Page 257 - Fearless Leadership

244 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

THRIVING ON ENERGY

While it is a dramatic example, Napoleon described the emotional invest-
ment individuals must make before giving themselves fully: “A man does
not have himself killed for a half-pence a day or for a petty distinction; you
must speak to the soul in order to electrify him.”
Achieving the alignment required to be a world-class organization is not
possible without a battle cry that inspires and electrifies people. People
must be moved to learn and grow personally and see the benefits from this,
so they are on fire to apply their new capabilities and skills to organiza-
tional goals.
High performance teams thrive on energy because of the exceptional
way in which committed partners work together. They stand for the suc-
cess of each other, honor and fulfill commitments, talk straight responsi-
bly, settle for nothing less than emotional and intellectual alignment, and
hold each other accountable. For committed partners, these practices are
a way of life.
The unbridled passion of high performance teams is plain to see, and
it is not unusual to hear one team member say to another, “Are we having
a bad day?” Then you hear chuckling, along with the response, “Thanks
for pointing out my blind spot. I was whining like a victim, wasn’t I?” The
conversation is fast and to the point, and automatic behavior is instantly
replaced with extraordinary behavior. People do not walk on eggshells or
take offense at the slightest remark.
High performance teams learn how to constructively intervene and
keep the group on track while simultaneously strengthening relation-
ships. They are imperfect, but committed, teams who never stop learn-
ing and practicing.

LEADERSHIP EXPLORATION

1. Where are you not aligned—emotionally and intellectu-
ally—with people, initiatives, and/or strategy? Use the
alignment levels to pinpoint where you are: Level 1, resigned;
Level 2, concerned; Level 3, complying; Level 4, intellectually
aligned; or Level 5, emotionally and intellectually aligned.
Consider where you are not aligned with your boss, direct