Dare to Lead: hard-but-good reading

brene brown dare to lead sketchnote KLR

brene brown dare to lead sketchnote KLR

Recently in an Insta story I mentioned I was reading the book “Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown, and said it was “hard but good”.

I had several messages almost instantly from a variety of people asking,

Why is it hard? 

Whenever that happens it’s an indicator to me that I’ve hit on something that people are curious about. An opportunity for learning – for me and for them. So of course it goes into the Notes!

Here’s what it means:

It challenges me in areas I’m weak.

A good-but-hard book points out some areas in which you need to grow. In my experience, the reason it’s good is you’ve already been mulling these over in some way, and your mind (and heart) have begun to open up to the possibilities. And the hard part is when you read it and think, “Oh. That inkling I had is more than just a little niggle – it’s for real, and it’s significant, and the consequences are serious either way. It could go very, very badly if I carry on with that path over there; and it can go incredibly well if I turn even slightly and go that direction or with that attitude or approach.”

It’s humbling. 

The word “humbled” or “humbling” is used so often in business (usually related to winning awards) that it begins to lose some of its power. It is a good word: but I try to be very careful with how and when I use it, because it’s not for flippant use. It’s not for when you are honoured or surprised – it’s for when you’ve been challenged and in a sense put in your place. You’ve realised your place in the grand scheme of things, and you’ve been radically honest with yourself about some things.

Humility isn’t thinking badly of yourself. It’s not putting yourself down. This book is humbling: but that doesn’t mean it makes me think I’m a terrible leader or point out all the areas I have to fix. It points out what I’m doing well, and where I can do better, and I have the opportunity to compare the two and be real.

There’s responsibility involved.

In the book, Brene tells a story of someone who comes up to her and says he is “excited” to practice vulnerability. She gets an instant “uh oh” in her spirit, and says if you feel like that, you likely don’t understand what’s involved.

But when someone says, I get it and I want to do this because I see what you’re saying and I need it and the world needs it, that’s when they’re in.

That’s how I feel about what’s in this book.

I’ve only recently (say, in the past year or two) come to realise my position as a ‘leader’ – in my own business, in the arena of our target audience (the accounting industry), and in the business world at large.

That realisation – for me anyway – was not an exciting, fired-up feeling. I wasn’t like “woohoo I’m a LEADER check me out!” It included (and still includes) some fear, some concern and curiosity, and a realisation of the massive responsibility this is. And some feelings of joy and enthusiasm, too. (Probably how people feel upon becoming a parent, I would imagine! You tell me, if you are one!)

There are real people, real feelings, real lives involved

As I talked to people about it, we wondered if it was an age thing – if someone in their 20s might read this and be thinking WOOHOO LETS LEAD WELL, whereas someone in their 40s or 50s is thinking something more like, Ok. I’ve seen what can happen when someone or when I myself get this wrong. It’s dangerous and can even be destructive. I’ve hurt people. I’ve hurt myself. So I’m so grateful for this topic but I must approach it seriously or else I’m being rather flippant, rather arrogant really.

But it’s not age. It’s mindset. Granted when I was in my 20s I would have been more WOOHOO and less measured. But I know older people who still have a sort of flippant-woohoo attitude, and younger ones who are willing to sit carefully and deeply with these topics, and give them the full attention and seriousness they deserve.

The more I’m invested in the lives of my team members, and our clients, the more amazed and honoured I am by their trust in me personally, and in this company. This is real stuff.

People aren’t just off for a morning, they’re getting a medical test that will tell them serious things about their health and future life.

Someone isn’t simply accepting a job offer, they’re re-evaluating their life and finances and what they love, and are trusting this company will help contribute to all those things being better.

An accountant isn’t just signing up for a course we run, or a workshop – they’re sharing  fears and concerns and past failures, and trusting us to help them triumph over these this time. To see results, to be inspired, to have a better firm because they’ve connected with us in this way.

This is why good leadership involves daring. Courage. Bravery.

Because it’s not just woohoo great topics LET’S DO THIS… it’s … *deep breath* let’s do this.

That’s what makes it good, and hard, at the same time.

 

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ON THE GRAM

“The biggest mistake accountants make in marketing”….

I’m not usually a big fan of focusing on the negative - the don’ts, the oughts, the shoulds. But I was asked this question at a conference last year and I answered by saying the mistake was to look at marketing as a list of to do’s rather than an identity as an accountant. 

And if you look closely you can see a copy of my book The Accountant Marketer to hand while I was speaking! 

Day 25/100 Video Challenge 

#100dayvideochallenge #100days #justkeepgoing #theaccountantmarketer #marketing #video #cpa #conference #accountants
Taking a walk is one of my favourite things to do. It clears the head, connects me to this world, opens the mind, brushes away the cobwebs, helps my breathing, and shows me new kinds of landscapes to enjoy. 

Ironically, today I’m resting from just about everything - swimming  and walking and working and recording a video - because my cold has settled in and my voice is a big creaky! Here’s to getting back to walking again tomorrow 🙏🏻💪🥾

Day 24/100 Video Challenge 

#100dayvideochallenge #walking #justgetstarted #justkeepgoing #getoutside #onestepatatime #hikingboots #beach #scotland #northcarolina #london #isleofmull #phoenix #brokenankle #healing #stepoutthefrontdoor
A walk in the sunshine past the river and a whisky distillery naturally makes me think of… marketing! Haha! 

Was a guest on a podcast this week and we talked about the difference between long term marketing efforts and short term quick wins, and it struck me that each is dependent on the other. 

If you only do short term things, like one post or one series of emails or one week of follow up or one event on its own, you can get discouraged. 

But when you do the longer term marketing consistently - showing up, being present, talking about the same topics to the same audience - that helps make your short term efforts more effective. 

Day 22/100 Video Challenge 

#100dayvideochallenge #video #marketing #whisky #clydeside #dailywalk #bytheriver #sunnyday #happysunday #glasgow
Remembering this gorgeous day last year where we took a very long and winding single track road for hours to get to a ferry that… wasn’t running 😆😆 

Glorious day and views, so there was much to be grateful for! But also a good reminder that a picture may be worth a thousand words, but it doesn’t always show the full story. 

Happy restful Sunday. May your views be beautiful AND your ferries be running. 😆❤️✨

#acharacle #windingroads #roadtrip #beautifulday #beach #scotland #travelscotland #viewsfordays #justkeepgoing #sometimesjuststop #rest