LeaderLine

We Need More Contextual Intelligence Please!

   Anthony Mayo, author of Their Time: The Great Business Leaders of the 20th Century, shares an for our times: "We discovered that people who were successful over a long period of time were contextually intelligent. They understood the context of their time, how to grow a business, find a new market opportunity and see some possibility others thought was doormat or dying."

   In our challenging economic times, it’s too easy to focus on business that isn’t there. When it looks like there are no opportunities, it’s time to look in a different direction or to refocus with fresh eyes. Contextual intelligence suggests that today’s treasure maps must change to adjust to the economic and political context in order to have any hope of finding any treasure.

   What organizations do well when others are not?  What forces are in play that you can ride instead of fight?

   A young teenager was tired of going from establishment to establishment and hearing the same message—“We’re not hiring right now.” He knew he wasn’t alone, but it didn’t make the search for a summer job any easier. Spotting a hand-written sign in one window reading “Not Hiring,” he realized how many managers were just as tired of answering the question as he was in asking it.

   On his way home, he passed a sign shop. He stopped, smiled and made a bulk purchase. From that day forward, he had two goals as he entered every establishment—get a job or sell a sign that read “Not Hiring.” In fact, he might well have added a follow-up message—“Now, that you know the innovation I can bring to my work, would you like to reconsider hiring me?”

   What opportunities are you missing where you can add value that fits the times?

(Source: Anthony Mayo, author of Their Time: The Great Business Leaders of the 20th Century, Harvard Business School, 2005, quoted in  Brendan Coffey, "Leadership Quotient," Executive Travel, May/June, 2007, pp. 42-48.)

Turn Difficulties into Opportunities

In honor of Obama's election, I thought I'd quote another Democrat, President Harry Truman: "A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties."

So much of life is perspective. What you see in life's challenges has an impact on one's focus and choices.

Pessimists complain about how bad things are and how few options they have. They don't want to know more about the challenges they face, because they don’t believe they can overcome them. They settle for worry, not action. Failure to make choices doesn't prevent failure; it just turns life into slow death.

Optimists keep looking at problems from different angles until promising openings become visible. They don't wait for things to happen to them; they make things happen. As a leader, don’t get lost in operations, to-do-lists and emails like this one! Instead, invest the first hour of your day thinking about strategic opportunities and moving them forward. Don't get stuck in surviving when what you really want to do is thrive. What cards in your bad hand might provide a stepping stone to success? When you reposition and retool to meet the challenges you now face, you're more likely to find ways to turn your difficulties into opportunities.

Cultivate a commitment to action for your team…starting with yourself.

(Source: Harry Truman quoted in Michael Aun, info@aunline.com, "It Sure Is Hell to Be President" Nov. 6, 2008)

Actively Regaining Trust When You've Lost it!

Brian Thompson, from the Museum of American Financial History, reminds us of a painful reality:  “Wall Street is predicated on optimism. The very acts of raising capital and making investments are based on the simple belief that tomorrow will be a better day. That’s what makes economic growth and opportunity possible.”

More than losing money on Wall Street, the very institutions that drive our capital investment have lost something far more valuable than money. They’ve lost the trust of investors. Trust is fragile; it takes years to earn and just moments to lose. The investment vehicles created by financial institutions were designed to make amazing amounts of money for their institutions, confuse investors as to the value of what they are buying, and sustain the “good times” for as long as they could.

Now, the very optimism that causes people to invest has been lost sending the stock market into wild swings and continuing losses. Washington can provide only part of the answer. Businesses must do their part to gain back trust by working to establish needed reforms and regulatory oversight. Don’t wait for Washington to impose change; get involved in inviting change. 

There are lessons to be learned about gaining trust after it has been lost. In order to accelerate the process, continually make people aware of your trustworthy actions. Lack of trust must be actively turned around. Build a rapid history of promising and delivering on your promises by letting people know what you’re going to do, and then quickly doing it. When they repeatedly take notice of your actions, you rapidly build a new and growing trust account.

Don’t hide from workers and customers in the tough times; be a problem solver instead of a problem evader. When people see you actively facing the problems and doing what you can to produce solutions, they’ll appreciate your taking responsibility and doing what you can to turn things around. 

A Time for Stories of Hope and Resilience!

    Bran Ferren, a technologist, entrepreneur and former Walt Disney Co. executive, reminds us: "I've never seen a great military, political or corporate leader who was not a great storyteller. Telling stories is a core competency in business, although it's one we do not pay enough attention to."

    Last week will go down in history as a time where fear took hold of world markets. Leaders felt compelled to come up with answers they didn't have. Average citizens and workers watched like deers staring into headlights, seemingly powerless to make sense of or to act in the face of the collapse of their pension and investment funds.

    Instead of pretending to have simple answers, the best leaders provide a perspective that uses past successes in overcoming economic challenges to ensure their people that they will be able to bounce back again.

    Many current workers have never had to weather difficult economic times. What legacy stories from your organization can you use to rally the hopes and the resolve of your team today? Start your next meeting with a familiar lead, "Let me tell you a story about the time our company...."

    At this time of political tension, we, as Americans, need to be aware of a daily choice: panic and inaction or trust and constructive action. You may want to view my first video-post on YouTube as I challenge Americans of both parties to trade their worry for constructive action--"America's Choice: Trust or Panic"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6DW1PC5GVo).

    How could you create your own message to motivate your own team?   

(Source: Bran Ferren, INC, October 2000, p. 13. "Highlights from the Inc. 500 conference.")

Finding the Opportunities!

Albert Einstein had a way of making wisdom simple: "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

All eyes are on Washington and Wall Street as we follow the "As the Financial World Turns" soap opera unfolding before our very eyes. Learned helplessness is described as the "giving up" response that comes from the belief that there's nothing one can do to influence one's outcome--we wait powerless hoping for experts to fix the problem or tell us what to do!

Inaction and powerlessness produce predictable results--nothing good! Invest your worry time in looking for opportunities that surface in the midst of difficult times.

Do something! Adjust your response as needed, but keep moving. What customers do well in poor economies? How can I add value to their efforts?

If you have available team members with time on their hands, challenge them to invest their time in accelerating progress in developing your next wave of innovation. When the economy turns, you'll be ready to lead the way.

Not only will such a strategy produce sustained results; you’ll help rally the morale of others by helping them stay focused on making a difference.

(Source: Albert Einstein in Carolyn Masters, Masters of Motivation card pack, Masters Resource Group, 602-297-6674)

Success Shared Is Best

Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO, made an observation worth sharing, “Success is best when it is shared. You will be left with an empty feeling if you hit the finish line alone.”

In difficult times, organizations are tested. How organizations deal with decreased revenue and missing their quarterly plans can say a lot about whether their actions match the often quoted value—“Putting our people first.” If your people are your most important resource, it ought to show in the tough times.

Are companies more worried about paying top executive bonuses for making “tough” downsizing decisions or are they more committed to spread resources in a way to keep those “most important resources” to be ready for any economic upturn. Do you put your budgets where your printed values are or do your true values show?

In difficult times, the obscene sums of money paid to top executives, even when laid off for poor performance, makes the shared team victory mere words. This is not to say that some poor performers ought not to lose their jobs, but that should have been done for performance not as an economic strategy. Leaders question worker loyalty. Loyalty is earned by shared victories and shared support in the tough times. Are you going to bat for your team? Look for strategies to invest spare resources into emerging opportunities that you can ride when the economy improves. Earn the trust and the commitment you want from your people; they truly are your best resource.

What do you think?

(Source: Howard Schultz, Success, April/May, 2008, p. 24)

Revealing Gifts Is What Leadership Is About

British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli said, “The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.”

Far too many would-be leaders try to impress others with how much they know in an attempt to earn respect. True respect is earned from an inner strength that allows leaders to be less concerned about impressing others and more concerned about finding and building on the gifts of those they lead. The best leaders don’t even attempt to play all the instruments; they orchestrate the gifts of their team in a soaring symphony of excellence.

The leaders you remember the most are those who believed in you before you believed in yourself. They gave you significant responsibility and empowered you to make a difference. They gave you the credit and were ready to take the blame when mistakes occurred. This week, as we celebrate Labor Day, let us acknowledge the gifts of those who serve us. What ‘riches” do you need to acknowledge this week? Holidays are wonderful, but a compliment from a leader you respect can be appreciated for a lifetime.

What do you think?

(Source: British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, in Mark Sanborn, You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader, Waterbrook Press, Colorado Springs, CO, 2006, p. 54)

Taking Time for Voluntary Appreciations!

John Mackey, Whole Foods CEO, has worked to build a positive culture at Whole Foods: “People nurse petty grievances in day-to-day life. That’s why we’ve been ending meetings with voluntary appreciations for 20 years. It’s a chance for people to say nice things about one another, and the appreciations tend to break down barriers.”

Complaining often seems to be the topic of choice in a world preoccupied with problems, disasters and gossip. When in pain, find someone or something to blame. But don't stop there! Complaining can help you spread that pain around to all you meet. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, it's all too easy to extend that focus to our own day. We focus on our mistakes or what we failed to get done instead of the work completed.

Building a habit of ending a meeting with shared statements of appreciation, may seem forced, but it works in building a habit worth continuing. Don't expect a torrent of compliments the first time you try this. After all, most statements of appreciation come at "going away" parties or at testimonials when people die thus ensuring very little impact on your team’s productivity!

Some will think it's corny and refuse to participate. Stick with it. Focusing on what's working and taking the time to acknowledge it pays off in higher motivation and job satisfaction. Keep the compliments specific and don't forget to spread the word. Be known for your “positive gossip!” With volunteer appreciation on your meeting agenda, you'll have all the material you need to “positively gossip” your way to a strong culture of pride. Add it to your agenda this week and watch it make a difference for your team.

What do you think?

(Source: John Mackey, Whole Foods CEO, Spirit, p. 40, June, 2008)

As Simple as Possible But No Simpler

Albert Einstein shared an important truth: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

To be truly meaningful, finding simplicity is hard work. The pursuit of wisdom requires a simple premise worth addressing, the discipline to look deeply to understand the complexity involved, and the gift to return from study with a simple statement that is accurate, memorable and clear.

As a columnist, the struggle to get from 1,000 words to 750 is always a challenge. What can be left out? What succinctly communicates your point? What examples or quotes provide needed windows to understanding?

As a speaker, talking for a couple of hours is easier than 45 minutes. The more experience you have the easier it is to be distracted by tangents. The older I get the more everything I say can remind me of something else. But it is focus, simplicity and clarity that matter most.

Einstein's challenge to be as simple as possible but no more, should challenge all of us. Make good use of your words, your meetings and your time. Bring discipline to your thinking and communicating and watch it make a difference.

What do you think?

(Source: Albert Einstein, http://www.heartquotes.net/Einstein.html)

Practice Makes Permanent

Dave Pelz, golf coach to Phil Mickelson, reminds us of an important truth: “Having the right device but using it incorrectly is worse than no practice. Practice does not make perfect; practice makes permanent. And if you practice as poorly as most golfers do, then you will be a permanent bad golfer.”

David Pelz must have been watching my golf swing! I don’t need more time at the driving range. I need to do some unlearning! I need to start fresh with a coach who could guide me to correct movements worth practicing.

In a never-ending time-crunch, it’s far too easy to learn enough to get things done instead of learning what could be done if you invested time to learn it right from the beginning. As a result, we underuse our software programs. Instead of expanding our repertoire of options, we find a way to do what we’ve always done using the new system. We aren’t learning; we’re setting the stage to be permanently ineffective.

Where do you need to start from the beginning by breaking established habits and taking your performance to a new, higher level? What kind of coach do you need? Habits are great strengths and inviting traps; work this week to changing your habits where they can make the biggest difference to you and your organization.

(Source: Dave Pelz, coach to Phil Mickelson, quoted in Timothy J. Carroll, “Gadget Golfer”, WSJ, April 7, 2008, p. R1.)