I love the way Dr. Henry Cloud tackles the psychology behind the work we do. Want to learn more? Check out my post on his book Necessary Endings and the notes below:
- The real work is not to get the right strategy but getting the people to work the strategy
- Boundary #1: Necessary endings – when the leader realizes that the worst thing they can have is hope. Great leaders master the art of pruning:
- A rosebush produces more buds than it can sustain so only the best ones are kept. There are 3 kinds of pruning that need to take place:
- Good Stuff: What’s good but not best? Activity doesn’t equal movement or progress. Sometimes more activity is just more activity and it just leads to more complexity and simplicity is what is needed. The life and future of a company is in about 20% of the company. Feed the future.
- Sick Stuff: What’s sick and not going to get well? Stuff that’s season has passed. Sometimes leaders get so invested in something (ego, time and energy, etc.) and the season passes and it’s time to pull the plug on it. Pruning takes courage.
- Dead Stuff: What’s dead and taking up space? People hold on too long (even when it’s not best for the future) because they feel like they need to be the source to everything or they have emotional attachment to the past. You can’t grasp the future while holding onto the past.
- Boundary #2: Focused Attention – great leaders lead people in ways that the people’s brains can actually follow them…they create focused attention so people’s brains can work.
- Attend to what is relevant so you know what to do:
- Inhibit everything else:
- Create a working memory (keep it in front of them all the time):
- If everything is important nothing is
- Do you have enough desire for your goals to exercise the discipline it takes reach them?
Posted in Leadership
