Thermostatic Leadership

In my home, and in most places where I spend any significant amount of time these days, the temperature is controlled by a thermostat; keeping the air a reasonable constant temperature for my comfort. The thermostat serves to prevent any extreme change that may distract me from my task or cause me discomfort that would produce irritability. It occurred to me this week that one of the roles of a leader is similar to the function of a thermostat – to monitor the surrounding environment and anticipate the need for adjustments and to make those adjustments before anyone becomes distracted from their primary mission and objective….to maintain an optimal environment for productivity. In reality, this is displayed as a manager addressing a morale issue before it gets out of hand in the workplace, a CFO who recommends administrative spending cuts when sales drop, or an HR specialist who recommends a market salary adjustment in response to increasing staff turnover. Any good leader will use similar strategies at home and at work to maintain a productive environment.

But there is another more profound application to this theory. Suppose the present “temperature” is not the optimal environment. If you are like me, it is very easy to be persuaded that the “status quo” is the best way to go. Particularly if things are going well and everyone is happy. We can become very satisfied with our lives and our circumstances especially when doing things differently will require the effort and uncertainty of change. I encourage you this week to consider whether God may be calling you to make a change at home or work. Is it time for you to heat things up, or maybe cool things off, rather than being a thermostat maintaining the current temperature? Don’t be fooled into thinking that the leaders’ job is simply to keep people productive and happy. Let me know how it goes!

Lessons from Spring

I love this time of year – warmer weather, working in the garden, the promise of future fruit in blossoms of the peach trees, and the evening sun lingering a little longer on the western horizon. Every free minute has been spent enjoying time outdoors the past couple of weeks; thus explaining the unusual lapse in time since my last blog post. But a surprise Spring shower has driven me inside this afternoon. And so I find myself in front of the computer contemplating whether there are any leadership applications in all this. I’m sure you are not surprised that I was able to find a few.

The following are a few of the lessons I think we can take from the changing seasons and apply to our role as leaders at home and at work:

· Surprise the team every now and then. Spring brings unexpected new growth, colorful new blooms, different birds at the feeder, and even an occasional hatch of new insects. Likewise, our leadership should also be characterized by the introduction of fresh ideas and new, exciting traditions. Lead the family on a walk after dinner. Take pizza to your kids for lunch in the school cafeteria. Move your Monday morning staff meeting to the parking lot, or to Starbucks. Get creative and shake things up a bit!

· Regenerate some great traditions of the past. In Spring, plants that have been dormant for months start to show signs of life again. Chances are, some of the things you really enjoyed doing as a family or some of the things that you found motivating and effective at work have given way to crowded schedules and changing priorities. Why not resurrect some of those activities this week?

· Be patient. The effects of Spring aren’t instant. The gradual warming over the next 45 days will slowly transform the dry, drab landscape into something much more colorful and inviting. In the same way, we can’t expect instant changes in response to our “new approach.” We will encounter those in our lives who prefer the status quo (a.k.a. dry and drab) over any change no matter how exciting. We must be prepared to deal with those patiently but persistently.

· Take time to enjoy the moment. More than any other time of year, in Spring I find I get lost in thought and can spend hours just sitting and “soaking up” God’s incredible creation. Nature seems to be calling us all to come aside and enjoy. I urge you to intentionally slow down in the weeks ahead. Schedule some time away with the family. Email the boss right now and schedule at least a few vacation days. And be an example to your team of the importance of scheduling some care free enjoyment every now and again.