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ExcellenceL E A D E R S H I P

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

DECEMBER 2010

“Leadership Excellence is an exceptionalway to learn and then apply the best and latest ideas in the field of leadership.”

—WARREN BENNIS, AUTHOR ANDUSC PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT

Mojo KillersMojo Killers

Lead withLead withEnergyEnergy

AvoidAvoid

Ten CEO ChallengesTen CEO Challenges

LeadershipRealities

LeadershipRealities

Daniel VasellaLeader of the Year

ExcellenceL E A D E R S H I P

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

KEN SHELTON

State of 2010 Leadership Lack of bench strengthis the top concern. . . . . . . 2

DANIEL VASELLA

Leadership RealitiesPrepare now to face10 tough challenges . . . . . 3

WARREN BENNIS

We Need LeadersAuthentic ones makeall the difference . . . . . . . .4

STEVEN BERGLAS

Anger MismanagementIt can derail even themost secure leaders . . . . . 5

CHIP R. BELL

Being in LeadershipFor most people, it’s a lotlike being in love. . . . . . . .6

KEVIN CASHMAN

Lead with EnergyYou will have better resultsand more resilience. . . . . .7

JOE FOLKMAN

Employee CommitmentNine leadershipbehaviors drive it . . . . . . .8

SHEILA E. MURPHY

Leadership StrategyThis is what guides allbehaviors and decisions. . 9

HOWARD M. GUTTMAN

Bench StrengthThree preconditionsmust be in place tosustain success. . . . . . . . . 10

MARSHALL GOLDSMITHAND PATRICIA WHEELER

Avoid Mojo Killers

Get the facts, or thefacts will get you . . . . . . .11

LAURA STACK

SupercompetencyYou can be much moreefficient and effective. . . .12

STEPHEN XAVIER

Great LeadersUnique qualities makethem effective mentorsand coaches. . . . . . . . . . . .13

RICK LEPSINGER

No Accountability?Stop making seven big mistakes. . . . . . . . . . 14

DAVID PARMENTER

Legacy LeadershipLearn and apply lessonsfrom the life of Sir Winston Churchill . . . . .15

PETER BLOCKAND JOHN MCKNIGHT

The Limits of SystemsTheir growth and powerthreaten our workand our welfare. . . . . . . . 17

MARK FREIN AND JUANF. (PACO) CASTELLANOS

Leading Across CulturesBeware of culturaldifferences and stickto your values . . . . . . . . .18

SETH KAHAN

Get Change RightObserve six principlesto bring the sharedvision to light. . . . . . . . . .19

STEVE COATS

Development ROIYou can measure the resultsof your LD program . . . .20

VOL. 27 NO. 12 DECEMBER 2010

The Oldest Angel/Leader

It seems that this resilient leader has been around forever,

serving as a symbol of defiant hope. Day and night,

he climbs a well-worn path and holds out his candle.

There are stories about him:who is he, why he is here,

how he started, when he might retire, and what he'll pass on to the next generation.

THIS MONTH, I RECEIVEDthree interesting releases

on the state of leadership.First, from the Forum Leadership Challenges

Index, I learn that leaders, faced with a stalledeconomy, “are increasingly looking to boostperformance by developing more and betterleaders who can jump-start new strategies.”In fact, topping the list of greatest concernsto leaders in the Index is leadership benchstrength. “Many organizations are lookingto recruit and/or develop new leaders at allranks in the hopes of stimulating growth,”notes Ed Boswell, CEO of The Forum Corp.“Many leaders believe they do nothave enough skilled talent to achievetheir strategic goals, and are missingopportunities to grow revenues andprofits as a result. Leadership devel-opment, which waned in 2008-09, hasreturned—big time, since the oppor-tunity costs are too high to ignore.”

Other top issues on the list include:accelerating execution of strategies torealize fast and lasting growth; adopt-ing sales models that differentiate from com-petitors; creating loyalty-inducing customerexperiences through superior customer ser-vice; and delivering on a key strategy byaligning culture. “The areas that spur growthdepend on the ability of people—leaders,salespeople, or service professionals—to ex-ecute strategies faster and better than com-petitors,” said Boswell. (www.forum.com).

Second, from the Right Management sur-vey, I learn that one in three firms lacks aleadership pipeline because they fail to iden-tify future leaders, except perhaps for a fewkey roles. “Many organizations have madepractically no provision for future leader-ship,” said Deborah Schroeder-Saulnier,Right Management Senior VP for GlobalSolutions. “Only 19 percent indicate thatthey’ve identified high-potential talent whocan lead in the future. Organizations with-out a process in place undermine theirstrength. Stakeholders want leaders who canimprove agility and growth and drive per-formance to achieve both good quarterlyresults and long-term success. Organizationsthat focus on short-term goals will be at aserious disadvantage if they postpone strate-gic initiatives like managing succession anddeveloping high-potential talent for future

leadership positions. Weak leadership benchstrength can be felt in many areas—fromnegatively impacting employee engagementto eroding the customer experience andreducing performance. Managing successionis the cornerstone of strategic viability,ensuring business continuity, retention ofhigh-value talent, and a formidable culture.It secures future leadership capability, criti-cal for driving performance, and is a vitalbusiness process that integrates the identifi-cation, assessment, and development of tal-ent with long-range strategic planning. Yourhealth depends on the depth and breadth ofyour succession management.” (Contacthelene.cavalli@right.com).

Third, from the National Leadership Index,the annual survey of confidence inleaders conducted by the Center forPublic Leadership at HarvardKennedy School, I learn that confi-dence in our leaders remains low.“This survey represents yet anothercry for more effective leadership,not only in politics, but in manyother fields,’” said David Gergen,professor of public leadership atHKS and director of the CPL. “Two-

thirds have said that we have a leadershipcrisis and believe that unless we address thiscrisis, the country faces a bleak future.”

Only four of the 13 sectors—nonprofits &charities, the Supreme Court, and medicaland military sectors—garnered above-aver-age levels of confidence. Leaders of newsmedia, Congress, and Wall Street remainedthe lowest rated. Confidence in businessleadership increased for the second year in arow. Confidence in the leaders of the mili-tary, local government, education, andCongress decreased from 2009. When askedabout the negative emotions they experiencewhen considering their leaders’ ability tohandle the crises, 37 percent say they aredisappointed, and 35 percent say they areangry, fearful, or embarrassed. (Visitwww.hks.harvard.edu/leadership or contactPatrick_McKiernan@harvard.edu).

These surveys call for new and better waysfor developing people, especially in the areasof management and leadership, sales and service,and personal and professional growth. Fortunate-ly we address all three areas each month inLeadership Excellence, Sales and Service Excel-lence and Personal Excellence magazines. LE

L a c k o f b e n c h s t r e n g t h i s t o p c o n c e r n .

by Ken Shelton

Volume 27 Issue 12

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Contributing Editors:Chip Bell, Warren Bennis, Dianna Booher, Kevin Cashman, Marshall Goldsmith, HowardGuttman, Jim Kouzes, Jim Loehr, Tom Peters,Norm Smallwood

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State of 2010 LeadershipE . D . I . T . O . R ’ S N . O . T . E

2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e

Editor since 1984

Ed Boswell

activists, may define you as their target.You also become a product or object forthe media. In times of stress or success,the leader may become more visibly aprojection screen for the impulsive anx-iety, admiration, or anger of employeesand the public. You tend to feel thatyou are being viewed inappropriately andtreated unfairly. People see the leader asthe villain or the hero, while neither istrue. The art of enduring such projec-tions and feelings, which are oftenunpleasant, and to accept them andrespond with maturity and goodwillrequires empathy, and the capability toendure frustrations, eventually trans-forming them into constructive actions.When you’re the target of anger, youcan either react with anger or acceptbeing a projection screen—trying to

understand the sources of these feel-ings and respond in a constructive way.

4. You must be constantly learning onthe job. This is as exciting as it is chal-lenging. Bridging cultures, languages,laws, and religions requires a strongidentification with the company, itspurpose, and globally accepted values.The school of leadership is marked bylearning through successes and espe-cially failures, observing other leaders,and assimilating patterns to developeventually a personal voice and stylebased on acquired traits combined withinnate talents. As medical student, Ilearned about the power of knowledge;as resident physician, I needed to relyon a well-trained and disciplined team.

5. You must deal effectively with con-flicts. Leaders and boards of directorsoften act as filters between multiplestakeholders and the organization.Various stakeholder groups have diver-gent, even mutually exclusive expecta-tions, of a firm and pursue their agendasaggressively. This creates tensions and

Leadership Realities

IKNOW SEVERAL EXPERTSon leadership (Warren

Bennis chief amongthem); however, I am not one of them,although I’ve been a CEO for 14 years.Yet, I do have strong views on leader-ship as a result of learning by listen-ing, reading, and experiencing the job.

Few aspiring or emerging leadersappreciate the many challenges of thejob. Here are 10 challenges to preparefor if your ambition is leadership:

1. Your job never stops, 24/7/365. Tech-nology has enveloped our lives, neitherthe time of the day or night nor distancematter anymore. You’re always available.Wherever you are in the world—evenin the most unlikely places—it is likelythat someone will know you. It createsan impression of being watched, whichrequires both self-control and indiffer-ence. But as a leader, you lose anonymityand freedom, due to visibility, a fullagenda, and long-term commitments.

2. You’re expected to provide answersquickly, and speed is of the essence (andyet not always prudent). People expectyou to know everything and providefast answers. As CEO I would constant-ly think of the company, opportunities,problems, and people. I’d mull overissues, playing possible scenarios, untilan answer would emerge and a solu-tion fall into place. The capability toendure uncertainty and doubt withoutreaching out aggressively for unavail-able facts and data or drawing prema-ture conclusions and acting due to subject-ive pressure is called negative-capability—the capability to endure frustration andbe patient with the faith that in timeclarity will be reached and answersfound. It contrasts with the image ofan always fast-paced, cool and rationaldecision-making leader. You need toknow when to wait and when to act.

3. You are criticized and blamedpublicly for (among other things):making too much money, for chargingtoo high prices, for negative clinicalstudy results, for drug side-effects, andfor any wrongdoing, which is general-ly seen as a failure of the leader. NGOs,ranging from Greenpeace to animalright activists and corporate governance

conflicts; it has the potential to bindand absorb much energy. In general,employees with specific functions dealwith specific stakeholder groups. Atthe leadership level, however, variousdemands may clash, resulting either inignoring or rejecting certain demandsor experiencing the inherent conflicts.For constructive conflict resolution, youneed mental guidelines for judging sit-uations, setting priorities, and deter-mining an appropriate course of action.It requires clarity of purpose. Values seteffective boundaries to how objectivesare pursued. To resolve tensions, you,the leader, have to judge, communicateclearly, absorb frustrations, and exer-cise the courage to stand tall for whatyou see as the right course of action.

6. You must be clear about what dri-ves you personally. While it’s not alwaysobvious what drives us as leaders, I seea mix of two elements: 1) the deep desireto fulfill a mission, and 2) the thrill tolead people. However, I believe thatstriving for power without purpose is unsus-tainable, while the energy derived frompurpose and deep beliefs, combinedwith competence and integrity, is power-ful. I clearly understood my duty: tobring people to their optimal performancelevel, supporting them to become extra-ordinary, so together we’d perform andfulfill our primary duty in society anddiscover, develop, and produce extra-ordinary products that help physiciansto save the lives of people worldwide.

7. You and your team must be clear onthe firm’s societal purpose, aspirations,values and core capabilities—and thencreate alignment. Your awareness of thefirm’s primary responsibility—beingclear about your purpose in society—helpsyou set direction, align and motivateassociates, and resolve the inherent con-flicts that leaders and their firms face.

As a new product manager, I learnedabout the importance of an explicit mis-sion and vision statement when at ourfirst team meeting a colleague askedme for it. I hadn’t even considered thequestion, and was deeply embarrassed.When appointed as CEO, I was luckyto be invited to participate in a seminarwith Michael Porter at HBS duringwhich I had to present my farewell speech.I was unprepared and had to impro-vise. It made me aware that unless Iknew what I wanted to build and achieve, Iwould never succeed.

8. You need authentic self-assurance.Leadership is a lonely job. You don’tmake many new friends and are happyto keep your old ones. I was lucky tohave a good family, which gives memuch support, to have a spouse who

by Daniel Vasella

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 3

LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES

P r e p a r e n o w f o r 1 0 c h a l l e n g e s .

provides me with objective feedbackwhile remaining loyal and supportive,and to have three wonderful kids. Youget a thick skin, but you can’t deny thepressures. To withstand them and suc-ceed, you need authentic self-assurancethat provides a strong sense of gravityinside you, grounding you in knowl-edge of yourself. This self-assurance isnot only the result of maturity, but alsoof introspection and candid situationanalysis. It ensures balance when youare pushed, and perspective when criti-cized or praised. I’ve always desired tokeep an open mind and gain personalfreedom through self-awareness, intro-spection, insight, and continuous learn-ing. Accepting my imperfections andshortcomings gives me peace of mindand pleasure to see others succeed.

9. You must develop other leaders andprepare a successor. In 2008 I decidedthat it was time to plan for succession. Ihad served long enough: we were thefastest growing large pharmaceuticalcompany; we had a full pipeline; ourstrategy was clear; our convictions andvalues were shared among the leader-ship team; we had solid developmentprograms; and I had colleagues withCEO potential. At our Board successiondiscussions in June 2009, I announcedmy decision. It came as a surprise tothem; nevertheless, we quickly agreedon the process, the governance model,the selection criteria, the division ofduties between the Chairman and CEO.Only then did we enter into the con-crete discussion about the candidates.

10. You must deal with losing yourleadership position. I then had to dealwith my own change in responsibility,power, and status. After I announcedmy retirement as CEO, the organiza-tion adapted quickly—focusing atten-tion on the new CEO. To my surprise,handing over power and letting gonever bothered me. I reflected on JohnGardner’s great speech entitled Self-Renewal, wherein he said: We build ourown prisons and serve as our own jail-keepers. He implied that it is up to us tofree and renew ourselves. I believe thatwe remain, at least to some extent,masters of our own destiny as long aswe expand the understanding of our-selves, of our roles, and of others.

Over the years, you learn to dealwith many of these challenges. The loadnever seems to lessen, but your abilityto cope and carry on seems to strength-en in proportion to your duties. LE

Daniel Vasella recently retired as Chairman and CEO ofNovartis; in October he was named the GILD Warren Bennisleader of the year. Daniel.vasella@group.novartis.com

ACTION: Prepare now for leadership challenges.

by Warren Bennis

when we are cast in that role—or, whenin our role, we cast our leadership.

In the 1980s, the larger-than-life CEOwas in vogue; in fact, including otherfigures in a study of leadership wasunusual. Hollywood director NormanLear saw business as the dominantparadigm of our time, and he arguedthat its short-term, bottom-line think-ing has a negative impact on society.

Jim Burke, CEO of Johnson & John-son, once asked me, “Who do youthink is the most powerful person inthe United States today?” I mentioneda name, to which he replied, “No. It’sNorman Lear.” Lear’s All in the Familywas more than entertainment. It alteredattitudes and behaviors. Even as welaughed, we saw how repulsive ArchieBunker’s racism, sexism, and smokingwere. Using social satire, Lear was chang-ing society for the better. I later reflected:Jim Burke was right—Lear’s powerfulleadership was of the first order.

Jim was acutely aware of the needto create cultures of candor and trans-parency because of his experience in1982 when eight people died after tak-ing Extra-Strength Tylenol that had beenlaced with cyanide. Every managementschool studies the exemplary way Jim

responded. He went on 60 Min-utes and told Mike Wallacewhy he’d decided to recall 31million bottles of Tylenol,worth $100 million. The pub-lic perceived Burke to be hon-est, even courageous, moreinterested in doing the rightthing than in the bottom line.Despite dire predictions,

Tylenol regained 80 percent of marketshare the following year.

Great things can happen when tal-ented people work together with a sup-portive leader/mentor who seeks tounleash their talents. The term mentordoesn’t do justice to what a great onedoes—the generosity a mentor shows.Beyond sharing his or her wisdom, thementor allows the protégé to share in hisor her achievement, an extraordinarygift. Moreover, the mentor puts his or herreputation on the line with every good worddropped to people in power; in that sense,mentoring is a pure act of faith. Youput yourself at risk, having no real con-trol over how anyone else performs.

When I look back, I’m stunned bythe faith that my mentors had in me, somuch more faith than I had in myself.I had to grow and become the personthey vouched for again and again. LE

Warren Bennis is author of Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Lifein Leadership (Jossey-Bass/Wiley). Visit www.WarrenBennis.com.

ACTION: Become an authentic leader.

CERTAIN THEMES REOC-cur in my work—

the nature of leadership,creative collaboration, how to lead change,the need to reinvent yourself, and how tocreate cultures of candor. I’ve learnedthat every book is an education. InLeaders, Burt Nanus and I identifiedthe qualities and behaviors that enableyou to succeed in a leadership role.Among them are empathy, respect, andinsight in dealing with people. Suchabilities constitute emotional wisdom.

In my bones, I know how importantleadership is—the very quality of our livesdepends on it. We need and seek honest,competent leaders in government, bus-iness, industry, education, and socialorganizations. We are social animals, andour packs need leaders. Good or bad,they shape our destinies. Authentic lea-dership elevates every organ-ization wherein it’s practiced.

Sensing that leadership issomething many people aspireto, whatever role they play, Iwrote On Becoming a Leader.It became clear that the abilityto inspire trust, not charisma,is what enables leaders torecruit others to a cause.

We so often think of leadership assomething a few rare and gifted indi-viduals are born with. But leadershipis so often a function—not of your per-sonality or psychological makeup, butof the role you find yourself in.

William Shakespeare shows how roleshapes the development of leaders. Forinstance, young Prince Hal, before hebecame King Henry V, could afford tobe a rake and wastrel, like his teacherand fellow carouser, Falstaff. Before Halputs on the crown and the rest of theregal costume, he shows no evidenceof the qualities required of a leader. Butwhen thrust into the role of king, hefinds the inner resources necessary. Thefirst step in the transformation is Hal’sheart-rending renunciation of Falstaff.He starts to become a great leader, noton the battlefield at Agincourt, but themoment he tells Falstaff, “I know theenot, old man,” and begins to act like aking. Leadership is a performance art,and most of us become leaders only

We Need LeadersAnd they need our support.

LEADERSHIP MENTORS

4 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e

getting caught. When cops are absent,we flaunt the rule.

In a private tête-à-tête, people oftensay, “This is totally un-PC” before beingcritical of some person or group whohas violated our standards of conductor ethics. This is common for one rea-son: Feeling contempt for those whoviolate our standards and laws is notonly a natural reaction—it’s a healthy one.

In October 2010, while discussinghis reactions to 9/11 with Bill O’Reilly,Juan Williams said that when he is inan airport and sees people in “Muslimgarb” boarding a plane, it makes himuncomfortable. As a result, Williamswas fired by NPR. But most peopleshare Williams’ view. This is notIslamopobia, but, rather, a learnedassociation to the trauma of 9/11.

BBeenneeffiittss ooff BBeeiinngg UUnnaabbaasshheeddWhen a CEO is conducting a per-

formance review with his COO, this isa time when unabashed candor, PC-compliant or not, is absolutely appro-priate. People need unvarnished,direct, no-holds-barred feedback fromCEOs; if they don’t get it, they resent,or possibly develop contempt for theCEO. Everyone loathes ambiguity.

Ambiguity, although it may seemlike a benign annoyance, is an intolera-ble emotional state to endure when theconsequences of Windex-clear feed-back really matters. Absent the wholetruth, people reflexively fill informa-tional voids with “worst case scenar-ios” in order to be prepared to cope.

If your physician performs severalblood tests, and you hear nothing backfor weeks, assuming all is well maybuoy your mood, but soon you’ll beplagued by fantasies of every illnessthat may account for the fatigue. Thisis a hard-wired reaction: Our mindsforce us to be on the ready-to-fight ill-

Anger Mismanagement

EVEN LEADERS WHOare safely tenured

can suddenly findtheir careers derailed by an inability todeal with anger. All leaders must rec-ognize those situations and contextswhen being politically correct (PC) isself-destructive. This seems counter-intuitive in a nation like ours—obsessedwith PC and the suppression of hos-tile, aggressive, words or deeds—yetif leaders always swallow their anger,failing to give voice to negative feelingsor inhibiting actions with the potentialto hurt others, they do so at their peril.

Michael S. Dukakis, twice governorof Massachusetts and once favorite inthe 1988 campaign for president, maybe best known for why he lost thatrace to Bush. Known to be soft regard-ing the punishment of criminals—despite seeing his brother killed in ahit-and-run car accident and his fatherbeaten in a robbery—Dukakis alloweda convicted murderer to participate ina weekend parole program. On hisfirst weekend of freedom following asentence of life without parole, onemurderer Dukakis allowed to go free,the infamous Willie Horton, commit-ted assault, armed robbery, and rape.

In a debate, moderator Bernard Shawasked Dukakis, “Governor, if Kitty(your wife) were raped and murdered,would you favor an irrevocable deathpenalty for the killer?” Dukakis’ answer,the one seen as costing him the election,was, “No, I would not; I’ve opposedthe death penalty all my life.”

Most Americans are opposed to thedeath penalty but are more vehement-ly opposed to the failing manifest byDukakis—the inability to expressappropriate anger such as, “I wouldnot make the state execute my wife’smurder—instead, I would kill him.”

Recently, many politicians, includ-ing Barak Obama, have been caughtmaking hostile remarks when unawarethey were speaking to open microphones.Yet surprisingly, few, if any, of thoseexposed as harboring hostile feelingssuffered. Why? Because being PC islike observing the speed limit: Wecomply with the law only when we fear

ness in order to maximize the likeli-hood that we’ll prevail. As AndyGrove noted when he was given thediagnosis of prostate cancer, knowingthe enemy lets you construct a battle planand begin mounting a counteroffensive.Languishing in ambiguity is akin to fight-ing a cloud: There’s nothing you can do.

DDeeaaddllyy PPCC SSiinnssWell-entrenched, well-respected CEOs

are often loath to give negative feed-back to direct reports owing, amongother reasons, to a sense of loyalty andnoblesse oblige: They feel blessed to bewhere they are, and empathize withhow they assume those who receivenegative feedback will react. This atti-tude is beneficial if “tempering badnews” is the result. It is destructive ifsuppressing bad news is the tackCEOs take. This latter, ill-consideredresponse, occurs most often when:• The leader wants the protégé he is

grooming to be his successor to thrive,and fears that a rebuke will derail him.Unfortunately, boilerplate encouragementis dissonant to any heir to a corner officeworth occupying it—that person valuescritical feedback from his boss thesame way a golfer with an 18 handi-cap welcomes advice from a golf pro.• The leader operates from the perspect-

ive that you catch more flies with honeythan with vinegar. This may be true forflies, but not future leaders. Any juniorexecutive (JE) who knows he’s onshaky ground—as all JEs who meritnegative performance reviews do—wants feedback about just how shakythat ground is. When his boss doesn’ttell him the truth, the JE will assumethat the feedback being withheld is so badhis boss is avoiding a discussion of it untilthe time comes for him to be axed.• The leader believes that in a PC cul-

ture, being known as hostile or aggres-sive has negative long-term consequences,such as not being invited to sit on boards.Hence, the leader adopts a he’ll grow outof it or wait-and-see attitude toward rep-rimanding direct reports. However,these postures only serve to arouseambiguity and, ultimately, contempt.• The leader fears an open and candid

discussion of performance. This fear isunfounded, since most JEs know whattheir performance reviews should bebefore they receive them. Rather thanbeing devastated by negative reviews,most are relieved to discuss them openlywith their boss. Once Junior hears thathe must shape up and start achievingdesired results—and will not be firedbut has another six months to showwhat he can do—he is relieved and can

by Steven Berglas

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 5

MANAGEMENT ANGER

A v o i d e x c e s s i v e p o l i t i c a l c o r r e c t n e s s .

start making amends. Absent an un-PCfeedback session, the state of ambiguityhe’d be forced to endure makes Dante’sinferno seem like a Caribbean resort.

My views on the expression of angerare neither new nor unique. Aristotlenoted, “Anyone can become angry—that iseasy; but to be angry with the right personat the right time, and for the right purposeand in the right way—that is not withineveryone’s power, and that’s not easy.”

I suggest three guidelines:• Before being angry with an employ-

ee, map out the issue you wish to dis-cuss to rule-out extraneous influences. Itis said that success has many fathers whilefailure is an orphan. Before you critiquethe father of a failure, make certain youcan intelligently discuss if or how otherparties or agencies may contribute tothe problem. This precludes the that’snot fair defense, and makes criticismseem constructive. By showing empa-thy and sharing a subordinate’s view,you seem aligned with him. Absentthis full appraisal, you are seen as apompous ass breaking his chops.• When possible, condemn behaviors—

not the person. Duffers don’t want tohear, “You suck at golf,” but welcome,“you’ll drop your handicap by fivestrokes when you stop choking yourclub.” If you know that it is correct tofeel angry with a subordinate whoseexecution skills are A+ but who is aninterpersonal 800-pound gorilla on LSD,take care to get angry about the factthat a phenomenal talent may be destroyedby his out-of-control temper. If you segre-gate a problem, or restrict your angerat poor performance to a manageableissue versus a global deficiency, mostpeople are relieved, and can then focuson what they must do to remedy it.• Honesty is the best policy. Confiding

in a person or taking him into yourconfidences builds his self-esteem andtrust in you. One CEO I coached had meshadow a performance review he gaveto his chosen successor—a young manhe loved like a son. This heir was bril-liant but abrasive, and the CEO toldhim so. He excoriated his protégé for atleast six aspects of his demeanor thatalienated people. After he was done andasked his protégé for comments, the JEsaid nothing—he just hugged his boss.

En route to mastering the ability toexpress anger appropriately, rememberthe words of Winston Churchill: “Criticismmay not be agreeable, but it is necessary. Itfulfills the same function as pain in the body—it calls attention to an unhealthy state.” LE

Steven Berglas is an executive coach and author of Reclaimingthe Fire, and The Success Syndrome. Visit www.berglas.com.

ACTION: Observe these three guidelines.

by Chip R. Bell

man.” Leaders help followers becomebetter people because they value, cher-ish, and care about them.

Convergys conducts an annual sur-vey across industries to discern what ismost important to customers. They alsosurvey employees who serve cus-tomers to learn of employee priorities.Nearly half of employees (44 percent)indicated they did not believe their compa-ny values them. In an era of cutbacks, domore with less, and expense tightening,such sentiment is not surprising. But,the dire assessment is unnecessary.

When I was 14, my dad lost his jobas the manager of the local bank. Thenew bank owners elected to put one oftheir own in the leadership slot my dadhad held for years. Suddenly we werenearly poor. Our family did without,took on extra paying chores, and didour share to weather the tough timesuntil my dad got another job. But, neveronce did my brother, sister, or I feel wewere not valued. Tough times do nothave to be associated with indifference,uncaring, or distant leadership. In fact,when leaders show love for their peo-ple, it fosters a let’s pull together atti-tude, even as workers are trimmed.

We once consulted witha large utility that faced a 15percent reduction in pay-roll. Some divisions direct-ed units to cut theirheadcount by 15 percent.Leaders went behind closeddoors to decide who wouldgo and stay. But, one largedivision called a meeting ofall employees, candidly out-lined the challenge, and

engaged everyone in finding solutions.Some employees volunteered to workhalf time or fewer hours; some optedfor early retirement; and some offeredother creative ideas to meet the goal.No one enjoyed the experience, but noone felt unvalued by leadership.

Now, back to Spartacus. After theseverely outnumbered slaves were defeat-ed by the Roman Army, the Emperorcoveted the head of Spartacus, leaderof the revolt. Surveying the field ofdefeated survivors, he announced thatif any of them would reveal Spartacus,they’d be freed. If they did not, they’dbe crucified. Each survivor stood andproudly proclaimed, “I am Spartacus!”

Only followers who serve with aleader who loves them would boldlycommunicate such devotion. LE

Chip R. Bell is a customer loyalty consultant and author (withJohn R. Patterson) of the book Take Their Breath Away: HowImaginative Service Creates Devoted Customers. www.chipbell.com

ACTION: Be a great lover of leadership.

SUPPOSE THAT IN THEyear 3010, students

of history are studyingfamous leaders of our era. Who wouldbe mentioned? If you go back 1,000years or more, how many leaders canyou name from the year 73 BC to 1010AD? Remove from the list those peoplein positions of rank (kings or emperors).Now, how many leaders can you name?

One name that made history fromthat era was Spartacus (100 BC). He wasa soldier, gladiator, and led a successfulslave uprising against the Roman Empire.His leadership of a million slaves camefrom his capacity to influence. He was alover of freedom, and he wished for allhis colleagues a similar life.

His philosophy was laced with lovefor his followers. His life was romanti-cized by the hit movie witha cast of Kirk Douglas,Tony Curtis, Jean Simmons,Lawrence Olivier, and PeterUstinov. He was portrayedas deeply sensitive, incredi-bly courageous, and pas-sionate about his followersand his purpose.

We associate the wordlove with the strong feelingof affinity. When people arein love, they feel an intense sense ofpurpose, passion and connection withthe target of their affection. The essence ofleadership is to create in others such clarityof purpose, boldness of spirit, and unanimityof action that they derive confidence, trustand a sense of wholeness. Notice how sim-ilar being in love is with being in leadership.

Great lovers are superb communicatorswho strive to be empathetic and under-standing. Great lovers are caring, con-siderate and attend to what’s important.They are generous and resilient—theygive more than is required; hang inthere longer than expected, and engen-der trust through authenticity.

These features fit most great leaders.Leadership is love; love is leadership. Loveand leadership both influence peopleto sacrifice. Love and leadership causepeople to act out of their higher self.Remember Jack Nicholson’s line toHelen Hunt in the movie As Good As ItGets: “You make me want to be a better

Being in LeadershipIt is a lot like being in love.

LEADERSHIP LOVE

6 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e

their work is a raging stream of have-to-dos. They tend to feel overwhelmed.High-performing people naturallywant to achieve more. Each new conve-nience—like smart phones, texting, andemails—delivers some efficiency, butadd new things to do. Is it possible thatdoing more and more is not the answer?At a time when people need to drawon resources of energy and drive, thereserves may be depleted. Hence, mostleaders focus on want-to-dos and findways to refresh and revitalize to stimu-late productivity and satisfaction.• Managers try to manage time, to get

more out of people; leaders seek to fosterenergy by investing more in people. AsTony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthyreport: “The problem with working long-er hours is that time is a finite resource;

energy is not. Defined in physics as thecapacity to work, energy comes from fourwellsprings: body, emotions, mind andspirit. To effectively reenergize people,(leaders) shift from getting more out ofpeople to investing more in them, so theyare motivated and bring more of them-selves to work. To recharge themselves,(managers) need to recognize the costsof energy-depleting behaviors and thentake responsibility for changing them.”Tangible financial results accompany theseconclusions, as well as improvements incustomer relationships, engagement, andsatisfaction. Resilience and energy fuel results.• Managers tend to focus on limited

resources (time, money) while leaderstend to focus on investing in unlimitedresources of energy, purpose, engage-ment, vision and contribution. We needto shift from managing our time to sup-porting and managing our energy—thefuel that helps us get things done, takeon difficult challenges, and be presentin relationships. We also need to havethe physical energy necessary to perform,which requires physical self-care: good

Lead with Energy

FOR MANY LEADERS,work-life balance has

become increasinglyrelevant and unrealistic. With so manyobligations, expectations, and 24/7 con-nectivity, our resilience and energy aretested. Most days begin like a sprintand turn into a triathlon of meetings,presentations, tough decisions, and astring of unexpected personal, profes-sional and marketplace crises.

I note eight distinctions in how mana-gers (vs. leaders) deal with this dynamic.• Managers spend energy as they fight

through tough realities; leaders gener-ate energy by creating new realities. Byshifting from time management to energyleadership, we open up a new perspec-tive and formula for sustained energyand resilience to deal with dailydemands. When we’re calm, focusedand above the fray, we are more on topof the challenges. When our energy islow or manic, everything (even smallevents) seems on top of us. If we applyRalph Waldo Emerson’s the worldbelongs to the energetic principle, wecould also say, Leading in challengingtimes belongs to the most energetic.• Managers control to avoid crisis;

leaders thrive in the game-changing,mind-changing and system-changingpotentiality of crisis. In any crisis, ourability to cope or contribute is directlyrelated to our level of value-creatingenergy. When crisis is on top of us, ourenergy wanes; when our energy is big-ger than our circumstances, we are ontop of crisis. As managers, we tend torise or fall with every success or failure.As leaders, we rise or fall in relation toour sense of purpose-fueled energy,that unshakeable (sometimes irrational)sense that in spite of it all, we‘ll prevailand make a difference. While great leaderslike Gandhi or Mandela experiencedmoments of low energy or purpose, by-and-large what they sought to contri-bute was catalyzed, stimulated, andmagnified by the systemic crisis andoppression they deeply wanted to change.• Managers become mired in have-to-

dos, thereby depleting energy; leadersseek want-to-dos, thereby restoring en-ergy. Many managers would say that

health, good nutrition, exercise, sleepand rest that support our productivity.Beyond that is the natural energy derivedfrom engagement in life-affirming,meaningful activities, as opposed toactivities that drain our energy and aredevoid of meaning. When we have toforce ourselves to do something, wefeel deflated, tired, bored and anxiousto find a way to put it off. When wecan do something we really enjoy andhas significance to us, our energy ismore available and abundant.• Managers hope to find life balance;

leaders discover their own resilience for-mula for generating sustainable energy.We need to shift from trying to find lifebalance to generating sustainable ener-gy in our life and leadership. This is noeasy task. As we expand the scope ofour contribution at the top, we mustalso expand our energy and resilience.During an intense crisis, a CEO clientreflected: “In the past, this crisis wouldhave been all-consuming. This time, be-cause of the energy-building practicesof exercise, meditation, and reflection, Ifelt stronger, on top of the crisis.”• Managers control to minimize risk

and maximize results; leaders trust tomultiply opportunity and optimize long-term sustainability. As leaders, we mustboth manage and lead, both control andtrust. However, when control becomesthe modus operandi, we squeeze the life,energy, resilience and innovation out ofour teams. Assuming we have the rightmix of high-performing talent, lettinggo and trusting more will activate thistalent to perform at a higher level. Ifyou can’t trust, because you don’t havethe right talent, then you are the prob-lem! You need to get/develop the righttalent, and let go of your control.• Managers tend to focus on goals; lea-

ders try to focus on purpose. Purposemay be the single greatest energy andresilience builder. Finding the intersec-tion between our unique talents andhow those talents can make a meaning-ful difference in the lives of people isthe essence of energy-catalyzing pur-pose. Purpose can’t just be a concept,phrase, or plaque on the wall—it mustbe an authentic, conscious, life-organiz-ing experience. Purpose is like a threadthat runs through all our roles, titlesand identities and informs our contri-bution and aspiration in each of them.

Increase your resilience and energy inorder to face challenges with renewedstrength, grace, purpose, and contribution. LE

Kevin Cashman, Senior Partner, Korn Ferry International CEO& Board Services, is the best selling author of LeadershipFrom the Inside Out. Email kevin.cashman@kornferry.com.

ACTION: Lead with higher energy.

by Kevin Cashman

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 7

PERFORMANCE ENERGY

A p p l y t h e r e s i l i e n c e p r i n c i p l e .

results are skillful at getting people to focuson and stretch for the highest priority goals.They set high standards of excellence forthe team. They ask their employees forhigher performance and remind themof their progress relative to the goal.

3. Strategic perspective. Leaders whoprovide their team with a definite senseof direction and purpose have more satis-fied and committed employees. Theseleaders paint a clear perspective betweenthe overall picture and the details ofday-to-day activities. They constantlyreinforce where the organization isheading and the steps that lead to suc-cess. Employees see how their hardwork makes a difference, and how ithelps the organization achieve success.

4. Collaboration. One challenge is thelack of collaboration—one team is compet-ing for resources or recognition againstother teams; information is not shared;

customers are not well-served; andwork often gets stalled. This conflictfrustrates and discourages employees.Leaders who promote high coopera-tion create a positive and productiveculture. When leaders show that theycan achieve objectives that require ahigh cooperation, they create synergy,and everyone enjoys the work more.

5. Walk the talk. Being honest andacting with integrity creates a more satis-fied and committed workforce. Leadersneed to be role models and set a good ex-ample. Leaders create cynicism and losetrust when they say one thing and do an-other, such as telling employees that thebudget is tight and to curb all expendi-tures, but then stay in 5-star hotels andeat in expensive restaurants. Everyleader needs to examine their behaviorand ask, “Am I walking my talk?”

6. Trust. Leaders engender trust bybecoming aware of employee concerns,aspirations, and circumstances; project-ing deep expertise, knowledge, andconfidence in making informed deci-

Employee Commitment

IN TIMES OF ECONOMICtrouble, we see lay-

offs, furloughs, pay cuts,and budget reduction. Morale is oftenlow among employees who retaintheir jobs. Productivity suffers, as wellas employee satisfaction. Some peoplehave lost hope, and faith. Some man-agers and leaders look for a place tohide until the storm blows over; how-ever, those leaders who focus on theirown leadership effectiveness can actu-ally boost employee satisfaction andcommitment, thereby increasing pro-ductivity and profitability.

To determine the effect leaders haveon their people’s job satisfaction andcommitment, we surveyed 100,000 peo-ple in many enterprises. We examined49 behaviors that evaluated 16 leader-ship competencies. We then isolated thetop leadership behaviors that created asatisfied employee who is highly com-mitted. Leaders who exhibit these be-haviors have the greatest impact on results.

The factor that influences employeesatisfaction and commitment the mostis the effectiveness of the immediate manag-er. So, the quickest, most reliable wayof increasing employee satisfaction andcommitment is to provide them withmore effective managers and leaders.

NNiinnee KKeeyy LLeeaaddeerrsshhiipp BBeehhaavviioorrssImproving nine leadership behaviors

has the greatest impact on employeesatisfaction and commitment:

1. Inspire and motivate others. Lead-ers who effectively inspire and motivateothers have high energy and enthusiasm.They energize their team to achievegoals and increase performance. Manyleaders focus on accomplishing tasks butforget to inspire people. Without inspira-tion, employees do an adequate job.However, when inspiration is a focus,leaders unlock additional effort andenergy. Every leader needs to find ways toinspire people to higher performance.

2. Driving for results. The drive forresults is vital; however, some leadersare all push (drive for results) and nopull (inspiration), which reduces moti-vation. A healthy balance is necessary.Leaders who are effective at driving for

sions; being consistent and predictable;and exhibiting honesty and integrity.When people know that their leaderswould never tell them anything that isnot accurate and factual, they trust them.

7. Develops and supports others.When leaders help employees to devel-op new skills and abilities, employeeshave higher satisfaction and commit-ment, and become higher performersand more promotable. Effective leadersare thrilled by the success of others. Theypromote development by creating alearning environment in which peopleare encouraged to learn from mistakes,take the time to analyze their successes,and understand what went well.

8. Building relationships. Leaderswho stay in touch with employee con-cerns engender higher employee satis-faction and commitment. Such leadersbalance getting results with a concern forothers needs. They balance individualneeds against organizational goals anddeadlines and demonstrate that theyvalue individuals as they seek results.They create strong positive relation-ships with team members.

9. Courage. The leaders with thehighest employee satisfaction and commit-ment are courageous. They don’t shyaway from conflicts. They deal withissues head-on; when they see the firstsigns of problems within their teams,they address it directly and candidly.Leaders who assume that conflicts willwork themselves out and that problemswill disappear only fool themselves. Ittakes courage to address issues, resolveconflicts, and hold people accountable.

NNeexxtt SStteeppssThese nine behaviors have a big

impact on the commitment and satisfac-tion of employees. You likely need toimprove in one or more. When select-ing an area, ask these two questions:

1. Do you have a fatal flaw? If anyof these behaviors are major weaknesses,they’ll crush the satisfaction/commit-ment of a team. So, if you have a fatalflaw in any behavior, your primary effortshould focus on fixing the weakness.

2. Do you have profound strengths? Ifyou don’t have fatal flaws, seek to developa profound strength. Leaders with pro-found strengths have higher employeecommitment and satisfaction. So, builda few profound strengths. Start withone. Choose the behavior that you feelwould have the greatest impact andstart building a profound strength. LE

Joseph Folkman, Ph.D., is a keynote speaker, consultant, andauthor/co-author of six books, and principal of Zenger Folkman.Call 801-705-9375 or email info@zengerfolkman.com.

ACTION: Engage in these nine leadership behaviors.

by Joe Folkman

8 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e

LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS

N i n e l e a d e r s h i p b e h a v i o r s d r i v e i t .

gy encompasses content and approach,and offers an answer to the question:How does this person’s guidance of the com-pany stand out from that of others in simi-lar situations? Leaders establish and re-veal enlightening trends through their:creation of or response to given trends;decision-making that averts or re-posi-tions periods of crisis, and inaugurat-ing or culminating defined leadership eras.

4. An intentional, vast-in-scope, andall-inclusive strategy guides the organi-zation through numerous challenges thatotherwise might be treated as indepen-dent events. Establishing the leadershipstrategy as the primary vehicle for deci-sion-making enables the leadership teamto effect consistent and lasting change.

The best of all worlds would haveleadership strategy be well-crafted and

directed toward the needs of the situa-tion. Under the leader’s guidance, thestrengths of the C-Suite must be meshedwith the needs of the organization with-in the marketplace. Leaders who recog-nize their current and developing talentbase, and gaps indicative of opportuni-ties within the marketplace, clearly seeand act upon a strategic vantage point.

The presence of a vivid leadership strat-egy clarifies questions about a particu-lar executive leadership era, namely:• Mindset and Message. Who is the

CEO, and what does s/he value? Whatdirect and indirect message comesfrom appearances by this major figure,directly, in the media, and before share-holders and the board? What does thisleader stand for? What service attitudeis projected by what he or she does, inaddition to what he or she says?• Discovery and Decisions. How sys-

tematically do the leader and organiza-tion learn? How are the most pressingdecisions vetted? What does the orga-nization do with its findings? Hownimble and how thorough are its deci-

Leadership Strategy

IN AN ERA DEFINED BYeconomic downturn,

many leaders havereplaced their aim for innovative achieve-ment with a quest for survival. Neverbefore has a leadership strategy beenmore acutely needed. Such a strategymust represent a structured approachto ensuring vibrant, productive, andconsistent top-level direction. Four fea-tures characterize a leadership strategy:

1. Leadership strategy is greater thanthe sum of individual organizationalstrategies. My executive clients and Iwork closely on architecting an all-encompassing strategy, from an exter-nal vantage point. It is critical that theleader benefit from outside vetting ofthe ideas, to avoid any internal agen-da. The resultant leadership strategy isthe primary structure for defining aleader’s era. Many CEOs are surprisedwhen I ask about their leadership strate-gy. One leader turned to the merger andacquisition strategy for growing his firm(this strategy constitutes a subset thatfunctions a step down from the leader-ship strategy). Another executive beganexplaining the marketing strategy. Bothindividuals have stepped back toexplore the questions: “What is the sig-nature guiding strategy that underliesall growth and development in your era?”

2. Leadership strategy is perceivedby the board, shareholders or stake-holders, and customers as the primaryvalue for dollars invested in the CEO’spresence at the helm. The strategicallyfocused leader brings a high degree ofthoughtful and well-constructed suc-cess patterns. The uniquely craftedstrategic approach is perceived by allkey audiences as the guiding intelli-gence for applying the vast array ofresources under a particular leader.Integral to the leadership strategy isthe sense of clarity and alignment pro-vided by a strategic anchor.

3. Executive leadership strategy de-fines the era of a given leader. Thestrategy will be perceived directly bythose executives living the experience.Further, the strategy and its yield willbe observed later in the form of a morepublic legacy. A solid leadership strate-

sions? What yield is gained? Howunusual and effective are the deci-sions? How expected or unexpectedare the actions taken, and what criticaloccurrences follow them? Is there asound and logical succession plan inplace throughout the organization?• Energy and Expectation. In what vis-

ible way does one define the executiveteam? Are they out there in front, or be-hind the scenes? Many leaders bringstrong technical knowledge and skillsto their position, yet can be strength-ened further by an ability to crystallizethe message and project a clear set ofexpectations. How well do its primaryaudiences (customers, shareholders,and employees) know what is plannedand projected? How vivid and trust-worthy is the message? What is the sig-nature investment of energy of the C-Suite team in getting out the message?• Drive and Delivery. How much pulse

is apparent in leadership messages,personal actions, and ensuring full fol-low-through in what takes place? Whatlevel of commitment comes through inwords and actions? I often ask myclients how their direct reports are posi-tioned to ensure comprehensive follow-up atthe division level. What methods are inplace for anticipating and correcting errorsbefore they are known by the customer?•Customers, Change, Choreography.

How well does the organization knowand evolve in response to meeting andanticipating its customers’ needs? Isthe movement toward reinvention ofkey services part of the normal busi-ness cycle? To what extent is the firmpositioned to identify unique marketopportunities for the future they project?• Measurement and Mobility. Is the

leadership tuned to what’s shown byits numbers? How fluidly and rapidlydoes the C-suite team respond? Are theright tools in place to capture the mostvital signals demonstrating success inexecution? How easy is it to adjustmethod, geographic access, and modeof operation for the primary services?

A leadership strategy offers a vivid anddirect way to add measureable energyand commitment. The most powerfulleaders maximize their uniqueness, deliver-ing and acting upon the exceptional traitsfor which they were hired, through a strongstrategic direction that defines their legacy.The most successfully conscious lead-ers provide the greatest hope of over-coming a turbulent economic environ-ment, in favor of meaningful growth. LE

Sheila E. Murphy, Ph.D., is President of Sheila Murphy LLC.Email sheila@sheilamurphy.com, visit www.sheilamurphy.com,or call 480-538-5282.

ACTION: Hone your leadership strategy.

by Sheila E. Murphy

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 9

LEADERSHIP STRATEGY

It’s the signature determinant of legacy.

self-coachees need to select their ownGuide and Circle of Support. Having aprocess in place can’t ensure success.

TThhrreeee PPrreeccoonnddiittiioonnssThree preconditions must be in place

for coaching or self-coaching to “take.”As a leader, you can help your talent toself-coach by ensuring that these threepreconditions are met.

First, the coachee needs accurate datato understand the current “actual” andwhat winning looks like. We are oftencalled in to coach an executive who isdoing quite well but would like to takehis performance to a higher level. Theperson’s manager or a HR professionalbriefs us on the situation and providesus with initial data. In subsequentinterviews with the potential coachee,we use a number of qualitative and

quantitative tools to gather moredetailed information on the situation.

In the absence of a professional coach,you can meet with individuals in yourarea of responsibility who have an inter-est in self-coaching to provide someinitial data. You can point out behav-iors that they can modify, eliminate, oradopt: Do they need to speak up more atmeetings? Lead by influencing rather thancommanding? Become more politicallysavvy? Deliver on promises? Learn to beless sensitive to feedback? By providing anaccurate, unvarnished description oftheir behavior and the things that needto change, you help them set a realisticintention that will serve them well.

Second, the coachee needs a Guide—someone who is in a position to observehis progress and help him stay on track.Our initial information about a poten-tial coachee usually comes from a thirdparty: the boss or a member of the HRfunction. In effect, this person is thecoachee’s mentor, or Guide: the pointperson throughout the coaching, who

Bench Strength

BENCH STRENGTH ISkey to the success

of every sports team.It’s an equally critical factor in the suc-cess of leadership teams. Investing intomorrow’s leaders is one of the bestways an organization can sustain suc-cess far into the future. Neglecting todo so is bound to result in a talentvoid that leads to mediocrity in theshort run and, over time, diminishedbusiness results. In a perfect world,there would be no limitations on theresources available to invest in up-and-coming leaders. Organizationswould be able to give every promisingyoung manager all the skills and sup-port needed to prepare them to takeover the reins. It’s a pleasant dream,but in a world where doing more withmuch less has become the norm, it’sfurther than ever from reality. So,given the real constraints under whichcompanies must operate, how cantoday’s executives green the next gen-eration of leaders? The challenge isespecially acute when you considerthat tomorrow’s leaders are likely tocome from the pool of middle man-agers who typically aren’t givencoaching support, despite the increas-ing performance pressure they face.

Organizations may not be able toprovide high-potential employees withprofessional coaching, but they can pro-vide them with a sound coaching processthat they can use to acquire the leader-ship skills that propel them ahead.

For over 20 years, I’ve coached hun-dreds of leaders using a rigorous, dis-ciplined process that follows sevensteps: 1) Determine the person’s coach-ability; 2) Select and commit to anintention; 3) Identify a mentor andstakeholders; 4) Solicit feedback; ana-lyze and respond to feedback; 6)Develop and act on a game plan; and7) track success and recalibrate.

Self-coaching is a variation on theexecutive coaching process. For exam-ple, in the absence of a coach, the indi-vidual who wants to self-coach mustdetermine his or her own self-coacha-bility; instead of having a mentor andstakeholders identified by the coach,

receives updates from the coach andcoachee and helps them over roughspots in the road.

Without a Guide, it’s easy to derailand not know how to get back on track.As an observer who is on the scene yetremains objective, a Guide can spottrouble in its earliest stages and recom-mend adjustments to the self-coachee’splan. A Guide should be someone whois in a position to assess the self-coachee’s progress on a regular basis ashe or she tries to move his or her gameahead with new, positive actions. TheGuide needs to be completely honest,willing to hold up the mirror so thatthe self-coachee can view him- or her-self, warts and all.

As a leader in your organization,you know what it takes to get aheadand what behaviors are likely to hold aperson back. You have been there, donethat. You would be an excellent Guidefor your direct reports and others withwhom you work on an ongoing basis.In other instances, you may be able toassist self-coachees in selecting a trust-ed colleague to play this role.

Third, the coachee or self-coacheemust be willing to go beyond his or hercomfort zone, drop defenses and becomevulnerable, to take a leap of faith inorder to improve his or her life. Self-coaching requires a deep commitmentand hard work. Not everyone is a goodcandidate. I have developed a menu ofquestions that people can ask to deter-mine whether or not they are able, ready,and willing to permanently change theirbehavior: Do you acknowledge that there areareas that you need to change or improve?Can you take a depersonalized look at your-self and your situation? Can you make anobjective but not overly critical evaluation ofyour behavior? Are you convinced that youhave significantly more to gain than to loseby going for your Intention? Are you will-ing to accept your support group’s honestfeedback and not be defensive or resentful?

While the final answers to these ques-tions have to come from the self-coachee,the preliminary soul-searching can takethe form of a dialogue instead of a mono-logue. Sharing your thoughts—if asked—may spark self-insights in colleagues.Your follow-up questions may causethem to think deeply before answering.

Self-coaching offers a way to enhanceleader bench strength while proving topotential leaders that you really believethat human capital is your greatest asset. LE

Howard M. Guttman is principal of Guttman DevelopmentStrategies, and author of Coach Yourself to Win: 7 Steps toBreakthrough Performance on the Job and in Your Life(McGraw-Hill). Visit www.coachyourselftowin.com.

ACTION: Build your leadership bench strength.

by Howard M. Guttman

1 0 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e

LEADERSHIP BENCH

I t ’s v i t a l t o s u s t a i n s u c c e s s .

school. Find another way to use your skills.There are many options; just don’t waitfor a new career to come to you.”

Waiting for the facts to change—rather than deal with the facts as they are—is a common response to a setback. Butwhen leaders wait for uncomfortablefacts to change into something more totheir liking, they’re engaging in wish-ful thinking. The result is often under-acting. Instead of doing something,you’re frozen in place while you waitfor a more comforting set offacts to appear. In a worldthat’s constantly movingforward, this is akin tomoving backward. And it isa Mojo killer.

When the facts are not toyour liking, ask: “Whatpath would I take if I knewthat the situation would notget better?” Then get readyto do that. If the worldchanges in your favor, you haven’t lostanything. If the facts don’t change,you’re ready to face the new world.

CCrraacckk tthhee CCuullttuurree CCooddeeWhen we help clients, we use a

common phrase: when culture andchange collide, culture always wins.

When it comes to leaders in new roles,it doesn’t matter how smart or success-ful they’ve been or how confident theyare in their abilities: understanding andinfluencing cultural behaviors andnorms is the single most important fac-tor accounting for success or failure.

Consider the experience of my clientMartin, a new VP in an engineeringcompany. He was charged to upgradeproduct quality and cycle time. He’dbeen with the company for 10 years,mostly in a unit known for quality resultsand speed of execution. His status as ris-ing star in his former role was a majorreason he was promoted. Martin strodeboldly into team meetings, eager to turnthings around. He was dismayed to learnthat soon after he instituted change, hispeers and direct reports complainedabout his arrogance to his boss. Martinwas blindsided; how could they havemisunderstood his intentions?

I asked Martin: What do you knowabout the culture of this business unit?

Avoid Mojo Killers

IN EARLY 2009 I WAS TALKING WITH Alawyer named Tom about the bank-

ruptcy of the large law firm where he’dbeen Vice Chairman. It was a 120-year-old firm, specializing in a part of secu-rities law that had vanished overnightwith the financial meltdown. As one ofthe firm’s leaders, Tom was besiegedby the departing attorneys for advice.Most had never experienced such asetback, and they felt lost.

I asked Tom what advice he gavethem. He started telling me about hisfirst year in law school. “A big part ofour training,” Tom said, “was to inter-pret a pattern of facts so we couldadvise a client. Our teacher gave us ahypothetical set of facts and wentaround the classroom asking, Whatwould you do? Every student respondedwith a course of action. The answersweren’t always correct; sometimesthey were desperate. But the studentsalways came up with a rationale, some-thing to act on. At no point in theseexercises did anyone say, ‘I’m going towait until the situation changes.’

“Yet,” he continued, “that’s whatmany attorneys (and others) facing set-backs, do. They tell themselves, ‘I’ll beokay when the economy improves.’ ““In other words,” I said, “they’redoing the opposite of what they weretrained to do in law school.

“Yes,” Tom said. “They wait for thefacts to change to something more pala-table. They refuse to accept that the sit-uation has already changed dramatically—and it’s unlikely that things will go backto the way they were. They deny the wayhistory works—they deny the evidence.”

“So what did you tell them?” I asked.“I said that the firm we worked for is

not coming back. It wouldn’t magicallyreturn when the economy revives.Something else may take its place, butwe don’t know what that will be. Andyou can’t wait around for the situationto change. You have to come up with acourse of action, like we did in law

What qualities and behaviors are highlyvalued? What is the pace and process ofteam meetings? Who are the most knowl-edgeable and influential members? Whoare their heroes? How are decisions made?

Martin wondered: How does thisrelate to getting results? He needed tospeed up, not slow down. I assuredhim that pausing to understand thecultural context in which he operatedwould lead to more speed and better results.

MIT researcher Edgar Schein definesculture as the pattern of assumptions that agroup invents, discovers or develops in learn-ing to deal with the problems it encounters.Solutions that work well enough to be con-sidered valid are taught to new membersas the right way to think, perceive and feel.

Culture isn’t about what’s absolutelyright or wrong, with a few notable ex-ceptions—it’s the vehicle through which we

transmit our values and teachnew group members whatleads to success and failure.Every culture is the productof its own experience andstories. When the basis forappropriate behavior asdefined by a culture goesunderground, the culturebecomes unaware of itself.Hence, as a leader, youneed to develop awareness

of how culture operates, particularlywhen you are in a new role, or whenyou are tasked with executing substan-tial change. Those who ignore itsimportance do so at their own peril.

Skeptically at first, Martin beganasking questions of his team. He dis-covered that although the previous VPhad not met her targets, she was valuedfor her warmth and sense of humor. Inhis urgency for change, he had focusedon tasks almost to the exclusion of get-ting to know, and engaging, his people.

Knowing the history, learning whothe key influencers are, knowing theunspoken but powerful rules of theroad is vital in a new role—and to beseen as credible. This takes some timeand relationship building, along withrecognizing the strengths of the oldorganization even as you state a com-pelling case for change. Change agentsin new positions who fail to grasp thisoften fail, as the passive resistance of cul-ture wins over even the most needed change.

Although Martin felt that he wasslowing down to listen and learn, hisconnections accelerated progress. LE

Marshall Goldsmith is an executive coach and author of What GotYou Here Won’t Get You There, Succession and Mojo. PatriciaWheeler is an executive coach and Managing Partner in the LevinGroup. E-mail Patricia@TheLevinGroup.com or call 404-377-9408.

ACTION: Beware of mojo killers.

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LEADERSHIP MOJO

by Marshall Goldsmith and Patricia Wheeler

D e a l w i t h t h e f a c t s a n d c u l t u r e .

ly. Delegate, and let people do theirjobs without micromanagement.• Schedule your day realistically around

your key activities. Before you accom-modate other people’s needs, tend toyour own first. Control your schedule.• Weigh the results of attending meetings

against the results you could produce. In-stead of dropping everything to attenda meeting, see if you can send a proxy,attend by phone, or cancel it.

Availability means more than justbeing there for others when needed.

Key 3: Attention. Attention is theability to concentrate—to be focused ongetting the job done, on the task at hand.

To boost Attention, take five tips:• Stay focused on your work. Don’t get

distracted. Any interruption breaksyour concentration, wasting minutes.• Leave distractions for downtime. When

you’re supposed to be working, work.Wait for breaks to check social media.• Limit your multi-tasking in order to

maximize your productivity. You can’tfocus on more than one or two thingsat a time. Prune your task list.• Don’t allow socializing to overwhelm

your productivity. Yes, you need tointeract with the people around you—but don’t let it get out of hand.• Don’t let your productivity technology

take over your life. At the end of the day,turn off all your tools.

Attend to your work. You’ll getmore done—and feel much better.

Key 4: Accessibility. Accessibility isthe ability to organize inputs and outputs.

Being productive requires being orga-nized, having systems so you can findwhat you want, when you want it. Togain Accessibility, apply these tips:• Develop simple systems, so you know

where everything is at all times. A cleandesk is a sign of a productive mind.• Set up an easy-to-follow scheduling sys-

Supercompetency

YOU BECOME SUPER-Competent by using

six keys to productivity:Key 1: Activity. Activity reflects

importance, direction, and priority.Being busy and being productive are dif-ferent. Activity involves knowing yourgoals, and achieving them in a waythat wastes little energy and time.

To boost Activity, try these tips:• Know why you work hard and what you

are trying to achieve. You can’t be high-ly productive if you don’t know whatyou’re working for. Set goals anddreams, and work to achieve them.Learn what makes you tick, own yourdestiny, and focus on your mission.• Know what to do, when to do it, and

why. Take initiative—do what needs tobe done when it needs to be done.• Create systems to perform tasks more

efficiently, so you can leave the office ontime. Don’t be gulled into workingharder by stuff that was supposed tomake your life easier.•Regularly rest and recharge yourself.

Take a break when you need to! Aslong as you don’t become a slacker,taking time off can be one of thehealthiest, most productive things you do.• Do the day’s most profitable and valu-

able tasks first. Learn to delegate. Putthe most important tasks at the top ofyour list, and work through them first.

Productivity is about reaching high-value goals. Nobody cares how manythings you crossed off your list orhow busy you were last week if keyprojects fall through the cracks.

Key 2: Availability. Protect your timefrom everyone who wants a piece of it. Sayno when appropriate, delegate, cancelunnecessary meetings, let some tasks go.

To hone Availability, try these tips:• Refuse requests when appropriate. Say

no graciously. If you’re good at whatyou do, you’ll always get requests forhelp. But you can’t do it all.• Set appropriate boundaries. You’ll face

six Ds: Deadlines, Disruptions, Dependen-cies, Discrepancies, Distractions, and Drop-Ins. Don’t let others use these to slow you.• Push a task down to the lowest level of

responsibility. Don’t waste your time ontasks other people can do more cheap-

tem, and stick to it. Always know whereyou’re supposed to be at any particulartime. Manage your appointments,meetings, things to do; and reminders.• Don’t get distracted by technology. You

are the boss, not your PDA or smart-phone. If you organize your files, emails,and other communications as they comein, you won’t be overwhelmed later.• Track your contacts and communica-

tions. Track contact information, histo-ries, and pending communications.• Don’t waste travel time. Use the time

to get ahead so you’ll have more freetime later. Prepare for trips in advance.

When you travel, rather than just sitback and relax, work a bit. You can thenspend more time enjoying life at home.

Key 5: Accountability. Accountabilityrecognizes that the buck stops here. It’sabout the promises you make to your-self and others, being responsible forwho and where you are. Practice theseprecepts to achieve high Accountability:• Take responsibility for your time and

productivity. Never blame anyone else.• When a process seems inefficient, make

it easier for everyone. Just because some-thing is done a certain way doesn’tmean it’s the best way to do it now.• Rather than waste productive time, get

right to work. Breaks are necessary, butdon’t overindulge in them.• When you have all the information you

need to proceed, make decisions immediate-ly. Don’t let worry or social inertia slowyou; motion beats meditation every time.• Understand the difference between being

busy and being productive. Don’t let littletasks keep you from achieving big things.

Accountability boils down to person-al responsibility for your productivity.

Key 6: Attitude. Attitude is yourmotivation, drive, and pro-activity.

To hone your attitude, take five tips:• Keep an eye on your stress. Negative

emotions, stress, worry, and anger im-pair your productivity.• Even when a task is monumental, keep

working at it until you whittle it down tosize (manageable subtasks).• Unleash your creativity and apply it to

problems at work. You may discover anew, simpler way of doing things.• Learn to communicate clearly. Avoid

misunderstandings and mistakes. Learnto deal with difficult personalities, em-phasize teamwork, and play nice.• Look for a silver lining in situations. Be

positive. Reframe challenges and problemsas opportunities. Some of the most spectac-ular successes start as spectacular failures. LE

Laura Stack is a productivity expert, speaker, founder of TheProductivity Pro, and author of Supercompetent. Call 303-471-7401, email Laura@TheProductivityPro.com.

ACTION: Boost your productivity.

by Laura Stack

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PERFORMANCE PRODUCTIVITY

M a s t e r s i x k e y s t o p r o d u c t i v i t y .

Both are best done by example in theform of giving advice and providinginsight grounded in broad experience.

Let’s examine four specific qualitiesof great leaders that are indispensablefor them to be successful and effective:• Perspective. Leaders are typically

one level above the members of theirteams. A coach or mentor, on the otherhand, should ideally be two or more lev-els above the individual being coachedor mentored for the broadest possibleperspective. Southern California Edison,a large power utility, has a mentoringprogram, where a senior executivefrom the transmission side of the busi-ness mentors a lower-level manager onthe customer service side. Leaders whostart at the ground level and work upmake effective mentors because theyhave a broad and deep knowledge ofthe company and insight into its future.They can provide a periscope view thatisn’t available from an immediate boss.

As a coach or mentor, a leader canalso provide perspective on the impactof another executive’s actions. “Thehigher one rises, the less feedback oneis likely to receive from subordinates,

peers and even superiors,” says Yudis.“A coach or mentor can provide execu-tives with an unbiased perspective on theireffectiveness in a safe environment.”• Clarity. “Leaders are sometimes not

aware that a message they’ve commun-icated was never understood and thuscould not be followed,” says Mark Hoff-man, VP of HR with St. Jude Medical’sCardiac Rhythm Management Division(CRMD) in Sylmar, California. “Whatis missing is a strong leadership com-munication position. Even though theleader may be walking the message, he orshe is not talking it. The result is dishar-mony and misalignment. At SJM, we’vedeveloped two leadership programs thatreverse the old phrase walk the talk toequip our leaders with the skills theyneed to talk the walk. The first, Leadershipfor Extraordinary Performance, is basedon the five leadership practices listedin The Leadership Challenge by JamesKouzes and Barry Posner. It helps lead-ers gain a better understanding of thedifference between leadership and

Great Leaders

GREAT LEADERS HAVEa unique combina-

tion of qualities. Theythink strategically and with vision andcan execute, yet are flexible. They arepolitically savvy, yet have high emo-tional intelligence, compassion andempathy. They are assertive, yet hum-ble; trustworthy, and trust others.

They also wear many hats comfort-ably—they are relationship builders,mediators, advocates, strategists andexecutives par excellence. Their abilityto comprehend and master complexsituations—market trends, changingeconomic and political climates andthe organizational complexities of peo-ple and process—gives them a globalperspective that fosters unique waysof making decisions and marshalingresources and always, for the greatergood of the organization as a whole.Their ability to rally people aroundmeaningful causes generates break-through thinking and opens new oppor-tunities and markets, creating ROI.

This unique combination of qualitiesmakes them exceptional coaches andmentors—servant leaders who focuson meeting the needs of those theylead, knowing that support base mustbe strong for them to succeed. Whatmakes great leaders great is their abilityto translate their own experience and suc-cess and, then through coaching and men-toring, bring out the best in others.

WWhhaatt DDooeess IItt TTaakkee??“Leaders as mentors and coaches

bring tremendous value because theirexperiences, when shared appropriate-ly, offer a development opportunity toemployees unparalleled by externalconsultants,” says David Yudis, a lead-ership development executive at Disney.“And, the process of coaching and men-toring benefits the leaders. In develop-ing these skills, leaders learn to bondwith their people, while being able toevaluate and raise their awareness oftheir own strengths and weaknesses.”

Coaching and mentoring, in thepurest sense, are about teaching andguiding, respectively. As coaches, greatleaders teach, as mentors they guide.

management. We believe that the orga-nizations that excel and sustain theirsuccesses are those that have learnedhow to combine great leadership skillswith great management process.”

To sustain momentum, CRMD hasdeveloped and launched a complemen-tary program that reinforces these skillsthrough practice. In The Sixth Practice:Getting to the Heart of Leadership at SJM,participants spend a day practicing thefive Kouzes and Posner leadership skillsin relation to specific issues. The nextday is spent on The Sixth Practice, lead-ership communication. Participantslearn the three basic elements—sym-bols, facts, and emotion—that must bepresent for a coherent, memorablemessage. Assisted by audio and videofeedback, they coach each other inimproving their communication skills.We’ve received tremendous supportand positive feedback for the program,so we know we’re on to somethingthat will strengthen our leadership.”• Visionary thinking. An example is

former basketball star Earvin “Magic”Johnson, Jr., CEO of Johnson Develop-ment Corp. His mission is to be thenation’s foremost development compa-ny through enrichment of underservedmarkets. Rather than follow the trendset by many retail businesses and ser-vice providers that dismiss urban com-munities as economic wastelands, heregards them as renewed frontiers tointroduce viable business enterprisesand realize solid financial success.• Emotional intelligence. Great leaders

distinguish themselves by having highEI. This manifests as a sense of vulner-ability. They share their successes andfailures. They openly articulate lessonslearned to teach and inspire others. Theyalso recognize that, in the process ofleading effectively, they continue tolearn and grow. “Leading and mentor-ing are two-way streets,” says AlanFohrer, CEO of Southern CaliforniaEdison. “I take great pleasure in men-toring our team—and I learn a lot fromthem. This only works if one listens asintensely as one gives advice.”

The less egocentric coaches andmentors are and the more they showfailures and vulnerabilities, along withsuccesses and strengths, the more effec-tive they are in facilitating the growthof others. Their greatness lies in not beingin the game merely for personal advance-ment, but to meet organizational goalsthrough helping others grow and succeed.LE

Stephen Xavier is CEO of Cornerstone Executive DevelopmentGroup, specializing in executive coaching and leadership devel-opment. Call 919-493-2000, email Xavier@cedg.com.

ACTION: Develop great leaders on your team.

by Stephen Xavier

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PERFORMANCE MENTORING

What makes them great?

people know what they should bedoing, or that this instance of poor per-formance was an exception. “I’ll givethem the benefit of the doubt this time,”we say. Problem is, this time often turnsinto next time, followed by, “What? Ithappened again?”

Ticket to Slide 2: They know how I feel.You just responded in your “I’m dissat-isfied” voice and your “I’m disappoint-ed” face. That should do it, right? Well,maybe not. Sending indirect messagesand subtle signals may not make yourdissatisfaction known or clarify whatneeds to happen differently—and howit needs to happen. Yet many of us pre-fer subtlety to a more direct discussionof the problem and the need to takeresponsibility. Sadly, it seldom works.

Ticket to Slide 3: It will turn into anargument. Even if the other person is

not difficult to work with, it’s a safe betthat he or she will likely have a differ-ent point of view. Many leaders are cer-tain that uncomfortable conversationswill turn into arguments. They rational-ize that it’s better to let it go and avoidthe conflict. But while it may be easierin the short term to just let it go, in thelong run you may find that the situa-tion has snowballed into a problem thatis vastly more difficult to deal with.

Ticket to Slide 4: I made my expecta-tions clear. One reason you may avoidholding others accountable is that youhave not set clear expectations. Youhaven’t clarified what you want done,what good looks like, or when you want itdone. Hence, you can expect more thanone point of view or anticipate an argu-ment. Everything you ask of youremployees can be either measured orknown. Even qualitative outputs, suchas customer service or quality, havecomponents that you use to know

No Accountability?

WHEN LEADERS FAILto hold their peo-

ple accountable, theytend to make excuses:

“No one told me the project was dueFriday!” “But Bob is the team leader—it’s his job to see everyone knows whenpriorities change.” “It’s not my respon-sibility to pick up the slack whenanother department drops the ball.”

If excuses like these echo from yourcubicles, C-suite offices, and factoryfloors, you have an accountabilityproblem—and it is causing much dam-age. Lack of accountability diminishesexecution and individual and teamperformance. It creates and reinforces aculture of blame. While everyone isbusy pointing fingers, deadlines don’tget met, work remains below standard,and customers stay dissatisfied.

Plus, the accountability dodge nega-tively impacts your top performers.They’re often asked to clean up the mess-es left by poor performers, which wearsthem out and builds resentment. Mean-while, their counterparts, who are lessaccountable and less willing to takeresponsibility, enjoy a lighter work-load—a reward for poor performance.

The lack of accountability is a bigproblem. Our survey of over 400 seniorand mid-level leaders, 40 percent reportthat their employees are not being heldaccountable for results, and 20 percentreport that managers do not deal withpoor performers.

Not holding others accountable cre-ates a negative perception of you, theleader—the perception that you don’ttreat people fairly and equitably. Soonothers on the team get the messageabout what it takes to succeed around hereand the extent to which they can counton you as a leader.

So why don’t we hold peopleaccountable for results? There are sevenassumptions and misunderstandings—Tickets to Slide—that contribute:

Ticket to Slide 1: This too shall pass.The wait-and-hope syndrome assumesthat poor performance will improve on itsown over time. We often hope that we’llnever need to have a conversationabout meeting commitments anddelivering results. Or, we assume that

when they have been done well. Youcan set expectations and monitor andmeasure those things.

Ticket to Slide 5: I’ll demotivate orlose them. One challenge managers faceis holding top performers accountablefor behavior that is consistent with workprocesses and organizational values.You may be inclined to give superstarssome leeway because you feel they’rekey to your team’s success and youdon’t want to break their momentum orsteal their mojo. But, this sets up anundesirable dynamic among the teamwhere people come to believe that itdoesn’t matter how you hit the target—as long as you do, you’re not account-able for other aspects of performance.

Ticket to Slide 6: I’ll be seen as amicro-manager. You may avoid beingseen as a micromanager at all costs.When a collaborative style is revered anda command and control style frownedupon, the practice of monitoring has abad name. But, the more you delegate andempower others, the more you need to moni-tor and track progress (this is not the sameas micro-managing). Monitoring, donewell, is a constructive activity that en-ables people to make course correctionsand you to praise good performance.

Ticket to Slide 7: It’s easier if I just doit myself. Doing it yourself may seemlike a good idea when you’re makingthe call, but when you don’t hold othersaccountable and take on the work your-self, you become complicit in the cycleof poor performance and lack ofaccountability. If you do not break thisnegative cycle, you’ll always have to doit yourself because you miss a coachablemoment and chance to set expectations.

Obviously, you need to revoke thesetickets to slide—and learn how to setpeople up for success, respond in construc-tive ways when something does go wrong,and create a culture that enables people tooperate at a high level of responsibility. Overtime, you’ll see your people taking ini-tiative to ensure the success of projects,providing early warning of potentialproblems, and taking action to resolveproblems, even if it is not their fault. Andthat’s the ideal—accountability and ini-tiative are then synonymous.

BBeeffoorree aanndd AAfftteerr tthhee FFaaccttYou can tackle accountability prob-

lems in two ways: First, create condi-tions that make it more likely peoplewill follow through. Second, encouragepeople to take responsibility after mis-takes have been made—without mak-ing them feel worse than they already do.

Before-the-Fact: Set people up forsuccess. To manage accountability, use

by Rick Lepsinger

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PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY

S t o p m a k i n g s e v e n m i s t a k e s .

benches of the opposition, the calami-tous defeat at the polls just monthsafter victory day in 1945. Lesser mor-tals would have consigned their life todepression. Churchill turned to his loveof writing, painting and landscaping ofhis beloved Chartwell property. Thesehobbies kept him afloat and enabledhim to build his resolve to fight again.

Have a passion that absorbs yourtime, that can be a safe house whentimes are tough? If you do not haveone you need to establish one now.

Lesson 3: When you stuff up it is bet-ter to ‘fall on your sword’ as you willsurely rise again soon. Churchill wasblamed for the botched Gallipoli expe-dition. He, as First Lord of the Admiralty,was dismissed, and he resigned fromParliament to enlist back in the army.He became a must visit curiosity in thetrenches of Flanders. However, only sixmonths later he was recalled to take upa role in Parliament. By falling on hissword early, Churchill did not waste hisenergy on a hopeless cause. He gaveless ammunition to his enemies in theHouse of Parliament.

When you have made a mistake,know that it will not define you or

your contribution. Knowthat you will recover tofight another day. With thisassurance, take the blameand move on.

Lesson 4: Have a sanctu-ary where you can escapethe maddening crowd.When Churchill first sawChartwell, he saw itspotential. If you were tovisit Chartwell, you would

want to swap houses immediately. Thesetting, ambience, and design all leadto a perfect sanctuary. Churchill oncesaid, “Everyday away from Chartwellis a day wasted.” It was in this creativeenvironment that he could dictate hisbooks starting in the afternoons andworking long into the night. His wifewas given free range to decorate andextend Chartwell to fit the needs of thefamily. Churchill understood theimportance of having a supportivepartner, giving her the freedom to pur-sue her own goals. Lady Churchill washonoured by Britain and Russia, thelatter for her efforts as Chairman of theRed Cross Aid to Russia. Having agrand house does not in itself create asanctuary. The difference is subtle.

Do you feel a day away from yourhouse is a day wasted. If not maybeyour sanctuary is yet to be occupied.

Lesson 5: The written word is might-ier than the sword. Churchill’s first stint

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILLis so iconic that his

statute facing the Housesof Parliament simply says Churchill. Yethis success came after many calamitiesthat would have floored a mere mortal.Churchill’s 12 lessons to leadership areprofound and somewhat unique:

Lesson 1: Always believe you have alegacy to leave. We all have a uniquemix of attributes, skills and experiencesthat can be put to use leaving a lastinglegacy. The trick is to find it. It is notalways obvious. Churchill failed histime at Eaton in style. Only in thearmy, with time on his hands, did hediscover his love of reading; and it washis need to finance his Calvary horsesthat lead him to earn money as a warcorrespondent.

Churchill knew he hadwar in his blood. He was adescendent from the war-rior the First Duke ofMarlborough, and was, byaccident, born at BlenheimPalace (his parents wereattending a dance therewhen his mother went intopremature labor). From1895 to 1900, he soughtaction in India, the NorthWest frontier, Sudan, South Africa andCuba. Every time it got quiet he want-ed to get in the thick of it elsewhere.He achieved this in collusion with hismother and using all the contacts thatthe name Churchill granted.

In the early twentieth century, hecrossed the floor and joined the opposi-tion in a move he calculated carefully,knowing he’d get nowhere in theConservative Party. This caused manyproblems later on, but he achieved hisobjective—a Ministerial post.

State what your legacy is to be. Formingthis legacy in your mind gives meaningto life and helps put up a guiding starin the sky that will shine bright no mat-ter what clouds are over you.

Lesson 2: Have a good hobby so intimes of crisis you have a refuse.Churchill had three major career crises:the calamity of the Dardanelles (WW I),the wilderness years of 1930-1939where he was consigned to the back-

Legacy LeadershipLearn from Sir Winston Churchill.

by David Parmenter

LEADERSHIP LEGACYthree techniques to ensure that people followthrough in the first place: 1) clarify actionsand expectations, 2) agree on due datesfor deliverables, and 3) establish check-points. The acronym ATC can help you:

Action. Clarify actions and expecta-tions (what good looks like) and identifywho is accountable for which parts ofthe work. Regardless of how good anidea someone has or how sincere hisintentions, nothing happens untilsomeone commits to taking someaction to produce a specific deliverable.

Timetable. Establish an agreed-upondue date to ensure everyone is on thesame page. Due dates like as soon aspossible and by next week create misun-derstandings. Also, commitments thatlack a time frame rarely get attention.

Checkpoints. Don’t wait to check inuntil the action or deliverable is due—set periodic progress checkpoints before thedue date (the frequency of the check-points depends on the difficulty of thetask and the experience of the person).Agreeing on checkpoints makes fol-low-up and progress checks a sharedactivity. The check-ins are now part ofproject management, and providechances for you to coach if there is aproblem and reinforce behavior whenthings are going well. And, you don’thave to make spontaneous or surprisevisits or call when you get nervous.

After-the-Fact: Ask three questions.Sure, prevention is better than an after-the-fact remedy, but people do drop theball. Rather than berate a person forher failure to deliver results, reinforceher accountability to solve the problem.

Asking three questions will encour-age the person to think about how shecontributed to the current situation, whatshe can do to get things back on track, andwhat she can do to prevent it from happen-ing again. Present: “What can I do nowto get on track?” Future: “What can Ido to prevent this problem from hap-pening again?” Past: “What could Ihave done to prevent the problem?

Be prepared to deal with defensivebehaviors. Try showing empathy: “Iknow you’re as concerned as I am aboutthis, and I realize it’s not the way you want-ed things to turn out. This conversation isnot about assigning blame. It’s about solv-ing the problem and ensuring that we keepit from happening again.”

Coach people to pose these threequestions to themselves as a way tomanage their own accountability. LE

Richard Lepsinger is president of OnPoint Consulting, authorof Closing the Execution Gap and coauthor of FlexibleLeadership, (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer). Visit www.onpointconsult-ingllc.com. Email rlepsinger@onpointconsultingllc.com.

ACTION: Hold people accountable for performance.

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 5

that being a good orator is a vital partof leadership. Time and effort needs tobe devoted to delivering a meaningfulmessage. Special coaching and endlesspractice should be seen as an impor-tant investment rather than a chore.

Lesson 8: Manage PR. Churchillnever missed a chance to present hisideas in the best light. The pictures ofhim with his ‘V’ for victory sign, orhim holding a Tommy gun in his busi-ness suit standing over rubble are icon-ic. His war time speeches, so carefullyprepared, would be a must listen to byall with a radio. While the press hadoften written ruinous headings aboutChurchill during his fall from grace, heworked closely with them to promotethe image of the bull dog who wouldnever surrender. His use of media isunparalleled. With the media that nowexists, we can only speculate the dra-matic use he could have made of it.

Start befriending the press, issuethem useful copy, be available for com-ment, be not afraid to speak out onissues you feel passionate about. Findyourself a leader who has managed PRwell and use their experience.

Lesson 9: Personal contact with keydecision makers is vital. When you walkthrough Chartwell, Blenheim Place orhis war rooms in Westminster, you arestruck by the personal letters he wrote.These were not correspondence dictat-ed to his secretaries but hand-writtenletters. Churchill knew who the impor-tant decision-makers were and main-tained regular contact. He devoted asmuch time writing to PresidentRoosevelt as drafting major speeches toParliament. Churchill’s correspondencebypassed the cabinet and helped forgethe alliance with the United States.

Who are you in regular contact with?Take the time this week to dust off somecontacts you have with decision makers.

Lesson 10: See and own the future.Like all great leaders Churchill spent alot of time thinking about what thefuture had in store. He was the first tosee the rise of Hitler as a major men-ace. He understood the importance of aunited Europe to prevent a further war.Churchill supported a practical

of fame came as a war correspondent.He wrote in a user-friendly style—ablend of fact, autobiography, anddescriptive text. He was blunt, and didnot hold back from saying what othersfeared to say. He would be critical ofhis superiors’ handling of the army,their organization, tactics, nothing wassacred. He went where angels fearedto tread, and his dispatches becamethe must read back in London. Timeand time again he came back to writ-ing and was awarded the Noble prizefor Literature in 1953. While he wasnot the most knowledgeable historian,he wrote in a style that made historyinteresting. It was his writing Historyof the English speaking peoples that atlast made him financially secure. Hewas so destitute after losing the pre-miership that a subscription was es-tablished and Chartwell was purchasedfrom the Churchills and then leased tothem for the rest of their lives.

Far too many leaders today do notpay enough attention to the power ofthe written word in helping build theirprofile. This important point did notescape Obama who wrote his memoirsDreams From My Father four yearsbefore he ran for President.

Start making your views, thoughts,and learnings more public.

Lesson 6: Never let a lack of a degreeor formal education hold you back.Churchill was a failure at school. Henever went to University. He hatedEstablishment. He was whipped, buthe never succumbed to the mindlessmediocrity of learning for the sake oflearning. He won his tertiary spurs lateron in life when university after univer-sity gave him honorary degrees. Hehad, in fact, put himself through hisown university. He studied andbecame an expert in many areas suchas Navy, Army, Aviation and History.Whilst tertiary education is a valuableasset never let it hold you back. If yousucceed in life you will end up gettingan honorary doctorate in any case.

Lesson 7: Learn to be a great orator.Churchill is remembered most for hisgreat speeches. These were very care-fully constructed in his great study atChartwell. He would rehearse thewords until he was sure they danced—that they sent a clear message to thecommon man. He used words that a 14-year-old youth would understand.

His delivery was legendary; slow,deliberate and repetitive. He was anactor delivering a performance to hisaudience the people of Britain, theCommonwealth, and importantly theAmericans. Leaders need to realise

rebuilding of Germany thus avoidingthe harsh retribution levied againstGermany following World War One.He saw the need to end the ‘Cold War’as the atomic bomb made any form ofwarfare impossible between the superpowers. The key was that Churchillcreated an environment where he couldthink deeply, uninterrupted about whatis going to happen next. He tried, asmuch as possible, to own the future.

Have you planned your workingweek to allow for some ‘blue ocean’time? How about a Friday morningwhere you stay at your home officeuntil lunchtime, where you spend timemaking all the strategic calls, finishingoff the strategic reports and thinkingabout the future. Once you start doingthis you will find it addictive.

Lesson 11: Stay close to scientists /technology advancements. Churchillhad high regard for scientists and engi-neers and gave them free license to cre-ate new methods of warfare. They cameup with many inventions, including thefloating Mulberry harbors (key to theNormandy offensive), the bouncingbomb, and modifications to the spitfireMerlin engine enabling the plane tokeep up with the V1 flying bombs.

He was conversant with technology,he understood it and he was able tocommunicate with ‘techos’ and movethem to greater heights. How close areyou to the creative techs in your organi-sation? If not how about taking one ortwo out for a great coffee.

Lesson 12: Understand your bodyrhythms and work patterns. Churchillworked late and rose late. He was not amorning person. He knew what madehim efficient and kept to that regime,never allowing events to disorganizehim. Even during the war, he was onlywoken if the matter was urgent. Whileworking to 2 a.m. and rising for break-fast at 11 a.m. may not be your style,you need to develop one and keep toit, fighting off the need to conform toorganizational requirements.

Churchill was a flawed leader on anumber of counts. He was recklesswith his life and with those he was incharge of. Yet through the many lead-ership traits he did have he left a legacythat will be remembered for all time.

While we can’t all leave such a lega-cy, we can, and should, leave a legacythat says we changed people lives forthe better. Sir Winston Churchill showsus a way—if we choose to learn. LE

David Parmenter is a speaker and author of The Leading Edge,Key Performance Indicators, and Pareto’s 80/20 Rule (Wiley).Email parmenter@waymark.co.nz; www.DavidParmenter.com.

ACTION: Apply one lesson learned from Churchill.

1 6 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e

and variation out of our lives.Systems can’t provide satisfaction

in domains that require a unique andpersonal human solution. The con-sumer economy is sustained by pro-viding answers that always have asystem quality. Any time you speak ofanswers, you’re making a falsepromise. The more important dimensionsof being human have no clear answer. Thismeans that system answers applied tohuman concerns are counterfeit. Owningfive pairs of shoes does notmake a person successful.Owning the latest car doesnot provide an identity––that is not who you are. Lovecan’t be purchased, powernot bought. To sustain thevolume and predictabilitythat systems require, theyare forced to market andsell more than they candeliver. And this counterfeit promise isnot just to customers, but to systemmembers––and this dark side leaves usunsatisfied. In system life, we becomethe system that we inhabit. We becomereplicable. We are interchangeable parts. Itis the industrialization of the person.

A strength of systems and institu-tions is the ability to suppress the per-sonal and commodify throughreplication. When something becomespersonal, it becomes unique andunpredictable. The need for the system todisdain what is personal has its side effectson who we become and how we associate.Institutionalization is to take the person-al out of a structure in order to maintaincontinuity. To institutionalize means todepersonalize (code for “We don’t needthe unique you any more.” But no twopeople are the same. Management toooften attempts to overcome their unique-ness and help them align with what thesystem needs by insuring that everyperson is replaceable. This is why thelong-term movement to standardizework processes, automate humanfunctions and outsource as much aswe can to low-cost strangers.

Automated human functions affectrelationships and our capacity to asso-ciate closely with others. There is noincentive for us to build relationships,because we are only here to produce

The Limits of Systems

IN A CONSUMER SOCIETY, WE HAVE COMEto believe that the good life depends

on more schooling, better servicefrom the government, more medicalcare for our health, and the centralityof the corporation as the driver anddeliverer of satisfaction. This beliefthat we can purchase what we need frominstitutions has reached its limit.Schools do not raise children, policedo not keep us safe, doctors do notkeep us healthy and more productsdo not satisfy us. These all justincrease the appetite for more andcarry the message that what we haveis never enough.

The reason systems have reachedtheir limit is in their nature. Systemsare designed to create scale. Scalerequires consistency, control and pre-dictability. Control and predictabilitydo not satisfy—they simple make lifepredictable. This has its value, butalso its limits.

RRoollee ooff MMaannaaggeemmeennttA central task of management and

systems is to maintain control by takinguncertainty out of the future. This is whatis attractive about systems: they seemto make the world safe, predictable, andunder control. In adopting system life,people choose to yield sovereignty inexchange for the promise of predictability.Even families and communities turnover their sovereignty for the promiseof a safe and predictable future.

Management has also become away of thinking about life, family,and community—that these can andneed to be managed. As systems andtheir management occupy more cul-tural space, they expand the messagethat prosperity and peace of mind canand must be purchased. This fuels thegrowth of powerful systems.

While we benefit greatly from pre-dictable products or services, theyalso take much of the joy of diversity

together. What is most personal only livesin the world of family and community.Systems and management believe thatpersonal relationships will distort what isgood for the business: “Don’t get tooclose to people; you may have to firethem. Intimacy affects judgment.”

Systems are designed to make rela-tionships instrumental—not affection-ate, caring, or intimate––we are justhere for the utility of being together. Inour desire for the benefits of systemlife, we commercialize our relationships.We become only interested in a rela-tionship as a form of barter. We nowsign up friends on social-networking sites.

Systems do make an effort to com-pensate for their utilitarian nature.Progressive management often investsin training and development to bringhuman qualities into its culture. It uses

training as a way of get-ting people on board,aligned, on the same page,headed in the samedirection—to create morecommunity in its culture, toput a human face on thesystem for its membersand customers. Traininggives the appearance ofhospitality, kindness, and

community. Yet, most system trainingis packaged to enforce the mindsetthat what you are is not enough andsomeone else knows what is best for you.Moreover, a system development pro-gram is not a path to freedom and self-expression but a process that transformsunique people into the system way.

This combination of the system wayof standardizing and the market way ofpromising sustains the consumer econ-omy. What we’ve done with our shoes,we’ve done with our soul, our conscious-ness and culture. This is not an argu-ment against systems, only to speak totheir limits and bring some humility totheir promises. We have a choice aboutthis. We can accept systems for whatthey are good at and move our atten-tion to helping neighborhoods andfamilies find satisfaction created bytheir own gifts and capacities. We needto rebuild the capacity of a neighbor-hood to raise a child, maintain ourhealth, keep the street safe and pro-vide local work. This means turningsome of our attention away from aconsumer culture and towards more ofa citizen culture. LE

Peter Block is founder of Designed Learning. John McKnight is author of The Careless Society. They are coauthors ofAbundant Community (Berrett-Koehler). Visitwww.AbundantCommunity.com.

ACTION: Support community building.

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 7

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

T h e i r g r o w t h t h r e a t e n s o u r w e l f a r e .

by Peter Block and John McKnight

positional authority whom we don’trespect. That’s when we say, “That per-son may be a leader of sorts, but not aReal Leader.” It’s a question of values.

Our approach in working with lead-ers depends heavily on their willingnessto examine their values. Our modelfocuses on developing awareness infour arenas: self, team, organizationand community. We ask leaders to seri-ously examine their biases, mental mod-els, and emotional triggers (self); theirtypical patterns of relationships withothers (team); their understanding ofsystems and strategy andthe limitations of individualdecision-making (organiza-tion); and, why they want tobe a leader—what, if any,purpose or calling theywish to serve (community).

We also encourage spe-cific norms—seeking and giv-ing feedback, for example.Imagine our surprise whenwe’re met with blank staresor responses like, “I simply can’t dowhat you are asking me to do.” Whenwe ask our Latin participants to pro-vide feedback to colleagues, we oftenencounter resistance, skepticism, oranxiety. Feedback anxiety is universal. Fewpeople relish providing feedback. Buthow participants understand the valueof doing so—the reasons for it—variesdepending on cultural norms.

We learned quickly that by role-mod-eling the practice of giving and receivingreal feedback, our credibility as teachers andfacilitators increased. This strategy worksin any culture, but it’s critical whenworking across cultural “borders.” Themore we lower the artificial boundarybetween teacher/facilitator and stu-dent, the more trust we generate. Infact, establishing trust has become thekey to our work in Latin America.

We find that our Latin Americanfriends are willing to explore aspects oftheir behavior as it relates to leadershipand management. Once we earn theirtrust, they eagerly engage in dialogue.Our method of inviting them into agenuine conversation about leadershipand values generates trust and dialogue.Instead of trying to change their percep-tion of leadership or instruct them, wetry to model the competencies of listen-ing, questioning, awareness of self, and

Leading Across Cultures

awareness of others through group dia-logue. A dose of humility has helpedus, too. We travel to Latin Americawith open hands, open ears, and openhearts. Rather than coming withanswers, we come with questions andcuriosity, and through dialogue providemore opportunity for development.

Our success in translating our prac-tice into Latin culture and languagehinges on three principles:

1. Be aware of cultural differences,but stick to our own values. We notonly provide our service in a differentlanguage, but gently adapt our mes-sages and methods to new culturalenvironments, without straying fromour own leadership beliefs. To changeour messages would be to lose sight ofthe value we offer to potential leaders.Our messages remain as much about being a

self-aware person as being aself-aware leader.

2. Connection before con-tent. Our first job is to con-nect with leaders on ahuman level in all ourwork, and establish trust.This is doubly important incross-cultural settings.Partly driven by thismantra, we chose to hireteam members of Latin

American nationality as well asSpanish-speaking gringos. We also hirepeople who have a strong desire toconnect and gain satisfaction not justfrom leadership facilitation and teach-ing, but from transforming others, andthemselves, in the process.

3. Play is universal. Whether it’susing the Nintendo Wii to illustrateteam dynamics, building contraptionsto protect eggs from falls, or practicingfeedback, we play with leaders to helpthem grow. Play is an engaging way tohelp leaders practice new behaviors. Italso helps people laugh at each otherand themselves, which fosters connec-tion. As children, we all used play todevelop. As adults, we quickly rediscovera sense of freedom in play that providesenormous energy for development.

We are still learning and testing ourvalues and methods in the crucible ofnew cultural realities month-by-month.Our goal remains to develop people—asopposed to provide static truisms regard-ing leadership. This goal will continueto guide us in making the right—andethical—choices in cross-cultural man-agement and leadership development. LE

Mark Frein is Managing Director and Juan F. (Paco)Castellanos is Senior Consultant with Refinery LeadershipPartners. Visit www.refineryleadership.com.

ACTION: Engage in effective cross-cultural LD.

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Be aware of cultural differences but stick to your values.

by Mark Frein and Juan F. (Paco) Castellanos

HOW WELL DOES THE PRACTICE OFleadership development (LD) travel?

We had a chance to answer that ques-tion when a client of ours operated inCanada, the United States, Mexico, andGuatemala. Since many of their peoplespeak Spanish, our client asked if wecould deliver our LD services in Spanish.

We quickly went to work to figureout a solution. We looked at partner-ships with providers in Latin Americaversus hiring bi-lingual talent for ourteam. In the end, we decided to buildour own capacity, despite the costsand risks. We understood the resourcechallenges, but we had little sense ofthe real challenge—how to take ourmethods and models for LD and sensi-tively bring them to another culture.

For us, the question became: Howdo you translate LD, linguistically andculturally? We had to think carefullyabout our goals in developing leader-ship. Many things we take for grantedin working with leaders from similarcultures can become potentially seriouspitfalls when we try to translate them.

We know that LD is as much aboutdeveloping and clarifying norms and valuesas it is about skills. The danger, how-ever, when values are at play, is thosevalues may clash. This is obvious, forexample, when we compare traditionalassertions that “the leader must nevershow weakness” with “the role of aleader is to develop other leaders.”

Certainly there are times when it’sdangerous for a leader to show weak-ness. But those times are rare—as thereis greater acceptance of participativeleadership styles and values. Yet, manyleaders still act as if leadership is not,nor ever has been, contextual. Not so.As Peter Drucker said, the only charac-teristic shared by leaders is that they havefollowers. The only characteristic sharedby leaders we’ve met is that we respectthem because their words and actionsring true with our own set of values.Of course, we’ve met people who enjoy

hand out into their social networks.• Conducting strategic engagement

(coordinating events). You adjust thetiming, create emphasis, highlight vir-tuosos, provide critical feedback, andcreate a balanced effort that is cohesive,compelling, and powerful.

People build their world togetherthrough messy association and emo-tion, interaction and conversations—not logical argument. We’re still pushedand pulled by our inner currents, assem-bling the future one shaky step at a time.

Some people get change right. Theystart conversations that catch fire andcreate cascades of face-to-face jabber.They find the right people, pull theminto the mix, and get them energized.They cultivate social networks thatdeliver results because their conversa-tions are compelling—hence, people care.

The people who get change right

study their disorderly, convoluted terri-tory, looking for potholes and hiddenshortcuts. They create clusters of eventsthat bring their most valuable playerstogether and create surges in progress.And they seize obstacles as opportunities tountie knots and get energy moving.

Such change has been around fordecades. Some people call it social diffu-sion. Saul Alinsky called it organizingwhen he helped meat-workers and Afri-can-Americans to address oppression.In Rules for Radicals, he writes, “This isfor those who want to change the worldfrom what it is to what they believe it shouldbe. The Prince was written by Machia-velli for the Haves on how to holdpower. Rules for Radicals is written forthe Have-Nots on how to take it away.”

At the time, the mainstream grew todistrust organizing, but now leaders areworking with street visionaries to engi-neer the future. David Gershon, whoorganized the first Earth-Run in 1986worked hand-in-hand with world lead-

Get Change Right

MANY VISIONARIESfail when they try

to bring their visions tolife because they have faulty assump-tions about how people enroll, join acause, decide to do things differently,or enlist in the revolution.

The biggest problem is how theythink of communication. They spend alot of time developing their core idea.They think they will need to defend it,so it better be bulletproof. They combdata, hire consultants to do analyticalresearch, work on their logic, and com-pose elevator speeches. But, most ele-vator speeches only go down.

Then, finally, when they feel theirbig idea is looking foolproof, theysend it out to people, put it in emails,and start stumping. They believe ifothers are convinced, if they lay outtheir irrefutable argument, others willdecide it’s worthy and be quick to act.

Wrong. Rationality is only one waypeople test a new idea; logical argu-ment is not the core of communicationthat spreads like wildfire. Most peopledon’t seek robust arguments, and thenpurvey them with enthusiasm. If youwant your idea to catch fire, you needto create cascades of compelling interaction.Think chain reaction—a string of inter-actions, each creating a by-product thatstarts another reaction. When the num-ber of reactions grows exponentially, youget a cascade: one reaction begets two ormore, and each of these begets a few.

When you create an interaction thatgenerates other interactions, you pro-duce amazing impact. As one persontalks to others, and they talk to more,the number of conversations grows ex-ponentially, creating powerful increas-es in the speed and spread of change.So, if you want people to chatter aboutand then adopt your visionary idea,you need to become expert in three areas:• Leading engaging conversations—

interactions that weave people intoyour work, making them collaboratorsand co-creators of a shared future.• Generating cascades of activity—

setting off chain reactions of meetingsand conversations that are carriedfrom those who experience you first-

ers to see his vision materialize. Sincethen he’s worked with corporationsand city officials in New York to createdisaster-resilient neighborhoods and inPhiladelphia to make streets safe. Thepeople I engage to make changes hap-pen are everywhere—inside, outside,across, throughout organizations.

SSiixx CCHHAANNGGEE PPrriinncciipplleessIf you want your change to go right

—observe six principles of CHANGE:1. Communicate so people get it and

spread it. The it is not a pre-scriptedmessage. It’s a conversation that spreads,a dialogue that arouses passion and cre-ates its own social network. Learn howto spark cascades of conversations.

2. Harness your most valuable play-ers. People are at the heart of change.Engage them, and give them excitingways to be part of the action.

3. Accelerate change through commu-nities that perform. These are naturallyoccurring groups of people who share pas-sion for a topic and put their passion intopractice. These groups will advanceyour cause, creating systemic pull.

4. Notice the territory of change.Every organization has a different cul-ture and different ways of figuring outhow to go forward. I listen to others tocreate a map of the change territory.

5. Generate dramatic surges in progress.Special face-to-face events are the bestway to accelerate progress. Creategatherings that bring players togetherin high-value, high-leverage experiencesdesigned to push things forward fast.

6. Expect trouble and break throughlogjams. Obstacles, hurdles, and chal-lenges are all part of a change initia-tive. Difficulty is unavoidable—andcan make valuable contributions. Withthe right attitude, you can become expertat turning adversity to advantage.

All of these embrace the people partof change—the messy soft stuff. That’sbecause technical know-how (the hardskill) is in great supply. But engagement,participation, and the desire to contributerely on goodwill, a cooperative attitude,sincere interest, and a desire to be help-ful. In most change programs, these arein short supply. This is the soft stuff.And today, the soft stuff is the hard stuff.

The visionaries who bring visions tolife know how to get people involved.Involvement, engagement, buy-in, sup-port, contribution—this is where theaction is and where traction happens. Thisis visionary leadership, gone right. LE

Seth Kahan is CEO of Visionary Leadership and author ofGetting Change Right. Email Seth@visionaryleadership.com.

ACTION: Bring your vision to light.

by Seth Kahan

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 9

CHANGE VISION

B r i n g t h e s h a r e d v i s i o n t o l i g h t .

cent range, but in the attention-grab-bing, high double or triple-digit range!

The many examples of impressivefinancial returns means the answer tothe financial ROI question is yes—LDcan be worth the investment.

2. Opportunity cost. Other measuresof return on the LD investment shouldalso be considered, including the eco-nomic opportunity cost. Have organi-zations actually lost because they wereunable to capitalize on profitablegrowth opportunities due to a lack ofprepared leaders to rally people andexploit the opportunities? One long-term user of The Leadership Challengeaddressed this issue for us. After com-pleting a strategic acquisition of a com-pany half its size, the president statedthat the acquisition would have been

impossible had they not developedleaders over time. No merger is everpainless and seamless, but the qualityof the integration was positively recog-nized by associates of both companies.And the people of the acquired compa-ny were astonished by the investmentin LD made in the past by their newowners. It was a foreign concept to them.In the minds of some of the most seniorpeople, the previous lack of any LD wasa key factor in their being acquired. Thecombined enterprise is now poised forgrowth in ways never before achievable.

Can this president provide an accu-rate financial ROI attributed solely totheir LD efforts? Not really. Does he knowthat it has been worth it? Yes. And in spiteof some difficult times in their industry,they are surviving better than most andstill fully committed to growing leaders.

The key question is, do you ever eventhink about lost opportunities that resultfrom an inadequate supply of people readyto take on new challenges and really lead?

Development ROI

ASALIENT QUESTION ISoften asked about

leadership development (LD):“How do we know if this will pay off?”ROI is always on everyone’s mind.

Does your investment in LD pay off?I address this question from three dif-ferent perspectives:

1. Financial return. In our LD work,we’ve tracked several sizable financialreturns for clients who embrace TheLeadership Challenge model. In onecase, we re-surveyed several managerswith the Leadership Practices Inventory(measures behaviors of The LeadershipChallenge). Although average scoresclimbed in each practice, we knew thiswas not the same thing as improvedfinancial performance. So, we random-ly selected a few managers and foundthat profits they and their teams gen-erated greatly increased after attend-ing the workshop. Moreover,participants reported improvements insix other areas: more innovation,greater initiative, the initiation andownership of calculated risk, collabo-ration, self-confidence, and clarifiedshared values. For these managers andtheir teams, there was a direct correla-tion between their Leadership Challengeexperience and financial performance.

In another company, a sales divisionthat built a culture of leadership aroundThe Leadership Challenge model, exposedthe practices to all associates, and livedthem in many ways, completely out-performed other divisions that had notadopted the model. The sales group ledthe company in results for seven of 10 yearsand was in the top three the other years. Theydelivered consistent year-over-yeargrowth of 17 percent (other businessunits averaged 8 percent), and had astrong promotion rate averaging 36 per-cent per year. And this winning divisionhad no additional selling advantages, norwas it in one of the highest growth markets.

We have other examples of organi-zations that adopted LeadershipChallenge practices as a foundation forleading key strategic growth and cost-saving initiatives. Their bottom linereturns are not just in the 15 to 20 per-

You can easily calculate the turnovercost of top performers leaving the com-pany who are tired of being shackled tothe misguided directions of poor man-agers. But do you ever try to calculatethe total future value lost? What is thereal value of the “ones that get away,”whether they are talented people orlucrative business opportunities?

3. Emotional return. A third measureof ROI in LD might be labeled emotionalreturn. For years we’ve asked people todescribe times in their careers or liveswhen they were truly led, vs. simplymanaged. They describe a different emo-tional state when being led. They feltinspired, energized, important, capable,and performed at much higher levels—and they can usually explain how andwhy in vivid detail. Sadly, they alsoadmit being less committed and engagedwhen they were simply managed.

When people are performing athigher levels, the odds that they’ll con-tribute more financially to growth andefficiency is much greater than whenthey are simply doing the job.

Have you ever been truly led? Was itdifferent for you? So, how is your lead-ership measuring up? Are your peo-ple/team members being truly led byyou right now? Think about the lostopportunity cost if they are not!

We often hear that the value of leader-ship is self-evident. Even so, that value isseldom translated to a quantifiable lineitem on a quarterly report. So, what isthe bottom line of your LD? It is diffi-cult to show an exclusive cause-and-effect relationship between LD andfinancial results, as the impact of sever-al intervening variables can’t be isolat-ed and accounted for. So often it comesdown to what you believe. Do youbelieve that your LD makes a differ-ence? Do you believe that inspired andcommitted associates will outperformthose who are not? Do you believecourageous leaders are needed toadvance organizations (even countries)forward during times of immenseuncertainty? Do you believe LD isworth the investment, even if you can’tdirectly calculate the payoff?

Developing leaders is an investmentin both today and the future. It is not anoccasional training program or event. Itis clearly a strategic decision that willdefine and lead you to the kind of orga-nization you most want to create. Workat it as you do any important investment,and you will be amply rewarded. LE

Steve Coats is CEO of International Leadership Associates. Visit i-lead.com. Call 513-755-7112.

ACTION: Document your LD ROI.

by Steve Coats

2 0 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e

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