PICK UP THE PEPPERONI : 18 MINUTES AND 83 SECONDS ON LEADERSHIP
PICK UP THE PEPPERONI : 18 MINUTES AND 83 SECONDS ON LEADERSHIP
BRIAN PAPPAS Dean , University of North Dakota School of Law
Last fall , The University of North Dakota ( UND ) began a series of weekly 18 minute and 83 second leadership talks named the “ 18:83 Speaker Series ” after the year of the university ’ s founding . I spoke on Jan . 10 , and below is an excerpt of my talk in which I shared my most valuable leadership lessons .
Lesson # 1 : Be friends with your weaknesses . Leaders must work hard to become the best versions of themselves . When I began working as a mediator , I was an ineffective listener . Improvement required I become self-aware by becoming friends with my weakness so I could examine it , work on it , and turn it into a strength .
Criss Jami notes : “ To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable ; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength .” It ’ s OK to make mistakes - avoiding weaknesses is the best way to perpetuate them . When I make a mistake , I try to understand what happened , be accountable and apologize , and do what I can to make it right . I have made more than my share of mistakes and learned it is far easier to learn from mistakes than from successes . Leaders must work to turn their weaknesses into strengths if we are going to help anyone else do the same .
20 THE GAVEL
Lesson # 2 : Be resilient . Leaders get criticized : It ’ s part of the job . You must be accountable and resilient . You are going to apologize a lot and you can never , ever retaliate . It is not personal , even when it feels like it is . People tend to be either an absorber or a deflector , and it also depends on the circumstances . Deflectors are never responsible for their mistakes , they deflect and blame other people and circumstances . Absorbers are the opposite ; they are too responsible for their mistakes . They absorb criticism and internalize it : Not only did I make the mistake , but I ’ m not a good person because of it . We have to keep our balance and not absorb more than we should and not deflect any of it . Find the core truth of the critique that will help you to improve .
We must be kinder than necessary , especially when we don ’ t feel like it . Doing so requires finding ways of taking care of yourself , so you can take care of others . When I was an associate provost , I almost always had someone unhappy with my decisions . Gratitude keeps me balanced . I am grateful for my family and the time we have together . At work , I am grateful for the chance to improve , for the challenge and the ability to have an impact , and to work with great people at a great university .
Lesson # 3 : Be a team player . To build a great team , be a team player . It ’ s not about the leaders , but the people we serve and the work we can accomplish together .
Don ’ t status people . Leadership is not a person or a role , it ’ s a mindset and a value . One of my pet peeves is people who treat others differently based on title or what they can do for them . I wasn ’ t important before I became a dean , and I don ’ t feel important now that I am a dean . Our roles may be different , but they are all important .
One day will be your last in this role . We need to be good stewards of our positions until the day we walk out of this office for the last time . How can we make our jobs better for our successors and mentor those who will replace us ? We can ’ t do it ourselves as we build intentionally for the future . As a result , I don ’ t shy away from tough issues that need to be fixed .
Give credit and shield from blame . I hold my direct reports accountable for their mistakes , internally and privately , to support their growth and improvement . Externally , I am responsible and accountable for what happens at the law school , and I do not blame anyone . My job is also to give credit , not take it . I do almost nothing on my own where I can say , “ look at what I did ,” and it is very important to me to give credit where it is due .
Be inclusive and transparent . I love the African Proverb that states , “ If you want to