SlideShare una empresa de Scribd logo
1 de 28
Descargar para leer sin conexión
Excellence
              L E A D E R S H I P




THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY




                                                                                  APRIL 2011




                                                                               Humble
                                                                               Inquiry
                                                          Why Leaders Fail
                                                                         Collective
     Henrik Ekelund
     CEO BTS
                                                                        Leadership
         “Leadership Excellence is an exceptional
                                                         Unite Diverse Groups
         way to learn and then apply the best and
         latest ideas in the field of leadership.”
                           —WARREN BENNIS, AUTHOR AND
                           USC PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
                                                          w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m
Excellence
                       L E A D E R S H I P




 THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY
VOL. 28 NO. 4                            THE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE                                                  A P R I L 2 0 11




                   Scenic Hazard                                                                                               Most leaders who
                                                                                                                                 are standing in
                                                                                                                                the tee box enjoy
                                                                                                                               a telescopic vision
                                                                                                                                 or scenic vista,
                                                                                                                                 yet all they can
                                                                                                                                 see in the fore-
                                                                                                                                ground is the pox
                                                                                                                                of sand traps and
                                                                                                                               ocean waves with
                                                                                                                               many ways to fail
                                                                                                                                  and few safe
                                                                                                                                 places to drive
                                                                                                                                 business, save
                                                                                                                                strokes, or make
                                                                                                                                     money.




 JAMES QUIGLEY AND                      GARY D. BURNISON                     Turn Vision into Reality             Personal Leader Brand
 STEPHEN LANGTON                        Beyond Perception                    Great companies become               Go beyond having a
 Collective Leadership                  Stay connected to what               real communities. . . . . . .11      leader point of view. . . . 16
 Unite diverse groups in a              matters the most . . . . . . . .7
 common purpose. . . . . . . 3                                               STEVE ARNESON
                                                                                                                  SANDI EDWARDS
                                        CHIP R. BELL AND                     Employee Bill of Rights              Sudden Leader Loss
 EDGAR H. SCHEIN                                                             Every person deserves to
                                        JOHN R. PATTERSON                                                         Most organizations
                                                                             have certain rights. . . . . .12
 Humble Inquiry                         Cultivate Innovation                                                      are very ill-prepared . . . .17
 For leaders, helping others            It requires you to exercise          HENRIK EKELUND
 is complicated. . . . . . . . . . .4                                                                             JOE FOLKMAN
                                        bold leadership. . . . . . . . . 8   Practice Makes Perfect
                                                                             Put and keep the company             Employee Commitment
 MARK NYMAN                                                                                                       The grass is not always
                                        SHEILA MURRAY BETHEL                 on the right course. . . . . 13
 Function Misalignment                                                                                            greener elsewhere. . . . . .18
 Align the purpose
                                        Effective Leadership
                                        You can take three steps to          JONAS AKERMAN
 with the strategy. . . . . . . . 5                                                                               IRA CHALEFF
                                        enhance authenticity. . . . 9        Effective Simulations
                                                                             10 key elements of success-          Courageous Followers
 E. TED PRINCE                                                               ful simulations. . . . . . . . .13   Would we stand up
                                        DANA C. ACKLEY
 Money Makers                                                                                                     for or to our leaders. . . . .19
 Very few managers or                   Glass Walls                          IRVING BUCHEN
 leaders create revenue. . . .5         Break through to a                                                        BEVERLY KAYE AND
                                        brighter future. . . . . . . . .10
                                                                             Why Leaders Fail
                                                                             Avoid 10 dead-ends. . . . .14        BEVERLY CROWELL
 LARRY SENN                                                                                                       Coaching for Engagement
 Leader’s Job #1                        MARC MICHAELSON AND                  DAVE ULRICH AND                      Tap into discretionary
 Align strategy and culture. . .6       JOHN ANDERSON                        NORM SMALLWOOD                       energy and effort. . . . . . .20
Volume 28 Issue 4
                       E . D . I . T . O . R ’ S             N . O . T . E                             Leadership Excellence (ISSN 8756-2308) is
                                                                                                       published monthly by Executive Excellence


Principle-Centered                                                                                     Publishing, LLC (dba Leadership Excellence),
                                                                                                       1806 North 1120 West, Provo, UT 84604.

                                                                                                       Editorial Purpose:
 I feel that I’ve come full circle.                                                                    Our mission is to promote personal and organi-
                                                                                                       zational leadership based on constructive values,
                                                                                                       sound ethics, and timeless principles.

                                                                                                       Basic Annual Rate:
                   by Ken Shelton                  C o m i n g F u l l C i r cl e                      US $99 one year (12 issues))
                                                       Also in March I visited the offices of The      Corporate Bulk Rates (to same address)
                                                   Full Circle Group, aiming to deliver on the         Ask about logo and custom editions


                   I
                                                                                                       and foreign bulk rates.
                   N MARCH LEADERSHIP Excel-       promise of effective leadership and business
                   lence co-sponsored the Prin- performance. Developing effective leader-              Article Reprints:
                 ciple-Centered Leadership         ship is now a strategic priority, says partner      For reprints of 100 or more, please contact the
                                                                                                       editorial department at 801-375-4060
Conference at Utah State University Hunts-         Bill Adams. “Given the high impact that             or email CustomerService@LeaderExcel.com.
                                                                                                       Permission PDF US: $75.
man School of Management, home of the              effective leadership has on performance, it
Covey Center for Leadership.                       is tempting to treat leadership development         Internet Address: www.LeaderExcel.com
   In 1984, we started publishing Leadership as an activity separate from running the                  Submissions & Correspondence:
Excellence under the banner of the Institute       business. Our unique approach engages               All correspondence, articles, letters, and
                                                                                                       requests to reprint articles should be sent to:
for Principle-Centered Leadership—as a             organizations in leader development within          Editorial Department, Executive Excellence,
joint-venture alliance with the Covey Leader- the context of business performance. This inte-          1806 North 1120 West, Provo, Utah 84604;
                                                                                                       801-375-4060, or editorial@LeaderExcel.com.
ship Center. That same year, I started writing gration is our governing principle, and
two books with Stephen R. Covey: 7 Habits          when this principle is put into practice, it        Customer Service/Circulation:
                                                                                                       For information on products and
of Highly Effective People and Principle-Center- helps organizations develop leadership as a           services call 1-877-250-1983 or
ed Leadership. While 7 Habits sold more            competitive advantage.                              email: CustomerService@LeaderExcel.com.
copies (one of the top 20 best-selling                             Again in March, I welcomed          Executive Excellence Publishing:
nonfiction books of all-time), the                            home a son, Chris, who had been          Ken Shelton, CEO, Editor-in-Chief
                                                                                                       Sean Beck, Circulation Manager
idea of PCL may be more useful as a                           serving two years in Sweden, and
leadership development paradigm.                              (within two days) welcomed two           Contributing Editors:
                                                                                                       Chip Bell, Warren Bennis, Dianna Booher,
   In a nutshell, PCL is based on the                         granddaughters (Kora and Zoey)           Kevin Cashman, Marshall Goldsmith, Howard
notion that Universal Principles ulti-                        into the world. This, indeed, is         Guttman, Jim Kouzes, Jim Loehr, Tom Peters,
                                                                                                       Norm Smallwood
mately govern in life and leadership.                         coming full circle.
As Covey has proven, when people                                   I selected the great golf art of    The table of contents art is a detail from
                                                                                                       2010 U.S. Open Championship, The 9th Hole, Pebble
seek to develop a value system,                               Linda Hartough for the cover this        Beach Golf Links (image cropped) © Linda
they identify the same basic values        Linda Hartough month because all of us face a hard,         Hartough, and is courtesy of the artist and
                                                                                                       art print publisher Greenwich Workshop.
when four conditions are met: you                             tough situation like the ninth hole at
get enough people interacting; there is a          Pebble Beach. Whether we are new-born or            For additional information on artwork by
                                                                                                       Linda Hartough, please contact:
spirit of trust and openness; people are           born again or coming full circle, the cycle of      Greenwich Workshop
                                                                                                       151 Main Street
informed about the problems and issues;            life and leadership presents challenges. The        Saymour, CT 06483
and they feel they can communicate freely          vision or vista may be appealing, but in the        1-800-243-4246
                                                                                                       www.greenwichworkshop.com
and synergistically. And these universal val- foreground we see nothing but rough traps.
ues deal with four dimensions: physical or                                                             Full view of table of contents art.

economic; social or relationship; mental, tal- L e a r n i n g / L D E l i t e
ent, or intelligence; spiritual or meaning.            Congratulations to CLO 2011 LearningElite
   “If leaders don’t build their value sys-        Organizations: Accenture, Alexian Brothers
tems on bedrock principles and try to live         Medical Center, Allied Barton Security
by them—acknowledging that they fail               Services, Almac Group, Amdocs, AT&T,
much of the time, but striving to get back in Banner Health, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CA
alignment—they’ll have dysfunctional cul-          Technologies, Cerner., Defense Acquisition          Copyright © 2011 Executive Excellence Publishing.
                                                                                                        No part of this publication may be reproduced or
tures,” notes Covey.                               University, Deloitte, Department of Veterans         transmitted without written permission from the
   “As leaders alienate themselves from            Affairs, EMC., Emory University, Farmers                  publisher. Quotations must be credited.

moral conscience based on natural laws and         Insurance Group, FedEx, Genentech, General
correct principles, they are influenced more Mills, Grant Thornton, IBM, InterContinental
by the social conscience of political correct-     Hotels Group, J. C. Penney Co., Life Time
ness, popularity, and public relations. In         Fitness, Loblaw Cos., Lowe’s Cos., ManTech
every great culture or organization, people        Intl., McDonald’s, Nationwide Insurance,
speak up when they see misalignments               NetApp, New York Presbyterian Hospital,
between principle and practice, and try to         NIIT USA, Orkin, Procter & Gamble,
close the gap. Leaders may know intuitively Prescription Solutions/ UnitedHealth Group,
that they are off track, but lack an informa-      Qualcomm, RWD Technologies, Scotiabank,
tion system that tells them how far off track Sidley Austin, Spectra Energy, St. Peter’s
they are. They tend to under-correct with a        Health Care Services, Vanguard, and Vi. LE
superficial LD program, or over-correct by
downsizing—harming the culture.”
   So, base your LD on bedrock principles.                                     Editor since 1984
 2     A p r i l    2 0 1 1                                                              L e a d e r s h i p            E x c e l l e n c e
LEADERSHIP        ARCHETYPES                                                               project; their carefully selected teams
                                                                                            make it happen. Ideas are developed
                                                                                            through frequent meetings and interac-
 Collective Leadership                                                                      tions and an open culture of collabora-
                                                                                            tion. Long-term success depends on
 Go from platitude to practice.                                                             constant innovation and reinvention.
                                                                                               5. General and soldiers. Soldiers focus
                                                   How do you track common interpre-        on well-defined and scripted tasks, mo-
                                               tations of rather abstract mental models?    tivated by hierarchical structure and
                                               How do you concretize collective leader-     the prospects of promotion. Extensive
                                               ship? To make the As One diagnostic          training is needed for recruits to under-
                                               robust, we had to find an answer. Tra-       stand the culture and to learn specific
                                               ditional leadership theory wasn’t helpful.   skills. The generals’ authority—their
                                               The twin poles of command-and-control        ability to command respect—is just as
 by James Quigley and Stephen Langton
                                               and hierarchy on the one hand and col-       important as their mission. Without it,

C    OLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP—THE ABILITY
     to unite diverse groups of people
in a common purpose, to achieve
                                               laboration and flat-and-fluid structure on
                                               the other could not tell the whole story.
                                                                                            the organization disintegrates.
                                                                                               6. Architect and builders. Leaders need
                                                                                            a team of skilled followers to bring their
teamwork on a grand scale—is the               Eight Models or Archetypes                   blueprint to life. Builders are master
lifeblood of successful organizations.            Using a self-organizing map (SOM),        craftsmen and innovators capable of
Every project, strategy, meta-goal or          we drew out the relationships among          finding new solutions to technical and
vision depends on effective teams, on          our 60 case studies and compiled a set       practical problems. Interdependent links
collaboration. A leader is nothing without     of eight distinct archetypes:                in a project management chain, they
followers; no manager is an island.               1. Landlords and tenants. In this         strive to achieve milestones mapped to
    Statements like these have been            command-and-control, top-down model,         deliberate work cycles. As each link is
made and reprised in management                leaders control access to valuable or        completed, they’re one step nearer to
books for decades. The idea that work-         scarce resources and dictate the terms       realizing the architect’s grand design.
ing together is a good thing, that it gets     for followers’ participation. The land-         7. Captain and sports team. Once
complex tasks done—and that it is              lords’ power base grows with the num-        players, leaders know the rules of the
necessary for both organizations and                                                        game. They combine the practical skills
society—is as old as it’s elementary.                                                       of followers with the ability to motivate
    But what does collective leadership look                                                and improvise, often adapting to new
like? What are the models for effective                                                     challenges in real time. Members of the
leaders and followers? How can you                                                          team have a strong sense of shared
ensure the whole will be greater than the                                                   identity and see each other as equals.
sum of the individual parts? Here, things                                                   There is minimal hierarchy. Leaders,
get blurry. Applying the theory of col-                                                     like followers, get their hands dirty.
lective behavior to modern manage-                                                             8. Senator and citizens. This model is
ment is still a work in progress.                                                           a democracy. The leader’s style is consen-
    Three years ago, we started a major        ber of tenants they attract and retain.      sual: problems are tackled through free
project to bring collective leadership be-     At best, the relationship is mutually        and open debate. The senator leader is
yond the platitudes into practice. We          reinforcing: tenants commit to the rules;    the guiding intelligence who oversees
reviewed hundreds of perspectives on           landlords ensure those rules are fair.       decision-making, but followers work
collaboration and collective action drawn         2. Community organizer and volun-         independently. In return for their per-
from several disciplines and made case         teers. Leaders bind the activities of fol-   sonal freedom, citizens willingly com-
studies of 60 examples of collective lead-     lowers together through an inspirational     mit to the constitution and to respon-
ership in diverse organizations across         story and provide the rationale for the      sibilities they owe to the collective.
geographies. The result was As One, a          cause. Leaders don’t, however, tell fol-        Landlord and Tenants, Conductor and
new service offering to our clients.           lowers what to do. The decentralized         Orchestra, and General and Soldiers are
    Designed to help minimize and man-         organization functions more by philoso-      variations on the command-and-control
age the intangible people risks of strategy    phy than by rigid rules and structures.      theme; the other five archetypes are
execution, As One identifies and measures         3. Conductor and orchestra. Highly        more agile and adaptive. None is inher-
three conditions for collective leadership:    trained members perform, with care           ently weaker or stronger—but might be
1) Shared Identity—people see themselves       and precision, repetitive and scripted       in certain situations. An organization
as members, not as outsiders; 2) Direction-    tasks. Protocol-driven, they’re about        intent on continuous innovation would-
al Intensity—people feel impelled to do        doing essentially the same things but        n’t operate well as Conductor and
what’s needed to achieve the organiza-         in new, better, and more efficient ways.     Orchestra or General and Soldiers.
tion goal; and 3) Common Interpretation        The leader motivates the team by the            The SOM provides a taxonomy for
—people have common mental models of           promise of helping them achieve their        collective leadership and puts manage-
how work will get done.                        personal best. There’s little room for       ment in a practical, how-to context. LE
    All three factors are equally impor-       improvisation—but room for excellence.       James Quigley is CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited,
tant. To fail to correct deficiencies in any      4. Producer and creative team. In this    co-chairman of the Deloitte Center for Collective Leadership,
                                                                                            and co-author of As One: Individual Action, Collective Power
one is to make the strategic bet less safe.    archetype, the leader has the vision and     (Portfolio). Stephen Langton is Managing Director of the
It was, however, in the development of         the power to bring together a team of        Deloitte Center for Collective Leadership, Deloitte Touche
                                                                                            Tohmatsu Limited. Visit www.deloitte.com/about.
a measurement tool for the third that          highly inventive and skilled indepen-
our efforts were most concentrated.            dent individuals. Producers guide a          ACTION: Practice collective leadership.

L e a d e r s h i p   E x c e l l e n c e                                                                         A p r i l       2 0 1 1              3
CAPABILITY         LEARNING                     uation. The person being asked for help             1. Learning how to ask the right ques-
                                                must be sensitive to the vulnerability of       tions. Different questions have different
                                                the help seeker and ensure that he or           impacts. Do we want respondents: a) to
 Humble Inquiry                                 she does not make matters worse by              continue their story (humble inquiry), or
 It’s the key to helping.                       belittling the seeker, giving premature         b) to become more diagnostic by asking
                                                advice, jumping to conclusions about            many “why” and “what did you do”
                                                what might be helpful, or reinforcing           questions, or c) do we want to confront
                   by Edgar H. Schein           the one downness of the seeker. And, the        them: “Have you thought about doing
                                                seeker must be clear about what he or           this?” (advice in the form of questions).
                                                she needs, not asking something irrele-             Knowing when to ask what type of

                   S INCE LEADERS ARE SUP-
                      posed to set direction,
                  display wisdom, and tell
                                                vant just to test the potential helper. The
                                                biggest trap for the seeker is to ask the
                                                wrong question; the biggest trap for the
                                                                                                question and assessing the impact of
                                                                                                different questions requires practice. As
                                                                                                leaders, we tend to use confrontative
their followers what to do, we’ve become        giver is to answer that wrong question.         questions. We think that being a leader
obsessed with leadership competencies              For help to be helpful, the leader seek-     means knowing what to do and offering
that emphasize action, direction, and           ing help must reveal the real problem,          guidance and advice. In the new world,
charisma. That works in a simple world          and those being asked to help must              often formal leaders won’t know the
where leaders can figure out what to            enable the leader to reveal the real            answer and need to create a helping sit-
do. Alas, that is not the world of today.       problem. Hence, a relationship of trust         uation in which they and others solve
   In a world of complexity, globalism,         must either exist or be built.                  the problem together (mutual helping).
multiculturalism, dispersion, and social           Humble inquiry is the most reliable              2. Learning what role to take in the
responsibility, formal leaders won’t know       way to test or build a relationship of          helping situation. Do we want: a) to be
enough to be decisive, will depend              trust. By humble, I mean that the helper        the expert and provide information or a
more on the knowledge and skill of              must ask a question to which he or she          service, b) to be the doctor who will
colleagues, will manage networks of             does not already know the answer. If            diagnose the problem and offer a pre-
people from different cultures, and will        we are asking just to check our expec-          scription, or c) to enable the client to
factor in new priorities in decision            tation or presupposition or assumption          solve his/her own problem by being
making. These requirements force us                                                             more of a process consultant.
to focus anew on Greenleaf’s concept                                                                If the seeker clearly wants informa-
of servant leadership and my concept of                                                         tion or a service, we provide it, but we
the leader as a giver and receiver of help.                                                     must be sure that what the seeker asks
   Leaders can’t give direction if they                                                         for is, in fact, the problem to be solved.
don’t understand the complex realities                                                          Often in building the helping relation-
of the situation, which means: 1) seek-                                                         ship, we discover that since the situa-
ing help from many others to provide                                                            tion is complicated we have to take on
the information needed, 2) creating sit-                                                        more of a doctor role. If human systems
uations in which others are motivated                                                           are involved, we also discover that we
to provide such information, and 3)                                                             can never learn enough about the
helping others implement the desired            or hypothesis, we won’t learn what the          client’s system to offer answers or
courses of actions. Leaders need to             person seeking help needs or wants. If          advice, but we can become a process
seek, offer, provide and accept help—           the seeker is the leader or boss, the sub-      consultant, a role in which we focus on
and often they are not very good at it.         ordinate or peer has to ask some hum-           helping the client to solve his/her own
                                                ble questions. If the group member or           problem. In this case, the helper and
Key to Successful Helping                       subordinate comes to the boss for help,         client become a team working together
    Helping is complicated, since in most       the leader or boss must humbly inquire          to diagnose and figure out what to do.
cultures being a competent adult means          what is really being asked.                         We often assume that the leader must
not needing help. To ask for help puts the          By inquiry I mean that the first steps in   give the answer or be the doctor; in the
person one-down and puts the potential          the helping process must be questions, espe-    multicultural new world, leadership
helper temporarily one-up. To ask for           cially by helpers. Even if the seeker asks a    will require more of a process consulta-
help makes you vulnerable. To be asked          question, if helpers do not engage in           tion role, since only the team members
for help makes you powerful. To offer           some humble inquiry, they won’t know            will have the knowledge and capacity
help when it has not been asked for is          whether what was asked was the real pro-        to solve the problem. Leadership will in-
displaying power. The situation is ini-         blem on which help is needed. Inquiry           volve a constant shifting of roles as the task
tially unbalanced. Normal social pro-           does not have to be a set of questions.         demands change. All team members need
cesses are balanced and equitable. We           Showing an open attentive demeanor,             to ask for and provide help as needed.
know our roles and the rules of tact            encouraging the seeker by staying               Leadership becomes a distributed function.
insure that most conversations are equi-        silent, or saying tell me more will reveal      From this view, teamwork can then be
table in terms of the social economics. When    relevant information. If the seeker feels       seen as perpetual mutual helping, requir-
one person speaks, others pay attention!        listened to, that equilibrates the social       ing each team member to engage in
Asking for help or offering it when it is       situation. It builds a momentary helping        humble inquiry with other members.
not asked for disrupts this process. And        relationship in which both parties can              Mutual helping is a critical leadership
for a leader to ask for help is a double dis-   more easily say what is on their minds.         skill—and humble inquiry is the key to
ruption of leader/follower expectations.                                                        creating mutual helping relationships. LE
    So what can go wrong? The person Master Tw o N e w S k i l l s                              Edgar H. Schein is the author of Helping: How to Offer, Give
asking for help must trust the potential      Two sets of skills are involved in                and Receive Help (Berret-Koehler). Visit mitsloan.mit.edu.
helper not to take advantage of the sit- developing helpful relationships:                      ACTION: Engage in humble inquiry.

 4     A p r i l   2 0 1 1                                                                      L e a d e r s h i p             E x c e l l e n c e
MANAGEMENT           ALIGNMENT                to be available whenever someone wants                      CAPABILITY       FINANCIAL
                                               their services but also be lean enough that
 Function Alignment                            their people are being fully utilized. As with
                                               technology tools, managing utilization                      Money Makers
 Align with the purpose and strategy.          versus availability often feels like a no-                  Do your leaders have it?
                                               win situation. In fact, trying to do both
                                               is a no-win. Functions must be clear
                by Mark Nyman                  about the primary drivers of business                                       by E. Ted Prince
                                               success to determine where they apply
                                               utilization or availability as organizing

                I  N GOOD AND BAD ECON-
                   omies, functions such
                 as HR, Finance, and IT
                                               principles. And support organizations
                                               need a clear method for prioritizing
                                               their work and who they respond to
                                                                                                                           L   EADERSHIP DEVELOP-
                                                                                                                                 ment approaches
                                                                                                                             should include business
are in a continual cycle of growing then       first to keep the business running.                         acumen within their ambit, and these
shrinking and centralizing only to decen-          4. Solutions looking for problems. Too                  approaches need models with the
tralize. They are reengineering, down-         many improvement efforts are solutions                      power to predict leadership acumen.
sizing, outsourcing, or creating shared        looking for problems. Many functions, in                        Do your executives have what it
service organizations. One day they are        being proactive with good intentions,                       takes to create capital? My goal is to
asked to increase responsiveness, the next     identify a concept that they find com-                      assess the business acumen of managers
they’re asked to cut cost and improve effi-    pelling, get management support, and                        and leaders; predict their impact on the
ciency. Most change efforts focused on         implement the concept without under-                        financial outcomes; predict the finan-
support functions have unin-                              standing the relevance or                        cial impact of teams; predict financial
tended negative results. For                              application on day-to-day                        impact using metrics that appear in
example, when the HR func-                                work. Creating work for oth-                     financial statements; and translate these
tion makes what they feel are                             ers tends to create the biggest                  into predictions of valuation impact.
positive changes, line leaders                            credibility gap between func-                        My work is a part of the emerging
often have a negative view.                               tions and those they serve. So,                  discipline of behavioral finance. This
While they value the contri-                              always identify what business                    shows how cognitive biases impact
bution of the HR people                                   need you are meeting. Other-                     decision-making. We enable the pre-
assigned to them, they don’t                              wise, your leaders may see                       diction of financial impact by identify-
value the contribution of the                             your work as an added bur-                       ing how the cognitive biases of
function. Why? The changes HR makes to         den or distraction from real work.                          managers impact financial outcomes.
improve the function do not help the line          5. Accountability confusion. This                           Business acumen can be measured—
leaders improve business results.              occurs when functions police budgets,                       and its impact predicted. One aspect of
   When functions try to improve with-         policies, and procedures that belong to                     our work shows what behaviors charac-
out aligning with the organization as          the line and become accountable for                         terize managers with exceptional capabili-
the primary outcome, they tend to hurt         issues that belong to the line. It’s                        ties for creating capital—the personalities
rather than help business performance.         alarming how many functions desire                          of people who excel at making money.
                                               this responsibility. It creates misalign-                       We’ve developed three core psycho-
Five Types of Misalignment                     ment, victims out of those who are                          metric assessment instruments:
   Five types of misalignments occur:          being policed, and becomes a rationale                       • Financial Outcome Assessment (FOA)
   1. Optimizing the function. Often a         for the line not taking responsibility                      measures the financial signature of man-
function will implement changes that           and accountability for results.                             agers—their propensity to create capital.
make their work more efficient or easi-            Solutions to misalignment involve                        • Executive Outcome Assessment (EXOA)
er while making it harder for the orga-        understanding requirements (what effec-                     measures the behavioral characteristics
nization to achieve its goals. Support         tive support looks like) and determin-                      that lead to specific outcomes—how a
functions must know who they are con-          ing what responses drive the most value.                    manager’s behavior impacts financial
nected to and how their actions and improve-   This includes looking at the work you                       outcomes in practice in his situation.
ments will impact the core business. When      are doing and understanding how to                           • Corporate Financial Outcome Assess-
you are in a support role, most of the         best position the work for the good of                      ment (CFOA) measures the financial
requirements need to flow from the             the business. The most lasting solution                     mission based on behavioral data. This
business needs out rather than from the        comes from understanding business                           enables us to evaluate alignment and
support organization to the business.          purpose and strategy and aligning all                       measure competitive prowess from a
   2. Standardization versus custom-           functions to the same end result. Most                      behavioral perspective.
ization. Standardization is a common           leaders see the need for alignment but                          Since many executives have experi-
solution in cost-cutting initiatives and       don’t address what is being aligned.                        enced these assessments, we can now
streamlining functions. When properly          Alignment implies direction or a reference                  look at the behaviors associated with
applied, it creates great value and cost       point to align everything else with.                        capital creation and financial impact
savings. But when business drivers                 Support functions that are aligned                      and correlate the financial signatures of
call for customization, standardization        to the business have clear priorities                       managers with leadership outcomes.
results in rework, shadow organiza-            and those working in the function
tions, and other drains on people’s            clearly see the role their work plays. LE                   Exceptional Money-Makers Are Rare
time. The belief that work is scalable is                                                                     We focus on the most exceptional
                                               Mark Nyman is an expert on HR Transformation with Results
not enough of a reason to standardize.         Based Leadership. Call 801-492-6955 or visit www.rbl.net.   types of propensity for capital creation.
   3. Utilization versus availability.                                                                     Most managers do not create capital—they
Functional groups are often challenged         ACTION: Align functions with business strategy.             consume it (only 12 percent create capital).
L e a d e r s h i p   E x c e l l e n c e                                                                                 A p r i l   2 0 1 1       5
Four personality types have excep-                            LEADERSHIP        ALIGNMENT                   up in several ways. Cultural traits we
tional capabilities in creating capital                                                                         commonly see that create barriers to
(yet even within these groups, only a                                                                           change include turf issues, trust issues
small subset excel in creating capital):                          Leader’s Job One                              or people working in silos. These all
 • Alchemists are introverted and street-                         Align strategy, structure and culture.        get in the way when changes require
wise, meaning they distrust logic. They                                                                         collaboration across the enterprise.
invariably create a new high-value                                                                              There is also a need for more agility
product that creates new market seg-                                                                            and innovation than ever before.
                                                                                  by Larry Senn
ments. To qualify for this characteristic,                                                                          Acquisitions are a part of the
the person is usually intensely introvert-                                                                      growth strategy for many companies
ed and streetwise. Usually the compa-
ny founded by this person does well,
even though the founder is highly
                                                                                  C    EOS AND SENIOR TEAMS
                                                                                       have a lot—usually
                                                                                   too much—on their
                                                                                                                and it is well known that the biggest
                                                                                                                reason for shortfall in acquisitions and
                                                                                                                mergers is “cultural clash”. So, if that
introverted, because the product is rev-                          plates, especially today. So, what are        is the strategy, creating an acquisition
olutionary enough that it attracts more                           the blue chips, the highest value things      friendly and aware culture is an
market interest and sales support that                            for CEOs to focus on? We believe there        imperative. Other companies are seek-
the founder himself can’t attract.                                are three powerful drivers of perfor-         ing to change their structure, such as
 • Visionaries are extremely forward                              mance that deserve their attention.           moving from a holding company or
looking and strongly oriented to giving                               1. Purpose and direction—connect-         decentralized model to a “one compa-
up the present for a far-off future. If                           ing people at all levels to the mission       ny” shared business model. In both sit-
they are too altruistic or too individual-                        and their declared strategy for fulfill-      uations, the cultural traits that need
istic, they will fail to generate revenue.                        ing that mission.                             strengthening are trust and collabora-
They can be only mildly altruistic or                                 2. Structure and enabling processes       tion for the greater good.
mildly individualist; however, being                              —creating the best organization struc-            To eliminate the Jaws of Culture, we
mildly visionary is insufficient—the                              ture and supporting system to drive           advise CEOs to focus on the culture to
psychological impulse to look forward                             that strategy.                                support the strategy, beginning at the
must be intense; otherwise, the person                                3. An enabling culture—ensuring the       senior team because those leaders set
will not show exceptional money-mak-                              behaviors in the organization are the         the example for the rest of the organi-
ing and capital creation propensity.                              specific ones needed to make the struc-       zation. One CEO who did this to great
 • Customer analysts are strongly sales                           ture and strategy work.                       success is Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. He
oriented, rather than product oriented.                               While this appears to be                               regularly points out that he
However, if they are too strongly sales-                          a reasonable agenda, sever-                                had to get the culture right
oriented, they won’t have a high                                  al factors make this difficult                             to succeed at creating the
propensity to create capital. They are                            to do. First, these drivers                                best customer experience.
also strongly financially oriented. This                          are vital but not time                                     Why? Because it is the
does not mean that they will have                                 urgent, and culture is the                                 behaviors of employees
financial qualifications; in fact, usually                        hardest to shift into align-                               that affect the experience
they will not. Rather their zone of psy-                          ment. Most CEOs and their                                  customers have. Hsieh is
chological comfort is exceptionally                               top teams can effectively                                  an example of a CEO who
strong in dealings with finances.                                 adjust their strategies.                                   focused on culture to sup-
 • Generals are disciplined planners, but                         They’re also good at devis-                                port his service strategy
if they are too strongly planning oriented,                       ing new organizational                                     and by doing so created a
they are too slow in adapting to market con-                      structures. But as Ed Schein, one of the      distinctive competitive advantage.
ditions and thus lose market opportuni-                           pioneers in culture, said, “An organi-            In order to make their culture a
ties. In addition, these managers can’t                           zation’s culture is its response to the       launching pad for success, CEOs and
be extremely consensual or command-                               way things used to be.”                       their teams should define or revisit
oriented in their styles. If they become                              In other words, the culture lags and      their organizations’ cultural defini-
too strong in these areas, they lose the                          can become the anchor out the back of         tions. Do the value statements cover
propensity to create capital.                                     the boat. We call this the Jaws of Culture.   the kinds of behaviors the company
    Where a manager or leader falls on                            We all encounter those jaws at one time       needs to win at this moment in time? If
the money propensity scale depends                                or another when we go to implement a          not, they need to be adjusted. If the
on their behavioral characteristics and                           change and it doesn’t go easily.              cultural definitions are fine but the
their intensity. You can use the results                              Culture represents the collective norms   behaviors don’t match, CEOs need to
of these assessments to boost your self-                          and behaviors in the organization. Most       first find ways to ensure the team at
awareness so that you can improve                                 companies have solid core values and          the top is living and modeling the
your financial and valuation impact—                              cultural traits that have made them           desired behaviors. This is because
and thus align better with the financial                          great. They also have historic habits         organizations become shadows of their
mission of the organization and with                              that haven’t changed with the times.          leaders. Special training processes and
its valuation goals. Seek training in                             Those habits can get in the way, espe-        reinforcement systems can be used to
business acumen. Complete the assess-                             cially when strategy or structure/pro-        bring the desired culture to all levels in
ments, link your behaviors to business                            cess changes or when higher levels of         the organization.                       LE
outcomes, and create self-awareness as                            performance are needed. If not system-
                                                                                                                Larry Senn, Ph.D., is Chairman of Senn Delaney, shaping cul-
to how this can improve your impact. LE                           atically addressed, these cultural barri-     tures that enhance spirit and performance. Call 562-426-5400,
E. Ted Prince, Ph.D., is CEO of the Perth Leadership Institute.   ers act like jaws in the culture that can     email lsenn@senndelaney.com or visit www.senndelaney.com.
                                                                                                                This article is adapted from his interview in The CEO Forum.
Call 352-333-3768 or visit www.perthleadership.org.               chew up strategies and initiatives.
ACTION: Boost your money-making capability.                           In terms of cultural traits, this shows   ACTION: Align strategy, structure, and culture.

  6        A p r i l       2 0 1 1                                                                              L e a d e r s h i p           E x c e l l e n c e
LEADERSHIP       SERVICE                                                              which the signs are faint, leaders must
                                                                                       get close to customers and employees to
                                                                                       separate perception from reality.
 Beyond Perception                                                                        Although it sounds simple, it can be
                                                                                       difficult to do. Leaders who have spent
 Perception becomes reality.                                                           their careers climbing a pyramid to
                                                                                       reach the pinnacle can become insulat-
                                                                                       ed and even isolated if they don’t sepa-
                                          opportunities for growth. Others are         rate who they are from what they do.
                 by Gary D. Burnison
                                          innovating to capture consumer inter-        They often become engrossed in the
                                          est in global markets. And, it’s not just    inverted pyramid that suddenly appears

                C     ONSIDER THIS STORY: technological innovation. I think of
                      A group of settlers Nestlé, which launched its first floating
                 in a remote village of   supermarket on the Brazilian Amazon,
                                                                                       above them—layers of constituencies,
                                                                                       including the media, special interest
                                                                                       groups, stockholders, financial analysts,
Outpost were preparing for winter.        a retail barge that extends its reach to     and so on. At the intersection of the two
The group’s leader, unschooled in the more than 800,000 customers.                     pyramids is the CEO, who must not
old ways, guessed that the winter            This global view contrasts sharply        only look over the horizon, but relent-
would be cold and that people should with the perception of those who have             lessly execute today, for that deter-
gather firewood. One day, he traveled relied more on Western economies for             mines the starting point for tomorrow.
to the nearest town and called the        growth. Those CEOs are more subdued.            That means being connected to what
National Weather Service, which con- As they wait for consumers to crank up            matters the most. This is what Mulcahy
firmed his suspicion: the winter was      their spending again, the cup is not         called “logging the miles,” traveling to
indeed going to be cold. The leader       only half empty, but leaking steadily.       meet with employees and customers in
ordered more firewood to be collected,       So who’s right and who’s wrong? It        person. It’s a high-touch style of lead-
and checked in with the NWS again a depends upon your perception. In this              ership that allows not just communica-
week later, which amended its fore-       case, however, throw away percep-            tion from the leader, but dialogue with
cast—not only for a cold winter, but a tion—the classical lens of West versus          the people who are the closest to the
very cold winter. So the people of        East or developed versus emerging has        marketplace. As she observed, “I don’t
Outpost gathered even more wood.                                                       think people can get the sense of the
   When the leader checked in with                                                     leadership dynamic of the company
the NWS a third time, the prediction                                                   without the ability to touch and see
was now for a very, very cold winter.                                                  and interact on a personal basis.”
Finally, having asked for every branch                                                    Her comments bring to mind the
and twig to be gathered, the leader                                                    observation by Muhtar Kent, CEO of
asked the NWS how they could be so                                                     The Coca-Cola Company. His first task
sure. The answer: “The people of Out-                                                  in changing the culture into one of con-
post are gathering a lot of firewood.”                                                 nection was to visit major and minor
   In a directionless economy, it is very                                              markets and to meet customers. It was
easy for perceptions to become reality.                                                the same tactic he used when he was in
The levers of growth are not as appar- blurred. The world’s axis has tilted and        charge of Asia for Coca-Cola. “The first
ent as they were in the days of con-      the compass spins in all directions.         thing I did was to go to every country
spicuous consumption and fast credit.        Leadership, however, is timeless and      (39). Back then, most of our people
   Myopically focusing on the decline can’t wait for clarity. It is about making       didn’t even know the names of our
in Western consumer sentiment, you        and seizing opportunity—not by sitting       biggest customers,” Kent recalled.
will undoubtedly perceive an econo-       home consumed by pundits and prog-              The experiences of Kent and Mulcahy
my that, while officially out of the      nosticators, but by leaders listening        should serve as a wake-up call for CEOs
great recession, is barely growing. If    and learning from those who matter           and other leaders to consider where
so, you are probably preparing for a      most: customers and employees.               they are spending most of their time. If
long cold winter of anemic growth.           Some months ago, on the eve of her        they dwell at the intersection of the
   Not every leader, however, sees        retirement as chairwoman of Xerox, I         pyramid tips, they will be squeezed. If
things the same way. This past sum-       met with Anne Mulcahy. She recalled          they overly rely on perceptions, it
mer, I spent much of my time on the       her early days as CEO of Xerox when          undoubtedly will be myopic and cer-
road in Europe, talking to leaders from the company teetered on the brink of           tainly will be filtered. If that happens,
Paul Bulcke, CEO of Nestlé, to former bankruptcy. As the new CEO in those              they shouldn’t be surprised if they
Prime Minister of Hungary Gordon          days, Mulcahy was pulled in countless        spend most of their time hunkering
Bajnai. My mission was twofold: to be directions until she received some sage          down for a long, cold winter.
with employees and clients outside of advice from Warren Buffett: “There is               Those who empower others while
the United States and to engage in dis- only one way you are going to get results,     venturing out themselves to listen and
cussions with other leaders on what       and that’s by keeping your customers loyal   learn will discover astonishing new
they see, hear, and experience.           and your people engaged and motivated.       levers of growth. For them, there will
   In every conversation, I was struck    Get everything else out of the way.”         be pockets of spring where potential
by the bifurcation in perceptions. For       By focusing on customers and employ-      blooms and opportunity grows.           LE
those who lead global enterprises, the ees—Mulcahy accomplished the near-
                                                                                       Gary D. Burnison is CEO of KornFerry International and
proverbial glass is half full and contin- impossible: saving Xerox.                    author of No Fear of Failure. Visit www.kornferry.com.
uing to fill. They are investing and hir-    The mission for leaders today is no
ing and expanding because they see        different. In a directionless economy in     ACTION: Focus on customers and employees.

L e a d e r s h i p   E x c e l l e n c e                                                                   A p r i l      2 0 1 1              7
CHANGE        INNOVATION                                                                      of their accomplishments that represent
                                                                                              examples of the vision and purpose.
                                                                                              And, they make certain their actions are
 Cultivate Innovation                                                                         consistent with the vision and purpose.
                                                                                                  Boldness happens when employees
                                                                                              do not fear error. Boldness would not
 It all requires bold leadership.
                                                                                              be daring were there not potential for
                                                                                              error. Leaders foster a healthy attitude
                                                                                              toward failure. When Thomas Edison
                                            mostly a superstition. It does not exist          was asked about failure associated with
                                            in nature. Avoiding danger is no safer in         his quest for invention he said: “I never
                                            the long run than outright exposure. Life is      failed once. It just happened to be a
                                            either a daring adventure or nothing.”            2,000-step process.” Edison held over
                                                The remove rather than add approach           1,000 patents. How you deal with error
  by Chip R. Bell and John R. Patterson     means leaders focus on eliminating all            can communicate volumes about your
                                            that exists in the work world that fuels          commitment to fostering innovation.

I  N TODAY’S INNOVATION-DEPRIVED ECON- the opposite of boldness—timidity,
   omy, proactive leaders adopt the
proverb: “Fortune favors the bold but
                                            hesitance, doubt, and reserve.
                                                Boldness is borne of purpose. Stok-
                                                                                              When you meet error with rebuke, you
                                                                                              send a different message than when
                                                                                              you see error as an opportunity for
abandons the timid.”                        ing the flames of boldness begins with            learning and problem-solving.
    Once we consulted with a financial a wide-eyed focus on a dream or pur-                       As part of encouraging bold leader-
services company as their leaders con- pose rather than a squint-eyed look at                 ship, recognize that employees don’t resist
sidered launching a change manage-          the task or job. Caution comes from               change as much as they resist the predic-
ment effort that would foster a more        being mired in day-to-day activity. As            tion of pain over which they have no con-
innovative approach to their market-        the trees block your forest vista, you            trol. Helping employees view change as
place. Every meeting, phone call and        are soon left blind to aspirations and            opportunity not threat requires candid
email was painted the color of timidi- dreams. “I came to my last job,” said                  communication as well as an atmos-
ty. “Why the extreme caution?” we           one retired leader, “with a great sense           phere of inclusion. The more employ-
asked them at the end of another do-        of purpose. But, I got so enmeshed in             ees are in the know and find their
nothing-but-talk meeting? The COO                                                             fingerprints on change initiatives, the
replied, “We’ve been in a bunker mind-                                                        more they will replace fear with fervor.
set so long we’ve forgotten that chutz-                                                           Without risk, there’s no creativity.
pah has been the key to our success.”                                                         However with risk come honest mis-
    A steady diet of cut-backs, layoffs,                                                      takes. It is easier to gently rein in an
and budget crunches has introduced                                                            overzealous, go-the-extra-mile employ-
an abundance of caution into most lead-                                                       ee than to find one with an enthusiastic
ers. The Great Recession trimmed their                                                        attitude in the first place. Fostering dar-
wings—turning them into activity-seek-                                                        ing is a manifestation of trust—the
ers instead of results-makers.                                                                greater the trust, the greater the freedom.
    Now’s the time for leadership bold-                                                       But, with freedom comes with respon-
ness. The key to progress and growth                                                          sibility. The bold leader’s job is to coach
is innovation—and innovation is never       what I had to do that I soon forgot what I        employees to feel more comfortable
spawned in a culture of reticence.          had hoped to be. It was not until I was           with more and more responsibility.
“Boldness has genius, power, and            ready to retire that I realized I had got-            Examine policies and procedures.
magic in it,” wrote Scottish explorer       ten more defensive and less daring.”              Are employees clear on what is a thou
W.H. Murray. “Until one is committed,           Boldness is a choice based on a com-          shalt not law versus an it would be better
there is hesitancy, the chance to draw      mitment to a future state. It’s not a reac-       if you didn’t guideline? Are rules of thumb
back, and always ineffectiveness.”          tion but deliberate action. It is pro-action at   and rules of law treated the same? Are
    Innovation is counter cultural, against its finest—a step toward the light. It is         metrics so abusive that employees feel
the grain, and unconventional. It is        borne of a noble reach beyond the                 that leaders are pulling plants out of the
sometimes cut from unfamiliar cloth.        mediocre of the moment and the ordi-              dirt to determine if they are growing? Are
While the specific output of innova-        nariness of the status quo. Daring with-          employees publicly given the benefit of
tion might not be that controversial, it out recklessness requires awareness of               the doubt? Do they get more coaching
springs from a restless, unsettled place a purpose or vision and a desire to                  or more critiquing? How many times
that today’s leaders must occupy if         move in the direction of that future.             do employees get praised for excellent
they are to inspire innovation. It is the Bold leaders have a valued dream that               efforts that failed to work? Are employ-
habitat of ground-breaking pioneers         serves as the compass for their courage           ees commended for seeking assistance
and norm-breaking entrepreneurs.            and an inspiration to associates.                 from others, including other leaders?
Inventors and artists of all types reside       Bold leaders, intent on fostering
there as well. And, the company or          innovation, talk often about mission and          Responsible Freedom
country that leads the innovation           vision. They focus on what they want a                People need guidelines, not unlimited
space corners the marketplace.              unit or organization to BE, not just DO.          license. The leader who says, “Just go
    Leading boldness is not about some- Such leaders communicate the whys                     do whatever you think is best,” is
thing leaders add as much as some-          when making assignments, not just the             demonstrating abdication, not encour-
thing they remove. Boldness resides in whats and whens. They affirm heroes by                 aging boldness. But guidelines need
us all. Helen Keller wrote: “Security is telling their stories—especially the details         elbow room for people to adapt to the
 8     A p r i l   2 0 1 1                                                                    L e a d e r s h i p   E x c e l l e n c e
situation. Risk taking is not a blank check                           LEADERSHIP          STRATEGIES                 more aware and sensitive to how their
to be foolhardy and reckless. Sensible risk                                                                          part fits into the whole. You also have
taking comes from knowing how to                                                                                     people who can step in and help, in a
balance great performance with responsi-                              Effective Leadership                           variety of areas, when needed. Deep
ble stewardship. It is “owner-thinking.” If                           Three strategies for tough times.              training is one of the best uses of your
employees are to make front-line deci-                                                                               times while business is slow. Also, as
sions like owners, they need the benefit                                                                             the economy turns around you will
of owner-type information.                                                            by Sheila Murray Bethel        have a competitive edge and reap the
    “A lot of us think that success is                                                                               benefits of having highly trained staff.
about the boldness of the gamble,”                                                                                    • Leadership Lesson: The sense of
says Harvard Business School profes-
sor Nancy Koehn. “Success is about
understanding what’s bold about the bold-
                                                                                      I T IS NEVER EASY TO LEAD,
                                                                                          and in these turbulent
                                                                                        times it is harder than
                                                                                                                     shared responsibility is the end product of
                                                                                                                     training in tough times.
                                                                                                                         3. Be a hope giver. Here is where
ness, about knowing how to keep the                                   ever before. The big question is, what         your ability to use aspirational language
risk from coming back to bite you, and                                can you do today to be a more effective        comes to the forefront. Your words can
about knowing what your organization                                  leader? How can you help your people           inspire or discourage, hurt or help, di-
will get from taking such a big step.”                                through these tough economic times?            vide or connect, cause fear or give hope.
    Boldness does not mean the absence of                                 Here are three actions you can take to         Once again, gather your teams
fear. People who are daredevils think                                 relieve employee stress, increase pro-         together and reassure them that it may
they are invincible. Their arrogance                                  ductivity, and enhance your leadership         not be easy, but pulling together is the
causes them to miss seeing the signals                                authenticity.                                  only way to survive in these tough
and cues needed as guidance to suc-                                       1. Focus on A priorities. We are all       times. Have a discussion about why
cess. Sometimes hotdogs get lucky; in                                 bombarded daily by bad news that               your enterprise exists and have the
time, they crash and burn. Innovation-                                affects our self-confidence, attitude          group clarify your statement of pur-
focused leaders help associates respect fear                          and work product. One of your most             pose. Ask each person to share ideas
and channel it. They provide outlets for                              important leadership skills is to help         about how you benefit your cus-
people to talk about their apprehen-                                  people stay focused on the tasks that          tomers. Ask them to define what they
sions and deliver support and encour-                                 are the anchor of your business. These         believe brings you all together in a
agement when people have doubts.                                      are the basics and almost always bring         shared sense of purpose.
    Examine your reward and recogni-                                  the highest results. Help your team                American Express lost 11 employees
tion practices. Which is more valued:                                 emphasize best practices                                    on 9/11. On 9/12 Kenneth
creativity or compliance? Being resourceful                           and the most valuable                                       Chennault, CEO, knew that
or being always right? Who gets praised                               processes and procedures in                                 he would need to commu-
or promoted—and for what? Former 3M                                   their job description.                                      nicate a strong dose of hope
CEO Lew Lehr said: “If you place too                                      A recent client asked me                                in the face of such an over-
many fences around people they can                                    to help improve company                                     whelming tragedy. Nine
easily become pastures of sheep. How                                  morale. The first thing we                                  days later he brought the
many patents are assigned to sheep?”                                  did was gather the various                                  entire New York City staff
    Surround your unit with bold people.                              teams together. Each team                                   to Madison Square Garden
Seek the council of others who exhibit                                had a leader that guided                                    for a team meeting. He told
daring. Invite card-carrying mavericks                                them through a short exer-                                  them that it would take
to your meetings. Read biographies of                                 cise in which each person                                   courage and hard work, but
pioneers who overcame personal limi-                                  listed the most productive and impor-          he was confident that they would all
tations to achieve greatness. Visit orga-                             tant things they do in their job. They         pull through together. His calm
nizations famous for breakthrough                                     then evaluated the least effective activ-      demeanor, quiet grace, and words of
thinking—R&D facilities, art studios,                                 ities and quickly saw where to put             hope, gave his followers the confi-
and culinary institutes. While your                                   their energies and effort. As they             dence they needed to carry on.
approach needs to be relevant to your                                 cleared away less important tasks, and          • Leadership Lesson: Feelings of opti-
unit, others can offer insightful suggestions.                        focused on basics they felt more               mism and expectation are greatly enhanced
    As an old expression notes: Only dead                             assured and much of their stress was           by your ability to help followers step outside
fish swim with the current. Smart fish swim                           relieved as they got to work on their          of themselves and serve a higher purpose.
in all directions, but the pull of the cur-                           “A” list of jobs.                                  Yes, times are tough. It takes excep-
rent does not influence their choice.                                  • Leadership Lesson: Help your people         tional leadership to move your team
Innovation never comes from follow-                                   focus on A priorities, all else can wait for   forward. If you help everyone keep a
ing the herd. Bold leaders bent on culti-                             better times. Get back to the basics and       better perspective on which to focus
vating innovation live the vision, drive                              results will follow.                           priorities, train them to support one
fear out, and encourage employees to                                      2. Train Train Train. As they say in       another, and use aspirational language
think and feel like owners. The byprod-                               sports, “go deep on the bench”. Which          to uplift and give hope, you are using
uct is the assurance of business creativ-                             translates into: train, retrain and cross-     three of the most powerful 21st century
ity that brings the best and brightest to                             train your followers so that they have         leadership skills.                          LE
the marketplace leading to valued                                     a broader depth of appreciation for all
                                                                                                                     Sheila Murray Bethel, Ph.D., is CEO Bethel Leadership Institute,
progress and consistent growth.              LE                       parts of your business. You will be            speaker, author of A New Breed Of Leader, 8 Qualities That
                                                                      building a strong team of players who          Matter Most in the Real World, and Global Leadership, Change
Chip R. Bell and John R. Patterson are customer loyalty consultants                                                  and Customer Service Expert. Visit www.bethelinstitute.com,
and authors of Wired and Dangerous: How Customers Have Chang-         understand not only their jobs but             email Sheila@bethelinstitute.com, or call 925-935-5258.
ed and What to Do About It. Visit www.wiredanddangerous.com.          those of their fellow workers.
ACTION: Exercise bold leadership in innovation.                           The benefit is that everyone becomes       ACTION: Adopt these three priorities.

L e a d e r s h i p              E x c e l l e n c e                                                                                       A p r i l       2 0 1 1              9
CAPABILITY         BREAKTHROUGHS            blinded him to the need to develop his      skills that you didn’t need when you
                                             staff. Once he identified his assump-      relied on old strengths—like hard work
                                             tion, he could see that to handle his      and cheerfulness—alone. Breaking
 Glass Walls                                 current demands he needed to devel-
                                             op the talent that reported to him. Carl
                                                                                        down your glass walls gives you access
                                                                                        to more of your performance potential.
  C h a l l e n g e a s s u m p t i o n s . asked a promising direct to take over       Tr y Self-Coaching
                                             some of his duties. And it paid off! The
                                            man stepped up to the plate with                If you don’t have a coach, try this:
                   by Dana C. Ackley        enthusiasm and effectiveness, delighted         First, ask yourself some questions:
                                            with the trust that Carl placed in him.     What do I admire most in others? Who are
                                                Second, Carl assumed his cheerful-      my heroes? When have I been proudest of

                   C   ARL IS A HIGH-POTEN- ness would win the day. Since cheerful-
                       tial leader. He is   ness had brought him so much success,
                  smart, good looking, and he worried when he wasn’t cheerful.
                                                                                        myself? The answers will tell you some-
                                                                                        thing about your espoused beliefs and
                                                                                        values. These are the thoughts you
has a cheerful personality that draws       When he was upset with underperform-        have that you would like to believe
people to him. He is well regarded at       ers, for example, he tried to deny his      guide your behavior. (“I’m a no-non-
work. Some think he has it all together.    feelings. This strategy created problems.   sense guy. I tell it like it is. You always
    I know better. I’ve spent 40 years      When a direct report was under-per-         know where you stand with me.”)
working with highly successful people. forming, Carl needed to notice his feel-             Next, consider your behavior over the
I hear about their successes, and about ings of displeasure so that he could            past week. Take a hard look at discrep-
where they get stuck. And they all get take appropriate developmental action,           ancies between your stated beliefs and
stuck at some point. What gets in their hopefully while the situation was still         your behavior. For example, maybe
way? Paradoxically, it’s often the one      salvageable. When lost in his cheerful-     you value courage, but avoid necessary
thing that’s made them so successful.       ness, Carl let poor performance go too      conflict. Maybe you compliment some-
    Here’s how it works: Behaviors that     long. His job also required him to deal     one you should be taking to task.
help you get what you want get repeated.    with tough personalities. Sometimes             Note the times that you don’t behave
With enough success and repetition,                                                     in alignment with your stated values.
these behaviors become habits. When                                                     These times signal the presence of hid-
a behavior becomes habitual, it falls                                                   den assumptions (glass walls) that are
out of your awareness. You do it auto-                                                  channeling your behavior in unintend-
matically, without thinking whether                                                     ed directions, blocking you from reach-
you should or not. You assume it is the                                                 ing the results you’re seeking. These
right thing to do. For example, you                                                     hidden assumptions, not your stated values,
might assume that in order to become                                                    are guiding your behavior. (Maybe you
successful, you need to work hard.                                                      really think that people aren’t strong
    Assumptions bring order out of                                                      enough to take what you have to say.
chaos, enabling you to narrow the                                                       Ask yourself what might be making
countless choices available to you                                                      you believe that. Or you may worry
every time you act, without forcing         his cheerfulness diffused the situation;    that someone might not like you if you
you to examine each possibility every at other times, Carl needed to be tough           told them what you think, and believe
time. They bring predictability and         himself. Showing resolve, perhaps with      being liked at all times is crucial to success.)
efficiency. Questioning assumptions         a splash of annoyance, would be more            Ask what might be compelling you
every time you make a choice about          useful. But Carl hated to feel annoyed,     to act as you do when a behavior con-
how to act would defeat their purpose. since feeling annoyed created a sense            flicts with your espoused values. This
    But as circumstances change, the        of failure. Breaking through this glass     question can bring your hidden assump-
assumptions you hold may no longer          wall involved learning to recognize that    tions to light. These are your glass walls.
be valid. Yet, your outdated assump-        annoyance—even anger—could promote              Give yourself permission to be
tions continue to guide your behav-         needed outcomes, such as not letting a      imperfect. Taking a close look at your-
ior—off course, functionally barring        bully intimidate him or others.             self isn’t easy. Accepting your imperfec-
you from getting where you want to              What about you? What are your glass     tions will free you up to work on them.
go. Unseen yet powerful, they have lit- walls? You can let them control your behav-         Your past success doesn’t guarantee
erally become glass walls.                  ior, or you can take control, changing      your future success. As you progress, you
                                            assumptions that were once valid, but       will confront new situations that require
Carl’s Glass Walls                          no longer serve you well. Identifying       changed responses. The hardest part of
    Although he seemed to have every- assumptions that create glass walls isn’t         change is identifying limiting assump-
thing going for him, Carl was actually easy (they’re invisible—outside aware-           tions, or glass walls. Once you achieve
struggling. He worked overtime to suc-      ness); nor is it for the faint of heart.    that, learning new skills and responses
ceed, but felt that he wasn’t measuring up.     Talking with an executive coach or      becomes much more manageable. As
    In our work together, we discov-        other trusted advisor is one approach.      you do so, you’ll break through to a
ered two glass walls:                       Your organization might provide lead-       brighter future, perhaps with a key to
    First, Carl assumed that the solution ership skill development (including an        the executive wash room.                     LE
to any problem was to work harder.          executive coach) to enable you to learn
                                                                                        Dana C. Ackley, Ph.D., is CEO of EQ Leader, an executive
Over a series of promotions, he had         about your glass walls. Once you learn      coaching and leader development firm, and author of EQ
accumulated increasing responsibili-        about them, you are empowered to            Leader and BreakGlassWall Programs. Email
                                                                                        dana.ackley@eqleader.net, or visit http://www.eqleader.net.
ties that exceeded what any one per-        make a choice about how to handle
son could do. His drive to work hard        them. Then you can begin building           ACTION: Challenge your assumptions.

 10    A p r i l   2 0 1 1                                                              L e a d e r s h i p              E x c e l l e n c e
FLASH FORESIGHT
A New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller



HOW TO SEE THE INVISIBLE
AND DO THE IMPOSSIBLE
In his new best selling book, Flash Foresight: How to See
the Invisible and Do the Impossible (HarperBusiness;
January 2011; hardcover), Daniel Burrus takes the
concept of looking into the future and transforms it
into a new paradigm for running highly successful
businesses now and in the future.

Order Your Copy Today at www.FlashForesight.com


             “I love this book! It’s as much fun to read as it is inspiring to
              learn from. Buy it, read it, and put it to use—in a flash!”
             — ALAN M. WEBBER, CO-FOUNDER, FAST COMPANY MAGAZINE
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011
Leadership Excellence April 2011

Más contenido relacionado

Similar a Leadership Excellence April 2011

Reflections on 10+ new leadership
Reflections on 10+ new leadershipReflections on 10+ new leadership
Reflections on 10+ new leadershipDouwe Buis
 
Reflections on 10+ new leadership
Reflections on 10+ new leadershipReflections on 10+ new leadership
Reflections on 10+ new leadershipDouwe Buis
 
Leadership Success: Part 1 - Behaviors
Leadership Success: Part 1 - BehaviorsLeadership Success: Part 1 - Behaviors
Leadership Success: Part 1 - BehaviorsCarl Sawatzky
 
Reflections on new leadership
Reflections on new leadershipReflections on new leadership
Reflections on new leadershipDouwe Buis
 
Reflections on new leadership
Reflections on new leadershipReflections on new leadership
Reflections on new leadershipDouwe Buis
 
Onboarding Millennials 2009 Opga
Onboarding Millennials 2009 OpgaOnboarding Millennials 2009 Opga
Onboarding Millennials 2009 OpgaMark Thompson
 
CEO Branding: Why, When and How to Use the CEO in Corporate Communication
CEO Branding: Why, When and How to Use the CEO in Corporate CommunicationCEO Branding: Why, When and How to Use the CEO in Corporate Communication
CEO Branding: Why, When and How to Use the CEO in Corporate CommunicationFINN
 
Unlock The Leadership Code
Unlock The Leadership CodeUnlock The Leadership Code
Unlock The Leadership CodeTomMathews
 
Millennials In The Workforce
Millennials In The WorkforceMillennials In The Workforce
Millennials In The WorkforceMark Thompson
 
Millennials In The Workforce Ccd Slides
Millennials In The Workforce Ccd SlidesMillennials In The Workforce Ccd Slides
Millennials In The Workforce Ccd SlidesHospitalityHive.com
 
Leaderhip in organisations
Leaderhip  in  organisationsLeaderhip  in  organisations
Leaderhip in organisationsSayyed Latif
 

Similar a Leadership Excellence April 2011 (16)

Identity Driven Leadership
Identity Driven LeadershipIdentity Driven Leadership
Identity Driven Leadership
 
Reflections on 10+ new leadership
Reflections on 10+ new leadershipReflections on 10+ new leadership
Reflections on 10+ new leadership
 
Reflections on 10+ new leadership
Reflections on 10+ new leadershipReflections on 10+ new leadership
Reflections on 10+ new leadership
 
Leadership Success: Part 1 - Behaviors
Leadership Success: Part 1 - BehaviorsLeadership Success: Part 1 - Behaviors
Leadership Success: Part 1 - Behaviors
 
Reflections on new leadership
Reflections on new leadershipReflections on new leadership
Reflections on new leadership
 
Reflections on new leadership
Reflections on new leadershipReflections on new leadership
Reflections on new leadership
 
Beyond Budgeting Case Study AES
Beyond Budgeting Case Study AESBeyond Budgeting Case Study AES
Beyond Budgeting Case Study AES
 
Masters of Servitude
Masters of ServitudeMasters of Servitude
Masters of Servitude
 
Onboarding Millennials 2009 Opga
Onboarding Millennials 2009 OpgaOnboarding Millennials 2009 Opga
Onboarding Millennials 2009 Opga
 
CEO Branding: Why, When and How to Use the CEO in Corporate Communication
CEO Branding: Why, When and How to Use the CEO in Corporate CommunicationCEO Branding: Why, When and How to Use the CEO in Corporate Communication
CEO Branding: Why, When and How to Use the CEO in Corporate Communication
 
Unlock The Leadership Code
Unlock The Leadership CodeUnlock The Leadership Code
Unlock The Leadership Code
 
Millennials In The Workforce
Millennials In The WorkforceMillennials In The Workforce
Millennials In The Workforce
 
Millennials In The Workforce Ccd Slides
Millennials In The Workforce Ccd SlidesMillennials In The Workforce Ccd Slides
Millennials In The Workforce Ccd Slides
 
Leaderhip in organisations
Leaderhip  in  organisationsLeaderhip  in  organisations
Leaderhip in organisations
 
Integral journey 2 1
Integral journey 2 1Integral journey 2 1
Integral journey 2 1
 
Assessing your nonprofit's culture and plan for advancement smith
Assessing your nonprofit's culture and plan for advancement   smithAssessing your nonprofit's culture and plan for advancement   smith
Assessing your nonprofit's culture and plan for advancement smith
 

Leadership Excellence April 2011

  • 1. Excellence L E A D E R S H I P THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY APRIL 2011 Humble Inquiry Why Leaders Fail Collective Henrik Ekelund CEO BTS Leadership “Leadership Excellence is an exceptional Unite Diverse Groups way to learn and then apply the best and latest ideas in the field of leadership.” —WARREN BENNIS, AUTHOR AND USC PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m
  • 2.
  • 3. Excellence L E A D E R S H I P THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY VOL. 28 NO. 4 THE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE A P R I L 2 0 11 Scenic Hazard Most leaders who are standing in the tee box enjoy a telescopic vision or scenic vista, yet all they can see in the fore- ground is the pox of sand traps and ocean waves with many ways to fail and few safe places to drive business, save strokes, or make money. JAMES QUIGLEY AND GARY D. BURNISON Turn Vision into Reality Personal Leader Brand STEPHEN LANGTON Beyond Perception Great companies become Go beyond having a Collective Leadership Stay connected to what real communities. . . . . . .11 leader point of view. . . . 16 Unite diverse groups in a matters the most . . . . . . . .7 common purpose. . . . . . . 3 STEVE ARNESON SANDI EDWARDS CHIP R. BELL AND Employee Bill of Rights Sudden Leader Loss EDGAR H. SCHEIN Every person deserves to JOHN R. PATTERSON Most organizations have certain rights. . . . . .12 Humble Inquiry Cultivate Innovation are very ill-prepared . . . .17 For leaders, helping others It requires you to exercise HENRIK EKELUND is complicated. . . . . . . . . . .4 JOE FOLKMAN bold leadership. . . . . . . . . 8 Practice Makes Perfect Put and keep the company Employee Commitment MARK NYMAN The grass is not always SHEILA MURRAY BETHEL on the right course. . . . . 13 Function Misalignment greener elsewhere. . . . . .18 Align the purpose Effective Leadership You can take three steps to JONAS AKERMAN with the strategy. . . . . . . . 5 IRA CHALEFF enhance authenticity. . . . 9 Effective Simulations 10 key elements of success- Courageous Followers E. TED PRINCE ful simulations. . . . . . . . .13 Would we stand up DANA C. ACKLEY Money Makers for or to our leaders. . . . .19 Very few managers or Glass Walls IRVING BUCHEN leaders create revenue. . . .5 Break through to a BEVERLY KAYE AND brighter future. . . . . . . . .10 Why Leaders Fail Avoid 10 dead-ends. . . . .14 BEVERLY CROWELL LARRY SENN Coaching for Engagement Leader’s Job #1 MARC MICHAELSON AND DAVE ULRICH AND Tap into discretionary Align strategy and culture. . .6 JOHN ANDERSON NORM SMALLWOOD energy and effort. . . . . . .20
  • 4. Volume 28 Issue 4 E . D . I . T . O . R ’ S N . O . T . E Leadership Excellence (ISSN 8756-2308) is published monthly by Executive Excellence Principle-Centered Publishing, LLC (dba Leadership Excellence), 1806 North 1120 West, Provo, UT 84604. Editorial Purpose: I feel that I’ve come full circle. Our mission is to promote personal and organi- zational leadership based on constructive values, sound ethics, and timeless principles. Basic Annual Rate: by Ken Shelton C o m i n g F u l l C i r cl e US $99 one year (12 issues)) Also in March I visited the offices of The Corporate Bulk Rates (to same address) Full Circle Group, aiming to deliver on the Ask about logo and custom editions I and foreign bulk rates. N MARCH LEADERSHIP Excel- promise of effective leadership and business lence co-sponsored the Prin- performance. Developing effective leader- Article Reprints: ciple-Centered Leadership ship is now a strategic priority, says partner For reprints of 100 or more, please contact the editorial department at 801-375-4060 Conference at Utah State University Hunts- Bill Adams. “Given the high impact that or email CustomerService@LeaderExcel.com. Permission PDF US: $75. man School of Management, home of the effective leadership has on performance, it Covey Center for Leadership. is tempting to treat leadership development Internet Address: www.LeaderExcel.com In 1984, we started publishing Leadership as an activity separate from running the Submissions & Correspondence: Excellence under the banner of the Institute business. Our unique approach engages All correspondence, articles, letters, and requests to reprint articles should be sent to: for Principle-Centered Leadership—as a organizations in leader development within Editorial Department, Executive Excellence, joint-venture alliance with the Covey Leader- the context of business performance. This inte- 1806 North 1120 West, Provo, Utah 84604; 801-375-4060, or editorial@LeaderExcel.com. ship Center. That same year, I started writing gration is our governing principle, and two books with Stephen R. Covey: 7 Habits when this principle is put into practice, it Customer Service/Circulation: For information on products and of Highly Effective People and Principle-Center- helps organizations develop leadership as a services call 1-877-250-1983 or ed Leadership. While 7 Habits sold more competitive advantage. email: CustomerService@LeaderExcel.com. copies (one of the top 20 best-selling Again in March, I welcomed Executive Excellence Publishing: nonfiction books of all-time), the home a son, Chris, who had been Ken Shelton, CEO, Editor-in-Chief Sean Beck, Circulation Manager idea of PCL may be more useful as a serving two years in Sweden, and leadership development paradigm. (within two days) welcomed two Contributing Editors: Chip Bell, Warren Bennis, Dianna Booher, In a nutshell, PCL is based on the granddaughters (Kora and Zoey) Kevin Cashman, Marshall Goldsmith, Howard notion that Universal Principles ulti- into the world. This, indeed, is Guttman, Jim Kouzes, Jim Loehr, Tom Peters, Norm Smallwood mately govern in life and leadership. coming full circle. As Covey has proven, when people I selected the great golf art of The table of contents art is a detail from 2010 U.S. Open Championship, The 9th Hole, Pebble seek to develop a value system, Linda Hartough for the cover this Beach Golf Links (image cropped) © Linda they identify the same basic values Linda Hartough month because all of us face a hard, Hartough, and is courtesy of the artist and art print publisher Greenwich Workshop. when four conditions are met: you tough situation like the ninth hole at get enough people interacting; there is a Pebble Beach. Whether we are new-born or For additional information on artwork by Linda Hartough, please contact: spirit of trust and openness; people are born again or coming full circle, the cycle of Greenwich Workshop 151 Main Street informed about the problems and issues; life and leadership presents challenges. The Saymour, CT 06483 and they feel they can communicate freely vision or vista may be appealing, but in the 1-800-243-4246 www.greenwichworkshop.com and synergistically. And these universal val- foreground we see nothing but rough traps. ues deal with four dimensions: physical or Full view of table of contents art. economic; social or relationship; mental, tal- L e a r n i n g / L D E l i t e ent, or intelligence; spiritual or meaning. Congratulations to CLO 2011 LearningElite “If leaders don’t build their value sys- Organizations: Accenture, Alexian Brothers tems on bedrock principles and try to live Medical Center, Allied Barton Security by them—acknowledging that they fail Services, Almac Group, Amdocs, AT&T, much of the time, but striving to get back in Banner Health, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CA alignment—they’ll have dysfunctional cul- Technologies, Cerner., Defense Acquisition Copyright © 2011 Executive Excellence Publishing. No part of this publication may be reproduced or tures,” notes Covey. University, Deloitte, Department of Veterans transmitted without written permission from the “As leaders alienate themselves from Affairs, EMC., Emory University, Farmers publisher. Quotations must be credited. moral conscience based on natural laws and Insurance Group, FedEx, Genentech, General correct principles, they are influenced more Mills, Grant Thornton, IBM, InterContinental by the social conscience of political correct- Hotels Group, J. C. Penney Co., Life Time ness, popularity, and public relations. In Fitness, Loblaw Cos., Lowe’s Cos., ManTech every great culture or organization, people Intl., McDonald’s, Nationwide Insurance, speak up when they see misalignments NetApp, New York Presbyterian Hospital, between principle and practice, and try to NIIT USA, Orkin, Procter & Gamble, close the gap. Leaders may know intuitively Prescription Solutions/ UnitedHealth Group, that they are off track, but lack an informa- Qualcomm, RWD Technologies, Scotiabank, tion system that tells them how far off track Sidley Austin, Spectra Energy, St. Peter’s they are. They tend to under-correct with a Health Care Services, Vanguard, and Vi. LE superficial LD program, or over-correct by downsizing—harming the culture.” So, base your LD on bedrock principles. Editor since 1984 2 A p r i l 2 0 1 1 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e
  • 5. LEADERSHIP ARCHETYPES project; their carefully selected teams make it happen. Ideas are developed through frequent meetings and interac- Collective Leadership tions and an open culture of collabora- tion. Long-term success depends on Go from platitude to practice. constant innovation and reinvention. 5. General and soldiers. Soldiers focus How do you track common interpre- on well-defined and scripted tasks, mo- tations of rather abstract mental models? tivated by hierarchical structure and How do you concretize collective leader- the prospects of promotion. Extensive ship? To make the As One diagnostic training is needed for recruits to under- robust, we had to find an answer. Tra- stand the culture and to learn specific ditional leadership theory wasn’t helpful. skills. The generals’ authority—their The twin poles of command-and-control ability to command respect—is just as by James Quigley and Stephen Langton and hierarchy on the one hand and col- important as their mission. Without it, C OLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP—THE ABILITY to unite diverse groups of people in a common purpose, to achieve laboration and flat-and-fluid structure on the other could not tell the whole story. the organization disintegrates. 6. Architect and builders. Leaders need a team of skilled followers to bring their teamwork on a grand scale—is the Eight Models or Archetypes blueprint to life. Builders are master lifeblood of successful organizations. Using a self-organizing map (SOM), craftsmen and innovators capable of Every project, strategy, meta-goal or we drew out the relationships among finding new solutions to technical and vision depends on effective teams, on our 60 case studies and compiled a set practical problems. Interdependent links collaboration. A leader is nothing without of eight distinct archetypes: in a project management chain, they followers; no manager is an island. 1. Landlords and tenants. In this strive to achieve milestones mapped to Statements like these have been command-and-control, top-down model, deliberate work cycles. As each link is made and reprised in management leaders control access to valuable or completed, they’re one step nearer to books for decades. The idea that work- scarce resources and dictate the terms realizing the architect’s grand design. ing together is a good thing, that it gets for followers’ participation. The land- 7. Captain and sports team. Once complex tasks done—and that it is lords’ power base grows with the num- players, leaders know the rules of the necessary for both organizations and game. They combine the practical skills society—is as old as it’s elementary. of followers with the ability to motivate But what does collective leadership look and improvise, often adapting to new like? What are the models for effective challenges in real time. Members of the leaders and followers? How can you team have a strong sense of shared ensure the whole will be greater than the identity and see each other as equals. sum of the individual parts? Here, things There is minimal hierarchy. Leaders, get blurry. Applying the theory of col- like followers, get their hands dirty. lective behavior to modern manage- 8. Senator and citizens. This model is ment is still a work in progress. a democracy. The leader’s style is consen- Three years ago, we started a major ber of tenants they attract and retain. sual: problems are tackled through free project to bring collective leadership be- At best, the relationship is mutually and open debate. The senator leader is yond the platitudes into practice. We reinforcing: tenants commit to the rules; the guiding intelligence who oversees reviewed hundreds of perspectives on landlords ensure those rules are fair. decision-making, but followers work collaboration and collective action drawn 2. Community organizer and volun- independently. In return for their per- from several disciplines and made case teers. Leaders bind the activities of fol- sonal freedom, citizens willingly com- studies of 60 examples of collective lead- lowers together through an inspirational mit to the constitution and to respon- ership in diverse organizations across story and provide the rationale for the sibilities they owe to the collective. geographies. The result was As One, a cause. Leaders don’t, however, tell fol- Landlord and Tenants, Conductor and new service offering to our clients. lowers what to do. The decentralized Orchestra, and General and Soldiers are Designed to help minimize and man- organization functions more by philoso- variations on the command-and-control age the intangible people risks of strategy phy than by rigid rules and structures. theme; the other five archetypes are execution, As One identifies and measures 3. Conductor and orchestra. Highly more agile and adaptive. None is inher- three conditions for collective leadership: trained members perform, with care ently weaker or stronger—but might be 1) Shared Identity—people see themselves and precision, repetitive and scripted in certain situations. An organization as members, not as outsiders; 2) Direction- tasks. Protocol-driven, they’re about intent on continuous innovation would- al Intensity—people feel impelled to do doing essentially the same things but n’t operate well as Conductor and what’s needed to achieve the organiza- in new, better, and more efficient ways. Orchestra or General and Soldiers. tion goal; and 3) Common Interpretation The leader motivates the team by the The SOM provides a taxonomy for —people have common mental models of promise of helping them achieve their collective leadership and puts manage- how work will get done. personal best. There’s little room for ment in a practical, how-to context. LE All three factors are equally impor- improvisation—but room for excellence. James Quigley is CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, tant. To fail to correct deficiencies in any 4. Producer and creative team. In this co-chairman of the Deloitte Center for Collective Leadership, and co-author of As One: Individual Action, Collective Power one is to make the strategic bet less safe. archetype, the leader has the vision and (Portfolio). Stephen Langton is Managing Director of the It was, however, in the development of the power to bring together a team of Deloitte Center for Collective Leadership, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Visit www.deloitte.com/about. a measurement tool for the third that highly inventive and skilled indepen- our efforts were most concentrated. dent individuals. Producers guide a ACTION: Practice collective leadership. L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e A p r i l 2 0 1 1 3
  • 6. CAPABILITY LEARNING uation. The person being asked for help 1. Learning how to ask the right ques- must be sensitive to the vulnerability of tions. Different questions have different the help seeker and ensure that he or impacts. Do we want respondents: a) to Humble Inquiry she does not make matters worse by continue their story (humble inquiry), or It’s the key to helping. belittling the seeker, giving premature b) to become more diagnostic by asking advice, jumping to conclusions about many “why” and “what did you do” what might be helpful, or reinforcing questions, or c) do we want to confront by Edgar H. Schein the one downness of the seeker. And, the them: “Have you thought about doing seeker must be clear about what he or this?” (advice in the form of questions). she needs, not asking something irrele- Knowing when to ask what type of S INCE LEADERS ARE SUP- posed to set direction, display wisdom, and tell vant just to test the potential helper. The biggest trap for the seeker is to ask the wrong question; the biggest trap for the question and assessing the impact of different questions requires practice. As leaders, we tend to use confrontative their followers what to do, we’ve become giver is to answer that wrong question. questions. We think that being a leader obsessed with leadership competencies For help to be helpful, the leader seek- means knowing what to do and offering that emphasize action, direction, and ing help must reveal the real problem, guidance and advice. In the new world, charisma. That works in a simple world and those being asked to help must often formal leaders won’t know the where leaders can figure out what to enable the leader to reveal the real answer and need to create a helping sit- do. Alas, that is not the world of today. problem. Hence, a relationship of trust uation in which they and others solve In a world of complexity, globalism, must either exist or be built. the problem together (mutual helping). multiculturalism, dispersion, and social Humble inquiry is the most reliable 2. Learning what role to take in the responsibility, formal leaders won’t know way to test or build a relationship of helping situation. Do we want: a) to be enough to be decisive, will depend trust. By humble, I mean that the helper the expert and provide information or a more on the knowledge and skill of must ask a question to which he or she service, b) to be the doctor who will colleagues, will manage networks of does not already know the answer. If diagnose the problem and offer a pre- people from different cultures, and will we are asking just to check our expec- scription, or c) to enable the client to factor in new priorities in decision tation or presupposition or assumption solve his/her own problem by being making. These requirements force us more of a process consultant. to focus anew on Greenleaf’s concept If the seeker clearly wants informa- of servant leadership and my concept of tion or a service, we provide it, but we the leader as a giver and receiver of help. must be sure that what the seeker asks Leaders can’t give direction if they for is, in fact, the problem to be solved. don’t understand the complex realities Often in building the helping relation- of the situation, which means: 1) seek- ship, we discover that since the situa- ing help from many others to provide tion is complicated we have to take on the information needed, 2) creating sit- more of a doctor role. If human systems uations in which others are motivated are involved, we also discover that we to provide such information, and 3) can never learn enough about the helping others implement the desired or hypothesis, we won’t learn what the client’s system to offer answers or courses of actions. Leaders need to person seeking help needs or wants. If advice, but we can become a process seek, offer, provide and accept help— the seeker is the leader or boss, the sub- consultant, a role in which we focus on and often they are not very good at it. ordinate or peer has to ask some hum- helping the client to solve his/her own ble questions. If the group member or problem. In this case, the helper and Key to Successful Helping subordinate comes to the boss for help, client become a team working together Helping is complicated, since in most the leader or boss must humbly inquire to diagnose and figure out what to do. cultures being a competent adult means what is really being asked. We often assume that the leader must not needing help. To ask for help puts the By inquiry I mean that the first steps in give the answer or be the doctor; in the person one-down and puts the potential the helping process must be questions, espe- multicultural new world, leadership helper temporarily one-up. To ask for cially by helpers. Even if the seeker asks a will require more of a process consulta- help makes you vulnerable. To be asked question, if helpers do not engage in tion role, since only the team members for help makes you powerful. To offer some humble inquiry, they won’t know will have the knowledge and capacity help when it has not been asked for is whether what was asked was the real pro- to solve the problem. Leadership will in- displaying power. The situation is ini- blem on which help is needed. Inquiry volve a constant shifting of roles as the task tially unbalanced. Normal social pro- does not have to be a set of questions. demands change. All team members need cesses are balanced and equitable. We Showing an open attentive demeanor, to ask for and provide help as needed. know our roles and the rules of tact encouraging the seeker by staying Leadership becomes a distributed function. insure that most conversations are equi- silent, or saying tell me more will reveal From this view, teamwork can then be table in terms of the social economics. When relevant information. If the seeker feels seen as perpetual mutual helping, requir- one person speaks, others pay attention! listened to, that equilibrates the social ing each team member to engage in Asking for help or offering it when it is situation. It builds a momentary helping humble inquiry with other members. not asked for disrupts this process. And relationship in which both parties can Mutual helping is a critical leadership for a leader to ask for help is a double dis- more easily say what is on their minds. skill—and humble inquiry is the key to ruption of leader/follower expectations. creating mutual helping relationships. LE So what can go wrong? The person Master Tw o N e w S k i l l s Edgar H. Schein is the author of Helping: How to Offer, Give asking for help must trust the potential Two sets of skills are involved in and Receive Help (Berret-Koehler). Visit mitsloan.mit.edu. helper not to take advantage of the sit- developing helpful relationships: ACTION: Engage in humble inquiry. 4 A p r i l 2 0 1 1 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e
  • 7. MANAGEMENT ALIGNMENT to be available whenever someone wants CAPABILITY FINANCIAL their services but also be lean enough that Function Alignment their people are being fully utilized. As with technology tools, managing utilization Money Makers Align with the purpose and strategy. versus availability often feels like a no- Do your leaders have it? win situation. In fact, trying to do both is a no-win. Functions must be clear by Mark Nyman about the primary drivers of business by E. Ted Prince success to determine where they apply utilization or availability as organizing I N GOOD AND BAD ECON- omies, functions such as HR, Finance, and IT principles. And support organizations need a clear method for prioritizing their work and who they respond to L EADERSHIP DEVELOP- ment approaches should include business are in a continual cycle of growing then first to keep the business running. acumen within their ambit, and these shrinking and centralizing only to decen- 4. Solutions looking for problems. Too approaches need models with the tralize. They are reengineering, down- many improvement efforts are solutions power to predict leadership acumen. sizing, outsourcing, or creating shared looking for problems. Many functions, in Do your executives have what it service organizations. One day they are being proactive with good intentions, takes to create capital? My goal is to asked to increase responsiveness, the next identify a concept that they find com- assess the business acumen of managers they’re asked to cut cost and improve effi- pelling, get management support, and and leaders; predict their impact on the ciency. Most change efforts focused on implement the concept without under- financial outcomes; predict the finan- support functions have unin- standing the relevance or cial impact of teams; predict financial tended negative results. For application on day-to-day impact using metrics that appear in example, when the HR func- work. Creating work for oth- financial statements; and translate these tion makes what they feel are ers tends to create the biggest into predictions of valuation impact. positive changes, line leaders credibility gap between func- My work is a part of the emerging often have a negative view. tions and those they serve. So, discipline of behavioral finance. This While they value the contri- always identify what business shows how cognitive biases impact bution of the HR people need you are meeting. Other- decision-making. We enable the pre- assigned to them, they don’t wise, your leaders may see diction of financial impact by identify- value the contribution of the your work as an added bur- ing how the cognitive biases of function. Why? The changes HR makes to den or distraction from real work. managers impact financial outcomes. improve the function do not help the line 5. Accountability confusion. This Business acumen can be measured— leaders improve business results. occurs when functions police budgets, and its impact predicted. One aspect of When functions try to improve with- policies, and procedures that belong to our work shows what behaviors charac- out aligning with the organization as the line and become accountable for terize managers with exceptional capabili- the primary outcome, they tend to hurt issues that belong to the line. It’s ties for creating capital—the personalities rather than help business performance. alarming how many functions desire of people who excel at making money. this responsibility. It creates misalign- We’ve developed three core psycho- Five Types of Misalignment ment, victims out of those who are metric assessment instruments: Five types of misalignments occur: being policed, and becomes a rationale • Financial Outcome Assessment (FOA) 1. Optimizing the function. Often a for the line not taking responsibility measures the financial signature of man- function will implement changes that and accountability for results. agers—their propensity to create capital. make their work more efficient or easi- Solutions to misalignment involve • Executive Outcome Assessment (EXOA) er while making it harder for the orga- understanding requirements (what effec- measures the behavioral characteristics nization to achieve its goals. Support tive support looks like) and determin- that lead to specific outcomes—how a functions must know who they are con- ing what responses drive the most value. manager’s behavior impacts financial nected to and how their actions and improve- This includes looking at the work you outcomes in practice in his situation. ments will impact the core business. When are doing and understanding how to • Corporate Financial Outcome Assess- you are in a support role, most of the best position the work for the good of ment (CFOA) measures the financial requirements need to flow from the the business. The most lasting solution mission based on behavioral data. This business needs out rather than from the comes from understanding business enables us to evaluate alignment and support organization to the business. purpose and strategy and aligning all measure competitive prowess from a 2. Standardization versus custom- functions to the same end result. Most behavioral perspective. ization. Standardization is a common leaders see the need for alignment but Since many executives have experi- solution in cost-cutting initiatives and don’t address what is being aligned. enced these assessments, we can now streamlining functions. When properly Alignment implies direction or a reference look at the behaviors associated with applied, it creates great value and cost point to align everything else with. capital creation and financial impact savings. But when business drivers Support functions that are aligned and correlate the financial signatures of call for customization, standardization to the business have clear priorities managers with leadership outcomes. results in rework, shadow organiza- and those working in the function tions, and other drains on people’s clearly see the role their work plays. LE Exceptional Money-Makers Are Rare time. The belief that work is scalable is We focus on the most exceptional Mark Nyman is an expert on HR Transformation with Results not enough of a reason to standardize. Based Leadership. Call 801-492-6955 or visit www.rbl.net. types of propensity for capital creation. 3. Utilization versus availability. Most managers do not create capital—they Functional groups are often challenged ACTION: Align functions with business strategy. consume it (only 12 percent create capital). L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e A p r i l 2 0 1 1 5
  • 8. Four personality types have excep- LEADERSHIP ALIGNMENT up in several ways. Cultural traits we tional capabilities in creating capital commonly see that create barriers to (yet even within these groups, only a change include turf issues, trust issues small subset excel in creating capital): Leader’s Job One or people working in silos. These all • Alchemists are introverted and street- Align strategy, structure and culture. get in the way when changes require wise, meaning they distrust logic. They collaboration across the enterprise. invariably create a new high-value There is also a need for more agility product that creates new market seg- and innovation than ever before. by Larry Senn ments. To qualify for this characteristic, Acquisitions are a part of the the person is usually intensely introvert- growth strategy for many companies ed and streetwise. Usually the compa- ny founded by this person does well, even though the founder is highly C EOS AND SENIOR TEAMS have a lot—usually too much—on their and it is well known that the biggest reason for shortfall in acquisitions and mergers is “cultural clash”. So, if that introverted, because the product is rev- plates, especially today. So, what are is the strategy, creating an acquisition olutionary enough that it attracts more the blue chips, the highest value things friendly and aware culture is an market interest and sales support that for CEOs to focus on? We believe there imperative. Other companies are seek- the founder himself can’t attract. are three powerful drivers of perfor- ing to change their structure, such as • Visionaries are extremely forward mance that deserve their attention. moving from a holding company or looking and strongly oriented to giving 1. Purpose and direction—connect- decentralized model to a “one compa- up the present for a far-off future. If ing people at all levels to the mission ny” shared business model. In both sit- they are too altruistic or too individual- and their declared strategy for fulfill- uations, the cultural traits that need istic, they will fail to generate revenue. ing that mission. strengthening are trust and collabora- They can be only mildly altruistic or 2. Structure and enabling processes tion for the greater good. mildly individualist; however, being —creating the best organization struc- To eliminate the Jaws of Culture, we mildly visionary is insufficient—the ture and supporting system to drive advise CEOs to focus on the culture to psychological impulse to look forward that strategy. support the strategy, beginning at the must be intense; otherwise, the person 3. An enabling culture—ensuring the senior team because those leaders set will not show exceptional money-mak- behaviors in the organization are the the example for the rest of the organi- ing and capital creation propensity. specific ones needed to make the struc- zation. One CEO who did this to great • Customer analysts are strongly sales ture and strategy work. success is Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. He oriented, rather than product oriented. While this appears to be regularly points out that he However, if they are too strongly sales- a reasonable agenda, sever- had to get the culture right oriented, they won’t have a high al factors make this difficult to succeed at creating the propensity to create capital. They are to do. First, these drivers best customer experience. also strongly financially oriented. This are vital but not time Why? Because it is the does not mean that they will have urgent, and culture is the behaviors of employees financial qualifications; in fact, usually hardest to shift into align- that affect the experience they will not. Rather their zone of psy- ment. Most CEOs and their customers have. Hsieh is chological comfort is exceptionally top teams can effectively an example of a CEO who strong in dealings with finances. adjust their strategies. focused on culture to sup- • Generals are disciplined planners, but They’re also good at devis- port his service strategy if they are too strongly planning oriented, ing new organizational and by doing so created a they are too slow in adapting to market con- structures. But as Ed Schein, one of the distinctive competitive advantage. ditions and thus lose market opportuni- pioneers in culture, said, “An organi- In order to make their culture a ties. In addition, these managers can’t zation’s culture is its response to the launching pad for success, CEOs and be extremely consensual or command- way things used to be.” their teams should define or revisit oriented in their styles. If they become In other words, the culture lags and their organizations’ cultural defini- too strong in these areas, they lose the can become the anchor out the back of tions. Do the value statements cover propensity to create capital. the boat. We call this the Jaws of Culture. the kinds of behaviors the company Where a manager or leader falls on We all encounter those jaws at one time needs to win at this moment in time? If the money propensity scale depends or another when we go to implement a not, they need to be adjusted. If the on their behavioral characteristics and change and it doesn’t go easily. cultural definitions are fine but the their intensity. You can use the results Culture represents the collective norms behaviors don’t match, CEOs need to of these assessments to boost your self- and behaviors in the organization. Most first find ways to ensure the team at awareness so that you can improve companies have solid core values and the top is living and modeling the your financial and valuation impact— cultural traits that have made them desired behaviors. This is because and thus align better with the financial great. They also have historic habits organizations become shadows of their mission of the organization and with that haven’t changed with the times. leaders. Special training processes and its valuation goals. Seek training in Those habits can get in the way, espe- reinforcement systems can be used to business acumen. Complete the assess- cially when strategy or structure/pro- bring the desired culture to all levels in ments, link your behaviors to business cess changes or when higher levels of the organization. LE outcomes, and create self-awareness as performance are needed. If not system- Larry Senn, Ph.D., is Chairman of Senn Delaney, shaping cul- to how this can improve your impact. LE atically addressed, these cultural barri- tures that enhance spirit and performance. Call 562-426-5400, E. Ted Prince, Ph.D., is CEO of the Perth Leadership Institute. ers act like jaws in the culture that can email lsenn@senndelaney.com or visit www.senndelaney.com. This article is adapted from his interview in The CEO Forum. Call 352-333-3768 or visit www.perthleadership.org. chew up strategies and initiatives. ACTION: Boost your money-making capability. In terms of cultural traits, this shows ACTION: Align strategy, structure, and culture. 6 A p r i l 2 0 1 1 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e
  • 9. LEADERSHIP SERVICE which the signs are faint, leaders must get close to customers and employees to separate perception from reality. Beyond Perception Although it sounds simple, it can be difficult to do. Leaders who have spent Perception becomes reality. their careers climbing a pyramid to reach the pinnacle can become insulat- ed and even isolated if they don’t sepa- opportunities for growth. Others are rate who they are from what they do. by Gary D. Burnison innovating to capture consumer inter- They often become engrossed in the est in global markets. And, it’s not just inverted pyramid that suddenly appears C ONSIDER THIS STORY: technological innovation. I think of A group of settlers Nestlé, which launched its first floating in a remote village of supermarket on the Brazilian Amazon, above them—layers of constituencies, including the media, special interest groups, stockholders, financial analysts, Outpost were preparing for winter. a retail barge that extends its reach to and so on. At the intersection of the two The group’s leader, unschooled in the more than 800,000 customers. pyramids is the CEO, who must not old ways, guessed that the winter This global view contrasts sharply only look over the horizon, but relent- would be cold and that people should with the perception of those who have lessly execute today, for that deter- gather firewood. One day, he traveled relied more on Western economies for mines the starting point for tomorrow. to the nearest town and called the growth. Those CEOs are more subdued. That means being connected to what National Weather Service, which con- As they wait for consumers to crank up matters the most. This is what Mulcahy firmed his suspicion: the winter was their spending again, the cup is not called “logging the miles,” traveling to indeed going to be cold. The leader only half empty, but leaking steadily. meet with employees and customers in ordered more firewood to be collected, So who’s right and who’s wrong? It person. It’s a high-touch style of lead- and checked in with the NWS again a depends upon your perception. In this ership that allows not just communica- week later, which amended its fore- case, however, throw away percep- tion from the leader, but dialogue with cast—not only for a cold winter, but a tion—the classical lens of West versus the people who are the closest to the very cold winter. So the people of East or developed versus emerging has marketplace. As she observed, “I don’t Outpost gathered even more wood. think people can get the sense of the When the leader checked in with leadership dynamic of the company the NWS a third time, the prediction without the ability to touch and see was now for a very, very cold winter. and interact on a personal basis.” Finally, having asked for every branch Her comments bring to mind the and twig to be gathered, the leader observation by Muhtar Kent, CEO of asked the NWS how they could be so The Coca-Cola Company. His first task sure. The answer: “The people of Out- in changing the culture into one of con- post are gathering a lot of firewood.” nection was to visit major and minor In a directionless economy, it is very markets and to meet customers. It was easy for perceptions to become reality. the same tactic he used when he was in The levers of growth are not as appar- blurred. The world’s axis has tilted and charge of Asia for Coca-Cola. “The first ent as they were in the days of con- the compass spins in all directions. thing I did was to go to every country spicuous consumption and fast credit. Leadership, however, is timeless and (39). Back then, most of our people Myopically focusing on the decline can’t wait for clarity. It is about making didn’t even know the names of our in Western consumer sentiment, you and seizing opportunity—not by sitting biggest customers,” Kent recalled. will undoubtedly perceive an econo- home consumed by pundits and prog- The experiences of Kent and Mulcahy my that, while officially out of the nosticators, but by leaders listening should serve as a wake-up call for CEOs great recession, is barely growing. If and learning from those who matter and other leaders to consider where so, you are probably preparing for a most: customers and employees. they are spending most of their time. If long cold winter of anemic growth. Some months ago, on the eve of her they dwell at the intersection of the Not every leader, however, sees retirement as chairwoman of Xerox, I pyramid tips, they will be squeezed. If things the same way. This past sum- met with Anne Mulcahy. She recalled they overly rely on perceptions, it mer, I spent much of my time on the her early days as CEO of Xerox when undoubtedly will be myopic and cer- road in Europe, talking to leaders from the company teetered on the brink of tainly will be filtered. If that happens, Paul Bulcke, CEO of Nestlé, to former bankruptcy. As the new CEO in those they shouldn’t be surprised if they Prime Minister of Hungary Gordon days, Mulcahy was pulled in countless spend most of their time hunkering Bajnai. My mission was twofold: to be directions until she received some sage down for a long, cold winter. with employees and clients outside of advice from Warren Buffett: “There is Those who empower others while the United States and to engage in dis- only one way you are going to get results, venturing out themselves to listen and cussions with other leaders on what and that’s by keeping your customers loyal learn will discover astonishing new they see, hear, and experience. and your people engaged and motivated. levers of growth. For them, there will In every conversation, I was struck Get everything else out of the way.” be pockets of spring where potential by the bifurcation in perceptions. For By focusing on customers and employ- blooms and opportunity grows. LE those who lead global enterprises, the ees—Mulcahy accomplished the near- Gary D. Burnison is CEO of KornFerry International and proverbial glass is half full and contin- impossible: saving Xerox. author of No Fear of Failure. Visit www.kornferry.com. uing to fill. They are investing and hir- The mission for leaders today is no ing and expanding because they see different. In a directionless economy in ACTION: Focus on customers and employees. L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e A p r i l 2 0 1 1 7
  • 10. CHANGE INNOVATION of their accomplishments that represent examples of the vision and purpose. And, they make certain their actions are Cultivate Innovation consistent with the vision and purpose. Boldness happens when employees do not fear error. Boldness would not It all requires bold leadership. be daring were there not potential for error. Leaders foster a healthy attitude toward failure. When Thomas Edison mostly a superstition. It does not exist was asked about failure associated with in nature. Avoiding danger is no safer in his quest for invention he said: “I never the long run than outright exposure. Life is failed once. It just happened to be a either a daring adventure or nothing.” 2,000-step process.” Edison held over The remove rather than add approach 1,000 patents. How you deal with error by Chip R. Bell and John R. Patterson means leaders focus on eliminating all can communicate volumes about your that exists in the work world that fuels commitment to fostering innovation. I N TODAY’S INNOVATION-DEPRIVED ECON- the opposite of boldness—timidity, omy, proactive leaders adopt the proverb: “Fortune favors the bold but hesitance, doubt, and reserve. Boldness is borne of purpose. Stok- When you meet error with rebuke, you send a different message than when you see error as an opportunity for abandons the timid.” ing the flames of boldness begins with learning and problem-solving. Once we consulted with a financial a wide-eyed focus on a dream or pur- As part of encouraging bold leader- services company as their leaders con- pose rather than a squint-eyed look at ship, recognize that employees don’t resist sidered launching a change manage- the task or job. Caution comes from change as much as they resist the predic- ment effort that would foster a more being mired in day-to-day activity. As tion of pain over which they have no con- innovative approach to their market- the trees block your forest vista, you trol. Helping employees view change as place. Every meeting, phone call and are soon left blind to aspirations and opportunity not threat requires candid email was painted the color of timidi- dreams. “I came to my last job,” said communication as well as an atmos- ty. “Why the extreme caution?” we one retired leader, “with a great sense phere of inclusion. The more employ- asked them at the end of another do- of purpose. But, I got so enmeshed in ees are in the know and find their nothing-but-talk meeting? The COO fingerprints on change initiatives, the replied, “We’ve been in a bunker mind- more they will replace fear with fervor. set so long we’ve forgotten that chutz- Without risk, there’s no creativity. pah has been the key to our success.” However with risk come honest mis- A steady diet of cut-backs, layoffs, takes. It is easier to gently rein in an and budget crunches has introduced overzealous, go-the-extra-mile employ- an abundance of caution into most lead- ee than to find one with an enthusiastic ers. The Great Recession trimmed their attitude in the first place. Fostering dar- wings—turning them into activity-seek- ing is a manifestation of trust—the ers instead of results-makers. greater the trust, the greater the freedom. Now’s the time for leadership bold- But, with freedom comes with respon- ness. The key to progress and growth sibility. The bold leader’s job is to coach is innovation—and innovation is never what I had to do that I soon forgot what I employees to feel more comfortable spawned in a culture of reticence. had hoped to be. It was not until I was with more and more responsibility. “Boldness has genius, power, and ready to retire that I realized I had got- Examine policies and procedures. magic in it,” wrote Scottish explorer ten more defensive and less daring.” Are employees clear on what is a thou W.H. Murray. “Until one is committed, Boldness is a choice based on a com- shalt not law versus an it would be better there is hesitancy, the chance to draw mitment to a future state. It’s not a reac- if you didn’t guideline? Are rules of thumb back, and always ineffectiveness.” tion but deliberate action. It is pro-action at and rules of law treated the same? Are Innovation is counter cultural, against its finest—a step toward the light. It is metrics so abusive that employees feel the grain, and unconventional. It is borne of a noble reach beyond the that leaders are pulling plants out of the sometimes cut from unfamiliar cloth. mediocre of the moment and the ordi- dirt to determine if they are growing? Are While the specific output of innova- nariness of the status quo. Daring with- employees publicly given the benefit of tion might not be that controversial, it out recklessness requires awareness of the doubt? Do they get more coaching springs from a restless, unsettled place a purpose or vision and a desire to or more critiquing? How many times that today’s leaders must occupy if move in the direction of that future. do employees get praised for excellent they are to inspire innovation. It is the Bold leaders have a valued dream that efforts that failed to work? Are employ- habitat of ground-breaking pioneers serves as the compass for their courage ees commended for seeking assistance and norm-breaking entrepreneurs. and an inspiration to associates. from others, including other leaders? Inventors and artists of all types reside Bold leaders, intent on fostering there as well. And, the company or innovation, talk often about mission and Responsible Freedom country that leads the innovation vision. They focus on what they want a People need guidelines, not unlimited space corners the marketplace. unit or organization to BE, not just DO. license. The leader who says, “Just go Leading boldness is not about some- Such leaders communicate the whys do whatever you think is best,” is thing leaders add as much as some- when making assignments, not just the demonstrating abdication, not encour- thing they remove. Boldness resides in whats and whens. They affirm heroes by aging boldness. But guidelines need us all. Helen Keller wrote: “Security is telling their stories—especially the details elbow room for people to adapt to the 8 A p r i l 2 0 1 1 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e
  • 11. situation. Risk taking is not a blank check LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES more aware and sensitive to how their to be foolhardy and reckless. Sensible risk part fits into the whole. You also have taking comes from knowing how to people who can step in and help, in a balance great performance with responsi- Effective Leadership variety of areas, when needed. Deep ble stewardship. It is “owner-thinking.” If Three strategies for tough times. training is one of the best uses of your employees are to make front-line deci- times while business is slow. Also, as sions like owners, they need the benefit the economy turns around you will of owner-type information. by Sheila Murray Bethel have a competitive edge and reap the “A lot of us think that success is benefits of having highly trained staff. about the boldness of the gamble,” • Leadership Lesson: The sense of says Harvard Business School profes- sor Nancy Koehn. “Success is about understanding what’s bold about the bold- I T IS NEVER EASY TO LEAD, and in these turbulent times it is harder than shared responsibility is the end product of training in tough times. 3. Be a hope giver. Here is where ness, about knowing how to keep the ever before. The big question is, what your ability to use aspirational language risk from coming back to bite you, and can you do today to be a more effective comes to the forefront. Your words can about knowing what your organization leader? How can you help your people inspire or discourage, hurt or help, di- will get from taking such a big step.” through these tough economic times? vide or connect, cause fear or give hope. Boldness does not mean the absence of Here are three actions you can take to Once again, gather your teams fear. People who are daredevils think relieve employee stress, increase pro- together and reassure them that it may they are invincible. Their arrogance ductivity, and enhance your leadership not be easy, but pulling together is the causes them to miss seeing the signals authenticity. only way to survive in these tough and cues needed as guidance to suc- 1. Focus on A priorities. We are all times. Have a discussion about why cess. Sometimes hotdogs get lucky; in bombarded daily by bad news that your enterprise exists and have the time, they crash and burn. Innovation- affects our self-confidence, attitude group clarify your statement of pur- focused leaders help associates respect fear and work product. One of your most pose. Ask each person to share ideas and channel it. They provide outlets for important leadership skills is to help about how you benefit your cus- people to talk about their apprehen- people stay focused on the tasks that tomers. Ask them to define what they sions and deliver support and encour- are the anchor of your business. These believe brings you all together in a agement when people have doubts. are the basics and almost always bring shared sense of purpose. Examine your reward and recogni- the highest results. Help your team American Express lost 11 employees tion practices. Which is more valued: emphasize best practices on 9/11. On 9/12 Kenneth creativity or compliance? Being resourceful and the most valuable Chennault, CEO, knew that or being always right? Who gets praised processes and procedures in he would need to commu- or promoted—and for what? Former 3M their job description. nicate a strong dose of hope CEO Lew Lehr said: “If you place too A recent client asked me in the face of such an over- many fences around people they can to help improve company whelming tragedy. Nine easily become pastures of sheep. How morale. The first thing we days later he brought the many patents are assigned to sheep?” did was gather the various entire New York City staff Surround your unit with bold people. teams together. Each team to Madison Square Garden Seek the council of others who exhibit had a leader that guided for a team meeting. He told daring. Invite card-carrying mavericks them through a short exer- them that it would take to your meetings. Read biographies of cise in which each person courage and hard work, but pioneers who overcame personal limi- listed the most productive and impor- he was confident that they would all tations to achieve greatness. Visit orga- tant things they do in their job. They pull through together. His calm nizations famous for breakthrough then evaluated the least effective activ- demeanor, quiet grace, and words of thinking—R&D facilities, art studios, ities and quickly saw where to put hope, gave his followers the confi- and culinary institutes. While your their energies and effort. As they dence they needed to carry on. approach needs to be relevant to your cleared away less important tasks, and • Leadership Lesson: Feelings of opti- unit, others can offer insightful suggestions. focused on basics they felt more mism and expectation are greatly enhanced As an old expression notes: Only dead assured and much of their stress was by your ability to help followers step outside fish swim with the current. Smart fish swim relieved as they got to work on their of themselves and serve a higher purpose. in all directions, but the pull of the cur- “A” list of jobs. Yes, times are tough. It takes excep- rent does not influence their choice. • Leadership Lesson: Help your people tional leadership to move your team Innovation never comes from follow- focus on A priorities, all else can wait for forward. If you help everyone keep a ing the herd. Bold leaders bent on culti- better times. Get back to the basics and better perspective on which to focus vating innovation live the vision, drive results will follow. priorities, train them to support one fear out, and encourage employees to 2. Train Train Train. As they say in another, and use aspirational language think and feel like owners. The byprod- sports, “go deep on the bench”. Which to uplift and give hope, you are using uct is the assurance of business creativ- translates into: train, retrain and cross- three of the most powerful 21st century ity that brings the best and brightest to train your followers so that they have leadership skills. LE the marketplace leading to valued a broader depth of appreciation for all Sheila Murray Bethel, Ph.D., is CEO Bethel Leadership Institute, progress and consistent growth. LE parts of your business. You will be speaker, author of A New Breed Of Leader, 8 Qualities That building a strong team of players who Matter Most in the Real World, and Global Leadership, Change Chip R. Bell and John R. Patterson are customer loyalty consultants and Customer Service Expert. Visit www.bethelinstitute.com, and authors of Wired and Dangerous: How Customers Have Chang- understand not only their jobs but email Sheila@bethelinstitute.com, or call 925-935-5258. ed and What to Do About It. Visit www.wiredanddangerous.com. those of their fellow workers. ACTION: Exercise bold leadership in innovation. The benefit is that everyone becomes ACTION: Adopt these three priorities. L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e A p r i l 2 0 1 1 9
  • 12. CAPABILITY BREAKTHROUGHS blinded him to the need to develop his skills that you didn’t need when you staff. Once he identified his assump- relied on old strengths—like hard work tion, he could see that to handle his and cheerfulness—alone. Breaking Glass Walls current demands he needed to devel- op the talent that reported to him. Carl down your glass walls gives you access to more of your performance potential. C h a l l e n g e a s s u m p t i o n s . asked a promising direct to take over Tr y Self-Coaching some of his duties. And it paid off! The man stepped up to the plate with If you don’t have a coach, try this: by Dana C. Ackley enthusiasm and effectiveness, delighted First, ask yourself some questions: with the trust that Carl placed in him. What do I admire most in others? Who are Second, Carl assumed his cheerful- my heroes? When have I been proudest of C ARL IS A HIGH-POTEN- ness would win the day. Since cheerful- tial leader. He is ness had brought him so much success, smart, good looking, and he worried when he wasn’t cheerful. myself? The answers will tell you some- thing about your espoused beliefs and values. These are the thoughts you has a cheerful personality that draws When he was upset with underperform- have that you would like to believe people to him. He is well regarded at ers, for example, he tried to deny his guide your behavior. (“I’m a no-non- work. Some think he has it all together. feelings. This strategy created problems. sense guy. I tell it like it is. You always I know better. I’ve spent 40 years When a direct report was under-per- know where you stand with me.”) working with highly successful people. forming, Carl needed to notice his feel- Next, consider your behavior over the I hear about their successes, and about ings of displeasure so that he could past week. Take a hard look at discrep- where they get stuck. And they all get take appropriate developmental action, ancies between your stated beliefs and stuck at some point. What gets in their hopefully while the situation was still your behavior. For example, maybe way? Paradoxically, it’s often the one salvageable. When lost in his cheerful- you value courage, but avoid necessary thing that’s made them so successful. ness, Carl let poor performance go too conflict. Maybe you compliment some- Here’s how it works: Behaviors that long. His job also required him to deal one you should be taking to task. help you get what you want get repeated. with tough personalities. Sometimes Note the times that you don’t behave With enough success and repetition, in alignment with your stated values. these behaviors become habits. When These times signal the presence of hid- a behavior becomes habitual, it falls den assumptions (glass walls) that are out of your awareness. You do it auto- channeling your behavior in unintend- matically, without thinking whether ed directions, blocking you from reach- you should or not. You assume it is the ing the results you’re seeking. These right thing to do. For example, you hidden assumptions, not your stated values, might assume that in order to become are guiding your behavior. (Maybe you successful, you need to work hard. really think that people aren’t strong Assumptions bring order out of enough to take what you have to say. chaos, enabling you to narrow the Ask yourself what might be making countless choices available to you you believe that. Or you may worry every time you act, without forcing his cheerfulness diffused the situation; that someone might not like you if you you to examine each possibility every at other times, Carl needed to be tough told them what you think, and believe time. They bring predictability and himself. Showing resolve, perhaps with being liked at all times is crucial to success.) efficiency. Questioning assumptions a splash of annoyance, would be more Ask what might be compelling you every time you make a choice about useful. But Carl hated to feel annoyed, to act as you do when a behavior con- how to act would defeat their purpose. since feeling annoyed created a sense flicts with your espoused values. This But as circumstances change, the of failure. Breaking through this glass question can bring your hidden assump- assumptions you hold may no longer wall involved learning to recognize that tions to light. These are your glass walls. be valid. Yet, your outdated assump- annoyance—even anger—could promote Give yourself permission to be tions continue to guide your behav- needed outcomes, such as not letting a imperfect. Taking a close look at your- ior—off course, functionally barring bully intimidate him or others. self isn’t easy. Accepting your imperfec- you from getting where you want to What about you? What are your glass tions will free you up to work on them. go. Unseen yet powerful, they have lit- walls? You can let them control your behav- Your past success doesn’t guarantee erally become glass walls. ior, or you can take control, changing your future success. As you progress, you assumptions that were once valid, but will confront new situations that require Carl’s Glass Walls no longer serve you well. Identifying changed responses. The hardest part of Although he seemed to have every- assumptions that create glass walls isn’t change is identifying limiting assump- thing going for him, Carl was actually easy (they’re invisible—outside aware- tions, or glass walls. Once you achieve struggling. He worked overtime to suc- ness); nor is it for the faint of heart. that, learning new skills and responses ceed, but felt that he wasn’t measuring up. Talking with an executive coach or becomes much more manageable. As In our work together, we discov- other trusted advisor is one approach. you do so, you’ll break through to a ered two glass walls: Your organization might provide lead- brighter future, perhaps with a key to First, Carl assumed that the solution ership skill development (including an the executive wash room. LE to any problem was to work harder. executive coach) to enable you to learn Dana C. Ackley, Ph.D., is CEO of EQ Leader, an executive Over a series of promotions, he had about your glass walls. Once you learn coaching and leader development firm, and author of EQ accumulated increasing responsibili- about them, you are empowered to Leader and BreakGlassWall Programs. Email dana.ackley@eqleader.net, or visit http://www.eqleader.net. ties that exceeded what any one per- make a choice about how to handle son could do. His drive to work hard them. Then you can begin building ACTION: Challenge your assumptions. 10 A p r i l 2 0 1 1 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e
  • 13.
  • 14.
  • 15.
  • 16. FLASH FORESIGHT A New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller HOW TO SEE THE INVISIBLE AND DO THE IMPOSSIBLE In his new best selling book, Flash Foresight: How to See the Invisible and Do the Impossible (HarperBusiness; January 2011; hardcover), Daniel Burrus takes the concept of looking into the future and transforms it into a new paradigm for running highly successful businesses now and in the future. Order Your Copy Today at www.FlashForesight.com “I love this book! It’s as much fun to read as it is inspiring to learn from. Buy it, read it, and put it to use—in a flash!” — ALAN M. WEBBER, CO-FOUNDER, FAST COMPANY MAGAZINE