Happy New Year. Now Fire Yourself!

Wikipedia describes Kryptonite better than I ever could. Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's homeworld of Krypton that emits unique radiation that weakens Superman, but is generally harmless to humans when exposed to it in the short term but deadly in the long term. There are other varieties of kryptonite, such as red and gold kryptonite, which have different but still generally negative effects on Superman. Due to Superman's popularity, kryptonite has become a byword for an extraordinary exploitable weakness, synonymous with "Achilles' heel.   What does Superman & Kryptonite have to do with you as a business leader? We all have areas that are our weaknesses or kryptonite as a leader. Here are five specific areas that I believe can be kryptonite to leaders: Poor Communicator, Can’t Fire, Lack of Discipline, Not Delegating, and Lack of Strategy. Kryptonite: Poor Communicator Holding people to expectations that you have but did not communicate as a leader will weaken your leadership. Be sure you take time to explain in detail what you need and when you need it. Your employee is not in your head so make sure they know your thoughts. I suggest you put your expectations in writing so there is no confusion. It is good to listen to the employee’s feedback and I would always try to find a solution that works for both sides when possible. Whatever you decide it is now on the employee to meet your expectations.   Kryptonite: Can’t Fire Bad Employees My Dad really struggled to fire bad employees. He thought yelling at an employee when they failed would change their behavior. It might have worked for a short period of time but it usually brought resentment to the employee’s heart. A leader might fear that firing a bad employee could cause the team to get mad. Often times, it does the opposite. The team is thankful for you for having the courage to remove the bad employee who was bringing down the team. Don’t let fear stop you from making the tough but right decision to fire a bad employee.   Kryptonite: Lack of Discipline Missing deadlines, not having a plan, waiting until the last minute to show up are all examples of having a lack of discipline. I knew a guy who ran a business and every time I met with him he would be 10 minutes late. I finally told him “If you want to meet then be on time. You are disrespecting my time by being late. We all have a lot going on and I am making it a priority to be on time to show you respect.” The guy loved me for saying it. Nope! He did thank me for being honest and agreed it was wrong. Don’t be a leader who moves deadlines but expects everyone else to hit your deadline. Not having a plan and winging one can cause doubt in the employee's trust in you as a leader when things are done poorly.   Kryptonite: Not Delegating Not being able to delegate is another way for leaders to fail. It’s important to get others to help and give them an opportunity to learn. Warning! The employees might fail. A good leader gives direction but doesn’t control every little detail. Find opportunities to build trust with your team by allowing them to take on duties that you have delegated out.   Kryptonite: Lack of Strategy Employees want to know where the company is going, why it is going there, what are they going to face and how will victory be achieved? No one gets excited when a leader doesn’t have passion for their strategy. Employees start to panic when a plan has not been communicated. It’s very important that a leader can cast a vision that helps the employees see the way into the future. Everyone wants a purpose in what they do and being part of a team with strategy will bring passion.    Many of you are like Superman with your amazing gifts and talents. The problem is you are allowing your business kryptonite to weaken your leadership. Take time to know where you fail and ask your employees if you aren’t sure. As a leader it is so important you know what can weaken your ability to be the best leader.

My wife and I have been attending a six-week parenting class at our church. Even though we’ve been parents for over eleven years, we’ve got a lot to learn.   We have three boys and one girl; ages range from eleven to five.   It’s a lot. It’s wonderful. It’s challenging. And time slips away like water in your hand.   Being a parent is more important than anything you do at the office.   To keep that idea going, the following are a few inexpensive ideas to help us in our parenting.   Presence I had the greatest interruption of my adult life on a recent Friday afternoon. One of my best friends showed up at my door unannounced. He lives in Washington D.C. I live in WI.   The 40 minutes together were so sweet. We smashed as much as we could in that conversation.   Why did it feel like I’d not talk to Troy for another year? I could text or call him anytime.   And why was it such an enriching moment in my day? (Outside of not expecting it)   He was here. We were together. My very good friend was at my house. We were focused on the conversation. The only distraction was the limited time we had.   As parents, our presence can not be understated. Much like the difference between a text exchange and a friend at your door, our kids need us WITH them.   Ideas: Put your phone away Weekly alone time, just you and the child A surprise visit to your kid’s school Take them out a few hours early?   Here’s a quote Troy dropped on me during our time together. “The essence of parenting is presence.” -Kevin Vanhooser   Fun Kids must see their parents laugh, be silly and enjoy simple games. One of the main reasons I believe this is that fun aids in building relationships.   It communicates something words sometimes can’t. Fun knits conversations together and becomes a pattern of interaction.   As parents, we know it’s not all fun and games. It’s a ton of correction, guidance, and discipline.   Relationship precedes effective discipline.   Ideas: Dinner time, play the question card game Or Pieface BirthDATE = special night Monthly The date is of the child’s birthDAY Stay up later, eat something sweet, watch a movie, play a game Mini “Yes Day” I am not advocating for an all out yes day like the movie...that’s cra cra Dollar amount, timeframe, parameters Family movie night! Weekly/monthly Rotate who gets to pick   Structure The creativity of your child will not be damaged by you setting boundaries.   Mary Shelly--words and ideas to produce Frankenstein. Jackson Pollak--paint and a canvas to produce paintings. Stevie Wonder-- notes, time signatures, and instruments to produce music. Christopher Nolan--180 minutes or less to convey an epic story.   I’m oversimplifying to make a point. These creators all have restrictions. The rules of their craft don’t dampen their creativity.   The rules of your family don’t have to damage your child's creativity. One functional way to look at boundaries for our kids is to establish routines.   Routines give comfort to children because they know what to expect. And they know what’s expected of them. I’m not saying routines will spark creativity. My point is that structure/boundaries/restrictions/routines don’t have to result in impeding creativity.   Ideas:  “Books before breakfast.” My buddy Ryan does this with his kids No TV, video games, or toys before breakfast It doesn't mean they MUST read before breakfast Bedtime Starts at *enter specific time* Read, sing a song, ask one animal question, say a prayer...etc. Celebrating Saturday Doughnuts, chocolate chip pancakes, or some other goodness Mom gets to sleep in; coffee and breakfast brought to her by the kids Pajamas all-day   Take what you like, leave what you don’t.   Soak up the kid years; they’ll be gone before the work years are. NEED MORE?  Hire us to speak at your next event Check out our library of 100+ podcasts aid in your growth as a leader! Go to our YouTube and LinkedIn pages for more encouraging content.