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Apr
13
Decisions, Decisions
Posted in General, Leadership | Comments (0)
As Washington lawmakers continue to battle over the budget, I am reminded of fundamental guidelines that all of us should consider when make policy decisions, developing organizational “ground rules,” or when you are guiding your children through adulthood.
Consider these three questions first and you will not be disappointed with the response:
- Will your policies or rules encourage personal responsibility or will it create victims?
- Will your policies or rules enable more freedom or independence, or will it force more dependence?
- Will your policies or rules inspire investment and growth, or will it trigger fear, risk aversion, and stagnation?
The true measure of a leader is not found in their power, span of control or authority; or even in their charismatic and moving speeches. True leaders are measured by the quality, power, and effectiveness of their followers. Imagine considering these questions or “filters” before making decisions that impact those that follow you. The quality, power, and effectiveness of your people will inevitably be determined by your guidance and your decisions.
Encourage and expect personal responsibility from your people (and your children). Make decisions that create an environment that inspires individual freedom and independence, and most importantly, invest in your people’s (or nation’s) or children’s growth. Place a bet on their potential greatness and watch them take off!
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Feb
28
I’ll Believe It When I See It!
Posted in General, Leadership | Comments (0)
“I’ll believe it when I see it!”
The most fundamentally flawed statement that lives in our daily conversations at home and at work. Think about what this statement actually implies. It actually requires you to find something you don’t currently believe in!
In a business context, this adage is as dangerous as developing a strategy based on hope. In a time when employees are looking for certainty in a volatile business climate, asking them to believe in something they don’t currently see is simply unrealistic … because it is simply not how the brain works.
Think about the skeptics and cynics at work. If I ask them to believe that there won’t be any more reductions in force, even though in the past two years they’ve survived two … chances are their brains are going to be searching for evidence to be right about their skepticism first! Human beings love to be right. If I don’t believe something, my brain is going to scan what’s around me to reinforce MY belief.
Therein lies the major challenge for leaders today. How do you change a habit, a norm, an experience, a climate, a culture and enable your workforce to see the evidence? Hard to do unless you have a disciplined approach in your communications AND the subsequent supportive messaging. I have found that it’s not the quantity of communications that works, it’s how you ensure alignment of the interpretation.
People will always ask (consciously or unconsciously) what does THIS mean?? If you are not there to facilitate the interpretation, their skeptical brain will.
The most compelling quote from the bible, “Thomas, blessed are those that don’t see and yet believe.” Suggesting, of course, that FAITH is required. Unfortunately, business leaders must create a deep trusting relationship with their people in order to create this level of faith.
In the meantime…focus on conveying evidence…constantly; and over time, that evidence will out-crowd your skeptics.
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Dec
03
One thing…
Posted in Blog, General, Leadership, Uncategorized | Comments (0)
What if you could narrow down the secret to becoming a highly influential and effective leader to “one thing?” Is it really possible? Think how many less books would be written if great leadership were a result of “one thing.” So in my work, especially the past few years, I have been watching and listening to leaders differently; and asking myself, “What if all these folks have one thing in common, one thing that drives everything else they do; one way of being that exudes confidence and congruity?” Hmm…
Well, I am getting very close to understanding that, in fact, it really does come down to one thing; and here it is:
“Personal Belief in…”
Great leaders who I’ve witnessed personally, or those who I’ve interviewed or researched, all share this one common attribute.
- When they are confronted by a challenge and they bring forward a solution, they have an unshakable personal belief it will work.
- When they are engaging their people in their vision or strategy, they convey with 100% congruence their personal belief in its merit.
- When questioned relentlessly by the press or analysts about their company’s current or future performance, they communicate in clear and compelling terms their confidence in their strategy, or products, or people … and people back off only because … their personal belief was palatable.
Some authors have referred to this as “principle-centered” and to some degree this “one thing” relates. But this one thing I am referring to is more than that … it is a situational choice leaders have to make (and, in fact, do make, whether they are aware of it or not).
How many times have you walked out of a meeting reflecting on what a leader just conveyed, and said to yourself, “This will never fly!” I’ve attended hundreds of sales conferences, leadership summits, etc. and I spend a lot of time in the hallway listening in on what people REALLY think; and most times, it is not laced with confidence in the leader who just spoke. Why not? The One Thing was not evident.
I now coach leaders situationally. I continuously challenge their personal belief systems. How?
- Ask them why they believe this imperative is important. In the first 20 seconds of their response, you will know if their personal belief is congruent with the task at hand. Pay attention to tonality, physiology, and mostly, pay attention to your own reaction.
I call it a “gut check” and you can’t fake it. People today are so tuned in and attentive because the business environment is so fragile. They are looking for certainty in times of unprecedented change. They are looking for confidence where so little exists. People are more likely to go the extra mile, ask the tougher questions, risk a little more, and generally take their game to the next level IF they believe their leader has a personal belief in them.
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Nov
16
The Right Tension
Posted in Blog, General, Leadership | Comments (0)
How do you know when you’ve come to the line between constructive and destructive feedback, or the line between debate and argument, or negotiation and manipulation? What is the right tension between Sales and Marketing, between Compliance and R&D, or a Business Unit and Corporate?
Effective leaders take people to the line and facilitate accordingly. It is clearly the art, not the science, of leadership and cannot be defined by policy, structure, RACI charts, corporate value statements, or meeting ground rules. It takes being conscious as a leader, moment-to-moment, situation-by-situation, and it takes confidence to push the dialogue one step further. Fact is, people are more resourceful, creative, engaged, and productive when they are immersed in a tense debate.
The trick? Shared outcome. Before engaging at a personal, or even functional level, the outcome must be understood and shared mutually by those involved. Too often leaders assume this is known and often, it is not.
Be explicit on outcome, then take a walk to the line.
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They looked so tired…
I just facilitated a customer value session, attended by product company and c-suite executives and supply chain leaders of major university hospitals.
The topic of the session: Delivering Value in the Current Healthcare Environment. As one 25-year veteran put it, “More has changed in the last 3 months than in the previous 25 years.” Wow. I asked, “Has it really changed yet or are you witnessing people preparing for change?” He said, “Yes.” Wow.
Our goal was to discover how medical device companies could deliver value and differentiate themselves from other providers. What we all really learned was best described by the Chief of Thoracic Surgery in one of our most prestigious university hospitals in the US.
“It used to be surgeons and vendors against the hospital administration…now it’s surgeons, the hospital, vendors, etc. against the changing healthcare environment (aka: the government). A new common enemy.”
Another brilliant comment…
“It’s fine to expect a solution to drive down costs; and costs do have to come down…but healthcare is not the car industry or banking. The fundamental question we must ask is ‘what do you want when you are going into surgery … do you want the best technology, best surgeons, best car possible; or do you want your surgeon to use the lowest cost instruments and the lowest, aka – cheapest, mesh when repairing your hernia?”
Funny how the conversation changes when you’re “under the knife.”
The best outcome of the day: unprecedented levels of partnership will be required for success if we, as a nation, have a shot at truly reforming the practice of healthcare.