Leadership Trends and Realities

Improve Our Leadership: What We Can Learn from Parenting

Jonena Relth, TBD Consulting

If you want your children to become model citizens, focus on developing their sharing skills.

If you want your company to excel, focus on developing your leaders' collaboration skills.

Being a bottom-line kinda gal, I'm always interested in studies that focus on the "Why" behind the best managed companies. It is common knowledge that exemplary leadership is vital to a company's bottom line.  And it's no coincidence that over a 10-year period, the top 20 US companies that focused on leadership development, as ranked by Hay Group, outperformed the S&P 500 at twice the rate as other companies. Learn about the 2011 study.  

Here are some thoughts that have been rolling around in my head this past holiday weekend as I babysat my 3-year-old granddaughter. She's taught me that being a successful Parent, Grandparent and Corporate Leader have a lot of similarities - paramount of which experience is the best teacher!

My list, of course, only touches a minimum of parenting and leadership behaviors that, when practiced, will help grow positive citizens and exemplary leaders. Hopefully they should get our thinking caps "churning." 

Parenting			Leadership
Toddler	Nurture Model sharing behavior Instruct sharing behavior Allow child to make choices Reward positive sharing		Prospective Leader	Mentor & Coach Require training Model decision making that includes collaboration and creativity Encourage collaboration and creativity
School Age	Nurture Model sharing Encourage & guide  friendship building Encourage child to make choices Guide decisions Reward positive  friendship building		Supervisor	Mentor & Coach Require training Model decision making that includes collaboration and creativity Encourage and reward  decision making that includes collaboration and creativity
Adolescent	Model sharing behavior Reward positive  friendship building Encourage child to make choices Encourage decision making Encourage Reward sharing		New Leader	Mentor & Coach Require training Model decision making that includes collaboration and creativity Encourage and reward  decision making that includes collaboration and creativity
Young Adult	Mentor Share in successes and  failures		Mid-level Leader	Mentor & Coach Require training Reward decision making that includes collaboration and creativity
Adult	Step back and only Mentor if requested Share in successes and failures if requested		Sr. Leader	Reward leaders who Mentor, Coach and Train other leaders in  decision making that includes collaboration and creativity Encourage continuous learning Share in successes and failures if requested

A household runs smoother when everyone is collaborating, and the same goes for business.  Collaboration is the glue that keeps us working towards the same goals.  Creativity is the icing on the cake that acts like a beacon calling out to our customers that we can help them solve their issues.  If we help each other, whether it is family, friends, colleagues or customers, we are making the US a better place to live and work.

TBD Consulting has a 20-year, proven track record for ensuring employee performance improvement which translates to employee performance success. Whether you need help developing an in-house training organization or simply need "extra hands" to meet your deadlines or ROI goals, please contact Jonena. She and her qualified staff are here to assist you with your organizational development, coaching and training initiatives.

Corporate Office 602-263-1961. Email Jonena today!

 

 

Leaders Create Meaning

Robert Whipple, LeaderGrow.com

Too many people go to work each day in a zombie-like state where they go through the motions all day and try to stay out of trouble with the boss. Work life is a meaningless array of busywork foisted upon them by the clueless morons who run the place. They hate the environment and intensely dislike their co-workers. Their suffering is tolerated only because there is no viable option for them to survive.  What a pity that anyone would spend even a single day on this earth in such a hopeless atmosphere. 

We can fault the individuals who allow themselves to be trapped in this way, but I believe the environment created by leaders has a great deal to do with this malaise. Reason: if you put these same individuals in an environment of trust and challenge, nearly all of them would quickly rise up to become happy and productive workers. It is essential that each individual in the workforce find real meaning in the work being done, and the responsibility is on leaders to make that happen.

Some good research into this conundrum was presented by Viktor Frankl a half century ago in his famous book, Man's Search for Meaning. Frankl posits that it "is a peculiarity of man that he must have something significant yet to do in his life, for that is what gives meaning to life."  He discovered this universally human trait while surviving the most horrible of life conditions in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. One cannot imagine a more oppressive environment, but believe it or not, many people at work feel like they are in a kind of concentration camp. The antidote is for leaders to create something significant yet to do.

Dave and Wendy Ulrich, co-authors of The Why of Work put it this way: "In organizations, meaning and abundance are more about what we do with what we have than about what we have to begin with."  They point out that workers are, in some ways, like volunteers who can choose where they allocate their time and energy.  For their own peace and health, it is imperative that workers feel connected to the meaning of their work.

What can leaders do to ensure the maximum number of people have a sense of purpose and meaning in their work?  Here are a dozen ideas that can help.

1. Create a positive vision of the future. Vision is critical because without it people see no sense of direction for their work.  If we have a common goal, then it is possible to actually get excited about the future.
2. Generate trust. Trust is the glue that holds people together in a framework of positive purpose.  Without trust, we are just playing games with each other hoping to get through the day unscathed. The most significant way leaders help create trust is by rewarding candor, which is accomplished by not punishing people for speaking their truth.
3. Build morale the right way. This means not trying to motivate people by adding hygiene factors like picnics, bonuses, or hat days.  Motivate people by treating them with respect and giving them autonomy. Leaders do not motivate people, rather they create the environment where people decide whether to become motivated.  This sounds like doubletalk, but it is a powerful message most leaders do not understand.
4. Recognize and celebrate excellence. Reinforcement is the most powerful tool leaders have for changing behavior.  Leaders need to learn how to reinforce well and avoid the mine-field of reinforcement mistakes that are easy to make.
5. Treat people right. In most cases focusing on the Golden Rule works well. In some extreme cases the Golden Rule will not be wise because not all individuals want to be treated the same way.  Use of the Platinum Rule (Treat others the way they would like to be treated) is helpful as long as it is not taken to a literal extreme.
6. Communicate more and better.  People have an unquenchable thirst for information. Lack of communication is the most often mentioned grievance in any organization. Get some good training on how to communicate in all modes and practice all the time.
7. Unleash maximum discretionary effort in people. People give effort to the organization out of choice, not out of duty.  Understand what drives individuals to make a contribution and be sure to provide that element daily. Do not try to apply the same techniques to all individuals or all situations.
8. Have high ethical and moral standards. Operate from a set of values and make sure people know why those values are important. Leaders need to always live their values.
9. Lead change well.  Change processes are in play in every organization daily, yet most leaders are poor at managing change.  Study the techniques of successful change so people do not become confused and disoriented.
10. Challenge people and set high expectations. People will rise to a challenge if it is properly presented and managed. Challenged individuals are people who have found meaning in their work.
11. Operate with high Emotional Intelligence.  The ability to work well with people, upward, sideways, and downward allows things to work smoothly. Without Emotional Intelligence, leaders do not have the ability to transform intentions into meaning within people.
12. Build High Performing Teams. A sense of purpose is enhanced if there is a kind of peer pressure brought on by good teamwork. Foster great togetherness of teams so people will relate to their tasks instinctively.

This is a substantial list of items, but most of them are common sense. Unfortunately they are not common practice in most organizations. If you want to have people rise to their level of potential, they must all have a sense of meaning. To accomplish that, focus on the above items, and see a remarkable transformation in your organization. 

Robert Whipple is CEO of Leadergrow, Inc. an organization dedicated to growing leaders. He can be reached at bwhipple@leadergrow.com  Website www.leadergrow.com   BLOG www.thetrustambassador.com He is author of the following books: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals,  Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.

What Does Leadership Look Like Today

Michelle Braden, CEO of MSBCoach

In the past leadership was about command and control… remember “Atlas Shrugged”?

Today leadership looks much different. It begins with knowing yourself as a person as well as a leader (these two things should go hand in hand and be the same). An effective leader is aware that they have to understand themselves before they can understand others. Today’s leader takes self-awareness and learns to value and respect their own strengths as well as their weaknesses. Once a leader goes through this process for themselves, they can transfer this learning to others. In order for today’s leader to be effective, they have to value and respect people that are different from them. They appreciate what is learned from others and the gift it brings to the organization.

The “old school” of leadership may have been “control and command” but the truth is the only time the “control and command” style of leadership is effective is when we are in crisis. For example, the building is burning down and we need a leader to say, “Go this way and let’s get out and be safe”. Crisis leadership is sometimes necessary and is not the time for sharing ideas and collaborating on what to do next; however, this is not a style to use on a regular basis. People have always been able to think for themselves, even in the days when the “control and command” style of leadership was the only style valued. We “dumb down” our people if we are telling them everything to do… how to do it… solving all of their problems for them. We need to allow them to critically think, make mistakes, correct their mistakes, grow and move forward. It is the leader’s responsibility to make a safe and confident culture where sharing, learning and growth take place. This is what today’s leader does whether they are leading a Fortune 500 company or a small family business.

What have you found that works in your leadership? I would love to hear from you.

Michelle Braden is the CEO of MSBCoach, an ICF certified business. Michelle is an ICF certified coach and received her Advanced Human Behavior Certification and Wellness Coaching certification from the Leadership Institute of America. She is an advanced certified associate of Emergenetics, Int. and advanced trainer for DiSC. She has written two leadership training manuals for The Church of God International and is a freelance writer for Thought Leaders Blog, Lead Change Blog, Leadership Courseware Blog, The Business Networker, and Forward/Adelante magazine. She also serves as adjunct faculty at PVCC.

Empowerment is Bunk

Dana Theus, Principal,
Magus Consulting

How many years of Women’s Empowerment and Employee Empowerment have we lived through? How many of us have opted out in the brain drain, tired of waiting to be really empowered and seeking something more – autonomous?

This question captivated me when I started InPower Coaching last year. In my experience and the experience of the powerful leaders I know and work with, success is not derived from the external power we’re given, but from the power we bring out of ourselves to amplify it into real world results.

Imagine my excitement when I found this video by Daniel Pink, author of Drive (and other amazing books that will blow your mind if you haven’t read them), distinguishing empowerment from autonomy.

Empowerment is a sham

Daniel declares boldly that “empowerment is a sham” and “flexibility” is something employers allow to demonstrate that “we’re slightly less maniacally controlling than we were before.” He believes that both empowerment and flexibility reflect “a mistaken view of who has the power.” He believes employers should be thanking us for showing up at work every day!

Daniel is advocating that leaders work with the human urge for self-direction and that we manage our staffs with autonomy, which requires us all to develop our internal – inpowerment – resources more intentionally. As he explains, this gives the whole idea of work-life balance a new spin too, and makes the move towards “work-life blend” more productive and rational. (For more on work-life baloney, read my earlier thoughts).

InPowering Career Coaching Tips

We all have two ways of looking at any advice like this, as leaders and as employees (unless we’re entrepreneurs, in which case it’s good to think about new ways of motivating clients). So here’s how to approach adapting autonomy into your leadership skill set.

As leaders: How can you work with your employee’s desire for autonomy and still deliver results? Each staff member will be a little different so getting in tune with each of them is a good start, but the fundamental secret is to refine your skill at describing what success looks like so clearly that they can see it and want it themselves. Give them the opportunity to contribute to that vision of success and you’ve got them bought-in. Then set them free and let them know what resources (including your time and energy) they can call on and when you need their answer. Encourage their creativity, and be sure to follow up at the due date. Hold them accountable. Some people might find this uncomfortable, but your highest performers will find it exhilarating and the rest will grow from the discomfort. Test the waters and start with small things if this seems out of character for you or them.

As employees: I can see those of you working for a controlling boss rolling your eyes and thinking I’m dreaming. But my advice to you is the same as it is to everyone else – ask for autonomy. This ask doesn’t sound like, “boss, can I go off on my own for a few weeks? See ya!” at which time you’ll get a skeptical look. It sounds like, “Hey boss! What does success on this project look like for you? How will you know we’ve made it?” Get them talking and when you can see it very clearly, say, “I’ve got an idea! Let me run with it for a few hours/days/weeks. I’ll get back to you no later than (insert specific date/time here).” And then go do it and be sure to follow up on or before that date/time. If you demonstrate that you make good use of autonomy, you can earn more of it from anyone.

In either of these scenarios, you’re getting to a point where you can see success and sharing that intention with others who want that success too. Then you’re trusting yours – or others’ – abilities to make significant progress in a self-directed fashion. In setting your intention so clearly, specific to a date/time, and delivering on your promises of accountability, you are training yourself and others you work with – above, below or alongside you – to manage autonomously.

Start with tasks appropriate to the situation, experience and skill level of those doing the work, but start. And if you’re the one doing the work, once you have the feel of how to make the best use of autonomy and have built the trust with your boss, stretch yourself and see how much you can do! Whatever you do, don’t let a failure or setback convince you that autonomy is not a powerful management tool. Adjust, revise and repeat. This is how the world gets better.

Photo Credit: Kim Seng