A Cup of Leadership Caffeine

Note from Art: Sometimes we all need a kick in the seat of the pants.

A great friend and talented product manager once offered in a moment of frustration that he viewed his principal job as one of “managing reduced expectations.”

This brilliant, but depressing turn of words reflected bigger business problems, including a logjam in development that effectively precluded us from doing anything to enhance the competitiveness of our products in a timeframe shorter than something that you might find on a geologic time-scale. .

The “managing reduced expectations” theme seems to be prevalent in our society right now, and it is a dangerous mind-set. Spiraling debt, a never-ending string of mortgage defaults, long-lingering unemployment, embattled and embittered government, corruption, a seeming shift of the balance of economic and productive power away from North America, and a potentially unsolvable morass in Afghanistan are all contributors to this collective mood referenced in the media and heard on the street daily.  Throw in a good old-fashioned ecological disaster and some remarkable leadership letdowns at BP (unconscionable) and HP (Huh? We all thought that this guy was brilliant!) and the process of managing reduced expectations is now epidemic.

It’s remarkably easy to let the broader environmental factors and forces dictate our personal emotions and before we know it, an attitude of blind resignation sets in and dominates our thinking and our actions.

Just a few phrases that I’ve heard recently:

“We see a huge opportunity for our new product, but corporate is telling us that we can’t invest in the brainpower that we need to take advantage of the opportunity.”

“Times are tough and we’re not going to pursue this project this year.”

“We’re not running leadership training anymore.  We killed that in this year’s budget planning.”

What the Hell Are You Thinking?

Sorry for the strong title on this section, but again, “What the hell?”

You’re telling me that you are going to take it lying down while your future is decided by someone wielding the expense-cutting sword to hit arbitrary targets?

You’re not pursuing a project that will define your future and perhaps change the course of your firm, because no one is working hard enough to cull the portfolio or find the money.

And you gave up developing your people because why?

The Bottom-Line for Now:

In the imitable words of the character, Red Foreman, on The 70’s Show: “Dumb Asses.”

It’s time to quit managing reduced expectations. There’s a big, troubled world out there filled with emerging markets and emerging consumers hungry for basics and then eventually luxuries.  Of course, to seize opportunities here and abroad, you’ve got to jettison old ways, take risks that might have seemed incomprehensible yesterday, and work unceasingly on surrounding yourself with people that can-do and don’t take no for dumb-ass reasons.

Redouble your efforts to invest in key future projects.  Sacrifice sacred cows in company-wide barbecues to fund critical new investments.  Streamline decision-making processes.  Jettison your 1970’s era management structure and approach.  Fight hard to hire the right talent and for crying out loud, redouble your efforts to develop the talent that you need to survive, sustain and grow.

Long ago, Deming called for a Transformation in management practices and thinking. It hasn’t happened yet.  Now would be a good time.

As a starter, why not try reinventing yourself instead of taking it and letting the era roll you over. The change starts with you on your team.  Start managing towards high-expectations and find every way possible to reinforce this behavior, reward successes and build enthusiasm.

The alternative is that your career and your firm will be locked in irons. Let’s not create a “lost era” here in America. It’s completely unacceptable.