The Leadership Academy

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

The Biggest Leadership Problem Of All

If there is a one clear primary function and responsibility of authentic leaders, it is the job of minimizing, avoiding and eliminating “problems”.

While problem solving is a prerequisite core competency of leadership at every level of your organization, the biggest problem facing the vast majority of leaders … Is their glaring inadequacy when it comes to problem solving.

If you have yet to grasp the true magnitude of the problem solving “problem”, I would ask you to cite any type of leadership challenge that you have previously or currently face. Each and every leadership challenge ultimately comes down to a problem solving issue. No ifs … No ands … No buts.

Leadership issues that pertain to organizational culture, planning, human resources, talent acquisition, talent retention, day to day operations, fiscal management and every other matter of business … Are in the end, problems to be “solved”.

While you would fully expect leaders in mass to be talented and adept problem solvers, the overwhelming fact is that they are not. Competent problem solvers are fast becoming a rare breed of leaders. Although each leadership situation demands a very real solution, all too many leaders opt for the less than ideal solution which is both obvious and expedient.

To become an accomplished problem solver, your organization’s leaders must commit to the rigorous work of creating a highly engaging work environment and structural process for the development of exceptional solutions.

Sadly, all to many leaders aren’t even aware that they have a problem solving problem until their organizational cultures have become toxic, productivity impaired and highly negative. As an authentic leader, you need to become acutely aware that without exception … Every decision that you execute has potential “consequences”.

Moreover, your organization, your people and the customers that you serve are destined to bear the long term consequences of ineffective problem solving and poor decision making on the part of your leadership team.

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Focusing On What Can Go Right In 2017

Happy New Year!

As you and your organization again turn the proverbial page on your desk calendar to January, just how prepared are you and your people to have unprecedented success in 2017?

This is a particularly valid question to pose, especially when you consider that researchers state that only 8% of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions. It is a valid question simply because it begets the real question, which is … With such a small fractional number of individual people truly “living up to” their personal resolutions, how then can organizational leaders who are unsuccessful when it comes to their own New Year’s resolutions (goals) be in a viable position to successfully achieve your organization’s goals throughout the coming year?

Effectually stated, the analogies and actions simply don’t align. If an individual is proven incapable in one arena, he or she is clearly not going to be any more successful when required to perform at a higher-level endeavor.

This principle holds true because it has been proven time and again that “most people will focus on what is destined to go wrong … Rather than on what might possibly go right.”

During the course of facilitating our leadership development programs, I am on occasion questioned about the validity of this ascertain. My typical response is that given the understanding that any endeavor in life first requires a balanced approach, and then applying a football genre, will you be more successful if you have a “defense” mentality or an “offense” mentality?

Whatever the game of life or business may be … you ultimately have to put the numbers on the board.

So, let’s take a few moments to move from practical theory and analogy to a real-world example of that to which I speak. Ever since the dawn of our country’s space program, every time a scheduled mission takes place, our astronauts have undergone hundreds and hundreds of simulated launches, landings and every scenario in between launch and touchdown. Literally every aspect of the mission has been rigorously rehearsed and drilled to perfection.

During an interview, Veteran Astronaut Ron Garan openly shared that even with all of the time that was allocated to advance planning, technology and meticulous training that far more time was devoted to “what could go wrong” and cause the mission to fail.

There is perhaps no better story about being concerned about what could go wrong, than the story pertaining to space pioneer John Glenn. Following his recent death in December 2016, it was disclosed that following his monumental space flight in 1962, that President John Kennedy was so concerned about the well-being and preservation of the nation’s newest hero that he vetoed the return of John Glenn back into space.

Virtually every entrepreneur, business executive, organization or individual that has ever achieved a meaningful degree of success will emphatically state that their success would have never happened if they hadn’t been willing to take some “risks”.

Every arena of life is fraught with the potential for something to go wrong. Most successful people will also tell you that had they not also learned from their previous failures how to become successful, they would never have made it. As basketball legend Michael Jordan stated, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

If your organization and its people are going to experience unprecedented success in 2017, then it is imperative for you to focus on what can go right while having a balanced approach in planning the organization’s goals that like NASA, includes the upfront identification of potential hurdles, obstacles and setbacks that you and your people could encounter.

As legendary radio personality Casey Kasem always said as he signed off at the end of each show, “Keep your feet on the ground … and keep reaching for the stars.”

Balancing clear goals with appropriate contingency plans will keep your organization focused on what can go right in 2017!

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Are Your People Living Your Organization's Mission?

The preeminent responsibility of leadership in any municipality, governmental agency, industrial company or business organization is to craft a crystal clear vision and mission that is subsequently lived out each and every business day.

While your organization’s mission statement may be elegantly framed and bear a prominent placement on a wall in the executive office suite … Do the people in your organization actually understand what the organizational mission is? And do they know how to “live” it out on a daily basis?

Simply stated, do they understand their role in the mission and how to implement it?

Take a moment to carefully consider the following mission statement from a top Fortune 100 company:

Conoco-Phillips (a leading international petroleum company)

Mission: “As one of the largest publically held energy companies, our mission is to increase supplies to consumers through actions and investments that simultaneously build value for our shareholders.”

If you were an employee of Conoco-Phillips, you would no doubt find yourself hard pressed to understand in your specific job role “how” you personally make a valuable contribution toward the achievement and fulfillment of the company’s mission.

More than likely, you are going to have the distinct impression that your job is nothing more than to make money for the shareholders. So much for answering the question of every employee on the payroll… “What’s In It For Me?” (WIIFM)

As an employee, you might also be asking what “actions” am I supposed to take?

In stark contrast, consider the straight forward mission statement of Liberty Tax Service which is experiencing rapid growth and fully expects to overtake H&R Block as the #1 U.S. tax service by the year 2020.

Mission: “Set the standard. Improve every day. Have some fun.”

As an employee, understanding how you directly contribute to the fulfillment of the Liberty Tax mission, company success and personal success is fairly easy to grasp:

Set the standard. Know what you as an individual employee are capable of doing.

Improve every day. Continue to learn and improve, then set your own performance expectations a little higher every day.

Have some fun. Enjoy your work and the people that you work with.

It is certainly not difficult to understand which organization is going to have happier workers that are more engaged and more productive, while experiencing increased employee loyalty and retention.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of organizations worldwide regardless of their business classification or size, invariably craft mission statements that are wordy, vague, complex or overly ingratiating.

Of the Fortune Global 100 companies, perhaps the best mission statement of the lot comes from #27 Daimler Benz (Mercedes) which simply states its company mission is “To produce cars and trucks that people want to buy, will enjoy driving and will want to buy again.”

If your management team and front line workers are struggling to achieve your organization’s mission and goals, and your organization is experiencing continued employee turnover and lack of employee engagement...

Then you may have to look square into the organizational mirror and ask the prerequisite question… Are we merely advertising our mission as a statement or are we “living” it out every business day?

If you need assistance in bringing your organization’s vision, mission and people to life, we’re here to help.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

The Greatest Lesson He Ever Learned

Early in the burgeoning 20^th century, Bethlehem Steel Corporation CEO Charles Schwab had the occasion to converse with a management consultant who inferred that Schwab’s people needed to gain more knowledge about managing.

In response to the consultant’s remarks, Charles Schwab responded with the now famous statement “What we need around here is not more knowing, but more doing! If you will help us to do the things we already know we ought to do, I’ll gladly pay you anything you ask!”

Without the slightest hesitation, the management consultant immediately agreed to accept Charles Schwab’s challenge and then proceeded to assert that “In 20 minutes, I’ll show you how to get your organization to do at least 50% more.”

The advice which the consultant then provided to Charles Schwab was to do the following:

● Write down and prioritize your 5 most important tasks to complete in the next business day.

● Put the list in your pocket until tomorrow when you will take it out and start working on priority number one.

● Look at that priority every 15 minutes until it’s done.

● Then move on to the next priority and then the next one after that.

● Don’t be concerned if you only finish two or three or even one because you will be working on the most important things.

It is important to comprehend that as CEO of Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Charles Schwab was handsomely compensated by Andrew Carnegie for his expertise and leadership abilities at the rate of one million dollars a year.

Subsequent to receiving the consultant’s advice, Charles Schwab stated that “this was the most profitable lesson he had ever learned.”

What exactly was this highly valuable lesson you ask? It was simply this:

The organization whether small or large that understands and executes on the power of focusing on priorities will progress and succeed.

CEO Schwab rewarded the management consultant with $25,000 for this sterling advice, which in the early 1900’s was a huge sum of money. Even more so, when you consider that it was for just a few short minutes of advice.

As timely as the advice given to CEO Schwab was over a century ago, it remains so to this very day.

The ability to appropriately identify and execute top priorities remains a core competency of 21^st century leaders. To this end, one of the key components which we teach in our premier leadership programs and workshops is that “Leadership is WAR”. Employing the W.A.R. analogy in the everyday business activities of your company or municipality is certain to help your organization and your people to accomplish more.

Work on the right priorities.

Achieve the right goals.

Remove the barriers that are impeding your progress.

While there are an immense number of focus points that your organization could choose to focus on in both present and future tense, the critical mass of potential success in business, industry and government rests with your organization’s ability to effectively wage W.A.R.

As your valued resource partner, we stand ready to assist your organization, its leadership and your people to both wage W.A.R., while assisting them to… Learn more… Do more… Become more.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Timely Leadership For A Changing World

Over the many years of traversing up and down the Interstate 95 corridor, I am often amused by the cheesy yet catchy billboards that are utilized by South of the Border as part of its innovative marketing campaign.

The one particular billboard that always grabs my attention very simply reads “What is old… Is new again”.

What a creative way of conveying the subtle yet powerful message that no matter how many times you may have visited Pedro in the past, that there is always something new awaiting you at South of the Border.

While life in the 21^st century revolves heavily around what happens to be the latest and greatest, there are those isolated moments when something old remains timely and current.

An excellent example of this phenomenon, is a literary work that has remained timely for nearly eighty years… “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.

In his masterful work of 1937 Napoleon Hill writes:

“We who are in this race for riches, should be encouraged to know that this changed world in which we live is demanding new ideas, new ways of doing things, new leaders, new inventions, new methods of teaching, new methods of marketing, new books, new literature, new features for the radio, new ideas for moving pictures. Back of all this demand for new and better things, there is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.”

How fresh, timely and original Napoleon Hill’s words remain. His thoughts have served as potent fertilizer on the seeds of imaginations for countless generations of leaders and innovators who have furthered our collective way of life for nearly a century.

What seeds of imagination are currently fermenting in your organization and in the minds of your people? Is your organization, its leaders and your people fully prepared to embrace the challenge of change that new ideas, new ways of doing business and new ways of serving customers will demand of you?

Your organization must possess a crystal clear vision for its future and a definiteness of purpose for what it wants to accomplish in that future and “why”. As well, your people must have the passion, skill sets and staying power to collectively achieve the organization’s ongoing mission and vision.

Definiteness of purpose ensures that your organization and your people recognize, embrace and act upon the opportunities that directly relate to the achievement of your organization’s goals and objectives.

Napoleon Hill strongly believed that definiteness of purpose was the starting point for all achievement. I would readily concur that his belief is accurate for both organizations and individuals alike.

Such an undertaking will require masterful leadership that is capable of preparing the organization to both plan and then flawlessly execute the action steps which are critical to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives.

Even as you read this brief there exists an unprecedented need for new ideas, new leaders and new innovation that is greater than at any time in human history. New horizons and new opportunities lie just ahead.

While Napoleon Hill’s timely observations continue to endure … They also beg the question … Is your organization’s leadership truly ready for what ever lies around the next bend in the corporate road?

Developing Forward Leadership Development

Learn more. Do more. Become more.

Garnering Greater Influence

One of the questions that I frequently pose to our leadership program participants is “who” or “what” is influencing them.

Additionally, I also instruct them to take a few moments to carefully consider the thoughts and feelings that they have with regard to their organization, key executives, boss, coworkers, family, friends, neighbors and public leaders.

The question that subsequently follows is “How many of the thoughts and feelings that you hold toward your employer, executives, boss, coworkers, family, friend, neighbors and public leaders are actually your ‘own’?”

As you have undoubtedly witnessed many times in your life, circumstances and people are not always as they appear to be. All too often, the perceptions of other people or situations are vastly influenced by mere snippets of information or the opinions and conjecture of others.

If you happen to be on the other end of this equation, your ability to be an effective leader may become hampered or impaired due to the misperception of who others believe you to be, as opposed to who you truly are.

The fact is that in both business and government the manner in which you are perceived will directly determine the degree of influence that you will ultimately be able to exert over other people. Your ability to lead effectively is rooted in your credibility as a person as well as in the credibility of your communication.

In essence, everything that you say or don’t say and everything that you do or don’t do will either enhance or detract from your personal credibility and your resultant ability to influence and lead other people.

While the responsibilities of leadership by anyone’s count are numerous, it is my personal belief that two of your most important responsibilities are:

To bring out the best in other people.

To build mutually beneficial long term relationships.

Your capacity to develop the potential of your people and to forge meaningful relationships is directly proportionate to your personal credibility. As cited above, the credibility of your communication is a significant factor when it comes to influencing others.

This stems from the fact that one of the hallmark qualities of a great leader is his or her ability to become a great listener. Your capacity to listen attentively to what others have to say builds trust and credibility. The more you listen to what someone is really saying to you, the more he or she will trust you, follow your leadership and remain open to your influence.

Of all the core competencies that you may choose to develop as an authentic leader, your truest level of success will be as a result of the quantity, quality and sustainability of the relationships that you forge throughout your life and career.

It will ultimately be these trusted and valued relationships that will over time determine the scope and depth of the influence you garner as a leader.

Developing Forward Leadership Development

Learn more. Do more. Become more.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Time: Your Enemy Or Your Friend?

When I query clients, program participants and business people in general, they consistently cite that the #1 thing that is holding them back are… time management problems.

How your organization’s people feel about their time corresponds directly to their ability to produce results. Their internal attitudes about time, inevitably serve to determine their perceptions and beliefs about their capabilities on a daily basis.

A typical example of this internal thought (attitudinal) process are individuals who are in their thirties and who hold the belief that their “biological clock is ticking”. The perceived urgency to find a mate, get married and have children before it’s too late… is a powerful force that can ultimately drive wrong thinking and resultant decision making… all in the interest of attempting to force the issue and make something happen.

In this common real life scenario, time is the villain. The belief and perception is that time is working against them, therefore time has become their “enemy”.

The widespread belief held by executives, managers and organizational staff members that they are struggling with time management problems…Is not an accurate representation of what is actually occurring.

Simply stated, time management problems are not time management problems.

What your organization and your people are actually experiencing are clarification issues. When there is a lack of clarity about “goals” and “priorities” … time is inevitably destined to become your enemy.

It is this very lack of clarity about goals and priorities that over time inhibits good organizations from fulfilling their mission statement, bringing it to life and having their people live it out on a daily basis. Throughout my career, I have repeatedly observed that those people who hold the belief that they have a time management problem are generally deficient when it comes to long range planning, focusing on real goals and organizational skills.

When these essential competencies are deficient, it will adversely affect your people’s ability to set and achieve goals, effectively prioritize, properly plan their work and stay on task. Resultantly, these self-perceived time management problems… Are not in reality time management problems at all.

In the final analysis, “when you are crystal clear about your goals… you definitively know what your priorities are and exactly what systematic action steps need be taken.”

As your valued resource partner, we can assist your organization and your people in making time their friend, while helping them to… Learn more. Do more. Become more.