Honoring the Liberal Lion

Since learning of Ted Kennedy’s death, the media has respectfully and appropriately honored his life and the impressively long list of his important accomplishments.   Despite his human flaws (some of which seemed at odds with his values), I remain inspired by this larger-than-life man who proudly earned the title, “the Liberal Lion of the Senate.”   In an era when the word, “liberal” has been tainted, bashed and abused, Ted Kennedy held to the values inherent in liberal thinking.    I am so grateful for him for that, and hope that others will courageously and proudly follow his impressive lead.

Many democratic and left-leaning politicians have moved toward the center, fearful that being called a liberal would harm their chances of being elected or re-elected.  Many politicians with liberal positions often tap dance around those very positions in order to placate their opponents.  Ted Kennedy never wavered in his liberal stand — and, in fact, was successful in achieving all that he did because there was no doubt what he stood for.  He listened to all perspectives, was revered by his opponents and was a long-standing influential leader of the democratic party, Senate and nation because of his beliefs not despite them.

I respectfully offer just three (of the many, many possible) powerful lessons from his life about leadership:

1. Proudly and consistently stand for something beyond your own interests and glory, and then tirelessly work for what you believe.
2. Communicate about those beliefs with passion and clarity.
3. Master the art of influence — including genuinely caring about others and sincerely listening with respect.

Here’s to you, Ted Kennedy!  Thank you!

Get Out of Your Own Way

The most important strategy when navigating through a tough negotiation is to get out of your own way.

Whether you are designing a plan and budget for next year, buying a new car or hiring a contractor, the dynamic is the same.   Two parties, two perspectives, two sets of needs and wants are on the table.

This is especially true in today’s economy when the person buying wants more for less and the person selling is eager to make the sale but has to, in some way, profit or gain something from the exchange.   These are the times to break precedent, maintain an open mind and listen really hard to what’s said and unsaid (and anticipate the “why” behind every position).

Here are tips to help you succeed despite what may start off seeming like adversarial interests:

1. When defining the problem you are trying to resolve, pose it as a question that reflects the two parties involved in the negotiation. “What program will successfully meet our collective goals?” or “How can we move forward in a way that respects each of our needs and wants?”
2. Maintain a collaborative mindset — which means that you need to anticipate not only your own but also the other person’s interests and options.   The best outcome will be one in which both parties feel heard, respected and satisfied.
3. Resist the knee-jerk reaction to jump immediately from recognizing there’s a problem to rattling off a possible solution.  Stop.  Explore the situation fully.   And…once you come up with an idea, push for three more.  Never stop at your first solution.

We enter into these tough moments with intense emotions, baggage from previous exchanges and an overwhelming sense of “I.”   However, the trick to being successful in these tough moments is remain calm despite the intensity, stay in this moment (not fight previous battles), and focus on the other guy in the room.

As I said…get out of your own way.