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SESSION 4 OBJECTIVES: • To understand what it means to fully develop a character that “gets results” and

it’s connection to integrity. (THINK it) • To think critically about and discuss the fundamentals of what enables us and

inhibits us from getting lasting results in our work as described in chapter 9 of “Integrity” by Dr. Henry Cloud. (MEAN it )

• To adjust behaviors and attitudes as they relate to the development of our ability as leaders to “get results”. (SHOW it)

 

Session 4:       Integrity:  Character Dimension 3‐ “Getting Results”     

   

WHAT and SO WHAT?

Chapter 9: “Finishing Well” Key Ideas:

o Even though we can know how to do the work – the facts and processes associated with the job – we may still not produce impressive results.

o There are ways that high producers, those who get results, operate. There are patterns to the ways that they behave, think, and relate that they tend to have in common. Many people work hard and are committed and do not achieve huge results from their work. (pg. 142-143)

o What do you need to make it all work – to reach your full potential? Know who you are: (pg. 143-147) “People do well when

they do what they do well and stay away from what they do poorly.” Those who do best in life have a well-defined identity on a number of fronts.

• “High achievers are the ones who spend their energies in the areas where they are talented, not in their weaknesses.” – From Now, Discover your Strengths [Free Press, 2001].

• Successful people stick to what they are good at and find ways to make that larger. Usually, that involves surrounding themselves with people who are good at the areas they do not possess.

For discussion: How well do you feel you understand your strengths? Do you see yourself focusing on what will get the most successful results? Do you agree with the thought process that it’s important to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses? Why or why not?

Ready, Aim, Fire (pg. 147-153) Results more often come

when all of these stages have been added to the process, and none skipped.

• Ready: Being prepared, able. The opposite of this is impulsiveness, or “Fire Ready Aim”! Impulsive natures can lead to either half-brained ventures or good ventures for which one is unprepared. Truly successful people do not make rash decisions. They can wait… look at all the angles.

• The “essence” of emotional intelligence, according to author Daniel Goleman is “goal-directed self-imposed delay of gratification – the ability to deny impulse in the service of a goal, whether it be building a business, solving an algebraic equation, or pursuing the Stanley Cup. (Emotional

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Intelligence [Bantam, 1995]) • Another aspect of being ready is readying oneself.

In leadership, this translates into getting an organization ready itself before it attempts to do what it desires to do.

For discussion: What do you see as your greatest barrier to adequate preparedness? How do you see this connecting to being a fully “integrated” character able to achieve excellent results?

• Aim: Aim has to do with focus. It has to do with

“purposeful, goal-oriented action that knows where the energy and resources are being spent and therefore spent well.”

• Focus often has to do with limits. A person gets sidetracked because he refuses to acknowledge that if you want to do A, you cannot do B. In the end, neither one gets the attention they need.

• Reality is that time, energy, and resources are finite. Focus is about directing those in a way in which enough of each is given so things happen.

• Fire: This step refers to the fact that a person actually has to pull the trigger. He can, after preparing and getting focused, go for it.

• The ability to make a move, make the call, face rejection or loss, is a character issue, and if it is missing, results do not happen.

• Fear: of failure, rejection, disapproval, anxiety, unknown outcomes, loss of security – these fears keep people from achieving the results that they could if they were not afraid.

For discussion: Of all three steps, which one can trip you up the most easily, and why? On what step might you spend too much time or not enough time? Can you think of an example of this from your experience – either in yourself or someone you have observed?

o Willing to Make Hard Calls: (pg. 153-155) to accomplish things, hard

decisions are going to have to be made that have adverse effects on people.

Past being mean and uncaring, virtually nothing erodes respect in a person more than his or her ability to make the hard call.

In some senses, the degree of responsibility (which really is what success is) that someone rises to rests upon their ability and courage to make the difficult calls.

All tough decisions will have negative fallout, but in the end the organization will be better from that ability to meet that particular demand of reality.

For discussion: What strikes you about this element of a character’s ability to be fully integrated? How do we grow in our ability to make the tough calls?

o Somehow Finds a Way: (pg. 156-159)

“Things never work. When they don’t, that is the time to MAKE THEM WORK. Then, if you do, they work.

The ability to keep going when an obstacle is encountered, to believe that there is a way to get it done and keep going

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until you find it is one of the most character abilities that we can ever develop.

PERSEVERANCE: takes courage, stamina, emotional reserves, judgment, creativity, and other aspects of character to do. Without it, we will never get results.

For discussion: How do you thing one cultivates the character trait of perseverance? What has taught you the most about this value? How do you connect it with integrity?

o Loses Well: (pg. 159-165)

Learning how to lose well is one of the most important lessons we can learn in life, because we will all lose.

The difference between winner and losers is not that winners never lose. The difference is that winners lose well and losers lose poorly.

Losers tend to not learn from what they did and tend to carry that loss or pattern forward into the next venture, or relationship, and repeat the same way of losing.

Sometimes we have to face: it’s over, and more effort, attention, or work is wasteful.

Integrated characters deal with loss well: they do not deny that, no matter how much they might love the idea or endeavor, it is gone.

Cut your losses and move on. After letting go, there is the ability to look back and examine

the reasons for the loss. Understanding and learning takes place.

For discussion: We all hate to lose. To lose something that has tremendous value or that we are emotionally invested in is difficult. How do you see the ability to lose well being important to your overall integrity as a leader?

o Losing When You Haven’t Lost: Losing 501(pg. 165-166) High performers go a step further than simply being able to

lose well: They get go of things that are working, if they are not the best things.

Healthy people can throw things away – they are not “pack rats” of personal or business activities.

Despite the risk involved, winners can let go of good in order to achieve best.

For discussion: What do you think about the character trait of “letting go of good to make room for best”? How easy/hard is this for you personally? Why? What has been the most valuable element for you in this chapter on “Getting Results”? NOW WHAT: Take a moment to write down any “a-ha” moments you have had from this discussion. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ For next session: Read chapter 10: Character Dimension Four: “Embracing the Negative” – Eating Problems for Breakfast