LeaserOnLeadership

The Right Kind of Problem-Solving, Part 1

2012-01-27T06:59:00.000-08:00

While many people agree that "leadership is influence" (and I mostly tend to be one of them), I think there is something deeper at work, something that plants and cultivates the influential seeds of leadership. To find it, we have to dig down and look at leadership at it's most granular level (I really like the word "granular"). There, among the molecules, we find that leadership is...BUM-BA-DA-BUM...problem-solving. Let that simmer for a moment before you begin sparring with me. After all, necessity is the mother of invention (and innovation).

I know what you're thinking: problem-solving is reactionary by nature, so how can it equate to leadership, which is typically associated with all things proactive? Great question, and if you checked out my earlier post about Bricks, you learned how to respond to flying objects. The kind of problem-solving I’m talking about here, the kind that forms true leadership, is proactive problem-solving. Proactive problem-solving? How does that make sense? Because it comes from a leader’s desire for a preferred future - your vision. In other words, getting from where you are to where you want to be presents a big, hairy, proactively-framed problem for the leader to solve.

Consider a Quarterback who has to lead his team down the field to win the game in the final seconds. Is his vision to win? Yes. Are there problems to overcome along the way? Yes. Will his ability to solve those problems and move his team forward create influence with his teammates and followers? Yes, and the opposite is also true. Likewise, making your budget or reaching your sales targets creates a series of hurdles, challenges, and problems that you the leader must creatively overcome. Therefore, the core of leadership is problem-solving.

Proactive problem-solving can be like aiming at a moving target that you can't always see. Whether you are quarterbacking a team down the field or leading your organization, there is a significant degree of anticipation involved. Honestly, it is quite impossible to anticipate anything at all until you first have a wise and realistic understanding of these key areas:

• Your own strengths and weaknesses as a leader

• The strengths and weaknesses of your people

• What your organization does well (or even better than anyone else)

• What your organization does not do well

• The status (and source) of your current resources

You also need to know the landscape you are leading your team into. This includes your competition, the economic realities of the market (because resources matter), and of course the stakeholders you need to win-over if you are to move forward. Yes, there is much homework, soul-searching, and preparation that comes with proactive problem-solving (that's why it's proactive, right?). This is why a solid game-plan is mission critical - you will need a map to keep you on course when things get tough, which they will.

Think again of our Quarterback for a moment. His leaders are responsible for hiring the right coaches and other players who pass the filter test (fitting the DNA of the organizational vision). The coaches must then spend countless hours watching the opponent’s games on film before knowing how to formulate their own strategy based on each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Once completed, the game-plan is communicated to the players. Our Quarterback then must execute the plan based on the key points above, solving problems and making adjustments along the path to victory. It's really no different than you leading your organization.

A coach certainly wouldn't formulate a plan that asks players to produce via their weaknesses, nor should you. A football team that has a lousy defense isn't going to count on winning the game by stopping the other team from scoring. Not only would that bring horrific results, it’s simply wrong to expect people to produce via their weakness. In considering the economic reality of your market, chew on this one: would you attempt to grow your business in a market that has zero appetite for your product or utterly lacks the resources to support it? It's bad business to waste valuable resources while trying to jam your organization down someone’s throat who doesn’t want it in the first place.

Reality check: Nobody can see around corners, nobody gets it right all the time, and hindsight is indeed 20/20. And when it comes to leadership, there are several ways to skin the cat (my apologies to cat lovers). But as the leader, it's your responsibility to know yourself, know your team, and know your resources. Develop your strategy honestly and make sure it aligns with the greater vision. Base it on the strengths and weaknesses of your organization and the realities of your market. Promote your business to those who have an appetite for what you do rather than wasting your energy on people who couldn’t care less. Learning to anticipate what might be lurking, and planning accordingly, will help you become the kind of leader who practices proactive problem-solving, which of course leads to the influence every leader so desperately wants and needs. Now that's granular.

Thanks for reading.

J.

Bricks

2011-09-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Bricks. Believe it or not, I was thinking about bricks this morning. Bricks, of course, are typically solid, thick, and heavy. There are different uses for the word “brick”. For example, there are the kind of "bricks" that basketball players throw while at the free-throw line; a person who is suddenly unemployed "hits the bricks"; a social gaffe can be referred to as "laying a brick". My Dad even has a "Bad Call Brick" to throw at the TV during Buckeye football games (it’s made of foam, for obvious reasons). And if those aren't enough examples,the huge cast on my surgically-repaired foot currently feels like a brick.

But I really wasn't thinking about any of those kinds of bricks. I was thinking of the bricks that people throw at leaders. You know, problems, complaints, offenses, gripes - all that lovely stuff that every leader has to deal with. Most of those bricks are fresh and new, hot out of the oven. But other times someone lets their brick settle into the ground for a long time before they dig it back up and throw it at you. And when they do finally decide to hurl it your way, it's caked with dirt and has yucky squirmy things attached to the bottom - things you never knew existed. I hate that.

One thing is certain: if you're a leader, you'll have your share of bricks tossed at you from a number of directions – your people, your coworkers, your customers, your leader, etc. You get the picture. It's one thing to learn how to duck and dodge the incoming bricks, awkwardly shucking and jiving to avoid getting blasted in the teeth. Our first instinct is to get out of the way, isn't it? I mean, who really enjoys conflict and pain? But get this: successfully dodging a brick does not equal problem-solving. It only creates a false sense of relief until the next brick comes. Or worse, the brick you just dodged does a boomerang job and clocks you in the back of the skull when you least expect it. Either way, a leader who fails to properly address bricks is setting himself up for a rude awakening. One brick becomes many bricks, and the leader is soon buried under a pile. I'm not aware of too many people who can be effective while lying crushed under a pile of rubble. And I don't mean Barney and Betty (that would be weird).

I love this picture - I just know there is an ineffective leader under there somewhere...

What am I saying then, that we shouldn't avoid the bricks? Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying. As a leader, you must stand there and take your medicine, even if it feels like a three pound chunk of kiln-dried clay cracking you square in the chicklets. There's more. It's not enough to simply absorb the bricks, letting them smash into you full force. And as much as you might want to return the favor by throwing a few bricks of your own at the person who started things, you really can't. Well, I suppose you could. It might make you feel better for a quick second, but it ultimately wouldn't add any value at all to either of you. Instead, you must learn how to use those bricks to build a foundation with the other person. Not a wall, a foundation. Big difference there, Chief. Using the bricks in this way is definitely not easy. In fact, it takes great intentionality and plenty of practice. But if you are willing to be a good listener and put the other person's interests first, you can begin to carefully lay the foundation for a better relationship. And in case you didn't know, EVERYTHING is about relationships. People come and go from jobs, churches, social clubs, neighborhoods - even friendship circles - because of relationship (or a lack thereof).

So, the next time someone throws a brick at you, don't try to dodge it. Rather, catch it (or them, if it's a handful of bricks) and begin laying a foundation. Doing so will do more than helping to solve the problem du jour. It will also strengthen the relationship, one flying chunk of opportunity at a time.

So, You Want to Be a Crummy Leader?

2011-03-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, Tempus really does Fugit! What an insane year it has been - plenty of good thoughts, but not much time to put them into practice. That is a problem shared by many leaders. The vision is always churning internally, but the application sometimes lags behind while the urgent calls us away from the important. As I have said before, John Lennon nailed it when he said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". I am guilty as charged.

Because it has been a long year since I have shared, I think now is a good time to revisit what I believe are the foundational points of leadership - but with a different spin. Do I really want to be a Crummy Leader? Of course not, and neither do you. But if you follow this list of "DON'Ts", you will become the crummiest of the crummy. That's pretty crummy.

DON'T care about your people, your customers, or your followers
DON'T be a problem solver
DON'T roll with the punches

So that's it, right? Not...even...close, bud. Sorry, I had Spicoli on the brain for a moment.

If you find yourself regularly following those don'ts, someone had better hide the shoelaces and sharp objects - you are well on your way to committing leadership suicide. The unfortunate people who look to you for leadership are already dying a slow death - you probably don't even realize it. And where does that leave your organization? Hmmm....

Here are some more ways to be a crummy leader:

DON'T put the right people in the right roles
DON'T share your vision or set goals and expectations (you do have a vision, don't you?)
DON'T give your people the tools they need to get the job done
DON'T provide sincere encouragement or positive feedback
DON'T inspect what you expect

There you go - how to be a Crummy Leader in a nutshell, and you didn't even have to sit through a 30-minute infomercial. I'll expand on each of these points one-by-one at a later time. For now, turn your DON'Ts into DO's - it will make a significant difference in your effectiveness as a leader.

Thanks for reading.

Tempus Fugit

2010-03-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I was fortunate enough to spend lots of time at my Grandparent's beach-house. One of my countless, cherished memories from those days is of my Grandma's classic Grandfather clock. I can still hear it's quarter-hour chime mixed with the rumble of breaking waves. The face of Grandma's clock was inscribed with the words "Tempus Fugit". It's an old Latin expression meaning "time flees". We often say "time flies", but I like the original translation better because of the mental image it creates: time literally running away from us, almost taunting and teasing us from just...beyond...our...outstretched...fingertips. Sigh...

Now that I've depressed your mental state, let's continue, shall we?

As a leader, I find my time fleeing more often than I would care to admit. And I know plenty of other leaders who could join me in the "Tempus Fugit" hall of shame. Are you one of them?

Why does a leader's time seem to flee? Because, at it's core, leadership is problem-solving. In other words, leadership is responding to (and fixing) urgent situations. It's how leaders are wired (and it's often the birthplace of vision). We are who we are. Time flees from a leader who, by the sheer nature of leadership, spends the majority of his or her time and energy dealing with the urgent rather than pursuing the important. There's more. When leaders get monopolized by the urgent, it's not just time that flees - vision flees as well. Let me give you an example.

Did you ever play the game "tag" when you were a child? Do you remember what it was like to chase the fastest kid in the neighborhood? You played hard, lurching and lunging with all your might - but you never quite had the energy to tag him "it". Sure, he had good moves, but was that the real reason you couldn't catch him? Or, was it because you exhausted yourself while chasing everyone else? Think about it. When leaders allow themselves to get stuck on the urgent, vision becomes just like that fast kid: always out of reach, and never "it". All the while - you guessed it - time flees. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: vision without action is a daydream, and action without vision is a train wreck (or a bad game of tag).

So then, how do we pull away from the train wreck of the urgent and get back on the track to pursuing the important? After all, urgent is urgent - there are customer needs to respond to, perhaps a personal crisis or financial emergency that requires our immediate attention, etc., etc. A few things can help:

First, I think it's critical to understand that the urgent will always be with us. Without it, there would be no need for leadership. People are people, and people mess up (yep, even leaders). Learn to live with the urgent by viewing it with a balanced, realistic perspective - and delegate it when you can. If you hired the right people in the first place, you ought to be able to find someone who can take some of the urgent off of your plate.

Next, keep your vision fresh in your mind and in the minds of your followers. Remind yourself daily of your picture of the preferred future, and talk about it with your followers at least once a month. Send a Vision Email Update, or have a Vision Pop-quiz to make sure everyone understands the big picture of why they do what they do. Be creative and make it fun. Vision is a leaky thing - reinforce it with regularity.

Lastly, make time for yourself to take vision-specific action. For some it could be an hour a day; for others, an hour a week. You decide what is best for you - decide on it, commit to it. But whatever you do, don't ignore it. Unless you happen to have a Fairy Godmother on speed-dial, your vision won't morph into reality all by itself. Even then, unless you communicated your vision clearly, you could end up with a giant pumpkin instead. Not good.

At the end of the day, perhaps there isn't much we can do to stop time from fleeing. Every leader gets bogged-down in the urgent once in a while. That's our reality, isn't it? But the best leaders find the most success for themselves and their organizations by making time to pursue the important. I'm all for starting right now, and hope you are, too. Now, if we could only catch that fast kid...

J.

Goal!

2009-12-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to talk about is goal-setting. And since we're quickly approaching the time of year when many of us create a fresh set of goals, I thought I would quickly post something I bumped across earlier today. After all, each and every one of us is guilty of failing to achieve a goal or two along the way - and we'll do it again in 2010. For some it will be a fitness or weight-loss goal - something pertaining to personal improvement or growth. For others, a financial goal, or perhaps a relational/friendship goal.

Whatever your goal or goals, it's important to consider the top five reasons why people don't achieve their goals:

1) Failure to write your goals on paper. No, your computer doesn't count. Paper.

2) Failure to make a plan to achieve the goals. Without a road map, all your action will be wasted. Remember, vision without goal-focused action is a daydream, and action without vision is a disaster. In your plan, include the resources you may need, including the people who can help you.

3) Failure to post your goals in plain view. This is why you need to get them off your computer and onto your desk, your wall, or your fridge.

4) Failure to live up to the commitments you made. Commit to your commitments. As a famous personal trainer says, "Decide, Commit, Succeed." Now drop and give me twenty...

5) Failure to make goals that are achievable in the first place. It's okay to have your head in the clouds as long as your feet stay grounded in reality. Aim for the stars, but make sure you're capable of building a rocket to take you there.

In addition, make sure your goals are dated and measurable. Charting your progress will build your confidence and increase your level of accomplishment and commitment. There will be obstacles along the way, so try to anticipate those and add them to your goal list ahead of time.

Sure, this is pretty simplistic stuff, but it's time-tested advice that ought to help give us a good start to the coming new year.

J.

Promises, promises...

2009-12-10T08:12:00.001-08:00

Have you ever had the privilege of meeting with a group of disgruntled employees? I've had many, but yesterday was my first since taking the helm here in Toledo. This particular group of employees called a mandatory meeting for the purpose of discussing some concerns, and essentially demanded that my team and I attend. Experience told me that we would be walking into a hornets nest, as these types of meetings are usually hostile at best, and often driven by a "mob-rules" mentality. My operations supervisor and I are both new to our district office, and while we did not cause the problems, it's now our responsibility to fix them. We spent some time pre-planning for the kind of attitude and questioning we might expect, and talked through some potential scenarios for a positive outcome. After all, the purpose of the meeting might be negative, but having the chance to talk with the people who make us successful is a huge positive - and it gives us something from which to build upon. Leadership is problem solving, is it not?

Upon our arrival, we overheard an employee say "...here they come to lie to us again...". Not a good way to start - and quite interesting, considering neither my Ops supervisor nor myself had met them before this moment. However, those comments clearly indicated to us the amount of credibility we had coming in...zero, zilcho, zippo.

As we learned, my predecessor had promised them the world...and delivered a goose egg. They were promised significant cash bonuses, recognition programs, occasional donuts and coffee "on the house", etc. But nothing happened. They didn't even get a bulletin board for communicating important information. The prior regime planted sky-high expectations in hopes of immediately winning them over - rather than speaking in terms of reality - then failed each and every one of them by doing nothing. The end result is a large group of valuable people who don't feel valued at all.

In situations like these, many leaders have a tendency to fix a train wreck by over-promising things that are entirely undeliverable. Hello, didn't over-promising cause the problem in the first place? You betcha, so down the slippery slope we go again and again...

Understand, it's perfectly fine to make big promises and set lofty expectations, but you had better follow through.

Side note: my predecessors are no longer here to tell their side of the story, and the "angry group" mentality surely added some emotion to the conversation. My honest guess is that the truth is somewhere in the middle - but not in the eyes of this group. Their side of the story is THE side of the story that matters to them - which means it needs to be THE side of the story that matters to my team and I if we're going to rebuild the relationship. You can be right but still be wrong.

Okay, so how do we fix the problem? How do we build credibility with this group of lied-to, ticked-off employees who consider us only a little higher than pond scum? We certainly don't want to patronize them by making excuses or going down the "big promise" road again. Instead, we began working this plan (you may find it helpful next time you're in a similar spot):

- We sincerely apologized for anything and everything that had happened prior to our watch. Not our fault, but we're sorry that our folks were treated in such a manner.

- Secondly, we established rapport by listening...and empathizing. It's amazing what happens when you simply keep your mouth shut and listen. Once we heard and acknowledged all of the complaints, we addressed each of them with clarity and understanding.

- Next, we discussed four very easy but important action items that my team would implement within a set amount of days. We also asked them about the kind of rewards and recognition programs that would be important to them, and committed to having something in place next month. We achieved their buy-in on all points, which instantly gives them some ownership of our improvement process and helps to breakdown the "Us vs. Them" wall that so often exists in situations like this.

By the end of the meeting some definite strides were made. Our employees felt like someone cared about them once again, and my team and I began building a foundation with the bricks they initially threw at us. We gained a little credibility, but of course nothing will matter if we don't follow through. This is our one chance to get it right, and I'm confident we are off to a great start.

J.

Extreme Makeover

2009-11-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

Has it really been over four months since I have written an article here? John Lennon was onto something when he talked about life being what happens to you while you're busy making other plans...

Beginning next week, I will be embarking on a new leadership challenge - totally rebuilding a market from the bottom-up and from the inside-out. I'm talking about establishing a DNA, reshaping the brand, changing the internal culture - and taking it to the streets in hopes of building our business. It's an opportunity for me to once again put my money where my mouth is by practicing each and every leadership principle that I hold near and dear. While my eyes will be fixed on that glimmering light far off in the distance, I fully expect the road to be long, dark, and filled with obstacles. But as they say, difficulty is the excuse that history never accepts.

My team and I will be challenged, no doubt. But there will be no gray-area when it comes to who we are, why we do what we do, or where we are going. My vision is written in stone. My road map is crystal clear. We will live it, breathe it, walk it, and talk it each and every day through every situation. Sure, we will experience some failures along the way, but we will also experience success, one step at a time. We will learn from both and be better because of it.

As Chesterton once wrote, "A man must have enough faith in himself to begin an adventure - and enough doubt in himself to enjoy it." That quote pretty much explains how I feel at this moment - a balanced mixture of faith and doubt, excitement and terror. Bring it on!

Here's to the adventure that lies ahead. I can't wait to share our stories with you along the way.

J.

Johnny and the Grab Bag

2009-07-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

“When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.” - Seneca
I’m going to scooch out on an admittedly-safe limb and make the following assumptions about you as a leader:

You have a great deal of passion
You want your organization to be the very best
You need financial resources to make it happen

In his best-selling masterpiece Good To Great, author Jim Collins introduces the Hedgehog Concept, which is defined by answering three mission-critical questions:

What are you deeply passionate about?
What can you be the best in the world at?
What drives your economic/resource engine?

It's not easy, but your honest answers to Collins' questions will provide you with a crystal-clear DNA stamp of who your organization is, where you want it to go, and where the necessary financial support will come from to help you get it there. Side note: In my very humble opinion, each and every leader should read Good To Great at least once - the evidence and principles are simply too important to ignore.

Okay, let's continue. In addition to helping you recognize your organizational raison d'être, your answers to those three questions can be used as a filter for EVERY decision you make. If something does not conform to your organizational DNA - meaning, if it does not align with your passion, help you to become the best, or add to your resources – it should be discarded. Immediately. Our new friend Johnny Q. Leader will show us why.

Johnny Q. Leader has plenty of passion, big dreams, and wants his organization- JohnnyCo - to be the very best. But Johnny’s passion and natural abilities don’t completely match each other (think: American Idol auditions...). In addition, he either does not know or has not defined his organization's DNA. JohnnyCo lacks clear direction, and has therefore developed multiple personalities. Now Johnny's followers can't see the vision beyond the task at hand. But rather than acknowledge the ugly facts, Johnny allows himself to become mesmerized by all the latest gadgets, gizmos, and wizbangs on the market. (Note: there can be a proper place for those things if they fit your organizational DNA, but remember - JohnnyCo doesn’t have one.) Johnny gasps in awe at all things shiny and fresh - then grasps at straws - pulling everything imaginable into the mish-mash culture of his organization, further muddying the already murky waters. Thinking this will help him achieve greatness, it actually mires JohnnyCo in mediocrity. Would it surprise you to know that JohnnyCo has chronic financial and resource problems? Probably not.

As Collins says, "Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline." Sure, Johnny’s intentions are noble and his passion unquestioned. However, without knowing who he is, where he is going, and how he is going to finance the journey, Johnny lacks clear focus, rigid discipline, and unwavering intentionality. He makes bad choice after bad choice, literally losing himself in the endless circle of chasing the wrong wind, practicing what I call Grab Bag Leadership. "Let's try this...let's try that...let's try that other thing...maybe something will stick..." You get the picture. And now Johnny has inadvertently created a losing culture that will take years and years to rebuild. Unfortunately, JohnnyCo's culture prohibits him from being able to hire or retain the great people it will take to turn things around.

A leader like Johnny - one who chases the wrong wind by practicing Grab Bag Leadership - can always (and enthusiastically) tell you all about what’s “hot and now”. And he can most likely tell you what worked for somebody else. But what that same leader probably cannot do is tell you who his organization is, what harbor he is leading them toward, or how they will fuel their financial/resource engine. Ouch.

Another example of this is found in historically awful sports franchises who, year after year, fail to build a winner. Rather than slamming a stake in the ground and shouting “THIS IS WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE’RE GOING, AND HOW WE’RE GOING TO GET THERE!”, they allow themselves to become hypnotized by what’s momentarily hip. They build new stadiums and design new team logos instead of building and designing a viable team. They may acquire a good player, but without leadership's commitment to an organizational DNA, no player is the right player. The culture becomes sick, the passion wanes, and the financial resources suffer (in this case, tickets and merchandise sales). Greatness remains a pipe dream at best. This subject really flips my lid, and while I could go on and on, I'll close here for the sake of brevity. Much more to come on this topic at a later time. By the way, I hear JohnnyCo is hiring. Again. I'm happy to put in a good word for you, if you'd like...

Square Pegs and Round Holes

2009-06-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

Humor me for a moment. Close your eyes and say, "Availability is NOT a skill set." Good. Once more, "Availability is not a skill set." Perfect! Unfortunately, saying it a third time while clicking our heels together won't fix the problems created by a leader who continually hires the wrong people.

Have you ever glanced at a coworker and, in utter disbelief, thought, "What on earth is THAT dude doing in THAT role? No background, no experience, no clue. Great guy, tries hard, but...no." After we make those observations we typically joke about the person having compromising pictures of the boss. In reality, it's usually because a leader got lazy and hired someone for the wrong reasons.

Many years ago, I worked with some leaders who often determined a candidate's skills by administering the "foggy mirror test". If the candidate had enough breath to fog a mirror, he got the job. Some places half-jokingly refer to this as "checking for a pulse", or getting a "warm body". It's amusing on the surface, but not so funny when you consider the potential for damage.

The truth is, plugging the wrong person into the wrong place is no laughing matter. The same goes for putting the right person in the wrong place, and the wrong person in the right place. There is only one winning combination: putting the right person in the right place. This is true from coat-check volunteers to C-level positions. Why? Because the success of any organization depends upon the effectiveness of it's people. Each and every one of them. There is no such thing as a throw-away hire.

I think we can agree that no one is great at everything - each of us is a unique blend of strengths and weaknesses. Would you hire a musician to fix your muffler, or a pilot to fix your plumbing? Probably not - it would be like hammering a square peg until it "fits" into a round hole. If you forced them, could a musician fix your muffler? Could a pilot fix your plumbing? Sure, they might figure out something workable sooner or later...but is that the level of excellence you want for yourself and your organization? If your answer is anything but a resounding "NO", you had better step aside and let someone else make the hiring decisions.

I love this old Proverb: "He who hires a fool or any passer-by is like an archer who randomly shoots arrows into a crowd". Read that again, and apply it to your own organization. Most good leaders can spot a fool a mile away (hopefully), but oh, so many leaders get zinged by hiring the passer-by!

Sure, every leader has an occasional, well-intentioned hiring "miss". When it happens - and it will - don't get lazy and try to fix it on the rebound by hiring a passer-by. Instead, double your due diligence and get the right person. Unless you hire the right people and put them in the right places, you are simply setting them up for frustration and failure. Plus, you are wasting your valuable time because you now have to fix what they broke, along with beginning the process of replacing them. That's not a happy place for any leader.

What about the "hire the attitude, teach the skill" philosophy? I think there is some wisdom there, but only if the person has at least some foundational skills upon which to build - AND you are willing to invest a significant amount of energy developing them. If you choose to go this route, ask yourself if you are ready to make the kind of commitment it will take to do it right. You can't leave it to chance, or the person will soon feel devalued. This is where setting expectations comes in - something we'll discuss in a later article.

I'll close with one of my very favorite analogies: Shame on NASA if they hire me to be an astronaut just because I can point to the Big Dipper, or because I happen to be strolling past the launch site during a time of need. It's all fun and games until someone gets strapped to a rocket.

J.

The Power of Encouragement

2009-05-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's certainly no secret that times are tough. Each day seems to bring another crisis. Millions of jobs lost. A nearly equal number of home foreclosures. Banks in shambles. Retirement accounts wiped out. Auto industry fighting for survival. Flash in place of substance. Liquor sales up, church attendance down. Swine Flu. Good, honest, hard-working people we personally know and love losing everything through no fault of their own.

Those who claim to understand these things say that we have bottomed-out, and that brighter days are just around the corner. I hope they're right. Honestly, I'm not so sure - and I don't know if they're sure, either. Perhaps their words are meant for one purpose: to provide encouragement. If I'm correct about that, would a little encouragement be such a terrible thing right now? After all, we can't just throw up our arms in surrender.

Sure, this would be an appropriate place for a discussion about hope. But I want to approach this on a more granular level. I see "hope" as the satellite photo from thirty-thousand feet, and "encouragement" as the street-level snapshot. In other words, hope is something we typically hold for the future. Encouragement is something we can provide right here and now, as is affirmation. To me, they go together like PB & J.

Let me give you an example of how encouragement affects us. I have a two-year-old Labrador Retriever named Jersey. Like all young pups, she has a seemingly limitless amount of energy. She and I get out of the house for a couple of four-mile runs each week. Her proper place is at my side no matter what she might want to chase - other dogs, squirrels, birds, a blowing leaf, whatever - it doesn't take much for her to switch into "stalk" mode. When Jersey pays attention and stays close to me like she is supposed to, I affirm her, saying things like "good girl", or "good doggie". Sometimes I'll even reach down and pat her back or give her a quick scratch behind the ears. When she lags behind, I encourage her with positive commands we have trained her to understand. Each and every time I affirm or encourage her, she zips out in front of me. My words and the tone of my voice give her an instant boost of energy to the point that I often have to speed up just to keep pace with her, or end up telling her to slow down. Why? Because praise from her Poppa - even when she is simply doing what I expect - means a great deal to her. Sure, she's a dog, but what does that tell you?

Now apply that example to your people. Whether they're meeting or exceeding your expectations - or lagging behind - I'm willing to bet you lunch that they will experience an immediate energy boost of their own if you'll only affirm and encourage them. Like Jersey, they will feel good about their part in the task at hand; they will appreciate that you took time to acknowledge them; and their work will reflect as much. Who knows, you might even have to pick up your own pace to keep up with them...

Allow me to wrap up by saying this: It's far too easy (and quite immature) to play a game of "gotcha", trying to catch someone doing something wrong. Make it a point to catch someone doing something right. Encourage those around you, every day, all the time. Trust me, it will pay off - unless you start scratching people behind the ears, in which case you're beyond any help I could possibly offer.

J.

Commodus, Part II

2009-05-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

Unlike his movie counterpart, the real Commodus was indeed a skilled warrior. Facing wild beasts and the bound-together lame wasn't enough of a test for him. In time, he entered the arena with weapons of war, and faced the finest gladiators in Rome. And he beat them all. He was truly a man of courage. But though he was a brave warrior with great skill, his character was another matter.

Commodus spent much of his time trying to impress the people and proclaim his own glory. He essentially turned the palace into a brothel, spent countless nights wandering around drunk, and had his own family members exiled and/or killed - along with anyone who chose to oppose him. He also butted heads with the Senate, who greatly despised his antics. Commodus considered himself the new "founder" of Rome, even going so far as to rename the empire after himself. He also thought of himself as a modern-day Hercules, often wearing animal skins and carrying a club. And he changed the Roman calendar, renaming each month after one of the titles he had given to himself.

In the mean time, the barbarians in the north - with whom Commodus had previously struck a peace accord (giving in to their terms), continued to inch closer to the empire's borders - all while Commodus abused and wasted his influence in unthinkable ways.

The breaking point for the Senate came when Commodus declared that he intended to accept the honor of being Consul - the highest and most revered office in all of Rome - while dressed as a gladiator. The night before he was to accept the consulship, those closest to him had him drugged in his sleep and strangled to death. He was only thirty-one years old, having served as Emperor for twelve short years.

Although fictitious, my favorite scene from the movie Gladiator comes when Maximus reveals himself to Commodus on the arena floor. We see Commodus turn white, jaw agape, as Maximus glares into his eyes, speaking his name and vow of revenge. Some say Commodus reacted the way he did because he was surprised to see Maximus alive. I say it's because Commodus immediately knew he didn't measure up - not as a man, and certainly not as a leader.

In reality, it's easy to see where Commodus went wrong. From day one it was all about his own pleasure and entertainment. He used and abused his people and his position, failing to lead in every imaginable way. The rapport he had with the commoners was based solely on his exploits on the coliseum floor - which was nothing but a distraction from the damage he was doing as Emperor.

His character was unexamined, his authority unchallenged, and his leadership unacceptable to his followers. As they say, "don't be that guy". Instead, check your ego at the door, examine your motives, understand the power of your influence, and make it your mission to invest in the people who choose to follow you. The success of your organization depends on it.

J.

Commodus, Part I

2009-04-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

The popular movie Gladiator told the story of Maximus, a great Roman general who served the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. During the Emperor's last days, Maximus fought the barbarians to the north of the Roman Empire. But Maximus was betrayed by the Emperor's son, Commodus, a spoiled cowardly politician lately arrived at the frontier. Commodus, burning with envy and jealousy, murdered his father - becoming Emperor in his place - and sent Maximus to be executed. Maximus narrowly escaped death only to be sold into slavery and forced to live as a gladiator. As the movie builds to a climactic ending, Maximus ultimately gets his vengeance against Commodus on the Coliseum floor.

Though an utterly gripping story of courage and resolve, it is mostly fictional. And it's not nearly as remarkable as the story of the real Commodus. Let's take a look.

It's true that Commodus was Marcus Aurelius' son and heir. But unlike his fictional counterpart, he accompanied his father into battle for most of his early life. When his father died of plague (not strangulation-by-Commodus), Commodus became emperor at age nineteen. He quickly made peace with the empire's enemies on the border and returned to Rome.

Commodus entered the capitol as a hero, and he then tried to position himself as a man of the people. Much to the dismay of the ruling classes, Commodus soon began proving his courage and skill by performing in the Coliseum. He killed lions, rhinoceroses, and elephants. A skilled bowman, he felled numerous other animals with single shots from his bow. In one encounter, he killed one hundred leopards using one hundred javelins. It's also worth noting that he had the lame suited to hide their deformations, and killed them in the arena, too. It's said that the rapport Commodus gained with the common people was remarkable.

At this point in the story, we clearly see that Commodus was quite impressed with himself. Next week we'll take a deeper dive into the severity of Commodus' character flaws, and conclude the story of his brief but tumultuous reign.

J.

How NOT to Lead

2009-04-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

Leadership is such a fascinating and complex subject, isn't it? It seems there have been at least eleventy-billion books, brochures, and pamphlets written about leadership (I hope to soon add one more to the mix). A person could literally spend every moment of their life studying leaders and leadership. That's certainly not a bad thing - leadership affects every aspect of our lives. Not just good leadership, but bad leadership as well. In fact, I think we can sometimes learn more from studying the habits of a bad leader than we can by studying the habits of a good one. As they say, everything rises or falls on leadership, or a lack thereof.

With that in mind, I'd like you to think about something: In your experiences, what is the most common trait exhibited by the bad leaders you have known (no, body odor and bad breath don't count)? Rude? Unorganized? Uncaring? Mean-spirited? Whatever your answer may be, I'd be willing to bet lunch that we could boil it down to one thing: an attitude centered on self. One who is focused on himself and his own little world, by default, fails to properly lead his people. Even good, well-meaning leaders are in danger of falling into this trap. Bad leaders live in it. To make things worse, a leader who focuses on self is quite often more concerned with the spoils and/or power of his position - or the fear of losing it - than with the investment in and development of his people. Leaders, this is your chance to check yourselves. You may think you are doing fine in this area, and you may very well be, but I am convinced that this is a blind spot for many, many leaders. And it's a sure-fire way to short-circuit the realization of your vision.

In the weeks and months to come, we'll peel back the onion on this topic, beginning with a real-life example of a leader who was consumed with self. In fact, you may be familiar with his work: the Roman Emperor Commodus. Not the movie version we saw in "Gladiator", but the historical version. Spoiler warning: he was even worse in real-life than as portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix. Stay tuned...

J.