Leadership Excellence

Leveraging your most important asset

The talking heads on CNBC and Bloomberg News postulate about what type of economic recovery is in the future. Will it be a V or W or???  In the interim, we find our clients continuing to operate with lean inventories, reducing work hours,laying off employees, and maximizing every sales skill they have.

Some firms are using the medieval times approach..... building larger walls, wider moats, and hiding from the bankers who seem to be omnipresent.  Lots of emphasis on hope and prayer ( I don't underestimate the power of either).

Looking out over the employee landscape of those who have survived the economic downturn, I am always impressed by the thoughtful decisions most firms make.  Those on the payroll are generally individuals with talents which support the current sales base.  Yes, some are retained because of their teamwork attitude and loyalty to the firm.

It's also true, that firms who are flexible and innovative: who get to the marketplace 1st will survive and indeed prosper.  I propose that this is the time to mine the skills and knowledge of that most underutilized human asset- emotional intelligence to foster innovation and best practices.  Too often we pay lip service to team work. 

The development of internal software, new products, new sales ideas, lean manufacturing, advertising, the list of ideas that employees have is endless... it is our responsibility to ask and form task forces with the challenge to succeed.  " Green Shoots" are everywhere if we help employees to look and harvest.

Engaging the work force in creative ways to meet the company"s vision pays dual dividends - rebuilding the financial coffers and re-energizing the work force whose psyche has taken a pounding this last year.

Confrontation vs Combativeness

The educational establishment has long embraced the idea that everyone wins, no one loses.  Examples:  no grades for courses taken:  kindergarten graduation, discouraging games such as dodge ball and tag because they encourage "bullying", the stopping of baseball games after one team is ahead by ten runs, etc etc.   These warm and fuzzy attitudes have their place, until the young ins grow up and enter the work force

Imbued with the win-win philosophy, would be managers have their veins filled with the idea that confrontation is a negative.   Someones feelings will get hurt.  I submit that confrontation can be a positive.  IDeas and performance can be approached directly -- in the full light of day. Honesty prevails... and a sense of trust is established when all the facts are lay ed on the table.  Yes, confrontation can be an effective management tool when used effectively.

Which brings us to combativeness.  Confrontation is not combativeness.  Combativeness is the destruction of another person's ego, self esteem and pride.   The victor wants to take no prisoners.  At its core, the combative manager is a warrior rather than a problem solver.  Short term or long term consequences be dammed-- it is his way or the high way. The combatant style destroys, in the long run the parties involved and the organization.

IN summary, let's hone our confrontation skills as a way to constructively solve problems: and recognize combativeness as a self destructive tactic.

Jay Leno and the art of nonverbal communications

I must admit, upfront being a fan of Jay Leno.  Specifically his " Headlines" and " Jay Walking segments.Being a trainer, one of my leadership segments addresses non verbal communications.  Of all the training videos, etc. on the subject, Leno provided a primer on the subject last evening.

Relaxed, jocular, trivial conversation with Seinfeld, Leno sat back in his chair: was animated, relaxed, and enable Seinfeld to be the focus of attention: to carry out what was obviously a scripted package of humorous lines.  His body language was open and engaging.

On a more serious note, Leno confronted the rapper K West.  Leno Sat on the edge of his chair: sat at a respectful distance from the interviewee, asked incisive questions, and was deliberately engaging. While on the edge of his chair, Leno used the ask and wait technique ( silence, no interruptions, just silence.  Whether the rappers apparent angst was real or an act, who am I to judge?  Yet Leno treated him with respect and dignity while probing in   a venue not suited for an interview of this type.   Leno remained in control, a no small feat .  A lesson for all  leaders when  confronted with difficult discussions.

Get the right driver on the bus

The advice of "Get the right people on the bus" has resonated thourghtout board rooms and recruiting blogs.  Such sage advice.. plus get the wrong people off the bus..  This advice has created a new paradigm  in American business especially as the downturn continues and companies are cutting into the core of their employee roles.

Following the bus metaphor, what happens if we consider the role of the bus driver.   The "right driver" with a well grounded map knowing where s/he is going . Who knows the shortcuts... the safety features: the paved and unpaid roads to success.  Ahh and compare this with the wrong driver who has a vague idea ofwhere to go: how to get there: who controls the heat and air to fit his internal temperature gauge without regard to the passengers(employees) and who favors sapped over safety.

Of course, the metaphors are many.  But the concept of substituting plant managers, division  vice presidents, chief  financial officers etc etc for the bus driver are endless.  It is possible to have the right people on the bus with the wrong driver.  And the results are similar to the bus being driven into a ravine... calamitous.

Focusing on the hiring and training of leaders (bus drivers) is indeed worth considering as we retool and again grow our companies.