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I came across an interesting Harvard Business Review article “How Successful Leaders Think” which really resonated with me. The author Roger Martin makes the following point concerning leadership:

“But this focus on what a leader does is misplaced. That’s because moves that work in one context often make no sense in another, even at the same company or within the same experience of a single leader….. Trying to learn from what Jack Welch did invites confusion and incoherence, because he pursued - wisely, I might add - diametrically opposed courses at different points in his career and in GE’s history… So where do we look for lessons? A more productive, though more difficult approach is to focus on how a leader thinks - that is, to examine the antecedent of doing, or the way in which leaders’ cognitive processes produce their actions.”

The point made my Roger really hit me between the eyes. Leadership starts with how we think and ends in the actions which arise from those thoughts. We need to learn the principles and attitudes from other successful leaders, rather than blindly copying their actions and behaviours.

• Learn the Principles: Copying the ten quick steps to casting vision by following the action of a successful leader does not work. Gaining insight into the thinking and principles that underpins a leaders actions is what’s most important. Leadership principles can be understood and adapted and used to guide effective action to meet the local situation.
• Learn the Attitudes: Leadership begins with the decision to lead, it’s a choice we make…. or fail to make. Once we’ve make the decision to lead, we need to start developing the attitudes and thinking that define leaders. The decision to create a meaningful purpose and vision, decisions motivated by a passion and energy to be the change you wish to see in the world, and the decision to be committed and to persevere to see it through.

Could it be that leadership is lacking because we fail to do the hard work of learning to think? With limited time for meaningful reflection and deep thinking, it’s no wonder we are increasingly finding a lack of leadership. How about in your personal life? Do you set aside sufficient time to think? How is this affecting your leadership? Are you learning the principles and attitude of other successful leaders? Are you learning to think like a leader?

Technorati Tags: Think, Thinking, Reflection, Leadership, Leadership Development, Management, Harvard, Execution

Talent Management has a great article “In With the New: Leader Dos and Don’ts” that provides some tips of leaders who are transitioning to a higher leadership challenge, from team member to team leader, from manager to senior manager, from senior manager to director. All of these transitions place a higher demand on our leadership capability.

1. Don’t step into the old leader’s shoes. “‘I think there’s often a temptation to try to emulate the persona of the person who was leaving, [and] that’s particularly difficult if the person was a very well-liked leader,’ Lash said. ‘You have to be very careful not to run a popularity contest with your predecessor or be overly concerned with making the same kind of mistakes that your predecessor made.”‘
2. Stand up for what you believe in. “‘A leader demonstrates values, beliefs and behaviors that other people aspire to,’ Lash said. “In order to be able to do that, the first thing that you need to do is to be very clear about what you stand for.‘”
3. The great pretender. “Whenever you delve into new territory, there’s the fear of being ill prepared and unequipped — it’s only natural. ‘Everybody feels a bit of that imposter phenomenon,’ Lash said. ‘The reality is that the majority of leaders feel that they don’t know what they’re doing.’ … But the difference between the leaders who succeed and those who don’t is how they deal with that anxiety”
4. Listen and learn. “In the first 30 days of office, new leaders need to spend an enormous amount of time figuring out where they will get the data they need to make good decisions, and much of that involves listening to others and keeping an objective and open mind, Lash said. ‘The worst thing a new leader can do is be so consumed with taking action that they don’t take the time to listen,’ he said…. While the tendency might be to prejudge people or speak only to other executives, new leaders need to get down into the trenches and listen to as many perspectives as possible, Lash said. And while obtaining hard data is important, it’s having the soft data — the perceptions, attitudes and emotional underpinnings of the company — that allow a leader to excel.”
5. Seek advice. “New leaders get to where they are because they are competent high potentials who are widely esteemed in the organization. But sometimes living up to that reputation can force self-reliance, Lash said. ‘What you end up doing is you try to protect that trait or that image at all costs,’ he said. “You tend not to reach out to others; you tend to try to solve all the problems yourself. And you somehow assume that if you don’t know something that you’ll just have to figure it out because you certainly can’t go to other people…. The best leaders, however, recognize and acknowledge their weaknesses and seek out trusted advisers to help them”

Leadership transitions are always challenging, causing us to stretch a grow. Whilst leadership transitions are exciting, they are risky and need to be managed carefully. These tips provide a great starting place for preparing for a leadership transition.

Technorati Tags: Leadership, Transition, Leadership Development, Management, Business, Plan, Growth, 90 Days

Striving towards a vision and bringing about successful change is one of the hallmarks of leadership. However, vision equals change and change is often accompanied by conflict and tensions within and between teams. The leaders ability to effectively resolve this conflict and get people to move forward, acting to bring the vision into today is the result of great leadership. Unless we learn to productively deal with conflict, our change efforts will result in failure. One of the best tools to help with resolving conflict is the art of balancing advocacy and inquiry. What do we mean by advocacy and inquiry?

• Advocacy: is about how ideas are presented and explained. It’s primarily, one-way communication. When communication is one-way it becomes difficult for the the listener to understand the reasoning which supports the ideas being presented. This makes it unlikely, that people will commit themselves to any meaningful course of action. Before people will commit to a course of action they need to understand the reasoning behind the ideas. Advocacy is about making your point, taking a stand in an attempt to influence others, supporting your viewpoint with a relational argument, whilst remaining open to alternative views.
• Inquiry: is about how questions are raised and answered. Inquiry allows people to inquire into one another’s reasoning and understand the conclusion they have reached. Inquiry help us to understand what others are thinking and the reasoning behind their viewpoints.

Advocacy alone is insufficient. Likewise, inquiry alone is insufficient. Without a balance, people do not commit to action, they remain neutral. Learning to balance advocacy and inquiry increases likelihood that others will commit to take action. To gain a better understanding of the differences between advocacy and inquiry the following matrix, illustrated below, which I have adapted from “The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook” provides a great overview of the various ways of dealing with conflict.

The above matrix shows that their are dysfunctional forms of advocacy (politicking and dictating) and inquiry (withdrawing and interrogating) which we need to be careful to avoid.

How to balance advocacy and inquiry

It’s important to understand when to use advocacy and when to use inquiry. Mark Gerzon in his book “Leading Through Conflict” provides the following guidelines to help leaders in combining these two very different styles:

“The general rule is this: inquiry precedes advocacy. If you (1) are uncertain about having reliable, complete information; (2) have not yet engaged all the relevant stakeholders; and (3) doubt that you have sufficient votes, power or other support to put your plan into action, then it is time for inquiry not advocacy. However, if you (1) have access to all the necessary information, (2) have obtained input from all the necessary people, and (3) have mapped a clear road to implementing a viable plan, then go ahead. Advocate your ’solution’ to the issue or conflict, and begin to rally everyone behind you.”

Balancing advocacy and inquiry enables constructive two-way communication and learning. “I state my views, I inquire into your views, and I invite you to state your views and I inquire into your views.”

When balancing advocacy and inquiry we expose our reasoning and encourage others to challenge and probe our argument. Having a viewpoint is important as much as being open to learning about the viewpoints of others. Some useful tips for improving advocacy and inquiry from “The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook” includes:

• State your views providing the assumptions and data you used that led to your view.  - “Here’s what I think and how I got there”
• Always seek to make your reasoning explicit. - “I came to this conclusion because….”
• Keep your viewpoint in context, what’s your purpose, who will be affected, how and why.
• Provide concrete examples. - “To get a clearer picture as to what I am talking about imagine you’re…”
• Encourage others to explore your thinking, assumptions and data without becoming defensive. - “What do you think about what I have just said?… What can you add?”
• Ask other to explain their thought process without interrogating or making people defensive. - “How did you arrive at this view?”
• Ask questions that help to gain insight into why people have the views that they do. - “Can you help me understand your thinking here?”
• Explain how your questions help to clarify you concerns and assumptions.
• Test what others are saying by asking or examples.
• When advocating, keep listening, remaining open to different viewpoints.

Leaders often make the mistake of relying too much on advocacy to get their message across. Time pressures also make it more likely that leaders default to as means of getting commitment to their vision and to drive action. Usually leaders want to be the first to provide answers and they push their views too strongly, not leaving enough room for discussion and debate. How about you? This month why not try to balance advocacy and inquiry in your conversions, you’ll be amazed at the results.

Technorati Tags: Conflict, Communication, Advocacy, Inquiry, Meetings, Collaboration, Relating, Politics, Leadership, Management, Business

“Take my 20 best people, and virtually overnight, Microsoft becomes a mediocre company.” - Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates

Great leaders are always of the lookout for talent and recognise the contribution and importance of other people in their success. Talent Management has a great article titled “Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials?” discussing the 2007 Talent Pulse study by global HR consultancy Hewitt Associates. The study surveyed and interviewed nearly 750 high potentials and their managers in seven Fortune 500 companies. The research identified the following six key motivators that drive the performance and engagement of high potentials:

• Motivator No. 1: Job Fulfillment/Challenge: “High potentials are most driven to work on projects they consider challenging, intellectually stimulating or strategically impactful….. Underutilization frustrates them.”
• Motivator No. 2: Total Compensation: “…Hewitt found achievement-driven high potentials place great value on how much money they make…. Talented employees expect their pay to accurately reflect their level of contribution, personal effort and to differentiate them from average performers. For them, total compensation also serves as tangible proof they have accomplished, if not exceeded, their goals.”
• Motivator No. 3: Opportunities for Advancement: “High-potential employees continually feel the need for upward mobility. They recognize that progression goes hand in hand with development, learning new skills and having new experiences, and they expect a steady stream of opportunities in the near term, not years down the road.”
• Motivator No. 4: Good Work-Life Balance: “According to high potentials, a good work-life balance includes much more than simply the number of hours logged at work. It extends to the amount of travel required, the extent of sacrifice of personal life for professional success and the degree of flexibility in terms of how and when their work gets done. There is a constant struggle between maintaining quality of life with the drive to achieve, an aspiration that frequently results in a highly demanding and stressful work schedule…. The message to leadership is: ‘Honor and respect work-life balance; give us a chance to breathe.’”
• Motivator No. 5: Being Linked to Business Results: “Top performers want to play a key role in the organization. They want projects that yield high impact on the business. High potentials yearn to understand how their efforts contribute to the success of the business and its customers.”
• Motivator No. 6: Integrity: “Still affected by the corporate governance scandals that have plagued big business in recent years, high potentials said they want no part of any organization that even hints of acting in an unethical fashion. Their rationale is simple: If they are expected to throw their heads, hearts and souls into their work, the company’s leaders should be willing to be open and transparent about their conduct.”

It’s the responsibility of leaders to create an environment where people can grow and develop to reach their full potential. The growth and development of people does not just happen, it requires focused attention and constant effort. The key drivers listed above provide a great start for those leaders wanting to create an environment to retain their top talent. Consider the above six drivers:

• Rate how well you are doing on each of the drivers on a scale from 1 to 10?
• Ask some of your top performers to do the same.
• Compare the results.
• What changes do you need to make?

Technorati Tags: Talent, Growth, Leadership Development, Engagement, Retention, Research, Leadership, Management, Business

Dr. Randy Pausch a professor at the Carnegie Mellon University in the USA gave an inspiring presentation and his “Last Lecture”. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the pancreas and in August 2006 was told that he had 6 months to live. He then began working on his “Last lecture” which has subsequently inspired many people around the world and been translated into seven languages. This lecture is worth watching.

The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

More information regarding Randy Pausch can be found by visiting www.TheLastLecture.com

Technorati Tags: Last Lecture, Presentation, Communication, Inspiration, Dream, Vision, Purpose, Randy Pausch, Leadership, Personal Leadership, Management, Passion

To be effective it’s necessary for leaders to separate strategy from planning, separating the why and what from the how. This is necessary simply because strategy and planning require two different thinking styles which are not complementary. As highlighted in a post on management-Issues:

“Ever been in a strategy meeting where everybody was focusing on the how instead of the what? The main problem with that is strategy meetings are for discussing strategy (the what), not tactics (the how)…..”

Organisations need a strategy and a robust plan to support that strategy. Strategy helps to guide an organisations decision making and planning describe the details required to help navigate the journey. In the post the authors suggest the following three questions as a useful way of keeping strategic discussions productive:

• What results do you want? A certain percent of market share? “X” number of dollars in sales? “X” amount of increased profits? First things first: Identify the end results you want and don’t talk about anything else until you do. Be specific. What percentage of market share? How many dollars? How much profit?
• What must you do to achieve those results? You’re on a roll, keep brainstorming! Here are more examples: Need to identify demographics of widget buyers. Need to check trends and make widgets in colors that are currently fashionable. Must identify the reasons why people avoid buying widgets and find ways to address those issues. Need to explore marketing our widgets in partnership with a complementary product, etc. etc.
• What knowledge, skills, or attitudes must we acquire to do those things? … This question focuses on what you need to learn or be concerned about.

Trying to discuss planning or operational issues in strategic meeting leader to poor results. Wise leaders always separate strategic conversations from planning and operations. Do you have a social architecture that effectively separate these two conversations in your organisation or teams?

Technorati Tags: Meetings, Communication, Strategy, Conversation, Social Architecture, Leadership, Planning

Stever Robbins in the article “Productivity Means Working Smarter, Not Longer” provides some helpful tips on working smarter, not harder.

“Working smart means getting the same results in less time. To do that, you must change how you work. You’ll get the most by changing your speed, increasing focus, and organizing to do things in parallel.”

1. Increase focus: “….Another way to work smarter is by distinguishing busy from productive. Oh, we’re busy, and we feel productive, but we’re only productive if we’re producing the results that are most important to moving the company forward. … E-mail is a great way to waste time feeling productive. And we get so much of it, so surely those two hours a day reading and replying is time well spent. But if you spend two hours of an eight-hour workday on e-mail, that’s 25 percent of your time. Unless that 25 percent of your time is producing at least 25 percent of your total income, it’s a low-value-added activity, no matter how many one-shot, ad hoc contracts you get that way…. The same applies to any activity. The 80/20 rule says that 80 percent of your results come from just 20 percent of your efforts…. you’ll find most of your output comes from a few of your tasks. So what? Well, look at the math. If you double the time you spend on real-output-producing activities and stop doing the others, you’ll double your output and spend 60 percent less time!”
2. Say no: ” …Most of us take on more than we can handle. …. Once you’re concentrating on your high-output work, you can get another boost by streamlining…. If someone proposes a project that will fall in 80 percent-work-for-20 percent-results category, just say ‘no.’ Face facts, my friend: There’s a limit to how much you can do. You can manage that limit and do things well, or you can ignore the limit and do a lousy job on everything. The choice is yours.”
3. Work in parallel, but don’t multitask: “When you multitask, you do many things at once. Bad idea. But you can find ways to arrange work so many things are happening at once. Good idea. If you are collaborating on a report and writing a marketing plan, you could write the plan and then work on the report. But look closely! Your colleague must review the report. So first draft your report and send it to your colleague. While she’s reviewing, you get to work on the marketing plan. Work moves forward on both at the same time.”

How productively are you using your time? Are you focused enough? Are you saying no? Are you doing work in parallel?

Technorati Tags: GTD, Productivity, Getting Things Done, Leadership, Personal Leadership, Time Management, Management

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