doug smith training

There is a lot about the past that should make us uncomfortable. As long as people have been around we have found ways to cause problems and land in conflict. As leaders, it is our job to navigate our teams and organizations to better places. We desire and deserve better expectations and superior results. In the process we must do what we can to fix the errors of the past. That does not mean we must burn it to the ground. That does not mean that we must disrespect all that came before. It is possible to honor the parts of the past we grew from, while growing in ways that make the present and the future much better. Honor the past. And, then move ahead. -- doug smith  

Have you ever worked for a leader who is totally dedicated to tearing down what was before in order to move ahead with a new agenda? How did that feel? When you're in favor of the agenda, it could feel fine. But, for at least some of that leader's constituents the tearing down of the past felt like cruelty, like heartlessness. It causes people to dig in, to resist change, to do whatever it takes to repeat past processes rather than proceed past them. High performance leaders have a heart. It is completely possible to build an exciting future while also honoring those parts of the past that got you where you are. There are no perfect organizations. If you care enough to lead a team, please do care enough about that teams heritage to honor the work that came before. It's not a way to get stuck in the past. It's a way to move forward with dignity. Honor your past so that you can avoid repeating it. -- doug smith Leadership Call to Action: Be your best.

Do people need to earn your respect? Some people do believe that it is necessary to prove yourself worthy of respect before someone should grant you respect. What's the problem with that? When we put ourselves into the position of judge we also open the door wider to being judged. Can people tell when you respect them?  Undoubtably. We seem to have an inner radar that differentiates respect from disrespect -- or worse, disregard. We can tell, and we care. Deeply. Whatever a person has done in the past that we might question, it is still possible to treat them with respect. Kindness, compassion, even love know no limits. Respecting someone does not mean that you agree with everything that they've ever done -- or even with what they are  doing or saying right now. Respect means that you treat them with human dignity, fairness, compassion, and honor. I know that it can be tough to show respect in the heat of an argument or when someone is not acting in a likable manne