Leadership Development: “This is Squishy Feely” Stuff

October 8, 2008 By 2 Comments

The “Squishy Feely” statement was on a recent comment card for a workshop that I conducted.  The follow on note to that very technical phrase was, “We’re not going to do this.”

The “stuff” and the “this” that this individual was referencing included things like:

  • Providing growth opportunities for the firm’s associates by structuring assignments for developmental purposes.
  • Working to identify the firm’s high potential talent and ensure that these individuals are gaining the experience and exposure that they need to develop into leaders in the near future.
  • Increasing mentoring, coaching and improving feedback practices.  A survey of the firm’s associates indicated that this is generally absent from the environment.
  • Involving people outside of the senior staff in providing input for strategy assessment and formulation.  It is presently a closed-door process.
  • Taking time as a senior team to identify the attributes of future leaders and to begin forming a practical leadership competency model.

And a few other “Squishy Feely” things like the above.

It’s not uncommon to run into resistance from the senior members of an organization that has just recognized that it might be good to professionalize and improve talent development and acquisition processes. I can even understand the “Squishy Feely” comment coming from a grizzled functional veteran that grew up in a world where the topic of talent identification, development and retention was not as front and center as it increasingly is today.  However the statement: “We’re not going to do this,” is impossible to fathom. It’s a lot like saying, “It’s good to be ignorant.”  Or, “It’s OK not to breathe.”

Without launching into a diatribe on the need for organizations to become great at identifying, developing and retaining talent (I’ve co-authored a book and composed about 130 blog posts on this topic), I will instead encourage the professional dealing with the subject of leadership development to recognize the reality of the resistance that they face.    Ignorance and apathy are powerful adversaries and their cousin, fear of change, is perhaps even stronger.

If you are leading or involved in driving the topic of leadership/talent development in your organization or with your team, it pays to understand what you are up against and to steel yourself for the resistance.  If you are doing this at the senior level, expect a marathon, not a sprint and take heart in the small, incremental victories.

My post of a few months ago, Teaching a Senior Leadership Team to Dance with Leadership Development, includes what I believe are some useful tips for anyone involved with this issue at the top levels.  In it, I propose 8 Steps to Mastering the Leadership Development Dance, and frankly, upon further review and after considering the “Squishy Feely” comment, I stand behind the steps.  I am hopeful that they also have something for the mid-level manager seeking to strengthen practices at his or her level as well.)

The Bottom-Line for Now:

I can’t imagine not doing everything possible to arm myself and my company with the best possible talent at every level of the organization.  The day that the “We’re not going to do this” types retire or are otherwise invited to do something else is a victory for the rest of the organization.  Some will see the light…others will go on happy in their ignorance and narrowly focused on their minute to minute mission.  If you are about creating the future, don’t let the resisters slow you down.

Filed Under: Leadership, Leading Change Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

We Are All Just Temporary Stewards

August 20, 2008 By 5 Comments

My blogging volume is off a bit due to client engagements and teaching activities (a good problem), but I had to take a timeout this afternoon and share some thoughts from a recent discussion.  A very thoughtful manager summed up his perspective on his role in the organization as that of a Temporary Steward. 

With his permission, and I am paraphrasing: “It’s not our business, it’s not our company, but we have a responsibility to those that will inevitably take over from us to leave the business in the best possible condition.”  Thoughtful comments and an interesting way to look at things.

While I suppose you could interpret the Temporary Steward label as a means of rationalizing subpar performance or lack of engagement, for this manager, it was just the opposite.  It was clear from our discussion, that he cares very deeply about the organization’s success, about its future state given the changing world that we live in, and importantly, about the people that work in the organization. 

From my own perspective, I like the concept of thinking about our tenure as finite.  It creates a sense of urgency and it helps us focus on priorities.  I’ve observed too many corporate managers that lost track of the fact that they are not guaranteed a job or even that their company will be there next week.  Once you start acting like you own the bricks and mortar and the chair and desk that you sit at and even the people that work for you, your judgment clouds, your motivation weakens and your intentions become suspect. 

The Tenets of the Temporary Steward
  • I’m responsible for contributing more everyday than I take out of the organization.
  • I’m accountable to future leaders, managers and employees to do my best to ensure that there is an organization in place for them to contribute to, earn from and to grow.
  • I recognize that I am here on the good graces of customers and stakeholders, and I will seek to create value for them every day.
  • If I manage people, I’m responsible for doing the heavy lifting and difficult work of providing constant feedback, supporting individual development and eliminating those that can’t perform or that don’t match our values.
  • I’m responsible for watching what is going on in the world around us and for helping pick a path to march down.  I’m also responsible for recognizing when we’ve chosen the wrong path and helping us change course.
  • I won’t take myself so seriously that it causes me to strike out in anger, play politics or spend unproductive time complaining. 
  • I’ll work hard to recognize when it is my time for my stewardship to end, and I’ll look back on the successes and failures as learning experiences.  I’ll leave the regrets for someone else, because as a Temporary Steward, I’ll know that I left everything that I had on the playing field.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

Don’t take yourself so seriously that you start believing that you transcend the organization.  Start focusing on what you can do to create value today that will ensure that there is a future for your organization.  And remember that  you will not pass this way or live this day again.  Leave things better than you found them.

Filed Under: Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Help Wanted: Great Leaders to Solve Vexing World Problems

July 17, 2008 By 1 Comment

This is what I describe as a boil-over post—short on useful advice and long on observations about the obvious.  I usually shy away from commenting on the world scene, however, I’m breaking form today. 

As is my habit on gorgeous Mid-Western U.S. mornings (that’s for all of you folks all over the globe that love to point out the temperature differentials to me in February!), I rise early, grab a quick cup of English Breakfast Tea, glance at the Wall Street Journal and then jump on my bicycle for my wake-up workout.  I suppose this morning’s paper is not much different than every other paper for the last few months, but as I said, this is a boil-over post: it’s been simmering for a while.  My positive spin on the over-abundance of miserable news is that this is a great time for leaders everywhere to ply their trade and show the world what they are made of.

Just a few of our very visible and very important “leadership” opportunities:

The Economy.  The Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke has perhaps the worst job on the planet right now.  In what is looking more and more like a perfect storm, the Chairman must simultaneously deal with the still-unfolding housing crash, the implosion in mortgage financing, the wholesale failure of some of the planet’s alleged smartest financiers to do anything right (think Bear Sterns), record oil prices, a record low dollar value, the specter of inflation and general weakness in many U.S. and global markets.  Perhaps the only thing more complicated than the macroeconomic environment is the weather.  Oh yeah, if Chairman Bernanke’s daily dilemmas aren’t tough enough, spend a few minutes listening to the windbags in Congress posture while they attempt to blame him for everything, including the ’29 crash.

U.S Auto Manufacturers.   The headline I want to see is: U.S. Auto Executives Fired En Masse for Arrogance, Idiocy and Forgetting to Diversify their Product Portfolios.  What is galling to me is that these executives had clear visibility into competitor strategies as well as the bigger picture of energy and oil.  Did they really expect to live on the profits from the SUVs and Trucks of the ’90′s forever?  Killing an industry should be a crime punishable by ample jail time.

U.S. Airlines (except for Southwest).  Most of my work is in the Chicago-area, so I’ve avoided flying for a while.  A good friend of mine described his recent experience on a major carrier as: “something out of a movie shot in a third-world country.”  In a bold stroke, most major U.S. carriers (except Southwest) have decided to bet their survival on making an already lousy experience miserable.  I wonder what happened to the memo that said that if we serve our customers and give them great reasons to use our services, they will help us weather the storm.  Jail time for these execs as well.  It’s time for some fresh approaches from new leaders interested in running businesses that serve customers.

Iraq.  Absolutely no joking here…U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians are losing their lives.  This situation has serious repercussions for the U.S. and for the Middle East for years to come.  The next President will be saddled with resolving (hopefully) this nightmare.  There are encouraging signs, but it is a complex situation.  Kudos to the military leaders on the ground and the brave citizens that are working towards a self-governing, democratic Iraq.

Iran.  Hmmm, if this situation wasn’t complex enough, the leaders in this country seem to relish their ability to destabilize. 

I could keep going, but I won’t.  It’s time to stop, with just one other light by comparison leadership dilemma: Brett Favre.  As I’m writing this, my oldest son is listening to ESPN reporting on the Brett Favre saga.  Put yourself in the shoes of the Packer’s GM, Ted Thompson, who has to decide whether to fire this remarkable Wisconsin (via Mississippi) hero or bring him back and let him play in spite of having moved on once Brett announced his retirement a few months ago. 

I do have some advice for Ted Thompson, and it is based on the track record of Jerry Krause, the former Chicago Bulls General Manager who once indicated that one of his major goals was to build a championship team without Michael Jordan.  How did that work out, Jerry?

The End of the Rave For Now:

Tough times and challenging circumstances provide outstanding opportunities for leaders at all levels to test their mettle and gain valuable experience.  There have been few times in recent history with this number of complex challenges staring at us in everything that we do.  As individuals, we cannot solve these issues alone, but we can hold our leaders from local politicians to congress and the next President accountable.  We can make good decisions with our finances, demand accountability from our elected officials and challenge the leaders in our businesses to do more than focus on the short-term.  We can support our troops even if we disagree with the policies, and we can cast our vote this November.  It’s a great time for leaders everywhere to stand up and be counted.

Filed Under: Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

“He Liked to Ride Through the Camp Just to Hear the Salutes”

July 8, 2008 By 1 Comment

I chuckle every time I read the quote above from Jeff Shaara’s The Glorious Cause, a great piece of historical fiction about the American Revolution.  Mr. Shaara is referencing one of the many lousy generals that Washington had to contend with as he searched for leaders to help breathe life into the fragile revolution.  Challenged by lack of money, munitions and food and clothing, and backed by a Congress powerless to raise and support an army, Washington was plagued by many glory seekers and few genuine leaders.

We all know and have witnessed leaders like the one described in the quote above.  They are visible by how much they feed on the limelight and adulation of their employees.  This leader walks into a room with the silent pronouncement of “I’m here” and energizes as people acknowledge his or her greatness.  He or she is usually quick with a joke and all too happy to grab the podium and ramble on about the great things they are doing for the organization. 

Eventually, many of these leader-pretenders are unmasked, but often after causing considerable damage.  In the case of several of Washington’s early generals, the most egotistical and glory-seeking characters were uncovered by their dramatic failures in strategy and execution as well as a propensity to show the hind-quarters of their horses as they were the first to panic and run for cover.  This fact was not missed by their troops.  The same unmasking takes place in corporate environments where tough times, crises and significant market and competitor challenges help separate the real leaders from the glory-seekers.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

My preference in leaders and my guidance to aspiring leaders is to develop a servant philosophy.  Instead of the “I’m here” approach, I encourage people to develop the persona that says “You’re here!  How can I help?” as they enter a room.  The advice might sound trite, but the philosophical differences and supporting actions are profoundly different in the two cases.  How do you enter a room? 

Filed Under: Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Yeah, “Why Don’t Managers Think Deeply?”

June 16, 2008 By 4 Comments

There's an interesting post today in the Harvard Business Review Working Knowledge newsletter entitled "Why Don't Managers Think Deeply?"

Professor James Heskett highlights GE CEO Geoffrey Immelt's recent pronouncements that he is: looking for managers to think deeply about innovations that will ensure GE's longer-term success. He has vowed that he will protect those working on the breakthroughs from the "budget slashers" focused on short-term success.  (Professor Heskett also reviews the book Marketing Metaphoria and the perspectives of the authors: Gerald and Lindsay Zaltman on why managers don't think deeply.)

As I leader, I've wrestled with this topic for years, and have worked around and with many individuals perfectly content to let their days unfold in a transactional nature, with no time to think deeply or even strategically.  Days pass into months and months to years, and still these individuals prefer conquering the issue of the moment versus wondering whether they are even working on the right issues.

I look forward to learning more about what the Zaltmans have to say about this issue above and beyond what Professor Heskett highlights in his post when I read their book. For now, here are a few of my perspectives on why managers don't think deeply:

  • Personal characteristics: some people are not great strategists but excellent operators and they focus on where they are most comfortable making a contribution. 
  • Poor leaders above them that don't create the forums and opportunities to think big.  This fits with my strategy-fueled theme where in my opinion; the best leaders involve everyone in sharing insights and developing ideas for strategy.  This provides ample opportunity for individuals to contribute and teaches otherwise task-oriented people that it is OK to get out of the moment once in awhile.
  • Bad personal time management habits.  Some managers like crossing off a bunch of lower-level, "C" priorities than focusing on one "A" priority.  This can be corrected.
  • Fear of being accountable for something.  I worked with a sales manager that absolutely hated to work on anything beyond the deals of the month.  While his focus on results created some good outcomes for us, as the business changed and evolved, his ability to contribute dropped dramatically.  When it was said and done, he admitted that he was uncomfortable considering big changes when it was so hard to drive short-term results.
  • Frustration with impediments to change.  If Immelt is imploring his people to innovate, the GE culture better darned well be willing to turn ideas into actions or the creative flow will shut down quickly.  I've observed cultures where the leader preaches change as the rest of the team nods and then proceeds to do nothing.

The bottom-line for now:

It's hard for most of us to think creatively on command.  Moving from a transactional model to a state of lateral or divergent thinking requires making and taking time.  As leaders, we can help improve and support Mr. Immelt's suggestion (hard to argue with the intent) by creating opportunities for the right types of discussions and by supporting the movement of ideas into actions, products and services.  Try holding your leaders accountable for creating a culture of innovation and then let them loose.  The results may surprise you.

Filed Under: Leadership, Leading Change Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »