These differing approaches to leadership may partially explain some of the growing pains that Alberta Health Services is going through as they work to bring together staff and leaders from rural, community and urban settings.

From an organizational perspective, it would likely serve senior leaders to consider which approach is required for which service delivery model, and then recruit leaders with the competencies to match that approach.

From a staff's perspective, it would serve them to consider which type of system or leadership style do they do their best work in, and align themselves in an area that fits with their own personal style.

What type of leadership style best matches you?  What type of an environment do you work best in?

with Metta.

Managers vs. Leaders.

Many organizations use the term "leadership team" to describe their management team. 

This does not sit well with me.  Not only does it imply that all the managers are leaders, it also implies that if you're not a manger then you're just not a leader.

I doubt many would argue that Manager does not equal Leader, and vice versa.

I've seen many mangers that are horrible leaders and many leaders that are not managers.  I've also seen managers that are great leaders.

It made me think.  How would I describe the difference between a manager and a leader?  And more importantly, what do great managers and leaders do to be considered great?

Lucky for me someone else already did this.  Marcus Buckingham (a consultant and speaker on management practices) beautifully articulates this.

A great leader, states Marcus, discovers what is universal between a group of diverse people, and helps rally them towards a better future.  One that address the groups uniqueness.  They help the group to see a vision of a possible future, and then get them all working towards achieving the common vision.

A great manager, on the other hand, discovers what is unique about each individual and capitalizes on that.  They help each individual turn their talent into performance.

So, a great leader discovers what is universal about a team.  Conversly, a great manager discovers what is unique about each individual in a team.

So what are you?  A great manager?  A great leader?  Or both?

What can you do tomorrow to discover what is universal, or unique, about those that you lead?

with Metta.

Who are we leading?

This past weekend a friend of mine had a very real and very devastating experience.  The details aren't important.  What is important is that it stopped her in her tracks.  It made her question what's really important?  Who do I really want to lead?  Who am I leading?  And why?

Scott Stratten gets it.  In a TEDx event in Oakville he delivered a riveting and heart wrenching story titled "keep going until we stop".  He speaks about being a big deal, and suggests that, "being a big deal isn't a big deal, unless we are a big deal to those that matter the most to us".  Scott's Talk

This made me reflect on my passion for leadership.  It made me wonder who am I trying to lead?  And Why?

We are all leaders.  In some part of our lives we all are leading something.  Our inner leader can be a powerful ally.  It can drive us.  It can help us live up to our potential.  And this is great.  We all want to recognize our greatest potential.  But in striving to do this we often lose sight of why we want to live up to our potential.  We chase our potential as if it's a destination.  And in doing so we can alienate those that mean the most to us.  And right when we get completely lost in the chase life throws a curve ball at you.  It stops you in your tracks.  Use this as a gift.  Let it help you to regain perspective.  Let it help you remember.

Who is it important for you to lead?  And Why?

with Metta.