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.

 

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Leadership: Do You Practice What You Preach?

March 12, 2012 by

Leadership ValuesBeing a leader is certainly not an easy job. As a leader, you have to deal with high levels of responsibility and pressure. Expectations are very high, no matter where they come from.

Take the expectations of those who you lead, for example: they expect you to motivate, inspire and guide them. They want you to be courageous, wise, fair and credible. They turn to you when no one knows what to do. They look up to you and hope you are the one who does the right thing. It may sound like a lot, but that’s what for them – justifies your high salary.

If you fulfill those expectations, chances are that the influence you exert is big. And influence is crucial in gaining your team’s willingness to coordinate their efforts towards organizational goals. As I write this article, Harvard Business Review coincidentally posts an article written by Linda A. Hill is the Wallace Brett Donham, which links trust to influence, and reinforces what I have just said. (This synchronicity scares me, by the way)

If you were a leader in the 1990’s, I’d probably present you a list of motivational and inspirational techniques to help you better influence your team. Times have changed, though. These days, your team has read the same books you’ve read (or even more!). Information has become more accessible, and workers more independent and emancipated. They know the “tricks” and don’t fall for them anymore.

Nowadays, your team looks much more at who you are and what you do. They observe how you make your decisions and pay attention to the choices you make. They judge your behavior, evaluate your performance and decide for themselves whether you deserve to be followed or not. And while they may agree with you in public, they might disagree with you once you turn your back and leave the meeting room.

If tricks don’t work in this emancipated and extremely demanding work environment anymore, what is it that makes your team follow you and dedicate their time and effort in helping you achieve your company’s organizational goals? How do you get all the vectors to point to the same direction? How on earth do you win your team’s commitment?

This is when your company’s Core Values play an important role. Core Values are, in our ever changing and demanding times, a constant which you can use to guide you in your behavior, your choices and your decisions. Core Values are the laws that rule every employee in the company, from the receptionist to the C-level executive like you.

But how exactly do Core Values help you? Here’s one example: instead of making decisions based on a pros-cons equation, try letting your options be guided by your company’s Core Values. Ask yourself which course of action complies with those Values. Or try to see which action those Values ask from you in this situation. When you finally see that your choice agrees with those Values and translates them, take it. Otherwise, leave it.

Using your company’s Core Values to guide you makes your job a lot easier. It helps you put an end to your dilemmas, prevents you from making bad choices and from letting your own personal interests play a role in your decisions. Consequently, your team sees you as a trustworthy, fair, reliable, credible and consistent person. They become more open and approachable, and more willing to cooperate.

However simple it may sound, do not be trapped by the illusion that this is easy. It’s not! Just to give you an example, imagine Respect is one of your company’s Core Values. If you choose to act accordingly, you must show Respect in everything you do and say, continuously and repeatedly – every day. Core Values are not something you set and achieve, they are something you practice.

You may even realize that you must reprimand or punish someone’s behavior if it contradicts your company’s Core Values – fire someone who has been disrespectful to his secretary, for example. You must act like a sentinel, who protects and defends your company’s Core Values, and makes sure they are practiced at all levels. So above as below.

Are you ready to be a personalization of your company’s Core Values? Are you ready to practice what you preach?

Connect with Sandro Da Silva: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Leadership Lessons from The Story of Tom Rutledge

January 13, 2012 by

LeadershipTom Rutledge is a somewhat hidden hero in the story of Charles Lindbergh’s historic non-stop flight of the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.  Tom Rutledge worked at Wright Aeronautical as an engine builder, starting in 1926. The story goes that when Tom first heard that he was assigned the task of building the engine for Charles Lindbergh he asked to be reassigned because he did not want to build an engine for someone he didn’t know.

His request was denied, and though disappointed, he proceeded to build the engine, despite his displeasure. What impressed me with his story is that he did not just quickly rush through and put it together. Instead he took as much care in the work of building the engine, that he would – had he been building it for someone he knew. His integrity and careful attention to detail produced an engine that resulted in one of the most famous airplane journey’s of all time. There is a valuable leadership lesson in this story.

The Great Leadership Lesson from Tom Rutledge

As I pondered this, I thought about how often as successful leaders, managers, or employees we find ourselves with tasks that cause us much displeasure. Do we just trudge through the unpleasant task and do a “good enough” job, or do we put forth the effort and attitude needed to make sure the task is worthy to be called our best work. Tom Rutledge taught we should perform at out best no matter what the task and no matter our oppinion of the importance of the task.

Leadership Takeaway’s From Tom Rutledge

When faced with unpleasant tasks I suggest the following ideas:

  1. If this were the last thing you were to do in this life, would you want to be remembered for doing it well or doing it poorly.
  2. Imagine a person that you highly respect, someone that you wish you were like, and imagine how they would approach the task.
  3. Make a list of all the good reasons why need to do this project well, in other words, focus on the positive.
  4. Think about the benefit that will result from you doing a good job.

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So, now that you’ve read this article, how are you going to use this information to bring greater value to your unpleasent tasks and leadership situations? What other strategies do you have for dealing with unpleasant tasks?

Please take a moment and share your ideas in the comments section below, share this with your social media friends, and subscribe to receive A Slice of Leadership notices, and occasional leadership advice, articles, tips and freebies.
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Filed Under: Leadership Attitudes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

How Hellboy Helped me be an Inspirational Leader & 5 Keys to Inspirational Communication

November 20, 2011 by

Inspirational LeaderLately I have been thinking a lot about inspirational leadership. In this world that focuses on the bad, weak, and the diminishing returns; inspirational leadership can be what separates mediocre performance from exceptional performance, poor morale from positive and productive morale.

Let’s face it, work is not always fun.  That, compounded with the grim hope that many feel in this economy, i.e. that they might never see a brighter future because of the poor performance of their organization, can cause many employees and even leaders to forget about what they are capable of.  They lose sight of their objectives and wallow in the drudgery of daily firefighting.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to an organization whose net worth had dropped a staggering 20% in the last 11 months from an already negative net worth.  Morale was low, trust in the leaders was low and there were a whole host of other problems. After significant financial and operational analysis, we called a company meeting. For hours the night before the meeting, I prepared what I was going to say.  I knew I could not “sugar coat” the problems.  The employees knew it was bad.  At the same time I did not want to point fingers or make the current management look bad.  They were talented and capable people, who just needed some direction. I felt that I needed to inspire them to look beyond the problems and see what the company was capable of.

I used to think that not every leader or manager could be inspirational; I have doubted my ability, like any other leader. I know I can write inspirational and while I have spoken many times to groups, companies or executives and inspired them to look beyond their problems, for some reason this was different too me.  It was a mixed group of people, morale was horribly low, performance was low and the stakes were higher.

The meeting turned out great.  Employees, who we previously thought were hopeless, told members of the management team at various times in the day that they were excited. The hope, that I had yearned to convey, pierced everyone’s mind and a new entity began to emerge out of the dark shroud it had been engulfed in. A line had been drawn in the sand, and everyone knew it was time to forget the past and focus on the future.

Being the process oriented person that I am, I kept thinking about this experience and other presentations I have done in the past, both inspirational and non-inspirational, to see what the keys were to creating inspirational communication.  I know there are many more qualified than I. But I figured that if I could break this down to a process, then I could be abundantly more successful in motivating others to get things done.

Well not just motivating, but inspiring.  I see motivation as getting people moving in a positive direction, I see inspiring them as getting them to move also in a positive direction, but with purpose.  Here is what I came up with that I think should be inclusive items to making one’s communication inspirational.

5 Steps to Inspirational Communication & Becoming An Inspirational Leader

1.       Genuineness
I believe in order to inspire others, you have to believe in what you are trying to convey. If you are trying to be inspirational just for the sake of making yourself look good then people will see through you.  I think genuineness is what can separate a pep talk from inspiring communication.  Being genuine is just being honest about the situation and showing your staff that you understand what is going on and that you care about it.

2.       Facts & Data
Maybe I am odd, but when explaining a situation, I always love a good fact thrown out to back-up the claim. I think that most staff members out there of most companies just have a huge distrust of management. A good fact will help drive your point home and for those not feeling the genuineness, the number will help convert them to the plan you are about to convey. Don’t go overboard on data points, 1 to 3 should be sufficient to help drive your point home.

3.       Labeling
I learned labeling many years ago and it was an eye opener to me. We generally think of labeling as negative, but it can be an amazing tool if used in a positive way. Labeling is easy, you imagine what you want, and you put that label of it on a person or persons. For example saying something like, “You guys are some of the most talented people I have had the privileged of working with; you’re loyal, dedicated, hardworking, and I know that if we can help focus all that talent, we will be <<insert goal>>, (i.e., the largest and most successful…..)”.

You can also use it to insert company qualities that might not be present, but that you want to inspire others to work for, “I can picture a company that has full benefits, generous compensation packages, and where the employees all respect each other and work together to efficiently solve any problem that comes our way.”

The idea with those two examples is to lift one’s vision out of the gutter and make people want to work toward the quality that you just described. This can be very powerful.

4.       Vulnerability
Depending on what type of presentation…. and the audience; vulnerability may be necessary to get through to those that have been severely hurt by your or your companies mismanagement.  Most experts usually preach that a leader has to be confident. I think you can be confident but still show vulnerability.  Vulnerability, when done right, puts your sacrifices and feelings about the condition on par with everyone else’s. It says to them that, we are all in this together.

5.       History and the Heart
History is full of inspiration. Giving people examples of organizations that were able to get out of similar problems or achieve similar types of goals, shows people that you’re not full of hot air and that what you are trying to convey is possible. But there is something that history can do even more, it can touch the heart.  You can see from my other points that they all involve an emotion. When people feel something in their heart, it gives them energy, focus, and the drive to perform better.  It can be a story, a quote or even a video or audio clip.

Late one evening a few days before the presentation I described at the beginning of this post, I was flipping through the channels on the TV in my hotel room.  I came across the end of the movie “Hellboy.”  I don’t watch much TV, but it grabbed my attention. In the last scene of the movie the character John Meyers in a closing narration says: “What makes a man a man? A friend of mine once wondered. Is it his origins? The way he comes to life? I don’t think so. It’s the choices he makes. Not how he starts things, but how he decides to end them.”

Call me crazy, but that was what I needed.  The group I was talking to could connect to that. I needed to draw a symbolic line in the sand. A line that signified that the past was the past, that the ways of the past were the past, and that we were crossing this line into a new future. That quote from a crazy movie helped to strike the emotion I needed to touch.

History and media is full of inspirational tidbits of information to back any principle that you need to drive into the hearts of your listeners.

6.       Structure & Direction
Those that know me know I am a huge proponent of structure in many forms.  I believe you must have it in order to produce scalability, change and ultimately, profitability. In this instance of inspirational communication in leadership, what I mean is that there has to be some kind of plan. Fancy words, genuineness and an emotional touching story will only get you so far.

You don’t have to have all the answers, but you need to have the beginnings of a plan, even if those beginnings are to figure out the plan. For me this “plan” was nothing more than some scribbles on a small whiteboard that showed how the organization was going to start the process of fixing things.  I also explained what the staff should expect. I did not sugar-coat anything and told them it was not going to be easy.

In the end the staff knew what was expected, they knew how things were going to change, what their organization could achieve, and they had a reason burned in their hearts on why they needed to act.  Inspirational communication is not something that only needs to be used in a turnaround situation.  It can be used to take motivation to the next level, it can be used to bring about greater execution, it can be used to improve morale and turn hidden ‘A Players’ into real ones. Lastly, it will turn you into a more effective leader.

Filed Under: Inspirational Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Never Underestimate The Lowly Peasant In Front Of You

October 10, 2011 by

I was at a couple conferences recently and a familiar topic came to mind, that is the value of those you network with.  The reason why this topic stuck with me because I had an interesting conversation with the CEO of an association that serves the IT industry.  There was an exclusive party for technology vendors and sponsors at this conference. I was invited by one of the technology vendors.  I was just a guy that had recently resigned and was looking for other opportunities.  I guess to the lay person, I was an unemployed nobody.  As with any party, I circled the room and talked with people about what they did and what companies they were from.  I met some fascinating people.

During the party, I ran into the CEO of the association that was putting on the conference. I congratulated him on the event and engaged in small talk. He then asked who I was and who I was with. When I explained that I was not with anyone and that I had recently resigned and was looking for other opportunities, he kind of shook his head, chewed some food and non-chalently turned around and started talking with someone else.  I stood there in in awe at this experience.

I don’t consider myself prideful, but later I thought to myself. Does he realize I run the largest IT operations oriented peer group with CEO’s from 3 continents? Does he realize I have almost 10,000 social media connections, of which at least two-thirds, work in the IT industry?  Does he realize that I write guest articles for an IT Industry Channel blog that is read by thousands of IT executives? Does he realize I have been asked to speak at several IT industry events in the coming year that will be attended by thousands of IT executives? Does he realize I have a book that will be published soon by a major publisher? Does he realize I was invited by one of the vendors paying him money to be there?

No, my head is not getting big. I guess to the lay person, I am an unemployed nobody. But who knows where I will be in a few years and what kind of influence, good or bad, that I could have on his association. I have often heard people say that they only connect with fellow peers of equal or greater position. I always respond that I connect with just about everyone (I have a few moral exceptions).  I tell them, that I will connect with people from other industries, because someday the IT industry could drastically change(i.e. Cloud Computing).  I explain that I will connect with an entry-level technician, or customer service rep., because one day I may need to hire one, and one day that person might be CEO of their own company. I will connect with an artist, because I might need one (I have), or any just about any other person, because you never know who they know. Perhaps they are the son of a Board member that will make a decision about having me come into the company.

The point I am trying to make goes back to the golden rule.  Treat others as you would like to be treated. Treat others with respect and interest, because you never know when you may need their help or when another might help you for no other reason than, they can. 

Filed Under: Networking Leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Are You a Leader When No One is Watching?

September 30, 2011 by

I am in Las Vegas for a couple days attending a conference.  I do not visit Las Vegas very often, so it is always eye-catching to see the magnificence of the architecture and how technology seeps from every crevice of the city, especially in contrast to what many of the buildings represent.  The day in the conference center was filled with lots of great content.  I was a little slow leaving after it ended, from talking to people and answering some emails.

To exit the conference center to get to the hotel entrance one must walk a long corridor that leads into the middle of the Casino.  As I walked out of the corridor and made my way to the entrance I witnessed many of my colleagues attending to the festivities of the Casino.  Some of the same individuals that were calm, focused, and studious during the conference, were now zombies in front of a slot-machine. Some were already partying, drinking and gawking at the dancing girls overhead.  As I looked at this, a thought popped into my head. The thought was, “Are you a leader, when no one is watching?”

I am not making a statement about those activities.  I believe everyone has the freedom to do what they want, within reason. I do believe that too much of anything can be bad. In Las Vegas like many other cities, especially for a traveling businessman, it can be easy to get “lost”. There are infinite places that one could go to and no one would probably ever know. If what I was seeing was occurring only 30 minutes after the conference, I wondered what was in store for later in the night. I also wondered what colleagues had disappeared and gotten “lost”.

I thought about what a leader is and the thought popped into my mind, being a manager is a job, being a leader is a calling.  I know people who have been fired for activities at conferences. I know colleagues who lost some respect because of their lack of control at conferences. I have avoided purchasing from certain vendors and partnering with certain companies, because of what I have seen at late night activities. But what about numero uno, you? Are you ok with entering into a dimly lit area and participating in activities that you would not want your significant other to see? Or in activities you woudl not want your staff see?

As the night continued, I went and had sushi with a group of colleagues and vendors.  Yes they were drinking, but they were in control (well most were 🙂 ).  We had a lot of fun and I learned from my colleagues and built deeper relationships. I am not sure what happened after I left, but I am glad to know that there were others that exhibited control.
 
Those leadership lists that I hate so much came to mind and I thought that maybe they could be used in this situation.  It is the concepts of values and priorities in life. I think they should apply all the time, not only when you chose. If you value trust in your company, I think it would serve well to ask if the activity you are about to participate in will create or destroy trust in others.

In the morning, as the first keynote speech started at 7:15 am, I looked around and beheld that the room was barely 1/4th full.  In fact I could have probably stood up and counted everyone in a few minutes.  The sea of empty chairs seemed to be a sign of the previous night’s activities

Remember being a manager is a job, being a leader is a calling.

Filed Under: Leading At All Times Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Breeding Enemies with Success + Humility in Leadership

September 24, 2011 by

It is said by some that there must be balance in all things.  Good versus Bad, Positive versus Negative, Light versus Dark.  I have come to ponder this recently.  I would like balance in life…like anyone. An 80 hour work week followed by 80 hours of fun and play would be awesome. Unfortunately the world does not work like that and I personally believe that balance is a myth for the most part.  (But that is another story)

In the last 6 months I have become increasingly aware of persons that were previously colleagues or friends, perform actions that undermine my success. This idea of balance came to mind and it has troubled me greatly. I recently spoke with a friend who is the CEO of a $65 million dollar company. I asked him if he had found this to be true.  He affirmed that it is has absolutely been true for him. We shared stories on the subject for a bit.  It was refreshing that I was not alone in this, but disheartening to think of the future. 

I have made lots of mistakes over the years and I know I will make more. Those mistakes have taught me great lessons.  Lessons that I believe have helped contribute to some of my success.  I do not claim to be a successful person.  I look at what I have done alongside so many other capable people and I feel quite small. So I wonder to myself, if the little success that has followed me can bring such an opposing force, what will the future bring?

I am not usually a fan of the lists of leadership qualities. You have all seen them.  “The XX Leadership Qualities Essential to Success”. Just input your favorite number and you will find a list on the Internet. I think they have their purpose, but there are successful leaders out there that run the whole gamut of good and bad on these lists. The one quality though I am not sure I have ever read in these lists for a successful leader is humility. Let me explain:

Having some humbleness in a leader would:

  • Prevent one from spreading false rumors
  • Prevent one from saying things that make them appear more powerful, such as supposedly being privy to something that others do not know
  • Help one to recognize the good in others
  • Help one to downplay the bad in others, because they know they have many weaknesses and made similar mistakes.
  • Prevent one from putting blame on others because they are no longer in the same circle of success
  • Prompt one to help others who have made similar mistakes you have
  • Prevent one from taking joy or benefiting in any way from another’s misfortune

Humbleness does not mean one is melancholy. Some of the definitions of humbleness include: being conscious of one’s failings, not being arrogant, being courteous, and being respectful.

The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “You may have enemies whom you hate, but not enemies whom you despise. You must be proud of your enemy: then the success of your enemy shall be your success too.”

I hope that as leaders we can express some form of humbleness, not seek the misfortune of others and I hope that we can all make friends of our enemies.  

I would love to hear your thoughts, stories and comments on this subject below and if you like this message, please share on the social media channels.

Cheers to your success!

Filed Under: Breeding Enemies with Success, Humility in Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,