Natural Bend - You Improve, They Improve!

All middle level leaders, anyone who is responsible for the well being and positive contributions of others, will be well served to develop a deeper understanding of self—now so more than ever. Over the next three months we will embark upon a journey designed especially for you, the middle level leader. You hold one of the most difficult positions within the organization. You are tasked with the responsibility of leading others and meeting business objectives relative to productivity at the grass-roots level. If you are too soft on the people side key initiatives can falter and your job gets harder. Yet, if you are too hard on the process achievement side, pushing to no end, your job gets harder still. So, how do you keep the two from becoming a zero-sum game?

Developing a clear view of who you are as a middle level leader and what you ultimately want to achieve within the organizational setting must be fraught with an honest assessment of internal awareness. And I do mean honest. Is your natural-bend as a leader life giving or parasitic? Do you know how to inspire others to discover the things that add meaning to their lives? Can you encourage the release of inner creativity? Can you balance the lines between people and processes? Do you hold yourself accountable? Do you execute on the things you wish to achieve? Do you understand why some people are passionate about the work they do and others aren’t? Is money your primary motivator?

Regardless to where you are today you can improve your understanding of what it takes to lead others by learning and reflecting on what it takes to know and lead self. Think about it, how often do you question the choices you’ve made in life? Have you really given a lot of thought to how you ended up where you are today? Is it what you had in mind? Do you know what you like about your life? Is the environment in which you work well suited to bringing out the best in you? Does it bring you joy? Okay, I’m sure you get the idea. So, let’s move forward on this journey of becoming a better middle level manager.

Taking one step at a time, going through the experience of uncovering who you are and reflecting upon your own life will help you guide others towards the importance of doing the same.  Your objective is to detect the patterns in your life that reveal something more than a random series of events.

In a few days I will post the first series of self awareness questions for you to consider.  In the interim you can start by thinking about the question identified above.

Sidebar: In a recent article, Building Support for Change, Matt Palmquist wrote "Although CEOs can articulate an overall vision, the success of a new initiative often depends on the competence of managers at lower leadership levels." You can find the full article at: http://www.strategy-business.com/article/10411c

Challenge round:  Post your questions regarding leadership at the grass-roots level and I will create a mini blog post response to your question. 

You Can't Make Me!

Have you ever heard a staff member say "You can't make me" after receiving instructions in the work environment, relative to her assigned duties? Probably not! But herein lies the rub; within the work environment, these four words are, figuratively speaking, uttered on a daily basis. The most appropriate translation would be "I'm not emotionally committed to doing what you want me to do."

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to serve as a juror on a case and I watched witness after witness take the stand, raise their right hand and swear to "tell the truth and nothing but the truth." However, it was obvious that being directed swear by God to tell the truth is futile if the individual doesn't feel like it. This became increasingly obvious when one of the witnesses responded to the DA by saying "I didn't come here to talk about..." The judge looked on in dismay, and instructed the DA to repeat her question and instructed the witness to answer, or else.

Aside from the brief courtroom drama, one would think the judge got what he asked for, 'an answer'. However, I doubt that there was any heartfelt emotional commitment to the oath the witness had taken earlier. At this point, the witness was being pressured by the judge to provide a verbal response. Yet, it's questionable whether or not the judge got what he really wanted--a heartfelt emotional commitment to telling the truth. So, once again there is evidence of the limited abilities of the 'carrot and stick' methods of leadership.

Here is the catch, not only is the 'carrot and stick' methods of submission to authority a weak one, most of the time the leader is oblivious to exactly how weak it really is. This is not to say that the 'carrot and stick' approach to leadership is completely without merit. And sometime you have no choice but to respond in the same manner as the judge. But, know this; whatever you get it won't be laced with a positive emotional commitment to deliver. What you can count on, in most cases, with this technique is silent back lashing in the way of production slowdowns, poor performance, subpar customer service, noncompliance of procedural guidelines, and non-commitment to doing anything to save your a** (i.e. ongoing silence to future problems or threats on the part of the employee). Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could trade all of this unnecessary unpleasantness for positive heartfelt emotional interchange? Let's face it, in today's economy organizations need employees who are emotionally committed to advancing the cause.

Today's leaders will have to devise far more creative ways to draw out heartfelt emotional engagement. And the first place to start is with you (the leader). You first have to examine your own heart. Are you emotionally committed and passionate about your job? If you're not you will be hard pressed to connect with your staff members in such a way that you can help bring out the best in them. People, generally speaking, learn a lot through observation and engagement with others. Hence, if your attitude, your language or tone is void of the words "I care about you", don't expect much from others. Or, at least don't assume you are getting their best.

Challenge round: Do you think positive emotional commitment to a task or job can easily be hidden? Why or why not? As a leader what would you do to engage employees on a positive emotional level without the use of 'carrots and sticks'?

Leadership Symphony

As I sit here quietly, contemplating tomorrow's events, my mind keeps wondering off into the ozone's. I have this utopian image of what it would be like if the majority of people in leadership roles today (business, government, administration, teachers, parents, etc.) all had the same overriding vision. Leaders all over the world need a vision that has the power to create a foundation whereby everyone is inspired to do their best work. What would that one common goal sound like? What sweet harmony would it play? In what ways would it entice us to dance more freely? How would it beckon us to remove the deep seated fears that hold us back? Would we find the courage we need in each musical note to reach heights never before imagined?

Of course, I don't have answers to this imaginary state, but it's a vision that I don't mind wrapping my head around, even for a brief moment in time, real or imaginary. If you dare allow your mind to drift into this space as well, from time to time, please share what your Leadership Symphony would call us to consider or do.

Sidebar: Have fun and commit yourself whole heartily to the things that have a positive effect on the lives of those around you. Make every effort to discover who you are. Challenge your own thoughts and reasons for doing and being on a regular basis.

Surrogate Power and Human Resources

Over the years we have become very aware of the term surrogate as it is often used to denote the mutual agreement between individual parties for one to act as a substitute for another in some form or fashion. But, how does this relate to most Human Resources? They are the frontline managers' surrogates. When it comes to holding difficult conversations with staff, they do our jobs for us. How did we get here?

Willingly or unwillingly, frontline managers have allowed it, encouraged it and now we're stuck with it. We are no longer responsible for dealing with our own dirty laundry, messy employee performance issues. We gladly avoid having difficult conversations with employees regarding work related job performance. And guess what, HR loves the job as surrogate and the power that goes with it. Hence, initially it appears to be a win-win situation, a mutual surrogate relationship.

Perhaps you're thinking "who cares, no one wants to do dirty laundry anyway". Perhaps you rationalize the giving up of these responsibilities in the fact that you have more pressing thing to tend to, why waste your time. But, here is the reality of your actions, whether willingly or unwillingly failure on your part to develop the muscle, the courage, or the strength the deal with challenging employee performance issues will ultimately render you ineffective as a frontline manager. And before long, HR will be calling all the shots. And guess who has input when it comes time for promotions?

You will become more and more dependent on their ability to make wise decisions and less on your. Eventually, it will get to the point where you don't even trust your own thinking. Contacting HR before having a one-on-one with staff members soon becomes a way of life. How could you ever manage without them? At this point you have become shackled by your own ineffectiveness. And, worst yet, you may not even realize its happening.

If you don't want to continue the intellectual rollercoaster associated with being carried around in a wheel barrel by others who make decisions for you because you lack the strength associated with professional skills development in the way of communications then you (we) had better wake up and reclaim the power we've given away.

Sometimes, I consider it wise to retrace your steps to determine how you arrived at a particular location, a specific point in time. This is one of those times. I couldn't help but wonder when did HR become the surrogate? When did frontline mangers give up their responsibility to lead no matter how difficult the task?

The answer came to me one day as I observed a little boy in a local Barnes and Nobles. He couldn't have been more than four or five year's old, cute kid. There was something on the shelf that caught his eye. And according to his immediate desires in life, he had to have it, now! He petitioned his mom to carry just one more item to the check-out stand, but her initial reply was a firm "no". After a second and third inquiry, the little boy asked her "why" he couldn't have the item. Her final reply, probably having become exhausted by the young boy's tenacity not to give in, was "because I said so." It was at this moment that I thought to myself "oh my, this is where it starts. This is the space in which we are first introduced to "surrogate power".



Having raised little ones of my own, I am all too familiar with the word "no" and I know why we (adults) often follow it with "because I said so". It's a quick way of saying, you ask too many questions about things that are beyond your comprehension. And if I were to proceed to explain you would continue to ask me "why". Within the context of this scenario, it's obvious that mom has the responsibility of making the ultimate decision with or without further explanation.

However, I consider this surrogate power; because as most parents know there will come a day when the child will want to know and do for himself or herself. They will want the power to decide. And therein the struggle begins. Once someone willingly or unwillingly has surrogate power over you, for whatever reason, they may not willingly give it up. And before long, if you can't change the tides, you are held captive by their decision making process; you stop thinking for yourself.

Power is a reality of life, good or bad, depends on you. And if you fail to maintain, claim or reclaim the power you have to make intelligent decisions and address the things that you are accountable for as a frontline manager, one of which is developing the communication skills to have difficult conversations, on your own behalf then know this, an HR surrogate will always be there to step in and take control.


As it is today, Human Resources, calls the shots and makes the rules for most frontline staff members. And in many cases you can't even ask "why". When we (frontline staff members) fail to adequately, responsibility, and intelligently develop the skills needed to fulfill our role in life as frontline managers and employees capable of making decisions we eventually become ineffective and powerless.

Challenge round: As you consider this topic what should frontline staff members do? What steps would you take?

Star-Lite

Organizations, within the private sector, seek to capture, coax, entice, the best and brightest talent on the planet. These individuals are viewed as the "future" of all private sector organizations where innovation represents one of the primary keys to success. They represent the energy and talent needed to propel any organization to new heights and low them to retain or runaway with the lion's share of the market. Who wouldn't want that? But, can these young, inexperienced, stars really live up to the challenge? How many of them successfully avoid political derailment and make the ascent to the top?

Over the years these forward thinkers are often referred to as "Upcoming Stars" or "The Best and Brightest". Although few, they represent your bench strength, your leadership talent pool. And while many of them will enter the organization, often times fresh out of college, at the middle management level. Yet, several of them will simply fall by the waist-side.

Overall one could reason that the process of bringing up new talent should work. After all, organizations spend thousands of recruiting dollars to draw this talent out almost as if to imply that money is no object when the future of the organization is at stake. But, the facts remain,the process is in need of improvement.

In 21st century leadership vernacular, remember we are developing a new language, we should consider them "stars waiting to be lit", hence the title "Star-Lite". Truth be told, it doesn't matter how energetic and bright they are in the early years within the organization. Equally important is the degree to which they feel they will rule the world and turn the organization on its head, shake things up or make things happen, they are full of knowledge. But, their new terrain is rough and they don't even know how to go about discovering the bitter or sweet morsel that will aid in their own success.

According to a Harvard Business Review article, "How To Keep Your Top Talent", May 2010 "Practically every company these days has some form of program designed to nuture its rising stars...But...our recent research shows...that nearly 40% of internal job moves made by people identified..."high potentials" end in failure." By the time new stars arrive on the business scene they have forgotten most of what they learned in school and lab case studies regarding organizational life and corporate politics. The latter of which is probably far more detimental to their long term success.

So, what can an organization do to give these "Star-Lites" the extral help they need and improve the likely hood that they will succeed? One reformation step would be to provide them with an organizational "culture coach". The primary role of the cultural coach would be acclimate the new "Star-Lite" to his/her surroundings, help them understand how things get done, especially on the frontline. These frontline relationships should not be taken for granted during the early days. People have long memories. Get to know them and treat them well.

A cultural coach's role would be different from that of a mentor. While the mentor "shows them the ropes" and allows them to make key strategic connections higher up in the organizational pyramid, the cultural coach would be responsible for introducing them to others within the organization and pass down the history of the organization through story telling. This activity could take place on a formal or informal basis, meet and greet, lunches, coffee, etc. The knowledge gained through these efforts will pay dividends for them in the long run when they are faced with the tough task designed to showcase their talent. Knowing who's who and who can help goes a long way in getting things done. But, who in the organization will fill the role of cultural coach?

Let's answer this question in the reverse. Let's identify who shouldn't fill the role--the executive staff members (i.e. directors or above). The individuals most qualified to fill the role of cultural coaches are those who have been with the organization the longest (cultural "history" coaches)regardless to position, but no higher than middle management. The cultural coach, in good standing, has a wealth of knowledge in relationship to how the organization "really" functions on the frontline. They can tell you who's who, who knows who, and who's on who's side, all of which are important organizational facts.

Of course, deliberately placing them in such an environment means they will get an ear full of stories about the way things use to be, and where the organization is today, laced with a few things you might not want them to know. But, the reality of it is, the faster they can begin to decipher the way things really work and how things get done the sooner they can move from "Star-Lite" to "Star-Bright".


Challenge Round: There are several reasons why individuals in organizations are resistent to change. And much of this resistance is visible at the top. I'm beginning to believe that it has more to do with the "Power" struggle and less to do with other overarching theories about individual or collecitive aversion to change itself. Because of the "Power" struggle within an organization people choose not to communicate. They choose not to understand. They choose not to respect the other person and they choose to retain their opinions of self an others.

Let's reason, with the intellectual IQ that exist at the top of any organizational structure these geniuses know what needs to be done, same as any other group in the hierarchical structure. But, they choose not to relinquish any of their "Power" especially if means they could potentially end up with less in the process. At this point, the greater good appears to be null and void.

And the easiest way to avoid willingly giving up "Power" is to make sure you don't spend too much time communicating with the other guy. And when in his/her presence, do all you can to highlight even the slightest difference of intellect, talent, abilities, likes, dislikes, etc.--just keep up the fight, no talking, no chance of working things out and coming up with a better, more equitable plan that may leave you holding the short end of the stick.

What are your thoughts?

The Tangible Measures of Leadership!

Over the years organizational leadership has not been easily defined and lacks clear tangible measurements that can be used to weed out those, in positions of leadership, who do harm to those who give life to the organization-its people.

Should we blindly accept the fact that everyone in a position of authority is a leader? If you rest your case on the simple statement that "anyone who has followers is a leader" then your answer would have to be "yes". And, with that I am inclined to agree. However, if we agree that there is but one simple definition of a leader then the differentiator critical factors such as impact, effectiveness, or success, to name a few, all of which are subjective in nature.

So, what do tangible measurements of a positive or negative, good or bad, effective or ineffective leader look like? Can positive or negative behavior characteristics be identified and used as a baseline for rating the overall effectiveness of a leader within the organizational setting? According to Donald T. Phillips, the author of Lincoln on Leadership, "Since leadership skills are expressed rather abstractly, there is a great need for simple, concrete illustrations. Tangible examples make the difference; people relate to them".

I've been pondering why leaders are not held as accountable for the way in which they fill their roles as leaders of others. Why is ineffective leadership of people within organizations so easily overlooked? Yet, leaders who fail to met the monetary obligations of the organization are ultimately removed. If you can't sale the product, or get the product out the door, or cost the organization too much money with no clear returns, you're out. However, you can mismanage the people for a very long time, heck you may never be discovered. And because the current definition of what leaders should do is quite vague, some leaders may not even realize the error in their ways.

More so now than ever before, I'm beginning to buy into the saying that "if it's worth doing it's worth measuring", so let's get out the measuring rod. Just like other critical success factors in business can be measured--so can leadership. One way to start is by creating examples of demonstrated leadership behaviors. For example if spending one-on-one time developing staff members is important to the organization then the frequency of such activity can be measured. Does the leader spend 5% of his/her time developing staff or more? The quality of the interaction can be measured by expert observation, outcomes--changes in staff performance or by the staff members themselves with tools like 360 degree feedback. Bottom line, it's measurable.

Challenge Round: I'd like to invite you to share some of your examples, scenarios, of measurable leadership behaviors that fall on either side of the spectrum or somewhere in the middle. Tell me of a situation or time when you were the recipient of, witnessed, or demonstrated positive or negative leadership behavior. What was the situation, who was there (position in the organization)? What was the impact, or impression, on you?

Strengthen Your Odds!

As new employees enter the professional workforce, straight out of college, many have visions of getting ahead and occupying the "corner office" at some point in the future. Given the future is just that--the future, and decidedly uncertain, the question is what do you need today? How can you increase your odds of success? One thing is certain; the "corner office" maybe an evasive goal in the 21st century if you're not prepared to lead and coach others.

If you're interested in strengthening your odds then seek out an on-site coach from within your work environment that you can learn from. An experienced coach, defined as one with several years of hands on training in the trenches and a proven track record, can afford you valuable insight regarding the ups and downs of understanding self and working with others. Your coach, unlike a mentor, should be someone who interacts with you and those around you on a regular basis. But, make sure they willingly accept the responsibility that comes with coaching. The best way to identify the right coach is to start by observing, not asking. And, be very open to receiving and analyzing feedback if you expect to gain from your experience and theirs.

As organizations struggle to find their way out of the fog of today's economic pressures, on-site coaching is pivotal to your cause as formal education alone will come up short in the area of practical experience needed for successful execution of leadership know how. According to a blog post written by Nic A Paton "...It's not just managers and the newly-redundant who are being let down when it comes to skills, either...new graduates and younger Generation Y workers were being badly let down by the schooling system when it came to trying to get ahead in the jobs' market..." http://www.management-issues.com/2009/7/15/research/america-sill-suffering-shortage-of-skilled-labour.asp July 15, 2009.

A second blog post written by Brian Amble made similar claims; "Management and leadership skills development has been neglected by employers, government and managers themselves for far too long...We need a renewed focus on investing in training and development in this field, both for the current generation and future generations of mangers." http://www.management-issues.com/2010/8/11/research/self-delusion-rife-among-managers.asp August 11, 2010.

Each post finds fault with one group or another. Either it's the business schools, employers, government, or managers who are to blame. However, according to the later Peter F. Drucker you need to take matters into your own hands, "The worker has been given even less attention--and the knowledge worker so far receives almost none...Managers cannot wait till the scientists and scholars have done their work. Nor can the worker." So, who cares who's to blame? Either way you slice or dice it; you're left hanging in the balance.

And don't bother to run to your Human Resource department to sign up for yet another vanilla, geared for the masses, development and training program. While these programs have their value, it is obvious that they too are not enough. The learning process in these settings is too controlled and represent very little in the way of practical experience. Life comes at you from various angles, it's not scripted.

All frontline staff members would benefit from on the job coaching. Developing a coaching relationship will allow you to experience things differently as your coach will help you see and understand things that may otherwise go unnoticed. They can help you create a heightened sense of awareness of who you are and help you recognize the need for further development. Your coach can accelerate your ability to put theory into practice and give you the added courage to try. They also have a way of not allowing you to drown, hence delivering an invisible, mental, safety net. They are there for you and usually have enough business savvy to help you out of a jam. A good coach will not protect you from meaningful experiences, but enable your ability to recover quickly from missteps.

Managers who say they can't afford to take time away from the daily grind to coach staff members don't fully understand or appreciate their role within the organization. They cost their organization money and more than likely spend too much time working on the wrong thing--still carrying out daily task best assigned to others instead of planning for the future success of their staff.

If you already have someone in the work environment that fills the role of a coach--consider yourself fortunate. Perhaps you can further help your department by marshaling in a coaching program on a larger scale. If you've never had a coach you may not believe that such a person could be of any value to you. Don't take my word for it--experience it for yourself, find a work environment coach. If you can't find one, or no one professes to have the time, strongly consider who you are working for.

Sidebar: The line between coach and mentor is sometimes hard to separate. As a competitive figure skater, my coach and I worked together on a regular basis on the ice. My training routine included practicing jumps and spins--repeatedly. She was in a position to assess all of the factors that either facilitated or posed barriers to success during the actual practice session. She offered just in time, real time, feedback which allowed me to make adjustments on the spot.

In addition to competing, I had a second goal of becoming an adult figure skating coach as well. Thereby, my coach also served as my mentor. She provided insight, shared the ropes, introduced me to others and endorsed my skills or ability to coach others. Hence, my association with her opened doors for me. In some cases your coach and mentor maybe one in the same. If this is the case, consider yourself double lucky!

Challenge round: How effective or ineffective is the employee development training provided by most organizations through their Human Resources department? What worked, how is it valued? What doesn't work, what void does it leave in its wake? How does the program take you from knowing to doing? Is there any follow up to performance?

Great Leaders "Hall of Fame"

There are several nationally acclaimed “Hall of Fame” museums dedicated to honoring and preserving history, educating and maintaining the connection from one generation to the next. Why not add one more, the Great Leaders Hall of Fame—with emphases on the word “Great”.

On June 4, 2010, America received notice that Coach John Wooden had died. I listened to the various tributes to his success and his character as attested by those who had the pleasure of knowing him. Opening remarks found on http://www.foxsports.com/ began with “John Wooden, college basketball's gentlemanly Wizard of Westwood who built one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports at UCLA and became one of the most revered coaches ever… He taught the team game and had only three hard-and-fast rules — no profanity, tardiness or criticizing fellow teammates…’What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player,’ was one of Wooden's key messages… His enduring legacy as a role model is one we should all strive to emulate…Even with his staggering accomplishments, he remained humble and gracious.” http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/John-Wooden-dies-UCLA-coach-99-060410
July 19, 2010 at 12:29 AM.

A few weeks later, America received the news that another well known figure in the sports industry had also died, George Steinbrenner, the owner of the Yankees. Remarks found on http://www.foxsports.com/ started with “He was baseball's bombastic Boss”, and continued with remarks like, “...When he thought the club's parking lot was too crowded…Steinbrenner…had a guard check every driver's credential…But he also tried to make up for his temper with good deeds and often-unpublicized charitable donations…He also was banned for 2 1/2 years for paying self-described gambler Howie Spira to obtain negative information on outfielder Dave Winfield, with whom Steinbrenner was feuding...Through it all, Steinbrenner lived up to his billing as ''The Boss,'' a nickname he clearly enjoyed as he ruled with an iron fist... Under his often brutal but always colorful reign, the Yankees won seven World Series championships, 11 American League pennants and 16 AL East titles...” http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/AP-source-Yankees-George-Steinbrenner-dies-at-80-94991842, July 18, 2010 at 11:30 PM.

It is without a doubt that both of these men achieved great things, helped others, and were quite charitable beyond that which most of us could ever imagine; however the way in which they conducted themselves and made things happen appear to be quite different. Yet, men still sing their collective praise. Why? When it comes to “greatness” do the means always justify the ends?

Okay, I will agree both men left an impression on the world. But, the purpose of the “Great Leaders Hall of Fame Museum”, as with the other Hall of Fame Museums, would be to serve as an example for future young leaders. We could talk about the importance of “doing no harm”, “walking the walk”, maintaining one’s values and beliefs, and respecting others. We could include leaders from all walks of life—business, medical, universities, sports, entertainment, political, etc. And let’s not forget, we (collectively) get to define the criteria for “greatness in leadership”.

The opening remarks for nominations to the Great Leaders Hall of Fame would not start with statements that ring of “pardon the mess he/she left behind, but in spite of himself/herself the following things were achieved during their reign…” I seek not to be the judge of any man for as the bible states “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?; but, without trying to define what’s in a man’s heart it would still be a step in a positive direction to exemplify great character. Think about it, so many of the key figures the current generation of future leaders looks up to are failing short. Of course, perfection is not possible for any man or woman, and everyone can change (if they so desire).

The plumb for greatness cannot be placed at the crossroads of what was achieved while ignoring the “how”. We can’t allow a leaders ability to inspire, to win or to earn millions become our only criteria for ‘greatness”. Many have inspired, but how? Many have won, but how? Many have earned millions, but how? Or perhaps we should let them all in and just place an asterisk by the name of those in question.

There appears to be a magnitude of difference between leaders who honor and respect others and those who don’t.

Challenge Round: If these simple criteria’s won’t do, then what would? What character traits would be a must for you? Can you juxtapose leaders in similar fields or pursuits where the “how” differed?

Sidebar: here is a link to Coach John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success” http://www.coachwooden.com/index2.html

Roadblock to Innovation

It goes without saying that in an open competitive market, which I will define here as non-government organizations or institutions, innovation is key and breakthrough innovation is supreme. And in today’s knowledge based society incremental changes (a.k.a. feature enhancements) in products or services are no longer enough. Minor changes in any one market are easily copied, reproduced and sold at a discount. And if we watch closely, after the first device, or gadget, is introduced the manufactures will take us on a feature enhancement journey for decades. Needless to say, feature enhancement or brand extension does not represent breakthrough innovation.

Innovation less alone breakthrough innovation is difficult to achieve in most organizations partly due to the misalignment between the need to maintain order “control” verses the chaotic state associated with innovation. Organizations, as with any institution, have to create something in the way of stability. But the question what needs to be stabilized and for how long? For example, given certain government regulations and professional practices, like accounting, organizations have no real wiggle room. Any attempt to develop innovative ways to pay taxes would probably land someone in jail. However, the need for organizational leaders to create stability and minimize chaos through “control” shouldn't become a blanket under which the majority of the business is conducted. In short, if it’s not subject to government or professional regulations then “command and control” should be the last thing you foster as a leader.

Many leaders the world over understand the importance of breakthrough innovation. And many have postured themselves to believe that they foster innovative spirits at every level of the organization. However, a true spirit of innovation runs counter to the style in which these leaders lead—command and control.

I often wondered how so many leaders (relative to position), a large portion of which are men, developed what appears to be an institutional leadership style. A few conversations with friends led me down a path which serves, in part, as an explanation to the origin of the “command and control” mindset and its relative importance. The book IKE , by Michael Korda, further facilitated my understanding as it described the purpose of the command and control style of leadership relative to military warfare. According to the book this was taught at “The Command and General Staff Schools…A staff school is highly specialized, and not designed to promote or encourage originality of thoughts or new ideas…the staff officer’s job is to reduce …potential chaos” ( p171-172). The primary reason for this “command and control” style, as stated by my friends and confirmed in this book, is that you can’t have people going off in left field when lives are at stake.

However, the open competitive market represents an entirely different type of warfare and the same rules don’t apply. Better yet, organizations had better learn how to evaluate, assess, and assimilate new game plans on a regular basis and quickly. You cannot invent something or implement a process and allow it to become dormant, untouched and unchallenged, void of breakthrough innovative ideas for decades on end. If there is a direct correlation between market shares and the welfare of the organization then let’s recognize the fact that this too is a life and death situation. Under these circumstances “command and control” will ultimately lead to your demise, lives will be lost. It’s almost as if, today’s leaders need to be deprogrammed in an effort to create a new order of business—dedicated to the discovery of breakthrough innovation found only on uncharted terrain.

Sidebar: Organizations that find themselves so far ahead of the pack (competition) that they perceive there is no external competition should create some even if it's imaginary. Void of any external competition organizations tend to create competition from within. Simply put: A house divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25). History has taught us that, eventually internal fighting will lead to self destruction. Rome was never conquered.

Passion Warning!

I will always encourage you to discover your talents and follow your passion. Once you have discovered your passion, any attempt to silence it will not come easy. Thereby, in all fairness to you, I feel compelled to warn you of the impending challenges you will face and the questions you may ask yourself along the way.

Reality:
- You may or may not realize your ultimate dream to make a positive difference in the world, one that sets out to do no harm.
- From time to time you may have avid supporters. And at other times you will find yourself feeling all alone.
- You will be rewarded with both small and large gains along the way and at other times you will feel the pressure of taking two steps backwards.
- Your level of confidence will rise and fall over and over again.
- At times you will see clearly where you are headed and at other times you will wonder if you are on the right path.

At this point, you may strongly consider not even trying. You may think it would be easier to just remain where you are and continue on the general day-to-day passionless journey traveled by most. But, first allow me to share with you a couple of stories that have inspired me over the past two weeks.

I listened to an unabridged version of a story about a man name Greg Mortensen, the author of Three Cups of Tea. Mortensen sets out to climb K-2 and ultimately end up making a commit to build a school for girls in Pakistan. His unrelenting passion for his cause is met with challenge after challenge, yet he manages to keep his promise and build not one school but several schools over the years. http://www.threecupsoftea.com/

I also watched the movie The Hurt Locker. The story centers on a team of soldiers who are responsible for disarming bombs in the mist of the combat. Once again, the power of passion and dedication to one’s cause became evident. At the end of the movie the Staff Sgt. James was back home with him family. A few days later he was talking to his little baby when he realized the pull of his passion. His words to his little baby were “The older you get the fewer things you really love. By the time you get to my age, maybe it’s only one or two things.” After a brief pause he continues by saying “maybe it’s just one”. In the following scene he’s in a military helicopter and back in the combat zone. In the last scene he’s walking, once again down the street to disarm another bomb.

So don't allow doubt, challenges or a feeling of loneliness keep you from taking the next step. The only way to make a difference in the future is to take the next step forward. Standing still will never do for the passionate individual, team, group, or family. I hope you will continue to identify the one thing in life you feel passionate about, one that seeks to do no harm. Discover the one thing that will both energize you and drain you at the same time, as this makes for good sleep. Define for yourself the positive impact you wish to make in the world. And, add to your tool box stories that will give you the strength you need to persist when things don’t seem to be going your way.

May your efforts be filled with blessing from above!

P.S. After I completed my post I came across Dr. Marshall Goldsmith's post. His post has to do with the same general topic I've written about, the challenges associated with change and not giving up. Thereby, I'm including a link to his blog site as well. http://marshallgoldsmith.blogspot.com/2010/06/don-give-up-on-change.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MarshallGoldsmithLibrary+%28Marshall+Goldsmith+Library%29&utm_content=Twitter

Future Compensation Possibilities

After reviewing several other blogs and chatting with mom, I have decided to post about every two weeks. I’m enjoying the whole blogging experience even though it’s hard to tell if anyone is plugged in on a regular basis, other than mom. So, for this week I will ask a question and look for your reply. As before, this information will prove helpful in building the type of organizations we so desperately need in the not so distant future.

Scenario: Let’s say employees are allowed to spend 10% - 15% of their time developing skills that fall outside of their day-to-day job description within the organization. Let’s further assume that the employee is a novice in this area.

Question: How would you compensate them for their time and effort considering you, the employer, are giving them time to explore new career possibilities that they may feel passionate about?

Sidebar: Steve Mariucci, former head coach for the San Francisco 49ers football team, said he never wears a watch, because “I always know what time it is. It is always NOW. And NOW is when you should do it.” With that in mind decide what steps you can implement NOW to create the future you dream of.

Have You Identified Your Life's Purpose?

Tomorrow hundreds of people will ask themselves the question “what is their life’s purpose”. I wonder if this is perhaps the most asked question of all times, second only to “can you hear me now”? Some people will wait until they are closer to retirement age and then, as if they were sitting down for the first time, ask what was my life all about? How many of them truly had little insight as to what they could have achieved? What would have caused them to feel as though they had not lived the life they were meant to live? And why ask the question now, so late in life? And even then is all still lost? And if you’re not ready to retire, have you taken time to ask of others what their life meant to them and in what way were they able to impact those around them? And what impeded their ability to move forward? Or what facilitated their ability to act?

The scope of your impact may take a backseat to the ultimate question, “was there ever a time in your life whereby you felt inquisitive about a particular challenge in life? Perhaps you identified an opportunity to answer the call of an unfulfilled need in your home, community, school, work, church, city, state, county, etc. but never gave it much thought or put much effort into further developing the idea. Is it possible that this one idea represented the one thing that would answer your “Life’s Purpose” question? How would you know? One thing is certain if you don’t take steps in that direction you will never know.

The grander your idea the more insurmountable it will appear. But, if it represents the reason why you are here then the skills, knowledge, understanding, assistance, etc. you will need to make it a reality will come in due time. Just keep working towards the ultimate goal and know that if you ignite enough positive energy others will see to it that your “Life’s Purpose” out lives you.

If you haven’t defined your “Life’s Purpose” take stock of the things you do today. Examine closely that which appears to center around the status quo and ask yourself, “what am I missing”? Your “Life’s Purpose” is within your view, within your imagination. It’s matter of seeing the things that feel out of place to you. The things that make you feel as if something is not quite right. It’s the one thing that you realize would benefit others in a positive way. And the talents you will need to carry them out have a) already been given to you and b) are, more than likely, currently being honed.

Sidebar: You don't need a heart to manage resources. And true resources don't care if you have one, for they (buildings, cars, property) too have no heart. On the other hand, you need a heart, and often times a big heart, to lead people. Thereby, as 21st century leaders let's develop "Gigantically, big hearts" by first becoming more appreciative and tolerant of those around us.

Leadership Impact!

As a frontline leader where is your greatest point of "Impact’? If you’ve been in the workforce for any length of time and have managed to find your way to a new role in corporate life as a frontline leader you’ve probably come to the stalk realization that there is little you can actually change within the work environment. Without a doubt, you’ve managed to make minor changes; perhaps you’ve had several big wins relative to projects and annual corporate targets. But, few of us have had opportunities to create big sweeping change at the c-level. Our overall impact has been minimal as it relates to people. When was the last time you heard a corporate executive (c-suits) say that in some way ‘you inspire her/him'? When was the last time they (c-suits) shared with you what they have learned from you in regards to corporate life? When have they listened to you so intently that you felt like the coach? Remember, we’re not talking about project or budgets, but people and 21st century leadership changes.

Given our individual impact on leaders at the c-level is limited we should turn our focus to a more appreciative group whereby the intrinsic rewards in the coming years will be magnified. As frontline leaders, we are in a prime position to rewrite the future of leadership and we’ve seen enough and know enough to do it. We have experienced the ill effects of poor leadership first hand and more times than not in silence. While not from a lack of trying, but somewhere down the line we learned to speak when spoken to and to mind our own business. We also developed an understanding that having an opinion, good or bad, could ultimately be career limiting. For example, if you we’re the boss then you’re good bright idea may not be well received. Even worst, it may have been viewed as a threat to the powers that be. So we learn.

So, where is the point of impact? It occurs where frontline leaders effectively engage with frontline employees. In my opinion, the beginning of change lies firmly in the hands of the frontline leader. Thereby, please consider carefully, how you define great leadership (its okay to use yourself as an example) or what you like least in the current corporate leadership arena. If you want transparency in leadership, then create an environment whereby leadership in your department or business unit becomes transparent. If you feel frontline employees should hold themselves accountable to one another then talk about it and establish expectations. For example, if employees see you as their first line of defense when dealing with issues of accountability amongst peers coach them and send them back to the frontline to address the issue. There is a good chance that several of these employees will progress through the organization together; hence, the value of what they see, witness, hear, do, or say today is important and cannot be understated.

Challenge question: As a frontline leader what actions do you feel will have the greatest impact on future leaders? And as a frontline employee what would you like to learn from today’s frontline leaders?

Sidebar: We can’t develop the leaders of tomorrow ‘one at a time’. We are already in the red relative to leadership talent. We have to find ways to ramp up. In this month’s issue of Harvard Business Magazine (May issue) there were three articles on the subject of retaining star talent within organizations. One of the articles stated that two organizations have implemented some form of group/peer coaching process.

Hope Is Always Alive!

Where will the next generation of corporate leaders come from? What are they doing today? What information do they have? What don’t they know? What will their future look like?

They are on the frontline or at the front door of your organization today. They are trying to figure a lot of things out about themselves and the organization they work for. The information available to them is simply amazing. They can YouTube, twitter, stream, text, get LinkedIn, chat on FaceBook, and blog, just to name a few. Even though some of them are working, many of them are not. They believed in a system that said “if you get a college degree you will have a good job” and someday make lots of money. So, what happened to the most recent graduating classes? After more than a year several of them are out of work and still looking for a job. Many who thought the fast food chain or entry level retail spots were temporary, just something that afforded them a flexible schedule which allowed them plenty of time to study and socialize now find themselves working fast food or retail full time with a college degree. And the next wave of graduates will join them in just one month. It’s not the way it was suppose to happen.

CHIN UP: First let me encourage you to hold onto your hope! We are a nation of great people and like many situations we will work our way out of this one as well. So, what can you do for yourself today if you are not fully employed? First of all, don’t waste time. Second continue the learning process outside of school by putting your knowledge and skills to work, volunteer. In the long run this will give you an advantage over other applicants who are facing a similar situation when the opportunity presents itself. Someone once said luck occurs when preparation meets opportunity. Hence, you have to be ready to leverage the moment.

Now, let’s say everyone is doing something, working for compensation or volunteering. The next thing you have to do is accept the fact that you have to create the future you want. And you do that by constructing in your mind the positive impact you can make on the world around you. Look for something no one else is doing an unfulfilled need. What problems haven’t been addressed? This is a great time to discover how best to leverage your new skills, in untraditional ways. Remember, you are unique. Find ways to add value. Do things that help others succeed! Don’t look to do the same thing everyone else is doing. Most of them are just maintaining the status quo. You don’t build a better future by running in place.

You have a degree; but have you discovered your strengths, do you know what makes you smile, what brings you the most satisfaction at work? If not, you have a lot of discovering to do, experiment. Try different job assignments until you find one or two that you either a) really feel good about or b) really excel at. Then when the economy picks up and new opportunities become available you can highlight all of your wonderful accomplishments. Show them you are a self starter who knows how to go above and beyond.

Sidebar: If you can afford to stay in school then commit two more years to getting a second degree, but in a completely different field. Why? One thing I’m beginning to notice is that people start off on one track, which hopefully they enjoy, however they develop new knowledge about themselves in the work environment and want to take on new challenges doing something that is nrelated to the first degree. The problem then becomes trying to make the leap from current duties to pursue new opportunities. Because so many people in professional positions today have a degree, organizations don’t know how to help you make the transition. They first check to see if you have all of the right boxes filled. I personally think, where this happens, it’s unfortunate. There is so much more to a person than just the degree she/he has earned. But, to you I say, be prepared.

Cultural Statement Misalignment

Most organizations have very meaningful organizational or corporate cultural statements designed to identify the values, beliefs and norms of the collective whole. However, in many organizations the cultural statement is viewed as a cliché? Why? In your opinion, what are the ill effects of a cultural statement that is not in alignment with the overriding reality of corporate life? What can 21st century leaders do to make the cultural statement a reality at every level within the organization?

21st century challenge: In keeping with the theme from the movie Blind Side, whereby the young football player was instructed by Sandra Bullock, playing the role of Ms. Tuohy, to view the members of his football team as his family, and to protect the quarterback’s blind side.

With that in mind, If the quarterback was representative of the organization as a whole, how would you finish this statement?

An organizational cultural blind side exist when…?

Are You A Leader?

As leaders, I trust that you’ve had a productive week. Hence, there is the answer to the topic question. Read on to find out why and to what degree you naturally fall into the category of leader. Your own personal awareness (which includes self reflection and information from others) is what matters most.

Well, now it’s time for us to get started on our ever so important journey together. Let’s start by breaking down the definition for manager and leader relative to our 21st century Leadership 2.1 usage.The age old debate as to whether or not leaders are born or made has grown quite trite, in my opinion. So, today we will challenge ourselves to move beyond the basic discussion and add a new point for consideration.

First, all leaders are born. Second, any human being who has the ability to make decisions and act on them is a leader of “self”. Thereby, if you are reading this as a matter of choice, you are a leader. You made a decision and you acted upon it. With that in mind, the ability to lead others is a matter of desire, ability (learned or natural) and scale. The desire to lead (inspire vs. command and control) others has to come from within. The degree to which you can become an effective leader of others depends on the point from which you start relative to where you want to go.

Here’s a simple way to take that first look. Create a scale from 1 to 10. Now think of someone who you feel is/was a great leader(s). What characteristic can you associate with who they are? Characteristics like, being a visionary, great communicator, highly inspiring, extremely caring, exceptionally open to the ideas of others, etc. should make your list, if these are important to you. Use adjectives or adverbs that push the definition to the limits. Repeat the process relative to the number of people great leaders lead. Perhaps on the lower end of the scale would be “self”. From there identify the points of connection like home, neighbor, community, school, work, city, state, nation, world, etc. Use this information to help you define where you are relative to where you’d like to be. And then combine your passion with your ability to act and close the gap. Closing the gap means learning what you need to learn and doing what you need to do. There is no other way. Remember you are a leader!

21st century challenge: The term manager and leader are, to this day, used to represent a position within the organization, amongst other things. Those at the frontline level are considered managers and those at the director level or above are considered leaders. However; those of us on the frontline know that not everyone who occupies a position of authority is a leader. Going forward, it may be beneficial for us to strongly consider who of the two should be responsible for what (people or things). If inspiring others is important, if allowing others to be more innovative and collaborative is important then we should find ways to make sure people have access to leaders, even if she/he is not their direct report. And assign those who excel at “command and control” to roles like project management or financial controllers, etc. Of course, there are some who have the ability to do both. But, in the event this is not the case in your home, group, or organization then leverage the skills of those around you and share (not split) the responsibility. Great leaders recognize, appreciate and leverage the skills, talents and passions of others. And in my humble opinion, I believe there is a positive correlation between passion, creativity and innovation. To what degree is yet to be determined.

Perhaps we should drop the name manager (with the exception of project manager, resource manager, financial controller, etc.) and give everyone something greater to live up to. If we place people in positions of authority and inform them that their primary job is to “manage” others then who’s to blame when they oblige. Let’s face it, they were never asked nor taught in b-schools to “inspire”. Heck, words like inspire, and passion, on a large scale, have yet to become part of the corporate lingo.

Sidebar: Without conducting some lengthy test to determine if your department representatives have a command and control style or an inspiring leader style conduct this simple assessment; over the next several weeks gage your interaction with them. If you feel de-energized after your encounter on a regular basis she/he is either having a really bad week, month, or they are more inclined to use “command and control” to keep things running. However, if you feel energized or as if there is hope even in the face of adversity, then you’re probably working for a leader. Find out what inspires them about their job; what are they passionate about and use this information to help you discover your passion.

I’d like to encourage you to become a better leader, first of “self” and then of those around you. Take time each week to assess, reflect, develop and grow into the greatest leader you can be.

I’m looking forward to collaborating with you as I believe in the wisdom of crowds. So, please take time to share your thoughts. New perspectives are always good.

Leadership - It's Not An Enigma

I'm new to blogging. But, I'm sure I'll learn as we go.

In my humble opinion, leadership is not an enigma. It's all about creating and valuing relationships. Simple enough!

Over the past few years I’ve made the statement that those responsible for overseeing the performance of others within organizations should adopt the thought process whereby we manage resources and lead people. People are not resources.

The organizational leadership transformational process can begin at the frontline level without corporate mandates. And if we expect to make a difference frontline leaders have to accept the fact that there is no one waiting in the wings to save us. We have a passion for developing our staff; we want to help them 1) discover their passion and 2) become innovators and 3) be successful. I'm of the opinion, that leaders find meaning and joy in their ability to make a positive difference in the lives of others. When you succeed, we succeed!

I've already started a grassroots process and I'm looking for other innovative leaders, and associates at every level, who would like to collaborate and contribute to this space in an effort to extend our collective knowledge. We have our work cut out for us. I hope to attract some of the best minds (like yours) in leadership practice across multiple disciplines. We have to move away from theory and into experimentation, implementation, practice and refinement.

Everyone is invited to contribute both questions or comments.

History: The leadership development model started as a school project. I initially conducted a pilot program at IceTown in Riverside for the figure skating academy. The pilot was a success. Thereby, I pioneered a grassroots leadership development effort in October of 2006 within my business unit. These efforts are still underway today. The method I devised incorporated a unified shared leadership development approach consisting of several of my peers and our department director. Given there was no case study for this model we had to take a chance. Within one year the professional growth of staff members was evident, though not easily quantifiable at the time. However, the corporate challenge, as usual, is addressing the impact on profits. As of late, I've been tracking bottom line effort in terms of cost savings or cost avoidance more closely in the hopes that it will help others identify what to look for in the future.

Sidebar: Over the past few months, I've come to realize we (today's leaders) don't have a vocabulary that readily speaks to the 21st century leadership framework of the future. We are still drawing from current management terms. For example, you don't call a really, really fast airplane a "really really fast airplane" you call it a "jet" and people get it. No further explanation necessary. Thereby, if I shared with you the terms I've used to date it would take you down the wrong path. I did come up with one new term; Innovative Hot Spot - where people come together in an impromptu fashion to discuss the latest idea or technology in an effort to further devise its usefulness or feasibility relative to the task at hand. Innovative Hot Spots are easily identifiable by lots of collaboration and positive energy whereby the ideas of all are respected and welcomed. Okay, long example. But, hopefully you get the idea. Please feel free to modify.

Thanks for allowing me to ramble and not expecting perfection!