Leadership and Management
The angry mob rushed down the street shouting obscenities and waving weapons in the air as they moved forward. The shopkeeper saw the crowd and ran into his shop. He hid in the back hoping the angry crowd would pass. As the noise of the crowd grew faint, the shopkeeper came back out into the street. Suddenly he saw a lone man running towards him in pursuit of the crowd. “Go the other way”, the shopkeeper shouted. “That crowd is angry, you don’t want to follow them”! “I must follow them” replied the lone man, “I am their leader”.
Source Unknown
America’s best run companies serve all of their stakeholders, not just the shareholders. The late Peter Drucker, a professor, consultant, author and longtime Wall Street Journal columnist defined effective management as “dong the right things well”. Recognizing that there are dozens of data points, Drucker evaluated companies on various dimensions of performance: customer satisfaction, employee engagement, employee development, social responsibility, financial strength and innovation. Drucker, long considered the father of modern management, emphasized these factors as comprehensive and focal points for well-managed companies.
How do managers drive effective engagement and development of their stakeholders? The term manager normally refers to someone who is directing the work of others. As we discuss the role of the manager, we need to recognize that managers must manage both down (direct reports / subordinates) and up (boss or upper management). Tools, techniques and process will be examined that facilitate the effective interaction between all levels of the organization.
“The two most important days of your life. The day you were born, and the day you figure out why”………..Mark Twain
Great leaders have a natural talent to lead. Figures such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, George Patton, or Martin Luther King possessed distinctly different traits. Although they were born with special skills, leadership and management skills can be cultivated over time. Understanding the skills required, and self-assessment of your skills and practices, can help you bring out the best in others.
Think of the best-run companies in America. Now, name the leader. Chances are you don’t know. In Good to Great by Jim Collins, he discovered that companies with sustained success over time were not led by high profile individuals with big personalities. Good to Great leaders were first and foremost about the team. When company performance was good, the team got the credit. When problems arose, the leader accepted the responsibility. When asked about his leadership style, Herb Kelleher, co-founder and CEO of Southwest Airlines, stated that “I’m just occupying a place in time. When I’m gone, someone else will occupy this position”. Collins noted that the CEO’s of these great companies shared common traits of personal humility and professional will. Maxwell refers to these as ‘servant leaders”. These leaders strive to put people in a position to be successful.
Tom Kelly managed the Minnesota Twins to two world-series championships: the first in 1987 and the second in 1991. Kelly had a philosophy that was copied by many other coaches in the years to follow. Kelly put people in a position to be successful. If one of his regular players had a poor history against another team or pitcher, Kelly would sit him out in favor of another player who statistically had better performance. Kelly and the team knew it was about the team, not the individual. If the strategy didn’t work, Kelly took the heat. There is no “I” in Team. Kelly was a servant leader.
Like Tom Kelly, successful companies mine their talent and put their employees in a position to be successful. To win, Collins referred to these leaders as “Level 5 Leaders” who put their ego aside and dedicated themselves to building the team. These leaders put people before strategy, applying a philosophy that Collins called “getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus”. Collins concluded that most leaders have vision but without great people working in harmony, sustained success cannot be achieved.
Great leaders have a vision for the business and reinforce that vision routinely (think broken record). People are free to innovate, to take chances, and to make mistakes. They create a culture where “fail fast” is the norm when plans don’t materialize as expected. Defending failure (if we only had ________) and excuse-making doesn’t exist. Great leaders practice honesty, have integrity and set the pace for the organization. They set the example in everything they do for others to follow.
Great leaders understand how to motivate their employees properly. They recognize that fear, desire or obligation can move employees to take action. Desire is the key to empowerment where employees are motivated to achieve the goals of the company.
Leaders set the pace of the company and the company goals but this alone does not create an environment of empowerment. Employees look for someone to follow. What qualities have these great leaders possessed that inspired others to follow them? How does a leader move from “being the boss” to an example, a mentor and someone “I” want to follow? Great leaders work at getting better. They engage in self-assessment and strive to improve themselves via seven fundamental competencies.
1. Communication
Create an environment where others are comfortable sharing thoughts, ideas and concerns. Great leaders listen openly to all viewpointswithout interrupting. Communication includes expressing yourself in writing and speaking, while instilling trust and confidence.
Effective techniques for communication include having an open-door policy and engaging in “management by walking around” (MBWA).
“The single biggest problem of communication is the illusion that it has taken place”. ……George Bernard Shaw
2. Adaptability
This is your ability to manage people based on their needs. Some employees strive under informal management (tell me what to do and let me do it) while others require more structure (short-term goals, regular meetings and routine follow up). Dealing with diverse work styles and environments is quickly recognized by employees. Managing setbacks constructively while anticipating change brings inspiration to others.
An effective technique for adaptability is the 3-5 minute engagement. For example, you are checking in with an employee who is working on a project with an important milestone ahead. You employ the technique of the 3-5 where you:
a) Ask them what they are working on.
b) How is the progress? (Note: this opens the door for your employee to share their current problem.)
c) Listen for solutions. Once someone shares their problems, they are ready to share solutions. Employing your good listening skills, you listen to the various solutions and then comment on each of them.
d) Agree on a course of action. Support your employee by agreeing to the most likely course of action. This may be a derivative of what they initially shared with you, but in most cases, people who know the problem also know the solution. They simply need the motivation to act.
The total time of this engagement is 3-5 minutes. Valuable time where great leaders can encourage creativity, innovation and manage risk-taking.
3. Relationships
Effective leaders create a spirit of teamwork where conflicts are resolved in a spirit of cooperation. Leading teams and consensus building are effective skills for these leaders. Being considerate of other’s feelings with an environment where the freedom to complain doesn’t result in unfair bias promotes relationship building.
Effective techniques are to remain composed during stressful times. When confronted with conflicts within the team, effective leaders keep the focus on the problem and avoid making it personal. “I understand how you feel but let’s keep the focus on the problem” should be the broken record cadence of effective leaders. People may not remember what you said, but they always remember how you made them feel. By focusing on the details of the problem, unfair bias is avoided and tactful comments remembered.
4. Task Management
Collins found that getting the right people on the bus was key for building a successful company. Understanding their skills and talent while applying these appropriately is a strength for great leaders. For example, you have assembled your team to address a problem on a project. Within the team of five, one individual excels at problem solving. They are not the subject matter expert but have a natural talent for organizing problem statements, collecting relevant facts and managing action items and follow up. You have the right people on the bus, but for this exercise this individual should be driving the bus. Great leaders manage the talent of the team based on the situation at hand.
Task management also requires defining and managing the workload. Understanding the capacity of your team and setting appropriate milestones based on clearly defined priorities is a required skillset for task management. Leaders can impact company morale and success factors by avoiding “scope creep” (the constant change in priorities).
Deming referred to effective task management leadership as “constancy of purpose” where great leaders act quickly and competently providinginspiration to all.
5. Production
Great leaders set the pace for the company. Handling problems with assertiveness and making firm, timely decisions is a hallmark of great leaders. Being results oriented, these leaders overcome obstacles and set high standards for others to follow. They are champions in the fight to eliminate bureaucracy inspiring others to do the same. They live the WHY of the company and demand quality and efficiency through the examples they set.
6. Development of Others
Great organizations grow through their people. Great leaders provide opportunity for the growth of their people. Coaching and development of a career path through training programs provides continued skill development and security for your employees. An agenda for the development of others should focus on three areas:
1. Personal Development: What new skills will enhance my performance? What skills can benefit me via continued education?
2. Business: What do I need to learn about our business, our product(s), and our customers in order to facilitate quality decisions?
3. Industry: What do I need to learn about my competitors and / or best practices in my industry?
Great leaders promote a positive environment. By providing timely feedback and objective performance, employees enjoy a “trust bond” with management. A contagious enthusiasm is evident because recognition and the celebration of achievement is common. Recognition should not be limited to the annual employee holiday party.
So what’s the best form of recognition? Simple personal and the showing of respect become powerful acts. Great leaders use please and thank you as part of their vocabulary. Instead of ordering others to do something simple, “please, can you ________?” and “thank you for your effort” show employees that you value them as well as the work they perform. Although public praise sends a message to the company, personal praise provides the highest level of motivation.
For example, send a thank you to the home. Remember a birthday. Recognition that arrives at the employee’s home “moves the family”. The pride demonstrated by Mom, Dad and the kids stimulates the workplace.
Recognition doesn’t have to be expensive. It must be thoughtful and honest. Show appreciation when others give an extra effort or the producers of high-quality work. If you develop those around you, your culture will reflect this.
7. Leadership
Including leadership as a competency may seem obvious, but what qualities of leadership are most important? Most great leaders are mission minded and have strong unwavering conviction for the mission of the company. They are comfortable in their own skin because they engage in personal development applying a philosophy of engagement through understanding themselves and those around them. Tools such as Myers/Briggs Personality Profile, Disc Profile and / or Social Style Index allow them to be consciously competent using the knowledge gained to lead, coach and mentor others.
Great leaders empower their organization through the establishment of BHAG’s (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). History shows that empowerment can be a unifying focal point of effort for all. Think of the Manhattan Project (development of the atomic bomb), Kennedy Moon Mission of the 60’s (put a man on the moon by 1970), or the race for a Covid19 vaccine (Warp Speed Project) of 2020. Each demonstrate the key elements of a BHAG where:
a) a clear finish or end point exists
b) easy to understand or grasp the goal
c) clear and compelling creates motivation and momentum
d) practical: within the area of corporate expertise
BHAG’s should represent the ideology of the company. Great leaders make everyone around them better. They help fulfill their dreams (personal and / or professional), desires and callings. They encourage a diversity of opinions and welcome productive dissent through brutal facts discussions. They know when to lead, when to follow and when to get out of the way. This isn’t to be confused with delegation. Delegation should occur when someone is better qualified to take charge of the project of the moment.
Great leaders are inspirational and create memorable moments through story telling. They are dreamers and openly share their dreams for the future. Building a foundation of trust, they lead by example. They admit mistakes, celebrate achievement and always make time for others.
Leadership can benefit from an “assessment of their performance” by using an survey tool. Contact jruzconsulting@gmail.com for more information on assessment tools.
Emotional IQ
Absent from the summary of leadership competencies is any reference to IQ. This is not intended to diminish the importance of intelligence in leadership but to emphasize the value of the other competencies when leading a team and when leading an organization.
Great leaders distinguish themselves through a high degree of what has come to be called “emotional intelligence” (EI). Factors of EI include self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. Daniel Goleman[1] in his book titled Emotional Intelligence, found that EI was twice as important as other skills at all levels of jobs.
Goleman further defined EI by gender. For men, he found that they are socially poised, outgoing and cheerful, not prone to fearfulness or worried rumination. They have a notable capacity for commitment to people or causes, for taking responsibility and for having an ethical outlook. They are sympathetic and caring in their relationships. They are comfortable with themselves, others and the social universe they live in.
Women with high EI tend to be assertive and express their feelings directly and feel positive about themselves. Life holds meaning for them. They are also outgoing, gregarious and express their feelings appropriately (rather than in outbursts they would later regret). They adapt well to stress. Their social poise lets them easily reach out to new people. They are comfortable enough with themselves to be playful, spontaneous and they rarely feel anxious or guilty or sink into rumination.
Understanding Your Emotional IQ
There are various components of EI including: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. Goleman[2] discussed each component where self-awareness is knowing and controlling one’s emotions. You have a heightened sensitivity of your strengths, weaknesses, internal drive (ambition), values and goals. You also understand the power of your position and the impact you can make on others. Those with a strong sense of self-awareness seek feedback on their actions and constructive criticism. Using humor to reference their weaknesses where in reality they have a high degree of self-confidence.
Example: A leader (manager) is part of a team working on a project. Having accepted an assignment with a future deliverable, the manager knows that he (she) has a tendency to wait for the last minute to get the work done, causing stress to himself and those around him. His self-awareness causes him to complete the task early and deliver it to the team well in advance of the due date. In addition to alleviating the stress around him, he has set a good example for others to follow.
Self-regulation is the ability to control our emotions and avoid outbursts. Leaders often face a “sky is falling” situation. Self-regulation is your ability to avoid emotional responses and maintain control of any impulse.
Example: A serious problem suddenly arises in the business. An employee first becomes aware of the problem and shares it with his (her) colleagues. This initiates a discussion / debate between the employees. Who tells the manager? Why the debate? The employees are aware that the manager will look at who’s responsible or who’s to blame. Their job may be at risk. The manager is a “kill the messenger” manager who doesn’t have emotional control. Their impulse is to assign blame, not solve the problem.
Compare this to the manager who listens to the employee with the intent to assess the problem and “manage” it through an evaluation of corrective action. This manager considers the impact, the reasons for the problem and acts as a mentor to the group.
Self-regulation is a component of trust and comfort. Employees don’t fear sharing the brutal facts with their manager, their leader.
Motivation or the demonstration of passion for the work is another component of EI. Passionate leaders are up for the challenges they face in the business. These leaders are consistent and clear on their messaging and displaying an unwavering energy to improve and move the organization forward. They seek to learn from the mistakes of others and they welcome competition. In the face of failures, they accept the responsibility of the failure and remain optimistic for the future.
Example: A company sees its sales decline because of a new technology offered by a competitor. The leader recognizes that the company was not pro-active in advancing its product portfolio to negate the threat. The leader mobilizes the employees, setting priorities and dedicating resources to react to the threat in record time. This “moon shot” results in a teaching moment for the leader who demonstrated his conviction for the challenge and motivated those around him for the sake of achievement.
For decades after WWII, we have heard the names of great leaders: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Montgomery, etc. These men inspired and motivated their troops beyond the belief of any individual under them. William Tecumseh Sherman wrote: there is a soul to an army as well as to the individual man, and no general can accomplish the full work of his army unless he commands the soul of his men as well as their bodies and legs.
To paraphrase Sherman: “there is a soul to a company as well as the individuals there, and no leader can accomplish the full work of the company unless he can inspire the soul of his staff as well as their mind and spirit”.
Empathy is a component of EI where the leader has a natural consideration for the feelings of others. Putting themselves in their employee’s shoes allows them to view the work and the decisions made through a different lens. Recognizing that cultural differences can affect the view of the work, these leaders embrace “big picture thinking” in order to emphasize the singular nature of the work.
Employees react strongly to this and see these leaders as mentors who seek to develop them. By focusing on the ideology of the company and demonstrating their consideration of other’s feelings, these leaders retain their talent. People want to work for them (with them). They easily attract new talent.
Social skills are the last key component of EI. The leader’s ability to affect through likeability allows them to manage relationships for the purpose of moving people in a direction. Likeability doesn’t refer to friendliness but emphasizes the qualities of the individual to be admired. What example do they set? What values do they portray?
Social skills are essential for bringing people together to function as a team. Leading diverse personalities with complex skills requires persuasiveness, and extensive networking throughout the course of the project. Your ability to respect individual work styles and avoid the necessity of “compatible work styles” can allow the team to benefit from unique talents.
Example: A leader realizes that a new technology will evolve in his industry, but the cost of the technology and effect is large. He realizes that by teaming with a competitor for the technology, both companies can avoid redundant work but still differentiate their products in the marketplace. His past networking allows him to approach the competitor and secure an agreement to work together. His standing with his staff, where he has inspired trust and confidence, allows his team to effectively collaborate with a competitor on a joint effort.
This example is intended to illustrate the value of relationship building inside and outside your company. Competitors are in for the competition. They are not the enemy. Good competition raises the level for everyone. Strong social skills allow the collaboration of diverse individuals.
[1] Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
[2] What Makes a Leader, Daniel Goleman
Contact us to discuss an assessment of your management team.
Communication
How are we doing? Management wakes up every day and answers this question. Are we meeting our plan? What headwinds are we facing? Do we have the talent and resources to succeed? Employees have the same questions.
Management and employees are all stakeholders in the company. They share areas of common interest: growth, survival and security. The company wants to grow. Employees want career opportunity and growth. The company wants to survive. Employees want to survive the challenges they face in the workplace. The company wants security in the market so it can withstand the challenges of the market. Employees want security in their job. Security that gives them the confidence to make personal and financial commitments for their family.
Communication is the key to finding “true north”. Stephen Covey in his book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People”, illustrated a key point of leadership and communication.
A leader took his army into the jungle with the task to cut a path to “true north”. Armed with machetes, the army worked for hours cutting deep into the jungle. Suddenly the leader questioned the task and what they were doing. Are we in the right jungle? Are we going the right way? He found the tallest tree and climbed to the top to observe the work. He looked around and discovered that they were in the wrong jungle, going the wrong way.
The moral of the story is, find true north for your company and communicate clearly and often to your employees. Failure to do so may result in your employees working hard, on the wrong things. They don’t know the priorities. They don’t understand where “true north” lies.
Companies where management doesn’t believe in being honest with their employees may struggle. These leaders believe employees can’t handle “bad news”. This is simply wrong. We hire adults and adults can handle the truth. Clearly stated, are your employees part of the problem or part of the solution? Every company has a news cycle. It’s what people hear, feel or see. Your employees will discuss the performance of the company and look for clues to cement their beliefs. If you control the message, you will control the news cycle. Give your employees the right topics to share with one another and you will see that their behavior and efforts enhance the needs of the company.
The key factors of effective communication are:
1. Engage in brutal facts discussions.
2. Be a broken record.
3. Share company performance.
Brutal Facts Discussions
In his book, “Good to Great”, Jim Collins et al examined the question of “what is the difference between companies that have consistent long-term success and those that don’t”. Collins found a number of factors associated with long-term success, but a theme was the ability of these companies to develop a culture where the practice of brutal-facts discussions was common. We’ve all experienced situations where the best laid plans failed...miserably. This is where management takes out their book of excuses: bad input from marketing, too expensive, poor delivery, poor quality, too much competition, etc. Management “teaches” the company to participate in playing the blame game.
Management that views their company through the lens of examining the brutal facts will deal with set-backs differently. They will create positive momentum by understanding the problem or failure and dealing with it. This provides inspiration for the workforce. Employees will be more willing to share their perspective. What environment would you prefer? An environment where you can speak openly and honestly or an environment where you “couch” your comments. The later occurs where management is known to play the blame game or “kill the messenger”.
Collins illustrated his point on brutal-facts discussions by detailing his interview with Admiral Stockdale. A decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, Admiral Stockdale spent over seven years in the Hanoi Hilton prison. Despite spending most of this time in solitary confinement, Stockdale survived. Many others did not. Collins asked Stockdale why? What was the difference between those that survived and those that perished? Stockdale’s answer was simple. “Those of us who survived knew we were in prison. We knew we had to deal with it every day, day by day. We saw it as a brutal fact. Those that didn’t survive died from lost hope. They would think of the calendar and tell themselves, we will be out by Easter. Easter would come and go. We will be out by Thanksgiving. This day would come and go, and they were still there. We will be out by Christmas. Christmas would come and they would still be there. With each passing day, they would lose hope. They gave up and died from lost hope. Those of us who woke up every day and said we are in prison, dealt with it, and survived in spite of the brutality.” This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
Collins found that companies who were most successful behaved in a similar manner. Management created a culture where problems were acknowledged and dealing with them head on created an environment where brutal-facts discussions were welcomed. Employees often have diverse views on the activities of a company. Sharing via brutal-facts discussions facilitates open dialogue. Getting to the essence of a problem by separating the “I know” from the “I feel” is productive. These discussions can help avoid personal attacks. I have found that the best way to promote this in your environment is to coach your employees to start with “the brutal facts as I see them are …….”. This helps maintain a discussion versus managing emotional conflicting views on a subject.
‘Broken Record’ is a technique that must be used for best practices management. One of Demings’ tenents for management was constancy of purpose. Management must continuously communicate and reinforce the key message(s) of the company. You will often get tired of repeating your message….but don’t! Constancy of purpose means that you must continuously communicate goals, priorities, issues and performance (progress) of the company. Survey any company and ask the employees what they want more of and you will find communication at the top of the list. (Note: pay and benefits are always top of the list). Your employees want more communication from management. Give it to them. Be a broken record with your message. Feed your corporate “news cycle”. Give them the right subjects to talk about. Be honest in your communication.
Take away point:
Constancy of purpose means that you shouldn’t get tired of your own message. Be a broken record. State it, repeat it, and reinforce it……often.