Posts Tagged ‘Leadership’

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From Optimism To Disillusionment

June 9, 2015

The Stages of a Project:

  • Enthusiasm,
  • Disillusionment
  • Panic and hysteria
  • Hunt for the guilty
  • Punishment of the innocent
  • Reward for the uninvolved.

All of us who have done project work have seen a variation of this joke. Unfortunately, many of us have seen some variation of this in real life. We thought this was a modern thing.

In the sayings of the Desert Fathers, an Elder used to say:

In the beginning when we got together we used to talk about something that was good for our own souls, and we went up and up, and ascended even to heaven.
But now we get together and spend our time in criticizing everything and we drag one another down into the abyss.

How often do we do this? We join an organization. We start a new company, committee, church, project full of enthusiasm. Then someone starts criticizing. Something about criticizing causes it to spread like an invasive weed.

How often I have witnessed its destructive force on people and organizations.

How often I have caught myself crossing the line from analysis to criticism only to say to myself, “Fool, what have you just said?”

There exist at least two problems. One is leadership. Somewhere the leader lost focus or allowed the group to lose focus of the vision. The other that it is easier to criticize than create.

We run into an obstacle–that fearful thing that happens when we take our eye off our goal according to Henry Ford–and instead of saying this is a problem where we need to find a solution we throw our hands up in dismay and wail and cry and criticize.

Those whom you gather around you are important to your own well being. Gather those who talk about something good for your souls. Leave as quickly and decisively as possible those who spend time criticizing.

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Why Become a Leader

June 5, 2015

Betrayal, failure, working excessive hours, exhaustion, worry, fear.

By the time you finish Leadership Pain: The Classroom for Growth by Samuel Chand, you wonder why anyone would want to be a leader. He has written eleven chapters that contain about 30 stories of leaders who experienced all of that and more.

He doesn’t take the easy route out, either. No simple formulae. No quick list of top ten tricks and tips.

There is no easy solution. People are people. Some lie to you and then betray you. Some betray you yet continue to smile when you meet. It happens. It’s happened to me, it’s happened to you.

What you know is that you have a vision of how you want to make a difference. And it takes an organization to make that difference. You want to build a business, a ministry, a church, a non-profit. You begin to hire people and you think they share the vision. Then someone will turn on you. Or there will be a market setback. Revenues dry up. There are big challenges.

What Chand shows is how people worked through all the crises. You will suffer some degree of pain as a leader. It is inevitable. One would hope not to suffer as his examples did. You have to have examples out on the extreme a little in order to have enough drama for a good book.

But we all get in the middle of something and discover the pain.

How you handle the pain is the key to growth and success or decline and failure. Pain is inevitable. Overcoming it is probably a myth. But we must work through it to emerge on the other side as a stronger and more energized leader.

Many people had only intellectual knowledge of potential negative side effects of leadership. Experience drives real understanding. Especially experience reflected upon and viewed as a tough teacher.

Why lead? Because we have a vision and want to make a difference. Is it worth it? Yes.

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Leaders, How Well Do You Know Those You Serve

May 29, 2015

Recently the Keurig CEO made news by acknowledging in the face of declining sales that customers did not like the “lock-in” strategy of his new coffee machines. He had tried to use technology to assure that his one-cup-at-a-time brew machine would only work if you used coffee in his specially designed little cups (K-cups). No more freedom to use your own favorite beans.

Well, customers walked away and bought competing brands. (Duh!)

This week, the CEO of McDonalds, the fast food hamburger chain, also in the face of declining sales said that the company would change its grilling process such that it would provide hotter, jucier burgers.

Probably a genius industrial engineer goaded into finding cost-cutting processes changed the process of going from griddle to bun to going from griddle to a bin to a bun. As a result, burgers came out cold (on a relative scale) and dry.

Customers rebelled. They went elsewhere.

Leaders of organizations serve someone. Remember where Jesus said that leaders would be servants? Well, that wasn’t just for his 11 friends. It’s true today. And a leader forgets that at his peril.

Whom do you serve? Who is your customer?

If you are a pastor, do you realize that people want to be taught, not preached at? Do you realize the value of guidance to the point leaders?

If you are leading a team for buildings or missions or youth or whatever, do you know the wants and needs of your customers? Do you think of ways to serve them in ways to help them grow?

In business we talk about providing a product or service that helps someone solve a problem or improve their life. Notice the emphasis on “their”? Our thoughts, vision, effort must be directed outward toward those we serve or hope to serve.

When people become numbers on a spreadsheet, when we are focused inwardly on our costs or comfort zone, then we are in grave danger of failing. 

Then we wake up one day and realize that people have voted with their feet–they’ve left and headed for something or someone who cares about them and their problems.

How well do you know those whom you serve?

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Lacking A Core Equals Leadership Weakness

May 22, 2015

“It’s all about the core.”

That is the foundation saying about the exercise regimen called Pilates. In Yoga, we also work on the core–your abdominal, lower back, and glutes. We do Plank, Boat, Bridge, Crocodile, and several other poses designed to strengthen the student’s core muscles.

It takes a strong core to sit straighter, stand straighter, project strength, and build good health.

You work on your core in every session. It degenerates quickly. Oh, and for you men–the famous “beer belly” is less due to beer than to weak ab muscles.

What happens when a leader has no core?

A good leader is a joy. A toxic leader–abusive, manipulative–you can run from. But a leader without a core breeds frustration.

Maybe they are just so entirely self-absorbed that they don’t really care about others. Or maybe there is no belief, goal, direction, or passion.

They sit in meetings without contributing. They let staff go where they wish. If a staff person decides to do something that is detrimental to the whole, they don’t take them aside and lead them into an understanding of the whole and how their actions affect that.

How did this person in the leadership role who has no core of leadership get there? Maybe a fluke of the organization where corporate appoints a district manager. Maybe money. Maybe the other leaders bailed and this person was the last one standing.

If you find yourself in this position, when you’re just not sure where you stand. When the organization you’re supposed to lead is floundering unsure of direction or purpose–that is when you had best make like Jesus. Before he became a leader and assembled a team, he spent 40 days in the wilderness. 

Just so, you had best take a personal retreat. This can be alone or with a mentor/coach. It is time to search for your purpose, your goals, your core values. Define these. Write them. Print in large font, frame them, put them on your office wall.

Set a direction and start sailing.

If, on the other hand, you work under such a leader, then you have a situation. If you are the one on the team who recognizes the situation, perhaps in meetings you subtly guide direction through questions and proposals in such a way as to convince others as to the direction the organization should be going.

You can be a leader without being The Leader.

The danger lies in the situation when the team all recognize the weakness. If the team all have differing agendas, then heaven help the organization. It will be split in a dozen directions with no core and wind up like the middle-aged guy with the beer belly.

Go work on your core.

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The Art of Leadership Requires The Art of Communication

May 15, 2015

He just sort of went his own way. Left the others behind and bewildered. Instructions were muddled. Text messages with u and 4 and ty rather than spelled out, complete sentence communiques.

She could talk and talk; and then when you walked away you wondered, “Just what did she say?”

Worse still is the leader who just doesn’t talk, or text, or send emails.

A friend of mine used to say, “Just pick up the phone and call.”

The leadership lesson I’m contemplating today is when a leader does not communicate–either clearly or at all.

We all know them. We’ve worked for them. Maybe when we look in the mirror we see one.

In the Bible I can think of Joseph who clearly communicated–first to the king and then to the people and saved them from starvation. Daniel who spoke clearly to a number of kings and the people who served him.King David, who was able to give clear and explicit orders–even when they were wrong. Nehamiah. Oh, yes, Nehemiah. He spoke clearly to his leader to get permission to travel to Jerusalem. Then he spoke clearly to the leaders of the Jews when he arrived. And he did a great work.

Are you aware of your weakness in communication? I know that I’m a better writer than one-on-one communicator. I hate “just picking up the phone” even when I should.

Recently I know of a situation that I’m trying to rectify where there was almost a total breakdown of communications that almost wrecked a project. One person didn’t speak up. Another didn’t assure that he was undersood when he talked. Worse, most was done by brief email exchanges.

I consulted with an executive director of an agency once where I was trying to get him to see how to communicate with his board. It started from within, that he felt like an equal. That his opinion and vision mattered. And then he needed to take his vision to the board collectively and individually.

What I have learned through bitter experience–a leader must be a great communicator. There is no one correct style of communication. But she’d better have a good one and be good at it.

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Leaders Are Known By The Questions They Ask

May 8, 2015

If someone asks me a question, I’ll answer it. 
That’s not bad, except that sometimes I then neglect to ask a question in return. People think you are a fascinating conversationalist if you ask questions. Not so much if you just spout off with what you know.
Even more, leaders are known by the questions they ask. Or if they don’t ask, just tell.
It is said that leaders are readers. They are also askers.
You show your interest by asking questions. In a work or other leadership situation, people will know what is important to you by the questions you ask.
My early work in manufacturing was with a company that made products. Every day the president of the company would call the production manager and ask, “How many did you get?” 
Guess what. Sometimes products were pushed out before they were completely ready. But, the production manager could say that x products were out. What wasn’t said was the products had to be finished outside of the normal production area.
But, the president was answered.
Even as a “kid” I thought that the president wasn’t asking the right question.
I’ve heard that Bill Hybels has said that great leaders pause before a decision and ask of themselves, “What would a great leader do?”
That is a great question. You could also substitute dad, mom, grandparent, coach, teacher, brother, sister, pastor….
I like the idea of pausing. Too often, I don’t. 
But the question has great value. The old phrase (and wristband) WWJD—what would Jesus do—comes to mind.
It’s good to pause and think. Then act. And act like a great leader.

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Leadership: Connections and Changed Behavior

May 1, 2015

My customer had a problem. During one process of assembly, if a little spring was not installed correctly–and there were six per assembly–it would lead to warranty problems when its customer used it.

So, we installed an automated vision system that would work alongside the worker to assure the quality of the product.

It was not an inexpensive solution.

The worker did not like this intrusion and refused to work with the vision system. So, they turned it off and decided at that level that the company could live with potential warranty risk.

The technology was good. But we didn’t change the behavior of the worker. So, it failed.

This week, I heard a speaker talk about technology in terms of changing behavior and connecting people.

It’s not just about technology, he said. Think the iPod, which changed the way we listen to music. The iPhone which changed the way we connect with friends and the Web. These changed behavior and connected us.

I thought about leadership in that way.

Good leaders connect us. They connect the team. They connect the company’s parts. They connect the company with customers and suppliers.

They aso lead us to changed behavior. We came into the company as a collection of individuals. The leader gets everyone to modify behavior to get along with each other–at least enough such that work can be done to fulfull the mission of the organization or committee.

I thought about how James tells us that unless our belief changes our behavior that belief is not real–or at least not deep enough. James was a leader in the formation of the church. He knew what he was talking about. No doubt he lived it.

So go about connecting people together and connecting them to the mission. And lead them to changed behavior that forges a team that accomplishes much.

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Who Has Integrity in Your Organization

April 28, 2015

I am reading a book on leadership. Got through a few chapters on the plane yesterday. I’ll have more details on the entire book on Friday (I hope).

There was a thought that was mentioned in a chapter on integrity

In every organization, there are one or two people at the senior level who operate as chief ethics officers. You know them—they’re the ones you go to when you need to talk with someone you can trust,

So, aside from you, my readers, whom I am positive are the paragons of integrity–OK, enough of that–can you identify someone in your organization, team, committee or group who is the moral compass of the group?

I recently read a book where the starting premise was that Adam (of apple fame) should have spoken up, should have been the moral compass, should have known better and set a better example, but he didn’t. He wimped out. Instead of saying, “Eve! Are you out of your mind?”, he said, “OK, give me a bite.”

In my long and chedkered business career, I’ve worked for guys whose moral compass was a few degrees off true north. I know there were times when I said something. But how many times did I simply stay silent? Maybe I eventually quit rather than be part of it. But was that the coward’s way out?

What organizations have you been in where the senior leadership did not exhibit integrity? You could not trust them. What was the atmosphere within those organizations?

What should we–you and I–be doing right now to be one of those chief ethics officers? What impact would that have on the organization? On our colleagues’ lives? On our life?

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On Leadership–Placing Blame

April 24, 2015

The results were in. The project had “gone south” as they say. Actual numbers were far from projected. Team members were discouraged. Worse, they were scrambling to justify themselves by placing blame on others. It was as if a serious virus had invaded the body of the organization spreading disease and death.

Now is the time for the leader to step forward. Can she bring everyone together and salvage something in order to move forward into the future. After all, things fail. Not all projects are successful.

But the leader, oh what a narcissist or worse. The leader places blame. 

“If only the economy were better.”

“If only the designer had done a better job.”

“If only the sales people were better.”

“If only….”

How about–“I’m sorry I let people down. I failed to plan adequately. I failed to get the team working together. I failed to make decisions quickly enough.”

One of my spiritual mentors says that when things are bad there are two responses we should never make. These responses to suffering, failure, bad results will prohibit any further spiritual (or other) growth.

These responses are placing blame and festering in bitterness.

Experience comes from making bad decisions. Wisdom comes from learning from those bad decisions.

The leader could go to the team and own up to the mistakes and then leading a reflection on what went wrong in order to position the team (or committee, business, church, non-profit) for future success.

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Promoted Beyond Confidence

April 17, 2015

“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” –Walt Kelley, Pogo Seth Godin, famous marketing guru, has written several books, but now he writes short thoughts on his blog. Yesterday, he wrote a corollary to the Peter principle.

The original Peter Principle made perfect sense for the industrial age: “In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to their level of incompetence.” In other words, organizations keep promoting people up the organization until the people they promote reach a job where they are now incompetent. Competence compounded until it turns into widespread incompetence. Industrial organizations are built on competence, and the Peter Principle describes their undoing. Consider a corollary, one for our times: “To be promoted beyond your level of confidence.” Too often, the person who wrecks our work is us. In every modern organization with upward mobility, good people are promoted until they get to the point where they lose their nerve.

How often it seems that organizations promote people who were good at something, but they were not good at the new job. The original Peter Principle was derived from education. A teacher is good at communicating with children and controlling a classroom. Promoted to Principal, she must now supervise and motivate teachers as well as deal with more parents. Promoted to Superintendent, she must now deal with the school board and supervise and motivate Principals. Each move up the ladder requires new skills. Maybe in churches, a pastor is good at preaching and dealing with a few committees. Then going to a bigger church, now she must deal with more committees, supervise and motivate a larger staff, do more strategic planning, and upgrade preaching skills. Today in flatter hierarchies, Godin says the problem is confidence. He may have something. We get into something that we are no longer confident of handling. “How did I get into this,” becomes the question of the hour—or minute. It may be mostly the same skills, just on a different level. Leaders lacking in confidence may wind up micromanaging. Or they may withdraw. Either way, they become ineffective leaders. How do we gain confidence?

  • Seek out mentors
  • Study
  • Get over needing to be “the smartest person in the room”
  • Celebrate small accomplishments—both personally and with the team

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