If Ayn Rand Could See Us Now

January 11, 2009 By 5 Comments

Author’s Note: Politics, government and our economic policies play profound roles in our ability to foster growth, pursue innovation and prosper as a society, as organizations and as entrepreneurs.  While some may not agree that a blog dedicated to management excellence should take on topics that reek of politics and philosophy, I respectfully disagree.

The subject of this post (Ayn Rand and her writings) is polarizing.  There tend to be two types of responses to anything about Rand’s philosophy.  One response looks and sounds a lot like visceral hatred and contempt.  The other comes off as a zealot-like devotion to the core principles outlined in her work. There is no middle ground when it comes to Ayn Rand. (Oh, and her name rhymes with “Mine.”  Quit call her “Ann.”)

In recent lectures and prior blog posts I’ve occasionally referenced the fact that I feel like I’m living through a movie that I’ve seen before.  The movie that I am referencing is the one that we are all playing bit roles in as our government works to restructure our industries and our economy.

I saw this movie for the first time in 1979 when my senior literature teacher asked for my opinion on a book called Atlas Shrugged.  He gave me my first copy of this book one week before graduation, and given the 1,000 plus page heft of this work, we never did have our discussion.  I finished the book for the first time over the 4th of July weekend that year.  Given Rand’s firsthand experience with Soviet oppression and her core belief in what America could and should become, my timing for finishing this book on Independence Day was appropriate.

Stephen Moore, an economics writer for the Wall Street Journal does a masterful job in his January 9th Opinion piece, “Atlas Shrugged, From Fact to Fiction in 52 Years,” articulating what I’ve been sensing as our government has moved quickly in the past few months to assert control.  The examples in Atlas and the parallels to what is happening today should send chills up the spine of any thinking being.

Before you decide to skewer me for my unflappable devotion to the philosophy and logic of Ayn Rand, read Moore’s article.  Better yet, invest in yourself and read the book. Armed with proper context, you’ll be ready to argue why she’s evil personified or the embodiment of all that is good in man.  Like I said, there’s no middle ground here.

OK, back to the movie unfolding in real time.  My own perspective is that every one of us should be inherently uncomfortable about the opportunity for massive missteps in the government’s response to our economic challenges.  These steps will define our economic lives for decades to come.

Now is not a time to stay silent as companies and industries are bailed out and effectively nationalized in the process.  Now is not the time to reach for another handful of popcorn as regulations are foisted upon us in the name of national interest.  Now is not the time to let people in Washington begin to define what is good for us and to act as our parent and protector.

Do you honestly believe that the government has any clue or any business running the auto industry?  The banking industry?  Any industry?  Heck, they/we don’t even run the government effectively.

Some important questions that we should all be asking and answering:

  • What are the criteria for “Too Big to Fail” and who is making these calls?
  • Is it right to have our government gaining a stake in the future profits of formerly private enterprises and industries?
  • Have we suddenly reached a level of enlightenment that politics and greed have been placed on hold in the halls of government, as people structure responses to the abuses of politics and greed?
  • Why is it that government support and protection is now good for the free market?
  • We’ve been preaching that it is a global world.  Why are U.S. industries suddenly so deserving of protection and support?
  • Are you confident that the auto unions (or any unions) are looking out for the best interests of the country?

…And so on.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

This is a good time to be asking yourselves and asking your elected officials the tough questions outlined above and many more.  Whether the debate is over Rand and her philosophy of man and capitalism or it’s a debate over foundational philosophies of government…Jeffersonian versus Hamiltonian, there must be a debate.

Human instinct is to look for protection in a storm. Right or wrong, many of us look to our government for that protection.  Government has now moved into your home, your job and your future.  Is this right?
Ironically, the end of eight years that many decry as a time when our civil liberties were compromised and stolen, may usher in the greatest reduction in our civil liberties in our history.  Do you really want government dictating how you will work and survive?

After two decades since her death, Ayn Rand is relevant.  And while I’ve seen this movie before, we still have a chance to write our own ending.  Get involved.  Otherwise, just shrug your shoulders and ask, “Who is John Galt?”

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

Managing Your Boss and Death to Slogans: Weekend Reading

January 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Two quick-reads to help wash down a cup of something hot:

Lencioni Offers Help For Managing Your Boss

Author and business consultant, Patrick Lencioni offers some practical guidance for a vexing problem in How to Manage Your Boss in the Management column at the Wall Street Journal.

Almost everyone at one time or another has wondered how to “improve” their boss, and as Lencioni points out, the two most common approaches: launching an attack because you are fed up and going to help the boss see the error of his ways, or ingratiating yourself by sucking up, are both ineffective and risky.  Instead, Lencioni suggests that you win the day with empathy and honesty.

Art’s perspective: dealing with difficult leaders is one of the most common challenges highlighted by mid-level leaders in my workshops and programs.  Lencioni offers cogent guidance.  I’ve used it myself in prior lives, and the empathy and honesty approach can work.  Of course, as the old psychologist/light-bulb joke goes, “first the light bulb has to want to change.”

On the Lighter Side: Authors Encourage Cutting the Budgets of the Slogan Writers

In a lighthearted piece entitled, Kill the Slogans Dead, in the Made to Stick column in the December/January Fast Company, authors Dan and Chip Heath make a strong case for the inanity of most slogans…and by association, most slogan writers. Their bottom line: “When you have a big idea, make it come alive with a story. Make it real, color in some details, let it be something people can care about,” is advice worth heeding.

Art’s perspective: I chuckled through this entire article.  We are bombarded by ridiculous attempts to create something that sticks in our minds, and I’ve caught myself muttering something under my breath like, “What $%$%$% idiot or team of idiots thought that up?”

The Heaths appropriately skewer the executive authors of a slogan to support an attempt at a major cultural change with: “360-Degree Leadership: Because we all matter.” Yep, there’s a  good way to make certain that your employees realize what a half-baked joke your latest initiative is.  Good grief.

Didn’t Deming have an opinion on exhoratations?

Filed Under: Career, Marketing, Surviving Lousy Leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

So, What Are We Going to Call This Mess?

December 30, 2008 By 1 Comment

Note from the author: If you are easily offended, this social satire will likely succeed.

Every great disaster needs a name and it’s high time that we got on with naming this one. The sooner we name it, the sooner we can begin to put it in the rear view mirrors of our Toyota Hybrids. In fact, some enterprising souls might even be able to prosper from it.  The mind reels at the marketing opportunities.  I see sweatshirts and t-shirts.  Cool new logo wear, infomercials, evangelists and support groups.  But before the merchandising starts, we definitely need a cool name.

I’ve checked on the rules of naming disasters, and I can’t find any.  Someone somewhere is responsible for naming economic and natural disasters, but it’s a bit fuzzy as to which governmental office has the final say so.  The folks that dispense hurricane names refuse to take ownership of economic storms.

Around Chicago, we lay claim to: The Great Chicago Fire, The Eastland Disaster, The Iroquois Theatre, the 1968 Democratic National Convention (yep, it was  a true social and civic disaster) and the Chicago Cubs.

I suspect that it is a bit unconventional to name your disaster while you are living through it, but what the heck.  I doubt that our grandparents (and great grandparents for you generation Y’ers) referred to the economic calamity that launched with Black Thursday in 1929  by the label: The Great Depression until much later, but we can learn from their mistakes. Oh, and one point of clarification for those not up on ancient twentieth century history, Black Thursday was not a big shopping extravaganza like our more modern Black Friday on the day after Thanksgiving.

We still refer to the end of the insane phase of the late 1990’s as The Dot Com Bubble, and most associate that time with a period when we all momentarily lost our minds about most things including the laws of physics and economics.  Profits were tertiary, eyeballs were king and anyone with a ridiculous idea to spend money on something wrapped in a techno-buzzword could obtain financing.  The brand…Dot Com Bubble has meaning and staying power.

I’m generally not allowed to name things, and my good friend Mike who occasionally reads this (you know who you are), is also not allowed to name anything either.  We both come up with lousy ideas.  However, in the hopes of jump-starting the brainstorming, here are some thought-starters:

We’ve got the perfect storm (hey, that’s not bad, but it’s taken) of calamities hitting at the same time.  The mass collapse of the world’s formerly strongest capital markets; a housing market crash of remarkable proportions, the dissolution of Wall Street, the evaporation of our auto industry, the collapse of consumer spending, the biggest holiday season shopping disaster in 40 or more years, accelerating retail and corporate bankruptcies, remarkable greed on display, audacious con-men in play and the open market sale of a senate seat by an insane governor.

The popular press is even jumping on board. Today’s Wall Street Journal carries an article that predicts the end of the United States during 2010. And from the school of I’m not sure where I heard it, some survey reported that more Americans are resorting to sex as a low cost entertainment alternative to shopping or dining out.  I didn’t realize it had gone out of fashion when times were good.  (Hey, I never claimed this was a family blog.)

All in all, these are powerful attributes to build a brand around.  For right now, I’m going with the: The Great Purge. Or maybe, The Great Bailout, or The Great What Were We Thinking?

OK, I’ll quit trying to do something I’m no good at.  You come up with the name.  I’m busy lining up my foreign sources for the logo-wear.  Call me when you’ve got the name and I’ll place the orders.  We can donate a percent of the profits to Congress to support the pay raise that they just voted themselves.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Podcasts, Hamel, Dickens, Time Off and a Holiday Week of Reading

December 21, 2008 By 1 Comment

For many, this week takes on a significant spiritual and family focused importance.  Given the mid-week timing of the Christmas and New Year holidays, many of you may combine remaining vacation days and gain a bit of an early winter break.  The current economic turmoil may disrupt this plan for some of you, but hopefully not all.

I’m busy working on my plans to launch The Management Excellence podcast series early in 2009 and of course this involves a whole new learning curve for me.  I’ve wanted to create a podcast series for quite some time, and instead of thinking about it, I am taking my own advice and turning ideas into actions.  The podcast format will offer some great opportunities to involve other professionals via interviews and guest episodes as well as a new format for me to share ideas and insights on management excellence. Stay tuned.

For those of you seeking seasonal reading or looking for some cutting-edge thinking, I’ve got two very different suggestions for you.

The first one comes from author and consultant Gary Hamel (The Future of Management) and according to surveys, one of the world’s most influential business thinkers.  Hamel offers up his criteria for books he views as “worth reading” in his post at the WSJ, entitled: “What Business Advice is Worth Taking?” His criteria emphasize issues like, “Does it challenge management dogma?” and “Does it dig deep and look at root causes,” just to name a few.  The books that he believes meet these criteria merit serious consideration  if you happen to find yourself newly armed with a gift card from your favorite bookseller.

My second suggestion is one of that is timely from both a seasonal perspective as well as for many struggling with employment issues, a profoundly personal perspective.  In a book review at the WSJ entitled: “How Charles Dickens Rescued His Career and Remade Christmas,” the new book, The Man Who Invented Christmas, by Les Standiford, offers some fascinating perspectives on Dickens and the impact that he had on this holiday.

Deeply in debt and with his Christmas ghost story rejected by every major publisher, Dickens was forced to borrow and self-publish.  In the process, he redefined his career and along with it the modern celebration of Christmas.  As a Dicken’s devotee, this book has moved to the top of my wish list!

Enjoy your reading, and if your focus this week is spiritual and/or family focused, may you find peace and enjoyment in the process.  And if reading is on the to-do list, Hamel and Dickens are both worthy subjects.

Filed Under: "To Do" List, Professional Growth Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Ironically, Mid-Level Managers May Save Your Business

July 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Ever since terms like reengineering, right sizing and downsizing became part of the corporate lexicon; midlevel managers have been taking it on the chin.  This once populous class has been synergized and right-sized almost to extinction.  Those that remain often struggle with spans of control as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge and limited authority that is constantly challenged from above and below.  I find it just a bit ironic (and appropriate) that this much-abused class of leader may just hold the key to surviving and prospering in tough times.

In a great article in the July 7. 2008 Wall Street Journal, entitled: In Search of Growth Leaders, authors Carr, Liedtka, Rosen and Wiltbank offer the results of their multi-year study of the role that midlevel managers play in fueling organic growth.  Their conclusion: “most companies have managers who can turbo charge results.  The trick is finding—and nurturing—them.  Read the article for some great insights on finding and developing these critical midlevel leaders. (And read my post: Management By Jane: Leading Effectively from the Middle for some additional thoughts.)

The Power of Great Managers in the Middle:

  • Appropriately trained and armed, midlevel managers are directly focusing on strategy execution—they lead the teams that do the work that drives performance. If your organization is failing to execute on strategic objectives, look to the middle, not to place blame, but to identify what you can do better to help your managers succeed.
  • As the article authors highlight, a tremendous amount of innovation comes from the middle.  In my own experience, the managers that fuel innovation are the ones that are relentless about creating the right conditions for their associates to succeed.   Breaking down barriers and taking the heat for bending the rules are common and comfortable tasks of the innovative midlevel manager.
  • The most important talent scouts and developers are often found in the middle of organizations.  The savvy manager recognizes the import of identifying and developing emerging leaders, competent role players and potentially brilliant individual contributors. While top management might want the organization to become good at this talent scouting and development, like strategy execution, the majority of the heavy lifting takes place in the middle.

Five Ideas to Strengthen Your Support and Success In the Middle:

1. Change your perspective on the midlevel management layer.  Instead of looking
at the organization chart and seeing cost to be minimized or taken out, look at this group as resources to enable strategy execution, fuel innovation and scout and develop talent.  Quit broadening spans of control to the point of ridiculousness, and begin setting goals around strategy, innovation and development, and suddenly the cost perspective starts melting away.

2. Involve midlevel managers in strategy formulation...not just in rubber-stamping the strategy formulated by executives.  Remember, the people in the middle likely understand your customers and your organization’s capabilities at a much more detailed level than those of you with V’s or C’s in your title.

3. Create systems to help midlevel managers experiment with and implement new ideas.  Provide key managers and manager groups with executive sponsors charged with cutting through corporate clutter to help get things done.

4. Reward successes, provide visibility and learn from misfires.  Easy words to write and speak, but realizing this environment takes discipline. 

5. Recognize the fact that new classes of virtual leaders…Project Managers and Product Managers have emerged over the past two decades to replace the former middle level.  These critical positions often carry tremendous responsibility burdens with little real authority across functional boundaries.  If these positions exist in your organizations, strive to create the sponsors, systems and infrastructure to allow them to perform.

6. As an executive, get over yourself.  No one said that you are required to have all of the answers.  It’s a sign of strength, not weakness if you are emotionally secure and intelligent enough to recognize that your strength comes from your ability to get the best from willing contributors. Take the time to invest in reinventing your leadership style.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

The article referenced above is must reading for every executive looking to solve the challenges of how to fuel organic growth.  Innovation doesn’t occur on command, and while good accidents happen (e.g. think 3M and Post-Its), hope as we all know is a lousy strategy. 

I teach, train and support midlevel managers in all forms of organizations and by and large, I find them generally miserable about their tasks and their ability to positively impact their organization.  The majority of their frustration stems from working for leaders that succeed in stifling the conditions required for innovation and execution to flourish.  The opportunity is in the middle…not the problem.  For the source of the problem, take a long, hard look in the mirror. 

Filed Under: Leadership, Product Management, Project Management, Strategy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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