Laser Provision
When it comes to leadership, needs matter. Leaders who are more concerned
about their own power, position, ego, agenda, perks, pocketbooks, smarts, or
solutions, than about the needs of their people and the people they serve are
not great leaders at all. Great leaders take a "seventh generation" perspective.
We think about the impacts of our decisions not only on the needs of people
today but also in the needs of people seven generations in the future. Where are
we taking our people? If you haven't thought about that lately, then read on.
You just might get inspired.
In This Issue
1. Provision: Needs Matter
Go There
2. Coach's Kitchen: Tuning in for Life's
Next Lessons
Go There
3. Readers' Forum: Selected Reader Replies
Go There
4. Bulletin Board Highlights: Center for
School Transformation Go There
5. Book
Recommendation: Salsa, Soul, and Spirit by Juana Bordas Go There
6. Subscribe / Unsubscribe Instructions
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1.
Provision #684: Needs Matter by Bob Tschannen-Moran
Do you remember
"Joe the Plumber"? He is the former employee of an Ohio plumbing contractor who
became famous because of his encounter with then-Democratic candidate Barack
Obama during the 2008 run for the White House. During the encounter, Joe
Wurzelbacher asked Obama if he believed in the American dream and if he was
going to face higher taxes under Obama's tax plan.
Obama explained the nuances of his plan. Some people and businesses, those whose
incomes and revenues are in the top 5% of all people and businesses, would pay
more (going back to the 39% tax bracket under Bill Clinton). Everyone else would
pay the same or less taxes.
That explanation didn't sit well with Wurzelbacher. If he worked hard and became
economically successful, moving into the top 5%, he wanted to keep that money.
He therefore proposed a flat tax, in which everyone would pay the same
percentage. He thought that would better meet his need as well as his idea of
the American dream.
Obama argued that a flat tax would be too hard on those with lower incomes. The
system only works if higher income people pay more. I want to "cut takes a
little bit more for the folks who are most in need," Obama explained, "and for
the 5% of the folks who are doing very well -- even though they’ve been working
hard and I appreciate that -- I just want to make sure they’re paying a little
bit more in order to pay for those other tax cuts."
That's when Obama made the "spread the wealth around" comment that his
opponents, John McCain and Sarah Palin, jumped on in the campaign. Here is
Obama's comment in context:
"My attitude is that if the economy’s good for folks from
the bottom up, it’s gonna be good for everybody. If you’ve got a plumbing
business, you’re gonna be better off if you’ve got a whole bunch of
customers who can afford to hire you, and right now everybody’s so pinched
that business is bad for everybody and I think when you spread the wealth
around, it’s good for everybody."
You can decide for yourself whether or not that comment makes
Obama a socialist. For the purposes of our discussion on leadership, however,
the exchange between Obama and Wurzelbacher is a classic case of competing
needs. Wurzelbacher needed autonomy, opportunity, and economic means. Without
denying the importance of those needs, Obama expressed concern for those people
"who are most in need." To help meet that need, Obama put forward a more
progressive tax code that, in his opinion, would be "good for everybody."
That may well have been part of why Obama got elected. He communicated respect
for and a willingness to ameliorate the needs of large numbers of people. Needs
matter. When leaders recognize and respect the needs of people, they generate
positive feelings and get positive results. When leaders fail to recognize and
respect the needs of people, it works the other way around.
That's because feelings and needs are integrally connected. As I described in my
last Provision,
Feelings
Matter, needs generate feelings. There is a causal connection. Great leaders
understand this dynamic and pay attention to needs in both explicit and implicit
as well as overt and subtle ways. There's no way for leaders to be too attentive
to what's happening at the level of people's needs.
Obama tried to do that with "Joe the Plumber." Without using the words autonomy,
opportunity, and economic means, Obama tried to acknowledge and put forward his
understanding of Wurzelbacher's needs. At that moment, Wurzelbacher shook his
head in agreement, saying, "Exactly." Obama then went on to say there were other
needs he had to pay attention to as well, at which point the two men engaged in
a debate over strategies: flat versus progressive taxes.
Conversations often break down over strategies. Everyone has a different idea.
Obama might have fared better with "Joe the Plumber" if he had stayed at the
level of needs. The more people feel heard at the level of their needs, the more
open they become to new ideas regarding strategies.
Unfortunately, leadership in the Western world is often viewed as a solitary
task in which individuals assert their will and ideas on the organizations and
people they lead. That's true regardless of the domain: politics, business,
education, and non-profit agencies (to mention only four domains) all tend to
work the same way. Leadership is viewed as something claimed by the best and the
brightest -- "the smartest guys in the room" -- rather than as something called
for from the people.
Leadership works better when it's called for from the people. That usually means that people
feel inspired and protected in your presence. They are willing to trust you with
the things they value most: their needs.
It gets dicey when needs are in apparent conflict. That's when it's tempting for
leaders to panic and take control: "Look, here's what we're going to do." That
may be appropriate in life-and-death situations, but most situations are not
(thankfully) life-and-death. So leaders would do well to do more listening and
exploring before speaking and acting. The more time we take to understand the
needs of our people and those we serve the better our strategies will be.
Often, by listening well, the apparent conflict of needs begins to resolve. That
might have happened with Obama and Wurzelbacher. I have seen it happen in far
more conflicted and confrontational of settings. When leaders listen well, they
often find people expressing needs for:
Such needs are not cultural artifacts. They are universal. They
arise from being alive as humans, and they connect us with many other life
forms. All leaders would therefore do well to notice how these and other needs
are running on the playing fields of life and work.
Coaching Inquiries: What needs are you most acutely aware of right now? What are
people trying to tell you about how you are treating and respecting their needs?
How could you do more listening before taking charge? What would have to change
in order for you to get into that frame of mind? Who do you know who models
respectful servant leadership? How can you get to know them better?
If you would like to learn more about
our Coaching Programs and to arrange for a complementary
coaching session, Click Here
or
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Us.
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2. Coach's Kitchen #117:
Tuning in for Life's Next Lessons by Kate Kriynovich
An email came my way a few weeks back, and my intuition told me to pay
attention. It was sent by a coach friend of mine, who is always tuned in to
great "stuff," so I read it to see what she was up to. Molly was inviting me to
a half-day workshop for personal growth.
The timing felt right, the teacher/coach felt right, and the material felt
right. Being a believer in the importance of paying attention to what comes my
way and to the feeling of energy that surrounds it, I signed up.
That was a brilliant move on my part. The workshop was held yesterday, and it
was well worth the investment. I had been feeling on the "verge" of some
changes, but I think this will be bigger than what I was anticipating.
As I was sitting with this engaged group of like-minded people, it occurred to
me that this material and tools had the potential to change my life. I’ve had
some opportunities for professional skills building lately, but this material
will impact me at the very core level of my being -- if I allow it.
That is the key. Allowing the learning to resonate and impact -- embracing the
work and letting it sink in at a very deep level.
We all have next steps to take for ourselves, both personally and
professionally. Often, the personal shifts and growth move us to professional
shifts and growth. And, being open to the potential of the learning and
understanding opens us to much greater possibility.
In the next months, I will be reporting on my journey, as well as other
occurrences. Know that there are opportunities knocking at your door on a
regular basis, which may take some tuning in and allowing to resonate with you.
I had a "killer" cranberry muffin while at Molly’s workshop. Although I don’t
have that recipe to share with you, I am including one here for Cranberry Bread,
from my sister, Jeanne. Now that the mornings have been cooler here lately, my
taste buds are perking up for fall tastes -- like cranberries.
Jeanne’s Cranberry Bread
2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar (can be reduced a little)
Mix these three ingredients, then add:
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted in 2 tablespoons of hot water
½ cup orange juice
Stir to mix.
Add:
½ cup of chopped nuts (or more), I prefer walnuts or pecans
1 cup fresh cranberries
Grated rind from one orange (try to get only the orange part of the rind,
not all the white part below it.
Grease and flour a loaf pan. Pour in the batter and bake at 325 degrees for
one hour.
Coaching Inquiries: Do you make an effort to be conscious to the
opportunities that come your way? Do you look for reasons to embrace next steps
for yourself, or is it more likely for you to lean toward the status quo? If you’re
feeling ready to take some steps forward, have you been paying attention to the
possibilities knocking at your door?
If you would like to learn more about
our Coaching Programs and to arrange for a complementary
coaching session, Click Here
or
Email
Us.
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3. Readers' Forum
Editor's Note: The LifeTrek Readers'
Forum contains selections from the comments and materials sent in each week by the readers
of LifeTrek Provisions. They do not necessarily reflect the perspective of LifeTrek Coaching
International. To submit your comment, use our Feedback Form or
Email Bob.
========================================================
I just read your
latest Provision,
Feelings
Matter. Effective communication is a skill/art in which I have long known I
had considerable room for growth. Three ex-wives can't all be wrong! While
discussing a recent, difficult communication with a friend they said, "Sometimes being
able to lose is actually winning."
While this indeed profound in an "I Chingy" sort of way, it seems to me that
true communication is not about wrong or right, win or lose, but about
ultimately furthering your established goals; accomplishing the mission so to
speak. If an individual chooses to view every interaction as an intellectual
mine is bigger than yours contest, or a chance to hone their bullying skills,
all involved have lost before they have even begun and a very real opportunity
to truly connect with someone has been missed.
========================================================
I just read your new
book,
Evocative
Coaching, and I absolutely love it. I have recommended it already to
multiple people; I will be recommending it to our entire community. Very
sincerely, it is the best book on coaching I have ever read. It just blows me
away. I learned so much. You and Megan did a phenomenal job explaining the true
heart, and empathy, and what it takes to be a great coach. It is unequivocally
the best coaching book I have ever read. Way to go.
========================================================
Thanks so much for your continuing inspiration and hard work. We received
our copy of
Evocative
Coaching in the mail and I've just begun reading – savoring
and enjoying the way your coaching fits so effectively with our efforts at Asset
Based Community Development. Looking forward to learning more.
========================================================
I am delighted to see that your book on coaching in schools has come out.
Congratulations. I looked at the table of contents and am now anxious to buy a
copy. I have begun coaching teachers in my area and will appreciate the wisdom
that you and Megan share through your new release. Thanks.
========================================================
Your new book has been on my wish list here in Australia, and I have already
recommended it to all of my friends in the education sector in the US and
elsewhere. Now that I have received my own copy, just flipping through for the
first time, it is clear that you and Megan have created a gift for the world
that is dense with practical wisdom. I so look forward to immersing myself in
this wonderful resource; it will be a valued addition to my professional
library.
========================================================
Although I can only follow your progress from afar, I am very excited by the
work you are doing with the Center for School Transformation. Keep the
conversation going! Top
========================================================
4. Bulletin Board
-- Center for
School Transformation.
Want to learn how to transform schools, one conversation at a time? Then we
invite you to visit the Center for School Transformation at
www.SchoolTransformation.com.
The Center offers training, services, and programs based upon our book,
Evocative Coaching: Transforming Schools One
Conversation At A Time. Our acclaimed, 13-session
training
program in Evocative Coaching takes place in a virtual classroom using
advanced telephone conference technologies. Anyone with a phone can participate
both easily and economically. Our
whole-system
initiatives enable schools to avoid the blame-game and take a positive
approach to change. We invite you to join us on the journey.
-- Evocative Coaching YouTube Videos. Interested in learning more
about Evocative Coaching, our coaching model and training program for coaches in
K-12 schools? You can visit our website,
www.SchoolTransformation.com, as
well as our YouTube Channel,
where we have posted three video clips describing how the process works.
-- Maestro
Conference. We teach Evocative Coaching using the
Maestro Conference bridgeline. It is an amazing and yet simple technology that
allows conference calls to break into dyads, triads, or any size breakout
session. Once you experience it, you'll never go back to old-school conference
lines where everyone has a microphone in one room together. Interested in
checking it out? Learn more at
www.MaestroConference.com.
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Changes in technology put AvantGo out of business last year, but Amazon Kindle
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needs! Our writings are archived at
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-- CelebrateEmpathy.com.
To learn more about the process of honest expression and empathic reception,
visit out latest Celebrate! website, CelebrateEmpathy.com.
The site features resources and training opportunities in Nonviolent
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CelebrateCongregations.com.
-- LifeTrek Coaching Programs.
LifeTrek offers a full range of individual and group coaching programs. In addition to
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5. Bookstore
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These great books will move you forward in your own life trek. Here are links to
a few recently mentioned books (some of which are available on the
Amazon Kindle, an electronic book reader):
-- Salsa, Soul, and Spirit by Juana Bordas
Amazon
-- Strategic Listening for School Leaders by Tate & Dunklee
Amazon
-- The 5th Agreement by Don Miguel and Don Jose Ruiz
Amazon
-- Leadership Agility by Joiner & Joseph
Amazon
-- Evocative Coaching by Bob & Megan Tschannen-Moran
Amazon
-- The Inner Game of Work by Tim Gallwey
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-- The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley
Amazon
-- Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belskey
Amazon
-- Change by Design by Tim Brown
Amazon
-- Getting Things Done by David Allen
Amazon
-- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Lencioni
Amazon
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Provisions on Listening has been turned into a 41-page e-Book together with an
audio series that he recorded along with Margaret Moore from the Wellcoaches
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Keys, and listening to the audio recording, will assist you to reap the personal
and professional benefits of better listening. Order your copy today for $10
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-- Mastering Your Money: Road to Financial Independence,
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May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran
President, LifeTrek Coaching International,
www.LifeTrekCoaching.com
CEO & Co-Founder, Center for School Transformation,
www.SchoolTransformation.com
2010 President, International Association of Coaching,
www.CertifiedCoach.org
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