Increasing Your Capacity and Slump Proofing Your Leadership Part 5

Matthew 13:5-8 "Some (seed) fell on stony places...some fell among thorns...But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop."

Soil is important. For most things to grow in a healthy manner, it needs the proper environment. The 5th question leaders must deal with in increasing their capacity is the Environmental Questions which asks "Does My Organization Provide The Environment For My Capacity To Increase?"

I recently saw the great movie The Blind Side. You can't watch that movie without noticing the impact of the Touhy and how their family functioned on Michael Oher. They provided stability, security, hope, and direction that helped change a young man's life. As you look at the career of Peyton Manning and many other high capacity quarterbacks, you notice an amazing level of organizational stability.

Dan Marino played for Don Shula from 1983 through 1995. John Elway played from 1983 through 1998 and played for only Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan. Roger Staubach played all his 11 seasons with Tom Landry. Terry Bradshaw played all his 14 seasons with Chuck Noll. Joe Montana played for 10 seasons under Bill Walsh.

And that brings us to Peyton Manning. Bill Polian has been the Colts' GM his entire career. Peyton played his first 4 seasons for Head Coach Jim Mora and the following 7 seasons under Tony Dungy. Current Head Coach Jim Caldwell has been with the team since 2002. His Offensive Coordinator for his entire 12-year career has been Tom Moore. Jeff Saturday has been his center for 11 years. Marvin Harrison lined up at wide receiver for him for 11 years. Reggie Wayne has been his other (now #1) receiver for 9 years. Dallas Clark has been his tight end for 7 years. Peyton's, and all the previous QBs mentioned, careers have been marked by organizational stability. To expand your capacity to the level that high achievement takes place, you must be in an organization that is marked by stability and consistent excellence.

A stable organization is marked by the following:

1. There is a leadership culture that is defined by winning. John Maxwell says that when you're winning, nothing hurts. That's the Law of Momentum. Momentum is the fuel the expands capacity. It makes you think you can accomplish more than you currently are and that you can be better than you currently are. Winning becomes addictive. It makes growth fun. You put in more preparation time and expect to accomplish great things. And it's just plain awesome when this happens in the context of community and team. Losing doesn't do that. It might make you hungrier, might, but it doesn't increase capacity.
2. There is low turnover of personnel. You cannot increase capacity when you continually start over. I am saddened by churches who are constantly looking for a new pastor. It takes between 5-7 years for a pastor's vision to begin to take root and become reality. You must get "your people" in place and it takes awhile for the congregation to have the vision become part of their DNA. When a pastor is replaced after 3 years for example, you must start the process all over again and you've arguably lost 3 years. The pastor loses because he has to start all over somewhere new. The church loses because they will be in an interim situation for at least 6-12 months and then they start the 5 year process all over again. The community the church is in loses because there is a decreased level of impact in their town. Everyone loses with constant turnover.
3. There are consistent practices and behavior. All successful organizations in sports, church, business, and all of life have a consistent message from the owner, to the front office, to the coaching staff, to the coach on the field. Whether it's a quarterback, middle linebacker, point guard, catcher, top salesman, or an executive, every organization has a coach on the field. In Indianapolis, there's no doubt who it is. As Tony Dungy said of Peyton and his new receivers "The new guys will fit in. He'll make them fit in." Now ask yourself, who is your coach on the field and does he/she not only share, but actually multiply your values and your message and refuse to lose?
4. There is long-term player development. Dungy states "Once a player joins our team, our priority is to teach him, not worry about the player we didn't select." Quality organizations identify and select team members that fit their system and develop them over time. Reggie Wayne did not become Peyton's #1 option until about year 7. Marvin Harrison carried the load while Wayne was given time to develop. I can expand my capacity if my organization is structured in such a way that gives me time to do so. Too many of us are driven by month-end or year-end results. While that is certainly important, it must be balanced because capacity is only expanded by bookkeepers in that type of organization.
5. There is security. The feeling experienced by the highest percentage of people is insecurity. I think that is just a result of the dysfunctional families most of us are growing up in. You can't have the most important people in your life leave home when you're a child and not always have some concern that those in positions of authority in your life will always have a tendency to do that. Also, people just perform better when they have been adequately equipped to fulfill their responsibilities and are not constantly looking over their shoulder. You're going to have a wreck if you're constantly looking in the rear view mirror. The best thing any organization can do is create an environment, primarily through mission, relationships, and compensation, that with proper performance you will always be here. That environment of stability will be the foundation that capacity builds on.

This has been a fun post to write. I have spent five posts discussing the subject of personal development. The next post will center on The Flight Question which asks "Do I Help Others Soar Higher?"

Increasing Your Capacity and Slump Proofing Your Leadership Part 4

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven"

Of all the questions I deal with as a leader, this is the one that may give me the greatest challenge in increasing my capacity. The Timing Question asks "Do I Crockpot Or Microwave My Ideas?" The reason this is the next element to increasing your leadership capacity as that as a continual learner, you will always be getting many new ideas. However, the acquisition of and implementation of key learnings are two different things. Always remember, things just taste better coming out of a crockpot rather than a microwave.

Too often, I have taken something I just learned and immediately tried to implement it. While my bias towards action and enthusiasm is certainly admirable, I did not understand the value of the newly acquired information and improperly used it. Often my efforts were improperly timed and lacked the impact they were capable of.

Qadry Ismail tells another story from the 2002 Jacksonville Jaguar game. In the first quarter, Jacksonville Cornerback Jason Craft thought he had uncovered how the Colts ran a particular route and notified Ismail of such. Ismail relayed that information to Peyton Manning and Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore. Manning filed it away until the perfect moment in the third quarter when he changed the play and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ismael.

We get another example of delayed implementation from New Orleans Saints Offensive Line Coach Aaron Kromer. Kromer does not waste time during the week as he watches run games from every NFL game that week. As he says "I recognize...that there are many intelligent coaches in the league who can advance your knowledge exponentially. That's how you grow as a coach, and I believe it's how you grow as a player too."

Out of these hundreds of plays he has seen, he noticed a play late in a 2008 Atlanta Falcon - Carolina Panther game used by Mike Mularkey that he thought would one day fit his personnel. In a week 3 game in Buffalo, he installed the play in his gameplan. The results, a fourth quarter touchdown run by Pierre Thomas that put the game away. As Peter King said "When you have smart coaches, players with ability who can learn and adapt, and good backs, good things can happen in the run game."

How do you know when it is the right time to implement an idea? The following are a couple of good parameters to follow:

1. Have you listened to others prior to the idea's creation and built on their thoughts? Manning listened to Ismael and Tom Moore. Kromer listened to great offensive minds like Mularkey, Joe Bugel, and Bill Callahan. Who are you listening to on a daily basis? Who you listen to and learning from will greatly affect your capacity.


2. Have you included others in the implementation of the idea? As noted, Ismael included Manning and Moore. If you have the right people around you, others will make your ideas better. Proverbs 24:6 says "And in abundance of counselors there is victory."


3. Have you tested your idea? Kromer practiced the play a few times in the offseason and filed it away. However, they spent much time practicing it the week prior to the game. By gametime, they were comfortable with the play and ready to perform it. Before going public with your idea, you must test it privately.


4. Do you let the needs your church, community, marketplace, or competition drive the timing of the release of your idea? In both examples listed, extensive film work and gameplanning took place on the competition before utilizing the idea. Do you know if your idea meets a need or answers questions people are asking? You've heard that certain people were born 10 years too early. Well, you can give birth to your ideas too early as well.


5. Do you use your ideas when they will get maximum results? This is the big one. Each example given above resulted in a touchdown. There is a big difference in implementing your ideas to get a first down in midfield and using them to score. Before unleashing your idea, factor in the results. Will you get a pat on the back for being creative, or will you do something that results in significant life change?

That's the secret. As a continual learner, are you listening to quality people? Do you surround yourself with people who can make your ideas better? Did you practice your concepts or field test your ideas before going public? Did you listen to your church or marketplace? Did you wait for the opportune time to implement your idea for maximum results? If so, there's one additional concept you should know about - Compounding.

There is a compounding effect to waiting and utilizing your ideas at the proper time. You can pay now and play later. Or you can play now and pay later. Here's the secret -Whatever you do later, you will have more of. If you wait and do the 5 steps I outlined, your ideas will achieve maximum results and your leadership capacity will increase.

Check back later this week for Chapter 5 when look at the The Environmental Question which asks "Does My Organization Provide The Environment For My Capacity to Increase?"

Increasing Your Capacity and Slump Proofing Your Leadership Part 3

As you grow in your leadership, you begin by putting yourself in an environment you love. Then, you realize and acknowledge that you must get better. The next question you must deal with is The Information Question which asks "Am I A Continual Learner?"


Qadry Ismael recounts the story of a team charter flight to Jacksonville. The game plan had already been completed and the work was put in. "Hay's in the barn, game plan's done, we're all set" he said. It was going to be a quiet, relaxing flight. However, Peyton was not finished. He spent the next 2.5 hours continuing to revise the game plan.


I've already talked about how he works every Thursday for an extra 90 minutes after practice watching tape with rookie wide receiver Austin Collie. What's unique is his approach to learning various routes of the passing tree. "Most people throw the route tree when they work out - one hitch, one slant, one out, one hook" says Manning. "You hit 'em all and say 'Good workout.' The way I think is, you master one route at a time - one route a day - and you throw the living stew out of it."

Recently, I had the privilege of spending two days with an African-American leader who is considered one of the top 3 church leaders on anyone's list in this country. As he was being introduced to the conference audience, one of the many qualities he was noted for was being a continual learner.

If arguably the greatest quarterback of our or any era and one of the top Christian leaders in America both focus on continual learning, if we are going to fulfill our ultimate leadership capacity, we need to be continual learners as well.


The following are 5 benefits from being a continual learner:

1. You have more options. When Peyton comes to the line of scrimmage, because he knows the offense so well, he has "more tools in his toolbox" or a wider number of plays to choose from.


2. You are better equipped and can achieve more in your specific leadership assignment. In addition to knowing his offense so well, he has the same level of understanding of the opposing defense. The people we serve in our churches or the marketplace are ever-changing. We have to continually re-invent ourselves as well. We have to grow because we can't lead our people where we have not been ourselves.


3. You will have more influence in your chosen field. A rising tide lifts all ships. The reason I noted Ismail and Collile is that Peyton's leadership has fostered a culture of learning. Everyone has to be a learner or you can't play with or keep up with him. As leaders, we are creating a culture whether we realize it or not. It is important that you are learner not only for yourself, but for your team as well.


4. You have more self-confidence. Anyone who has ever delivered a public presentation knows the difference between what it feels like to have a deep understanding of the material or not. We have all faced the "I hope they don't ask that question" stress point. Being a continual learner brings self-confidence which ultimate provides confidence for you and security and confidence to those you lead.


5. You can leave a legacy of innovation. All assignments have a life cycle that eventually comes to an end. When I think of people like Bill Walsh, Paul Brown, Tom Landry, Sid Gilliam, and Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson. Though they are no longer with us, they were all great thinkers, strategists, and innovators. Great ideas come from a series a good ideas componded over time. They all achieved a level of capacity and influence by continually allowing their mind and thoughts to grow. And their concepts were so innovative that they are still used today.

As you make a commitment to continual learning, the next capacity issue you will deal is how and when to utilize your thoughts. Check back early next week when we ask The Timing Questions which asks "Do I Crockpot or Microwave My Ideas?"