Are Leaders Born or Made?

Ever notice how some leaders are just naturals?  They possess great interpersonal skills, when they talk people listen, and they get work done easily through others.   This is just through my lens, see how others see it.  Check out this Center for Creative Leadership article on the topic:

http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/AreLeadersBornOrMade.pdf

Leadership vs. Management

What differentiates leadership from management is a common question in leadership development.

One of my favorite articles that details the differences is by John P. Kotter entitled "What Leaders Really Do." 

http://web.sau.edu/richardsrandyl/what%20leaders%20really%20do_kotter.pdf

Kotter notes that they are two distinctive yet complementary systems of action, and both are necessary for success. 

Leadership -- Coping with change

• Setting a direction
• Developing a vision and stragies to achieve it
• Communicating vision - motivating and inspiring
• Aligning people

Management -- Coping with complexity to bring order and consistency

• Use planning and budgeting
• Setting targets and allocating resources
• Organizing and staffing
• Monitoring implementation

Each system involves deciding what needs to be done and creating networks of people  and relationships that are capable and ensure that they accomplish the task.

I would say that great leaders need integrity and strong interpersonal and communication skills for the very reason that they need followers.

Having led for 15 years of my career without a business degree and then finally getting one, I advocate for leaders to learn management skills-  it makes you significantly more effective.  My big "ahas" in b-school revolved around management, not leadership:

Strategy - Frameworks for understanding organizational strengths and weaknesses and managing change
Project management -  Framework for keeping on target to execute all the great plans!
Six Sigma -  Framework for process improvement and repeatable, transparent processes
Supply Chain Management - Optimizing performance
Systems Thinking -  Why knowing a little about Accounting/Finance, HR, Logistics, Information Technology, Training, Operations, etc. and the related dependencies makes for a more corporate manager and leader.

So is it better to have weak leadership and strong management or strong management and weak leadership?

Personal Compass- Learning our Values

As an icebreaker in a senior leadership development class I took, we each had to fill out an chart entitled  "Personal compass"  In the Northern portion we had to draw (no words) something that depicted "What is my life purpose" and "What gives me meaning?"  In the South, we illustrated "Where do I receive nurturing and support?"  The Eastern segment showed "What do I hope to accomplish personally and professionally in the next five years?" and the West side responded to "What are the two qualities I received from my family of origin?"

We then went around the class and everyone got up and explained their drawings.  In learning everyone's values, we found common ground and were able to open up with one another from the start of the course.  Its a great exercise to do with any group of people who are working together!

Doing What Matters Most

Are you in a time trap?  Not enough hours, too much to do?

My favorite matrix for looking at how I might be spending my time is Stephen Covey's Time Management Matrix:

 

For most of your day, get out of quadrants III and IV and into quadrants I and II!


I also found this mind map that is interesting when you're thinking about where to focus your time:

You're No Good to Me Dead!-Promoting Wellness at Work

I thought this would be a good topic given that everyone seems to have some stage of a cold or flu at work this week.  It's also January, when many are trying to improve their health for the new year.

As bosses, we've got to optimize performance, and it's important to have people who are well to accomplish this.   Some bosses feel if they express too much concern for people's well-being then they'll come across being soft and people will take advantage.    I once heard about a boss who wanted to support wellness without appearing "nice" so he would say "You're no good to me dead!" 

Gallup researchers have spent years studying well-being and according to thm, the average sick day costs a business about $348 in lost productivity in the U.S.  The annual cost of those with the lowest well-being costs $28,000 a year compared with those with the highest who have lost productivity costs of only5 $840 a year.

Promoting well-being in your workplace is not only the right thing to do by the people, it's the best for business!

According to Gallup's book Wellbeing--The Five Essential Elements, physical wellbeing is only one of 5 distinct factors for overall wellbeing:

Career Wellbeing-- liking what you do every day
Social Wellbeing-- liking who you are with every day
Financial Wellbeing-- liking how you are living every day
Physical Wellbeing-- having good health and energy to get things done every day
CommunityWellbeing-- being engaged where you live

Creating conditions to optimize performance - diversity

Why do we measure our progress in diversity by how well we achieve retention and recruitment goals rather than by how we create conditions that allow each employee to draw on their personal strengths and perspectives to optimize performance at work, individually and in groups?

Let's look at diversity as the varied perspectives and approaches to work that different people bring and welcome those.

This said, differences often create conflict, so it's important for a company to ensure that its people are as comfortable as possible having difficult conversations and expressing dissent with the greatest respect and understanding.

 

More Inspiration - Zander, Possibility and Classical Music

Do you have an appreciation for classical music? Whether you do or don't yet, you will be inspired by Benjamin Zander's talk on being inspired by music and other possibilities.

http://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html

I have a child who's learning to play a classical instrument and he's not quite at "one-buttock playing" but getting close!

Have you read Benjamin and Rosamund Zander's Book The Art of Possibility?




Other inspiring classical videos:

Italian flash mob

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=youtu.be

Dueling cellos playing "Smooth Criminal"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjOQac1vOEc

Great Leadership Books of 2012

There are some great leadership books that emerged last year.  My personal favorites:

 




 

Be a Leader, Follow the Leader - watch this!

As a leader, don't underestimate the importance of your followers and nurture them so they can help you build momentum, reach the tipping point, and carry out the changes that you want to happen!

Great 3-minute example of this is in the TED talk by enrepreneur Derek Sivers on "How to Start a Movement"

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

More on Derek Sivers:

http://sivers.org/

Your Leadership Philosophy

Personal integrity is a pillar of leadership.  This appears in the OPM competency list, but is it part of your core in growing up or can it still be developed as an adult?

I heard inspirational speaker Tony Chatman talk about a code of conduct he has for his family and it reminded me of what I use at work as a Leadership Philosophy.  It's important to share our values with those at work and perhaps it will help us live up to them.

Your philosophy doesn't have to be long and complicated, a peer once told me that his leadership philosophy was "do your best."  He conveyed this expectation to his workforce.

To document your leadership philosophy, you'll need to reflect upon you personal values, assumptions and beliefs. Make sure you tell your story.

A possible format:

• Introduction:  some background about yourself
• Your key values and expectations
• Closing (try to use a personal story illustrating the values)

I always find it's helpful to see some examples.  You can google "leadership philosophy examples" and many will pop up.  Some of the more detailed ones I've seen come from the military.  I've put two here as examples:

Good morning Black Knights. I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself, my vision and my expectations as I take command of THE BEST intelligence squadron in the United States Air Force.

First of all, my name is____________. I was born in the great state of Texas. I come from a long line of military professionals. My father was a retired chief master sergeant in the Air Force. He instilled in my brothers and me, a dedication to service and upholding the freedoms that make this a great country. It was these beliefs that drove me to attend and graduate from the United States Air Force Academy in 1993. Upon completion of the Academy, I became an operations intelligence analyst and later a graduate of the Air Force Weapons School. In my 13 years of service, I have lived in 2 foreign countries; deployed over 20 times and I’ve completed 9 assignments. I have had many experiences; however, I am most proud to be a member of the Black Knights. The knight symbolizes the noble profession of arms. Like the knight, we are also members of a noble profession. Thus, it is our duty to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States and ensure that our actions embody integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.

Now that you know a little bit about me, I would like to share with you my vision and philosophy for this squadron and outline for you the price of admission for being a member of the Black Knights. My vision for the Black Knights is to be the 70^th Intelligence Wing’s Squadron of the Year for 2007. Last year, the Black Knights were the last squadron in the wing. Thus, the Black Knights are known as a squadron without pride, heads hanging low--a squadron plagued with low morale. However, the first sergeant and I believe the Knights are better than this last place finish. You have the skills, the talent and the motivation to make this goal a reality. In fact, I believe in approaching challenges with TLC. This stands for teamwork, leadership/loyalty, and communication.

TEAMWORK. Always remember that no man is an island. Teamwork is essential to making our squadron the best in the wing. The Air Force supports the Wingman Philosophy; however, we are going to live this philosophy….you are your brother’s keeper. Each member of this squadron is your wingman. I challenge you to get involved. Supervisors know your people, take care of their needs, recognize their accomplishments and create opportunities for their success. If you are not a supervisor, it’s your responsibility to take care of those around you. We can make our goal a reality if we work together.

LEADERSHIP—some say that you can only be a leader if you have a college degree or command a squadron. I contend that leadership is about motivating people to achieve a common goal. Therefore, leadership is a responsibility shared by all. We must lead each other down the path of success to our goal of being squadron of the year. Additionally, LOYALTY is essential to our goal. Loyalty comes in many forms. The most important is loyalty to each other, our squadron, our mission and the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force has set the standard with the core values: integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do. Our loyalty to these values is the price of admission to this unit and the U.S. Air Force.

COMMUNICATION is the most important factor for our success. Miscommunication or a lack of communication will destroy a squadron. Good and open communication is the key. Therefore, feedback is important. Don’t be afraid to tell your supervisors potential problems. Let the leadership work these issues early. My door is always open; however, please try to work issues at the lowest level. Finally, give your supervisors the opportunity to fix problem before they become major issues. Supervisor attack all problems with care and professionalism. Most of all, treat them as if they were your own.

In closing, I would like to say I am honored to be given the opportunity to lead the Best Intelligence Squadron in the Air Force. We have a long road ahead of us and it won’t be easy. I am committed to my TLC philosophy and challenge you to embody these principles as well as the Air Force core values. I am confident that as long as we keep focused on our goal, take care of each other and anticipate and fix problems early, we will be successful.

Black Knights----Checkmate!!!!!

 

 

 

A Coast Guard Station Command Philosophy

Crew: Below are four points that I believe are the most important to making this unit the best in can be. This Station must function as a team with each person making a contribution everyday. The location of our unit and pace of operations provides an outstanding opportunity for professional development and growth. I encourage each of you to make the most of your tour at this station and seize every available opportunity to learn and to teach others.

1) Respect: A successful team is founded on respect. Respect works up and down and across the chain of command. Respect of each other’s rank, professional skills and individuality is essential to the successful performance of Team Coast Guard and it must remain a cornerstone of our foundation.

2) Commitment: Given the challenges of the high-tempo environment that we work in everyday, commitment to the mission, preparation and self-improvement is crucial to success. There will be trying times when each of us has worked long hours and faced adversity, however we need to remain committed to completing the mission whether it is a SAR case, LE evolution or Homeland Security operation, there are many counting on us to save and protect them.

3) Readiness: We are asked to perform several diverse missions on a daily basis and need to be prepared for each and every one them, which puts a strain on both our people and equipment. Keeping qualifications and skills up to date along with our own health and well being greatly enhances our readiness and performance. Each member of the Station should take this responsibility seriously to contribute to the unit’s overall readiness and performance.

4) Enthusiasm: We work for the World’s Premiere Maritime Service! Everyday our missions are featured on major media outlets throughout the country, from heroic actions during SAR cases to stopping the flow of illegal narcotics and protecting the nation’s ports against terrorist attacks. Take pride in the duties YOU perform. You are an essential part of Team Coast Guard.

Source:   http://ebiz.netopia.com/learntolead/customhtml/

Also see http://tonychatman.com/

Motivators at work

In Dan Pink's book Drive, he discusses research that shows in an environment where work involves cognitive thinking, rewards actually backfire and result in lower levels of performance.  Once you pay people enough-- and I'm sure there's lots of debate on how much that is-- what really matters is:

•  having a sense of purpose,
•  being able to master your work,
• and then having the autonomy to do what you do.

I know many (like me), who work in the public sector and for non-profits, are there because these factors-- either alone or in combination-- outweigh the monetary gains. 

As leaders, we need to think about retaining the best and how we can convey a strong sense of purpose, ensure that people have training and developmental opportunities, and then let give them some space to shine! 

I would add another factor that I see having significance, and that's a social connection.  We live in an increasingly interconnected world, where work gets done through partnerships and teams and this makes work fun!

To see a short, fun, animated version of Dan Pink's work, see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=u6XAPnuFjJc

Any annoying behaviors? Think derailer

I've been listening to Leadership guru Marshall Goldsmith's audiobook What Got You Here Won't Get You There, and I started thinking about civility in the workplace.  Goldsmith lists 20 behaviors that can limit career success.  As I listened to the stories associated with these behaviors, it was clear that they can also lead to a toxic work environment. 

I've listed the behaviors below, but if you'd like to hear it from the master, please go see the 45-minute presentation for Google on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WBeGAAYWg8

1. Winning too much
2. Adding too much value
3. Passing judgment
4. Making destructive comments
5. Starting with "no", "but" or "however"
6. Telling the world how smart we are
7. Speaking when angry
8. Negativity or "Let me explain why that won't work"
9. Withholding information
10. Failing to give proper recognition
11. Claiming credit that we don't deserve
12. Making excuses
13. Clinging to the past
14. Playing favorites
15. Refusing to express regret
16. Not listening
17. Failing to express gratitude
18. Punishing the messenger
19. Passing the buck
20. An excessive need to be "Me"

Unconscious Bias

When thinking about who you mentor, or even who wants to mentor you, we need to consider unconscious bias.  We should be thinking about this in many other arenas too -- recruiting, hiring, development, etc. 

Unconscious bias refers to a judgement you make about a person usually based on limited knowledge when you're not even aware of doing it.  For example, when you meet someone who graduated from the same school as you, you have an instant connection and may prefer hiring this person rather than others who may have stronger credentials.

I saw an interesting talk by Mahzarin Banaji, a Harvard researcher who has been at the forefront in this line of social science research for at least 20 years.  Dr. Banaji led the group through a very interactive presentation of the cognitive research that explains how well-intentioned people have these unconscious biases that make them do things that are not so great.

She noted how people have a strong capacity to imitate others (just stick your tongue out at a baby and see what happens) and as leaders we need to think about who might be following us!

Some points that stuck with me:

• Sterotypical associations are hard to break
• Discrimination happens by those we help (not just those we don't help)
• Blind interviews produce greater diversity
• We pass judgement in the first few minutes of meeting someone

Dr. Benaji noted that in the book Freakonomics, author Steven Levitt tells a story about data that shows that those who had fluoride in their water now make more money because they have nicer teeth!

She showed a video of a person's face changing where people were asked to assess how smart they were and it found that people felt those whose eyes were closer together weren't as smart!
http://webscript.princeton.edu/~tlab/demonstrations/


We might miss important elements-- See the selective attention test on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQmdoK_ZfY

Co-author Tony Greenwald's website
http://faculty.washington.edu/agg/

The new Benaji-Greenwald book called Blind Spot, the Hidden Biases of Good People comes out on 12 February!

January is national mentoring month!

I mentioned in my last post that 20 percent of development as a leader comes from coaching, networking and mentoring.  Fortune 500 CEOs often site the role of mentors in their success and many have taken on the role to mentor others.  Mentors have played a huge role in my 25+ years as a leader, helping me with everything from advice on how to handle tough situations to  job choices and overall career development.   I had one really crucial mentor in my early years and then several over the last 10 or so. I also had many peer mentors.  I didn't always listen to their advice, especially when decisions were made for personal reasons, but I always welcomed their insight. 

Given that it's national mentoring month, take the time to offer yourself as a mentor.  If your organization doesn't have a mentoring program, you could be the catalyst to start one!  Ever been part of a speed mentoring event?  Like speed dating, you get equal number of mentors and mentees in the room with a facilitator who keeps time and after 10 or 15 minutes the bell rings and the mentees move to a new mentor.  By the end of the session, people have hopefully found a good match or a connection to someone who know a good mentor for that person!

If you have a mentor already, take this opportunity to thank them and be as specific as possible about how they have influenced your career!   Feel free to comment on how a mentor has influenced your career/life!

Developing Leadership Ability 70-20-10

According to the Center for Creative Leadership there is a model for learning and development that blends experience, relationships and training.  Referred to as the 70-20-10 model, approximately:

• 70% of learning is provided through the use of challenging assignments and on-the-job experiences.
•  20% of learning is developed through relationships, networks, and feedback.
•  10% of the learning is delivered via formal training processes.  

Does your organization put most of its leadership development resources into training?  Sometimes its easier to purchase external vendor training rather than develop the internal infrastructure to support succession planning with stretch/rotational assignments, coaching, mentoring, and action learning.  The weaker this internal support infrastructure, the more important the formal training will be, but it can't be a close substitute for the lessons learned on the job and
through feedback from peers, bosses and mentors.

Stair Step Leadership Model

 

 

 

Yesterday, I mentioned OPM's Leadership Competency framework and how all competencies aren't equal.  OPM puts leadership competencies into this stair step model to indicate what competencies leaders should have at the various levels of leadership.  The arrows across show that these build as you go up the chain, so that by the time you're an executive, you've got it all!  This said, the competencies actually listed in the boxes are those that are likely to be most important at that level.  I love frameworks; however, I think this model falls somewhat short.  We need to be helping leaders at the lowest levels with vision and strategy -- they are key building blocks from the lowest level on up.  They are also important contributors to innovation. Somewhere in this model, there needs to be systems thinking -- an understanding of the entire organization and how the pieces fit together.  This is why intern and leadership programs that place people in multiple positions across the organization can be incredibly valuable in producing truly corporate leaders.  Would welcome any thoughts on this and other models being used. 

 

 

 

 

OPM's Leadership Competency Framework

In 1991, the Office of Personnel Management identified and validated individual and organizational competencies that are important for the effective performance of supervisors, managers, and executives. It has evolved and the current model defines a set of 27 competencies, grouped into five categories that track with executive core qualifications for the senior executive service, though they are applicable to all levels of supervision and management.

OPM LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
Leading Change	. Flexibility . Resilience . Service Motivation . Continual Learning	. Creativity/Innovation . Vision . External Awareness . Strategic Thinking
Leading People	. Integrity/Honesty . Cultural Awareness	. Conflict Management . Team Building
Building Coalitions/Communications	. Oral Communication . Written Communication . Interpersonal Skills	. Influencing/Negotiating . Partnering . Political Savvy
Results Driven	. Decisiveness . Customer Service . Technical Credibility	. Problem Solving . Accountability . Entrepeneurship
Business Acumen	. Human Resources Management . Financial Management . Technology Management

This framework provides an interesting approach to thinking about our leadership skills.  Of course, not all competencies are equal-- some are more important than others depending on the job, culture, environment, and leadership level.   I'll use this framework over the course of the year to touch upon key competencies and how we can strengthen them.

For more information:
http://www.chcoc.gov/Transmittals/Attachments/trans751.pdf

Inspiration

Today I picked up Seth Godin's book Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck? It's a compilation of some of his best blog posts from 2006-2012.  Perhaps it'll be an inspiration for me as I pursue this blog.  I first heard Seth Godin speak while I was in business school back in 2007, and I remember that he came across as a marketing genius and someone with a great amount of creativity and humor.  I left  inspired and wanting to read all his books, likely a result of his superb marketing skill ;-)   He also introduced me to Stumble Upon www.stumbleupon.com a site/app that enables you to find web content for a wide range of things you might be interested in and some more inspiration!

For his blog:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

Resolution to be a better leader - positive thinking

I've made a resolution to be a better leader this year and I thought I could take you along for the ride!

A leader plays an important role in setting a positive tone in an organization.  I am taking a simple mason jar and putting it on my desk starting today.  When good things happen, I will write them on a post-it and slip it into the jar.  When I'm having a bad day, I can pull out the papers in my jar and reflect on all the positives.