Leadership Archives

Leadership Evolution – The Missing Link

March 21, 2013 by Kimunya Mugo

About eight years ago, I attended a job interview. It was your typical run-of-the-mill affair. The panelists just wanted to confirm that I was whom I said I was on my resume. The questions came at me fast and furious. “What is your main weakness? How do you cope when you are under pressure?” The scene was akin to the Spanish inquisition!

One thing bothered me throughout the interview. There was something wrong with the whole approach. It seemed none of the interview panelists was interested in knowing ‘who’ I am: the core of my person that is my heart, soul, and passion. Their focus was on ‘what’ I was. What had I done? What was I bringing into the organization? What this, what that… At some point, I was ready to walk off in protest if anyone of them uttered another ‘what’!

Fortunately, I got a small gap at the tail end of the interview. “Do you have anything you’d like to ask us?” asked one panelist. “More like something I want to share with you,” I replied excitedly! “I just wanted to let you know that I have a young family and my first baby on the way,” I began. Four bewildered faces stared back at me. It was like some tiny hamsters were furiously running tiny wheels in their cranium. Good sign, I had their undivided attention. “You see,” I began, “My family is central to my life and work. If any of them squeaks, I jump. They are my first priority.” You should have seen the baffled looks on their faces! It was like I had just walked into the dentist’s with a major cavity in my tooth while chewing on candy.

That is why I started to ask this question. Isn’t it time that recruiters looked beyond the papers? Some do, but where I come from not many. Now, in any recruitment process I am involved in, I try hard to learn as much as I can about an individual’s background. To try to know the person in a deeper way that goes beyond their talents and qualifications. Why is this important to me?

Human beings abhor vacuum

I find a disconnect between work and family. There seems to be an assumption that as long as one can perform well at their duties in there workplace, then they can move up the ranks and become leaders. For a few, this may be true. However, it is paramount to remember that leaders can’t develop in a vacuum. They only grow and thrive in context of their background; community and family. If any of these relationships are broken, chaos is the most probable outcome.

In mid-February this year, Kenya carried out her first-ever presidential debate. What stood out for me was not the normal political rhetoric. I was stunned when the candidates could not respond to a simple question, “Who are you?”

None could provide a credible response. They fumbled through their answers, reciting their qualifications, what they had done, hadn’t done or what they could do. None talked about growing up, or their family interactions. They came across hollow as an owl’s hoot in the dead of the night.

It left me wondering if we are molding ‘whos’ or ‘whats’. It may have been that they are driven to believe that if they have the credentials, then that could transform into credible leaders.

Leaders don’t tell a better story, they make a story better .”~ Kimunya Mugo Tweet this!

Family gives a sense of leadership potential

If you dig a little deeper into a someone’s family background, the probability of determining their leadership potential becomes higher. It exposes their ability to work in a team, to be accountable for their actions or lack thereof, and be open to opinions or different cultures. You are able to appreciate his or her clarity of their roles or responsibilities.

“Superficiality is the curse of courage…the desperate need today is not for the greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people,” notes Richard Foster. Deep people care about transformational leadership. They can be trusted, are more probable to have regular open communication, and tend to have activities outside work that involve family. Team building is a common trait amongst these people.

Susan Thorn puts this very well. “I recently hired a dynamite nurse for a new Case Management Model in a journey toward a patient centered medical home delivery of care model. She does not start for several weeks but we will be having a 7 am breakfast on Friday in my attempt to do just that. Discover how we fit into her work and family. I agree on the family. I have told employers that if ‘I give 100% to my family when they need it, I will always be able to give 100% while I am here’. And I tell my staff the same. Family always comes first!”

When you can say who you are…

This I believe is the missing link in the evolution of a leader. It is that sense of self-awareness. One does not walk around trying to seek power in material things or power. Knowing who you are helps in identifying with a cause and provides an opportunity to lead. Remember, people don’t buy into what you do but why you do it…the missing link in leadership.

There are those who lead. They inspire us. We follow because we want to and not because we have to. Remember, leaders don’t tell a better story, they make a story better.

Are you bridging the missing link in your leadership evolution process? Are you looking for ‘what’ rather than ‘who’? What are you going to do different in your leadership development pursuits? Let’s keep the discussion going…

Break Out of the Leadership Comfort Zone

March 19, 2013 by Alli Polin

We all like to spend time there: the Comfort Zone. It’s the place where we are the most in control, we know our strengths, can minimize our weaknesses, it’s clear what’s coming around the corner, and we’re the experts on how to handle it masterfully.

Imagine, that before work every day, you eat the same cereal for breakfast for an entire year. You love it; it’s your absolute favorite cereal. It tastes good, it’s healthy and you know just the right amount to pour into your bowl even with your eyes closed. The funny thing is, after a while, even your favorite becomes boring. I hate to say it but maybe it’s not the cereal that’s become boring, but instead it’s you, living in a rut, that’s boring.

I may not have eaten the same breakfast cereal everyday, but my life in the Washington DC suburbs was definitely a predictable routine. It was a busy cycle of kids, work, family, friends and I was constantly on the run as I made a daily valiant effort to get it all done. In mid 2012 everything changed when I moved to the Australian Outback. Talk about leaving my comfort zone! The move enabled me to see life, work and leadership with fresh eyes.

Good news! You don’t need to be radical and move to the other side of the world to break out of your leadership comfort zone and move beyond the status quo.

Create Some Shake It Up Inspiration

It may feel awkward at first, but variation in your work “uniform” will actually give you, and your team, new energy. Put on some silly socks, a bright tie or a vibrant shirt that you love. Even small shake ups, when intentional, act as touchstones for our intention to be more open-minded, collaborative or just bring some lightness to an otherwise predictable routine.

Change Your Routine, Change Your Perspective

When we’re really stuck, the range of solutions available to us from inside of our comfort zone is limited. Instead of staying in your routine, take a walk, drive a new way home from the office, go somewhere new for your afternoon coffee or hit the gym. Focusing our attention outside of our heads and outside of our routines frequently shakes loose the inspiration we’re seeking.

Surprise Your Team

Leaders set the tone for their team and you may be unintentionally holding your team in the comfort zone with you. Meetings are the perfect opportunity to surprise the team with new approaches to facilitate group discussion, brainstorming and decision-making.

Move beyond the status report to true interaction where people step up, share ideas and are accountable for collaboration. ~ Alli Polin Tweet this!

Action a Book

There are some amazing books on leadership out there – too many to read this week or this year. For busy leaders, a great way to shift perspectives and grow their leadership wheelhouse is to read a book. However, reading and having tons of ah-has are not enough to spark change. Change happens when the ideas and approaches are put into action. Stepping outside of the comfort zone and into new skills will mean failing along the way too. Marry the failure with learning and the book has transformed from words on a page into leadership with impact.

Trade in Boring for Innovation and Adventure

Risk can be a scary word when we’re deeply entrenched in the comfort of the status quo. As a leader, why should you foster innovation if you and your organization are successful today? There are 100 companies right behind you and ready to undercut you on price for similar products and services. Clients eyes glaze over after a while when the only differentiator is price. Break out of the comfort zone and start with doing something different, not just making incremental improvements to today’s processes and products.

Create a Vision that Sparkles Like the North Star

Every leader needs to have a clear vision for what’s possible, the collective “why” for everyone’s hard work and effort. Instead of sharing a vision that is bottom-line driven only (increase revenue) create a vision that connects to both hearts and minds. How do you connect to hearts? Leave the bullet points and PowerPoint at home and tell a story. Stop hiding behind the comfort of statistics and charts! Stories are the bridge to enroll, engage and inspire people to be a part of a compelling future.

Give yourself permission to still eat your cereal, wear your favorite tie and grab a cappuccino at your favorite Starbucks; just mix it up for some extraordinary leadership results.

How has the comfort zone held you back from being an exceptional leader? When have you been pushed outside of your comfort zone and what did you discover?

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: Alli Polin, change, comfort zone, International Leadership Blogathon, Leadership, moving, outside, personal success, Status Quo, zone

Bravado Or Bravery?

March 18, 2013 by Janine Garner

Many of us only show a certain percentage of ourselves in social situations – the extent to which we are comfortable revealing our true personalities. I don’t think anyone would begrudge us this; after all, there is only so much one can share of oneself to those we don’t know very well.

But when it comes to the workplace, and giving of oneself in terms of performance – many are showing only the tip of the iceberg, and are not willing to expose the other seven-eighths of their ability and professionalism that lie beneath a slick, smooth surface.

Let bravery be thy choice, but not bravado – Menando

If someone asked you, how would you answer this question:

Are you brave in the way you do your job – or just full of bravado?

Both seem like similar concepts. They are almost identical words after all – so how could they be so different in practice?

Bravado. Being full of bluster and pretense, and false promises. The business culture of ‘I will give enough to look as though I am performing above expectations whilst secretly cruising my way to tomorrow, or next week – or my next role’.

If you have the ability to be one of the best, don’t waste it. ~ Janine Garner Tweet this!

Bravado is being content to sit on one’s hands while nodding furiously and giving every indication of leading change. It is ‘fake it while you make it’; not engaging wholly nor giving completely – despite having the ability to do so.

Bravery on the other hand is stepping not necessarily always outside the square, but along the edges of the business square. Questioning your own position and take on leadership. Constantly learning and posing new sets of challenges for oneself in terms of professional standards and goals.

Bravery is striving to be a change maker and improve the way things are done within the company, the sector, within the industry.

Bravery is reaching out to fellow leaders and those who are willing to shape policy and procedure, and give one hundred percent to drive business forward in an ethical and productive way.

Now, more than ever, the time has come within corporate to show your true colours as a leader. We are coming back to the real, to the authentic, and to the transparent. The ability to lead by example is absolutely critical to success in a market that is cynical and sick of inflated salaries – and inflated egos. So those who through fear or simple laziness are not willing to give one hundred percent of their business selves need to re-think their position.

Drop the much ‘ado’ about nothing.

And become one of the brave.

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: accountability, Blogathon, Bravery, Honesty, International Leadership Blogathon, Janine Garner, Leadership, Little Black Dress Group, Todd Nielsen, Transparency, Workplace Performance

What can zombies teach us about Leadership?

March 17, 2013 by Colleen Jolly

We create monsters that represent and reflect our culture’s prevailing fears. We then vilify those monsters by celebrating their inhumanity (even though those monsters often are or were considered human) and destruction in order to repair the perceived or potential transgression away from “normal” society. Edward Ingebretsen in his book, “At Stake: Monsters and the Rhetoric of Fear in Public Culture,” claims that “monsters serve as convenient tokens whose narratives contain trauma as well as solution; they provide easy answers to intractable problems.”

We use monsters to declare our problems by using extreme caricatures that violate the boundaries of normal society. In fact, we use those monsters—those extremes—to clearly mark out the restrictions of what a society will accept as normal. These monsters can be the stuff of horror movies, or they can be men, women, and children who have done something monstrous and so transcended society’s levels of acceptance. We are terrified of these culturally agreed to and created monsters because they are the antithesis of our society. We also need them, however, because they remind us of the limits we have implicitly agreed to abide by in order to be a part of that society. Without monsters, we literally do not know what to fear nor do we know what the acceptable social limits are within our culture and society.

Zombies are not a new cultural phenomenon. Stories of formerly dead persons living again, either under the control of someone else or otherwise completely devoid of reason, are present in histories and even some religious beliefs throughout the world. The specifics of each type of zombie, including how to become one and what happens after transforming into one, are relevant to those cultures and those time periods. Why, then, have zombies come “back to life” and reemerged into the pop culture limelight within the United States (US) and other western cultures—if not the entire world?

Modern, pop-culture zombies as seen in popular movies and television shows are driven by their basest instinct—food. Entering Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (as published in “A Theory of Human Motivation”) at the bottom of the physiological rung within a typical human’s pyramid of needs, they have no other motivation other than to feed. Zombies do not possess a need for safety, belonging, or esteem; and, with the possible exception of the movie “Warm Bodies”, no zombie shows any reflection of self-actualization.

Zombies are what our parents warned us we’d become if we watched too much television, fell prey to peer pressure, or simply subscribed to a dangerous status quo. Today, are we actually worried about the dead rising and eating the brains of the living? Most of us are not, but what we are worried about is mindless homogeny. We are worried about the loss of drive and creativity, of self-actualization, and of the ability to actively participate in life as either a leader or an active and engaged follower. We are worried about the collapse of our society through the loss of our individuality, as well as the loss of our own culturally defined humanity which has significantly more layers, needs, and complex relationships then the zombie’s which is simply “to eat.”

As a global community united by mostly westernized pop culture, we are concerned about a generation of mindlessness—or perhaps the lack of mindfulness.

We are worried about people standing by while atrocities happen, or as corporations and governments choose greed and self-interest while the multitudes suffer the negative repercussions. The fact that we currently see so many references to zombies in pop culture—often intricately related to the collapse of modern life, including the breakdown of communication, loss of safety, and scarcity of resources—means that we are very concerned about this issue. We need to wake up and shake off our zombie-like nature and be actively engaged in our lives, our businesses, and our communities.

We can no longer allow ourselves to be marginalized by our own willful ignorance, a contagion that is sweeping the world faster than any zombie-inducing virus.

What zombies teach us about leadership is that we are in desperate need of leaders and of actively engaged followers. By their nature, zombies lack the self-actualization and creativity to lead, as well as the drive to be actively devoted to following a person, movement, or idea. These monsters point out our problems, but they also describe our solutions; and it is our current cultural fascination with them that is also our call to action. We must eradicate this “virus” of mindlessness, of zombification, and become leaders in our own lives whether that is from forging our own path or becoming an adherent, a follower, of a cause we believe in. Only then can we be free of this particular monster.

We create monsters that represent and reflect our culture’s prevailing fears. ~Colleen Jolly Tweet this

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: Colleen Jolly, followers, International Leadership Blogathon, Leadership, pop culture, Todd Nielsen, zombies

Building What Matters – The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership

March 16, 2013 by Barry Smith

With 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?”

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: Barry L Smith, Building What Matters, Communication, growth, influence, International Leadership Blogathon, Leadership, personal growth, Professional Growth, vision

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

March 16, 2013 by Hampton Hopkins

The 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.

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: Approach to leadership, Hampton Hopkins, International Leadership Blogathon, Leadership

Think Consensus is Good, Think Again…

March 15, 2013 by John Thurlbeck

As 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.

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: consensus, International Leadership Blogathon, is, John Thurlbeck, Leader, Leadership, thinking, what, with, wrong

Ready or Not …It’s Going to Happen!

March 14, 2013 by Susan Bowen

It’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.

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: International Leadership Blogathon, Leadership, Leadership Elements, Succession Planning, Susan Bowen

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

March 13, 2013 by Ogwo David Emenike

The 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.

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: article, conquest, Leadership, Ogwo David Emenike, Potential, self, Self-Conquest, step, tapping, you

The Vulnerable Leader

March 12, 2013 by Lora Crestan

Leadership 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.

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: authenticity, blog, Execution, growth, International Leadership Blogathon, Leadership, Lora Crestan, personal growth, relationships, respect