Building What Matters – The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership

March 16, 2013 by

5-Pillars-of-Influential-Leadership-Barry-SmithWith over thirty years in the construction industry, I have had the opportunity to participate in multiple “leadership” training presentations and programs.  The one thing that bothers me to this day is that although the material was very good, there remains a problem that most of the attendees were not equipped to use the resources they were provided.

In the competitive market that exists today, I think most business owners and managers would agree that their people are both their biggest asset and at the same time, their biggest liability.  That being said, why is it that more money is invested in equipment, operations and facilities than in developing their people?

Being a student of leadership development for over thirty years, I have concluded that there is a progression that our great leaders have gone through.  This progression will maximize potential and result in a leader that will develop those beneath him to strengthen the overall structure of the organization.

I call this “The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership.”  I will briefly describe each of the pillars below and suggest that although there is overlap in the progression, the maximum return on each pillar is connected to success in the previous pillars.

PILLAR 1 – AWARENESS

It is difficult to learn and retain information without first being aware of where we are.  This includes knowing where we currently are, knowing where we have been and more importantly, where we want to go.

“When we change the way we look at things; the things we look at change.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

We are all striving to improve both our skill level and the situation we are currently in.  If you don’t know where you are, how do you know where to go?  Think of it as a road map.  You might know the destination but without a starting point you are unable to chart the course.  Only once you accept where you are, good and bad, can you determine the course needed for the desired outcome.

True awareness will allow you to accept what you currently lack and focus on the skills you currently possess.  To develop as a leader you must be able to honestly identify both of these in order to become who you were designed to be.

PILLAR 2 – ENVIRONMENT

Once you have gained a strong awareness of where you are and where you want to be, it becomes crucial to understand how the environment in which you are in will affect your steps forward.  The basic question becomes, “Is the environment that you are in conducive to growth?”

You basically have two choices.  Change yourself within your current environment in the hope that you can become an agent of change or find a new environment.  This decision will be based on a multitude of variables and will be different for every individual.  What will remain constant throughout is that the only control you really have is to change yourself.

“Whether you are a success or failure in life has little to do with circumstances; it has much to do with your choices.” – Nido Qubein

Honestly, I believe this is the most difficult pillar to conquer.  There are so many moving parts and variables beyond our control that it makes it difficult to make changes alone.  Regardless of your tenacity and perseverance, inevitably your environment will directly impact your overall success.

PILLAR 3 – GROWTH

Once you have an idea of your goals and how your environment will affect the outcome, you are ready to maximize your personal and professional growth.  Embracing the previous two pillars allows us to better take on the challenges ahead.

If you have ever been seriously hurt, you know that sometimes you need to get well before you get better.  We need to take care of the basics before we can tackle the more difficult tasks in growing towards our potential.  Reaching our potential is better, but if we do not have a good understanding of the required steps to get better, it becomes difficult to consistently grow.

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. —Jack Welch

If you want to grow, you have to decide the path you will take.  Again, this is an example of the progression … is the environment you are in conducive to your growth?  Growth doesn’t happen in a day, it happens daily.  What you do today will determine who you will be tomorrow.

PILLAR 4 – COMMUNICATION

Now that you have a good idea where you are and where you want to be and are taking steps to get there, it is time to start sharing your knowledge and achievements with others.  After all, teamwork makes the dream work and when we reach the point of positively influencing those around us, we are impacting the world we live in on a much larger scale.

You won’t communicate effectively unless the people you are communicating with are receptive to that communication.  Making the conversation about the other person and valuing their input is critical to a successful relationship.  Meeting them on common ground and meeting them where they are at are two successful ways to communicate.

“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

To communicate successfully, what is being said is what needs to be heard.  Perception, assumption and presumption play into most of the conversations we have.  Be clear on what you are attempting to say and make sure that is what’s being heard.  Communication skills need to be atop any growth plan for without those skills, we will be unable to influence others or the outcome.

PILLAR 5 – LEADERSHIP

Once you have achieved the skills to be a good leader, and only then, can you become an influential leader.  Influential leaders make changes and positively impact those around them.

It doesn’t matter if you are speaking of business or your personal life, leadership will prove out to be the key to your success.  Every leader has a certain amount of success with these pillars but those that understand how the progression works will ultimately become influential leaders.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” –  John Maxwell Tweet this!

At the end of the day, influential leaders are focused on building what matters.  What matters is the people they are leading.  Without a strong core of people, the structure will eventually fail.

So I ask you to consider this question, “What are you really building?”

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Abandon the Dead Horse: It’s Time for a New Approach to Leadership

March 16, 2013 by

Abandon-the-Dead-Horse-Hampton-HopkinsThe Dakota Indians had a common wisdom that said when one is riding a dead horse the best strategy is to dismount. Too often, leaders tend to over-think this dilemma by implementing myriad strategies that ignore the horse. Our challenge is to think beyond the cliché leadership skills that have been incessantly discussed and instead seek a new and innovative approach to developing organizational leaders and strategies. It is time to depart with the old and bring in the new. In the words of the great philosopher Bob Dylan, “the times they are a-changin’.”

Leadership, even in its simplest form, remains an important set of skills. But it is time for a new conversation about how we think about the topic of leadership. No longer is it sufficient to simply regurgitate the same old language that we have always used. Instead, we need to consider different words that are somehow fresh, more contemporary. What follows is the start of this new dialogue.

Action. Performance in any organization demands action. Action is critical to effective leadership; conversely, inaction can doom even the best leaders. Inherent in the makeup of leaders is the need to accomplish. Ronald Reagan, when speaking on leadership, remarked “recognize that a willingness to take decisive action is a hallmark of an effective leader. People want to know where you stand so they will know where they stand.”

Action in the new leadership mantra suggests effective performance where leaders have sufficient energy and means to get things done. “

Challenge. As leaders, our abilities are often tested by others within the organization. Not a direct, in-your-face challenge, but a more subtle approach whereby we are faced with utilizing dormant skills or addressing new and creative problems. “The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand in times of challenge and controversy.” Faced with many obstacles in his life, Martin Luther King, Jr. understood a challenge. Yet, as an example for leaders through the generations, he used challenge as a means of stimulating change and engaging others in an embodiment of this change.

Guts. Leaders often provide others reassurance in tough times; a sort of shelter in the storm. This instills confidence in those who look to the leader for guidance. But this requires a level of fortitude and self-confidence that is not easy to muster. Ralph Waldo Emerson has been attributed as saying “whatever you do, you need courage. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.” Time and again leadership requires an integrity that allows for courage to take hold despite a maelstrom of opposition and pressure.

Imagination. Aristotle Onassis, shipping magnate and once among the world’s richest men, famously had a plaque on the wall of his office that read “find a way, or make one.” Like many successful leaders, Onassis didn’t make excuses or tolerate them. He sought creative ways to achieve success. Leadership is about an unyielding curiosity and the pursuit of new and original ideas. By thinking holistically across organizational silos, leaders harness imagination and creativity to accomplish the vision.

Leadership is about an unyielding curiosity and the pursuit of new and original ideas. “~ Hampton Hopkins Tweet this

Partner. It is important to serve as a partner with customers, peers, stakeholders, employees or anyone who has an interest in the organization. By partnering with others, leaders collaborate to define the future of the organization. Direction and strategy are established in the best interest of all partners and more importantly, each partner shares in the risk. When considering all who have an interest in the organization, communication is enhanced, disputes are limited, and progress is achieved. Winston Churchill got it right when he stated “if we are together nothing is impossible. If we are divided all will fail.”

I have offered five fresh ways to think about leadership development and have more that I will be sharing over the next few weeks. This new look at old leadership is by no means abandoning our understanding of tried and true leadership in favor of something more radical. Instead, it is suggested that leadership be viewed more in terms of the competencies required in this new world order.

I would love to hear how you are thinking about leadership differently.

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Think Consensus is Good, Think Again…

March 15, 2013 by

Think-Consensus-is-Good-Think-Again-John-ThurlbeckAs an established leader, developing executive teams or organizations, and often when working in collaboration with other partners, consensus is required to achieve set goals. Consensus is usually seen as a positive thing – the lubricant that makes team actions successful. However, lurking within, is a significant danger … and that is consensus inertia … sometimes known as ‘groupthink’!

First described by Jerry B Harvey in his article ‘The Abilene Paradox’, consensus inertia strikes at the heart of great leadership because it erodes values; stifles critical thinking, limits creativity; enables undue influence of direction; and, allows inequity of action. It is most commonly experienced due to a breakdown in group communication in which each member of the group mistakenly believes that their own preferences are counter to the group’s and, therefore, do not raise objections, even when discussions are moving in a direction that they believe to be totally unsound.

Avoid consensus inertia by ensuring values and team behavior are fully aligned!” ~John Thurlbeck  Tweet this!

One of the greatest challenges to any leader is to ensure that all members of their team apply critical and independent thinking to the challenges they face together and to feel the freedom to express those views without fear of condemnation or reprisal. Leaders must also avoid the perils and limitations of ‘groupthink’ that can be a major contributory factor to poor business decisions. Effective leaders do this by following four simple rules:

1. They communicate vision and values in a compelling and inclusive way.

Values should fit with the team’s communication, both internally and externally. So, if you say that you are team-oriented where everyone counts, then a traditional ‘command and control’ style will challenge this. Reflecting on and ‘living’ the values of the team provides permission to team members to take responsibility for their own thoughts and actions and not feel constrained to conform. It sets the boundaries and parameters for individual and team action and autonomy.

2. They revisit and refresh purpose … and the values underpinning that purpose.

Regularly taking your team back to its purpose and reflecting on the values that underpins that purpose is the best way to ensure that consensus is real rather than imagined or assumed. Why a focus on values? Because organizational values define the acceptable standards which govern the behavior of individuals within an organization and this helps to limit contradictory behavior.

 3. They confront contradictory behavior.

Effective leaders ensure that they and other team members give feedback to those who don’t live out the vision of the team. They know that if people are allowed to live out contradictory values then, over time, there is a clear danger that those values will usurp the desired values. This can be particularly the case if it is the more dynamic, dominant individuals within the team who are espousing contradictory values.

4. They periodically checkout with feedback from partners.

Great leaders demonstrate courage, openness and are not risk averse! They will periodically ask those involved with their team what they think of its values? They will do this with those involved internally within an organization and with its external partners – including clients, suppliers and other stakeholders. They will then act on that feedback.

Developing effective consensus in driving business decisions and in realizing ambitions and goals is critical for success and a harmonious working climate. However, within the everyday noise and complexity of organizational life, it is so easy to lose sight of! Avoid this by articulating your vision and values in a compelling and inclusive way; modelling your vision and values; inviting others to participate in your vision and values; and seeking feedback as to what others think of them!

Do you have a statement of values for your team? Is it a living expression of current, real values … or just an expression of past desires? When was the last time you reviewed the four simple rules to see how well you and your team are living the values? What other tips do you have? Please share your thoughts and comments below.

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Ready or Not …It’s Going to Happen!

March 14, 2013 by

Ready-or-Not-Its-Going-to-Happen-Susan-BowenIt’s inevitable.  It happened to me.  And, if you stay in an organization long enough, it will happen to you.

Reflecting back to a few years ago, I received a telephone call with expected, but very sad news. “Our CEO has lost his long struggle with cancer.”  Shortly after hearing this news, the stark reality hit.  We had no one identified to assume the helm.  We knew that this dreaded day would happen … but we had failed to prepare for “next.”

Many organizations are in the same predicament.  Intellectually, we know that leaders move on – voluntarily and involuntarily.  We know we need to prepare for succession.  But how often do we replace succession planning with other priorities?  How often do we say, “We’ll get to that tomorrow”?

To those organizations that do not have a succession program in place, you are not alone.  Over the years, research has shown improvement in the numbers of organizations planning for future leadership succession, but the data still indicate that only about 25% of organizations in the United States have a formal succession plan in place.  This is a startling statistic considering that every organization (small or large – public, private, or nonprofit) has a need to plan for a seamless transition of leadership.

Why do we not identify and develop successors?  Many say that the process is too cumbersome, their organization is too small, or that they don’t have the resources to put toward the identification or the development.  For some, succession planning is an indication of one’s own mortality – and sometimes we just don’t want to face that inescapable fact.

I propose that we re-frame our thinking about identifying and developing successors and start taking action to prepare for the inevitable.

Succession planning is a partnership. 

As in all effective relationships, succession only works with two willing partners (the employee and the organization).  The first task, then, is to look at employee desire.

  • Regarding each employee’s career goals – is there a desire to gain more responsibility, oversee staff, and move up the organizational ladder?  (Notice money is left out of this conversation.  For of course, everyone will say yes to a higher salary!)
  • What is the employee’s vision of the future?
  • What are his/her one-year goals?  Five-year goals?

This information gathering exercise is designed 1) for the employee to think through and communicate goals and desires and 2) for management to gain insight into the employee’s future hopes and dreams.

Succession planning connects desire, exceptional performance, AND potential. ~ Susan Bowen Tweet this!

Desire comes from the employee.

Performance is determined through the review of job history and sustained results.

  • Does this person produce results that consistently exceed the operating, technical and professional output expected from a person in their current position?
  • Does this person demonstrate excellent leadership ability (such as establishing and communicating strategic direction, inspiring and enabling staff to perform at the highest standards, championing change, and focusing on sustainable results)?
  • Does this person achieve results in a way that always builds and maintains constructive working relationships with many people?
  • Is this person oriented toward total business results, not just focused on the success of his/her own area?

Many organizations tend to focus their succession pipelines on the exceptional performers without looking at employee potential or employee career goals.  You have seen this happen.

A person is promoted to a position because he is an exceptional, operationally talented performer in his current role.  Desire and potential are not addressed in the vetting process.  In his new role he fails to build the relationships and create the vision and strategy needed to move the company forward.  He is removed from his position due to lack of desire and potential.

Shock waves are felt throughout the organization.  It is even worse when the person is the CEO.

Realize that potential identification is more “art” than “science.”  Rarely do you have objective data to review.  Some assessments assist in identifying potential, but it is also helpful to rely on observations of the candidate’s interactions.

  • Does this person exhibit broad and deep technical and interpersonal skills?
  • Does this person currently demonstrate leadership skills that are expected at the next higher organizational level?
  • Does this person regularly work at building new skills and abilities?
  • If a people manager, does this person exhibit managerial skills that are expected at the next highest organizational level?
  • Is there a “fire in the belly” that will indicate the employee’s willingness to reach for new challenges?

Use a review team process to identify those who can lead the organization into the future (enterprise talent).  Assess the desire, performance, and potential of each candidate brought forward.  Keep emotion out of the decision-making.  This is not a popularity contest.  You are building the future of your company.

Consider these Review Team rules-of-thumb:

  • Limit the number of enterprise talent to less than 20% of your total employee population
  • Prolonged disagreement about a candidate indicates that he/she may not be enterprise talent at this time.
  • The CEO owns and stewards the process.

Succession planning requires development of enterprise talent.

Some organizations believe that development creates an inordinate strain on resources (in both dollars and time away from the job).  Note, however, that organizational leadership readiness will only be achieved through development.

Bob Eichinger and Michael Lombardo, former associates of the Center for Creative Leadership and the founders of Lominger International (A Korn/Ferry Company), recommend a 70% (on-the-job experiences) – 20% (coaching and feedback) – 10% (facilitated instruction) approach to development.

Considering this approach, the opportunities to develop are limitless.  The talent may:

  • Manage projects,
  • Supervise new teams,
  • Work in a new department,
  • Sit on a steering committee outside of the organization,
  • Volunteer for a leadership position at a nonprofit,
  • Present to an organization’s advisory board,
  • Participate in the due diligence process for a pending merger,
  • Swap jobs with another for a period of time (at least 6 months),
  • Take on a global assignment,
  • Transfer to a new location, etc.

This development is conducted in the regular course of doing business.  The benefits are realized as 1) the enterprise talent gains new knowledge, skills, abilities, and leadership aptitude and 2) the organization gains a real-time view of how the talent is adapting to potentially high-stress situations.   This actual experience far outweighs that of a simulated classroom environment.

If you have not entered the succession-planning ring, I suggest you take the plunge.  Start simple. Identify and develop the talent for the leadership needs of tomorrow.

Get ready!  It’s going to happen.

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Self-conquest – A Step to tapping into The Leadership Potential within You

March 13, 2013 by

Self-Conquest-Ogwo-David-EmenikeThe issue of tapping into the leadership potential within us is so a versed topic that it can lend itself to various elucidations by various people at various time and circumstance. Time and space would not however, permit us to embark on this journey fully. But suffice it to say that self-conquest is, in itself, a step to tap into the leadership capability in us.

In a conscious effort to tap into the enormous leadership potential that lay within us, we must endeavour to conquer ourselves – a disciplinary step to become better persons that will inspire the society at large to lead a better life. Mahatma Gandhi took this further with his assertion: “The great change of the modern age is not to remake the world but to remake ourselves. Be the change you wish to see for the world.”

Can a man who cannot guide himself guide another? The first step to becoming an efficient leader is the ability to conquer oneself. By conquering yourself, I mean gaining total control of yourself, your emotions, your reasoning; being able to establish a level of imperviousness against situations and not allowing sentiments to becloud your better judgment.

You can only lead others as far as you have gone yourself. Can the blind lead the blind? No! It will worth our while to note that leadership is impossible without a guiding vision and purpose that generate passion for accomplishment. Leadership is born out of character and a determination to be and express one’s self fully. It is the discovery and marriage of purpose, personality and potential.

The world has come of age. It is now goodbye to the type of leadership where the leader is one who stood above his men and shouted order to them to obey. Leaders who first conquered self have an edge over others in terms of wisdom, courage, honesty, patience, integrity, meekness, self-control, etc. They guide by influence, directing by going before and along with the people. Their kind of leadership is by inspiration. It is the opposite of intimidation, and absolutely void of manipulation. There are many so-called leadership situations where fear is the motivator rather than commitment based on a response to an inspired life.

If we keep harbouring the thought that only a few lucky ones are born into the sacred position of leadership, we end up surrendering our life’s affairs to some masters we made for ourselves – we slowly become their victims, as they exercise control and authority over us. This is a flaw – this thought and waiting for the lucky ones. “If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2 vs. 21). Why must the world wait for a few individual to be born before they can enjoy the services of great leaders?

We need millions of Moses, Mahatmas, Mandela, Martin (jnr.), Abraham Lincoln, to mention but a few, but history has given us only one of such men. The leadership traits and potentials they possessed lie within us. You may not have the crowd to lead like them, but assuredly you’ve got yourself to lead, and that is the first step to becoming a great leader in this day and age. It is being said, “He who would move a mountain must first start with stones.” These men we idolize their leadership prowess started by conquering and leading themselves first.

 “ Be the change you wish to see for the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi  Tweet this

The individual who aims at reaching the top in leadership must appreciate the might and force of habit. He must be quick to break and dismiss those habits that can break him, and advance to embrace those practices that will become the habits that will help him achieve the success he desires in leadership.

He who can conquer himself is greater than the fearsome warrior. To conquer yourself you must conquer your mind. You must ensure that you control your thinking. A leader must be controlled from within and disciplined. Self-control is learning how and when to say “NO”. As a leader, you should not be easily manipulated by the behavior or offenses of others. If somebody can make you mad, it means that person has controlled you; and if he can control you, then you have no control over yourself. The same goes for the person who can “turn you on”.

Conclusively, in a quest for self-mastery for better leadership, you must break yourself off from pride (the need to elevate one’s self by the devaluation of others; an attempt to secure a sense of superiority by the maintenance of the feeling of inferiority in others), ego (the sense of exaggerated self-importance), and jealousy (the wrong measure of one’s success by comparison to the accomplishment of others).

If we possess the inner strength to break deeply embedded habits that weigh us down from becoming better persons, then we have begun to tap into the leadership potential within us.

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The Vulnerable Leader

March 12, 2013 by

Vulnerable-Leader-Lora-CrestanLeadership is not easy. In fact, if you are doing it right, it is downright difficult.  Learning to lead is an ongoing process that evolves with you.  Many skills and talents are molded together to create the leader you are today.  Your personality and the experience you have had either as a leader or with the leaders around you will definitely contribute to who you are as a leader.  We are clearly influenced by leaders and their actions, whether directly or in the media – a great leveler when it comes to viewing leaders as they truly are.

Think about this though.  Have you progressed in your leadership development so that you know it is okay to be vulnerable?

Vulnerable is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as ‘being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally’.  As leaders, we need to accept that we are human – being vulnerable is part of that.

Being vulnerable is not:

–        A sign of weakness or indecision

–        Becoming a doormat and allowing others to walk all over you

–        Crying at the drop of a hat

–        Taking unnecessary risks that could harm you or your organization

–        Abdicating responsibility

Being vulnerable as a leader is:

–        Letting others know you need help and asking for it

–        Listening to feedback and incorporating it into your next steps or development plans

–        Understanding that not everyone will ‘like’ you and dealing with the emotions that comes with that acknowledgement

–        Being empathetic and compassionate with your team, your family, your clients and your vendors – consistently and authentically

–        Allowing yourself opportunities to reflect and review your past performance and behaviour and seeking guidance for change

In quite the opposite direction, a leader needs to be confident to show their vulnerable side- this includes self-awareness that shows the leader can be multi-faceted and certainly focused at the same time.  It may not be easy to reconcile this in your mind.  As a human being, many emotions collide and keeping them bottled up really is not a good idea.  Finding ways to express emotions like frustration, confusion, regret, happiness, joy and all the rest is an art developed by experience.  Take some time to think about the many ways in which you interact with clients and colleagues.

Do you focus on building relationships instead of making transactions?  This applies to both clients and team members.  With clients, it is clear – get to know them and build the relationship so that they trust you.  As soon as trust develops, the relationship is now a two-way street and no longer about a transaction but about making both parties better.  The same applies to relationships with your team – it is not about strictly giving direction (the transaction – they do what we say). Now you are venturing into tapping into who does what best, or who needs to stretch and grow in new directions because you have gotten to know them and understand who they are and the direction in which they would like to move.

Are you interested in listening and truly understanding as opposed to glossing over objections to close the sale?  If you truly listen, you are doing so with your whole body – and seeing as well as hearing what is being said.  If you are only trying to close the sale and get the dollars, they most certainly will not stick in the future as there has not been a true effort to build trust.  By taking time to listen, even though you may not get the sale today, you have been open and vulnerable to rejection and allow the other party to learn more about you.

As a leader, you are charged with guiding others to move forward through your example. Lora Crestan Tweet this!

This could be an individual or an entire company.  How you act will define how others act.  How you develop relationships will be reflected in how your team learns to, and then builds relationships.  Your ability and courage to show vulnerability will provide a more open environment in your organization, allowing for change, personal growth and stronger bonds to develop.

 How you act will define how others act”.

Are you a Vulnerable Leader? Describe to us how you became one.

 

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Culture trumps Strategy in Business Success

March 11, 2013 by

Strategy-in-Business-Success-Heidi-Alexandra-PollardEvery business has a culture – some are inspiring and healthy, others are crippling and toxic. The level of an organization efficiency and wellness is a direct reflection of its culture.

Traditional corporate cultures are no longer adequate to succeed in the new world of business. Cultures that originated in the era of the industrial revolution are now obsolete precisely because they discourage learning, change and innovation.

A huge demand exists for a new type of culture in our organizations today in order to become productive, profitable and sustainable well into the future.

Why culture is critical

Workplace wellness isn’t just a factor of the employees fitness or BMI ratings, it is particularly characterized by how motivated, inspired and engaged the workforce are to do great work. Key indicators of healthy workplaces are the presence of creativity and innovation and an energy of possibility – which all result in a positive, sustainable culture.

Unhealthy cultures tend to devalue creativity, stifle innovation and leave their workers feeling miserable and frustrated, stuck in the rut of the daily grind and stressed by the demands of productivity they no longer have the energy to face. Managers tend to create these cultures by discouraging new ideas, frowning on change and stymieing enthusiasm. The result, major disengagement that sucks the life out of the organization and its people.

The best culture is a UQ culture       

While understanding and managing culture is fundamental to success, for many organizations, the idea of going down the road of a ‘cultural change’ initiative is too daunting. It needn’t be. It is possible to convert low-engagement teams and cultures into engaged, high-performance UQ Cultures with some intent and a slight shift focus.

In UQ (Uniqueness Quotient) Cultures there is a subtle shift to WHO people are rather than WHAT they do. That is, WHO they are is more important than WHAT they do. A strong UQ culture shapes how employees perform and gives them a strong sense of purpose.

What is a UQ culture?  It’s one that is powered by an inner force, it’s who they are and why they do what they do, it’s one that has a unique, competitive edge. In today’s crowded marketplace organizations need to be able to stand out as Unique and different from their competition with a unique brand. A strong UQ culture is the key to setting a business apart from its competition and ultimately attracting and retaining high quality employees to grow with the organization.

With companies large and small competing for the same global talent pool, a UQ Culture will set them apart and deliver tangible, measurable benefits to any business.

Micro-managers Kill Culture

Micro-managers or Container Managers are those managers who find it hard to let go of the reins, to trust the team and get out of the way. In some ways, this is counter-intuitive and atypical of traditional role models and therefore understandable, however in high performing UQ Cultures there is always more macro managing than there is micro-management.

Container Managers are typically good at doing what has to be done. They are good at dealing with facts and not letting their emotions or other people’s emotions get in the way of making a decision. They are great at developing procedures, implementing plans, and no-one can do the job as good as they can. However, their tendency to hold onto decision-making and undertake jobs that could be delegated is not conducive to the creation of a UQ culture full of motivated, inspired, and engaged staff.

Container managers are typically responsible for the bottleneck in organizations, where innovation is stymied and ideas are shelved. They may be producing revenue and results however they rarely create a leadership pipeline, are reliant on the command and control approach and can ill-afford time off as their teams become co-dependent. This approach may have worked in 1965 but it will not allow a company to survive in 2020.

The New Leadership Alternative

One way for organizations to begin to shape and construct a more positive and productive UQ culture is to start with its managers and leaders – importantly with those in linchpin positions – in middle management.

In their book Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown discuss how great leaders extract at least two times more capability from their people than poor leaders.

A UQ culture is one that does just that by turning managers into Expander Leaders who live by the motto that you have to give power to empower.

Expander Leaders value inclusiveness and participation, they hand over the decision-making process, and let their employees govern themselves. Expander Leaders deal with the facts, but also consider how it impacts people. They listen to their employees, realize their strengths, tap into their potential, and include them in the growth of business.

Expander leaders create healthy relationships, a caring environment and an openness to trying new things which brings out best in their team. By appreciating others, engaging in purposeful conversations and helping their people to find work they love to do, they create driven, loyal employees who are engaged and energized, and want to make a valuable contribution to the organization and go the extra mile.

Essentially, it takes an attitude of figuring out how best to serve the teams, rather than asking the teams to best serve you. ~Heidi Alexandra Pollard Tweet this!

Expander leaders create UQ Cultures by:

  • Telling their people WHAT needs to be done and WHY but letting them figure out HOW
  • Not shooting them down for any crazy ideas, instead COACHING them to find ways to improve or refine their ideas
  • Treating their people as human BEINGS not DOINGS and getting to know their Uniqueness and what makes them tick
  • Not only TELLING them what to do all the time, instead ASKING them how they envision the future and how they would create a more successful, sustainable company.
  • Encouraging rebellion, creativity and risk-taking
  • Recognizing and rewarding achievement, progress and innovative behaviors

Do you consider yourself an Expander Leader? In what way have you contributed to your team? Share your thoughts below.

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Eliminate Barriers and Borders by Leading Effectively When You’re Not There

March 10, 2013 by

Leading-Effectively-Andy-PhillipsThe days when your team would be all located together have long gone. Even in the smallest organizations multi-site and multi-national teams are commonplace. Leading virtual teams is a challenge for most leaders. There is always a risk that the virtual team will become not a team at all but a group of individuals and that the leader is not a leader but someone who spends their time endlessly chasing up the team, checking that everything that needed to be done has been done.

Leading virtual teams effectively means taking leadership best practice and handling it in a way that takes into the account the fact that they team is dispersed over different countries.

What steps can you take to better lead virtual teams?

  1. Define the mission in a way that inspires the team to commit to something bigger than their own contribution. The most inspired people have a sense that they are contributing to something bigger than themselves. To do this, you need to explain why the work of the team is valuable. Even in the most commercial environments, there is a clear benefit that the work of the team will deliver. You need to explicitly state this regularly and often. Say it, write it, include it in documentation as often as you can. Every member of the virtual team needs to fully understand the mission of the team and commit to it.
  2. Define the interdependencies of each team member. There is a danger in virtual teams that each member loses sight of how their work is critical to the work of others. While in non-virtual teams you can do this in a casual way, in a virtual team you need to be explicit: a simple chart illustrating how each person’s work enables the work of others. Peer accountability is the most effective motivator and critical to the success of a virtual team.
  3. Set team and individual targets and share with the whole team. Everyone should know what everyone else is accountable for. Don’t just do this once then forget about it. Open sharing of progress against targets is essential. Some people get uneasy about this but in a virtual team you cannot be the sole chaser of work. By openly and explicitly sharing progress against targets and deliverables, the team itself takes on this role.
  4. Meet face-to-face at least once a year. Don’t just have a kick-off meeting. You need to meet up. It is much easier to work as a virtual team when you have actually met. These meetings should focus on points one to three as well as any project-specific issues that need to be tackled. I think it is a good idea to meet face-to-face as new members join.
  5. Agree communication standards and routines. I was once in a team where I spoke to the team leader once every three or four months. It was a disaster. Don’t rely on email to manage. Agree regular calls on a one-to-one and team basis. Provide the team with a monthly key update showing progress against targets and deliverables. Make sure that everyone in the team is comfortable with the level of contact. This is a good topic for discussion at the kick-off meeting. You won’t be able to please everyone but you should have spoken at least once with each member of your team every week. Be careful to take into account time differences. No one is going to be happy having a regular call with you at 10pm in the evening.
  6. Set language protocols. While English is the global business language, not everyone speaks it in quite the same way. Using metaphors or expressions that are unique to your location, such as cricket or baseball references, can be unintelligible to anyone else. While your average Brit understands what is meant by a sticky wicket, it is unlikely that those from elsewhere will. Agree with your team what type of language you will avoid. For non-native speakers prepositional phrases are hard to understand even though the words are simple. Use the Latin version instead. So instead of saying “We are going to call off the meeting” say “We are going to cancel the meeting.” Ask your team what they struggle to understand and build the protocol from that.
  7. Get culture out of the way. Don’t assume that as leader your cultural preferences are the ones the team will adopt. Different cultures have different approaches to risk, change, hierarchy, time and leadership. Don’t leave these to be discovered as you go along. Give time in the kick-off meeting to explore their attitudes to these areas and agree how you will adapt to them. Most cultural differences can be handled through discussion and flexibility. Don’t assume that your way is the best way. It is simply your way. Learn to appreciate the benefits of different approaches. You can formalize this into a team agreement that states how the team will work together. Get the team to write this and then all team members sign up to it.

Don’t assume that your way is the best way. It is simply your way. ~Andy Phillips Tweet this!

To better lead virtual teams you cannot leave anything to chance. The more explicit you are, the more effective the team will be.

What would you do to make leading virtual teams more effective?

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A Myth That Thwarts Leadership

March 10, 2013 by

Myth-That-Thwarts-Leadership-Susan-MazzaWhile sitting with a group of teachers as they reflected about their own leadership, it became clear quite a few of them were struggling.

This group was known as the Leadership Team for their school and most had been part of this group for a few years.  Yet when asked to assess themselves as leaders the majority of them were seemingly paralyzed. As we discussed why… an underlying theme emerged.

While they had respect for their principal they did not want to ever be like many of the people in leadership positions they had seen come and go.  Blinded by what they thought being a leader was supposed to look like, they did not even consider the possibility that they could determine the kind of leader they wanted to be.

The notion of leading without a title has gained ground, yet the grip of past interpretations of what it means to be a leader continue to have a tight grip on many organizational cultures, not only in education, but in business and government as well.

It is particularly strong when you have highly technical people who pride themselves on their knowledge and skill in their craft.  Sometimes promotions are granted as a way to reward them financially even though these individuals often have no interest in managing or leading.  Yet if you listen closely you will discover that lack of interest in managing or leading is only part of the story.

Having been an IT professional for many years before becoming a leadership coach and organizational change consultant, I have explored this resistance to becoming a “leader” from both the inside and the outside.

What I have observed is that often people do not want to become a leader because they think they will have to become like someone else.  That someone else is often already “above” them on an organization chart or in a position of power that has impacted them in some way.

There is an unspoken belief for many that if you get to a certain level or position you will have to change who you are.” ~Susan Mazza Tweet this

For some it seems they would have to become like people for whom they do not have very much respect.  What that “certain level or position” may be cannot be defined globally.  It is very personal.

This belief is a myth that continues to thwart the loud call for leadership from every corner of our world. It is a myth that for many is barrier between the concept of leading without a title and embracing that they can and often are already leaders as a reality regardless of their position or role in life.  It is also a myth that keeps people from embracing the call to lead in their current role or position.

Being the most effective leader you can be requires that you become the most powerful expression of yourself rather than attempt to emulate someone else.

A leader is someone who takes action to make a difference where they work or live in service of a commitment to something that contributes to others.  In the framework of Random Acts of Leadership™ that means speaking up, stepping up or standing up in service of your commitments.

It is only when we start to consider leadership at the level of action that we can begin to observe the simple yet potent acts of leadership that are committed everyday by people at all levels in organizations and all roles in life.

Just look around you and you will see examples every day leaders – people who are speaking up, stepping up and standing up for something that matters to them and makes a difference for others.

The skills of leadership can be cultivated by anyone.  However, to cultivate them you must be willing to act; and to cultivate them in others you must be able to recognize leadership in action.

What other myths do you believe are thwarting leadership from flourishing where you work and live?

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Patient Centered Healthcare: Conditioning Your Culture To Go the Distance

March 9, 2013 by

Conditioning-Your-Culture-To-Go-the-Distance-leadership-Susan-ThornWe are now knee-deep and headlong into Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act. The Main Event is set, at least for now, on January 1st, 2014. This is when purportedly all Americans will have purchased their tickets to seek admission to the insured affordable healthcare match. Healthcare organizations, doctors’ offices, and community clinics will begin to see and treat a population of folks that has historically not had access to insurance, and they come sicker than we  have seen before. Our operation, fiscal, and quality outcomes resources will be challenged like never before. If your fight card does not include a pound for pound approach to strategy and culture, get ready for a TKO! In this time of focused patient centered care delivery models and innovative transformational approaches to healthcare, there is a real barn burner about to begin.

Peter Drucker said “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. If that’s the case, where then do we put our efforts? Strategy alone will not be enough. If healthcare organizations expect to come out the winner in the next decade, they will need to condition themselves to go the distance in both culture and strategy. As we begin to see a population that has not had access to routine healthcare for many years, or ever, the strength of our strategy and culture will be put to the test.

Operationally our strategies need to include a focus on culture as it relates to leadership excellence, the empowerment of our workforce, consistency in the delivery of quality service, and creative innovation. Walt Disney did a great job of this. Walt effectively demonstrated with great heart and passion that the actions of one leader, multiplied be the actions of many, can re-shape a culture and an organization. Operationally we need to invest in our leaders, empower them, and hold them accountable to creating a healthy and conditioned workforce that has been well equipped to meet the challenging needs of the populations we’re tasked to serve. Operationally we need to invite every person in our organization that has anything to do with patient care to take part in finding innovative ways to do things better and leaner.

One often missed leadership strategy in creating great operational outcomes is by inviting your customer into the ring. Who are your customers? Remember, everyone is your customer when it comes to operations. Anyone that has anything to do in your organization is a customer. This includes your management team, billers, coders, housekeepers, those that answer the phone, and the patient! Everyone is your customer. Your entire team of customers should be given the title of Personal Performance Partners. Invest in them as a strategy and the organizational  culture will win in every round.

Everyone is your customer.” – Susan Thorn Tweet this!

What about the organizational level of fiscal fitness? The promise of more in the way of budget cuts and payment denials has the fight purse getting smaller and smaller. As the purse gets smaller, our number one strategy needs to include a fully engaged culture. Organizations that look at their bottom line without understanding the impact of culture on it will suffer. Culture is like the wind, it is invisible to the eye, but felt by all. Culture is built by the values expressed through its leadership. If you want to assure that you will be at your ideal level of fiscal fitness then your battle cry needs to be “Culture is our bottom line”.

What about outcomes? We are now being held to a new level of accountability when it comes to creating favorable healthcare outcomes for the populations we serve. If we don’t do it well, we are as good as a white-collar boxer, we don’t get paid! As a healthcare leader and consumer I have seen both sides. Quality in outcomes with the resources availed to us will take new and innovative approaches if we expect to go the distance. We are already seeing hospitals partnering with community clinics to prevent hospital remissions. Healthcare organizations are beginning to move toward a case management model approach for the high-end users of our healthcare systems. Population based case management for our most vulnerable populations’ results in a unanimous decision in adding to the way we can all deliver better and leaner quality in healthcare.

So where does your organization weigh in on culture and strategy? If your strategy and culture don’t touch knuckles before the opening round, somebody is going to get sucker-punched. Make cultural competency your organizations biggest innovative strategy to win in healthcare!

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