By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

“In the midst of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”

                                - Albert Camus

Pardon me as I wax poetic to begin this newsletter. Not only do I like Camus as an author (I am not alone, he won a Pulitzer way back when), but I really like the concept of invincibility. We are in the dog days you know – in more ways than one. So after having been beat on in a myriad of ways and expending a fair amount of perspiration for a variety of reasons, the thought of invincibility may seem a bit arrogant, but hold on for a moment. Let’s dream a little dream.

How do we begin to even think in terms of invincibility? Well, take a peek at the following four areas and see what happens.

1. Visualize invincibility. Somewhat difficult to do in this business climate isn’t it? Yes, challenging economic times expose a few weaknesses and often shake our confidence. If you have experienced this at all, now is a perfect time to take a deep breath and find a quiet place for five minutes. The core concept is this: “We can only change our circumstance by changing our state of mind.” Close your eyes. Take a few more deep breaths. Oxygen is good; it is a natural relaxant you know. Now put your mind in a place where you are ultra-successful. It does not have to be a business environment, just some real experience where you were great, and strong, and powerful, and felt invincible. Maybe it was yesterday. If so, bravo for you. Once in this mental place, examine your body language. Was it more positive than what you exhibit now? What about your manner and frequency of communication? How did others respond to you when you felt invincible? Keep asking yourself comparison questions. If there are disparities between how you currently behave, take it as a cue to initiate subtle tweaks in your leadership style and manner. 
   Bottom Line: If you can dream it, you can live it. Give yourself the luxury of a 15-minute mental exercise that may allow you to jettison negative head trash, while unlocking the notion of positive possibilities.   

2. Check your business model. To be clear on this one, reviewing your staffing situation and tweaking or cutting to save expenses is NOT adjusting your business model. Well, okay, it does adjust your business model, but not in an elegant manner. What checking your business model refers to is examining the market, taking stock of your resources, reflecting for a moment on past experience and trends, and creating a cohesive strategic model for your company or business unit. This “makes sense” model should fit today’s environment, AND be valuable for the next 12-18 months. No disrespect to anyone out there, but many of you (okay, almost all of you) are running as fast as you can with your heads down and making sometimes important decisions on the fly. These on-the-fly decisions may reduce your stress level at the time they are made, but in the medium run their impact often carries some uh-oh moments.
   Bottom Line: Be strategic about the direction in which you lead and the in the actions in which you request your team members to engage.

3. Evaluate your leadership karma. It is easy to pick out ineffective leaders. They have little followership and are usually disguised as a worker-bee with a title. True leadership does not carry a title. Many of you know people who greatly impact their workgroups or organizations, yet do not possess a leadership moniker. Make certain that you are exhibiting real leadership – real guidance – and not just using title or authority to move people in a desired direction. 
   Bottom Line: Leaders influence others. Evaluate your impact and make certain it is universally positive.

4. Accentuate the positive. No, no I will not break in to the lyrics of an old Jimmy Durante song. Does anyone out there remember Jimmy? Rather, my point here is to take stock of your positives. In other words, catch yourself doing things right. Make certain that you are aware of your strengths and the qualities that make you terrific. This may sound like an odd request, however, a lot of leaders are second guessing themselves and their decisions. Reflection is fine. Make certain you reflect properly on just what makes you valuable. Understand it. If necessary, ask other people you respect to give you their candid opinions. Have you ever received a personal testimonial that just blew you away? Right. You are really good. Don’t forget that.
   Bottom Line: Understand your shortfalls, but not at the expense of abandoning your strengths. Seek to subtly expand your core competencies and then hold on to your hat. Magic!

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership and communication consultant, executive coach, and business planner. As a child, he was quite tickled by Jimmy Durante’s “Inka-Dinka-Doo.” Doug’s book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and video are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or at 941-776-1121.

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