Achieving Success by Expecting Success by Zig Ziglar
When you plan and prepare carefully, you can legitimately expect to have success in your efforts. When you recognize and develop the winning qualities that you were born with, the winner you were born to be emerges. When you plan and prepare to make a sale, for example, you can legitimately expect to make a sale. Although not all your expectations are going to come to pass, you give yourself an infinitely better chance of succeeding by taking the proper steps. Regardless of your goal—losing weight, making more sales, furthering your education, earning a promotion, saving money for a new home or an exotic vacation—you can expect to achieve your goal if you plan and prepare for it.
Also understand that the path from where you are to where you want to be is not always smooth and straight. The reason for the twists and bumps is simple, and it has nothing to do with you. It has more to do with the fact that not everyone is as interested in your success as you are. Some people may accidentally hinder your efforts; others who are in competition with you and have little or no integrity may try to sabotage your efforts.
Keep in mind, though, that when you hit those roadblocks your character, commitment, and attitude are the determining factors in your success.... Carefully review your plan of action, seek wise counsel, and be particularly careful to feed your mind good information. An optimistic, positive mind is far more likely to come up with creative solutions than a mind that dwells on setbacks and difficulties.
Bottom line: Expect success and you can achieve it!
With a strong basis of personal-development knowledge, your plan for success will be fortified. Take advantage of the Jim Rohn Cyber Monday specials and restock your personal-achievement library. Click here for more details or to order!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
9 Things a Leader Must Do: How to Go to the Next Level--And Take Others With You
9 Things a Leader Must Do: How to Go to the Next Level--And Take Others With You
By Dr. Henry Cloud (one of the speakers at Global Leadership SUmmit)
Dr. Cloud's "9 Things" boil down to:
1) doing what you love, even if it requires taking risks or "a leap of faith"
2) removing everything negative from your life
3) evaluating ALL your current decisions with the long-term future in mind
4) always asking "What can I do to make this situation better?"
5) achieving large goals one small step at a time
6) gaining clarity about everything you hate, and then eliminating it with extreme prejudice or continually striving to be the exact opposite of it
7) not "keeping score" - ALWAYS give your best
8) being comfortable with who you are - you can't learn when you think or act like you know everything
9) not making fear-based decisions - make "the right" decision, own it, and deal with the consequences no matter how uncomfortable it might be
Most of this seems like common sense but, in practice, it's often easier said than done. Reading this book helps remind one of some of the things we might forget while "in the weeds" in addition to giving a sometimes necessary boost in courage to take appropriate action.
http://www.amazon.com/Things-Leader-Must-Do-Level/dp/1591454840/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_3/192-1942351-5942905
By Dr. Henry Cloud (one of the speakers at Global Leadership SUmmit)
Dr. Cloud's "9 Things" boil down to:
1) doing what you love, even if it requires taking risks or "a leap of faith"
2) removing everything negative from your life
3) evaluating ALL your current decisions with the long-term future in mind
4) always asking "What can I do to make this situation better?"
5) achieving large goals one small step at a time
6) gaining clarity about everything you hate, and then eliminating it with extreme prejudice or continually striving to be the exact opposite of it
7) not "keeping score" - ALWAYS give your best
8) being comfortable with who you are - you can't learn when you think or act like you know everything
9) not making fear-based decisions - make "the right" decision, own it, and deal with the consequences no matter how uncomfortable it might be
Most of this seems like common sense but, in practice, it's often easier said than done. Reading this book helps remind one of some of the things we might forget while "in the weeds" in addition to giving a sometimes necessary boost in courage to take appropriate action.
http://www.amazon.com/Things-Leader-Must-Do-Level/dp/1591454840/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_3/192-1942351-5942905
Saturday, October 22, 2011
10 Things Great Managers Do By Steve Tobak
10 Things Great Managers Do
By Steve Tobak | August 18, 2011
There’s all sorts of rhetoric about what good bosses should and shouldn’t do these days. I guess that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, most of it’s pretty basic, generic fluff that sort of blends together after a while.
Even worse, a lot of it’s, well, utopian. It panders to what employees want to hear instead of giving truly practical and insightful advice on what makes a manager effective in the real world where business is everything and everything’s on the line.
This list is different. It’s different because, to derive it, I went back in time to the best characteristics of the best CEOs (primarily) I’ve worked for and with over the past 30 years. It’s based entirely on my own experience with executives who made a real difference at extraordinary companies.
Some were big, some were small, but all were successful in their respective markets, primarily because of the attributes of these CEOs. Each anecdote taught me a critical lesson that advanced my career and helped me to be a better leader. Hope you get as much out of reading it as I did living it.
10 Things Great Managers Do
Maintain your cool and sense of humor, especially during a crisis. When our biggest customer - and I mean big - thought I leaked a front-page story to the press, I offered to resign to save the relationship. My boss, a great CEO, gave me a serious look, like he was thinking about it, and said, “You’re not getting off that easy.” Then he broke into a big smile.
Tell subordinates when they’re shooting themselves in the foot. Sometimes I can be pretty intimidating and I’ve had CEOs who shied away from giving it to me straight when my emotions got the better of me. Not this one guy. We’d be in a heated meeting and he’d quietly take me aside and read me the riot act. He was so genuine about it that it always opened my eyes and helped me to achieve perspective.
Be the boss, but behave like a peer. I’ve worked with loads of CEOs who let their egos get the better of them. They act like they’re better than everyone else, are distant and emotionally detached, or flaunt their knowledge and power. That kind of behavior diminishes leaders, makes them seem small, and keeps them from really connecting with people. They’re not always the most successful, but the most admired CEOs I know are genuinely humble.
Let your guard down and really be yourself outside of work. You know, teambuilding is so overrated. All you really need to do outside of work to build a cohesive team is break some bread, have some drinks, relax, let your guard down, and be a regular human being. When you get to be really confident, you can be that way all the time. That’s the mark of a great leader.
Stand behind and make big bets on people you believe in. One CEO would constantly challenge you and your thinking to the point of being abusive. But once he trusted and believed in you, he put his full weight behind you 100 percent to help you succeed. He’d stand up for you even when he wasn’t sure what the heck you were up to. And he’d give you new functional responsibilities - something up-and-coming execs need to grow. Okay, he wasn’t perfect, but who is?
Complement your subordinate’s weaknesses. I often say it’s every employee’s job to complement her boss’s weaknesses. The only reason that’s even doable is because we’ve all only got one boss. But I actually had a CEO who did that with each and every one of his staff. For example, I’m more of a big picture strategy guy and he would really hold my feet to the fire by tracking my commitments. It felt like micromanaging at first, but I eventually realized it helped me to be a more effective and strengthened the entire management team.
Compliment your employee’s strengths. It takes a strong, confident leader to go out on a limb and tell an employee what they’re great at. Why? I don’t know, but I suspect it’s hard for alpha males that primarily inhabit executive offices. Anyway, it’s important because we can’t always see ourselves objectively. Twenty years ago a CEO identified how effectively I cut through a boatload of BS to reach unique solutions to tough problems. Today, that’s what I do for a living.
Teach the toughest, most painful lessons you’ve ever learned. As a young manager at Texas Instruments, I once asked my boss’s boss for advice about a promotion I didn’t get. He told me a candid story about the hardest lesson he’d ever learned, the reason he was stuck in his job. He made himself indispensible and didn’t groom his replacement. It was painful for him to share, but it opened my eyes and made a huge difference in my career.
Do the right thing. Just about everyone says it, but I’ve only known one CEO who both preached and practiced it to the point where it became a big part of the company culture. You’d walk the halls and hear people say it all the time. He meant two things by it. When he said it to you, it meant he trusted you to do just that. He also meant it regardless of status quo or consequences. He had extraordinary faith in that phrase. Now I do too.
Do what has to be done, no matter what. It’s a rare executive who jumps on a plane at a moment’s notice to close a deal or gives an impromptu presentation when a potential investor shows up unexpectedly. It’s even more rare when he does it without asking questions or hemming and hawing about it. He just does what has to be done. That kind of drive and focus on the business is relatively common with entrepreneurs in high-tech startups. And it’s the mark of a great manager who will find success, that’s for sure.
http://www.bnet.com/blog/ceo/10-things-great-managers-do/8189?tag=content;drawer-container
By Steve Tobak | August 18, 2011
There’s all sorts of rhetoric about what good bosses should and shouldn’t do these days. I guess that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, most of it’s pretty basic, generic fluff that sort of blends together after a while.
Even worse, a lot of it’s, well, utopian. It panders to what employees want to hear instead of giving truly practical and insightful advice on what makes a manager effective in the real world where business is everything and everything’s on the line.
This list is different. It’s different because, to derive it, I went back in time to the best characteristics of the best CEOs (primarily) I’ve worked for and with over the past 30 years. It’s based entirely on my own experience with executives who made a real difference at extraordinary companies.
Some were big, some were small, but all were successful in their respective markets, primarily because of the attributes of these CEOs. Each anecdote taught me a critical lesson that advanced my career and helped me to be a better leader. Hope you get as much out of reading it as I did living it.
10 Things Great Managers Do
Maintain your cool and sense of humor, especially during a crisis. When our biggest customer - and I mean big - thought I leaked a front-page story to the press, I offered to resign to save the relationship. My boss, a great CEO, gave me a serious look, like he was thinking about it, and said, “You’re not getting off that easy.” Then he broke into a big smile.
Tell subordinates when they’re shooting themselves in the foot. Sometimes I can be pretty intimidating and I’ve had CEOs who shied away from giving it to me straight when my emotions got the better of me. Not this one guy. We’d be in a heated meeting and he’d quietly take me aside and read me the riot act. He was so genuine about it that it always opened my eyes and helped me to achieve perspective.
Be the boss, but behave like a peer. I’ve worked with loads of CEOs who let their egos get the better of them. They act like they’re better than everyone else, are distant and emotionally detached, or flaunt their knowledge and power. That kind of behavior diminishes leaders, makes them seem small, and keeps them from really connecting with people. They’re not always the most successful, but the most admired CEOs I know are genuinely humble.
Let your guard down and really be yourself outside of work. You know, teambuilding is so overrated. All you really need to do outside of work to build a cohesive team is break some bread, have some drinks, relax, let your guard down, and be a regular human being. When you get to be really confident, you can be that way all the time. That’s the mark of a great leader.
Stand behind and make big bets on people you believe in. One CEO would constantly challenge you and your thinking to the point of being abusive. But once he trusted and believed in you, he put his full weight behind you 100 percent to help you succeed. He’d stand up for you even when he wasn’t sure what the heck you were up to. And he’d give you new functional responsibilities - something up-and-coming execs need to grow. Okay, he wasn’t perfect, but who is?
Complement your subordinate’s weaknesses. I often say it’s every employee’s job to complement her boss’s weaknesses. The only reason that’s even doable is because we’ve all only got one boss. But I actually had a CEO who did that with each and every one of his staff. For example, I’m more of a big picture strategy guy and he would really hold my feet to the fire by tracking my commitments. It felt like micromanaging at first, but I eventually realized it helped me to be a more effective and strengthened the entire management team.
Compliment your employee’s strengths. It takes a strong, confident leader to go out on a limb and tell an employee what they’re great at. Why? I don’t know, but I suspect it’s hard for alpha males that primarily inhabit executive offices. Anyway, it’s important because we can’t always see ourselves objectively. Twenty years ago a CEO identified how effectively I cut through a boatload of BS to reach unique solutions to tough problems. Today, that’s what I do for a living.
Teach the toughest, most painful lessons you’ve ever learned. As a young manager at Texas Instruments, I once asked my boss’s boss for advice about a promotion I didn’t get. He told me a candid story about the hardest lesson he’d ever learned, the reason he was stuck in his job. He made himself indispensible and didn’t groom his replacement. It was painful for him to share, but it opened my eyes and made a huge difference in my career.
Do the right thing. Just about everyone says it, but I’ve only known one CEO who both preached and practiced it to the point where it became a big part of the company culture. You’d walk the halls and hear people say it all the time. He meant two things by it. When he said it to you, it meant he trusted you to do just that. He also meant it regardless of status quo or consequences. He had extraordinary faith in that phrase. Now I do too.
Do what has to be done, no matter what. It’s a rare executive who jumps on a plane at a moment’s notice to close a deal or gives an impromptu presentation when a potential investor shows up unexpectedly. It’s even more rare when he does it without asking questions or hemming and hawing about it. He just does what has to be done. That kind of drive and focus on the business is relatively common with entrepreneurs in high-tech startups. And it’s the mark of a great manager who will find success, that’s for sure.
http://www.bnet.com/blog/ceo/10-things-great-managers-do/8189?tag=content;drawer-container
Great Advice From Smart Leaders By Steve Tobak
Great Advice From Smart Leaders
By Steve Tobak | September 19, 2011
That other day I read The 32 Dumbest Things Real-Life Managers Said by fellow blogger Geoffrey James. James says most of these entertaining lines came from his friend. I can’t help but feel sorry for the guy - he must be a magnet for dumb managers. Needless to say, it was great fodder for readers.
The next day, in response to comments on one of my posts, a reader wrote this in an email, “We Americans live in an era of magic and abundance (by comparison to our forebears), but we complain and critique seemingly without end. There is something sadly ironic in that.” True enough, I thought.
That got me thinking about some of the insightful and thought-provoking things top executives have said to me over the past 30 years. Each one of these “real-life” anecdotes was an impactful lesson that helped shape my career. After all, where do you think our future leaders learn this stuff? In the real world, of course.
Great Advice From Smart Leaders
“Do the right thing.” - A brilliant CEO, c. ‘01. To this day, probably the simplest and most impactful thing a leader can say to instill faith and accountability in his management team while promoting solid decision-making and ethical judgment.
“Before you blab to the press, consider the downside risk.” From a top Microsoft executive after I got myself into hot water with his boss, a Mr. Gates. C. ‘97.
“If nobody knows what you’re doing, you’ll never get anywhere.” Angry over a lousy review, my boss’s boss shared what would become a driving force in my career. One word: visibility. It’s huge, both inside your company and outside, as well. C. ‘83.
“One of the characteristics I hold in highest regard is ‘flexibility’.” A frustrated CEO, after months of trying to deal with his unusually aggressive and insistent young executive (me), c. ‘92. Months later, he fired … I mean laid me off. Quite a lesson.
“Don’t make any mistakes you have to live with.” My boss, c. ‘87, was referring to his ex-wife who took him to the cleaners and, since they had kids, was a lifelong nemesis, but it became a cautionary life lesson for him and for me, as well. The message: Take big, potentially far-reaching decisions very seriously.
“Always seek to raise your competitor’s risk.” Refers specifically to competitive positioning, negotiations, and legal battles versus bigger rivals. The strategy has proved remarkably insightful and successful in several high-risk, high-stakes situations. From a General Counsel, c. ‘99.
“Most mistakes are the result of bad assumptions.” When you find yourself in deep you-know-what, a little introspection will inevitably uncover that you made some assumptions that weren’t correct or set up the problem incorrectly. The message: understand the problem before jumping to the solution. A high-tech CEO, c. ‘03.
“If you stand by the river long enough, you’ll see the body of your enemy float by.” Some of us instinctively run from problems, but sometimes, you can and should strive to outlast a rival, dysfunctional boss, whatever. Also taught me the value of stickwithitness and perseverance, from a top executive at a Japanese electronics giant, c. ‘88.
“We need people like ____.” A relatively off-the-cuff response by a manager to my frustration over someone I though was an annoying and bureaucratic PITA, c. ‘81. The point is it takes all kinds of people for an organization to function, even if you - a young, up-and-comer - don’t see the value at the time. He was right. Some of those people I didn’t respect went on to successful careers as senior executives.
“The only true success is happiness.” Okay, I’ve said it before, but it’s so important it bears repeating. From the president of a UK sales rep company, c. ‘93. This was a life changer for a young executive pushing himself too hard - me, of course.
Many thanks to reader David F. Smith, Mr. James, and his friend Larry, for the idea.
By Steve Tobak | September 19, 2011
That other day I read The 32 Dumbest Things Real-Life Managers Said by fellow blogger Geoffrey James. James says most of these entertaining lines came from his friend. I can’t help but feel sorry for the guy - he must be a magnet for dumb managers. Needless to say, it was great fodder for readers.
The next day, in response to comments on one of my posts, a reader wrote this in an email, “We Americans live in an era of magic and abundance (by comparison to our forebears), but we complain and critique seemingly without end. There is something sadly ironic in that.” True enough, I thought.
That got me thinking about some of the insightful and thought-provoking things top executives have said to me over the past 30 years. Each one of these “real-life” anecdotes was an impactful lesson that helped shape my career. After all, where do you think our future leaders learn this stuff? In the real world, of course.
Great Advice From Smart Leaders
“Do the right thing.” - A brilliant CEO, c. ‘01. To this day, probably the simplest and most impactful thing a leader can say to instill faith and accountability in his management team while promoting solid decision-making and ethical judgment.
“Before you blab to the press, consider the downside risk.” From a top Microsoft executive after I got myself into hot water with his boss, a Mr. Gates. C. ‘97.
“If nobody knows what you’re doing, you’ll never get anywhere.” Angry over a lousy review, my boss’s boss shared what would become a driving force in my career. One word: visibility. It’s huge, both inside your company and outside, as well. C. ‘83.
“One of the characteristics I hold in highest regard is ‘flexibility’.” A frustrated CEO, after months of trying to deal with his unusually aggressive and insistent young executive (me), c. ‘92. Months later, he fired … I mean laid me off. Quite a lesson.
“Don’t make any mistakes you have to live with.” My boss, c. ‘87, was referring to his ex-wife who took him to the cleaners and, since they had kids, was a lifelong nemesis, but it became a cautionary life lesson for him and for me, as well. The message: Take big, potentially far-reaching decisions very seriously.
“Always seek to raise your competitor’s risk.” Refers specifically to competitive positioning, negotiations, and legal battles versus bigger rivals. The strategy has proved remarkably insightful and successful in several high-risk, high-stakes situations. From a General Counsel, c. ‘99.
“Most mistakes are the result of bad assumptions.” When you find yourself in deep you-know-what, a little introspection will inevitably uncover that you made some assumptions that weren’t correct or set up the problem incorrectly. The message: understand the problem before jumping to the solution. A high-tech CEO, c. ‘03.
“If you stand by the river long enough, you’ll see the body of your enemy float by.” Some of us instinctively run from problems, but sometimes, you can and should strive to outlast a rival, dysfunctional boss, whatever. Also taught me the value of stickwithitness and perseverance, from a top executive at a Japanese electronics giant, c. ‘88.
“We need people like ____.” A relatively off-the-cuff response by a manager to my frustration over someone I though was an annoying and bureaucratic PITA, c. ‘81. The point is it takes all kinds of people for an organization to function, even if you - a young, up-and-comer - don’t see the value at the time. He was right. Some of those people I didn’t respect went on to successful careers as senior executives.
“The only true success is happiness.” Okay, I’ve said it before, but it’s so important it bears repeating. From the president of a UK sales rep company, c. ‘93. This was a life changer for a young executive pushing himself too hard - me, of course.
Many thanks to reader David F. Smith, Mr. James, and his friend Larry, for the idea.
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Next Greatest Generation Of Leaders
The Next Greatest Generation Of Leaders Part 1
September 1, 2011 1 Comment
Recently, I read the finest leadership article I’ve come across in five years. Joe Klein of Time Magazine wrote an incredibly inspiring article about the leadership skills of veterans who are returning from tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think Klein should be considered for a Pulitzer Prize for this incredible article. To read this masterpiece in full, click here.
I am going to provide you a series of posts with the leadership quotes from the article. They will challenge and inspire you while giving you a glimpse of leadership through a completely different lens.
“We were trained in the military never to leave a fallen comrade in the field. But do we bring them home just to leave them alone? That didn’t seem right.” – John Gallina, Co-Founder of Purple Heart Homes
“Those Vietnam guys represent around 32% of all veterans, and they didn’t get anything like the support we get…there are so many people who need help.” – Gallina
“They’re incredible, some of my best students. Two things set them apart: they’ve very disciplined, and they’re really, really serious about their work.” – Dr. Elaine Kamarick of the Harvard Kennnedy School of Government on returning war veterans.
“The returning veterans are bringing skills that seem to be on the wane in American society, qualities we really need now: crisp decision-making, rigor, optimism, entrepreneurial creativity, a larger sense of purpose and real patriotism.” – Klein
“World War I was fought by large units like battalions. World War II was fought by companies. Vietnam, by platoons. The current wars ar all about small teams who have to interact with local Iraqi and Afghan populations. That has required a different kind of soldier.” – John Nagi, Chairman of the Center For A New American Society
“Captain Jeremiah Ellis essentially became the mayor of the town (Senjaray in Southern Afghanistan) – dealing with the local shura, providing security, asking the public about the kinds of development projects they wanted, funding those projects…It occurred to me that Ellis had developed the political skills to be the mayor of his hometown in Iowa.” – Klein
“When we return home, we work on fixing up every piece of equipment except their brains. Had to do something about that.” – First Sergeant Jack Robison, Co-Founder of Outward Bound
“These soldiers had to rebuild communities and make difficult decisions under pressure. They’ve had to show incredible flexibility, never knowing whether they’re going to be greeted with a handshake or a hand grenade.” – General David Petraeus
“They’ve been exposed to experiences that are totally unique, compared with most Americans. Once they’ve seen the elephant, they surely can help rebuild Joplin. I believe they are our next great generation of leaders.” – General Petraeus
I agree with you General Petraeus. The returning veterans are our next great group of leaders. Please return tomorrow for Part 2 of this incredible series.
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2011/09/01/the-next-greatest-generation-of-leaders-part-1/
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The Next Greatest Generation Of Leaders Part 2
September 2, 2011 0 Comments
The following is Part 2 of our series of leadership quotes from Joe Klein’s incredible article from Time Magazine on the leadership skills of returning Iraqi and Afghan veterans. To read Part 1 click here.
Enjoy these quotes and insights. They have challenged and stretched me like nothing I read in years.
“(General David) Petraeus was an amazing boss. Our mission was to defeat the military bureaucracy. We were able to build border forts, using Iraqi engineers and work crews, for one-fifth the price that the American contractors were charging in one-third the time. Our proposals went right to his desk, rather than through the bureaucracy. The only thing he demanded of us was success.” – Seth Moulton
“I can pretty much spot them (current veterans returning home) on site: fit, smart, confident, and strong. They look you straight in the eye when they talk; they can be funny as hell, but their language isn’t fancy.” - Joe Klein
“We’re a group that really wants to see America become a better place. We hate the divisive politics of the baby-boom generation. They’re running the country into the ground.” – Moulton
“I saw that there were other vets who favored the war and were running for office too – and I didn’t want to work against them. We separated IAVA from VoteVets. And I’ve got to say that if Pete Hegseth, a Republican, who started Veterans for Freedom, ran for office, I’d work for him. I’d work for any veterans running for office because I know their values.” – Paul Rieckhoff, a veteran and a Democrat
“They feel closer to one another than they do either political party.” – Klein
“One thing about the military was, it forced you to learn. If you were willing to learn, you could rise fast – so we all became avid readers, and we carried that through back home.” – John Gallina
“In the military, it’s never about you. It’s always about something bigger.” – Lewis
“The toughest part of leadership is telling people they have to do something that involves pain.” – former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens
“We had to do that every day: ‘At 0100 we’re going to stage a raid. The enemy is heavily armed and waiting for us. I can’t promise you we’re going to accomplish this without casualties. But we need to take out this cell of snipers.’ You just don’t find many politicians willing to get people to do tough things.” - Greitens
“I just don’t believe that politics needs to be total combat. I’ve seen total combat. I wouldn’t want to give up my privacy and expose my family to the craziness the system seems to require. My kid is not a prop. Anyway, most of my friends feel politically homeless. But I do believe that we have something important to contribute. We know how to lead.” – former Marine and current president of CNAS Nathaniel Fick
Yes you do know how to lead Nathaniel. Yes you do.
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2011/09/02/the-next-greatest-generation-of-leaders-part-2/
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The Next Greatest Generation Of Leaders Part 3 – How To Build A Leader
September 3, 2011 0 Comments
This post of final installment of a 3-part series on the leadership skills of those returning from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The nine quotes listed below come from Joe Klein’s article in the recent Time Magazine. To read Part 1 and Part 2, please click the hotlinks.
“The main reason why I chose West Point over Yale is that it was a complete experience, not just academically but a serious challenge – and in leadership as well. You get real responsibility very quickly: in Germany, I was 22 and leading 30 people who didn’t have a college education. And I had to make it work. Most of the college grads I know who didn’t join the military don’t know 30 people without a college education.” – Liz McNally
“These are the most diverse and extraordinary people I’ve ever met. I’d love to see the values and ethics of the military spread into the general population.” – Dr. Richard Young
“People have the wrong impression of the military. It is extremely entrepreneurial. I had more freedom to make decisions there than I do at Citibank. My commander would tell me what needed to be done, and then it was up to me to figure out how to do it.” – Wes Moore
“We were taught to write a five-paragraph memo. I still use it whenever I have a major decision to make…Situation: What’s the problem? Mission: What’s our strategy for solving it? Execution: What tactics are we going to use? Support: What are the logistics; how may troops and what sort of equipment will we need? Command: What other organizations will have to be involved.” – Moore
“It’s difficult to leave the military and not come out bored. There’s a significant letdown, which is a big part of the psychological problems so many of us have. In civilian life, you miss the sense of excitement and purpose and camaraderie.” – Moore
“No decision you’ll ask them to make (in business) will be harder than decisions they’ve already experienced.” – Brian Stann
“There was a lot of looting and chaos (in Haiti after the earthquake). Other relief agencies don’t like those sorts of situations, but we’d seen a lot worse. We know how to do chaos. We’re Marines.” – William McNulty
“I rented a chainsaw, and within 20 minutes it felt like I was back in the service again (after the Alabama tornadoes). We shared a common language and knew how to organize ourselves to work efficiently…We’re used to sleeping on the ground; other people aren’t…Our generation of vets isn’t really into joining organizations life the VFW or the Legion, but we do have a need to share our stories and experiences. When we go out on these disaster-relief mission, it’s very therapeutic – and we’re doing something tangible and immediate to help people.” – Ford Sypher
“You’re a Marine captain. Figure it out.” – David Callaway to Seth Moulton on how to organize medical relief in Haiti
Leaders, figure it out!!! I hope you print out and save this 3-part series. The veterans returning from the Middle East are teaching us all about leadership. What have you learned from this series?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2011/09/03/the-next-greatest-generation-of-leaders-part-3/
September 1, 2011 1 Comment
Recently, I read the finest leadership article I’ve come across in five years. Joe Klein of Time Magazine wrote an incredibly inspiring article about the leadership skills of veterans who are returning from tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think Klein should be considered for a Pulitzer Prize for this incredible article. To read this masterpiece in full, click here.
I am going to provide you a series of posts with the leadership quotes from the article. They will challenge and inspire you while giving you a glimpse of leadership through a completely different lens.
“We were trained in the military never to leave a fallen comrade in the field. But do we bring them home just to leave them alone? That didn’t seem right.” – John Gallina, Co-Founder of Purple Heart Homes
“Those Vietnam guys represent around 32% of all veterans, and they didn’t get anything like the support we get…there are so many people who need help.” – Gallina
“They’re incredible, some of my best students. Two things set them apart: they’ve very disciplined, and they’re really, really serious about their work.” – Dr. Elaine Kamarick of the Harvard Kennnedy School of Government on returning war veterans.
“The returning veterans are bringing skills that seem to be on the wane in American society, qualities we really need now: crisp decision-making, rigor, optimism, entrepreneurial creativity, a larger sense of purpose and real patriotism.” – Klein
“World War I was fought by large units like battalions. World War II was fought by companies. Vietnam, by platoons. The current wars ar all about small teams who have to interact with local Iraqi and Afghan populations. That has required a different kind of soldier.” – John Nagi, Chairman of the Center For A New American Society
“Captain Jeremiah Ellis essentially became the mayor of the town (Senjaray in Southern Afghanistan) – dealing with the local shura, providing security, asking the public about the kinds of development projects they wanted, funding those projects…It occurred to me that Ellis had developed the political skills to be the mayor of his hometown in Iowa.” – Klein
“When we return home, we work on fixing up every piece of equipment except their brains. Had to do something about that.” – First Sergeant Jack Robison, Co-Founder of Outward Bound
“These soldiers had to rebuild communities and make difficult decisions under pressure. They’ve had to show incredible flexibility, never knowing whether they’re going to be greeted with a handshake or a hand grenade.” – General David Petraeus
“They’ve been exposed to experiences that are totally unique, compared with most Americans. Once they’ve seen the elephant, they surely can help rebuild Joplin. I believe they are our next great generation of leaders.” – General Petraeus
I agree with you General Petraeus. The returning veterans are our next great group of leaders. Please return tomorrow for Part 2 of this incredible series.
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2011/09/01/the-next-greatest-generation-of-leaders-part-1/
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The Next Greatest Generation Of Leaders Part 2
September 2, 2011 0 Comments
The following is Part 2 of our series of leadership quotes from Joe Klein’s incredible article from Time Magazine on the leadership skills of returning Iraqi and Afghan veterans. To read Part 1 click here.
Enjoy these quotes and insights. They have challenged and stretched me like nothing I read in years.
“(General David) Petraeus was an amazing boss. Our mission was to defeat the military bureaucracy. We were able to build border forts, using Iraqi engineers and work crews, for one-fifth the price that the American contractors were charging in one-third the time. Our proposals went right to his desk, rather than through the bureaucracy. The only thing he demanded of us was success.” – Seth Moulton
“I can pretty much spot them (current veterans returning home) on site: fit, smart, confident, and strong. They look you straight in the eye when they talk; they can be funny as hell, but their language isn’t fancy.” - Joe Klein
“We’re a group that really wants to see America become a better place. We hate the divisive politics of the baby-boom generation. They’re running the country into the ground.” – Moulton
“I saw that there were other vets who favored the war and were running for office too – and I didn’t want to work against them. We separated IAVA from VoteVets. And I’ve got to say that if Pete Hegseth, a Republican, who started Veterans for Freedom, ran for office, I’d work for him. I’d work for any veterans running for office because I know their values.” – Paul Rieckhoff, a veteran and a Democrat
“They feel closer to one another than they do either political party.” – Klein
“One thing about the military was, it forced you to learn. If you were willing to learn, you could rise fast – so we all became avid readers, and we carried that through back home.” – John Gallina
“In the military, it’s never about you. It’s always about something bigger.” – Lewis
“The toughest part of leadership is telling people they have to do something that involves pain.” – former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens
“We had to do that every day: ‘At 0100 we’re going to stage a raid. The enemy is heavily armed and waiting for us. I can’t promise you we’re going to accomplish this without casualties. But we need to take out this cell of snipers.’ You just don’t find many politicians willing to get people to do tough things.” - Greitens
“I just don’t believe that politics needs to be total combat. I’ve seen total combat. I wouldn’t want to give up my privacy and expose my family to the craziness the system seems to require. My kid is not a prop. Anyway, most of my friends feel politically homeless. But I do believe that we have something important to contribute. We know how to lead.” – former Marine and current president of CNAS Nathaniel Fick
Yes you do know how to lead Nathaniel. Yes you do.
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2011/09/02/the-next-greatest-generation-of-leaders-part-2/
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The Next Greatest Generation Of Leaders Part 3 – How To Build A Leader
September 3, 2011 0 Comments
This post of final installment of a 3-part series on the leadership skills of those returning from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The nine quotes listed below come from Joe Klein’s article in the recent Time Magazine. To read Part 1 and Part 2, please click the hotlinks.
“The main reason why I chose West Point over Yale is that it was a complete experience, not just academically but a serious challenge – and in leadership as well. You get real responsibility very quickly: in Germany, I was 22 and leading 30 people who didn’t have a college education. And I had to make it work. Most of the college grads I know who didn’t join the military don’t know 30 people without a college education.” – Liz McNally
“These are the most diverse and extraordinary people I’ve ever met. I’d love to see the values and ethics of the military spread into the general population.” – Dr. Richard Young
“People have the wrong impression of the military. It is extremely entrepreneurial. I had more freedom to make decisions there than I do at Citibank. My commander would tell me what needed to be done, and then it was up to me to figure out how to do it.” – Wes Moore
“We were taught to write a five-paragraph memo. I still use it whenever I have a major decision to make…Situation: What’s the problem? Mission: What’s our strategy for solving it? Execution: What tactics are we going to use? Support: What are the logistics; how may troops and what sort of equipment will we need? Command: What other organizations will have to be involved.” – Moore
“It’s difficult to leave the military and not come out bored. There’s a significant letdown, which is a big part of the psychological problems so many of us have. In civilian life, you miss the sense of excitement and purpose and camaraderie.” – Moore
“No decision you’ll ask them to make (in business) will be harder than decisions they’ve already experienced.” – Brian Stann
“There was a lot of looting and chaos (in Haiti after the earthquake). Other relief agencies don’t like those sorts of situations, but we’d seen a lot worse. We know how to do chaos. We’re Marines.” – William McNulty
“I rented a chainsaw, and within 20 minutes it felt like I was back in the service again (after the Alabama tornadoes). We shared a common language and knew how to organize ourselves to work efficiently…We’re used to sleeping on the ground; other people aren’t…Our generation of vets isn’t really into joining organizations life the VFW or the Legion, but we do have a need to share our stories and experiences. When we go out on these disaster-relief mission, it’s very therapeutic – and we’re doing something tangible and immediate to help people.” – Ford Sypher
“You’re a Marine captain. Figure it out.” – David Callaway to Seth Moulton on how to organize medical relief in Haiti
Leaders, figure it out!!! I hope you print out and save this 3-part series. The veterans returning from the Middle East are teaching us all about leadership. What have you learned from this series?
http://briandoddonleadership.com/2011/09/03/the-next-greatest-generation-of-leaders-part-3/
Friday, September 2, 2011
The Truth About Leadership By Stephen Blandino on January 3, 2011 in Leadership
The Truth About Leadership
By Stephen Blandino on January 3, 2011 in Leadership
I Just finished reading Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner’s new book, The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know. Kouzes and Posner have studied leadership for three decades and have written some of the most well-respected leadership material around. So what makes their new book different? Admittedly, they had originally set out to write a book about leading the Millennial generation. However, as they began their research, they discovered that Millennials’ concerns and issues about leadership were not much different from their older brothers and sisters and even their parents. Essentially, age made no difference. Kouzes and Posner observed, “Good leadership is good leadership, regardless of age. It became very apparent once again that the context of leading may change a lot, but the content of leading changes very little.”
So Jim & Barry changed their focus. Rather than writing a book about leading Millennials, they chose to focus on the issues of leadership that are enduring, true, and relevant for all generations. Their research (gleaned from 30 years of work and two years of analysis of over one million responses to their Leadership Practices Inventory from over 70 countries) served as the basis of TEN LEADERSHIP TRUTHS:
Truth #1: You Make A Difference - “Everything you wil ever do as a leader is based on one audacious assumption. It’s the assumption that you matter.” In fact, research has shown that a leader’s behavior impacts why people feel engaged and positive about their workplace more than any other characteristic.
Truth #2: Credibility is the Foundation of Leadership - The four most desired
characteristics in a leader are honesty, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent. These are the qualities necessary to be credible to your followers.
Truth #3: Values Drive Commitment - ”Clarity about personal values has the most significant impact on employees’ feelings about their work and what they’re doing in the workplace…People cannot commit fully to anything unless it fits with their own beliefs.” Leaders must “build and affirm a community of shared values.”
Truth #4: Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart - Kouzes and Posner observe that leaders are responsible to be “custodians of the future” and yet top executives only spend 3% of their time “thinking about, and getting others on board with, the critical issues that will shape their business ten or more years down the road.” Leaders must be optimistic, spend more time in the future, and set up a futures research team.
Truth #5: You Can’t Do It Alone - The authors observe, “The very best leaders understand that it’s about inspiring a shared vision, not about selling their own idiosyncratic views of the world.” The word “With” is a key word when leaders are dreaming and tackling challenges. They must work closely with a team.
Truth #6: Trust Rules - Amazingly, in one survey more people said they trust a stranger than they trust their boss. And yet, organizations with a high level of trust outperform low-trust organizations in total return to shareholders by 286%. When risk is high, people are willing to risk more.
Truth #7: Challenge is the Crucible for Greatness - Leaders must have grit, be willing to fail, and recognize that significant accomplishments often involve adversity, difficulty, change, and challenge.
Truth #8: You Either Lead by Example or You Don’t Lead at All - Kouzes and Posner observe that leaders must focus more on being believable rather than interesting. Actions truly do speak louder than words. The authors observe, “Quite often the greatest distance that leaders have to travel is the distance from their mouths to their feet.”
Truth #9: The Best Leaders are the Best Learners - One quote summarizes this chapter exceptionally well: “Learning is the master skill. When you fully engage in learning–when you throw yourself whole-heartedly into experimenting, reflecting, reading, or getting coaching–you are going to experience the thrill of improvement and the taste of success. More is more when it comes to learning.” Is “learning” the master skill of your life?
Truth #10: Leadership is an Affair of the Heart - Leaders are not just concerned about the bottom line…they pay attention to the human heart. Caring and loving others is the foundation of truth #10.
Question: Which truth should be on your personal growth radar?
http://stephenblandino.com/2011/01/truth-about-leadership.html
By Stephen Blandino on January 3, 2011 in Leadership
I Just finished reading Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner’s new book, The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know. Kouzes and Posner have studied leadership for three decades and have written some of the most well-respected leadership material around. So what makes their new book different? Admittedly, they had originally set out to write a book about leading the Millennial generation. However, as they began their research, they discovered that Millennials’ concerns and issues about leadership were not much different from their older brothers and sisters and even their parents. Essentially, age made no difference. Kouzes and Posner observed, “Good leadership is good leadership, regardless of age. It became very apparent once again that the context of leading may change a lot, but the content of leading changes very little.”
So Jim & Barry changed their focus. Rather than writing a book about leading Millennials, they chose to focus on the issues of leadership that are enduring, true, and relevant for all generations. Their research (gleaned from 30 years of work and two years of analysis of over one million responses to their Leadership Practices Inventory from over 70 countries) served as the basis of TEN LEADERSHIP TRUTHS:
Truth #1: You Make A Difference - “Everything you wil ever do as a leader is based on one audacious assumption. It’s the assumption that you matter.” In fact, research has shown that a leader’s behavior impacts why people feel engaged and positive about their workplace more than any other characteristic.
Truth #2: Credibility is the Foundation of Leadership - The four most desired
characteristics in a leader are honesty, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent. These are the qualities necessary to be credible to your followers.
Truth #3: Values Drive Commitment - ”Clarity about personal values has the most significant impact on employees’ feelings about their work and what they’re doing in the workplace…People cannot commit fully to anything unless it fits with their own beliefs.” Leaders must “build and affirm a community of shared values.”
Truth #4: Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart - Kouzes and Posner observe that leaders are responsible to be “custodians of the future” and yet top executives only spend 3% of their time “thinking about, and getting others on board with, the critical issues that will shape their business ten or more years down the road.” Leaders must be optimistic, spend more time in the future, and set up a futures research team.
Truth #5: You Can’t Do It Alone - The authors observe, “The very best leaders understand that it’s about inspiring a shared vision, not about selling their own idiosyncratic views of the world.” The word “With” is a key word when leaders are dreaming and tackling challenges. They must work closely with a team.
Truth #6: Trust Rules - Amazingly, in one survey more people said they trust a stranger than they trust their boss. And yet, organizations with a high level of trust outperform low-trust organizations in total return to shareholders by 286%. When risk is high, people are willing to risk more.
Truth #7: Challenge is the Crucible for Greatness - Leaders must have grit, be willing to fail, and recognize that significant accomplishments often involve adversity, difficulty, change, and challenge.
Truth #8: You Either Lead by Example or You Don’t Lead at All - Kouzes and Posner observe that leaders must focus more on being believable rather than interesting. Actions truly do speak louder than words. The authors observe, “Quite often the greatest distance that leaders have to travel is the distance from their mouths to their feet.”
Truth #9: The Best Leaders are the Best Learners - One quote summarizes this chapter exceptionally well: “Learning is the master skill. When you fully engage in learning–when you throw yourself whole-heartedly into experimenting, reflecting, reading, or getting coaching–you are going to experience the thrill of improvement and the taste of success. More is more when it comes to learning.” Is “learning” the master skill of your life?
Truth #10: Leadership is an Affair of the Heart - Leaders are not just concerned about the bottom line…they pay attention to the human heart. Caring and loving others is the foundation of truth #10.
Question: Which truth should be on your personal growth radar?
http://stephenblandino.com/2011/01/truth-about-leadership.html
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Five Steps to Addressing the Leadership Talent Shortage
Five Steps to Addressing the Leadership Talent Shortage
10:22 AM Wednesday June 2, 2010
by Sue Ashford and Scott DeRue
(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will help shape the agenda of a symposium on the topic in June 2010, hosted by HBS's Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, and Scott Snook. This week's focus: leadership development.)
Nearly 60% of companies are facing leadership talent shortages that are impeding their performance. Another 31% expect a lack of leadership talent to impede their performance in the next several years. Yet, in 2009, U.S. companies spent an estimated $12 billion (24% of their overall training budgets) on leadership development programs and services. By any reasonable standard, what we are currently doing to grow and develop future leaders is not working. Here are five critical attributes that we believe are necessary for developing the leaders of today and tomorrow:
The best learners make the best leaders. We must teach people how to learn leadership from life experiences. In our paper, "Power to the People," we argue that learning leadership is a function of how people approach, go through, and reflect on developmental experiences — a process we call "mindful engagement," We need to stop teaching leadership theory in a vacuum, and start teaching people how to learn leadership from real-world experiences.
Leadership as a set of principles. Business education is largely oriented toward teaching an important but narrow set of technical knowledge and skills. We need to expand our teaching to encompass a set of leadership principles that can be globally applied across situations. Doing so will build an adaptive capacity that enables people to more effectively lead in today's complex and dynamic business environment.
Reward leadership development (FINALLY!). All companies pay lip service to the importance of developing people, but how many companies actually reward (with any significance) the development of people? Answer: very few. Also, how many companies penalize managers for hoarding key talent? Answer: almost none. Yet, managers often do everything they can to avoid losing key talent to other opportunities because, as one executive put it to us the other day: "I can't afford to lose my best people."
Leadership development at all levels. In an earlier blog entry, we argued that leadership is not about position. If that is true, then why do most leadership development programs focus on senior executives? We need to expand our focus to figure out ways to efficiently and economically develop leaders throughout the organization.
Keep it simple. Leadership is complex, but leadership development cannot be. We must provide key talent with clear metrics and development priorities that provide a straightforward roadmap for realizing their leadership potential. Unfortunately, that is not the case in most companies. One Fortune 500 company that we are working with developed a leadership competency model that specifies 54 distinct competencies across 15 different leadership skills. The result? Employees are confused, and assessment data are poor. Instead, identify the three or four competencies that really differentiate top performers across different levels of the organization, and then reward and promote based on those competencies.
These are our five ideas for improving the return on investment in leadership development and addressing the looming leadership talent shortage. Do you agree? Disagree? Have other suggestions?
Sue Ashford is Associate Dean for Leadership Programming and Executive MBA Program and the Michael & Susan Jandernoa Professor of Management and Organizations at the at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Scott DeRue is an Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will help shape the agenda of a symposium on the topic in June 2010, hosted by HBS's Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, and Scott Snook. This week's focus: leadership development.)
Sue Ashford and Scott DeRue
Sue Ashford is Associate Dean for Leadership Programming and Executive MBA Program and the Michael & Susan Jandernoa Professor of Management and Organizations at the at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Scott DeRue is an Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
http://blogs.hbr.org/imagining-the-future-of-leadership/2010/06/5-steps-to-addressing-the-lead.html
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Maximo Aton 1 year ago
The five ideas in improving leadership in the organization will be very useful. However, there is a need to highlight that leadership principles should conform with universal moral values. History has shown that there were skilful leaders like Hitler who was able to lead people into self destruction. Transactional leadership will bring change in the organization without due regard to what is really good or right. Transformational leadership and ethical leadership can lead an organization into higher ideals. When an organization is morally bankrupt, sooner or later the organization will be financially bankrupt. This has happened to once powerful Roman Empire and other big companies like Enron. Leaders with moral values are of paramount importance for continuous business success.
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Jeff Walker 1 year ago
these are great points for the for-profit and non-profit world...another world to look at, how do we develop and bring leaders into the government world (city, state, federal?). Right now most great leaders are too afraid to enter the political scene. How can we make the federal government interested/and more able to bring in leadership talent into govt service.
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Steve Swavely, Ph.D. 1 year ago
Those are 5 great principles, but I would add a critical 6th - Leadership development is relationship development. This is still an area that most companies are reluctant to address head on - which in my opinion is why 60% of companies are in the middle of a leadership shortage and another 31% have a leadership shortage on their horizon. Part of the problem is that great relationship development depends on developing high levels of self awareness, which all too often is still viewed as a "soft skill" that either can't be "trained" or is not worthy of training dollars. Thankfully, neuroscience is beginning to change that view as well as provide effective ways of increasing self awarenss beyond the traditional 360 and personality assessment.
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Marc Mikulski 1 year ago
Great post. In the public sector, especially in a unionized environment the leadership void is also being felt. Often many desire to be leaders just because it means a bump in pay, not because they really aspire to have a leadership role. What we end up with many times are people that can score well on a promotional examination and are savvy in some technical aspect of their present assignment. They are promoted to their level of their incompetence, “leadership”, with no desire to engage in any professional development and destine to remain in the status quo environment or worse to anyone’s detriment. Your five critical attributes are very relevant on what we should be doing to prepare employees for leadership roles. My issue though over the years has been how do you identify those quality potential leaders other than a written assessment in a unionized governmental setting? We identified six attributes that begins to develop a basic profile on who we should concentrate our efforts on. By no means is this informal metrics an all inclusive roadmap, but you can see what we’re striving for.
“Appreciates the Thrill of a Challenge”, identifying a willing to do things outside the scope of their position and that they’re not afraid of learning new tasks. It shows a willingness to take on more or new responsibility and not being afraid to fail.
“Possesses a Constructive Spirit of Discontent”, my personal favorite. I like to call it the “Bionic Person Attribute” a positive attitude that looks at problems as challenges and offers solutions to them, believing that they can make it better, faster or stronger!
“Demonstrated Leadership in the Past”, leverages past behavior as a forecaster of future behavior. Are they an informal leader or knowledgebase within the organization already? Do they have leadership roles outside the organization?
“Possess a Completion Factor”, this demonstrates an ability to focus on solving issues and problems and that they can follow through.
“Possess Mental Toughness” reveals if that they are prepared to be criticized and whether or not they have an iron will to stay the course and are willing to pay the price to get to the vision.
“Peer Respect” An employer can get a fairly accurate read on a person by the company they keep. By looking to see if they have peer respect an employer can get an idea of what their character and personality is like.
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Paul Krizman 1 year ago
Every company has two central assets - customers and employees. Focusing on employee leadership development is key to a buisness owner developing a entity that works for him. The idea of keeping it simple is an excellent concept - make it easy to learn and the incentive for your people to advance will be greater.
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GK 1 year ago
I agree of extending leadership development to all levels within the organization and not limiting it to the senior leadership team. Unfortunately, many organizations fail to understand this.
However, in my opinion, the corporate world needs to go beyond this. It is time we have more colleges with focus on developing leaders of consequence for taking up challenges of tomorrow.
Leadership can not be constrained just to the organization. It extends to having a positive influence on the employees, the customers, the society, and the planet.
Today, there is a need for a leader who practices the principles of mindfulness, ethics, compassion, sustainability and diversity.
In addition to developing technical skills, our education system should focus on enhancing leadership skills as well. Aspen Institute and School of Inspired Leadership are two such institutes, which in my opinion are focusing on developing young leaders.
It is essential to understand the context which demands developing leaders for tomorrow.
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Nara Venditti, Ph.D. 1 year ago
Great article! One point I would add is dipping deeper into the pool of high potential employees with diverse backgrounds.
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Jeff P Michaels 1 year ago in reply to Nara Venditti, Ph.D.
Nara you hit the nail on the head. I am facing issues where my experience is being overlooked due to it's broad scope and variety, when in reality I believe it is my greatest strength.
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Whael Matti 1 year ago
I really believe in Leadership being gained from real-life experiences and projects. Leadership training is important to understand the structure of being a leader, but work gives the insight of how this structure becomes a dynamic entity that reward all team members with different leadership skills.
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Istuti 1 year ago
Great thought to ponder on. I'd like to add that organisations(esp large ones) need to focus a lot more on holistic development of an employee rather than a siloed approach. For Example, an employee who is a finance major keeps to finance function in the organisation for most part of his career leading to limited understanding of the big picture which often comes in the way of gaining a leadership position.
All employess should be multi-skilled and adept to handle and look at a problem/issue from different angles such as HR/Financial/Operational/Customer/Administrative/Legal/Shareholder impact to be able to lead in an effective way.
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Greg Strosaker 1 year ago
I think the overall point is to assume that leadership can, in fact, be developed and is not solely an inherent trait in an individual. Yes, there are some with more natural leadership tendencies, but the necessary skills can be improved in a wider range of employees than most executives probably currently believe, if the investment is there. Your five ideas seem about right; there needs to be less air of "exclusivity" around leadership development opportunities.
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Jennifer Doyle 1 year ago
I love your point regarding teaching leadership skills to all levels - not just the top. Today's individual contributor is the situational leader of tomorrow. Everyone in a company has an opportunity to make an impact - positive or negative - and teaching all employees a few fundamentals of leadership will reap fantastic rewards for all.
That being said, I would also note that those in the organization, who do not support leadership development opportunities - whether for themselves or for those they manage, should be dealt with swiftly. Leadership development should not be an optional activity for those who enjoy it but a requirement of all employees as it directly impacts the success of the company - which is an obligation the company owes to its shareholders and Customers.
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notmd 1 year ago
you make a critical statement.. "how many companies actually reward (with any significance) the development of people? Answer: very few. "..I think we need to understand why has it been this way before we say what they should change..Many of those in current leadership roles would say they were not developed and had to fight their way to the top..The survival of the fittest..and thank goodness they persisted (in most cases)..Their empathy for someone being "hand held" into a leadership role is against their beliefs and experience..The problem is the math..The result has been fewer leaders which raises the risk that our organizations may fail..That less is more doesn't work for this equation..the more leaders the organization can select from creates the law of large numbers and increases the probability of success that more leaders exist in the organization..If your CEO starts telling you how tough it was for him/her to get to their position ,you may have an organization that follows the rules of survival..
10:22 AM Wednesday June 2, 2010
by Sue Ashford and Scott DeRue
(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will help shape the agenda of a symposium on the topic in June 2010, hosted by HBS's Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, and Scott Snook. This week's focus: leadership development.)
Nearly 60% of companies are facing leadership talent shortages that are impeding their performance. Another 31% expect a lack of leadership talent to impede their performance in the next several years. Yet, in 2009, U.S. companies spent an estimated $12 billion (24% of their overall training budgets) on leadership development programs and services. By any reasonable standard, what we are currently doing to grow and develop future leaders is not working. Here are five critical attributes that we believe are necessary for developing the leaders of today and tomorrow:
The best learners make the best leaders. We must teach people how to learn leadership from life experiences. In our paper, "Power to the People," we argue that learning leadership is a function of how people approach, go through, and reflect on developmental experiences — a process we call "mindful engagement," We need to stop teaching leadership theory in a vacuum, and start teaching people how to learn leadership from real-world experiences.
Leadership as a set of principles. Business education is largely oriented toward teaching an important but narrow set of technical knowledge and skills. We need to expand our teaching to encompass a set of leadership principles that can be globally applied across situations. Doing so will build an adaptive capacity that enables people to more effectively lead in today's complex and dynamic business environment.
Reward leadership development (FINALLY!). All companies pay lip service to the importance of developing people, but how many companies actually reward (with any significance) the development of people? Answer: very few. Also, how many companies penalize managers for hoarding key talent? Answer: almost none. Yet, managers often do everything they can to avoid losing key talent to other opportunities because, as one executive put it to us the other day: "I can't afford to lose my best people."
Leadership development at all levels. In an earlier blog entry, we argued that leadership is not about position. If that is true, then why do most leadership development programs focus on senior executives? We need to expand our focus to figure out ways to efficiently and economically develop leaders throughout the organization.
Keep it simple. Leadership is complex, but leadership development cannot be. We must provide key talent with clear metrics and development priorities that provide a straightforward roadmap for realizing their leadership potential. Unfortunately, that is not the case in most companies. One Fortune 500 company that we are working with developed a leadership competency model that specifies 54 distinct competencies across 15 different leadership skills. The result? Employees are confused, and assessment data are poor. Instead, identify the three or four competencies that really differentiate top performers across different levels of the organization, and then reward and promote based on those competencies.
These are our five ideas for improving the return on investment in leadership development and addressing the looming leadership talent shortage. Do you agree? Disagree? Have other suggestions?
Sue Ashford is Associate Dean for Leadership Programming and Executive MBA Program and the Michael & Susan Jandernoa Professor of Management and Organizations at the at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Scott DeRue is an Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will help shape the agenda of a symposium on the topic in June 2010, hosted by HBS's Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, and Scott Snook. This week's focus: leadership development.)
Sue Ashford and Scott DeRue
Sue Ashford is Associate Dean for Leadership Programming and Executive MBA Program and the Michael & Susan Jandernoa Professor of Management and Organizations at the at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Scott DeRue is an Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
http://blogs.hbr.org/imagining-the-future-of-leadership/2010/06/5-steps-to-addressing-the-lead.html
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Maximo Aton 1 year ago
The five ideas in improving leadership in the organization will be very useful. However, there is a need to highlight that leadership principles should conform with universal moral values. History has shown that there were skilful leaders like Hitler who was able to lead people into self destruction. Transactional leadership will bring change in the organization without due regard to what is really good or right. Transformational leadership and ethical leadership can lead an organization into higher ideals. When an organization is morally bankrupt, sooner or later the organization will be financially bankrupt. This has happened to once powerful Roman Empire and other big companies like Enron. Leaders with moral values are of paramount importance for continuous business success.
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Jeff Walker 1 year ago
these are great points for the for-profit and non-profit world...another world to look at, how do we develop and bring leaders into the government world (city, state, federal?). Right now most great leaders are too afraid to enter the political scene. How can we make the federal government interested/and more able to bring in leadership talent into govt service.
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Steve Swavely, Ph.D. 1 year ago
Those are 5 great principles, but I would add a critical 6th - Leadership development is relationship development. This is still an area that most companies are reluctant to address head on - which in my opinion is why 60% of companies are in the middle of a leadership shortage and another 31% have a leadership shortage on their horizon. Part of the problem is that great relationship development depends on developing high levels of self awareness, which all too often is still viewed as a "soft skill" that either can't be "trained" or is not worthy of training dollars. Thankfully, neuroscience is beginning to change that view as well as provide effective ways of increasing self awarenss beyond the traditional 360 and personality assessment.
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Marc Mikulski 1 year ago
Great post. In the public sector, especially in a unionized environment the leadership void is also being felt. Often many desire to be leaders just because it means a bump in pay, not because they really aspire to have a leadership role. What we end up with many times are people that can score well on a promotional examination and are savvy in some technical aspect of their present assignment. They are promoted to their level of their incompetence, “leadership”, with no desire to engage in any professional development and destine to remain in the status quo environment or worse to anyone’s detriment. Your five critical attributes are very relevant on what we should be doing to prepare employees for leadership roles. My issue though over the years has been how do you identify those quality potential leaders other than a written assessment in a unionized governmental setting? We identified six attributes that begins to develop a basic profile on who we should concentrate our efforts on. By no means is this informal metrics an all inclusive roadmap, but you can see what we’re striving for.
“Appreciates the Thrill of a Challenge”, identifying a willing to do things outside the scope of their position and that they’re not afraid of learning new tasks. It shows a willingness to take on more or new responsibility and not being afraid to fail.
“Possesses a Constructive Spirit of Discontent”, my personal favorite. I like to call it the “Bionic Person Attribute” a positive attitude that looks at problems as challenges and offers solutions to them, believing that they can make it better, faster or stronger!
“Demonstrated Leadership in the Past”, leverages past behavior as a forecaster of future behavior. Are they an informal leader or knowledgebase within the organization already? Do they have leadership roles outside the organization?
“Possess a Completion Factor”, this demonstrates an ability to focus on solving issues and problems and that they can follow through.
“Possess Mental Toughness” reveals if that they are prepared to be criticized and whether or not they have an iron will to stay the course and are willing to pay the price to get to the vision.
“Peer Respect” An employer can get a fairly accurate read on a person by the company they keep. By looking to see if they have peer respect an employer can get an idea of what their character and personality is like.
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Paul Krizman 1 year ago
Every company has two central assets - customers and employees. Focusing on employee leadership development is key to a buisness owner developing a entity that works for him. The idea of keeping it simple is an excellent concept - make it easy to learn and the incentive for your people to advance will be greater.
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GK 1 year ago
I agree of extending leadership development to all levels within the organization and not limiting it to the senior leadership team. Unfortunately, many organizations fail to understand this.
However, in my opinion, the corporate world needs to go beyond this. It is time we have more colleges with focus on developing leaders of consequence for taking up challenges of tomorrow.
Leadership can not be constrained just to the organization. It extends to having a positive influence on the employees, the customers, the society, and the planet.
Today, there is a need for a leader who practices the principles of mindfulness, ethics, compassion, sustainability and diversity.
In addition to developing technical skills, our education system should focus on enhancing leadership skills as well. Aspen Institute and School of Inspired Leadership are two such institutes, which in my opinion are focusing on developing young leaders.
It is essential to understand the context which demands developing leaders for tomorrow.
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Nara Venditti, Ph.D. 1 year ago
Great article! One point I would add is dipping deeper into the pool of high potential employees with diverse backgrounds.
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Jeff P Michaels 1 year ago in reply to Nara Venditti, Ph.D.
Nara you hit the nail on the head. I am facing issues where my experience is being overlooked due to it's broad scope and variety, when in reality I believe it is my greatest strength.
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Whael Matti 1 year ago
I really believe in Leadership being gained from real-life experiences and projects. Leadership training is important to understand the structure of being a leader, but work gives the insight of how this structure becomes a dynamic entity that reward all team members with different leadership skills.
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Istuti 1 year ago
Great thought to ponder on. I'd like to add that organisations(esp large ones) need to focus a lot more on holistic development of an employee rather than a siloed approach. For Example, an employee who is a finance major keeps to finance function in the organisation for most part of his career leading to limited understanding of the big picture which often comes in the way of gaining a leadership position.
All employess should be multi-skilled and adept to handle and look at a problem/issue from different angles such as HR/Financial/Operational/Customer/Administrative/Legal/Shareholder impact to be able to lead in an effective way.
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Greg Strosaker 1 year ago
I think the overall point is to assume that leadership can, in fact, be developed and is not solely an inherent trait in an individual. Yes, there are some with more natural leadership tendencies, but the necessary skills can be improved in a wider range of employees than most executives probably currently believe, if the investment is there. Your five ideas seem about right; there needs to be less air of "exclusivity" around leadership development opportunities.
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Jennifer Doyle 1 year ago
I love your point regarding teaching leadership skills to all levels - not just the top. Today's individual contributor is the situational leader of tomorrow. Everyone in a company has an opportunity to make an impact - positive or negative - and teaching all employees a few fundamentals of leadership will reap fantastic rewards for all.
That being said, I would also note that those in the organization, who do not support leadership development opportunities - whether for themselves or for those they manage, should be dealt with swiftly. Leadership development should not be an optional activity for those who enjoy it but a requirement of all employees as it directly impacts the success of the company - which is an obligation the company owes to its shareholders and Customers.
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notmd 1 year ago
you make a critical statement.. "how many companies actually reward (with any significance) the development of people? Answer: very few. "..I think we need to understand why has it been this way before we say what they should change..Many of those in current leadership roles would say they were not developed and had to fight their way to the top..The survival of the fittest..and thank goodness they persisted (in most cases)..Their empathy for someone being "hand held" into a leadership role is against their beliefs and experience..The problem is the math..The result has been fewer leaders which raises the risk that our organizations may fail..That less is more doesn't work for this equation..the more leaders the organization can select from creates the law of large numbers and increases the probability of success that more leaders exist in the organization..If your CEO starts telling you how tough it was for him/her to get to their position ,you may have an organization that follows the rules of survival..
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Leading from Behind
Leading from Behind
1:35 PM Wednesday May 5, 2010
(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will help shape the agenda of a symposium on the topic in June 2010, hosted by HBS's Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, and Scott Snook.)
For now and into coming decade or so, the most effective leaders will lead from behind, not from the front — a phrase I've borrowed from none other than Nelson Mandela. In his autobiography, Mandela equated a great leader with a shepherd: "He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind."
It's a concept whose time has come, given several realities:
The psychological contract between companies and employees is changing. Among other things, people are looking for more meaning and purpose in their work lives. They want and increasingly expect to be valued for who they are and to be able to contribute to something larger than themselves. People expect to have the opportunity to co-author their organization's purpose. They want to be associated with organizations that serve as positive forces in the world.
Innovation — not simply incremental but continual breakthrough innovation — will be a key driver of competitiveness. Society's notion of the brilliant innovator, the solitary genius with a sudden flash of creative insights is hard to shake. But, after all, an iPod or a Pixar movie is not the product of a single person's vision or labors. Most innovation is the result of collaborative work involving a diverse group and a collective process of iteration and discovery. Those in positions of authority have been taught to think that it's their job to come up with the big idea — but sustained innovation comes when everyone has an opportunity to demonstrate a "slice of genius" (an idea that has evolved from my research with Greg Brandeau, the CTO of the Walt Disney Studios, and my research associate Emily Stecker). Breakthroughs come when seemingly ordinary people make extraordinary contributions.
Leaders can encourage breakthrough ideas not by cultivating followers who can execute but building communities that can innovate. Of course, leaders do need to act as direction-setters and vision-makers, and we need to prepare them for those roles. But we often emphasize these skills at the expense of others that are growing in importance. If you're looking for innovation, it doesn't make much sense to say that the leader's job is to set the course and mobilize people to follow them there. If you want your team to produce something truly original, you don't know where you're going, almost by definition. The traditional leadership model just doesn't work.
Leading from behind doesn't mean abrogating your leadership responsibilities. After all, the shepherd makes sure that the flock stays together. He uses his staff to nudge and prod if the flock strays too far off course or into danger. For leaders, it's a matter of harnessing people's collective genius. Doing so entails two primary responsibilities — and they are not easy to get right.
First, leaders must ensure their organizations are willing to innovate. This is fundamentally about building community. Some leaders refer to this function as "creating a world to which people want to belong." In these communities, people are valued for who they are and have the opportunity to contribute to something larger than themselves. These communities have a common purpose, values and rules of engagement about how people should interact and problem-solve together. A shared purpose brings the people together and makes them willing to do the hard work of innovation.
Second, leaders must build the organizational capabilities necessary for engaging in the innovation process. The three essential organizational capabilities are: creative abrasion (the ability to generate ideas through intellectual discourse and debate); creative agility (the ability to test and refine ideas through quick pursuit); and creative resolution (the ability to make decisions in an integrative manner).
Those who are exceptional at leading from behind are likely to be different than those who excelled at leading from the front. And this raises the question: are we identifying and developing the leaders who can tap the power of collective genius?
Linda A. Hill is the Wallace Brett Dunham Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, and Faculty Chair of the Leadership Initiative.
(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will help shape the agenda of a symposium on the topic in June 2010, hosted by HBS's Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, and Scott Snook.)
http://blogs.hbr.org/imagining-the-future-of-leadership/2010/05/leading-from-behind.html
=====================================================
Ravichander Rao 1 year ago
Leadership at the top model is not delivering a holistic solution, and is leaving employees and societies unsatisfied with the companies. The need of the hour probably is - philospher-managers at the topmost level. Their responsibility will not only be to meets the objectives and take the company to the next levels, but also to deliberate about the social and environmental responsibilites.
Leaders are inspirational and effect changes, but without the philosphical aptitude the focus towards holistics does not get enough attention. The bottom line and company growth seem to be the center of the focus, rather than for whom the company exists and what larger purpose it serves.
Leading from the front or behind is a situational based strategy. A shepherd leads from behind because he does not need the followers to get inspired to do something or take a risk. Moreover, he is well aware of the terrain, which enables him to lead from behind. But, most of the corporates might not be working under the same setup. Most of the warriors lead from the front because they face the exactly opposite situation to that of a shepherd. Since most of the companies want a piece from the same pie, they have employed this wartime strategy.
In my view, what the newage corporates need is a good blend of philosopher-managers, a few leaders in every functional teams, and excited followers.
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Bonniejv 9 months ago in reply to Ravichander Rao
Sometimes internal motivation of followers comes from being in front. Additionally, it gives those who are in front a new view of thier surroundings. As long as the leader is truely behind them (in other words transferring leadership to them and supporting, mentoring and believing in them), I believe that leading from behind CAN be motivational. Part of this is that the follower who is leading the pack out in front feels that the leader behind has confidence in them and their abilities.
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Ansgar Gerstner 1 year ago
I'd say leading from behind is a pretty old idea. But this makes it by no means obsolete. I think it is as relevant as it was two and a half thousand years ago:
“When sages are in front of people, they place themselves behind them. When they are on top of people, they are humble.” (Tao Te Ching, chapter 66, GD Bamboo A)
Best wishes from Shanghai,
Ansgar Gerstner, author of The Tao of Business
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Tom Sadtler 1 year ago
Leading from Behind is an essential need in today's world, when we are facing challenges of a magnitude that the world has not faced before, such as how to deal with climate change. I was glad to see this included as a topic for the June Leadership Conference.
Jim Collins in "Built to Last" makes the argument that companies, which have the greatest ability for sustained success are often ones where the leader focuses on building a strong successful culture rather than being in the news.
From my own experience, HP and David Packard's 11 Simple Rules come to mind.
-Tom Sadtler
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Chris 1 year ago
I am also a member of Gen Y and agree with Renee that Linda's vision of leading from behind is indeed accurate. This article resonates deeply with me and, I would imagine, with many of my new professional colleagues.
However, I also feel the same sense of futility as OSA. I work in a very large, very bureaucratic organization, which is so firmly rooted in old ways, I am often discouraged.
I have had the good fortune of leading some initiatives towards the type of organizational leadership that Linda has outlined (emphasis on individual and organizational learning, shared leadership, cultivating a sense of purpose, etc.), but I fear that, beyond a small group of dedicated people who have made this a priority, these efforts are almost entirely useless in the face of traditional ways of thinking and those responsible for the management of the organizational system.
While I wholeheartedly endorse Linda's articulation and call for leading from behind, increasingly, I am of the opinion that we will simply have to wait for boomers to retire in order to realize true change.
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Ashish 1 year ago
Very interesting idea and strong inherent appeal.
However, I have a question.
Do you believe that the idea applies to leadership in any situation or only / more strongly in specific situations.
One of my frustrations with literature on Leadership has been that often it omits the context, which in my view shapes the required Leadership behaviour immensely.
Mandela's quote is probably a direct result of his experiencein leading S Africa since his release.
As companies are getting larger, in many ways they are getting more centralized not less. Regulations like Sarbanes Oxley have played a key role in this but so has the fear of reputational risk of many kinds.
I would very luch like to hear from people in many different industries / countries with a diverse set of contexts re applicability of leading from behind or front.
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Rohan Kumar 1 year ago
This is indeed a great article and supporting and non supporting it is an issue of what you take out of this article.
When we talk about leading from behind and the Shepherd managing the flock, the target customer here is the leader in control, the person who can make a difference. If the entire organization in already following the stereotype model of leading..then the impetus has to come from the very top and it would be a very cumbersome process. But if the majority workforce is young or are flexible to change, in my opinion the best time to change is now... because we know that its very tough to change personality and character at a latter stage (i.e. The downstream stage in a supply chain).
Again, my comments are based on the plot that the shepherd can actually control the sheeps.. or the leader stays at back so as to lift or heal anyone who falls behind or drops down...help them till the whole organization is moving at a sustainable growth rate ( as discussed in boardrooms).
If the above is the case and the sheeps are given the right guidance
and training the sheeps can all transform themselves and hence the organization into a agile and strong force. When the sheeps are on their own ..they will need to be prodded with two sticks..one which is used mostly..lets say 90% of the time to put them in the direction of perfection...the other would be 10% of the time to make them realize that they are still in competition though locked with the vows of brotherhood.
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Patrick Khamadi 1 year ago
Many thanks for thoughts shared in this article. This article solidly reinforces that gone are the days when we had only a ‘very few thinking‘in the organization and the rest ‘only acting on pre-set semi cast in stone actions’. I see it in my kids… the younger generations values are 360 and will remain so even in the work place are we are beginning to see.
So, competitive advantage will increasingly depend and also demand leaders actively pursue the integrative gelling points from the team as mentioned in this article. Thanks for thoughts again!!
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osa 1 year ago
so how do you manage to break through in an organisation which stifles you and your ideas with bureaucratic, high-handed, micro-managing leaders?
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sundaramany 1 year ago
In a world of specializations, leaders emerge from the middle. These are people who can pull together various resources around them and create a whole bigger than the sum of the individual components.
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ABHISHEK SYAL 1 year ago
It was said that in a war, the leader who stays at front has more chances of winning.
Today, in war, strategists and top officers stay in front of the devices which inform them about the enemy's moves and whereabouts. Technology has helped us redefine warfare.
Similarly, technology has also helped us redefine the simple process of introductions. Many of the introductions today start off through internet (social networking), phone or chat. This implies, virtual personna is becoming as important if not more than real personna.
As the interaction styles and media for developing human or customer relationships change, hence, it is bound to affect the work styles as well as leading styles.
What was leading from front then, we cannot say that it now has become leading from behind. The leader still needs to maintain his image at the forefront, being able to inspire his followers by his vision, his image and his speeches/conversations. This is imperative to induce faith and motivation in his followers.
However, i do agree with the concept that it is going to be redefined. Most of the leader's work is now not at the front, but rather at the back-end. If we see the innovation processes today, many healthy companies have implemented bottom-up innovation after scraping the op-down approach and merging it with bottom-up. This makes sense as the futuristic developments are made more effective through consumer feedback and analyses.
Leaders need to initiate this process, as well as nudge when needed, but they must also give the freedom to the employees to have the freedom to use creative methodologies to bring up information for making decisions on business strategy.
And through blogging, it is now possible for employees to contribute and share their ideas, as well as develop others' and the best ones could be decided by the leader to be implemented.
Hence, more of the work of the leader and the role is now redefined through technology breakthroughs and greater information access as more people seek for purpose and freedom of thinking and doing "thinking" and "smart work" in their jobs. However, the leader's visions as well as prediction of future trends and his image must always be at the forefront to motivate employees and workers to deliver their best. This way, it is ensured that any organization also has a sense of coherent purpose.
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Viktor O. Ledenyov, Ukraine 1 year ago
The future of leadership may be based on a number of advanced concepts, including the Leading from Behind hypothesis. The real problem is that the new hi-tech innovative businesses will certainly require the deep technical skills, which can not be observed in a big number of the EMBA/MBA graduates from reputable business schools in the USA! The Innovation in Leadership may need very different set of skills, which can be gained in Ukraine, Japan, South Korea and P.R. China only! That is why the prosperity in emerging markets is growing at time, when the crisis in developed nations is spreading.
The Town of Bar, Vinnytsia Region, Ukraine
http://www.vininvest.gov.ua/geo/index.php?point=736&lv=en
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Suzy 1 year ago
Linda, Great work! Its inspiring to read such thoughts on the topic of leadership which makes you think beyond the obvious. I recently heard the podcast of Vineet Nayar on Dan Mulhern radio show. He shared a lot of interesting unique new concepts on leadership roles and Gen Y. You might be interested to listen to this. http://www.vineetnayar.com/everyday-leadership-with-dan-mulhern/
1:35 PM Wednesday May 5, 2010
(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will help shape the agenda of a symposium on the topic in June 2010, hosted by HBS's Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, and Scott Snook.)
For now and into coming decade or so, the most effective leaders will lead from behind, not from the front — a phrase I've borrowed from none other than Nelson Mandela. In his autobiography, Mandela equated a great leader with a shepherd: "He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind."
It's a concept whose time has come, given several realities:
The psychological contract between companies and employees is changing. Among other things, people are looking for more meaning and purpose in their work lives. They want and increasingly expect to be valued for who they are and to be able to contribute to something larger than themselves. People expect to have the opportunity to co-author their organization's purpose. They want to be associated with organizations that serve as positive forces in the world.
Innovation — not simply incremental but continual breakthrough innovation — will be a key driver of competitiveness. Society's notion of the brilliant innovator, the solitary genius with a sudden flash of creative insights is hard to shake. But, after all, an iPod or a Pixar movie is not the product of a single person's vision or labors. Most innovation is the result of collaborative work involving a diverse group and a collective process of iteration and discovery. Those in positions of authority have been taught to think that it's their job to come up with the big idea — but sustained innovation comes when everyone has an opportunity to demonstrate a "slice of genius" (an idea that has evolved from my research with Greg Brandeau, the CTO of the Walt Disney Studios, and my research associate Emily Stecker). Breakthroughs come when seemingly ordinary people make extraordinary contributions.
Leaders can encourage breakthrough ideas not by cultivating followers who can execute but building communities that can innovate. Of course, leaders do need to act as direction-setters and vision-makers, and we need to prepare them for those roles. But we often emphasize these skills at the expense of others that are growing in importance. If you're looking for innovation, it doesn't make much sense to say that the leader's job is to set the course and mobilize people to follow them there. If you want your team to produce something truly original, you don't know where you're going, almost by definition. The traditional leadership model just doesn't work.
Leading from behind doesn't mean abrogating your leadership responsibilities. After all, the shepherd makes sure that the flock stays together. He uses his staff to nudge and prod if the flock strays too far off course or into danger. For leaders, it's a matter of harnessing people's collective genius. Doing so entails two primary responsibilities — and they are not easy to get right.
First, leaders must ensure their organizations are willing to innovate. This is fundamentally about building community. Some leaders refer to this function as "creating a world to which people want to belong." In these communities, people are valued for who they are and have the opportunity to contribute to something larger than themselves. These communities have a common purpose, values and rules of engagement about how people should interact and problem-solve together. A shared purpose brings the people together and makes them willing to do the hard work of innovation.
Second, leaders must build the organizational capabilities necessary for engaging in the innovation process. The three essential organizational capabilities are: creative abrasion (the ability to generate ideas through intellectual discourse and debate); creative agility (the ability to test and refine ideas through quick pursuit); and creative resolution (the ability to make decisions in an integrative manner).
Those who are exceptional at leading from behind are likely to be different than those who excelled at leading from the front. And this raises the question: are we identifying and developing the leaders who can tap the power of collective genius?
Linda A. Hill is the Wallace Brett Dunham Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, and Faculty Chair of the Leadership Initiative.
(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will help shape the agenda of a symposium on the topic in June 2010, hosted by HBS's Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, and Scott Snook.)
http://blogs.hbr.org/imagining-the-future-of-leadership/2010/05/leading-from-behind.html
=====================================================
Ravichander Rao 1 year ago
Leadership at the top model is not delivering a holistic solution, and is leaving employees and societies unsatisfied with the companies. The need of the hour probably is - philospher-managers at the topmost level. Their responsibility will not only be to meets the objectives and take the company to the next levels, but also to deliberate about the social and environmental responsibilites.
Leaders are inspirational and effect changes, but without the philosphical aptitude the focus towards holistics does not get enough attention. The bottom line and company growth seem to be the center of the focus, rather than for whom the company exists and what larger purpose it serves.
Leading from the front or behind is a situational based strategy. A shepherd leads from behind because he does not need the followers to get inspired to do something or take a risk. Moreover, he is well aware of the terrain, which enables him to lead from behind. But, most of the corporates might not be working under the same setup. Most of the warriors lead from the front because they face the exactly opposite situation to that of a shepherd. Since most of the companies want a piece from the same pie, they have employed this wartime strategy.
In my view, what the newage corporates need is a good blend of philosopher-managers, a few leaders in every functional teams, and excited followers.
Flag
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Bonniejv 9 months ago in reply to Ravichander Rao
Sometimes internal motivation of followers comes from being in front. Additionally, it gives those who are in front a new view of thier surroundings. As long as the leader is truely behind them (in other words transferring leadership to them and supporting, mentoring and believing in them), I believe that leading from behind CAN be motivational. Part of this is that the follower who is leading the pack out in front feels that the leader behind has confidence in them and their abilities.
1 person liked this. Like
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Ansgar Gerstner 1 year ago
I'd say leading from behind is a pretty old idea. But this makes it by no means obsolete. I think it is as relevant as it was two and a half thousand years ago:
“When sages are in front of people, they place themselves behind them. When they are on top of people, they are humble.” (Tao Te Ching, chapter 66, GD Bamboo A)
Best wishes from Shanghai,
Ansgar Gerstner, author of The Tao of Business
1 person liked this. Like
Reply
Tom Sadtler 1 year ago
Leading from Behind is an essential need in today's world, when we are facing challenges of a magnitude that the world has not faced before, such as how to deal with climate change. I was glad to see this included as a topic for the June Leadership Conference.
Jim Collins in "Built to Last" makes the argument that companies, which have the greatest ability for sustained success are often ones where the leader focuses on building a strong successful culture rather than being in the news.
From my own experience, HP and David Packard's 11 Simple Rules come to mind.
-Tom Sadtler
1 person liked this. Like
Reply
Chris 1 year ago
I am also a member of Gen Y and agree with Renee that Linda's vision of leading from behind is indeed accurate. This article resonates deeply with me and, I would imagine, with many of my new professional colleagues.
However, I also feel the same sense of futility as OSA. I work in a very large, very bureaucratic organization, which is so firmly rooted in old ways, I am often discouraged.
I have had the good fortune of leading some initiatives towards the type of organizational leadership that Linda has outlined (emphasis on individual and organizational learning, shared leadership, cultivating a sense of purpose, etc.), but I fear that, beyond a small group of dedicated people who have made this a priority, these efforts are almost entirely useless in the face of traditional ways of thinking and those responsible for the management of the organizational system.
While I wholeheartedly endorse Linda's articulation and call for leading from behind, increasingly, I am of the opinion that we will simply have to wait for boomers to retire in order to realize true change.
1 person liked this. Like
Reply
Ashish 1 year ago
Very interesting idea and strong inherent appeal.
However, I have a question.
Do you believe that the idea applies to leadership in any situation or only / more strongly in specific situations.
One of my frustrations with literature on Leadership has been that often it omits the context, which in my view shapes the required Leadership behaviour immensely.
Mandela's quote is probably a direct result of his experiencein leading S Africa since his release.
As companies are getting larger, in many ways they are getting more centralized not less. Regulations like Sarbanes Oxley have played a key role in this but so has the fear of reputational risk of many kinds.
I would very luch like to hear from people in many different industries / countries with a diverse set of contexts re applicability of leading from behind or front.
Like
Reply
Rohan Kumar 1 year ago
This is indeed a great article and supporting and non supporting it is an issue of what you take out of this article.
When we talk about leading from behind and the Shepherd managing the flock, the target customer here is the leader in control, the person who can make a difference. If the entire organization in already following the stereotype model of leading..then the impetus has to come from the very top and it would be a very cumbersome process. But if the majority workforce is young or are flexible to change, in my opinion the best time to change is now... because we know that its very tough to change personality and character at a latter stage (i.e. The downstream stage in a supply chain).
Again, my comments are based on the plot that the shepherd can actually control the sheeps.. or the leader stays at back so as to lift or heal anyone who falls behind or drops down...help them till the whole organization is moving at a sustainable growth rate ( as discussed in boardrooms).
If the above is the case and the sheeps are given the right guidance
and training the sheeps can all transform themselves and hence the organization into a agile and strong force. When the sheeps are on their own ..they will need to be prodded with two sticks..one which is used mostly..lets say 90% of the time to put them in the direction of perfection...the other would be 10% of the time to make them realize that they are still in competition though locked with the vows of brotherhood.
Like
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Patrick Khamadi 1 year ago
Many thanks for thoughts shared in this article. This article solidly reinforces that gone are the days when we had only a ‘very few thinking‘in the organization and the rest ‘only acting on pre-set semi cast in stone actions’. I see it in my kids… the younger generations values are 360 and will remain so even in the work place are we are beginning to see.
So, competitive advantage will increasingly depend and also demand leaders actively pursue the integrative gelling points from the team as mentioned in this article. Thanks for thoughts again!!
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osa 1 year ago
so how do you manage to break through in an organisation which stifles you and your ideas with bureaucratic, high-handed, micro-managing leaders?
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sundaramany 1 year ago
In a world of specializations, leaders emerge from the middle. These are people who can pull together various resources around them and create a whole bigger than the sum of the individual components.
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ABHISHEK SYAL 1 year ago
It was said that in a war, the leader who stays at front has more chances of winning.
Today, in war, strategists and top officers stay in front of the devices which inform them about the enemy's moves and whereabouts. Technology has helped us redefine warfare.
Similarly, technology has also helped us redefine the simple process of introductions. Many of the introductions today start off through internet (social networking), phone or chat. This implies, virtual personna is becoming as important if not more than real personna.
As the interaction styles and media for developing human or customer relationships change, hence, it is bound to affect the work styles as well as leading styles.
What was leading from front then, we cannot say that it now has become leading from behind. The leader still needs to maintain his image at the forefront, being able to inspire his followers by his vision, his image and his speeches/conversations. This is imperative to induce faith and motivation in his followers.
However, i do agree with the concept that it is going to be redefined. Most of the leader's work is now not at the front, but rather at the back-end. If we see the innovation processes today, many healthy companies have implemented bottom-up innovation after scraping the op-down approach and merging it with bottom-up. This makes sense as the futuristic developments are made more effective through consumer feedback and analyses.
Leaders need to initiate this process, as well as nudge when needed, but they must also give the freedom to the employees to have the freedom to use creative methodologies to bring up information for making decisions on business strategy.
And through blogging, it is now possible for employees to contribute and share their ideas, as well as develop others' and the best ones could be decided by the leader to be implemented.
Hence, more of the work of the leader and the role is now redefined through technology breakthroughs and greater information access as more people seek for purpose and freedom of thinking and doing "thinking" and "smart work" in their jobs. However, the leader's visions as well as prediction of future trends and his image must always be at the forefront to motivate employees and workers to deliver their best. This way, it is ensured that any organization also has a sense of coherent purpose.
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Viktor O. Ledenyov, Ukraine 1 year ago
The future of leadership may be based on a number of advanced concepts, including the Leading from Behind hypothesis. The real problem is that the new hi-tech innovative businesses will certainly require the deep technical skills, which can not be observed in a big number of the EMBA/MBA graduates from reputable business schools in the USA! The Innovation in Leadership may need very different set of skills, which can be gained in Ukraine, Japan, South Korea and P.R. China only! That is why the prosperity in emerging markets is growing at time, when the crisis in developed nations is spreading.
The Town of Bar, Vinnytsia Region, Ukraine
http://www.vininvest.gov.ua/geo/index.php?point=736&lv=en
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Suzy 1 year ago
Linda, Great work! Its inspiring to read such thoughts on the topic of leadership which makes you think beyond the obvious. I recently heard the podcast of Vineet Nayar on Dan Mulhern radio show. He shared a lot of interesting unique new concepts on leadership roles and Gen Y. You might be interested to listen to this. http://www.vineetnayar.com/everyday-leadership-with-dan-mulhern/
Sunday, August 21, 2011
DEBORAH - Heroes of the Faith (Woman)
Deborah
The "Mother of Israel"
By John and Patti Chadwick
Deborah was a prophetess whom God gifted and used in many different ways to help out her people, Israel. She is often compared to a bee. Deborah had a fatal sting for her enemies as the Canaanites and other foes came to experience. As the bee ranks the highest in intelligence in the animal kingdom, so it is written that Deborah stands out as among the wisest of all Old Testament women (Lockyer, All the Women of the Bible 40). It is not known if she had any children nor is there a genealogy record on this female warrior and writer.
There were very few palm trees in the land of Palestine at this time, but Deborah had one where she sat and ruled under. In honor of her works, it became know as "The Palm of Deborah (Judges 4:5). Often referred to as a "Mother in Israel", she was gifted with superior spiritual, mental, and physical powers, which left her mark in Israel. Deborah, whom God raised up for a special purpose, was endowed with a remarkable personality and varied gifts for the deliverance of His distressed and defeated people. A woman of exceptional achievements, she carved out a niche for herself.
She was married and her husband, Lapdoth, was thought to be meek, but by no means weak. He stayed behind the scenes and supported his wife, encouraging her in all her activities. It is usually said that behind every great man there is a great wife. In this situation it seems that behind this great woman was a great husband. Apparently he gave her his love, sympathy, support, and encouragement not minding if he rode "second chariot" to her (Herbert Lockyer, Herbert, All the Women of the Bible 40).
Deborah was endowed with the gift of prophecy in which she had the ability to discern the mind and purpose of God and state it to others. Deborah sat under her palm tree looking very stately in person with her dark, penetrating prophetic eyes as she poured out wisdom and instruction of the counsel of God. She was able to stir up the public with her views and produce change. She stirred up Israel's concern about its sad spiritual condition. The land was debauched and well near ruin under the rule of the Canaanites and their liberty had been lost. Her people were dejected and afraid. Their spirits had been broken and there was no hope of deliverance from their present state.
Deborah did more than prophesy, she aroused a nation in the depths of despair through her fearless and unsolicited devotion to the freeing of her people. She awoke in them a driving desire to free themselves from their bondage and degradation. Her call and challenge to them was to seek God's help in delivering them from their enemy.
Day after day she excited and challenged the people of Israel. All who listened to her words of divine wisdom felt the certainty of their deliverance from a heathen people if only they would arise to action and, with the help of God, free themselves from fear and folly and go out and fight. All of Israel was under her jurisdiction, from which she dispensed righteousness, justice, and mercy.
After having fought the enemy with words and prayer, now God told her to fight in battle. Being led of God she sent for Barak, saying it was God's will that he should lead the army and deliver Israel from the hand of the enemy. He agreed to lead the army with the condition that Deborah, the brave-hearted and dauntless ruler, go with him. Barak felt he could face the enemy only if his ruler was at hand. So out they went to do battle with the Canaanite army with great odds against them. Even in the heat of the battle, the dauntless spirit of Deborah did not waver. God was her ally and she rested in that fact. God sent a hail and rainstorm during that battle which helped lead the Israelites to victory. Thus Deborah gained underlying fame as the female warrior who rescued her people from their cruel foe.
After the victory over national foes, Deborah ruled with equity and the nation of Israel had rest from war and captivity for forty years. Deborah loved her God, her people, and her country and stood firm in her convictions. She had excellent speaking abilities and a knack to motivate and encourage people to get closer to God, instilling in them a confidence to trust God and believe that He would act on their behalf.
http://www.historyswomen.com/womenoffaith/MotherofIsrael.html
The "Mother of Israel"
By John and Patti Chadwick
Deborah was a prophetess whom God gifted and used in many different ways to help out her people, Israel. She is often compared to a bee. Deborah had a fatal sting for her enemies as the Canaanites and other foes came to experience. As the bee ranks the highest in intelligence in the animal kingdom, so it is written that Deborah stands out as among the wisest of all Old Testament women (Lockyer, All the Women of the Bible 40). It is not known if she had any children nor is there a genealogy record on this female warrior and writer.
There were very few palm trees in the land of Palestine at this time, but Deborah had one where she sat and ruled under. In honor of her works, it became know as "The Palm of Deborah (Judges 4:5). Often referred to as a "Mother in Israel", she was gifted with superior spiritual, mental, and physical powers, which left her mark in Israel. Deborah, whom God raised up for a special purpose, was endowed with a remarkable personality and varied gifts for the deliverance of His distressed and defeated people. A woman of exceptional achievements, she carved out a niche for herself.
She was married and her husband, Lapdoth, was thought to be meek, but by no means weak. He stayed behind the scenes and supported his wife, encouraging her in all her activities. It is usually said that behind every great man there is a great wife. In this situation it seems that behind this great woman was a great husband. Apparently he gave her his love, sympathy, support, and encouragement not minding if he rode "second chariot" to her (Herbert Lockyer, Herbert, All the Women of the Bible 40).
Deborah was endowed with the gift of prophecy in which she had the ability to discern the mind and purpose of God and state it to others. Deborah sat under her palm tree looking very stately in person with her dark, penetrating prophetic eyes as she poured out wisdom and instruction of the counsel of God. She was able to stir up the public with her views and produce change. She stirred up Israel's concern about its sad spiritual condition. The land was debauched and well near ruin under the rule of the Canaanites and their liberty had been lost. Her people were dejected and afraid. Their spirits had been broken and there was no hope of deliverance from their present state.
Deborah did more than prophesy, she aroused a nation in the depths of despair through her fearless and unsolicited devotion to the freeing of her people. She awoke in them a driving desire to free themselves from their bondage and degradation. Her call and challenge to them was to seek God's help in delivering them from their enemy.
Day after day she excited and challenged the people of Israel. All who listened to her words of divine wisdom felt the certainty of their deliverance from a heathen people if only they would arise to action and, with the help of God, free themselves from fear and folly and go out and fight. All of Israel was under her jurisdiction, from which she dispensed righteousness, justice, and mercy.
After having fought the enemy with words and prayer, now God told her to fight in battle. Being led of God she sent for Barak, saying it was God's will that he should lead the army and deliver Israel from the hand of the enemy. He agreed to lead the army with the condition that Deborah, the brave-hearted and dauntless ruler, go with him. Barak felt he could face the enemy only if his ruler was at hand. So out they went to do battle with the Canaanite army with great odds against them. Even in the heat of the battle, the dauntless spirit of Deborah did not waver. God was her ally and she rested in that fact. God sent a hail and rainstorm during that battle which helped lead the Israelites to victory. Thus Deborah gained underlying fame as the female warrior who rescued her people from their cruel foe.
After the victory over national foes, Deborah ruled with equity and the nation of Israel had rest from war and captivity for forty years. Deborah loved her God, her people, and her country and stood firm in her convictions. She had excellent speaking abilities and a knack to motivate and encourage people to get closer to God, instilling in them a confidence to trust God and believe that He would act on their behalf.
http://www.historyswomen.com/womenoffaith/MotherofIsrael.html
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Three Rules For Business Survival
Three Rules For Business Survival -- Indeed Prosperity -- In a Results-driven Melt-Down Global Economy.
Color Commentary for Wednesday, October 15, 2008
By E. R. Haas, CEO ThinkTQ, Inc.
No question, the competition is relentless. Some say ruthless. Will your company prosper in this "Results-driven" Melt-Down global economy—or find itself on the path to organizational extinction?
Every organization in America is experiencing fallout from this hyper-competitive, perform-or-perish global economy. Are you heading down the same path that led to the demise of Wa Mu, Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, K Mart, United, US Air, Polaroid, Enron, WorldCom, Federal Mogul, Montgomery Ward... and the bankruptcies of countless small/personal business in the last couple of years?
How can you be sure?
While the rules of business haven't really changed, they are being strictly enforced! If you want to assure your organization's success, take action now to improve your Comparative Advantage, PVR and TQ. Otherwise, the next few years are going to be significantly more challenging than you can even begin to imagine.
"It is not necessary to change.
Survival is not mandatory."
~ Dr. W. Edwards Deming
I highly recommend that you PRINT this article and invest the 7 minutes it takes to read it. It may change the way you look at your organization's success potential... and your chances for surviving the next 2 years of market turbulence and relentless competition. Please feel free to Email Me with questions/comments.
Who am I to give you business advice? I'm one of those guys who turned my MBA Thesis into a $150 Million company.. and built many different kinds of businesses... from manufacturing... to financial services... to software... to internet publishing!
About ThinkTQ, Inc.
ThinkTQ, Inc. is the world's leading publisher of virtual training products for personal and professional excellence. We have the SYSTEMS, TOOLS and TECHNOLOGY to help you put you and your organization on the fast-track to success.
To ease the burden of this Melt-Down global economy, we are GIVING AWAY 10 million TQ Personal Training Programs... representing a combined value of over $1.6 Billion dollars.
Why?
To help put America back on the economic fast track—by giving YOU the tools to immediately produce better results.
Fact: Times are getting tougher. Are you?
"If you want to WIN in business... whatever business you are in...read this book!"
~ Mardi Durgin, VP
It's not that times are changing.
It's that times have changed.
The melt down of the global financial system, accelerating mergers, market consolidations, downsizing, major corporate bankruptcies, offshoring, benefit give-backs, salary reductions and under-funded pension plans... mean that things are getting tougher... not easier.
The fact is, your organization is at RISK.
Your job is at STAKE.
Your paycheck is in JEOPARDY.
In the next 5 years, we will see the further loss of jobs in entire industries... a significant increase in the poverty level... fewer jobs paying more money... more jobs paying less money... reduced inflation-adjusted incomes... capped or reduced benefits... and reduced job security—at every level, within every organization.
What can you do in these tough times? What should you do?
Follow The Three Rules for Business Survival...
It doesn't matter if you're a company with 100,000 people, or you own a one horse dog and pony show. It doesn't matter if you are a church, a service organization, a bank, a newspaper, a TV station, an airline, a hospital, a contractor, an internet company or General Motors or Ford.
The challenge is identical.
Now In Stock!
You must find a way to out-smart... out-hustle... out-perform... out-lead... out-communicate and out-produce your competition every step of the way. You need to produce significantly better results, and you need to do it BETTER, FASTER and CHEAPER than ever before.
How?
RULE #1: Never pass your INEFFICIENCIES on to your customers. They simply won't pay it.
RULE #2: Continuously improve your PVR (Price Value Ratio) to the point where your competition weeps!
RULE #3: Turn up your TQ at least 20 points.
A little more detail...
While we can't tell you in a few web pages what it takes 268 pages to discuss in Full Spectrum Career Power, here are a few of the major points:
Rule #1: Never pass your inefficiencies on to your customers. They simply won't pay it.
While I could go on about Wal-Mart-styled supply chain efficiencies, maintaining a pancake-flat organization chart, or making certain that you get 10 cents in value for every nickel you spend (EVA), the real opportunity lies in transforming your Comparative Advantage into a true Competitive Advantage.
What's your unique Comparative Advantage?
Two hundred years ago, the brilliant British economist, David Ricardo, formulated the notion of comparative differentials. Fast forward to the management buzzword of the nineties, "Core Competencies", and the message is the same: How you are inherently different, and how you exploit those differences, determines if you are able to successfully compete or not.
The easiest way to think about your Comparative Advantage is to zoom out to the world stage. Consider how inherently competitive a farmer in Japan would be if he tried to sell wheat against a farmer in Montana.
No matter how much capital he invested, or hard he worked, it would be impossible for him to compete.
Japan simply doesn't have the climate or landmass necessary for massive wheat production. Montana does. (There is a single wheat farm in Montana that is 45 MILES long and 14 MILES wide. Talk about a tremendous Comparative Advantage!)
Now In Stock!.
A powerful Comparative Advantage gives rise to an unstoppable Competitive Advantage.
If you've got one, FLAUNT it!
If you don't, find one fast.
Bottom line: If you do not have a strong Comparative Advantage, you will ALWAYS be the inefficient producer, with a Competitive Advantage that gets weaker by the minute.
Now, more than ever, you have to find a real Comparative Advantage, or you are headed down the path to extinction. This applies equally to countries, cities, states, industries, companies, departments—as well as your personal career. Especially your career.
If you're a hard-hit community like Lorain, Ohio with high unemployment, or a software engineer from Boulder, Colorado—who just watched his job get outsourced to Bangalore (India)—you have no option but to discover your core Comparative Advantage, and mercilessly promote it.
Practical Example: Consider the tale of two stores—Home Depot and Lowes. Virtually the same products, the same pricing, the same internal efficiencies, the same operational structures. Take any department from either, and you will instantly see the differences—if they have the right management in the departments.
The manager who merchandises and sells with flair and excitement... makes sure the department is "retail ready" at all times... keeps the associates fired up... is knowledgeable about current promotions... will take market share away from the other, simply because of that single manager's Comparative Advantage: Merchandising Leadership.
No question, a strong Competitive Advantage usually comes down to a handful of key people—each exhibiting a strong Comparative Advantage.
FREE CD Bonus!
Action: If you don't know how you personally, and your company collectively, are different, you can't effectively exploit your Comparative Advantage.
Discover how to make your inherent differences work.
"Know thyself" takes on an entirely different meaning in a results-driven, melt-down economy!
Rule #2: Continuously improve your PVR (Price Value Ratio) to the point where your competition weaps!
The age-old economics behind PVR is simple: annihilate the competion by providing extreme VALUE! Once you know your Comparative Advantage, there are 3 strategies for success:
1) You can be the High Value/High Price producer and succeed nicely. 2) You can be the Low Value/Low Price producer and still find success. 3) But, when you take on the mantle of the High Value/Low Price organization... you'll not only succeed brilliantly, but drive your competition nuts—forcing them to eternally remain in catchup mode.
Guaranteed Failure.
A word of caution. If you want to survive, you personally—and your organization collectively—must NEVER even be seen as the Low Value/High Price producer.
Who wants to pay more for less?
Of course this is guaranteed failure. Of course this is obvious. But why are there so many organizations—from restaurants... to manufacturers... to retailers... to banks... to government agencies—that simply don't "get it"?
Everybody wants more bang for the buck. Give it to them!
If you even think your PVR is out of line, take action to immediately realign it. The competition might not give you a second chance.
In this results-driven economy, you must actively seek to sharpen your PVR edge. If you are the small guy down the street going up against Home Depot and Lowes... or Lowes going up against Wal-Mart... PVR is everything.
Practical Example: If, at the end of the year, you want to take 10% to your bottom line, how much does a $1,000 mistake/inefficiency cost you? You would have to sell $10,000 more in product just to offset the cost ($1000/10%). This means you will have to pass this inefficiency on to your customer in higher prices (who won't pay it), or eat it (become less profitable).
Get your
copy now!
The choice is clear. Become the High Value/Low Cost operation—or watch your competitive advantage vanish.
Action: Unleash your Comparative Advantage and Improve your PVR.
This advice applies equally to an organization of 200,000 employees... or to your career.
Your challenge is to perpetually maintain maximum differentiation—and maximum value.
Rule #3: Improve your TQ (Time Quotient) by 20 points starting today. Your future depends on it.
Please do not confuse TQ with TQM (Total Quality Management). The concepts are entirely different. TQ is the ENGINE that drives TQM!
TQ stands for your Time Quotient and reflects your inherent power to produce Results over Time.
Because this is now a results-driven global economy, we need a new way of thinking about Results at every level within an organization. Where Rules number 1 and 2 offer strategic guidance, a more tactical approach is required to insure organizational success.
TQ offers this tactical approach, giving you a strong strategic edge, personally and professionally.
How? TQ gives you the power to transform your Comparative Advantage into a powerful Competitive Advantage by maximizing the full potential of your most valuable resource: people.
The TQ Advantage.
TQ is an important new business fundamental that offers an immediate way to create a Results Revolution within your organization. If you want to virtually guarantee your organization's success, improve its TQ 20 points.
The reality of a results-driven global economy is that you can only become the High Value, Low Cost producer of goods and services if every single person in your organization is performing at—or near the top—of his/her productivity potential.
Because business conditions have become so "unforgiving", your organization will fail to make the grade unless every person in it—individually and collectively—consistently produces stunning results.
The Power of One...
In organizations with less than 100 people, the criticality of the individual to the whole cannot be overstated. Just 1 person with a poor, self-defeating attitude... or the inability to focus on clear goals and tangible objectives... or the inability to take swift action... can have a devastating effect on the whole. The TQ of just one person not only makes a difference, it ultimately tells the world how your organization is different from every other organization in the world.
Now, more than ever, triumph or extinction comes down to the weakest link in your chain of command... from Customer Services all the way up to CEO.
Yes, the TQ of everyone in your organization is what ultimately gives rise to BOTH your Comparative Advantage and Competitive Advantage.
What's Your Organization's Time Quotient?
Since organizations are comprised of people, built by people, run by people and ultimately serve people, it may be useful to check YOUR organization's TQ—to see how SMART it generates Results over Time.
Do the people within your organization have the fundamental skills to work smart and compete even smarter?
Are you sure?
TQ is a new brand of intelligence for this results-driven economy—a measurement of the actions you take to produce the Results you get over Time. Your Time Quotient is a reflection of how smart you ACT, not how smart you ARE.
Thus, TQ is the effective measurement of your Working Intelligence"... a Gold Standard measurement of your power to achieve the success you desire. Want to be more successful? Improve your TQ. The fact is that there is a perfect correlation between High TQ Performance and the four pillars of success: Wealth, Power, Happiness and Significance.
Why TQ matters.
Today, business success is not measured by good intentions—or how much effort you expend. Rather, success is dependent upon the Results actually produced in the Time you have: this month... this quarter... this year.
The simplicity of the formula says it all. You either get the Results you expect—or you don't. You either produce them in the Time expected—or you don't.
Admittedly, this is very basic stuff. But if it is so basic, why are there so many bankruptcies... so many people unemployed or under-employed... and so many companies holding on by a thread?
It's time to get back to basics!
Maybe if Wa Mu, Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, K-Mart, United, MCI (World Con)—even Enron—had actually produced results beyond expectation, they wouldn't have put their stake-holders through the ringer. Think about it.
If TQ is the formula for success in a results-driven economy, and it is, the question becomes, are you capable of achieving results beyond expectation... or are you simply spinning your wheels, confusing EFFORT with RESULTS?
How would you know?
How well do you match up to the Gold Standard of personal and professional excellence?
What's the "Gold Standard" for creating a "Results Revolution" within your organization... or yourself, for that matter? Good question!
To answer this question, we created a simple, yet highly effective methodology for systematically evaluating your power to produce tangible results.
It's called a TQ Test... a unique new test based on your responses to 10 basic questions in each of 10 broad color-coded areas of your performance.
Testing Your TQ...
The Time Prism
A New Management Tool.
A prism splits light into its component colors. Our metaphor,The Time Prism, separates your performance into 10 Color-coded areas, each critical to producing exceptional results:
ENERGY
MISSION
ATTITUDE
SET GOALS
MAKE PLANS
PRIORITIZE
SYNERGIZE
ORGANIZE
OPTIMIZE
ACT NOW
By looking at the intensity of these 10 Colors, you can instantly see what's driving your power to produce RESULTS... at every point in TIME.
Your overall performance is made up of 10 key elements that drive your daily successes and failures.
These elements include your physical and mental Energy level... your sense of purpose and Mission... your Attitude... your ability to Set crystal-clear Goals... your ability to Make Plans to support your goals... your ability to Prioritize your tasks... your ability to create powerful interpersonal Synergy... your ability to Organize your activities and Optimize your time... and finally, your power to take swift Action.
These 10 areas (we call Colors) cause a never-ending stream of positives and negatives to flood your performance.
Take smarter actions, more frequently, and your performance exhibits greater positivity. Fail to take corrective action, and you unwittingly permit negativity to rule.
Which of the two do you believe produces greater results:
A—Someone who is highly Energetic, Passionate, Optimistic, Self-directed, Prepared, Focused, Supportive, Systematic, Timely and Proactive...
B—Someone who is frequently Drained, Directionless, Pessimistic, Vague, Rash, Scattered, Critical, Haphazard, Distracted, and Hesitant?
These are the flip side of the same Colors. No question, the person with more positives and fewer negatives is capabable of producing significantly better Results... and doing it in far less Time. The question is, how do you become an "A" player?
Turn your TQ up 20 points...
For simplicity purposes, we color-coded these core areas for instant observation, training and improvement.
By breaking your performance down into these 10 separate areas, we can instantly see your strengths and weaknesses.
By taking inventory of these strengths and weaknesses, we can then see exactly what's driving your performance, and by extension, PRECISELY what you need to do differently to produce greater results.
Editor Note: Learn more about the Gold Standard for Personal and Professional Excellence and what actually causes success. After 5 years of serious R&D and several million dollars, you might be interested in what we found!
Teaching Through Testing...
Because everything we do is built around our Teaching Through Testing concept, you may choose to get a quick evaluation of each Color as you read along. Just click the Personal Evaluation links below.
These Quick Quizzes provide a beneficial "spot-check" of your performance. Each takes about 2 minutes, and result in a condensed, 2 page evaluation of your score.
What's your actual TQ?
How well do you match up against the Gold Standard of personal and professional excellence? Are you at the top of your game, or at the bottom of the heap? There's only one way to find out. Test your TQ to see!
Our full TQ Test takes about 20 minutes to complete. You might want to set aside some time to take it when you are not distracted or preoccupied. It's free, fun and will cast a much-needed light on the forces currently driving your performance.
Powerful People = Powerful Results...
Which Yields Organizational Success.
Below are the 10 Colors of powerful performance, along with some brief commentary that applies equally to you personally, and your organization. If you think a given area is causing you problems, take the Quick Test for that Color.
If you score less than 7 on two or three different Colors, you are in real trouble. Choose a Color, and take action to improve it now.
Your ENERGY TQ...
Business Case: If the people in your organization have a low ENERGY level—mentally and/or physically— there's no way they can keep up the relentless pace your competition is setting. You need to set the pace, or get out of the race.
Personal Evaluation: What's your Energy TQ Score? Do you have the sustained physical ENERGY level needed to consistently produce outstanding results this year?
Your MISSION TQ...
Business Case: If the people you work with have a weak sense of MISSION, your organization will lack purpose and direction. Rewards go to people who know where they're headed... and have the power to get there fast.
Wake up call: In a recent survey, less than 30% of the people polled say they understand their organization's Mission Statement and how it relates to them personally.
Personal Evaluation: How's your sense of MISSION and purpose right now—high or low? Are you trading the only life you have for things that simply don't matter?
Your ATTITUDE TQ...
Business Case: If your people have a poor attitude, it shows up in everything from product development to customer service. Without a positive and proactive attitude, your organization might as well hang it up, as it's defeated before it even gets started.
Personal Evaluation: What's your Attitude TQ Score? Was your ATTITUDE mostly POSITIVE and optimistic last week? Last month? Last Year?
Your SET GOALS TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to set crystal-clear goals for themselves, their departments won't have a chance to achieve your stated Mission. Worse, they can't connect the dots from your MISSION to your short and long term GOALS.
Warning: In a recent survey, less than 45% said they understand their organization's goals, and even fewer have a shared sense of those goals.
Personal Evaluation: Have you been guided by crystal-clear GOALS so far this year? Are you good at sharing your goals with others?
Your MAKE PLANS TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to make rock-solid plans for key goals, your organization will spin its wheels, going 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction. Good planning eliminates mistakes. Remember, the market pays for results, not mistakes.
Personal Evaluation: Do you have realistic plans to support your major goals this year, both personally and professionally?
Your PRIORITIZE TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to prioritize their actions, there's no way you can honestly say your company is focused on what's most important—because your people have no clue what's more important than something else.
Fact: An organization without focus is a target waiting for the bullet—not an opportunity waiting to happen.
Personal Evaluation: Have you remained focused on your top PRIORITIES this month? Can you correctly separate what's important from the merely urgent?
Your SYNERGIZE TQ...
Business Case: If the people in your organization lack the ability to build teams and create SYNERGY, there's no way to expand and grow your influence. You can't shrink to greatness, nor can your organization become a powerhouse without developing strong strategic alliances.
Teamwork, collaboration and communication skills are key. Hiring lone eagles isn't the mistake. Letting them fly solo is.
Personal Evaluation: Are you a master at creating powerful leverage through interpersonal synergy? Are you seen as a team-builder... or "an army of one"?
Your ORGANIZE TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to organize their work flow, your company will fall victim to a paralysis of inefficiencies. In this economy, you can't pass your inefficiencies on to your customers. They simply won't pay it.
Personal Evaluation: Just how organized are you? Did your ORGANIZATIONAL systems make it harder or easier for you last month?
Your OPTIMIZE TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to optimize their time, you'll be the big-time looser in this just in time, instant-everything "FedEx" society.
Note: A little too little—a little too late—may have been OK before. Now, it's fatal.
Personal Evaluation: How were your personal clock management skills last month? Did you make every minute matter?
Your ACT NOW TQ...
Business Case: If your people don't take swift action to make things happen, your organization will wonder "what happened" as it is reorganized out of existence.
We're leaving the Information Age and entering the Age of Action. With information overload, only people trained to sort it out and take bold action will survive. Indeed, they will prosper!
Personal Evaluation: Are you action-oriented, or do you frequently find yourself "getting ready to get ready", permitting procrastination to decimate your performance?
FYI: With millions of data points, the average composition of all TQ Scores in our database is only 51.3. This means that, on a scale of 1 to 10, HALF the people we survey ADMIT to significant performance issues!
To put the above numbers in perspective, would you want to work with someone who only had a plan 38% of the time... was organized just 51% of the time... frequently wasted their (and your) time (48%)... frequently had a poor attitude (47%)... and lacked a clear sense of purpose and direction 70% of the time? No, I don't think so!
Conclusion: Improve the TQ of every person in your organization... starting FIRST with YOU!
Please remember this. Organizations are only as POWERFUL as their people permit. Organizations are only as PROFITABLE as their people permit.
It is my considered belief that if your organization's TQ remains under 75 for any length of time, YOU are toast.
Why? Because you lack the results-producing power to take mind-share and market-share away from your competition. You will SHRINK while they will GROW.
Sooner or later, a fierce competitor with high TQ People will not only eat your lunch—you will BE the lunch upon which they dine!
ACTION: Choose one area of your performance—either a dominate strength or limiting weakness—and take action to improve it today.
Full Spectrum Career Power answers the single most important question you face—a question that is now controlling your life:
"What Color is Your Performance?"
http://www.thinktq.com/training/articles/tqs_article.cfm?id=C70ED2A49390F37F65CB03E1E6ED485D
Color Commentary for Wednesday, October 15, 2008
By E. R. Haas, CEO ThinkTQ, Inc.
No question, the competition is relentless. Some say ruthless. Will your company prosper in this "Results-driven" Melt-Down global economy—or find itself on the path to organizational extinction?
Every organization in America is experiencing fallout from this hyper-competitive, perform-or-perish global economy. Are you heading down the same path that led to the demise of Wa Mu, Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, K Mart, United, US Air, Polaroid, Enron, WorldCom, Federal Mogul, Montgomery Ward... and the bankruptcies of countless small/personal business in the last couple of years?
How can you be sure?
While the rules of business haven't really changed, they are being strictly enforced! If you want to assure your organization's success, take action now to improve your Comparative Advantage, PVR and TQ. Otherwise, the next few years are going to be significantly more challenging than you can even begin to imagine.
"It is not necessary to change.
Survival is not mandatory."
~ Dr. W. Edwards Deming
I highly recommend that you PRINT this article and invest the 7 minutes it takes to read it. It may change the way you look at your organization's success potential... and your chances for surviving the next 2 years of market turbulence and relentless competition. Please feel free to Email Me with questions/comments.
Who am I to give you business advice? I'm one of those guys who turned my MBA Thesis into a $150 Million company.. and built many different kinds of businesses... from manufacturing... to financial services... to software... to internet publishing!
About ThinkTQ, Inc.
ThinkTQ, Inc. is the world's leading publisher of virtual training products for personal and professional excellence. We have the SYSTEMS, TOOLS and TECHNOLOGY to help you put you and your organization on the fast-track to success.
To ease the burden of this Melt-Down global economy, we are GIVING AWAY 10 million TQ Personal Training Programs... representing a combined value of over $1.6 Billion dollars.
Why?
To help put America back on the economic fast track—by giving YOU the tools to immediately produce better results.
Fact: Times are getting tougher. Are you?
"If you want to WIN in business... whatever business you are in...read this book!"
~ Mardi Durgin, VP
It's not that times are changing.
It's that times have changed.
The melt down of the global financial system, accelerating mergers, market consolidations, downsizing, major corporate bankruptcies, offshoring, benefit give-backs, salary reductions and under-funded pension plans... mean that things are getting tougher... not easier.
The fact is, your organization is at RISK.
Your job is at STAKE.
Your paycheck is in JEOPARDY.
In the next 5 years, we will see the further loss of jobs in entire industries... a significant increase in the poverty level... fewer jobs paying more money... more jobs paying less money... reduced inflation-adjusted incomes... capped or reduced benefits... and reduced job security—at every level, within every organization.
What can you do in these tough times? What should you do?
Follow The Three Rules for Business Survival...
It doesn't matter if you're a company with 100,000 people, or you own a one horse dog and pony show. It doesn't matter if you are a church, a service organization, a bank, a newspaper, a TV station, an airline, a hospital, a contractor, an internet company or General Motors or Ford.
The challenge is identical.
Now In Stock!
You must find a way to out-smart... out-hustle... out-perform... out-lead... out-communicate and out-produce your competition every step of the way. You need to produce significantly better results, and you need to do it BETTER, FASTER and CHEAPER than ever before.
How?
RULE #1: Never pass your INEFFICIENCIES on to your customers. They simply won't pay it.
RULE #2: Continuously improve your PVR (Price Value Ratio) to the point where your competition weeps!
RULE #3: Turn up your TQ at least 20 points.
A little more detail...
While we can't tell you in a few web pages what it takes 268 pages to discuss in Full Spectrum Career Power, here are a few of the major points:
Rule #1: Never pass your inefficiencies on to your customers. They simply won't pay it.
While I could go on about Wal-Mart-styled supply chain efficiencies, maintaining a pancake-flat organization chart, or making certain that you get 10 cents in value for every nickel you spend (EVA), the real opportunity lies in transforming your Comparative Advantage into a true Competitive Advantage.
What's your unique Comparative Advantage?
Two hundred years ago, the brilliant British economist, David Ricardo, formulated the notion of comparative differentials. Fast forward to the management buzzword of the nineties, "Core Competencies", and the message is the same: How you are inherently different, and how you exploit those differences, determines if you are able to successfully compete or not.
The easiest way to think about your Comparative Advantage is to zoom out to the world stage. Consider how inherently competitive a farmer in Japan would be if he tried to sell wheat against a farmer in Montana.
No matter how much capital he invested, or hard he worked, it would be impossible for him to compete.
Japan simply doesn't have the climate or landmass necessary for massive wheat production. Montana does. (There is a single wheat farm in Montana that is 45 MILES long and 14 MILES wide. Talk about a tremendous Comparative Advantage!)
Now In Stock!.
A powerful Comparative Advantage gives rise to an unstoppable Competitive Advantage.
If you've got one, FLAUNT it!
If you don't, find one fast.
Bottom line: If you do not have a strong Comparative Advantage, you will ALWAYS be the inefficient producer, with a Competitive Advantage that gets weaker by the minute.
Now, more than ever, you have to find a real Comparative Advantage, or you are headed down the path to extinction. This applies equally to countries, cities, states, industries, companies, departments—as well as your personal career. Especially your career.
If you're a hard-hit community like Lorain, Ohio with high unemployment, or a software engineer from Boulder, Colorado—who just watched his job get outsourced to Bangalore (India)—you have no option but to discover your core Comparative Advantage, and mercilessly promote it.
Practical Example: Consider the tale of two stores—Home Depot and Lowes. Virtually the same products, the same pricing, the same internal efficiencies, the same operational structures. Take any department from either, and you will instantly see the differences—if they have the right management in the departments.
The manager who merchandises and sells with flair and excitement... makes sure the department is "retail ready" at all times... keeps the associates fired up... is knowledgeable about current promotions... will take market share away from the other, simply because of that single manager's Comparative Advantage: Merchandising Leadership.
No question, a strong Competitive Advantage usually comes down to a handful of key people—each exhibiting a strong Comparative Advantage.
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Action: If you don't know how you personally, and your company collectively, are different, you can't effectively exploit your Comparative Advantage.
Discover how to make your inherent differences work.
"Know thyself" takes on an entirely different meaning in a results-driven, melt-down economy!
Rule #2: Continuously improve your PVR (Price Value Ratio) to the point where your competition weaps!
The age-old economics behind PVR is simple: annihilate the competion by providing extreme VALUE! Once you know your Comparative Advantage, there are 3 strategies for success:
1) You can be the High Value/High Price producer and succeed nicely. 2) You can be the Low Value/Low Price producer and still find success. 3) But, when you take on the mantle of the High Value/Low Price organization... you'll not only succeed brilliantly, but drive your competition nuts—forcing them to eternally remain in catchup mode.
Guaranteed Failure.
A word of caution. If you want to survive, you personally—and your organization collectively—must NEVER even be seen as the Low Value/High Price producer.
Who wants to pay more for less?
Of course this is guaranteed failure. Of course this is obvious. But why are there so many organizations—from restaurants... to manufacturers... to retailers... to banks... to government agencies—that simply don't "get it"?
Everybody wants more bang for the buck. Give it to them!
If you even think your PVR is out of line, take action to immediately realign it. The competition might not give you a second chance.
In this results-driven economy, you must actively seek to sharpen your PVR edge. If you are the small guy down the street going up against Home Depot and Lowes... or Lowes going up against Wal-Mart... PVR is everything.
Practical Example: If, at the end of the year, you want to take 10% to your bottom line, how much does a $1,000 mistake/inefficiency cost you? You would have to sell $10,000 more in product just to offset the cost ($1000/10%). This means you will have to pass this inefficiency on to your customer in higher prices (who won't pay it), or eat it (become less profitable).
Get your
copy now!
The choice is clear. Become the High Value/Low Cost operation—or watch your competitive advantage vanish.
Action: Unleash your Comparative Advantage and Improve your PVR.
This advice applies equally to an organization of 200,000 employees... or to your career.
Your challenge is to perpetually maintain maximum differentiation—and maximum value.
Rule #3: Improve your TQ (Time Quotient) by 20 points starting today. Your future depends on it.
Please do not confuse TQ with TQM (Total Quality Management). The concepts are entirely different. TQ is the ENGINE that drives TQM!
TQ stands for your Time Quotient and reflects your inherent power to produce Results over Time.
Because this is now a results-driven global economy, we need a new way of thinking about Results at every level within an organization. Where Rules number 1 and 2 offer strategic guidance, a more tactical approach is required to insure organizational success.
TQ offers this tactical approach, giving you a strong strategic edge, personally and professionally.
How? TQ gives you the power to transform your Comparative Advantage into a powerful Competitive Advantage by maximizing the full potential of your most valuable resource: people.
The TQ Advantage.
TQ is an important new business fundamental that offers an immediate way to create a Results Revolution within your organization. If you want to virtually guarantee your organization's success, improve its TQ 20 points.
The reality of a results-driven global economy is that you can only become the High Value, Low Cost producer of goods and services if every single person in your organization is performing at—or near the top—of his/her productivity potential.
Because business conditions have become so "unforgiving", your organization will fail to make the grade unless every person in it—individually and collectively—consistently produces stunning results.
The Power of One...
In organizations with less than 100 people, the criticality of the individual to the whole cannot be overstated. Just 1 person with a poor, self-defeating attitude... or the inability to focus on clear goals and tangible objectives... or the inability to take swift action... can have a devastating effect on the whole. The TQ of just one person not only makes a difference, it ultimately tells the world how your organization is different from every other organization in the world.
Now, more than ever, triumph or extinction comes down to the weakest link in your chain of command... from Customer Services all the way up to CEO.
Yes, the TQ of everyone in your organization is what ultimately gives rise to BOTH your Comparative Advantage and Competitive Advantage.
What's Your Organization's Time Quotient?
Since organizations are comprised of people, built by people, run by people and ultimately serve people, it may be useful to check YOUR organization's TQ—to see how SMART it generates Results over Time.
Do the people within your organization have the fundamental skills to work smart and compete even smarter?
Are you sure?
TQ is a new brand of intelligence for this results-driven economy—a measurement of the actions you take to produce the Results you get over Time. Your Time Quotient is a reflection of how smart you ACT, not how smart you ARE.
Thus, TQ is the effective measurement of your Working Intelligence"... a Gold Standard measurement of your power to achieve the success you desire. Want to be more successful? Improve your TQ. The fact is that there is a perfect correlation between High TQ Performance and the four pillars of success: Wealth, Power, Happiness and Significance.
Why TQ matters.
Today, business success is not measured by good intentions—or how much effort you expend. Rather, success is dependent upon the Results actually produced in the Time you have: this month... this quarter... this year.
The simplicity of the formula says it all. You either get the Results you expect—or you don't. You either produce them in the Time expected—or you don't.
Admittedly, this is very basic stuff. But if it is so basic, why are there so many bankruptcies... so many people unemployed or under-employed... and so many companies holding on by a thread?
It's time to get back to basics!
Maybe if Wa Mu, Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, K-Mart, United, MCI (World Con)—even Enron—had actually produced results beyond expectation, they wouldn't have put their stake-holders through the ringer. Think about it.
If TQ is the formula for success in a results-driven economy, and it is, the question becomes, are you capable of achieving results beyond expectation... or are you simply spinning your wheels, confusing EFFORT with RESULTS?
How would you know?
How well do you match up to the Gold Standard of personal and professional excellence?
What's the "Gold Standard" for creating a "Results Revolution" within your organization... or yourself, for that matter? Good question!
To answer this question, we created a simple, yet highly effective methodology for systematically evaluating your power to produce tangible results.
It's called a TQ Test... a unique new test based on your responses to 10 basic questions in each of 10 broad color-coded areas of your performance.
Testing Your TQ...
The Time Prism
A New Management Tool.
A prism splits light into its component colors. Our metaphor,The Time Prism, separates your performance into 10 Color-coded areas, each critical to producing exceptional results:
ENERGY
MISSION
ATTITUDE
SET GOALS
MAKE PLANS
PRIORITIZE
SYNERGIZE
ORGANIZE
OPTIMIZE
ACT NOW
By looking at the intensity of these 10 Colors, you can instantly see what's driving your power to produce RESULTS... at every point in TIME.
Your overall performance is made up of 10 key elements that drive your daily successes and failures.
These elements include your physical and mental Energy level... your sense of purpose and Mission... your Attitude... your ability to Set crystal-clear Goals... your ability to Make Plans to support your goals... your ability to Prioritize your tasks... your ability to create powerful interpersonal Synergy... your ability to Organize your activities and Optimize your time... and finally, your power to take swift Action.
These 10 areas (we call Colors) cause a never-ending stream of positives and negatives to flood your performance.
Take smarter actions, more frequently, and your performance exhibits greater positivity. Fail to take corrective action, and you unwittingly permit negativity to rule.
Which of the two do you believe produces greater results:
A—Someone who is highly Energetic, Passionate, Optimistic, Self-directed, Prepared, Focused, Supportive, Systematic, Timely and Proactive...
B—Someone who is frequently Drained, Directionless, Pessimistic, Vague, Rash, Scattered, Critical, Haphazard, Distracted, and Hesitant?
These are the flip side of the same Colors. No question, the person with more positives and fewer negatives is capabable of producing significantly better Results... and doing it in far less Time. The question is, how do you become an "A" player?
Turn your TQ up 20 points...
For simplicity purposes, we color-coded these core areas for instant observation, training and improvement.
By breaking your performance down into these 10 separate areas, we can instantly see your strengths and weaknesses.
By taking inventory of these strengths and weaknesses, we can then see exactly what's driving your performance, and by extension, PRECISELY what you need to do differently to produce greater results.
Editor Note: Learn more about the Gold Standard for Personal and Professional Excellence and what actually causes success. After 5 years of serious R&D and several million dollars, you might be interested in what we found!
Teaching Through Testing...
Because everything we do is built around our Teaching Through Testing concept, you may choose to get a quick evaluation of each Color as you read along. Just click the Personal Evaluation links below.
These Quick Quizzes provide a beneficial "spot-check" of your performance. Each takes about 2 minutes, and result in a condensed, 2 page evaluation of your score.
What's your actual TQ?
How well do you match up against the Gold Standard of personal and professional excellence? Are you at the top of your game, or at the bottom of the heap? There's only one way to find out. Test your TQ to see!
Our full TQ Test takes about 20 minutes to complete. You might want to set aside some time to take it when you are not distracted or preoccupied. It's free, fun and will cast a much-needed light on the forces currently driving your performance.
Powerful People = Powerful Results...
Which Yields Organizational Success.
Below are the 10 Colors of powerful performance, along with some brief commentary that applies equally to you personally, and your organization. If you think a given area is causing you problems, take the Quick Test for that Color.
If you score less than 7 on two or three different Colors, you are in real trouble. Choose a Color, and take action to improve it now.
Your ENERGY TQ...
Business Case: If the people in your organization have a low ENERGY level—mentally and/or physically— there's no way they can keep up the relentless pace your competition is setting. You need to set the pace, or get out of the race.
Personal Evaluation: What's your Energy TQ Score? Do you have the sustained physical ENERGY level needed to consistently produce outstanding results this year?
Your MISSION TQ...
Business Case: If the people you work with have a weak sense of MISSION, your organization will lack purpose and direction. Rewards go to people who know where they're headed... and have the power to get there fast.
Wake up call: In a recent survey, less than 30% of the people polled say they understand their organization's Mission Statement and how it relates to them personally.
Personal Evaluation: How's your sense of MISSION and purpose right now—high or low? Are you trading the only life you have for things that simply don't matter?
Your ATTITUDE TQ...
Business Case: If your people have a poor attitude, it shows up in everything from product development to customer service. Without a positive and proactive attitude, your organization might as well hang it up, as it's defeated before it even gets started.
Personal Evaluation: What's your Attitude TQ Score? Was your ATTITUDE mostly POSITIVE and optimistic last week? Last month? Last Year?
Your SET GOALS TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to set crystal-clear goals for themselves, their departments won't have a chance to achieve your stated Mission. Worse, they can't connect the dots from your MISSION to your short and long term GOALS.
Warning: In a recent survey, less than 45% said they understand their organization's goals, and even fewer have a shared sense of those goals.
Personal Evaluation: Have you been guided by crystal-clear GOALS so far this year? Are you good at sharing your goals with others?
Your MAKE PLANS TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to make rock-solid plans for key goals, your organization will spin its wheels, going 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction. Good planning eliminates mistakes. Remember, the market pays for results, not mistakes.
Personal Evaluation: Do you have realistic plans to support your major goals this year, both personally and professionally?
Your PRIORITIZE TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to prioritize their actions, there's no way you can honestly say your company is focused on what's most important—because your people have no clue what's more important than something else.
Fact: An organization without focus is a target waiting for the bullet—not an opportunity waiting to happen.
Personal Evaluation: Have you remained focused on your top PRIORITIES this month? Can you correctly separate what's important from the merely urgent?
Your SYNERGIZE TQ...
Business Case: If the people in your organization lack the ability to build teams and create SYNERGY, there's no way to expand and grow your influence. You can't shrink to greatness, nor can your organization become a powerhouse without developing strong strategic alliances.
Teamwork, collaboration and communication skills are key. Hiring lone eagles isn't the mistake. Letting them fly solo is.
Personal Evaluation: Are you a master at creating powerful leverage through interpersonal synergy? Are you seen as a team-builder... or "an army of one"?
Your ORGANIZE TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to organize their work flow, your company will fall victim to a paralysis of inefficiencies. In this economy, you can't pass your inefficiencies on to your customers. They simply won't pay it.
Personal Evaluation: Just how organized are you? Did your ORGANIZATIONAL systems make it harder or easier for you last month?
Your OPTIMIZE TQ...
Business Case: If your people lack the ability to optimize their time, you'll be the big-time looser in this just in time, instant-everything "FedEx" society.
Note: A little too little—a little too late—may have been OK before. Now, it's fatal.
Personal Evaluation: How were your personal clock management skills last month? Did you make every minute matter?
Your ACT NOW TQ...
Business Case: If your people don't take swift action to make things happen, your organization will wonder "what happened" as it is reorganized out of existence.
We're leaving the Information Age and entering the Age of Action. With information overload, only people trained to sort it out and take bold action will survive. Indeed, they will prosper!
Personal Evaluation: Are you action-oriented, or do you frequently find yourself "getting ready to get ready", permitting procrastination to decimate your performance?
FYI: With millions of data points, the average composition of all TQ Scores in our database is only 51.3. This means that, on a scale of 1 to 10, HALF the people we survey ADMIT to significant performance issues!
To put the above numbers in perspective, would you want to work with someone who only had a plan 38% of the time... was organized just 51% of the time... frequently wasted their (and your) time (48%)... frequently had a poor attitude (47%)... and lacked a clear sense of purpose and direction 70% of the time? No, I don't think so!
Conclusion: Improve the TQ of every person in your organization... starting FIRST with YOU!
Please remember this. Organizations are only as POWERFUL as their people permit. Organizations are only as PROFITABLE as their people permit.
It is my considered belief that if your organization's TQ remains under 75 for any length of time, YOU are toast.
Why? Because you lack the results-producing power to take mind-share and market-share away from your competition. You will SHRINK while they will GROW.
Sooner or later, a fierce competitor with high TQ People will not only eat your lunch—you will BE the lunch upon which they dine!
ACTION: Choose one area of your performance—either a dominate strength or limiting weakness—and take action to improve it today.
Full Spectrum Career Power answers the single most important question you face—a question that is now controlling your life:
"What Color is Your Performance?"
http://www.thinktq.com/training/articles/tqs_article.cfm?id=C70ED2A49390F37F65CB03E1E6ED485D
The Power of The Goal.
The Power of The Goal.
The 10 Simple Steps to Setting Crystal-clear Goals...
Make all your dreams real by first identifying and then focusing on specific, tangible targets for what you want.
Survey: Only 25% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: You'll never make a dream real until you have something specific to aim at. There is no way you can plan for -- to say nothing of work toward -- a "better life." You can, however, stipulate a list of conditions that would define a better life. Each of those items can then be made into a precise target you can aim for, and immediately begin to work towards.
So, dream your dreams, then identify specific examples in the real world that best represent the desired qualities of your dream. Once you do this, you'll be well on your way to creating that "better life" you desire.
The Pain: Your dreams don't have a chance of becoming real. Negatives like "Wishful, Nebulous and Passive" start to take their toll on your performance -- quickly moving you away from the success you want.
Maintain at least one clearly defined goal for every major interest and role in your life.
Survey: Less than 3% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: Creating an ideal life, where all of your roles are completely fulfilled, starts with setting clear goals. If you never define what you expect, you will only get what life gives you -- and that may be a whole lot less than what you want.
Why leave things to chance? Every major interest and role in your life deserves its own series of goals. Clearly defined goals for each of your roles provides a rewarding direction -- and an ever-present purpose for each area of your life.
The Pain: Without a goal, there are roles in your life that have no purpose or direction.
Set your goals so they are directly aligned with your life's mission.
Survey: Less than 8% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: Your most powerful and inspiring goals are those that are directly aligned with what you value most. Goals that are aligned with your life's mission are those that bring an ideal personal vision closer to reality. Mission based goals will deliver the greatest sense of pride and satisfaction once accomplished.
You can only do so much in the time you have. Therefore, as you establish your goals, put them to the test: How connected are they to what you value most? If they're not -- change them or choose more "value-able" goals.
The Pain: Your goals lack the purpose and the power to shift your inner-drive into overdrive.
Create goals high enough to ignite your spirit and inspire you to take action.
Survey: Less than 55% say they do this consistently, permitting themselves to dream outside the box. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: If you're not inspired -- every single day -- you need new goals. The higher the goal, the more it will excite and motivate you, day-in-day-out. Plan big. Why set mediocre, minimally acceptable goals when you could set ones that will change your life? Or the world?!
Life's greatest satisfaction comes from attaining goals that you once believed were beyond reach. If most of your goals are forgotten before they're achieved, you clearly need to create more exciting, more stimulating, more intoxicating, more adventurous, more ambitious and more heart-felt goals.
The Pain: You lack both the reason and the desire to achieve your best.
Write down all your goals in specific, measurable detail with declared target dates.
Survey: Less than 11% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: Writing down exactly what you want, and by when, is the first step to success. If you won't commit to writing them down, you'll never do what it takes to reach your goals. Writing your goals in exquisite detail helps define them in your mind -- and provides the exact specifications for what you want to accomplish.
The more desirable qualities you add to the goal, the greater will be your satisfaction when you attain it. Be sure to write SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic and Tangible -- and don't forget a target date. (Because the difference between a dream and a goal is a date!)
The Pain: There is no way you can achieve your goals if they are not crystal-clear. Negatives like "Vague, Uncertain and Uncommitted" will take their toll on your performance.
Absolutely, unconditionally commit to hitting each of your targets.
Survey: Less than 50% say they do this consistently. Take our Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: The best predictor of success is your degree of commitment to your goals. Whenever you set a goal, write out why you're committed to accomplishing it. The "why" is far more important than the "how." Commitment -- sheer passion and will power -- can help overcome any deficiency in time, money or education.
First, make sure each of your goals is worthy of the time and effort necessary to achieve it. Then, make sure each of your goals is getting the absolute, unconditional commitment it deserves.
The Pain: Lacking commitment you have little chance of achieving your most important and rewarding goals. Negatives like "Ambivalent, Lackadaisical and Doubtful" actually move you away from the success you want.
Share your goals with others for mutual accomplishment.
Survey: About 53% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: Nothing is more powerful than a team of people all focused on the same goal. Dare to share your dreams with others. A shared goal is an extremely powerful force -- and a shared cause virtually guarantees success. When your goal benefits a host of other people, motivation and commitment to the goal increases proportionately.
When you align your goals with those of others, you dramatically improve the probability of each person's success.
The Pain: Your results are limited by what you can do alone.
Set a whole series of related daily, weekly and long-term goals, complete with starting times and completion dates.
Survey: Less than 2% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: A series of goals that build upon each other is far more productive than the same number of random goals. First, start by setting a highly compelling destination. Then, set all the intermediary goals that will lead you to this desired location.
By setting a series of concrete objectives, you gain a long-term perspective, and a higher purpose for each daily goal. Once set, your enthusiasm, self-esteem and satisfaction will increase every time you achieve a milestone towards the final long-term goal.
The Pain:You lose sight of your goal when you can't see what to do next.
Take time every day to imagine how terrific it will feel when your goals are actually realized.
Survey: Less than 20% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: It's impossible to keep striving for something for which you no longer have any feelings. The more you stay in touch with the rewarding experience, and positive feelings that each goal delivers, the more motivated and committed you'll be to continue the pursuit.
Each time you get in touch with the emotional benefits your goals produce, you'll feel energized and enthused to continue -- regardless of the distance to the goal. Celebrate your goals every day. Anticipation is half the fun, and most of the motivation for getting there.
The Pain: When passion runs out, determination and commitment is lost.
Take an action step toward the attainment of at least one goal every day.
Survey: Less than 8% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: A goal is something beyond where you are. If you want to get from here to your goal, you must take the steps required to get there. Goals don't just automatically "happen." Obvious? You bet! But if this is obvious, why do so many people set goals then never achieve them?
Goals don't happen on their own. If you want the goal, you have to do the work. This means taking the steps necessary to get there, day-by-day.
The Pain: Your goals die a slow, agonizing death from a lack of attention.
"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." ~ Fitzhugh Dodson
http://www.thinktq.com/training/articles/tqs_article.cfm?id=1364A81D073DBABF7C59DCFA476B864B
The 10 Simple Steps to Setting Crystal-clear Goals...
Make all your dreams real by first identifying and then focusing on specific, tangible targets for what you want.
Survey: Only 25% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: You'll never make a dream real until you have something specific to aim at. There is no way you can plan for -- to say nothing of work toward -- a "better life." You can, however, stipulate a list of conditions that would define a better life. Each of those items can then be made into a precise target you can aim for, and immediately begin to work towards.
So, dream your dreams, then identify specific examples in the real world that best represent the desired qualities of your dream. Once you do this, you'll be well on your way to creating that "better life" you desire.
The Pain: Your dreams don't have a chance of becoming real. Negatives like "Wishful, Nebulous and Passive" start to take their toll on your performance -- quickly moving you away from the success you want.
Maintain at least one clearly defined goal for every major interest and role in your life.
Survey: Less than 3% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: Creating an ideal life, where all of your roles are completely fulfilled, starts with setting clear goals. If you never define what you expect, you will only get what life gives you -- and that may be a whole lot less than what you want.
Why leave things to chance? Every major interest and role in your life deserves its own series of goals. Clearly defined goals for each of your roles provides a rewarding direction -- and an ever-present purpose for each area of your life.
The Pain: Without a goal, there are roles in your life that have no purpose or direction.
Set your goals so they are directly aligned with your life's mission.
Survey: Less than 8% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: Your most powerful and inspiring goals are those that are directly aligned with what you value most. Goals that are aligned with your life's mission are those that bring an ideal personal vision closer to reality. Mission based goals will deliver the greatest sense of pride and satisfaction once accomplished.
You can only do so much in the time you have. Therefore, as you establish your goals, put them to the test: How connected are they to what you value most? If they're not -- change them or choose more "value-able" goals.
The Pain: Your goals lack the purpose and the power to shift your inner-drive into overdrive.
Create goals high enough to ignite your spirit and inspire you to take action.
Survey: Less than 55% say they do this consistently, permitting themselves to dream outside the box. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: If you're not inspired -- every single day -- you need new goals. The higher the goal, the more it will excite and motivate you, day-in-day-out. Plan big. Why set mediocre, minimally acceptable goals when you could set ones that will change your life? Or the world?!
Life's greatest satisfaction comes from attaining goals that you once believed were beyond reach. If most of your goals are forgotten before they're achieved, you clearly need to create more exciting, more stimulating, more intoxicating, more adventurous, more ambitious and more heart-felt goals.
The Pain: You lack both the reason and the desire to achieve your best.
Write down all your goals in specific, measurable detail with declared target dates.
Survey: Less than 11% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: Writing down exactly what you want, and by when, is the first step to success. If you won't commit to writing them down, you'll never do what it takes to reach your goals. Writing your goals in exquisite detail helps define them in your mind -- and provides the exact specifications for what you want to accomplish.
The more desirable qualities you add to the goal, the greater will be your satisfaction when you attain it. Be sure to write SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic and Tangible -- and don't forget a target date. (Because the difference between a dream and a goal is a date!)
The Pain: There is no way you can achieve your goals if they are not crystal-clear. Negatives like "Vague, Uncertain and Uncommitted" will take their toll on your performance.
Absolutely, unconditionally commit to hitting each of your targets.
Survey: Less than 50% say they do this consistently. Take our Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: The best predictor of success is your degree of commitment to your goals. Whenever you set a goal, write out why you're committed to accomplishing it. The "why" is far more important than the "how." Commitment -- sheer passion and will power -- can help overcome any deficiency in time, money or education.
First, make sure each of your goals is worthy of the time and effort necessary to achieve it. Then, make sure each of your goals is getting the absolute, unconditional commitment it deserves.
The Pain: Lacking commitment you have little chance of achieving your most important and rewarding goals. Negatives like "Ambivalent, Lackadaisical and Doubtful" actually move you away from the success you want.
Share your goals with others for mutual accomplishment.
Survey: About 53% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: Nothing is more powerful than a team of people all focused on the same goal. Dare to share your dreams with others. A shared goal is an extremely powerful force -- and a shared cause virtually guarantees success. When your goal benefits a host of other people, motivation and commitment to the goal increases proportionately.
When you align your goals with those of others, you dramatically improve the probability of each person's success.
The Pain: Your results are limited by what you can do alone.
Set a whole series of related daily, weekly and long-term goals, complete with starting times and completion dates.
Survey: Less than 2% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: A series of goals that build upon each other is far more productive than the same number of random goals. First, start by setting a highly compelling destination. Then, set all the intermediary goals that will lead you to this desired location.
By setting a series of concrete objectives, you gain a long-term perspective, and a higher purpose for each daily goal. Once set, your enthusiasm, self-esteem and satisfaction will increase every time you achieve a milestone towards the final long-term goal.
The Pain:You lose sight of your goal when you can't see what to do next.
Take time every day to imagine how terrific it will feel when your goals are actually realized.
Survey: Less than 20% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: It's impossible to keep striving for something for which you no longer have any feelings. The more you stay in touch with the rewarding experience, and positive feelings that each goal delivers, the more motivated and committed you'll be to continue the pursuit.
Each time you get in touch with the emotional benefits your goals produce, you'll feel energized and enthused to continue -- regardless of the distance to the goal. Celebrate your goals every day. Anticipation is half the fun, and most of the motivation for getting there.
The Pain: When passion runs out, determination and commitment is lost.
Take an action step toward the attainment of at least one goal every day.
Survey: Less than 8% say they do this consistently. Take our TQ Set Goals Test to rate yourself...
The Power: A goal is something beyond where you are. If you want to get from here to your goal, you must take the steps required to get there. Goals don't just automatically "happen." Obvious? You bet! But if this is obvious, why do so many people set goals then never achieve them?
Goals don't happen on their own. If you want the goal, you have to do the work. This means taking the steps necessary to get there, day-by-day.
The Pain: Your goals die a slow, agonizing death from a lack of attention.
"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." ~ Fitzhugh Dodson
http://www.thinktq.com/training/articles/tqs_article.cfm?id=1364A81D073DBABF7C59DCFA476B864B
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