Upper Case or lower?
“…part of being a leader and team player is the willingness to be a ‘jerk’ from time to time.”
– Patrick Lencioni
Giving feedback, honest feedback, is a hard thing to do. It takes courage, and it takes love. You know… a servant. Sometimes it feels like you are being a “jerk”… when all you really want to do is help that person or the team get better.
Inherent in this quote is there’s a difference between an upper-case “JERK” and a lower-case “jerk.” Upper case JERKS only care about themselves. By definition, that’s not leadership, and it’s certainly not what we want for ourselves and our teams. Lower-case jerks risk the discomfort of giving feedback and being honest, and are selfless enough to put it out there and help someone or the team be successful. Lower-case jerks are… servants.
For more context on the “jerk” thing, Patrick Lencioni, author of many leadership books, writes in his blog (shown below) about the difference between upper case “Jerks” and lower-case “jerks.”
Let’s endeavor to be the active lower-case kind… the leaders who are selfless enough to put it out there and help the team be successful. Servants.
We need all of us – together – to achieve the greatness this team is capable.
Serve your team,
Steve
p.s. Thanks to Chris Visage for this one
The jerk Factor
January 2015
I had the opportunity to work with a college baseball team recently, and came to a realization that helps explain why accountability is one of the biggest challenges for team members and leaders alike. I call it “The jerk Factor,” and yes, the “j” is not capitalized for a reason.
I was doing an exercise with a group of about ten team leaders, in which I asked each of them to identify their key strength and weakness as a leader. After a few players admitted that their weakness is their reluctance to confront teammates who aren’t living up to the team’s standards, another of the leaders reported that his weakness is being too confrontational. He said, and I’m paraphrasing here because college guys don’t talk the same way that executives do: “I felt like a jerk the other day when I called out the team and said they were wimps for not doing enough reps in the weight room.” One of his peers replied, “yeah, I heard a few of the guys say they thought you were being a jerk, but they also said you were right.”
This didn’t seem to make the leader feel any better. I advised him to go back to his teammates and admit that even though what he said may have sounded harsh, he was doing it for their good, and the good of the team. And that’s when I realized that part of being a leader and team player is the willingness to be a “jerk” from time to time.
Now, when I spell jerk with a small letter “j”, I’m referring to someone who is willing to say or do something that pushes a peer or subordinate far out of their comfort zones in order to make them or the team better. This often comes in the form of a pointed comment during a meeting, or a dose of tough love delivered one-on-one. For a few minutes, hours or even days, jerks may be unappreciated, even resented by the people who are on the receiving end of their input, until those people come to the realization that what the jerk said or did was exactly what was needed.
Jerks with a capital “J” are different animals. They are the ones who consistently demonstrate harshness and attitude, with no apparent reason, certainly not for the good of the team and its members. They almost seem to enjoy treating others roughly, and rarely, if ever, acknowledge that their attitude may have been inappropriate or uncalled for. Of course, these Jerks don’t earn the respect of their team members, rarely sustain any meaningful level of success over time, and should be avoided whenever possible.
But let’s just focus here on “small j” jerks, because failing to appreciate them can hurt an organization in a big way. To understand how, it’s necessary to realize that they aren’t the only jerks on the team.
Remember that exercise with the college baseball team? And remember the first leaders in the group who said that their weakness was that they often hold back their input when they see people behaving in a way that isn’t good for the team? Well, it’s time to recognize that they’re being jerks too. Passive ones, perhaps, but jerks nonetheless. When they withhold information or feedback out of fear that they might be temporarily disliked, they’
…
Show it…
“To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
It’s not enough to agree conceptually that our role as leaders is to serve others. We have to act.
The hard part is in the doing. The magic is in the doing.
Every day, we need to be who we say we are. We need to serve our team.
Patience…
“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.”
– Mark Twain
I couldn’t resist this quote for Mother’s Day. It speaks so well to what I see with Janet and our boys. As much trouble as they can be, she just loves taking care of them, serving them, loving them. (They drive me nuts when they give her the business. I, of course, was a perfect angel for my mother.)
There’s a reason people say “Hi, Mom” when a television camera finds them: Mom serves. Even when it’s hard – especially when it’s hard – Mom serves.
To all you Mom’s, Happy Mother’s day! And thank you…
A Full Ledger…
“If man has any greatness in him, it comes to light, not in one flamboyant hour, but in the ledger of his daily work.”
– quote by Beryl Markham from Randy Lewis’s new book “No Greatness without Goodness”
I saw this quote and thought immediately of Steve Palmer, our VP of Transportation, who is retiring tomorrow (April 30th) after 38+ years with Lowe’s.
For over 38 years, Steve built a career and a leadership ethos founded on character: patience, kindness, humility, respectfulness, selflessness, forgiveness, honesty, and commitment. He has been a true servant to his team, our company, and our customers.
Lots of stories have been shared these past few days and weeks as we said our good-byes. Some will be told again… others will fade. What will certainly stay with me, and I hope all of us, is the greatness of the man. His light shined bright here at Lowe’s for a long time. I’m grateful to him and for him.
Thanks Steve! All the best to you…
We’re Better Together
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
– Mark Twain
I heard a college professor talking about making decisions based on facts. He said not only was it important to have facts, but to have the right facts (and all the facts).
His point was that in large complex organizations (such as Lowe’s), individuals have a very limited perspective of problems and opportunities. In other words, no single person has enough information to have a strong opinion. To be successful… to make the best decisions… we have to listen to each other… get diverse perspectives… and make decisions on the most data available.
We are one Supply Chain Team. Planning, Replenishment, Transportation, Engineering, Operations. One team. Together. Serving our customer. Helping people love where they live by being in-stock and delivering products and service safely and profitably.
As the season heats-up… as the issues show-up… work together. Get help and get input. Pull the women and men of your Supply Chain team together to get perspective and find the best solutions.
Together, we are capable of greatness.
Stay together.
The time is now…
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. – Chinese Proverb
No use lamenting what wasn’t done years ago… or months… or weeks… or just yesterday. Whatever it is that you didn’t do – get over it. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Move on.
No use rationalizing that you’ll do tomorrow or someday whatever it is you should have done or way you should have behaved in the past. Tomorrow is a dream.
The time is now. Go ahead and plant that tree. Build a bridge to tomorrow. Start serving more and serving better right now. Trust more. Commit more. Care more. Start now.
Serve your team.
“Those who are not looking for happiness are most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Happiness can be found in the simple acts of helping those around you be successful. Be happy – serve your team!
A beginning…
“Life begins when you do.” – Hugh Downs
And…
“Until you commit your goals to paper, you have intentions that are seeds without soil.” – anon
The calendar is about to turn. A new year is ahead. What are you going to do with it? What dream(s) are you going to pursue?
Write-down your goals. Commit those dreams to paper. And then get going.
Happy New Year! Wishing you and your family peace and health this coming year. And… wishing you all the best as you work hard to make those dreams come true!
Teach love…
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela died yesterday at the age of 95. He was a truly great leader who changed the world. Rest in peace, Sir.
The best way to teach Love is to live it. Live it every day with your home and work families. Be patient, kind, humble, respectful, unselfish, forgiving, honest, and committed – this is the love of which Mr. Mandela spoke.
Love your team. Serve your team.
The one that counts…
“Remember… you only have to succeed the last time.” ~ Brian Tracy
Never, never, never quit.