See the Invisible

I recently had someone who commented that I had such a strong leadership team at my last company. I was so proud! He was correct. It was a super strong team. We complimented each other well and shared the same core values and principles. That being said, I had strong teams at other stops along the way in my career as well. As I look back, it was always the same process:

I hired individuals and slotted them onto a management team where they were new to one another. In addition, they were trying to grasp my 'end in mind' while trying to learn to trust one another and to depend on one another. It was not an overnight success. There were many slips and falls and many nights I didn't sleep. But at each stop, it worked.

So this got me to thinking after hearing a great sermon recently. How did all of this happen? How did these teams come together?

Here are my conclusions after looking backwards:

1. We planted well. We selected leaders who liked people, wanted to do the right thing, wanted team success over individual success and who wanted to come to work to have fun and make a difference. You could say we picked the right seeds for the end result.

2. We farmed well. Once on board the team, we spend a lot of time trying to teach our core values and emphasized relying on them during difficult periods. We tried to use every situation as a teaching opportunity to help the leader not only in the present but over the course of their growing careers. I guess you could say we watered regularly.

3. We 'de-weeded' when needed. Every once in awhile, we hired someone who didn't get all of this (or on the program). Their intentions were more self-centered or maybe they weren't as strong ethically, etc. In these instances, we quickly tried to admit our mistakes.

4. We provided abundant sunshine. As a CEO, my job was that of the lead cheerleader. I tried to encourage, uplift, promote, support and provide unconditional love to leaders. I knew from experience the demands of their jobs (and families) and I wanted to keep them hearing my voice in their head (they would and could do it), not the other voice (you are not good enough or unworthy).

So in retrospect, we planted, watered, de-weeded and provided sunshine with the hope that strong, values-based leaders would emerge. We had to have faith too! As my pastor said, "faith is being able to see the invisible". You have to be able to see something before it can be physically be seen.

After 38 of doing this, it is so much fun to now see the 'fruits of our labor'. There are numerous leaders out there who are now CEO's, Vice Presidents, CFO's, regional leaders, department heads and district managers who have broken through the soil and have bloomed. And they are passing these same 'farming lessons' along to the next generation of leaders.

As I think about my children, it was the same approach. Our kids are now 33, 30 and 28. They have also bloomed. Their mother and I carefully and with tremendous love cultivated them to hopefully become the adults and parents they are today. What you plant in the Fall becomes a reality in the Spring.

I think the challenge is to keep planting. I want to think intentionally and not get lost in the day-to-day. I want to place people above things. I want to win wars and not only think about battles. I want to remember the steps previously taken: plant, water, de-weed and sunshine. And from there, the rest is above my pay grade.

I choose to have faith in the invisible.

Thanks for reading this and have a great weekend.

With a goal to “help the next guy in line”, Glen Cavallo, a 30+ year healthcare executive has chosen to share the many lessons he has learned with others. Glen does this by serving as a coach/advisor to leaders at all levels of organizations, as a board member and as he presents inspirational speeches at regional, national, annual and awards meetings.