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.

Copyright © 2016 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank, CBC | All Rights Reserved.

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?

 

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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

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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.

Copyright © 2016 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank, CBC

8 Words That Can Kill Your Leadership

Of the hundreds of qualities and attributes that a leader can exhibit, the critical cornerstone qualities that every leader must exemplify without exception are professional integrity and personal trustworthiness.

 

If you are not 100% authentic and credible, your organization’s people will ultimately choose to neither trust you or follow you.

 

While your people are constantly watching your conduct, the decisions that you make, the way that you present yourself, it is your interpersonal communication that your people observe most of all. Do you look them in the eye when you converse with them? Do you shoot straight when you speak? People invariably know when their leaders hesitate, hold back, sugar coat their message or vacillate.

Unfortunately, there are many good leaders who make the crucial mistake of putting their credibility in question by stating the eight words that can potentially kill their leadership. This typically occurs in the course of responding to insightful questions on the part of their people by stating… “Allow me to be completely honest with you.”

Like many everyday expressions and buzzwords, words ultimately convey powerful messages including visual representations to the brain. Quite often and to your potential detriment, the words that you choose can serve to undermine your “intent” and your leadership.

There are a number of similar expressions which as well should be stricken from your leadership communication, which include: 

            “Can I be frank with you?”

            “May I be candid with you?”

            “I’m going to be transparent with you.”

            “I’m going to be blunt with you.”

The response of “Allow me to be completely honest with you” immediately and implicitly implies that you haven’t been appropriately honest with your staff in the past. Although it may be quite unintentional, at that very moment the horse is out of the barn and your personal and professional credibility come under scrutiny and into question.

Here is the big problem with these types of statements… they indirectly convey that you are not always honest (or an honest person). What you are in fact emphasizing is that what you are about to say is something really special, because you are specifically deeming it to be honest.

Your implied need to tell people that you are honest will in fact lessen the level of trust in you as both a person and a leader, as well as what it is that you are about to communicate.

Setting titles and positions aside, there is a distinct difference between individuals who merely “manage” and individuals who truly “lead”. An authentic leader is the custodian of meaningful relationships which are based on trust where people freely and willingly choose to follow said individual as their leader.

It is a matter of allegiance by choice. People do not follow individuals that they do not trust.

The solution is to be authentic, open and honest at all times (without exception). In so doing, you will never place yourself in the position of having to tell people that you are being honest with them. Your people will already know that you are the real deal… a leader in whom they can confidently place their trust.

As your valued resource partner, we look forward to assisting your organization and your people to… Learn more. Do more. Become more.

Copyright © 2015 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank, CBC

Leadership In The Truest Sense

The ever present question is… “What” is leadership?

 

At the beginning of our Leadership Academy programs and workshops, the very first question that I typically open up for discussion is… What is leadership? To no surprise, the opinions about what leadership “is” are as varied as the number of people present in the room.

The factual reality is that leadership is in application invariably one thing… “situational”. You need only think back to the countless number of true war stories, books and movies that cite the bravery and leadership of everyday soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines whose combat unit was cornered and in the ensuing firefight, their ranking officers were taken out.

Yet, in the midst of these horrendous situations, there were ordinary service men and woman who stepped forward to take charge of the few remaining troops and then lead them on to heroic victory against overwhelming odds and circumstances.

Although these courageous individuals were without appropriate leadership development training, prerequisite skills or experience, they did possess the key attribute that was required in their respective circumstances… a situational “mindset”.

These individuals weren’t willing to lose the battle. Rather, they were willing to step up, step out and immediately take charge of the situation. They had a mindset that was determined to find a way to protect their comrades and then win the conflict no matter what.

This is exactly why every day citizens run into burning buildings, pull people out of burning automobiles and off of train tracks. They respond to the situation at hand and do what absolutely has to be done without ever thinking twice or blinking an eye. They are willing and comfortable about taking on the situation that is in front of them at that given moment.  

Leadership in its truest sense is ultimately not about titles, positions or even invested authority from an organization.. Authentic leadership is about being willing to make a difference no matter what situation confronts you, your people and your organization..

Are the people in your organization who hold positions of responsibility as supervisors, managers, department heads or members of your executive team appropriately prepared to effectively respond to the “situations” that will inevitably unfold within your organization on a day to day basis?

More importantly, does your organization keep reliving the same situations over and over again?

While many of the common situations in most organizations do tend be repetitive, the more crucial situations are the ones that are unanticipated and occur suddenly without warning.

Consider the situation that James F. Parker was unexpectedly confronted with after only a few months on the job as the new CEO of Southwest Airlines… the tragic events of September 11, 2001. In a mere instant, all airlines in the U.S were immediately grounded for many days, while stranding hordes of passengers and flight crews wherever they randomly happened to be at that given moment.

While the remainder of the airline industry simply sat idly by and waited for further instructions from the government. CEO Parker immediately directed the staff of Southwest Airlines to do everything possible to address the needs of Southwest’s passengers. Among numerous activities, Southwest Airlines employees even went so far as to take their customers bowling and to the movies.

In another situation when an elderly woman’s son who was to drive from Tucson, Arizona to meet his mom in Phoenix was seriously injured in a car crash, while making every attempt to so, Southwest was unsuccessful in booking her passage on another airline, as Southwest didn’t fly into Tucson. When the women landed in Phoenix, a Southwest employee without hesitation went to the employee parking lot, got his car and proceeded to drive the elderly woman over 100 miles to Tucson and her injured son.

What CEO Parker successfully helped his people to understand is that there is a direct correlation between leadership and customer service as they are both “situational”. Moreover, it is this level of comprehension for what leadership “is” that has earned Southwest the reputation for always putting the customer first… no matter what the situation.

As your valued resource partner, we stand ready to assist your organization in developing its situational leadership and helping your people to… Learn more… Do more… Become more.

Copyright © 2015 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank, CBC

Putting People Before Numbers

Over the course of my career I have had the opportunity to both meet and work with executives and business owners from a wide range of business genres and classifications. When I first sit down with them, I always pose the exact same question of them… “Why are you or your organization in business?”

 

With rare exception, their responses are always the same… “To make money”.

The answer is also much the same for nonprofit organizations, municipalities and government agencies. While the responses may be on the order of “To raise funds” or “To increase operating revenue”, the essence of the “why” remains basically the same, to make money.  Nonprofits still need to cover their general operating costs and the cost of the services that they provide. Municipalities in like fashion need to cover their operating costs and the multitude of services which they provide to their citizens and visitors.

In our age of cutting edge technology and the ability to micromanage virtually every facet of our business operations, there is a higher degree of focus on crunching the numbers and managing the organization’s bottom-line than at any other time in history.

Yet, despite all of the enhanced tools that organizations have at their disposal to run their business operations, employee engagement is at an all-time low and employee turnover continues to be astronomically high.

Contrary to this general business trend, there are a select group of highly successful organizations from business, industry and government that have mastered the invaluable lesson of putting people before numbers.

What these organizations have learned firsthand over time is that if they continue to simply hire people to work for their organization’s money, their organization is going to continue to experience employee mediocrity, low engagement and turnover.  

However, when they started hiring people who “believe” in what the organization believes in, their people willingly invested their blood, sweat and tears in a shared belief of the organization’s mission, purpose and goal objectives. These organizations subsequently experienced substantial increases in engagement, productivity, employee job satisfaction and improved customer servicing.

These organizations developed leaders who believe and practice the unselfish act of risking their own interests so that others may excel. With the acute awareness that people are naturally trusting and cooperative, these leaders purposefully chose to provide their people with a trifecta set of successors:

● An environment of safety in which to work freely and creatively.

● Devote their leadership abilities to the purpose of helping others to succeed.

● Provide a tangible vision and pathway to a shared belief of the future.

When people feel that their leaders have their interests at heart, the lookout for each other, work harder, collaborate openly, bring forth their best talents and innovate.

What you need to comprehend is that the peculiar outcome of this unselfish approach to doing business together is that these organizations ultimately “made more money”.

The questions that your organization needs to come to grip with sooner rather than later are:

How much longer are your organization’s leaders going to view leadership in the context of positions and titles, rather than a responsibility to the organization and the people who comprise it?

How much longer is your leadership going to fixate its primary focus on revenue generation?

And lastly… “why”?

Copyright © 2015 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank, CBC