Personality Big 5 Connections and Centered Leadership

Are you still discovering who you are?

Do you have any big theories or processes that you are still working out?

One of my big unifying theory-processes-notions centers around what I call centered leadership. It's different than the centered leadership identified in a recent book by the same title (I've read that book and it is filled with great insights and I don't disagree with any of it -- it's just that it was develop outside of what I have been thinking of as centered leadership. I did try to adapt away from my thinking but it's no use, I'm heavily intellectually invested in this now so I parallel my way thru any diversions).

The purpose of this blog entry is just to capture another related notion with some connectedness. It's the psychological idea often referred to as the "Big 5". Good heavens, I have another notion I've been calling the Big 5 that has NOTHING to do with any of this but I won't let that deter me (my Big 5 is a way of measuring impact based on customer satisfaction, team member satisfaction, compliance, revenue, and expenses)M

The idea of a psychological big five is nicely summarized here:

http://psychology.about.com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/bigfive.htm

In my own curious way I've connected the dots a bit and compared the big 5 with what I think of as the 5 core leadership strengths. Except in the big 5 is a trait not at all a strength -- neuroticism. That doesn't fit into my little charting system at all. Here is the overlay that fits:

Centered Leadership Strength / Big 5

Courage / Openness
Creativity / Extraversion
Clarity / Conscientiousness
Compassion / Agreeableness

MY fifth is Centering, and that is charted as a circle in the middle of the four quadrants -- representing balance and flexibility in utilizing each and every key leadership strength skillfully and as needed. It can also be thought of as mindfulness in action.

The fifth Big 5, neuroticism, does not fit into my little chart but I would draw it as a triangle that has fallen off the chart. It's a bit like the opposite of centering: it is the absence of balance and flexibility. It is any one of the other traits taken to extreme or starved of its need.

This is just a quick thought on a deep idea -- my musings at 2 am...and I welcome any thoughts. There are enough tangents here for a book and maybe that's on its way. Who knows?

Don't you enjoy unexpected connections?

-- Doug Smith

Comments

Go Get It

It might seem that all you need to achieve that goal is a little help. A bit of a boost. Someone to provide feedback and encouragement. You're right. If all you need is a little help to achieve your goal, then definitely go get that help. The person who could help you really does want to help you. -- doug smith

Details

"It's all in the details." "Measure twice, cut once." "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." "Get it right, get it right, get it right..." Details. As a front line leader it is ever so tempting to pour on the details until they completely cover every possible contingency. As a highly analytical person, I've given into that temptation many times. The risk to making instructions too detailed is that they will not be followed. That doesn't imply malice, it simple acknowledges that: our attention spans are short no process is perfect anyway action creates momentum That third one is key. Action creates momentum, so get moving. Correct as we proceed, but for heaven's sake, get moving. -- doug smith

Time and Possibility

There was a time when time seemed to close in on me like a shrinking cell. I could hear the ticking like a serious soundtrack constantly reminding me that urgency had to rule or time would shrink away. But time doesn't shrink away. Time does not care what you do about it and if you hear ticking it's from a real clock, not your lost time. Time is not a ticking clock, it's a fluid sea of possibility. Find the wave and ride. Connect with your school of creatives and invent new boundaries. Swim and win. The possibilities are endless. And...so is time. -- doug smith

Time and Feelings

Using time productively is of course important. Managing work and activities, reducing wasted time, optimizing performance, these all matter. And you know what else matters? How you feel about it. The time is yours. Even when other people make decisions about your time, your approach to what you do is always up to you. It's not just what you do with your time that matters, it's also how you feel about what you do with your time. What's your answer? -- doug smith

Not Perfect?

Have you ever held onto a problem just because you couldn't find the perfect solution, an elegant, efficient, bruise-free choice? That effort -- for perfection -- has slowed me down a number of times. Perfection can be such a bother, because nothing is perfect in this life and never will be. There's no perfect way to solve a problem -- but you don't need perfection to solve it. If you can find the best way, that is certainly good enough. -- doug smith

A Winning Game

It would be nice to win the game. But, do you ever feel like you're in a game that keeps shifting the rules and making it easy to make progress but impossible to win? You've probably noticed lots of game elements creeping into service. Points, incentives, expiring coupons followed by new expiring coupons, leader-boards...on an on a relentless attack on service comes from playing a game designed -- you guessed it -- to maximize profit. If the customer is happy, fine, but the point is to make money. Not to put too fine a point on it but that's a lousy point. What if there could be something better? What if customer service excellence became playing a game where the customer always wins and that makes you happy? You don't have to. "give away the store" to achieve a winning game for all of the players. Just stop stacking the rules against customers and watch how much more they will want to do business with you. -- doug smith

You've Got More

Do you know what is the best thing about potential? You've always got more. It's the same for capacity -- you can always dig deeper, extend farther, lift more. Think about some of the best things you've ever done. You're amazing, aren't you? There's more in the tank. There's great work ahead. The best you can do is better than you think it is. Won't it be fun when you discover that? -- doug smith

Good News, Bad News

The bad news is that you are the biggest thief of your time. The good news is that you can change that. We all waste time. We can all waste less. Productivity is a choice. -- doug smith

The Goal Sequence

Every goal leads to another goal. If you've achieved your goal, the next goal gives you increased opportunity to grow. If you've missed your goal, the next goal gives you a chance to learn and correct. Nobody achieves all of their goals but every goal gives you something. Get that goal done and see what great goal comes next. -- doug smith

Enthusiastic Support

You can achieve many great goals on your own. Getting help from others will increase your successes. Why would anyone help you? Maybe if they owe you a favor, but much more likely it's when your goal ignites something in them. Lights up their enthusiasm. Makes them more motivated. A poorly written goals is easily ignored. A great goal, one that is clear, gains interest and support. Write a great goal and see what it attracts. Great goals gather enthusiastic support. -- doug smith

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