Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Leadership In Action & Leadership Inaction
Over the course of the last month, I have been personal witness to the affects and effects of Leadership In Action and also Leadership Inaction. It reminded me of the truism that everything has consequences, some intended and some unintended, but nonetheless consequences. As leaders in any capacity, we have to think through the full range of consequences of our action as well as our inaction.
This also reminds me of the appreciative leadership strategy of acting and leading with full Integrity. Integrity is defined as “Putting the values and interests of the whole organization first.” Integrity is about the leaders, as well as the members of the group, making decisions and acting in ways that are both truly aligned with the values of the group and focused on what is best for the whole. This is about personal integrity, but also about group integrity. You know it: you have seen it and you have felt it when people put the interests of the whole ahead of their own interests. Appreciative Leadership is truly about integrity.
In more than one instance in the past couple of weeks, I have witnessed first hand the affects and effects of leaders who did not act or lead from a position of full integrity. That is not to say they were dishonest or intentionally harmful for their organization. They are good and honest people, they care about their employees and organizations, yet they appear to have taken some short-term views and avoided taking actions that were in the overall best interest of their organizations. In each of these cases, the leader’s inaction has lead to similar outcomes. Each organization has lost good people through the inaction of their leaders. One organization in now dealing with laying people off, and at the same time, reorganizing their remaining people and processes to recuperate from high debt load caused by the inaction of the most senior leader over a number of years. In this case, as in so many, the effects of inaction are revealed most clearly after a change of leadership. Another organization is seeing a constant turnover of key staff at the mid-level. The departing stories of a majority of key mid-level individuals clearly indicate senior leadership inaction and their not leading with full integrity.
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Thursday, October 14, 2010
Appreciative Leadership - Five Core Strategies - check out the new blog post at: http://capconsult.blogspot.com
Appreciative Leadership - Five Core Strategies
I recently attended an intensive four-day Appreciative Leadership Development Program©, which is one of many programs/workshops developed and delivered by the Corporation for Positive Change (http://www.positivechange.org/). This program provided many insights and perspectives on leadership. It truly challenges some of the “conventional” or “historical” leadership models and offers a new paradigm for leadership as our work structures and demographics change. Appreciative Leadership is directly linked to a growing and maturing body of work known as Appreciative Inquiry, which David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and countless others have been working on for over twenty years.
There is no way for me to describe all the facets of Appreciative Leadership in this short article; however, I would like to describe five key strategies which are referred to as the Five “I’s” of Appreciative Leadership*. As I describe them, I hope you begin to get a flavor of how this approach to leadership is both different and perhaps similar to strategies that you may have been employing in your own leadership situation.
Inquiry – Asking positively powerful questions. The very way we ask questions tells our audience something about what we are expecting. Appreciative Leaders ask intentionally positive and powerful open-ended questions. These questions set a tone, and invite thought and dialogue. If we ask positive questions, we tend to get positive answers and ideas. When we ask negative questions…. you can finish this sentence. Some simple examples of positive questions might be: “What might we do to increase our revenue by 20% over the next year?” or “How could we improve our processes to reduce cost and increase customer service at the same time?” Note these questions are focused on increasing and improvement, not on “what’s wrong with how things are done now.”
Illumination – Bringing out the best of people and situations. Illumination is about getting people to share stories from their past experiences when they were “at their best.” It literally does not matter what the situation was; just get people to share their stories and then listen intently to discover what it was that enabled them to be their best. As they share their stories, ask clarifying questions to draw out more details and you will discover the strengths of individuals. Share the identified strengths to the individuals telling their stories and you both will see the storyteller’s positive core emerge.
Inclusion – Engaging everyone. When you combine the strengths of individuals, you find the collective strengths of an organization and you begin to get collective ideas about what the future can be! Engage with others to coauthor – to “co-create” the future that you all collectively want. You can imagine how this might be done in an organization, department, or work team. It is also possible to use these first three strategies to bring people together around a new venture, or even to assist you in defining your personal dreams and goals that other people might be involved in.
Inspiration – Awakening the creative spirit within individuals, and also within groups/teams. You inspire people when you ask positively powerful questions, and you bring out the best in people by getting them to tell their stories. When you include people in coauthoring the future that is desired, you inspire people (and they inspire themselves) to new levels of commitment and achievement that could not be otherwise achieved. Real inspiration comes when you “ignite the fire within,” not when you “light a fire underneath.” Inspiration is about looking at a given situation and making a choice to see the positive and create hope.
Integrity – Putting the values and interests of the whole organization first. Integrity is about the leaders, as well as the members of the group, making decisions and acting in ways that are both truly aligned with the values of the group and focused on what is best for the whole. This is about personal integrity, but also group integrity. You know it: you have seen it, you have felt it, when people put the interests of the whole ahead of their own interests . Appreciative Leadership is truly about integrity.
There is so much more to Appreciative Leadership, and I do hope that I have sparked your interest. Learn more about this approach to be better equipped to lead positive change in your life and the world.
I recently attended an intensive four-day Appreciative Leadership Development Program©, which is one of many programs/workshops developed and delivered by the Corporation for Positive Change (http://www.positivechange.org/). This program provided many insights and perspectives on leadership. It truly challenges some of the “conventional” or “historical” leadership models and offers a new paradigm for leadership as our work structures and demographics change. Appreciative Leadership is directly linked to a growing and maturing body of work known as Appreciative Inquiry, which David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and countless others have been working on for over twenty years.
There is no way for me to describe all the facets of Appreciative Leadership in this short article; however, I would like to describe five key strategies which are referred to as the Five “I’s” of Appreciative Leadership . As I describe them, I hope you begin to get a flavor of how this approach to leadership is both different and perhaps similar to strategies that you may have been employing in your own leadership situation.
Inquiry – Asking positively powerful questions. The very way we ask questions tells our audience something about what we are expecting. Appreciative Leaders ask intentionally positive and powerful open-ended questions. These questions set a tone, and invite thought and dialogue. If we ask positive questions, we tend to get positive answers and ideas. When we ask negative questions…. you can finish this sentence. Some simple examples of positive questions might be: “What might we do to increase our revenue by 20% over the next year?” or “How could we improve our processes to reduce cost and increase customer service at the same time?” Note these questions are focused on increasing and improvement, not on “what’s wrong with how things are done now.”
Illumination – Bringing out the best of people and situations. Illumination is about getting people to share stories from their past experiences when they were “at their best.” It literally does not matter what the situation was; just get people to share their stories and then listen intently to discover what it was that enabled them to be their best. As they share their stories, ask clarifying questions to draw out more details and you will discover the strengths of individuals. Share the identified strengths to the individuals telling their stories and you both will see the storyteller’s positive core emerge.
Inclusion – Engaging everyone. When you combine the strengths of individuals, you find the collective strengths of an organization and you begin to get collective ideas about what the future can be! Engage with others to coauthor – to “co-create” the future that you all collectively want. You can imagine how this might be done in an organization, department, or work team. It is also possible to use these first three strategies to bring people together around a new venture, or even to assist you in defining your personal dreams and goals that other people might be involved in.
Inspiration – Awakening the creative spirit within individuals, and also within groups/teams. You inspire people when you ask positively powerful questions, and you bring out the best in people by getting them to tell their stories. When you include people in coauthoring the future that is desired, you inspire people (and they inspire themselves) to new levels of commitment and achievement that could not be otherwise achieved. Real inspiration comes when you “ignite the fire within,” not when you “light a fire underneath.” Inspiration is about looking at a given situation and making a choice to see the positive and create hope.
Integrity – Putting the values and interests of the whole organization first. Integrity is about the leaders, as well as the members of the group, making decisions and acting in ways that are both truly aligned with the values of the group and focused on what is best for the whole. This is about personal integrity, but also group integrity. You know it: you have seen it, you have felt it, when people put the interests of the whole ahead of their own interests . Appreciative Leadership is truly about integrity.
There is so much more to Appreciative Leadership, and I do hope that I have sparked your interest. Learn more about this approach to be better equipped to lead positive change in your life and the world.
* Whitney, Diana, and Amanda Trosten-Bloom, Kae Rader. Appreciative Leadership: Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build a Thriving Organization. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. Print. http://www.appreciativeleadershipnow.com/
There is no way for me to describe all the facets of Appreciative Leadership in this short article; however, I would like to describe five key strategies which are referred to as the Five “I’s” of Appreciative Leadership*. As I describe them, I hope you begin to get a flavor of how this approach to leadership is both different and perhaps similar to strategies that you may have been employing in your own leadership situation.
Inquiry – Asking positively powerful questions. The very way we ask questions tells our audience something about what we are expecting. Appreciative Leaders ask intentionally positive and powerful open-ended questions. These questions set a tone, and invite thought and dialogue. If we ask positive questions, we tend to get positive answers and ideas. When we ask negative questions…. you can finish this sentence. Some simple examples of positive questions might be: “What might we do to increase our revenue by 20% over the next year?” or “How could we improve our processes to reduce cost and increase customer service at the same time?” Note these questions are focused on increasing and improvement, not on “what’s wrong with how things are done now.”
Illumination – Bringing out the best of people and situations. Illumination is about getting people to share stories from their past experiences when they were “at their best.” It literally does not matter what the situation was; just get people to share their stories and then listen intently to discover what it was that enabled them to be their best. As they share their stories, ask clarifying questions to draw out more details and you will discover the strengths of individuals. Share the identified strengths to the individuals telling their stories and you both will see the storyteller’s positive core emerge.
Inclusion – Engaging everyone. When you combine the strengths of individuals, you find the collective strengths of an organization and you begin to get collective ideas about what the future can be! Engage with others to coauthor – to “co-create” the future that you all collectively want. You can imagine how this might be done in an organization, department, or work team. It is also possible to use these first three strategies to bring people together around a new venture, or even to assist you in defining your personal dreams and goals that other people might be involved in.
Inspiration – Awakening the creative spirit within individuals, and also within groups/teams. You inspire people when you ask positively powerful questions, and you bring out the best in people by getting them to tell their stories. When you include people in coauthoring the future that is desired, you inspire people (and they inspire themselves) to new levels of commitment and achievement that could not be otherwise achieved. Real inspiration comes when you “ignite the fire within,” not when you “light a fire underneath.” Inspiration is about looking at a given situation and making a choice to see the positive and create hope.
Integrity – Putting the values and interests of the whole organization first. Integrity is about the leaders, as well as the members of the group, making decisions and acting in ways that are both truly aligned with the values of the group and focused on what is best for the whole. This is about personal integrity, but also group integrity. You know it: you have seen it, you have felt it, when people put the interests of the whole ahead of their own interests . Appreciative Leadership is truly about integrity.
There is so much more to Appreciative Leadership, and I do hope that I have sparked your interest. Learn more about this approach to be better equipped to lead positive change in your life and the world.
I recently attended an intensive four-day Appreciative Leadership Development Program©, which is one of many programs/workshops developed and delivered by the Corporation for Positive Change (http://www.positivechange.org/). This program provided many insights and perspectives on leadership. It truly challenges some of the “conventional” or “historical” leadership models and offers a new paradigm for leadership as our work structures and demographics change. Appreciative Leadership is directly linked to a growing and maturing body of work known as Appreciative Inquiry, which David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and countless others have been working on for over twenty years.
There is no way for me to describe all the facets of Appreciative Leadership in this short article; however, I would like to describe five key strategies which are referred to as the Five “I’s” of Appreciative Leadership . As I describe them, I hope you begin to get a flavor of how this approach to leadership is both different and perhaps similar to strategies that you may have been employing in your own leadership situation.
Inquiry – Asking positively powerful questions. The very way we ask questions tells our audience something about what we are expecting. Appreciative Leaders ask intentionally positive and powerful open-ended questions. These questions set a tone, and invite thought and dialogue. If we ask positive questions, we tend to get positive answers and ideas. When we ask negative questions…. you can finish this sentence. Some simple examples of positive questions might be: “What might we do to increase our revenue by 20% over the next year?” or “How could we improve our processes to reduce cost and increase customer service at the same time?” Note these questions are focused on increasing and improvement, not on “what’s wrong with how things are done now.”
Illumination – Bringing out the best of people and situations. Illumination is about getting people to share stories from their past experiences when they were “at their best.” It literally does not matter what the situation was; just get people to share their stories and then listen intently to discover what it was that enabled them to be their best. As they share their stories, ask clarifying questions to draw out more details and you will discover the strengths of individuals. Share the identified strengths to the individuals telling their stories and you both will see the storyteller’s positive core emerge.
Inclusion – Engaging everyone. When you combine the strengths of individuals, you find the collective strengths of an organization and you begin to get collective ideas about what the future can be! Engage with others to coauthor – to “co-create” the future that you all collectively want. You can imagine how this might be done in an organization, department, or work team. It is also possible to use these first three strategies to bring people together around a new venture, or even to assist you in defining your personal dreams and goals that other people might be involved in.
Inspiration – Awakening the creative spirit within individuals, and also within groups/teams. You inspire people when you ask positively powerful questions, and you bring out the best in people by getting them to tell their stories. When you include people in coauthoring the future that is desired, you inspire people (and they inspire themselves) to new levels of commitment and achievement that could not be otherwise achieved. Real inspiration comes when you “ignite the fire within,” not when you “light a fire underneath.” Inspiration is about looking at a given situation and making a choice to see the positive and create hope.
Integrity – Putting the values and interests of the whole organization first. Integrity is about the leaders, as well as the members of the group, making decisions and acting in ways that are both truly aligned with the values of the group and focused on what is best for the whole. This is about personal integrity, but also group integrity. You know it: you have seen it, you have felt it, when people put the interests of the whole ahead of their own interests . Appreciative Leadership is truly about integrity.
There is so much more to Appreciative Leadership, and I do hope that I have sparked your interest. Learn more about this approach to be better equipped to lead positive change in your life and the world.
* Whitney, Diana, and Amanda Trosten-Bloom, Kae Rader. Appreciative Leadership: Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build a Thriving Organization. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. Print. http://www.appreciativeleadershipnow.com/
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Just put the finishing touches on an article for The Ballston Journal (http://www.theballstonjournal.com/) The Boardroom. Look for it in next weeks issue (Oct 14th).
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Leadership - Importance of Perspectives
Over the last couple of weeks I have been “re-awakened” to the power and importance of perspectives. We all have known and witnessed the ah-ha that happens when we see something or someone in a way that we haven’t seen them before. Or when we learn something about someone or ourselves that we just never realized. We see a new or more complete “picture” and we can appreciate a person or situation in more detail.
I say this is a “re-awakening” because we all know that it is important to look at situations and people from different perspectives or angles to get a better understanding. We often get so caught up in the day-to-day activities that we forget to take the time to look from different perspectives. We explore any given situation from our “standard viewpoint”. In an odd sort of way I was reminded how simple yet important changing perspective is while I was looking at our garden one morning for ripe tomatoes. I walked into the garden looking intently for bright red flashes among the full leafy vines and green tomatoes. Of course I spotted a few and picked them. I actually thought that I had done a fairly good job of getting all the ripe ones. It wasn’t until I changed perspective, walked all around the plants and looked at them from several angles, that I spotted more ripe ones than I had already picked. I literally started to laugh at myself, thinking wow, this is just like many organizations! How often do we as leaders look at our organizations and think, we know our people, we know what their strengths are and what they are doing, yet we don’t really know them or what they want to contribute until we change perspective and look with “new eyes” or new perspectives. How often do see our customers and think “I know what they want” without really listening, or hearing them to understand what they are really want?
Our recent work with two different groups heightened my awareness of the importance of perspectives.
One group of people we were working with was an in-tact team that works together on a daily basis. We were doing some teambuilding work with this group which included having each of them fill out their Myers-Briggs type indicator. We discussed the individual results with the team and enabled them to appreciate the differences in their personality types. This helped them understand how their differences contributed to, or detracted from, the total team accomplishment. What the team learned was truly amazing. Their understanding of each other deepened to a point that they can now leverage their differences to be much more effective and efficient! They also had an ah-ha moment when they realized how their strengths could be aligned so that everyone might be working where they were using their strengths to compliment each other. They also learned how to present ideas to people who looked at situations entirely differently than they did.
Similar experiences occurred in the second group, executives in an educational setting. They were not an in-tact team, but rather executives from different organizations who are in an executive education program. They are divided into three study groups and they have been working together as study groups every other weekend since January. They are half way through their program at this point. Over the three day intensive leadership development program, these executives were exposed to a variety of perspective experiences. They were given an opportunity to know themselves in ways they had not experienced before, how they work in teams, how they deal with conflict, and what is to be their legacy of leadership. After each module, they were asked to share what they appreciated about the experiences and their colleagues. They were given time to reflect and look at each other and the situations they were thrust into, from a variety of perspectives. They shared their perspectives with each other. Often times they did this with their ears open and their eyes closed, just to enhance the perspectives and the learning. In some cases they were asked to listen and intentionally not respond, just listen and reflect on what they heard. For them, this was a new perspective – to listen and absorb, but not respond. What they shared later was how much they learned by not responding right away. They reported that they actually listened and gained new insights, new perspectives, by the “required reflection”. How refreshing, yet how difficult in our fast paced, we want everything immediately world.
How would your organization benefit by your taking some time to reflect, to “listen with new ears”, to “see with new eyes”, to “look from new perspectives”? How would your organization or your relationships be enhanced by opening up perspectives? How could you use perspectives to see a more complete picture? As a leader, how might you help your organization expand its perspectives to enhance and grow your business? How might you as a leader, challenge your perspectives and open up to see the full potential within yourself and your people?
Until next time, enjoy the bounty and beauty that comes with changing perspectives!
I say this is a “re-awakening” because we all know that it is important to look at situations and people from different perspectives or angles to get a better understanding. We often get so caught up in the day-to-day activities that we forget to take the time to look from different perspectives. We explore any given situation from our “standard viewpoint”. In an odd sort of way I was reminded how simple yet important changing perspective is while I was looking at our garden one morning for ripe tomatoes. I walked into the garden looking intently for bright red flashes among the full leafy vines and green tomatoes. Of course I spotted a few and picked them. I actually thought that I had done a fairly good job of getting all the ripe ones. It wasn’t until I changed perspective, walked all around the plants and looked at them from several angles, that I spotted more ripe ones than I had already picked. I literally started to laugh at myself, thinking wow, this is just like many organizations! How often do we as leaders look at our organizations and think, we know our people, we know what their strengths are and what they are doing, yet we don’t really know them or what they want to contribute until we change perspective and look with “new eyes” or new perspectives. How often do see our customers and think “I know what they want” without really listening, or hearing them to understand what they are really want?
Our recent work with two different groups heightened my awareness of the importance of perspectives.
One group of people we were working with was an in-tact team that works together on a daily basis. We were doing some teambuilding work with this group which included having each of them fill out their Myers-Briggs type indicator. We discussed the individual results with the team and enabled them to appreciate the differences in their personality types. This helped them understand how their differences contributed to, or detracted from, the total team accomplishment. What the team learned was truly amazing. Their understanding of each other deepened to a point that they can now leverage their differences to be much more effective and efficient! They also had an ah-ha moment when they realized how their strengths could be aligned so that everyone might be working where they were using their strengths to compliment each other. They also learned how to present ideas to people who looked at situations entirely differently than they did.
Similar experiences occurred in the second group, executives in an educational setting. They were not an in-tact team, but rather executives from different organizations who are in an executive education program. They are divided into three study groups and they have been working together as study groups every other weekend since January. They are half way through their program at this point. Over the three day intensive leadership development program, these executives were exposed to a variety of perspective experiences. They were given an opportunity to know themselves in ways they had not experienced before, how they work in teams, how they deal with conflict, and what is to be their legacy of leadership. After each module, they were asked to share what they appreciated about the experiences and their colleagues. They were given time to reflect and look at each other and the situations they were thrust into, from a variety of perspectives. They shared their perspectives with each other. Often times they did this with their ears open and their eyes closed, just to enhance the perspectives and the learning. In some cases they were asked to listen and intentionally not respond, just listen and reflect on what they heard. For them, this was a new perspective – to listen and absorb, but not respond. What they shared later was how much they learned by not responding right away. They reported that they actually listened and gained new insights, new perspectives, by the “required reflection”. How refreshing, yet how difficult in our fast paced, we want everything immediately world.
How would your organization benefit by your taking some time to reflect, to “listen with new ears”, to “see with new eyes”, to “look from new perspectives”? How would your organization or your relationships be enhanced by opening up perspectives? How could you use perspectives to see a more complete picture? As a leader, how might you help your organization expand its perspectives to enhance and grow your business? How might you as a leader, challenge your perspectives and open up to see the full potential within yourself and your people?
Until next time, enjoy the bounty and beauty that comes with changing perspectives!
Labels:Leadership
Appreciative Leadership,
Leadership,
Perspectives
Monday, June 28, 2010
Check out the June 3rd "The Boardroom" article on Leadership - Personal, Public, Organizational on the CCG Blog (www.capconsult.blogspot.com).
The Ballston Journal (http://www.theballstonjournal.com/) - Thanks for the opportunity Angela!
The Ballston Journal (http://www.theballstonjournal.com/) - Thanks for the opportunity Angela!
leadership - Personal, Public, Organizational
The following article appeared in the June 3rd issue of The Ballston Journal.
Leadership – Personal, Public, Organizational
In previous articles I have focused on a variety of issues that leaders and managers face in dealing with the present and the future. Lately I have been drawn more and more to considering the fundamental traits and characteristics of Leadership, and differentiating Leadership and Leaders from positions, power, or authority.
I believe that at some basic level, we all have the need and opportunity to develop and exhibit leadership characteristics at three levels: personal, public, and organizational.
What are the characteristics of leadership? From my life’s work, research, observations, and application, I would suggest that first and foremost, leadership is about the future: not just tomorrow or next month, but next year, the next decade, and beyond. Leadership is about dealing with uncertainty, ambiguity, and possibilities. Leadership is about creating and inspiring. A colleague of mine from Atlanta works with organizational leaders to measure leadership to implement change; he describes leadership as “aligning, barrier removing, alliance building, and motivating.” This colleague differentiates leadership from management, where the activities are “planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.”
From a personal perspective, each of us are faced with challenges and opportunities. Literally all of us pause and consider our careers and goals at various stages throughout our lives. We consider where we are today, but more importantly, where we want to be five or ten years from now. Personal leadership is creating your own inspiring vision and sharing that with others. Personal management is taking that inspiring vision and developing your action plan, organizing the tasks and controlling your actions to ensure that you execute your plan and achieve your vision. You may not have thought of it in this way, but leadership and management are both required to achieve your vision and dreams. You may excel at developing an inspiring, compelling vision, or you may excel at defining and executing a plan, or you may be good at both. I encourage you to find mentors, coaches, or facilitators who can help you focus on the area where you most need support.
In considering public leadership it seems we do not have to look very hard to see examples of the lack of future-focused leadership. Perhaps this is the result of the political systems and parties we have created which tend to be focused on short-term wins and the next election cycle. Political leaders with one- or two-year terms are often driven to short-term thinking and actions, and many of them spend the majority of their time and effort attempting to micro-manage activities and focus on particular special interests rather than focusing on their leadership role for their entire constituencies. In this regard, we all have an opportunity to demonstrate public leadership by getting involved in our communities by assisting the elected officials in determining what we truly want for our local and regional areas. If we do choose to get involved, we then demonstrate our individual leadership by the time horizon and breadth of our input and actions. If we remain focused on the long term affects of the issues and input, and the resulting decisions, then we are exhibiting leadership for sustainability.
When you think about organization leadership, think about people you know or have heard of that are recognized as truly great leaders. These leaders inspired their organizations to provide outstanding products and services to their customers while taking care of their employees and other stakeholders. (In this context, stakeholders includes everyone who has an interest in the long term success of the organization.) What are the traits that these leaders possessed, cultivated, and exhibited?
Through my personal experience in working for several such organizational leaders in a variety of capacities, I have discovered the following common traits:
• They always think far beyond themselves and the present day when establishing a long- term vision (10 years or more into the future) and formulating strategic level objectives.
• They always include a cross section of the entire organization when formulating the vision and implementation action plan.
• They always ensure that their team includes people who were very different from themselves in personality, thinking types/styles, and skills.
• They create diverse yet balanced teams to leverage every ones strengths.
• They foster collaboration and contribution from everyone and include them in all aspects of defining and implementing the short term action plan to achieve the long term vision.
• They focus on the “What” is desired and best for the organization, more so than the “How” do we get there.
• They inspire and support everyone in the organization to figure out the “How” of achieving the vision.
The traits outlined above equally apply to leaders of small and medium size organizations. Great leaders in every organization develop a very keen sense and ability to clearly differentiate and move between their leadership role and the appropriate focus on management tasks of organizing and controlling day to day activities.
It seems that lately, leadership is often viewed only from the perspective of authority and power. I would like to offer a bit different view. I will grant that there are positions of authority in personal relationships, public service, and organizations. However, simply because someone is in a position of authority does not mean they are really leaders and exhibiting leadership qualities. Likewise, there are many leaders who are not in top positions or positions of authority within organizations or public service. As for power, I believe the same is true. My experience is that real leaders do not hold power. They develop and release power throughout the organization by their inclusive collaborations, vision development, and resulting action plans which inspire and motivate (thus empower) stakeholders.
Leadership – Personal, Public, Organizational
In previous articles I have focused on a variety of issues that leaders and managers face in dealing with the present and the future. Lately I have been drawn more and more to considering the fundamental traits and characteristics of Leadership, and differentiating Leadership and Leaders from positions, power, or authority.
I believe that at some basic level, we all have the need and opportunity to develop and exhibit leadership characteristics at three levels: personal, public, and organizational.
What are the characteristics of leadership? From my life’s work, research, observations, and application, I would suggest that first and foremost, leadership is about the future: not just tomorrow or next month, but next year, the next decade, and beyond. Leadership is about dealing with uncertainty, ambiguity, and possibilities. Leadership is about creating and inspiring. A colleague of mine from Atlanta works with organizational leaders to measure leadership to implement change; he describes leadership as “aligning, barrier removing, alliance building, and motivating.” This colleague differentiates leadership from management, where the activities are “planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.”
From a personal perspective, each of us are faced with challenges and opportunities. Literally all of us pause and consider our careers and goals at various stages throughout our lives. We consider where we are today, but more importantly, where we want to be five or ten years from now. Personal leadership is creating your own inspiring vision and sharing that with others. Personal management is taking that inspiring vision and developing your action plan, organizing the tasks and controlling your actions to ensure that you execute your plan and achieve your vision. You may not have thought of it in this way, but leadership and management are both required to achieve your vision and dreams. You may excel at developing an inspiring, compelling vision, or you may excel at defining and executing a plan, or you may be good at both. I encourage you to find mentors, coaches, or facilitators who can help you focus on the area where you most need support.
In considering public leadership it seems we do not have to look very hard to see examples of the lack of future-focused leadership. Perhaps this is the result of the political systems and parties we have created which tend to be focused on short-term wins and the next election cycle. Political leaders with one- or two-year terms are often driven to short-term thinking and actions, and many of them spend the majority of their time and effort attempting to micro-manage activities and focus on particular special interests rather than focusing on their leadership role for their entire constituencies. In this regard, we all have an opportunity to demonstrate public leadership by getting involved in our communities by assisting the elected officials in determining what we truly want for our local and regional areas. If we do choose to get involved, we then demonstrate our individual leadership by the time horizon and breadth of our input and actions. If we remain focused on the long term affects of the issues and input, and the resulting decisions, then we are exhibiting leadership for sustainability.
When you think about organization leadership, think about people you know or have heard of that are recognized as truly great leaders. These leaders inspired their organizations to provide outstanding products and services to their customers while taking care of their employees and other stakeholders. (In this context, stakeholders includes everyone who has an interest in the long term success of the organization.) What are the traits that these leaders possessed, cultivated, and exhibited?
Through my personal experience in working for several such organizational leaders in a variety of capacities, I have discovered the following common traits:
• They always think far beyond themselves and the present day when establishing a long- term vision (10 years or more into the future) and formulating strategic level objectives.
• They always include a cross section of the entire organization when formulating the vision and implementation action plan.
• They always ensure that their team includes people who were very different from themselves in personality, thinking types/styles, and skills.
• They create diverse yet balanced teams to leverage every ones strengths.
• They foster collaboration and contribution from everyone and include them in all aspects of defining and implementing the short term action plan to achieve the long term vision.
• They focus on the “What” is desired and best for the organization, more so than the “How” do we get there.
• They inspire and support everyone in the organization to figure out the “How” of achieving the vision.
The traits outlined above equally apply to leaders of small and medium size organizations. Great leaders in every organization develop a very keen sense and ability to clearly differentiate and move between their leadership role and the appropriate focus on management tasks of organizing and controlling day to day activities.
It seems that lately, leadership is often viewed only from the perspective of authority and power. I would like to offer a bit different view. I will grant that there are positions of authority in personal relationships, public service, and organizations. However, simply because someone is in a position of authority does not mean they are really leaders and exhibiting leadership qualities. Likewise, there are many leaders who are not in top positions or positions of authority within organizations or public service. As for power, I believe the same is true. My experience is that real leaders do not hold power. They develop and release power throughout the organization by their inclusive collaborations, vision development, and resulting action plans which inspire and motivate (thus empower) stakeholders.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Another great action packed week. And another published article in The Ballston Journal - check it out at www.CapConsult.blogspot.com or http://www.theballstonjournal.com/
Leadership - Appreciating the Difficult
The following was published in The Ballston Journal, March 25th.
In my February 4th article, “Business – It’s Complicated (and Personal)”, I wrote about appreciation and personal relationships both inside and outside your business.
Writing and reflecting on that article started me thinking about the difficult situations we encounter in business and in life. Can we really appreciate the difficult? And if we can, how do we do it?
It may be helpful to look at some examples – in this case, all business-related. Let's start by first looking at the difficult employee.
The first step in appreciating the difficult employee is to separate yourself from the emotion of the moment and take the existing moment in context with other prior moments. Evaluate how these moments connect and what they have in common. You may see a pattern emerging that really indicates the employee is having difficulty grasping the task at hand or the process or procedure for performing what is expected. This gives a good indication the employee may need additional training or additional skill sets. In this way, you're truly appreciating the employee's perspective and difficulty that they have in performing the particular duties or tasks, which you expect.
On the other hand, if connecting those moments yields the feeling that the employee just doesn't care or isn't trying or doesn't want to make the effort, then you have a different situation. In this case, to appreciate the difficult employee, you have to help the employee see that you are not doing anything to them; rather, they are doing it to themselves. Their actions and behaviors are not yielding the desired performance or results; instead, their actions and behaviors say they are working to give their job back to you. As a conscientious and fair manager or leader, you have an obligation to take that job back and give it to someone who wants it.
I realize this sounds a bit simpler than it really is. Human relationships are complicated, and to truly appreciate the difficult as well as the non-difficult, you really do have to appreciate people for who they really are. And of course, you cannot change people, particularly if they do not want to change themselves. In appreciating the difficult employee, it is always best to start by focusing on the positive aspects they bring to the workplace. From that perspective, you can then evaluate and appreciate what you find difficult about their actions and interactions. Also make sure you have built a positive workplace, by making sure that employees are supported and appreciated, provided with training and education, and supported by processes and procedures. Knowing that, even in the most positive workplace, you may still have difficult employees..
In the book First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, the authors describe the catalyst role for managers as what great managers do, not how they do it. They detail four steps or core activities of a catalyst role:
• When selecting employees, select for talent - not simply experience, intelligence, or determination.
• When setting expectations, define the right outcomes - not the right steps.
• When motivating, focus on strengths - not on weaknesses.
• When developing someone, find the right fit - not simply the next rung on the ladder.
The authors also point out that great managers and great leaders treat employees fairly, but not necessarily equally. I believe this point supports truly appreciating employees, both the great and the difficult. Take an appreciative approach, and realize as managers and leaders our primary role is to support and enable employees to get just what they're working for. If they're working to excel, you need to do everything you can to help them excel as fast as possible. If they are working to give their jobs back to you, you don't have a choice; you have an obligation as a leader/manager to take it and give it to someone who wants it.
A similar perspective can be applied to the difficult customer. How do you appreciate the difficult customer? If you focus first on the positive aspects of what the difficult customer brings to your business, you may find they are bringing us rich and valuable information about your business. Perhaps you are not serving them well. Perhaps you are not providing them a great product or a great service. By appreciating their real message, you can find some keys to improving your products and service, and thus your business. Your difficult customers may in fact to be the key to taking you from good to great for all of your customers. If you truly appreciate your difficult customers, and realize, just like you might with your employees, that they are working to move their business elsewhere, then you can also help them achieve what they are working for. Said another way, the best approach in this situation is to help the difficult customer find someone else or some other company that can serve their needs better than you can. In many cases, this just might be the best way to manage these “moments of truth or difficulty” with your difficult customers.
So, the question remains. Can we truly appreciate the difficult? I believe we can. I believe you can, and it starts by truly appreciating the perspective and the situation that the employee or customer is presenting to you and your business. Appreciation starts from a position of attitude. In order to truly appreciate both the positive as well as the difficult, you need to be in a position of positive attitude and looking for the best possible outcome. From that position and perspective you can help everyone achieve exactly what they're working for.
In my February 4th article, “Business – It’s Complicated (and Personal)”, I wrote about appreciation and personal relationships both inside and outside your business.
Writing and reflecting on that article started me thinking about the difficult situations we encounter in business and in life. Can we really appreciate the difficult? And if we can, how do we do it?
It may be helpful to look at some examples – in this case, all business-related. Let's start by first looking at the difficult employee.
The first step in appreciating the difficult employee is to separate yourself from the emotion of the moment and take the existing moment in context with other prior moments. Evaluate how these moments connect and what they have in common. You may see a pattern emerging that really indicates the employee is having difficulty grasping the task at hand or the process or procedure for performing what is expected. This gives a good indication the employee may need additional training or additional skill sets. In this way, you're truly appreciating the employee's perspective and difficulty that they have in performing the particular duties or tasks, which you expect.
On the other hand, if connecting those moments yields the feeling that the employee just doesn't care or isn't trying or doesn't want to make the effort, then you have a different situation. In this case, to appreciate the difficult employee, you have to help the employee see that you are not doing anything to them; rather, they are doing it to themselves. Their actions and behaviors are not yielding the desired performance or results; instead, their actions and behaviors say they are working to give their job back to you. As a conscientious and fair manager or leader, you have an obligation to take that job back and give it to someone who wants it.
I realize this sounds a bit simpler than it really is. Human relationships are complicated, and to truly appreciate the difficult as well as the non-difficult, you really do have to appreciate people for who they really are. And of course, you cannot change people, particularly if they do not want to change themselves. In appreciating the difficult employee, it is always best to start by focusing on the positive aspects they bring to the workplace. From that perspective, you can then evaluate and appreciate what you find difficult about their actions and interactions. Also make sure you have built a positive workplace, by making sure that employees are supported and appreciated, provided with training and education, and supported by processes and procedures. Knowing that, even in the most positive workplace, you may still have difficult employees..
In the book First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, the authors describe the catalyst role for managers as what great managers do, not how they do it. They detail four steps or core activities of a catalyst role:
• When selecting employees, select for talent - not simply experience, intelligence, or determination.
• When setting expectations, define the right outcomes - not the right steps.
• When motivating, focus on strengths - not on weaknesses.
• When developing someone, find the right fit - not simply the next rung on the ladder.
The authors also point out that great managers and great leaders treat employees fairly, but not necessarily equally. I believe this point supports truly appreciating employees, both the great and the difficult. Take an appreciative approach, and realize as managers and leaders our primary role is to support and enable employees to get just what they're working for. If they're working to excel, you need to do everything you can to help them excel as fast as possible. If they are working to give their jobs back to you, you don't have a choice; you have an obligation as a leader/manager to take it and give it to someone who wants it.
A similar perspective can be applied to the difficult customer. How do you appreciate the difficult customer? If you focus first on the positive aspects of what the difficult customer brings to your business, you may find they are bringing us rich and valuable information about your business. Perhaps you are not serving them well. Perhaps you are not providing them a great product or a great service. By appreciating their real message, you can find some keys to improving your products and service, and thus your business. Your difficult customers may in fact to be the key to taking you from good to great for all of your customers. If you truly appreciate your difficult customers, and realize, just like you might with your employees, that they are working to move their business elsewhere, then you can also help them achieve what they are working for. Said another way, the best approach in this situation is to help the difficult customer find someone else or some other company that can serve their needs better than you can. In many cases, this just might be the best way to manage these “moments of truth or difficulty” with your difficult customers.
So, the question remains. Can we truly appreciate the difficult? I believe we can. I believe you can, and it starts by truly appreciating the perspective and the situation that the employee or customer is presenting to you and your business. Appreciation starts from a position of attitude. In order to truly appreciate both the positive as well as the difficult, you need to be in a position of positive attitude and looking for the best possible outcome. From that position and perspective you can help everyone achieve exactly what they're working for.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
What a great week, short, but great! Working with SUNY Delhi class with Robert Braathe, sharing concepts of business sustainability to the Small Business Strategic Alliance, developing proposals and management training, BRNG Luncheon, working on a book project with Melange Press, and facilitating personal life planning. Great week!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Business – It’s Complicated (and personal)
The following was published in the Ballston Journal - Business Boardroom:
Business is complicated. That is not news or a surprise to any of us who have been in business for any length of time. It really does not matter what size business you are in, or what your industry is, it is complicated. For those of us who are small business owners, we have to do all the “jobs” in the business, or we need to manage the outsourcing of those tasks we do not like to do, or we are not equipped to do. For those of us who are in organizations of any size, we also know that it is complicated, primarily due to the very thing that was highlighted in the movie “It’s Complicated” with Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. Unfortunately, small business complications are not a popular comedy, but a stark reality.
Business is complicated by nature, because it is about personal relationships and people are complicated. Even for small business owners, there is the mix of your own personality and relationships with those of your customers, suppliers, and the interrelationships with your own personality. For larger organizations, add the dynamic of employees with those of customers and suppliers.
So, what then separates the “great” from the “good” from the “just making it”? If business is complicated for all businesses, regardless of size, what really can be the discriminating factors in success? What can you do as a business leader to ensure that you and your organization are achieving the level of success that you really want?
To find the answers, I believe the first place to look is inside. Inside yourself that is. We have all heard it said that “Attitude determines Altitude,” “You get what you are looking for,” etc. I believe these are more than just trite statements or phrases. There is real truth in them, yet for many of us, we lose sight of these simple truths. If we think of the world as abundant, then we will look and act as though there is plenty to go around and we will share that with others. If we look at the world as scarce, then we will tend to hoard and not share.
So what does this have to do with the way we run our businesses and organizations? Answer the following questions truthfully to get closer to your inner self:
• Do we try to hoard information and only let out small bits just to get other things we can hoard? Or do we share information and let people see all the details they need to be fully successful themselves and at the same time make us more successful?
• Is our attitude one of real appreciation for others and what their role is in our business?
• Do we share that appreciation with them in ways that are really meaningful to them?
Psst: The only way we will know that is to be really observant and listen to them with open ears and minds.
I believe that is one of the many messages in the movie “It’s Complicated.” It appears that in their marriage, Jane and Jake didn’t have a common vision and set of objectives for themselves as individuals or as a family. As the movie unfolds, each had come to realize more about what they wanted for themselves, and thus could examine what they really appreciated in each other. I won’t say more about the movie, as I don’t want to give it away. The point is that appreciation is directly linked to attitude, and we do tend to find what we are looking for. If we look with appreciation, we see more positively. If we are more appreciative with our view of customers, employees, and suppliers, we tend to get more abundant results. If we share information to enable each to have a richer experience in their respective roles, we tend to get better results. An appreciative approach strengthens the bond of a relationship.
Think for a minute or two about some of your experiences. In those experiences where you felt really appreciated, where people really took the time to get to know you, or explain how you were an important part of their business, most likely you felt very good about being part of their business. I expect you told others and may have even gone out of your way to contribute to the success of the organization/business even more.
On the other hand, think about a different experience where you were “just a number” or “just a part of the process.” In this case, I expect you felt neutral or negative about the experience and did not go out of your way to do any extra to contribute to the organization’s/business’s success.
I have many experiences and stories to relate from both perspectives, and as a business leader, I like to share the positive stories of how people and organizations grow through appreciation. My colleagues and I, along with a number of others, call that Appreciative Leadership, and it comes from looking at all aspects of business with a view and focus of appreciating what everyone does.
A very successful businessman and friend of mine was a veterinarian. When we first met, he was a self proclaimed “Seagull Manager.” He would fly into the office making all kinds of noise and activity, then crap on everyone and fly out. You can imagine what that office looked like. Then he realized the impact that an Appreciative Leadership approach could make. He took the time to work with each of his employees so they understood the very important and even critical role they played in the total business success. He was able to link their individual success to the business success and show the reciprocal affect on their individual success. He made a fundamental shift in his practice and it was definitely reflected in the positive impact on the top and bottom lines of his business. It was all about personal relationships and truly appreciating everyone and what they could contribute.
By taking the time to understand the relationships and appreciating and reinforcing the positive, the real art of business becomes just a little less complicated and certainly more enjoyable for everyone involved. In the end, business may still be complicated, but with appreciation and understanding by all, it will be more understood, easier to manage, and certainly more fulfilling.
Business is complicated. That is not news or a surprise to any of us who have been in business for any length of time. It really does not matter what size business you are in, or what your industry is, it is complicated. For those of us who are small business owners, we have to do all the “jobs” in the business, or we need to manage the outsourcing of those tasks we do not like to do, or we are not equipped to do. For those of us who are in organizations of any size, we also know that it is complicated, primarily due to the very thing that was highlighted in the movie “It’s Complicated” with Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. Unfortunately, small business complications are not a popular comedy, but a stark reality.
Business is complicated by nature, because it is about personal relationships and people are complicated. Even for small business owners, there is the mix of your own personality and relationships with those of your customers, suppliers, and the interrelationships with your own personality. For larger organizations, add the dynamic of employees with those of customers and suppliers.
So, what then separates the “great” from the “good” from the “just making it”? If business is complicated for all businesses, regardless of size, what really can be the discriminating factors in success? What can you do as a business leader to ensure that you and your organization are achieving the level of success that you really want?
To find the answers, I believe the first place to look is inside. Inside yourself that is. We have all heard it said that “Attitude determines Altitude,” “You get what you are looking for,” etc. I believe these are more than just trite statements or phrases. There is real truth in them, yet for many of us, we lose sight of these simple truths. If we think of the world as abundant, then we will look and act as though there is plenty to go around and we will share that with others. If we look at the world as scarce, then we will tend to hoard and not share.
So what does this have to do with the way we run our businesses and organizations? Answer the following questions truthfully to get closer to your inner self:
• Do we try to hoard information and only let out small bits just to get other things we can hoard? Or do we share information and let people see all the details they need to be fully successful themselves and at the same time make us more successful?
• Is our attitude one of real appreciation for others and what their role is in our business?
• Do we share that appreciation with them in ways that are really meaningful to them?
Psst: The only way we will know that is to be really observant and listen to them with open ears and minds.
I believe that is one of the many messages in the movie “It’s Complicated.” It appears that in their marriage, Jane and Jake didn’t have a common vision and set of objectives for themselves as individuals or as a family. As the movie unfolds, each had come to realize more about what they wanted for themselves, and thus could examine what they really appreciated in each other. I won’t say more about the movie, as I don’t want to give it away. The point is that appreciation is directly linked to attitude, and we do tend to find what we are looking for. If we look with appreciation, we see more positively. If we are more appreciative with our view of customers, employees, and suppliers, we tend to get more abundant results. If we share information to enable each to have a richer experience in their respective roles, we tend to get better results. An appreciative approach strengthens the bond of a relationship.
Think for a minute or two about some of your experiences. In those experiences where you felt really appreciated, where people really took the time to get to know you, or explain how you were an important part of their business, most likely you felt very good about being part of their business. I expect you told others and may have even gone out of your way to contribute to the success of the organization/business even more.
On the other hand, think about a different experience where you were “just a number” or “just a part of the process.” In this case, I expect you felt neutral or negative about the experience and did not go out of your way to do any extra to contribute to the organization’s/business’s success.
I have many experiences and stories to relate from both perspectives, and as a business leader, I like to share the positive stories of how people and organizations grow through appreciation. My colleagues and I, along with a number of others, call that Appreciative Leadership, and it comes from looking at all aspects of business with a view and focus of appreciating what everyone does.
A very successful businessman and friend of mine was a veterinarian. When we first met, he was a self proclaimed “Seagull Manager.” He would fly into the office making all kinds of noise and activity, then crap on everyone and fly out. You can imagine what that office looked like. Then he realized the impact that an Appreciative Leadership approach could make. He took the time to work with each of his employees so they understood the very important and even critical role they played in the total business success. He was able to link their individual success to the business success and show the reciprocal affect on their individual success. He made a fundamental shift in his practice and it was definitely reflected in the positive impact on the top and bottom lines of his business. It was all about personal relationships and truly appreciating everyone and what they could contribute.
By taking the time to understand the relationships and appreciating and reinforcing the positive, the real art of business becomes just a little less complicated and certainly more enjoyable for everyone involved. In the end, business may still be complicated, but with appreciation and understanding by all, it will be more understood, easier to manage, and certainly more fulfilling.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
First Session of Webinar "Launching Your Consulting Career" went rather well. Some audio difficulties, but we have solved those. It is not to late to join us for the evening session! Register at: http://consultingalliance.org , then when you get your confirmation email from the Consulting Alliance, be sure to make the final registration with GoToWebinar by clicking the link near the bottom of the confirmation email. That will get you registered within GoToWebinar. Join us at 8pm!
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