Red Poppy and the Meaning of Memorial Day

When I was growing up, I always looked forward to Memorial Day with excitement and anticipation.  Memorial Day weekend was when we would go to our grandma’s lake cottage and “open up”.  That meant we would air out the cottage, put the boats and the dock in the water, and officially start our summer.  The water was always very cold and the weather was often unpredictable, yet it was always a joyful weekend.

As a child, I didn’t really understand the meaning of Memorial Day.  We flew our flag and sometimes attended a Memorial Day parade, where we received a red poppy.  I thought the poppy was a nice gift and I enjoyed the parade and didn’t have any idea how they were connected.   I was typically impatient to get back to the cottage so I could swim or fish or play with my cousins.   In my childish mind, Memorial Day meant fun!  I had no idea it should have been a day of somber remembrance and respect to honor our military personnel who died while serving our country.  My family did not effectively communicate to me the true meaning of Memorial Day or the red poppy.  It was only when I was older and read the poem, “In Flanders Fields” that I gained a better understanding of the meaning behind this tradition.

What are you not communicating effectively?  How many traditions or norms have you created in your company where the employees do not have a clear understanding of why you do those things?  Have they become habits or even chores without meaning?  Do some of your employees seem to have a sense of entitlement?   If so, it may be time to go back to basics and start communicating the true meaning behind your traditions.

As we celebrate this Memorial Day holiday, let us consider the true meaning behind the holiday.  Think about how different our lives might be without those unselfish heroes who gave their lives for our freedom!

Photo by:  R/DV/RS / Foter.com / CC BY

If You\’re Green, You\’re Growing

 Have you ever met someone who was amazingly accomplished, and yet humble?  Someone who led by example and who always did the right thing, even when the right thing was difficult?  Someone who could admit his mistakes, and share the lessons he learned from those mistakes so that others could learn from them?  Someone who gave you his full attention and truly listened to your perspective, even when he thought differently?  Someone who truly cared about the world in which we live and wanted to make a difference?  Someone who impacted thousands of lives in a positive manner over his lifetime?

Charles “Red” Scott exemplified all of those traits, and I am proud to share that he was one of my mentors for many years before passing away at age 85 earlier this month.  One of his favorite sayings was, “If you’re green, you’re growing.  If you’re ripe, you’re rotten!”  Red always wanted to grow and learn.  He started from humble beginnings in Texas during the Depression, and later became CEO of multi-billion dollar companies.  He was what some people like to call a “self-made man”.  Red received recognition over the years for his many achievements, including receiving the Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans in 1984.  And yet, he often seemed embarrassed by the attention.  His mission in life was to make a positive difference in the lives of others, which he did through his ownership in Vistage Florida, as well as through his many speaking engagements, volunteer roles, and interactions with anyone and everyone who approached him.   Red’s “Business Cardinals” are a favorite of Vistage members throughout the world.  His legacy will live on for many years to come.

Largely because of Red, I want to make a positive difference in the lives of others.  I do not have an expectation that I can influence thousands of people as Red was able to do.  I can, however, make a positive difference in the lives of those around me.  And that is a great place to start!

So now my question for you as a leader is, “What will be your legacy?”  Are you making a positive difference in this world?  Do your employees consider you a mentor and someone who leads by example?   Or do they point to you as an example of someone they do not want to emulate?  Do you proudly remind people of all of your accomplishments?  Or do you humbly defer recognition to others who helped you along the way?  Think about the legacy you will be leaving – intentionally or unintentionally.  How will you remembered after you are gone?

Photo by:  tanakawho / Nature Photos / CC BY-NC

Everyone I’ve talked to in the last couple of days has been outraged by the video of the coach physically and verbally abusing his college basketball players.  He screamed at them, hit them, and threw basketballs at them.  It’s clear to all of us that behavior was unacceptable.  The coach was fired this week, although the school became aware of the abuse in December.  Why wasn’t he fired immediately?  The school’s athletic director said he had hoped to “rehabilitate” the coach.  In the athletic director’s resignation letter, he said that he originally wanted to fire the coach, but that after lawyers and HR professionals got involved, the decision was made not to fire him.

As a leader, sometimes it’s hard to do the right thing.  We get so concerned about our responsibility to “rehabilitate” people and give them a second chance that we do not take the strong leadership stance that we should.  This was clearly not a case of the coach just having a bad day and saying something he immediately regretted.  (We’ve all had those days – at least I know I have!)  In this case, there was a clear pattern of recurring physical and verbal abuse, which I would think would be a significant violation of the university’s core values.

In my blog posting last week, I talked about how tolerating poor behavior can impact the organization.  This situation is a good example of that.  What message do you think was sent to the players when they learned that the coach was suspended for three games and fined rather than being fired?  What message did that minor slap on the wrist send to others within the organization?  Is that an environment in which you would like to work?

What would have happened if the athletic director had immediately fired the coach after investigating the situation?  Would he be seen as a strong leader and respected for taking that stance?  I believe so.  Yes, there was a risk that the coach could have sued him for wrongful termination.  Anyone can sue anyone for almost anything these days.  What’s important to remember is that you cannot operate from a position of fear.  As a leader, you must operate from a position of strength and values.  Do the right thing!

Photo by:  iDream_in_Infrared / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

When I was a middle manager, a peer and I were given an unexpected deadline that required our employees to work a significant amount of overtime in a three week period.  We both met the deadline, but realized very different outcomes as a result of our differing approaches.

My approach:  I brought my team together and we determined what needed to be done by whom.  Together, we identified interim milestones and held regular meetings to make sure things were on track.  I empowered my employees and allowed them to work whatever hours they chose as long as the milestones were met.   Each employee was aware of how their work impacted the work of their peers, so they ensured they met their own deadlines.  We emphasized the importance of communication and teamwork, and people pitched in to help each other when needed.  As a result of this project, my team became stronger, helping each other along the way.  Morale was better than ever and we were proud of our accomplishments.

The other approach:  My fellow manager determined what needed to be done by whom and then assigned specific tasks to employees.  A set schedule was established in which employees were required to work until 8 pm every weeknight and all day each Saturday.  Those hours were mandatory, and no consideration was given for other commitments.  Flexibility was non-existent and communication was poor.  Employees were resentful of the manager, the company and each other, and morale and productivity reached an all-time low.  The deadline was met, but at what cost?

Did my peer intend to destroy morale?  Of course not!  But by not including the employees in the process, that’s exactly what happened.  The needs of the employees were not considered, and communication was top-down.  Sound familiar?

How else might you be hurting morale?  Be aware that if you are regularly late to meetings, you are sending a message that you do not respect the time of others and, by extension, do not respect them.  Do you ask for new ideas and suggestions and then ignore them?  If you do not provide feedback to thank the employee for the suggestion and to help them understand why the suggestion is not being implemented at this time, you are effectively discouraging future suggestions.  Why should they make the effort?   Good leaders are always aware of their impact on others.  Remember, perception is reality!

Photo contribution:

Lawrence Whittemore / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Are you in a rut?  If you dread going to work each day or realize that work is no longer fun, what do you do?  As a leader, it’s crucial that you realize that your people watch you closely.  If employees sense you have lost your zest for work, their enthusiasm may also diminish.  After all, if the leader isn’t passionate about the business, then why should they be?  Some leaders try to hide their lost passion from their employees by starting to avoid going to work, or making excuses to spend less time in the office.  Other leaders may try to hide by spending more time behind closed doors.  All of those actions only make things worse.  You’ll still be stuck, and your employees may start to worry about their future.

When you feel “stuck” or in a rut, the best thing to do is change something.  When was the last time you and your team had fun?  If spontaneity and creativity are missing, it’s time to take action!  If weekly meetings have gotten stale, turn the agenda upside down.  Start the meeting as if it was just ending and you were reviewing what went well.  Then conduct the meeting making sure those positive things actually happen.  Bring in toys or wear animal noses during the meeting to loosen things up.  If you as the leader are not particularly creative, assign someone else to be the Chief Fun Officer.

Take the first step and start reinventing the joy you used to feel.  Tap into your imagination.  When you start having fun again, so will your team.  You’ll become re-engaged and the results will be amazing.

Photo by:

Thomas Hawk / Foter.com / CC BY-NC