Leadership's in the Cards

I like unique and easy ways to categorize things.  Comparing leadership to a deck of cards is one way to focus on its important aspects. 

• Ace - Ace areas of expertise.  When we focus on building our own strengths and those of team members everyone wins.
• King and Queen - Treat others with the respect that one would demonstrate to a beloved queen or king. 
• Jack - Be a Jack-of-all interpersonal skills.
• 10 - There is no single Perfect 10. Prior to 2008, we were accustomed to seeing Olympic gymnasts rated on a 10 point scale.  Just as the Perfect 10 era has closed in gymnastics scoring, we must be ever vigilant about seeking the current right way to measure successes.
• 8 - A stop sign has 8 sides.  Though the sign clearly tells us to stop, if one side were missing, the visual message wouldn't be complete or clear.  Stopping, at least briefly, to consider multiple available options gives us the opportunity to choose the best available path.
• 7 - Focusing on our 7 Hs: Head, Heart, Hands, Health, Humor, History and Home (5/31/09 blog post) allows us to bring our best selves to every role.
• 6 - Though there are 7 days in the week, we all need some downtime each week to recharge our batteries, get a fresh perspective and nurture meaningful relationships. 
• 5 - There are five essential elements of wellbeing (5/30/10 blog post): career, social, financial, physical and community.  When we are thriving in all areas, we positively influence those around us.
• 4 - Forthright communications are essential.  None of us are mind readers.  When we communicate directly, frankly and clearly, we are able to align expectations and eliminate a lot of second-guessing.
• 3 - It takes three weeks to form a new habit.  When we introduce change we need to realize that the new way of doing things won't be instantly implemented with great skill.  It takes time.
• 2 - Two-way communication is essential.  We need to consistently seek feedback so that we know how we are progressing toward goals and to understand what is and is not working.
• 1 - Everyone is an individual.  We cannot expect others to view the world exactly the way that we do.  Understanding, embracing and engaging these different perspectives strengthens teams and organizations.

Look for what is missing, doesn't look or feel right, or is out of sequence.  Many of us hastily process things as presented with little analysis.  Number 9 was omitted above to emphasize this point.