archive: leadership

What’s All The Fuss About this New Sheriff at Downing Street?

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

With an British mother and an American father, comparing the US and Great Britain is simply a way a life in my family . . . plus it gives me a bit of street-cred in this department. In this story, in my opinion, the Brits clearly win!

Sunday mornings with Fareed Zakaria on CNN are sacred in my house.  Which basically means that my kids and husband abandon me for that hour.  More often than not, I’m highly tempted to blog about one or two of the topics Fareed covers.  I typically resist, because I rarely disagree with Fareed and over time I’m afraid I might come across as a “Fareed Groupie”, which could tarnish my image of a self-thinking, intelligent, strategic, modern woman.  That said, this week, I am giving into temptation. I simply must blog about this new British government and the 39-year old George Osborne (Chancellor of the Exchequer – Secretary of the Treasury to Americans) whom I found to be slightly pompous (expected), highly intelligent (expected), but unexpectedly refreshing and on-point in his ideas around what people really want from their governments.  I personally, think the US Republican party could take a lot of cues from the new conservative sheriffs at Downing Street.  As an Independent, I actually prefer it when both the Democrats and Republicans are acting wisely as it makes for better candidate options and more solution oriented action.

If you missed the show, it’s easy to watch or listen on demand.  Just click here.

Just to add my own touch to the conversation, and keep up my image, here are the four primary reasons why I like what I heard from Osborne and feel strongly that this is the direction that successful politicians will have to take (regardless of party) to be successful in the future.

Not Afraid to Act

Osborne has pledged to the British people that he will not hide hard choices from them and he will make them.  He has clearly lived up to this campaign promise with his austere budget that is getting a lot of press. He feels strongly that the public wants a government who can admit when there is a real problem, and work quickly to get it fixed.

Proper Leadership

The kicker here is their assumption that the public can and should act as an intelligent deputy to a sheriff who is willing to make and stand behind decisions regardless of which direction the political winds are blowing. This new conservative party clearly recognizes that the British public clearly understands there is a debt problem, and that the country has been living beyond its means for some time, and so they are willing to take it on as their first priority.  They also realize that not only Great Britain, but Europe, requires proper leadership to bolster their image and regain the world’s confidence in their ability to pay their own way.

Collaboration is Not a Death Sentence

Osborne speaks of forming a proper coalition government where the other party holds seats in the cabinet and how the real benefits of diversity in Parliament are less about looking different and more about being different and thinking different.  One of the best statements Osborne makes in Fareed’s interview is, “We can’t abandon whole areas of policy to the Left in British politics.  There is no reason why the Conservative Party should not have a progressive policy on climate change or be interested in issues of poverty and equity in our society and have answers to those issues.”

Open, Open, Open

They are open to new ideas, new views and anyone who can come up with a better way to reach a common goal.  Osborne indicated that he constantly seeks out second opinions and alternative views.  He encourages large numbers of people to come into meetings and say what they want to say, and understands that listening is a large part of the job.  His office recently asked the broader group of public servants for their ideas on how to reduce budgets in a way that doesn’t damage the frontline services people receive.  They received over 65,000 responses in a couple of weeks, and had some of them around to Number 11 Downing Street for a chat recently.  Interactive governement . . . what a concept!

I’ve been saying for years (just ask my friends) that the politicians in the US are simply making things worse and what most people really want is an entirely new breed of politician that is much more suited for the 21st century.  We need politicians who care less about party line and more about solving problems. We need politicians who can explain both sides of an issue, without bias, and why they believe their decision is the best option.  We need politicians who can work with other politicians to get the job done and stop wasting the public’s time and money on petty politics.

As much as I love they way in which this new and refreshing British government is behaving, I would certainly caution them that the best solution in today’s environment is likely a combination of austerity in some areas and stimulus in others.  Because western politicians failed to play the austerity card when times were good, we are all now stuck in a precarious position.  The equation is really quite simple and it works for government, companies, and at home.  When times are good you pay off your debts, make smart investments, and put a little under the mattress for a rainy day.  When times are hard you dig out your mattress money and stretch on credit a little if necessary.  If used responsibly, credit can be a very stabilizing element in an economy.  When abused, as we all now know, credit can backfire as surely as a 1970’s MG.

One of the things I love the most about this new government is the fact that they aren’t letting fear run the show.  They are taking a stance, creating a strategy, and they are willing to listen to other ideas.  The longer we let fear run our households, our businesses, and our politics, the longer this era of uncertainty will linger.  It really is that simple.

Posted in Courage, economy, global, leadership, political, social, strategy | 1 Comment »

The Century of Women – The 21st Century

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

85Broads2Originally posted  The Century of Women on 85 Broads – a global network of 20,000 trailblazing women who are inspired, empowered, and connected.

Last week I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Isobel Coleman, the author of Paradise Beneath Her Feet, speak at a World Affairs Council event in Dallas. Like Isobel, for most of my career I strategically avoided “feminist” issues. After all, I grew up in a family where it was just as likely for a man to have a PhD as it was for a women and both genders were scientific leaders in their industries or political leaders in their communities. I have no brothers and my parents were clear from the age of 5 that we could be anything we wanted. We all saw Billie Jean King playing her famous tennis match, but to us kids, it was just another tennis match. She was there, playing against a guy, so what exactly was all the fuss about? Now, all these years later, I can appreciate Billie Jean and those like her for the courage they shared with world and the gifts they gave to all women.

As I made my way to the C-suite of some pretty impressive firms, I came to better understand the nuances and challenges that still exist for women today in the West. I also now view Women’s Empowerment as something that goes far beyond equal pay for equal work and obtaining 50/50 gender ratios. Much of the developing world’s success hinges on the empowerment of women in regions of the world where being raped can mean a brutal public death started by your own family.

Whereas the 20th century was clearly the beginning of equality for women, and phenomenal progress was made in a very short period of time, until our sisters in the remaining two-thirds of the world can freely speak, walk, vote, learn, and work, we cannot claim victory. As an eternal optimist I see much evidence that we are nearing a tipping point of progress that could get us there by the end of the 21 Century. 90 years is a long time. This is why I believe that the 21 Century is The Century of Women.

What Business and Politics Need the Most are Intrinsic to Women

The keys to success in the 21st Century are being more efficient with our resources, including the bottom of the pyramid, and innovating our way to preserving our environment instead of depleting it. We can all be thankful to the Henry Ford’s and JP Morgan’s of the world whose heavy-handed leadership led us through the Industrial Revolution. However, the skills needed to move forward in this century are far more intrinsic to women. I am in no way saying that women should replace all men leaders, but I am saying that we could all benefit from a few more women leaders.

When employees feel a part of a team, buy into the vision, feel they are heard, and are provided the opportunity to manage themselves, productivity and creativity skyrocket. In today’s business environment, most companies run at approximately half speed when it comes to human potential, productivity, and creativity. This is not about working longer and harder with fewer breaks. It’s all about desire, value, contribution, and time for rejuvenation and creative contemplation.

The 2010 Global IBM CEO Study, recently published, indicates the most important leadership qualities required over the next 5 years are: Creativity (60%), Integrity (52%), Global Thinking (35%), Influence (30%), Openness (28%), Dedication (26%), Focus on Sustainability (26%), Humility (12%), and Fairness (12%).

The paradigm shift that is revolutionizing not only business, but global social structures is a monumental opportunity for women leaders to step up and show the world that we have the innate leadership qualities that the world needs today and the courage to use them.

The Empowerment of Women in the Developing World

If you have any doubt that the empowerment of women is happening in places like the Middle East, you need only to read Isobel Coleman’s book, Paradise Beneath Her Feet. What she rightly points out is that for sustainable progress to take hold, it must come from within. The Soviets tried to forced education on women during their decade of occupation of Afghanistan and it ended up making things worse. Now Afghan men are sighting Islamic text to spread the notion that Islam is, and always has been, a religion that serves both genders equally. This is the only way for real progress to be made, and it is happening every day in the Middle East.

I’m sure most of you have heard about the “The Girl Effect” session at the 2009 World Economic Forum by now that unexpectedly stole the show despite having the worst time slot. Lee Howell, Davos Annual Meeting Director, indicated that, “The field work, economic analysis, and experience all point to the powerful effect you’ll have if you invest in girls.”

“A simple concept whose time has finally arrived”, wrote Ashish T. Galande of World Pulse. The tide is changing, but there is much work to do. Recognition of a solution and a change in mindset are always the first steps. “Despite the overwhelming evidence that helping girls escape poverty is the key to healthy social and economic growth, only a meager 0.6% of development money goes to this demographic” (Ashish T. Galande / World Pulse).

Shear Guts and Courage are Contagious

Technological advances have given all of us the ability to share and to seek out those who inspire and motivate us. Often it helps just to remind ourselves that we are not alone in our endeavors, despite how we may sometimes feel. 50 years ago, you might go months or years without hearing or reading something purely inspirational regarding the empowerment of women, now you can immerse yourself in wonderful stories, videos and writings anytime you heart desires.

Though many in the developing world don’t have access to technology, the few that do, spread the word. Conversely, those of us who live in the West have much better access to knowledge about women in the developing world and how we can support their efforts.

Shear guts and courage are highly contagious, especially from women to women. When we see others take risk, stand up for what is right, and challenge the status quo, we are much more inclined to do it ourselves. We must continue to support each other (men and women) in all endeavors that help to raise the level of human consciousness and provide a more meaningful life for more people. When you cut to the chase, this is the deep-seated desire of most . . . it is simply a part of being human. Sometimes, however, it gets covered with a bit of dust or becomes a little rusty. I believe that the power exists within everyone to good in the world. It is simply a choice how and when we use that power.

Posted in Courage, global, leadership, social | 1 Comment »

Are You Settling for a Pale Version of the Possible?

Monday, May 31st, 2010

“Settling for a pale version of the possible” is my favorite line in Tony Schwartz’ new book, The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working.  It’s in essence the question that we so often avoid because it gets to the core of our most intimate desire to be the best that we can be.  Those with the courage to ask and truthfully answer that question, will be the ones who end up operating at their full potential and helping others to do the same.  Tony’s new book will help you find easy ways to ensure that your life is full of vibrant and endless possibilities.

I am often asked to review and blog about new business books coming to market, and only rarely do I oblige.  When Tony asked me to review his new book, I said yes immediately. His ideas around managing energy as opposed to time resonated with me years ago after reading, The Power of Full Engagement and plays a big role in my own consulting practice. The energy management concept, if explored to its full potential, can do more to transform an organization than any other single component.

The great thing about Tony’s new book is that it is full of sound research that reinforces what Tony is teaching and helps us to really understand why we do the things we do, even when they are counter productive to our goals.  More importantly, he provides practical advise on how to begin the process of change that will work for anyone in any stage of their career, or any organization at any level of health.

Not only will you find great information to help you become a better employee, leader, or manager, but you will also find that this book will help you become the person, spouse, parent, child, and sibling that your heart desires.

If any of the following statements resonate with you, then you should RUN, not walk, to the nearest bookstore and get a copy of The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working.

  • I always feel like I am behind in my work and will never catch up
  • I want my team to be more productive
  • I desperately want to find balance between my work life and home life
  • I want my team to be more accountable and responsible
  • I struggle with the daily distractions of email, phone calls, and endless request for my time and can’t get any of my own work done
  • My company does a poor job of retaining employees

What I personally love the most about The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working is how it very easily connects to my own work around helping organization find competitive advantages that work in the 21st Century.  Tony reminds us that, “In a fiercely competitive and rapidly changing marketplace, creative and big picture thinking, curiosity, and openness to learning and empathy are a largely untapped source of potential competitive advantage.”  Going from more, bigger, faster to richer, deeper, slower seems counter intuitive to most, but is in fact the best way to distinguish your company from its competitors.

I have asked Tony to give us his thoughts on a few more in-depth questions on this angle around competitive advantage.

1)   Why do you think it is so hard for organizations to fully grasp that strengthening their connection with and investing in the well being of their employees can be a tremendous competitive advantage?

There’s an instinctive tendency in all of us to default to the easiest solutions. It’s easier to demand more of people than it is to consciously invest in them. It’s also part of the short-term preoccupation that characterizes so many organizations.  If you view people as expendable and interchangeable, you don’t worry about investing in them because you believe they’re all replaceable.  Leaders with a more  long-term view recognize that when you invest in people they become more valuable over time.

We make that investment in ourselves in the years we spend in school. But many organization are too concerned with the next quarter’s revenues to think about investing in the future. But the best organizations do just that. Companies such as Apple and Google offer more to their employees than most other companies – not just in perks like the free meals Google provides or the fitness facilities Apple has, but also mentally, in terms of the environments of learning and growth they actively nurture; and spiritually, by giving employees the sense that they’re doing something that truly adds value to the world. It shouldn’t be a surprise, in turn, that these sorts of companies attract better employees and have great results.

2)   In your work with a vast array of companies, do you see more of a correlation to the age of a company and the age of its executive team and their likelihood to fully embrace energy management in their culture, or is it more highly correlated to specific industries?

There’s no question that a certain kind of company is more readily drawn to our work.  They tend to be more progressive, forward thinking and innovative than average.  We’ve had our greatest successes with technology companies and with creative companies, but interestingly, we’ve also had significant success with more traditional financial institutions.  I think that may be because the folks drawn to the world of finance are often fiercely competitive, and we’re offering a science-based way for them to improve personal performance.

Ultimately, though, we’ve been able to work in almost every kind of organization, because in the end it’s usually one or two senior leaders who make the decision about whether to bring us in.  The trick, we’ve learned, is to introduce them to our work first at a personal level.  When they see its impact in their own lives, they become evangelists for the practices we’re teaching, and the new way of working we’re advocating.

3)   What is the one piece of information that you provide to clients that seems to resonate with them the most when it is difficult for them to see how proactively managing the 4 types of energy can have a profound impact on personal satisfaction and corporate success?

In an era of overwhelming demand, what resonates first is the science-based case we make for the fact that human beings aren’t meant to operate continuously for long hours. We all know, intuitively, that the way we’re working isn’t working, and that it’s actually depleting us.   It’s thrilling for people to understand that intermittent renewal actually drives higher and more sustainable performance.  Our work gives people permission to work in ways that serve them better – and make them feel better.  And that ultimately serves their organizations better.

Posted in business, creativity, leadership, management, success | 1 Comment »

People Risk: What Most Companies Fail to Understand

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Dare to be DifferentIf you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I feel strongly that the global financial crisis and ensuing economic recession was not necessarily due to too much risk taking, but more to do with a glut of certain types of risk taking and a real lack of other types of risk taking.  People risk is one of those that I would put in the “lack of” column.

As an executive in two finance companies during the bubble years I became very familiar with the hiring process.  What I generally saw was that hiring managers were not interested in taking any risk on people and generally liked to hire people that were just like themselves.  I suppose they felt as though they were taking enough risk on their deals, that they wanted to avoid any in the hiring process (too much market risk, not enough people risk).  Or maybe, they were simply taking the easy way out.  Just find the person who is doing what you want somewhere else and offer him/her more money to leave.  This is unfortunately what the recruiting business had come to during those years.  The reality is, most hiring managers (especially in the finance arena) are great at deals, but relatively poor at managing people.  Therefore, it was much easier to hire people who have previously done the exact job that you are hiring for so that you can spend as little time as possible with them and have little risk that they are not good at the job you are hiring them for.  It’s relatively sound logic as long as you are not interested in adding any creativity, ingenuity, or loyalty to your business.  How loyal do you think employees are that go from job to job chasing money?

Hiring for what people have done and not who they are, gets you people who have the ability to do certain tasks, but does nothing for adding to the moral, innovative, and energy building aspects of a business.  As with most things I write about, this was fine and worked well enough in the 20th century, but will be far less effective in the 21st century where the world, and particularly business, is beginning to work differently.  Employees, especially the younger ones, want their careers to be about something, they want to feel as though they are making the world a better place, and they want to work on something that is exciting.  People of my age and older, we never thought those goals were possible or even plausible to attain, so we simply gave in and focused on the money convincing ourselves that it is the ultimate measure of success.  I personally, am rooting for the kids of today and tomorrow, hoping they have the courage to get what they want.

When you hire people for who they are, what innate traits they bring to the table, and how they think, then you can maximize their potential in ways that maximize your business success.  Earlier this year, at the Front End Innovation Conference in Europe, there was a graduate student presenting some fantastic research on the traits of an innovative person.  She did a great job on the research and a great job at presenting, and I found it fascinating that the discussion it sparked really showed what a novel concept this was for so many people.  Sure, there have been personality tests that have been used in hiring practices for some time, but they really only tell you a few things like can you manage people, and will you get along with the others in your group.  I don’t dismiss those questions by any measure, but I sure would love to start hearing questions like, “What do you want to create? What are your passions? How connected are you to your own internal wisdom?” used somewhere in the equation.

When I asked on twitter whether you should hire people for what they have done or who they are, I got some great responses.  My favorite from @KrisSchindler and one that I agree completely with is to look for “intellectual curiosity”.  This concept has largely vanished from large institutions, and in my opinion, is not focused on nearly enough in our education system.  It’s a skill all of us are born with, and some of us choose to use it and others do not.  Who do you want working for you?

People Risk is not only about taking risk that someone with a different background who can think from new and creative positions is going to be good for your company.  People Risk is also about allowing yourself as a manager or executive to find the unconditional value in each person as individuals and as they interact within the company.  This takes time, and even more importantly, this takes being vulnerable enough to make those really strong connections that inspire people to work at their full potential.  When people are working at their full potential in an environment where they are respected, they have no desire to go somewhere else.

Alex Pattakos, PhD, writes in his book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts:

“The transformation of work in the twenty-first century is, in many respects, a call for humanity—a new consciousness that suggests more than simply trying to strike a balance between our work and our personal life.  It is a call to honor our own individuality and fully engage our human spirit at work—wherever that may be.”

Posted in Courage, Innovation, business, creativity, leadership | No Comments »

The Naked Truth About Lencioni’s Latest Book

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Getting nakedThe first time I read a Patrick Lencioni book, I was the COO and Managing Director of a global corporate finance company.  I hadn’t been there long and was already regretting the move.  My first thought after finishing The Five Dysfunctions of a Team was, “How do I leave of copy of this for the team without them knowing who left it?”  Sadly, my boss was most likely coming to his own conclusion that hiring a member of the leadership team that thinks differently and speaks her mind, wasn’t really what he wanted after all.  Thus, my only option was to “do” the book instead of trying to “preach” the book.  It was actually beginning to work quite well, and an endeavor that taught me a ton.  Then the financial crisis began and fear took hold of most people in the world of finance, and well, basically all hell broke loose in more ways than I can count.

This time, as I read Lencioni’s latest book, Getting Naked, I had a different reaction.  I knew this book would be a fantastic tool, not only to fall back on as a reminder to never give up on what I believe in (which we all need on occasion), but also to give to clients as a way to help them achieve more.  It’s possible that I also did a small happy dance for my own little consulting company as I saw many parallels to the way we already do things here at YURU.

Getting Naked presents the business world with a new kind of 21st century risk that can provide the taker with a competitive advantage that will leave heads spinning in disbelief.  The ability to harness what Patrick is sharing is what will separate the good, and yes even the great, companies from those that dare to be extraordinary.

Understanding Lencioni’s three fears that hinder client relationships can provide the insight necessary to take such risks.  If you can find the courage to be honest, authentic, and buck-naked vulnerable with yourself, your teammates, and your clients, the sky is the limit for anyone or any business.  There are plenty of brilliant nuggets of wisdom in Getting Naked no matter if you are a consultant, manage a department, a business student, run a multi-national company, or are part of the small business backbone of our economy.  There is something for anyone who has clients, which at the end of the day is pretty much all of us.  I have seen first hand, with myself, and my own clients, how these concepts can literally transform people and companies.

The story-telling style of Lencioni’s books, gives the reader that sense of “what happens next” that good fiction employs and shows us how his theories would look in real life as opposed to simply preaching them.  That one extra step really allows the information to sink in at a different level.  Plus, it’s just more fun to read.

I highly recommend Getting Naked with its high quotient of nuggets of wisdom to words read.   In other words, lots of great stuff packed into an easy to read book that will fit into your busy schedule.  Plus, it can be a great conversation starter if you simply carry it around for a couple of days.

Posted in Courage, business, leadership | No Comments »

next »