Skip to main content

We've Tried That

Have you ever heard a leader say the words "We've tried that, it doesn't work". Are these the words of a true leader. I don't think so. I have heard that phase used a lot by people in influential positions. I have never understood why they would utter such defeat. A leader needs to utter encouragement and use gentle guidance.

Today we are looking at leadership language and how words can shape your leadership role and shape the future leaders. Uttering negative comments will defeat those around you and they won't want to offer up suggestions in the future. Your leadership and the group you lead will plateau and become stagnant.

A leader needs to offer up hope and even if an idea was tried before and didn't work that doesn't mean you don't have the players in place now to make it work. What if in baseball the manager called for a suicide squeeze (That is when a runner on third takes off during the pitch and the batter bunts the ball to hopefully score the runner) and the runner is out. Does the manager immediately say we will never try that again. No they practice make sure things are correct and try it another time.

Leaders need to be positive. In the situation described above the leader should state the challenges they had before and explain why it didn't work. Then tell their people see if you can make it work and we can revisit the idea. That is encouragement and empowerment.

In all situations the leader should follow the three E's to success.

  • Engage
  • Empower
  • Encourage

Are speaking the language and doing these three things or are you uttering words of failure?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Where Have I Been?

 The title of this article is apropos since I haven't blogged in almost 12 years. I plan to start this blog up again and try to blog on a consistent basis. I will also be broadening the topics that I write about. Be sure to subscribe so you can get notifications about when I post. So what have I been up to since that October day in 2013 when I made my last blog? Let me recap for you. When that post happened I was in the middle of my Toastmaster journey and I'm happy to say that I crossed the Toastmaster finish line by earning my DTM. I didn't continue in Toastmasters after that since I changed jobs and took my leadership skills to Mathnasium and started running a Mathnasium in Blaine MN in 2016. I got the opportunity to blend my education degree with my MBA and use it as the Director of the Mathnasium in Blaine. I also had the opportunity to be the director at one in St Louis Park and one in  Andover. I ran these until 2023 when I decided to go back into the classroom and t...

Math, It's For Everyone!

 I used to write a lot on this blog about leadership and you can still read all of those blog postings. I may still write about leadership but this blog and my other two will focus on things I enjoy. Not to say I don't enjoy leadership but I'll be mixing it up more. I have a bible verse for the week blog and a sport blog and those will focus on those things.  This Blog will focus on leadership, politics, trips, math and topics I find interesting. Today I want to mention that I started a YouTube channel on math topics. I posted my first one last week and it dealt with finding 10s when adding a lot of numbers together. Whether you like math or find it to be the worst thing in the world please know that math is everywhere and in everything you do. Math isn't about crunching numbers, it isn't made to torture you. Math is more about problem solving, understanding processes, and making things easier. Everyone can be successful in math; you just have to understand the language...

Team of Rivals

 Today I'm going to give you a book review. My favorite books to read are non-fiction books about baseball seasons, baseball players, presidents, or history. The book I'm currently reading and almost done with is "Team Of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin published in 2005. This book is 754 pages and I have 23 pages left so I think I can give you a good indication about the book. This book is really a retelling of the political career and presidency of Abraham Lincoln as told through extensive research into diaries and memoirs of those who worked closely with Lincoln. I have really enjoyed this book and the writing of Kearns. She is able to piece together all of her information about Lincoln's presidency and life during that time. She gives us up close narratives of the behind the scenes at the White House and his cabinet especially during the civil war. More often than not Presidents will give cabinet spots to friends. This book shows that Lincoln surrounded himsel...