Embrace Ambiguity and Grow With It

Another one of my nearly endless and on-going leadership experiments deals with ambiguity in all of its forms and fashions.  Many of my exchanges sound like the following, where I annoyingly (to the questioner) dodge giving the answer.

“What do you think I should do?”

Me: “I don’t know, what do you think?”

“How do you want the presentation formatted?”

Me: “Format it so that it clearly communicates your key points.”

Same person: “How many pages should the report be?”

Me: “I don’t know.  How many will it take to concisely and clearly communicate your key points?”

What should we do?”

Me: “I’m going to go get a cup of coffee.  What are you going to do?”

My wife: “Where should we go out to eat?”

Me: “I don’t know honey, where would you like to go.”

OK, the last one usually doesn’t fly, but the other ones are all valid.  These questions come from students and direct reports, and I’m willing to be that you hear variations of these from time to time as well.

Many people fear ambiguity and/or they don’t trust their own ability to create or solve a problem, so they respond with a question that delegates the thinking to someone else. That’s a bad habit, and if the workplace or college classrooms were refereed events, those “you do my thinking for me so I don’t have to be creative or take a risk” questions would be infractions.

The Power of Silence as a Teaching Tool:

One of my own favorite lessons in ambiguity occurred a few years ago in an executive workshop at Kellogg.  It was day one of the program on “Reinventing Leadership,” and a group of executives ranging from Director to CEO had just concluded presenting the results of our first breakout and case.  I noticed that the two instructors were fairly critical of the less than creative problem-solving and uninspired presentations, and after some coaching with an edge, they proceeded to the next case. We broke back out into our work groups and came back in the room to run the teach-backs, and this is where everything changed.

After the first few report-backs, the instructors quit responding. They sat there and glowered at the room in silence.  No other groups were called and you can imagine the fidgeting and palpable increase in tension in the room.  Several people tried asking questions and were met with stern, stone-faced glares.

After what seemed like an eternity, one CEO stood up and said, “This is B.S., I’ve got better things to do,” and grabbed his papers and jacket and started to leave. Another participant stopped him and said, “Let’s figure this out…don’t let these guys beat you.”  That statement was the turning point.

Slowly people came to life and recognized that we were being played…deservedly so, for delivering uninspiring solutions to vexing issues in our cases, and that the message here was dig deeper and do better.

Instead of reverting to our prior work groups, a new social order emerged with several people taking charge, organizing work teams, clarifying the problems and objectives and others joined in to facilitate solutions.  Before you know it, the room was humming with creativity as the instructors continued glaring at no one in particular.  Basically, we ignored them.

The exercise continued as each new work group presented suggestions and through another round of integration of ideas, we came up with what we all agreed was an inspired, novel set of do-able solutions for the problems at hand.  No instructor involvement required.

Now it was our turn.  We all sat down and silently stared back at the instructors.  And finally of course, they broke their vow of silence with big grins, apologies and their heartfelt praise. The lessons were powerful and plentiful from that example, not the least of which was how to turn brutal, crushing ambiguity (the silence) into a creative outcome.  This week-long program continued with other powerful exercises, but none that left such a strong impression as the few hours of silence.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

Whether you are a leader or a contributor, recognize that ambiguity is an invitation to pursue creativity.  If you are fortunate enough to work for a boss that encourages free-thinking and that doesn’t mandate explicit compliance on tasks, take advantage of this environment to see what you are capable of creating.  If you are the manager, quit answering these questions and teach people to think for themselves.

One of the joys of working is the opportunity to create and the benefits derived from the powerful learning experiences that accrue in the process.  Quit asking, start thinking and you’ll surprise yourself.

Leadership 2009 Style-What We Learned

Mix one part global economic crisis with ample quantities of uncertainty and ambiguity.  Stir in two-parts ever-changing global competition and a dash of geopolitical instability and you’ll end up with something that looks and feels a lot like the world of today, complete with the mild aftertaste of fear.

You’ll also end up with a remarkable living leadership laboratory, where the best leaders are rediscovering the importance of leadership blocking and tackling while simultaneously developing the new skills and approaches required in this complex environment.

The basics of effective leadership never go out of style.  Articulating a compelling vision, backing words with actions and support, offering coaching and feedback and driving strategy are all table-stakes for good leaders and effective leadership in any era.

However, this is no ordinary era, and what worked during the last boom or even the last recession almost a decade ago, no longer fits and certainly doesn’t match or meet the needs of organizations and workers today.

The variables are different, the risks higher and the way forward for many firms in many industries masked by the fog of complexity and ambiguity.

Welcome to leadership circa 2009!

This high-anxiety environment that we’re all living in and working through has catalyzed an accelerated evolution in leadership practices, and while the period is painful for many, I truly like where this is taking us on the leadership front.

We’re learning to build the new airplane while flying the old one, and this balancing act requires remarkable leadership agility and creativity.

Consider:

• Practices that reflect transparency, honesty, accountability and straight-talk on the tough issues are increasingly de rigueur.

• Effective leaders are spending less time in boardrooms and behind closed doors and more time out where the work gets done, particularly in the factories and stores of their customers.

• Employee involvement is popular again with the smartest leaders recognizing the need to enlist front-line employees in identifying and sharing customer insights and to challenge everyone else to turn those insights into improvements and value creating services, products and systems.

• There is no “rising tide” effect lifting industries and companies.  Leadership is on display and under a magnifying glass, and the collective good results of prior years have unmasked the ineffective and in some cases, corrupt leadership practices that were glossed over when the numbers rose in defiance of poor leadership approaches and lousy leaders.

What a great time to be a leader!

Critical Leadership Lessons of 2009:

The best leaders are heeding Deming’s advice to work on eliminating fear in the workplace.  Fear is an organization killer, and the cure for this cancer is for leaders to attack it with transparency and visibility.  Those comfortable with leading from the rear have learned the necessity of moving to the front and leading the charge with a constant flow of unvarnished information on the real issues.

Leading has always been about coping with ambiguity, but in today’s fog enshrouded world  leaders are learning to reshape their cultures and their operating approaches to facilitate fast recognition and response to emerging opportunities and threats. Easy words to write…hard culture to realize, but the best leaders are working tirelessly to breed the right people, systems and behaviors to produce this sense and respond culture.

Good crisis leaders are capable of admitting, “I don’t know,” in answer to some of the most complex issues, as long as the admission is backed and packed with action.  Few crisis leaders understand the details of the path to prosperity, but the good ones recognize the power in Drucker’s comment, “Actions in the present are the one and only way to create the future.” Good leaders mobilize teams, choose a direction and go based on their best intelligence and gut hunches.  If the course turns out to be wrong, they correct without looking back and keep moving.

Organizations and leaders that recognize the complexity of this new world have jettisoned traditional planning models and approaches in favor of dynamic, fast-moving methods that facilitate market monitoring and organizational learning and place a premium on acting.  These approaches require experimentation and embracing frequent small failures on the path to success.

The foundation of any successful business is talent and while much lip service is paid to this topic, and the smartest leaders are carefully navigating the most remarkable talent pool in many generations for those anxious and motivated to contribute and prove their former employers wrong.  While it is too soon to see if talent management and leadership development will become part of the DNA of tomorrow’s organizations, the need has never been more apparent.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

The leadership observations and trends above might seem like the domain of jumbo-sized global firms with deep pockets and robust talent systems.  And while some firms of this ilk do have natural advantages and are pushing the envelope on breaking down walls and experimenting with new approaches to leadership and management (think Cisco), I’m seeing these practices in small start-ups, old-line manufacturers and innovative retail and service establishments on Main Street.

I have every reason to believe that the way forward is filled with obstacles that rival the labors of Hercules.  There are no silver bullets, no easy answers and no magical leadership or management fads that offer miracles cures.

I do however believe that necessity is pushing us to innovate in management and operating approaches, and that a new style of leader must emerge to help firms cope with the modern day Herculean labors of ambiguity, fear, complexity, speed, ever-changing adversaries and a capable but shell-shocked talent pool.  For right now however, the leader circa 2009 is busy mucking today’s equivalent of the Augean stables.  Grab a shovel and we’ll finish this together.

Leadership Caffeine: Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me When I First Became a Leader

Note from Art: this one’s with a little help from my friends.  I’ve been working a great deal with first-time leaders recently (my favorite groups!) and I posted a tweet to the extremely talented group of great people that I follow on Twitter asking what they wish someone would have told them when they started out in their leadership careers. Here are a few of their insightful thoughts with attribution, commingled with thoughts of my own.

Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me When I Became a Leader

One of the motivations in writing Practical Lessons in Leadership a couple of years ago was to take a stab at leaving behind that letter we all wish we would have received when we first became leaders.  You know the letter…it’s the one that if we had read it and actually followed the advice, we might have short-circuited a few years of learning things the hard way.

The short-story on what my letter to early career leaders includes:

• Not everyone should lead. It’s OK to be an individual contributor, although you will still need to develop and draw on your leadership skills to succeed.
• You need to realize sooner than later that your role as a leader is about creating the environment and providing the support for others to do great things and prosper.
• Leading is hard work. As one wise man indicated, it’s a profession, with a body of knowledge waiting to be discovered.
• Credibility is your most valuable currency as a professional and a leader. Everything you do must reinforce your credibility.
• Treat everyone with respect. All of the time. No exceptions.
• Leading is all about everyone but you. Get over yourself.
• You’ll spend too much time with the wrong people. Focus on the people that want to grow, develop and succeed.
• The highest respect you can pay someone is to truly pay attention by supporting their development.

And from some of my colleagues on Twitter

-From: @GinaAbudi on influence and communication:

“Even as a leader you STILL must be able to influence others effectively.”

On communication: (paraphrased): Keep your communication open.

-From @DavidWLocke on the power of a thank you

“Years ago, I almost fell over when an engineer thanked me for working on his project.”

-From @wallybock:

“I wish I knew the importance of role models and mentors.”

“People in my classes talk about skills they wish they had or knew to get training in. The most desired skill clusters were (in order) talking to team members about performance/behavior and dealing with the boss.”

-From @mjasmus

“I wish I knew that the people part of leading would be the most complex, messy and difficult.”

I wish I knew that leading isn’t about the push. It’s more about the pull.”

-From @rseres

“Leadership is not about control.”

“As a leader, you don’t have to have all the answers.”

-From @SherpaDe

“Good listening is a skill to be taken seriously.”

“Learn to ask great questions and stay curious.”

–

Some smart, experienced people with great advice for early career leaders!  Thanks to all.

The Bottom Line

If you are an experienced leader with responsibility for supporting the development of leaders around you, remember to pay forward the lessons that you’ve learned over time and frequently learned the hard way.

While we will all have our own unique leadership experiences, we owe it to the next generation to do everything in our power to help them along. Never mind that no one was there to help you. You’ve learned that you are better than that.

And for those of you embarking on your leadership careers, read, listen and learn. Oh, and while you are at it, heed Wally’s advice and seek a role model or mentor. There are more than a few experienced leaders out there happy to help you along your journey.

Leadership Caffeine for the New Week: Leadership Lessons from Twitter

It’s a great week of slowly rising temperatures here in Chicago, but still not prime time for iced coffee in the morning. Today’s cup is a dark, bold Papau New Guinea, roasted locally of course.

Now before you skewer me for suggesting in the title of this post that there are leadership lessons to be learned from people reporting on what coffee they are having for breakfast and what the weather in Chicago will be like this week, have another sip and read on.

As just a bit of background, I jumped into Twitter like I did into blogging…with one toe and very, very cautiously. Blogging has become a part of my daily dna and a rich part of my professional life, and Twitter has served to remind me of some important lessons that we as leaders tend to lose track of as we move through our careers.

Leadership Lessons & Reminders from Twitter:

-It takes a certain amount of curiosity and yes, even courage for forty-something corporate types to even admit that there might just be something to a social networking tool like Twitter. Many of my contemporaries scoff and mock the tool and anyone participating.

As leaders, we often lose our intellectual curiosity and courage as we move through our careers. We’ve seen it all before and we’re well aware in our own minds that when you take risks and do something a bit edgy, most of the time, bad things happen. We’ve seen fads come and go, and to many of us, this is just one more fad.

To those involved, it is part of the fundamental rewriting of the rules of how people engage and converse. And while the lessons of networking and the exchange of ideas are as old as humanity, the reach and speed here are remarkable and unprecedented.

-Twitter is a meritocracy of ideas and the lack of hierarchy and internal politics ensures a much more open exchange than you get in the traditional workplace. There are some truly rich conversations and great ideas being exchanged here daily. Imagine if we can create systems with our customers and even internally in our own organizations by cutting out the natural stifling of great thoughts due to politics and hierarchy. The opportunities for idea generation and ultimately innovation are endless.

-Talk with smart people and you learn a great deal. I’ve managed to expand my professional network of smart people from around the globe considerably and I learn everyday from reading the posts and gaining feedback from some great professionals that I’ve met here on Twitter. A year’s worth of conferences and networking events would not have allowed me to equal the networking quality or quantity in just a few months of 15 minutes per day.

-In life and in business, there are incredible opportunities to waste time and energy, and the same potential exists in the social networking arena. I choose to tune out the infomercials and ignore those that appear not to be genuine in pursuit of giving ideas to gain insights.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

• Participate in the events of your times or you will be relegated to the past.
• Keep moving and keep growing or you will rust in place.
• With new tools come new rules and if you are involved in the business of creating value for customers and leading others in the process, you must understand the new tools and rules. Your customers and your employees are engaged in a whole new universe of conversations that you might just be missing.
• Passive participation is the same as non-participation.
• Don’t mock what you don’t know.
• Don’t waste your time with the time wasters.

Oh, and by the way. How is it that you are planning on leading teams of globally dispersed, multi-generational professionals when you don’t even understand how entire groups communicate, collaborate and socialize?

Management Lessons From the Memphis Belle-Rule #1

Note from Art: It is a pleasure and a privilege to have Eric Lieberman publishing his Management Lessons from the Memphis Belle as a guest author here at Management Excellence.  I had the pleasure of working for Eric and the co-creator of the Rules, Paul Byrne, and it is exciting to see the wisdom that helped us navigate so many challenges come to life here on the blog.  Just as the world waited eagerly for the next installment from Dickens to learn the fate of Little Nell, I predict you’ll find yourself looking forward to future installments of these creative, powerful and practical rules for managing and leading. 

Sometimes the power of a rule is found in its exceptions

When my father learned that I had been drafted by a board of directors to lead a failing software company through a financial turnaround, he reacted: “But, what do you know about running a business?”

The words stung – but he was right: I knew nothing. I’d been an attorney for a wide variety of businesses for years – but had never been responsible for a bottom line, never done a budget, never managed people and had never created a strategic plan!

I began looking everywhere I could for advice. I devoured business and management books by the carload. Most often, I found good counsel in the talented people – like Art Petty – that surrounded me. They brought the experience and skills to the corporate table that I lacked. But, the single most unusual fount of wisdom came one night when my CFO, Paul Byrne, and I drank a bottle of Thompson’s Bourbon Whiskey in the corporate house we shared in Wisconsin and watched the 1990 movie The Memphis Belle.

The namesake of the movie is an Army B-17 WWII bomber (“Flying Fortress”) whose crew had flown 24 missions into enemy territory. According to military policy, the crew would return home if they returned safely from their 25th mission. The movie tells the story of that final mission.

We were in the early days of our trench warfare trying to save the company, so it was natural that we felt a kinship with the pilot and crew of the Belle. As we drank and watched, we began to discover business rules and management lessons within the war-movie plot. By the time we were done, we had Ten Rules of Management From The Memphis Belle. Then, Paul came up with an 11th. I cussed and said “you can’t just have an odd number like 11” – so we replayed the movie in our heads and thought of 9 more.

And thus we discovered the 20 Lessons From The Memphis Belle. We had them printed up on little cards and handed them out to employees. We gifted them to strategic partners and customers. We printed them on posters and hung them in our offices. When we ran into a hard issue in the business we would refer to the Rules: more often than not there was a rule that was right on point. Each time we’d be amazed, but then we’d say: “Ah! The Rules know all!”

I credit these rules with getting me through difficult times. Even today, after leaving the company upon accomplishing a turnaround and eventual sale, I see the continued applicability of these rules to the difficult times we face today. And so, when Art offered some of his blog space for me to do “my thing”, I jumped at the chance to share these rules with a broader audience.

Today, and in weeks to come, I am going to share the rules with you, describe their origin in the movie and illustrate their applicability with some real-world stories. its not mandatory – but you might think about renting the movie and watching it along with these articles.

Ironically, rule number one echoes my father’s comments to me:

Rule No. 1: Don’t pretend to do jobs you’re not trained for!

Val, the bombardier of the Belle, boasts that he has medical training. But when one of his crew-mates is seriously wounded by enemy gunfire, the bombardier must admit to having had far less medical expertise than he had claimed. Val proposes that the only way to save the wounded crew member is to parachute him into enemy hands and hope that he is rushed to a hospital. “Bad plan” say the rest of the crew, and the bombardier successfully treats his wounded mate despite his fear and sense of inadequacy.

Despite his lack of training, Val had the courage and resolve to succeed.

It doesn’t fare so well for another crew member that wants to try his untrained hand at one of the big on-board machine guns. Convincing the real gunner to let him try, he loses control of the gun and slices through another B-17 sending it crashing to the ground in flames and killing its crew.

Sometimes, it is just plain dumb and dangerous to put people in charge that don’t know what they are doing. But, sometimes…

When I was picked to run the company, I clearly didn’t appear to be a person with the right qualifications. I didn’t have the usual training or experience to accomplish what I needed to do. And yet, the board saw in me certain strengths and qualities that they valued more than traditional qualifications. For example, an old law partner told them that I was a “workaholic, he will not rest until the job is done”. And, they made a good call: I succeeded!

I had a young man working for me who was simply an outstanding person. He’d started in the company as a staff guy supporting the company’s internal computer systems and worked his way up the ladder to head the IT department. Despite his technology training, he proved to be a “Jack of all trades”. He was loyal to the company, a great leader and had a “can do” spirit that was unbelievable. Point him in the direction of a mission – and he would accomplish it without fail! I recognized his talents superseded any particular training he had, and I was able to deploy him in a variety of key company positions well beyond IT services. He was a big contributor to the success of the company. If I had limited him to his trained position – IT – I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of the broader range of skills and talent that this “Jack” had.

Lesson Learned:

When you have a mission to complete, a task to be accomplished or a job to be filled, take inventory of the candidates and their qualifications. At times, on-the-job training might just be inappropriate. Be alert, though, to circumstances that require betting on a candidate that may be non-traditional. Before you write off someone for a position or a mission, figure out whether they have the courage, the mettle, the “right stuff” to succeed in spite of your perception that they lack the obvious qualifications for the job. Always consider whether the obvious qualifications for a job are really the true qualities that will define success. Don’t simply evaluate candidates – always test the premises of your qualifications.

Next time: Rule #2: Don’t Applaud the Event (especially good news) before it happens!

About Eric Lieberman: Eric Lieberman writes from his home in Evanston, Illinois and is available for comments and consultations and can be reached via e-mail. by writing ejlieberman@gmail.com.  Click here for Eric’s personal website and resume.

 

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