What’s Next
Posted on 15. Dec, 2010 by Geoff Snyder in 1 Leadership
Geoff Snyd
er is the founder of Freedom to Think and Dream Big, a blog dedicated to a leadership and team collaboration project. When he began his blog, he was searching for like-minded leaders who share the same vision as he does with business ethics, new world education systems, creative and innovative uniqueness, and overall team platformed collaboration for continual personal development. Continue the conversation with Geoff, tweet with him, too.
As we continue to explore reviving your leadership and thriving in 2011, Geoff highlights four areas for you to consider to make next year YOUR year.
Relationships
Relationships are built on two things: time and trust. This formula applies in both our personal lives and business lives. Each action that we perform in a relationship will either build it up or break it down. We need to be mindful of everything we do. The more we show that we’re willing to invest in a relationship, the more meaningful it will become. As it seems to be a constant refrain in corporate America concerning positive feedback: nobody receives enough of it until it’s too late. Managers are frequently finding more faults with their employees and are letting them hear about it before they would ever praise a job well done. Leadership author John Maxwell, summed it up when he said, “Most people’s natural inclination is to judge themselves according to their best qualities while they measure others by their worst.” It is important to remember to always ask others around you how you are doing in order to grow and develop. When you ask those around you how you are doing, keep in mind they are only telling you something to help you improve. Constructive criticism is one of the best ways we can learn as long as we are willing to accept what is being said.
Following
o Define – what it is that you want. Adopt a definite goal to be attained including your purpose, listing items you will need for its attainment.
o Learn – from those who have what you defined as what you want. Pay close attention to the mistakes they have made, reach out to them, seeking any insight they may provide you along the way.
o Do – what it is that you’ve defined and what you’ve learned, as for the simple action of these will put you in place for your goal set.
When we are in motion to move forward with others, we must remember to push those who are ahead of us, further – and to pull those behind us so they can replace our spot. Otherwise the standstill will be just that… a standstill.
Leading
A good leader is always a product of a good follower. A leader’s job is all about providing results. You do that by building your team, individual ability, upon individual ability. Leading by example is a simple as it can be put; one must always guide those around us to instill a common belief. A good leader can always get a group of people excited for something that he or she truly believes in, instilling those beliefs onto their followers. Be the change that you want to see, not just by telling others but by showing them. The leader that takes that extra step and works alongside their organization will gain respect, thus allowing for change to take place.
Experience
We’ve all heard the phrase “live for the journey, not the destination.” We learn from those we meet along the way and when we get to know people as just… people; the experience and benefit we get from building these sincere friendships, IS the benefit. Anything that spawns from them usually starts to happen two to three years later and then continues to grow from there. With that, we cannot even begin to imagine the experiences that are then paved for us – or what the future holds for us when we build genuine relationships. When we help others achieve their goals and share what we’ve gained with those who’ve helped achieve our successes, we cultivate future experiences. Being passionate about our meaningful core values… opposed to being so focused on what materializes is what’s important. People want to create movements, movements that we can all experience… together.
42 Responses to “What’s Next”
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Shawn Murphy
15. Dec, 2010
Geoff, So much good stuff in this post. What is really striking for me is creating movements together. Local movements or grass roots movements are important change levers to get exec’s attention that things can be done differently.
Nice work.
Geoff Snyder
15. Dec, 2010
Thanks Shawn. I’ve recently connected with a nice community where I’ve recently relocated to (from Naples, Florida to Chandler, Arizona) and found a really neat collaborative workspace. The fascinating part to all of it, is that everybody simply wants to help others sustain something meaningful. Something that they can incorporate with what they’ve learned over the years. Sometimes, it’s almost overwhelming being around so many great minds.
Thank you again for the kind words or encouragement and for the opportunity to share here.
Geoff
James Castellano
15. Dec, 2010
Great post, first time for me to read your work. I believe a good leader also has to be a good follower. We are not always out front and we set the best example when we accept our role with respect
Geoff Snyder
15. Dec, 2010
Thank you, James… I appreciate you taking the time to read my post here. Your last sentence reminded me of something I just read that stated, “The highest proof of virtue is to possess boundless power without abusing it.” – now, I’m not sure if you were touching on it, but for some reason it triggered a recall and think it goes along well with your belief of good leaders being good followers. As a servant, it’s important for us to stay focused on what the long term outcome is. If we can learn the traits and carry on the tools we pick up along the way (from the right people) I believe, in the end… the best possible outcome will arise.
Kate Nasser, The PEople-Skills Coach
15. Dec, 2010
Geoff, I have to agree with Shawn on this one. The pearl in this very good post is creating movements together. SO much has been written on inspiring teams and keeping the inspiration going.
You have captured one of the energies of keeping it going — creating movements together.
Nicely said. I will share this on Twitter for sure. It offers a fresh look at an often discussed challenge.
Happy Holidays,
Kate
Geoff Snyder
15. Dec, 2010
Thank you, Kate… it’s nice reading your response, as for it reminds me why I continue doing the best I can to help others and share what I can. I hope others find it valuable and can use it in their lives too.
Season greetings to you too,
Geoff
Christopher
15. Dec, 2010
Geoff — great summary. I’d add that relationships also call on shared reality (if you don’t have one and can’t find one, the relationship will founder) and communication, which I think you infer through trust and time.
Let me echo the responses of Kate and Shawn: Find, join, lead, and invest in movements that are going in your direction. One of my favorite leadership principles is this:
The larger your vision, the more partners you will attract to help you achieve it.
To your freedom, power, and choice,
Christopher
Geoff Snyder
15. Dec, 2010
Christopher: Thanks! Your insight sits very well here and I think adds some value to the post.
I have to agree with your ‘large vision’ statement – becasue the worst thing that can happen when one’s vision is too small… is for it to come true. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that even setting common small goals (daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly) – those only fill in a certain timeline. When we set ourselves up to paint a picture on an endless canvas… great things happen.
Thank you again,
Geoff
Dave H
15. Dec, 2010
“Most people’s natural inclination is to judge themselves according to their best qualities while they measure others by their worst.” – Unfortunately, I think that is an accurate statement. Thanks for motivating me to some self-evaluation. Great insights and suggestions!
Geoff Snyder
15. Dec, 2010
Thank you, Dave. Although we are both in agreement to that statement, I think it’s good for us to see it as it is… as for it’s a constant reminder to me to help keep things in-check. Otherwise, we tend to get sloppy when we are further into our journey.
Great to meet you here… I’m grateful for the ooportunity and hope we can connect futher as time continues.
Best regards,
Geoff
Roy Atkinson
15. Dec, 2010
Geoff, I love the phrase “allowing for change to take place.” So many leaders feel they have to drive change, or even force it. Change is a product of need. That need is created by discomfort with the status quo. When people see that there is a real alternative to the way things are—and realize that they can affect that change because they’ve been empowered—the leader’s job is to get out of the way and allow for the change to take place.
Thanks for your thoughtful post. Be safe and happy.
Geoff Snyder
15. Dec, 2010
Roy, I have to take this time to say “Thank You” – thank you for being you and thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with other. Not only here, but in the other channels in which we’ve connected with.
When I read your comment, I couldn’t help but smile and say to myself “Yep, that’s the kind of comment #TheRoy would leave.” Graceful, sincere, and with style – I love it.
With regard to when you say “Change is a product of need. That need is created by discomfort with the status quo.” – It reminds me of when a dear friend once told me “Geoff, once you can become comfortable with being uncomfortable, the change you seek will come easy – for both you and the others around you.” So with that said, I fdo support the concept of when a leader sees change coming around the corner, he or she should embrace, smile, and let it continue its momentum for others to benefit from.
You are certainly welcome, Roy… and thank you again for everything you do. God bless.
David Brand
15. Dec, 2010
Geoff,
One of the ‘stand out elements’ for me is the model of ‘Define, Learn, Do’ as compared to what might be the more common practice of ‘Define, Do, Learn’. There really are those times when you need to set your goal (in Define), learn what it will take to be successful at accomplishing the goal and then go out and actually do what you have learned. To me this represents a proactive mode in life that can be a nice counterbalance to the reactive world I often find myself in. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. Dave
Geoff Snyder
15. Dec, 2010
You are very welcome, Dave. The “Define, Learn, Do” was passed along to me by somebody who learned from a series of mistakes (probably just like you mentioned as ‘Define, Do, Learn’) – It’s something that is simple yet effective and I always look for opportunity to share it with others. I’m glad it stood out for you and hope you can pass it along to others, as it was to me.
Here is to a wonderful year-end and to a great year ahead of us! Cheers, Geoff
Greg Farley
15. Dec, 2010
Geoff,
Great blog. I hope to one day have my blog this nice and informative. I’ve been in leadership for over 20 years in the Navy. I am a big fan of Leaders holding themselves accountable and to engaging with their teams. Thanks for the blog.
Geoff Snyder
15. Dec, 2010
Greg,
First, thank you for your dedication to serving out country. It’s service men and women who make things like this blog a reality. Although this blog is not mine, Shawn Murphy has been blessed with the ability to create it and to create this blog series for us to share and communicate on such topics like this one, leadership.
A true leader will hold them accountable for their actions, especially when things seem to be headed towards a rocky road. I beleive it to be one of the most humiliating efforts an honest person can make… with the reward being simply humbled by each and every engagement made for the team and its vision.
If there is anything that you think I can assist you with regarding your blog, or anything you feel that I may add value to… please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m always looking to help others if I can, and if not me personally, I’ll do my best to find somebody that can.
Thank you again… best regards,
Geoff
Mitch
15. Dec, 2010
I love this post, but I have to admit there’s one line that’s confusing me. It’s this one: “A good leader is always a product of a good follower.” I read the rest of the description multiple times, but it doesn’t seen to really fit the first line. Can you help me with this one?
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
Mitch, you’re absolutely right! After going back and reviewing what I wrote… I did in fact misword it, and/or not break it down the way I meant to.
Here is what I was saying: “A good leader is always a product from once being a good follower.” – meaning that in order for one to lead in life, they must have learned to follow the right people at one time or another.
On the other hand, the way it’s worded now (solely by itself and out of context) could be looked at as this: There is no such thing as a leader is there are no followers. Without a steady base of followers, a leader simply cannot exist.
I hope this clears up any of the confusion. Please accept my apologies and thank you for pointing this out to me.
Sincerely,
Geoff
Mitch
16. Dec, 2010
Yes, that clarifies things better now, and of course I get to follow up on it. One does need to learn how to be a good follower, but that to me means they have to know who to follow and how. For instance, we’d hope they saw bad leaders as an example of what NOT to do and could determine what makes good leaders good and learn from that as well.
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
Absolutely. I think most of us see people in our day-to-day lives whose actions demonstrate on what not to do. These people are good for us, as it seems that they show us how to make things better and it also lets us see things in a different perspective.
Greg Ortbach
16. Dec, 2010
Geoff,
Love the post and thanks for in inviting me to read it!
You’ve made some very solid points and I appreciate your abilities to break things down into insightful bite-sized chunks that inspire.
I find many people are still missing the many daily opportunities that exist to build relationships by sharing experiences as opposed to being on auto-pilot. Every interaction has the capability of becoming something special as soon as we truly live it.
Nice work
Nicely done!
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
You’re certainly welcome, Greg… thanks for taking the time to read this post and share your insight with us. I appreciate your kind words and glad that you like it.
Enjoy the rest of the year and hope you have a great new year, filled with health, wealth, and wisdom.
Greg Ortbach
16. Dec, 2010
Geoff,
Love the post and thanks for in inviting me to read it!
You’ve made some very solid points and I appreciate your abilities to break things down into insightful bite-sized chunks that inspire.
I find many people are still missing the many daily opportunities that exist to build relationships by sharing experiences as opposed to being on auto-pilot. Every interaction has the capability of becoming something special as soon as we truly live it.
Nicely done!
Barry Dalton
16. Dec, 2010
Geoff,
thanks for the insights. And the reminders of what really drives change.
Here’s the thing. Change is really hard. Let me clarify. Change is happening all the time. And the pace of change in both our personal and professional lives is accelerating. So, throwing your boogie board out there and riding the wave isn’t necessarily hard…that is until that wave curls you under and crashes you onto the beach. But, hey you get a few scrapes. You recover and jump back out or hit the bar.
On the other hand, active change that a leader drives is hard. Its draining. It requires a level of focus, attention and risk taking that can crush you before you even get to the beach. It also requires a conviction to pick a path and stick to it, regardless of the critics. Doing all that through strong relationships adds another layer of complexity to the leadership equation. Sure, you can dictate, run rough shot over people and realize short term gains. But, I’ve seen too many of those implode. Firm without being arrogant. Collaborative without being a wall flower. The daily effort to strike that balance is, in my opinion, one of the greatest challenges of leadership.
And, unless you’re eye balls deep into it; unless your responsible for steering a ship through that change, its hard to comprehend the mental fortitude required to do the right things, be a good person and achieve measurable business results all at the same time.
I used to be into juggling when I was a kid. Three balls was the most I could ever keep aloft at once. Leadership today is more like the axe, chain saw (with the running blade, thank you), fresh egg, rattle snake, and broke bottle all swirling over our heads.
Oh, and as you conclude. Have some damn fun! Cuz if all that doesn’t give you a rush, you’re not going to be happy and all that negative stuff will eat away at you and be reflected in your relationships, growth and leadership.
Thanks
Barry
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
Barry, my man… you couldn’t be more right when you say “have some damn fun!” Too many times, people (myself definitely included) lose focus on why we do, what we do. I have to keep reminding myself “the one thing that is always constant… is change.
I think the point you make about knowing that we’re in a contant state of juggling, while navigating, while juggling through different stages of navigation, we will then allow for ourselves to be open to the new ideas and concepts we come across along the way.
Ironically, I have to brush up on my juggling skills. Maybe I can ask you for some pointers?
Thank you for sharing your insight, Barry (aka one of #TheBarrys on twitter)
Gung ho,
Geoff
Bret Simmons
16. Dec, 2010
Very good thoughts, Geoff. I would add to the follower advice to take care never to become dependent on the leader, or anyone for that matter. Strive to be interdependent with everyone and to help them become interdependent themselves. If you don’t learn this as a follower, you won’t value and encourage it in others when you become a leader. Thanks!
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
Thank you, Bret. You add a great point and it’s something I think we all need to remind ourselves of on a ongoing basis.
I appreciate your added value.
Geoff
jill hart
16. Dec, 2010
This is a wonderfully thought provoking post. I appreciate you highlighting the value of ‘Time and Trust’ in relationships. The most productive and satisfying relationships I’ve experienced are those that have been encircled with mutual trust. When trust is at the core, relationships tend to flourish.
Your article also has me thinking about how the growth of social media makes us all a little more vulnerable. As a result, the ‘trust’ fund is a bit more challenging to grow and more vulnerable debits. I can see where acknowledging this external factor can help us be more of aware of potential impact on trust within a relationship and the importance of adequately nurturing for it to blossom. And when it does, accomplishing amazing things, as you point out, together.
Thanks for doing the ‘hard thinking’ and sharing your thoughts.
Jill
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
Thanks, Jill… and you’re welcome.
I’ve been told that I tend to ‘get the wheels turning’ – heck, I think just the other day somebody used the word ‘extrapolation’ and it made me think about things, even while proofing this post before I submitted it.
Trust is a very important factor when measuring relationships, both personally and professionaly. And once mutually communicate a common vison, I think that is when action begins to take place and our objectives are met.
Great hearing from you here… thanks again.
Geoff
Jamie
16. Dec, 2010
Great post and I really like the section about relationships, but think there is one thing missing in the leadership section.
IN reference to relationships, you have put succinctly what every social psychologist has attempted to state in thousands of pages: the more you give (of yourself), the more you get (in return). What I would be interested in you addressing is how you deal with a relationship by which you continue to give of yourself – time and trust; and do not recieve in return. At what point do you cut those relationships off?
IN regards to leadership – I couldn’t agree with you more on “showing” not “telling”; I have thousands of sales employees and instead of “talking” to them in a training class, I “show” them – get on the phones, go on sales calls, etc. Not only are you teaching, but you are recieving buy in. My mentor has always told me that if you want to run a company one day, the only way to do so successfully is to have at least “tried” what every colleague and / or employee is doing.
What I think may be missing in this ‘leadership’ section is the idea of inspiring others. You talk about getting excited, but I think there’s a difference. Excitement is short term; it’s an impulsive feeling that fades with time. Inspiration (to me) is something that lasts. When you’re having an awful day and don’t want to work, if you have the thought of the last speech your ‘leader’ gave you – and that gets you motivated – even if it was a year ago – that’s true inspiration and I believe what most leaders lack.
To your point, most leaders have also been great proteges.
My take away from this post is similar to others – “it’s what we can experience together”. For me, there is no purpose in building or doing anything unless we can share the experience. Connecting with people – at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
Jamie:
It’s obvious that you took in what I wrote about and put some time into your response, and for that… I’m extremely grateful. This post has taught me a lot and you’re right, there is a difference between excitement and inspiration. The area of inspiration should have received more weight in this post and I’m glad that you noticed it. I’m also glad that we’ve been given the opportunity to communicate through this channel, in order to discuss the details.
I hope the very best for you and look forward to seeing where life takes you. Thank you again for taking the time to read and contribute to this blog series. I appreciate it and I’m sure the other readers are too.
Warm regards,
Geoff
Louise Altman
16. Dec, 2010
Geoff,
Much to appreciate in this post, especially the emphasis on relationships. You are so accurate in saying that every action either builds them up or breaks them down.
Love the Maxwell quote and use a variant of it all the time (didn’t know it was Maxwell’s – so thanks for that). It always has an interesting effect on shifting people’s perspective from self to others. That, I think, is a very important part of the leader’s job – to facilitate the ways in which co-workers can SEE and HEAR each other differently.
Thanks again for this insightful post!
Regards,
Louise
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
Louise,
You’re very welcome. Thank you for taking the time to read the post and join in on the conversation here. It looks like you and I have the same perspective when it comes to listening and seeing what goes on around us to help those we are close with. – “We were given TWO eyes, TWO ears, and ONE mouth for a reason.”
Enjoy yourself and others around you.
Geoff
Tristan Bishop
16. Dec, 2010
Hi Geoff,
You’ve touched on crucial concepts here, and they have clearly generated some exciting dialog.
The fundamental truth is that business is built on relationships between real human beings. I love how you’ve covered the investment required to make the connections that matter. When we miss THIS, we miss everything.
Thanks for a terrific post!
Tristan
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
Hey Tristan,
You’re very welcome… thank you for adding to the dialog and for pointing out a key point that a lot of forget. Simply, we are real people, doing real things, based on real ideas, generated by real feelings. Building relationships that are balanced in all the right place… help us all prosper in both our homes and in the workforce.
Thanks again for joining us, it’s always a pleasure to see your insight!
Geoff
Deb
16. Dec, 2010
Great post Geoff. I agree that in todays world too many people forget to give out positive feedback to the people n their lives, be it at work or in personal relationships. You can’t expect anyone to grow and excell if they are constantly being told they don’t live up to your standards. We all change and grow each day of our lives and the more people we can bring with us to that next level, the better off we all are.
deb
Geoff Snyder
16. Dec, 2010
Thank Deb! You’re absolutely right. When we encourage others and recognize the efforts of others, it creates a snowball effect. When consulting with small businesses, I’ve seen so much improvement with productivy and employee engagement when the organization’s leadership and management approach their teams with consistent positive feedback, opposed to constant criticism. I mean really, who likes hearing about what they are doing wrong all the time and/or how bad of a job they’re doing? Same goes for at home.
Glad you dropped in and added to the conversation here, Deb… I always enjoy hearing from you.
Regards,
Geoff
Amber Cleveland
17. Dec, 2010
Geoff,
Great post and really relevant to a conversation I had las night about how the relationships you build, particularly when networking, don’t have to have an immediate purpose. You enter the relationships because you want to, there is a shared interest or POV, etc. It takes time and trust, as you said, and when we invest both there are endless benefits to be reaped from those investments.
Your mention of pushing people ahead of you and pulling people behind you reminded me of a recent post from Lou Imbriano http://wp.me/pUSci-86 He specifically mentions when he left the Patriots how because of his actions as a leader, his departure was seamless.
Best,
Amber
Geoff Snyder
20. Dec, 2010
Hey Amber,
Awesome! Thanks for your input and for the article to read. Ironically, I also had a recent conversation with regard to “seamless departures.” It consisted of something Jim Collins touched on in his book “Good to Great.” When a leader surrounds him or herself by a good team and acts selflessly, the departure has little of zero impact on the organization, both short and long term.
Thanks again for joining in… even while you’re visiting France!
Best regards,
Geoff
Connie McKnight
19. Jan, 2011
What an inspiring post. The sentence “We learn from those we meet along the way and when we get to know people as just… people; the experience and benefit we get from building these sincere friendships, IS the benefit.” brought tears to my eyes. It so reminded me of the special friendship I have with a very special friend.
Geoff Snyder
19. Jan, 2011
Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words, Connie. This is something I’m a huge advocate of, especially today… as it seems a lot of people are finding their way home from being lost because of the wrong reasons. If we focus on the person and not “what” they are, or “how” they can help us… so much more surfaces, the friendship/relationship becomes precious and priceless.
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