 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Extraordinary Leader#7 Playing above the LineI am reminded of the great Victor Frankl, survivor of the Nazi concentration camps and author of the book, "Mans Search for Meaning". Even in such extreme circumstances as Auschwitz, Victor played above-the-line. He did not get caught in the blame cycle, which would have been oh so very easy. In his choices he looked at himself, and his personal responsibility to his circumstances. Leaders, whether in the great arena of public life, or in the smaller but no less significant arena of organization and family, rise to greatness when they choose to play above-the-line.
I am reminded of the great Victor Frankl, survivor of the Nazi concentration camps and author of the book, "Mans Search for Meaning". Even in such extreme circumstances as Auschwitz, Victor played above-the-line. He did not get caught in the blame cycle, which would have been oh so very easy. In his choices he looked at himself, and his personal responsibility to his circumstances. Leaders, whether in the great arena of public life, or in the smaller but no less significant arena of organization and family, rise to greatness when they choose to play above-the-line. ====================================================== Australia is basking in post Olympic glory. We are a nation of only ninteen million people, and yet our enthusiasm for sport and our success in this arena, probably makes us one of the most successful sporting nations per capita, on the planet. We relish in being the David, from David and Goliath. Beating the giants. If it is not us on the gaming floor, then we will barrack for the underdog. Cameroon over Spain in the soccer. The 17 days of the Olympic Games was one of the most fabulous and significant events in defining our country. We put together a world class event without a hitch, the athletes and the tourists loved it, Sydney turned on great weather, and Mr. Samaranch declared it the best games ever. The world witnessed first hand what we are capable of, and who we are. If I could say in a paragraph or less why Australia is the place to be right now, for both business and pleasure, I would say that we have the eagerness and energy of a teenager, we have the courage and bravado of David, we insist that life and work be fun, we are young, smart, and we LOVE to win. Wisdom, well, we get that from having sat on the sidelines for so long, the insignificant country downunder and watched the older, wiser, more powerful countries win and loose. Some one from America said to me that our energy and enthusiasm is where America was 30-40 years ago. Marg and I both had the amazing great fortune to go to the games. I went to the Athletics on Monday 25th and watched Cathy Freeman win gold, Marg went to the closing ceremony. Always the party girl. In this issue we talk about a subject that is very close to my heart. Personal responsibility. Dumping the victim mentality. Enjoy! In today's edition of the Australian Financial Review supplement magazine Boss, was a feature story on coaching. Both Marg and myself were mentioned. We are thrilled to be featured in such a publication. (The Australian version of the Wall Street Journal) Please visit For the next few months, we are continuing to hold FREE monthly One of the key aspects of the work we do within organisations is to create a culture where all people come from a place of personal responsibility through their words and actions. We call it playing above-the-line, or adopting adult language and behaviour. Responsibility -------------------------------------------- What is playing below-the-line? Example 1. "I didn't get the report in on time because my daughter was sick." Your daughter was sick, and of course you will spend time with her as a priority over getting a report in on time. The distinction is rather than waiting until you deliver the report late and give your justification, contact the person expecting your report immediately you know it is going to be late, and personally own your part in the missed deadline. This would sound something like, "Mr. Jones, I will not be able to get that report to you until Friday instead of Wednesday as originally requested. My daughter is ill." Compare this with, "Mr. Jones, I am sorry that I have delivered the report to you late. My daughter was ill, and I just couldn't find the time to do it." What is the difference? In the first example, the person is taking responsibility for what is occurring as it is occurring. They are playing above-the-line. The second example is a justification after the event has occurred, resulting in below-the-line behaviour and language being used. Example 2. "I am late because I got caught in a traffic jam." This may well be true. It may also be true that the traffic jam was due to an accident that no one would have predicted. Above-the-line language would be; "I am late. I apologise for keeping you waiting." Taking responsibility for being late is about owning that you are late. The reasons are not important. I am late because I am late. In this scenario it would have been even better to call whilst in transit, and tell people you are going to be late. Below-the-line language would be; "I am sorry I have kept you waiting. I got caught in this horrendous traffic jam, ... there was an accident....." and go on and on with the story justifying your lateness. 3. "The company should provide more opportunities for staff to advance within the organisation." Anytime you hear the words 'should', 'could', or 'have to', being used, the person using them is probably playing below-the-line. Listen for when you use those words yourself; e.g. "I should clear my in-box every day." You are playing below-the-line if you do not complete the activities as you have indicated. There are a lot of things that we should do, and that others should do. The truth is that there is only one area that we can change the world, and that is by each of us taking personal action on what we want to change. " For things to change, first I must change." Above-the-line behaviour would be to go to leaders within the company with carefully researched ideas on how they may be able to support staff to advance within the organisation - to become part of the solution as opposed to seeking to lay blame. If the leaders are not willing to listen, and you have given them every opportunity to respond, then vote with your feet. Do not get stuck in the blame cycle, as it makes you a victim and gets you no where. Playing above-the-line in all areas of our life is not easy, however it is very rewarding and empowering when you do. Not only do we grow up and display adult behaviour, we get to experience the power of our choices and our actions, we are no longer helpless victims suffering the system. I am reminded of the great Victor Frankl, survivor of the Nazi concentration camps and author of the book, "Mans Search for Meaning". Even in such extreme circumstances as Auschwitz, Victor played above-the-line. He did not get caught in the blame cycle, which would have been oh so very easy. In his choices he looked at himself, and his personal responsibility to his circumstances. Leaders, whether in the great arena of public life, or in the smaller but no less significant arena of organization and family, rise to greatness when they choose to play above-the-line. =========================================================== "Man's Search for Meaning"-Victor Frankl. If you ever find yourself thinking that life stinks, then pick up this little book to remind yourself that things are not that bad. Having endured the most horrific of circumstances, Victor Frankl reminds us that life is not about circumstances, it is how we choose to think about our circumstances. Giving meaning to things that appear to have no meaning, allows the opportunity for us to change our approach, our attitude, and even the outcome. *********************************************************************
|