Feb 18 2010

Stress Relief for Leaders

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What energizes you? When you’re having one of those days when things aren’t going right and the boss isn’t happy, what do you do? Hopefully, your answer isn’t to find someone to yell at. Leaders seldom make everyone happy but they can count on having bad days. Whether it’s just a bad day or a general decline in your own moral, how you as a leader handle those bad days can have a significant influence on your effectiveness, not to mention mental health.

It’s vital for a leader to maintain an even temperament. That’s not to say you should never show emotion or let people know when you’re happy or unhappy. It’s important for your subordinates to know you are human and are affected by things just as they are. A little righteous indignation can go a long way if it is on the right subject and is controlled. What I’m talking about is those deeper feelings of anger or despair or an inability to concentrate on the issues at hand. This is where you, as a leader, need some kind of release. I’ve seen more than a few leaders who try to keep everything bottled up inside, either because of an overactive ego that says they’re not weak and can handle it, or because they ignore the problem and just keep burying themselves in work. Here are a few tips I’ve found helpful in dealing with stress.

1. Do something physical. A little physical exercise can go a long way toward relieving stress. You don’t have to run a marathon, but a trip around the block can be relaxing. I once worked in a very large 4 story building. My office was on the second floor, so I developed a route that took me from my office to the basement and back up to the 4th floor without ever using the same hall or stairway twice. It took about 20 minutes and when I returned I felt refreshed.

2. Find a confidant. It’s very helpful to have someone in whom you can confide your frustrations. For me, this is my wonderful wife who has been there for me for over 28 years. Your confidant doesn’t have to be a spouse. Perhaps you have another close relative or a long-time friend who you trust. Be careful though as there are a couple of serious pitfalls. You subordinates should never be your confidants. That just begs for trouble. Also, it’s bad form to use a supervisor in this role. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t share concerns or disagreements with your boss, but they aren’t that shoulder to cry on; and they’ll probably let you know that! Be careful what you talk about with your confidant. There is probably information you shouldn’t share outside your work area.

3. Take a little time off. There sometimes develops, among leaders, a masochistic tendency to don a superhuman persona. The “life’s short, sleep when you’re dead” idea. There are a few people who get away with that, but most people need to take a little down time every now and then. Sometimes you have to put in those long days and weeks, but not always. Take a weekend off; take a vacation. Just get away for a while. And by the way, getting away with the Blackberry strapped to your belt isn’t really what I mean.

4. Go out and catch one of your workers doing something good and tell them about it. Nothing ever gave me a better boost than getting out with the people who held my success in their hands and thanking them for what they do. It’s invigorating!

If you don’t have stress as a leader, you probably aren’t doing your job. But don’t let it burn you out. Try these techniques for a little relief.

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Feb 16 2010

100 Years of Leadership Training

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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. Originally founded in England by General Sir Robert Baden-Powell, scouting came to America by way of the first organization in Washington D.C. formed in 1910. Since then over 50 million young men have been Boy Scouts. When Cub Scout’s numbers are included (Cub Scouts were founded in 1930) that number swells to well over 110 million.

The success of scouting in America is phenomenal. The list of our nation’s leaders who were Scouts is amazing. Six U.S. Presidents and 212 members of the 111th Congress were Scouts. Of the first 29 original astronauts, 26 were Scouts. Many captains of industry claim scouting in their youth including, such notable leaders as Bill Gates (Microsoft), Sam Walton (Wal-Mart), Barber Conable (President of the World Bank), Larry Kellner (Continental Airlines), J Willard Marriott Jr.(Marriott Hotels), Gary Rodgers (Dreyers Ice Cream), and the list goes on and on. Even the service academies boast a high number of graduates who were scouts: 64% from the Air Force Academy, 68% from West Point, and 70% from Annapolis. Men who were Scouts for at least five years even report average salaries approximately 14% higher than those who weren’t.

So what is it about scouting that makes leaders? I believe that question is answered by looking at the Boy Scout Oath, and the twelve points of the Boy Scout Law. These two commitments are the first things learned by a new Scout and, as was recently demonstrated to me in a large group, usually retained for life. The Scout Oath says,

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
To obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

The twelve points of the Scout Law state that a scout is

Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
Reverent

Taken together, this oath and law clearly and succinctly describe a leader, whether that be an 11 year old boy, a corporate executive, or a U.S. President. There are two things which are critical in the Scout Oath; the agreement to obey the points of the Scout Law, and the statement about staying physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. These three points describe how a leader can cope with the stresses of leadership. Physically strong doesn’t mean being a marathon runner, or an Olympic athlete. Rather, leaders must keep themselves in a state of fitness that allows them to better cope with the demands of the job.

While I’m sure some would argue the importance of various points in the Scout Law, they all come together to create a well rounded person; in a word, a leader.

So, happy birthday to the Boy Scouts of America. Thank you for creating leaders and making the world a better place.

Information for this article was taken from http://ww2.scouting.org/100years, and http://www.usscouts.org.

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Feb 10 2010

Leadership and Toyota

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Most of us who study management have at least a passing knowledge of Toyota and the Toyota Management System. For years this car company has been held up as the epitome of corporate excellence and the example for all to follow. Now, the bloom is suddenly off the rose and, if one believes the papers, the company is in trouble. It’s lost market share, its stock price has dropped, though as of today has recovered a little, and most importantly, its worldwide reputation is badly damaged.

Will Toyota recover? Of course they will. They are a strong company, and in spite of what may appear to be a chink in the Toyota quality armor, they still make good cars which will remain popular with the car buying public. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that I own a Toyota, one that is on the recall list, and I’m happy with it.

Toyota is not the first company to suffer from such troubles and they certainly won’t be the last. It’s these times that really define what a company is. When such a disaster strikes, how leadership reacts will often determine the future of the company. For example, the Tylenol poisoning case rocked Johnson and Johnson to their core, but they recovered because they had a strong set of corporate values and the leadership took aggressive action quickly, going beyond what might have been accepted as sufficient. On the other hand, the State of Louisiana and City of New Orleans were not prepared for the devastation of a hurricane like Katrina, and then did not take aggressive and proper action when the disaster came. To contrast the two examples, Johnson and Johnson emerged from their troubles a strong, thriving company; New Orleans is still suffering.

Toyota appears to be responding well, even though they’re still taking a beating in the press. They were a little slow to respond publicly, but the company quickly addressed the problem (I’m not an engineer, but I’m willing to accept that finding the fix to the accelerator problem might take more than 30 minutes) and took action to implement the solution. In a recent press conference, Toyota president Akio Toyoda said, “I don’t see Toyota as an infallible company that never makes mistakes. We will face up to the facts and correct the problem, putting customer’s safety and convenience first.” That sounds like the right response.

There is another concern though that is often ignored in the sensational reporting of the news cycle: the reaction of the people inside the company. The C-level people are faced with the difficult decisions and harsh TV lights, but the other leaders and workers within the company are also affected and how they are led through the crisis will have long lasting effects. I notice that Mr. Toyoda has publicly stated that he will visit American manufacturers and dealers. He also said that the company can do better at evaluating complaints and that they did not have enough infrastructure in America to do that. These statements, intended for the public and governments, also go a long way towards helping the company’s leaders ease tension within.

When a company is under fire, the leaders and workers within the company are comforted knowing that their senior leadership is meeting the problem head-on, but this tactic only works if the company is strong and built on a solid foundation of integrity and quality. I’m not a Toyota insider, but I believe that is the case, and I know they will survive and prosper.

Leaders should take a lesson from the Toyota case. Does your company have that solid foundation and set of corporate values that will make it a little easier to ride out a storm? Have you given any thought to how you will respond to a crisis? If not, you should because sooner or later, it will be your turn.

Join the discussion at http://bit.ly/bHkEJp

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Feb 09 2010

Personal Leadership: 5 Questions Leaders Should Ask Themselves

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“Know thyself.” This short quotation is credited to the Greek philosopher Plato who was writing the words of Socrates in “Charmides.” He was actually referring to an inscription at the ancient city of Delphi. This often cited quote presents what are probably the two most important words of guidance for a leader. A leader who knows him or herself will always enjoy more success than one who doesn’t.

Leaders have a lot to know, but let’s narrow the focus some. While leaders may not be able to know everything about the job or the organization, they certainly should be pretty familiar with themselves. There are several areas of self-awareness that are essential and leaders should be able to answer these questions.

1. What are my values? What do I really believe in and what line will I not cross?

2. What is really important to me?

3. How do I relate to other people?

4. How easily do I learn new things? What method best helps me learn?

5. How do I handle and relieve stress.

These five questions may not all seem important in a leadership context, but I assure you they are. The first two explore core beliefs. The thought that a person has no values is, I believe, demonstrably false. Everyone has inner beliefs that drive them. Those beliefs may not be acceptable by mainstream society, but that doesn’t make it less of a personal value. Conflict comes when personal and organizational values collide. Likewise, a leader should know what is important to them, as attempting to ignore his or her own values can cause internal conflict, impeding effective leadership.

The third question is vital. I’ve known several leaders who either didn’t know, or didn’t care how they related to other people. I’m not advocating a personality change, though that might be helpful, (if very difficult) but that a leader must know how they impact other people. If a leader tends to be abrasive, and knows that, he can compensate. For example, I tend to be a little reserved when I first meet people. Sometimes that can lead subordinates to see me as almost haughty, though I certainly don’t mean to be. I was completely unaware of this for some time until it was pointed out to me. I now try a more friendly approach and have had some success.

Leaders really need to know how they learn; they do a lot of it. Knowing what works allows more efficient intake of information. I ask subordinates to present information in bullet format with lots of pictures when possible. I have found this allows me to absorb the information more quickly and saves them time with long explanations and elaborate slide shows.

Finally, everyone experiences stress. It’s critical to know how you handle and relieve stress. A leader who isn’t conscious of this may find they are relieving their own stress by pushing it down to subordinates, which just creates more stress for everyone.

You probably know a leader who did not have a high level of self awareness. That person was probably not your favorite boss. So, be better than that — know thyself.

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Feb 04 2010

Leadership Responsibility: Who’s Writing the Mission Statement

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Recently, I read a short letter in a major business magazine which stated that mission statements need to be written by the people who have to follow them. I was in an organization once which subscribed to that theory and I can say that the only good that came from the effort was my undying belief that this philosophy is absolutely wrong.

Let me explain.

Most organization’s leaders have some sort of vested interest in the success of the organization. Hopefully that vested interest is a sincere desire for the organization to succeed, but I’m a realist and understand that more often it is a financial stake or desire for personal success. But whatever the motivation, to be successful leaders must lead. There’s an often quoted line from Alice in Wonderland which states that if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. To avoid this dilemma, the leader must know where he or she is going (vision and mission) and what road will get them there (goals).

It’s a harsh fact that not everyone in the organization gets to set the agenda. Up until about 20 years ago, that was pretty well understood by everyone. Those who didn’t like the fact worked to attain a position from which they could set the agenda, or at least have a voice in it. Times have changed though and the most recent generation to enter the workplace, often called Millennials, have grown up in a world where they did have a voice in family decisions and, often to a larger extent than before, in academic endeavors. As they entered the workplace, they often expected that same latitude.

I advocate the organization’s senior leader use a team of the next level subordinate leaders to create a strategic plan and define mission and goals. If the organization is only a dozen people or so, a team approach with everyone adding input might work; but, most organizations are just too large. You may be asking why the leader can’t include representatives of the rank and file in the planning process. She can, but to what end. The reason I advocate a leadership team like I’ve described is that such a team brings together a brain trust of corporate knowledge and experience. That isn’t to say they’re any smarter, just more experienced. In my experience, when people are included in those discussions that don’t have as extensive a background, they find it difficult to contribute in a meaningful way and can quickly withdraw, feeling alienated and uncomfortable.

As I mentioned above, the generation entering the workforce now expects to have more of a voice than ever before. The leader’s task is to channel that energy in the direction and to the level in which it would be most effective, which will probably be in meeting goals and objectives. But before anyone can be effective in those endeavors, they must know where they’re going and what road will take them there. That means leaders must be able to clearly articulate their vision and the organization’s mission.

There are many ways a mission statement can fail, but most commonly it’s because of a simple lack of communication. As I said, the leader must clearly articulate his or her vision and the organization’s mission in such a way that everyone not only understands, but knows how they fit in successfully accomplishing that mission.

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Feb 02 2010

Leadership and Delegation: Who’s Driving the Train

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I was assaulted one day by a person from another part of the organization with a series of directives that were going to cause my staff and me considerable extra work for what seemed to be little or no gain. Our director had decreed we begin to comply with the 5S (Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) process. While I don’t disagree with 5S process, it can result in a more organized workplace which is certainly a wonderful thing, it does require some work to properly implement.

The problem was, as happens in so many of these management initiatives, the boss put a subordinate in charge and then stepped back to concentrate on other things. I know this because I’ve done it myself. So where’s the problem?

Well, like all good employees who want to a) please the boss and b) get ahead, this particular person had embraced his assignment as Minister of 5S and run with it. The 5S process is part of the larger Lean Management initiative and before anyone thinks I’m anti-Lean, let me assure you I’m not. In fact, I have studied the Lean philosophy, seen it work, and I’m a strong proponent. But that isn’t what this is about so let me get back to the conversation I had with this 5S zealot.

As he proceeded to tell me the steps I needed to take, I indicated my disagreement and told him I didn’t have the time or the staff to add all the steps he was explaining. That’s when he said something interesting; a mantra so often used by someone who is trying to accomplish a task while going above and beyond in order to score points. He said,

“This isn’t my idea. The director is driving the train.”

The minute a leader assigns someone to manage an initiative and then steps back, that leader is no longer in the engineer’s seat. In fact the leader can quickly become just another passenger on the train he or she set in motion.

That may sound like I’m advocating a micro management style of leadership. Not at all! As a leader you must be able to delegate such tasks to be completed without your involvement in every detail. But you must also ensure that those subordinates who have received your delegation do not become monsters. How?

First. When you initially delegate a task, make sure you are very clear about the desired outcome.

Second. Be clear what the limits are. Especially with a new initiative, if you do not define limits up front, the project will probably grow exponentially.

Third. Though you certainly don’t want to be a micromanager, you do need to keep an eye on progress. I’ve found the best way is to have your delegatee provide regular reports. Have these updates during a staff meeting or some such venue so that your subordinate leaders can hear what you’re hearing. Make sure you encourage their feedback as well. You’re much more likely to know if the initiative is headed in the right direction.

Since that eye-opening comment about driving the train, I’ve been more careful to use these steps myself with great results.

Think about it. Are you driving the train?

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Jan 29 2010

A Good Plan Well Executed

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I like to ask people if they know their company’s mission. Some give a somewhat decent rendition of what they think is the mission statement, some just say they don’t know, some mutter some platitude about customer service, and a few look at me like I was from Mars. For some reason I’m still amazed at how few people know their company’s actual mission. When I’m feeling especially brave, I’ll ask what their company’s goals are. At that point, some employees are ready to call security.

Of course I believe in strategic planning because I’ve seen what a good strategic plan, well executed, can do for organizations. It may sound odd, but I’m a very strong believer in strategic planning because I’ve seen the results when bad planning fails. In those cases, organizations have either approached the process incorrectly, or have completed a plan and then not really implemented it. In that failure, not only is a great potential squandered, but those in the organization who observe the failure are left believing the process is flawed and therefore not worthy of any additional time or effort.

There are a couple of principles that make strategic planning work, and when ignored, make it fail. These principles are not very complicated, but neglecting them is like building an entire car but leaving out the spark plugs: you end up with something that looks shiny and new, but doesn’t really do anything.

The first of these principles is, don’t make it harder than it needs to be. There are several models for good strategic planning. Of course I like mine the best, but others can be effective too. What doesn’t work are models that make the process complex and convoluted. Generally, you should be able to create a good plan for your organization in about 8 hours or less. Surprised? Don’t be. In fact, a planning process that takes longer than that is probably a sign of trouble. I’ve seen planning processes that never seem to end, and they usually don’t produce a useful product.

The second principle is communication. I’m amazed at how many people, who are often the ones responsible for the work that will achieve the organization’s goals, don’t know what those goals are! In order for a strategic plan to work, everyone in the organization must know 1) what the plan is and 2) what part they play in implementing the plan. Leaders must not keep the plan a secret. In fact, I advocate communicating the plan to customers and suppliers as well. They are also part of accomplishing goals and so they need to know what they are. There’s another part to this communication. Let people know the organization’s progress in implementing plans and reaching goals. That reinforces their feeling of being part of making it happen, but also lets everyone know that the organization’s leadership is serious about actually implementing the plan; it isn’t just something to tack on the bulletin board or hang on the wall.

A good strategic plan, well executed, is a rocket ship to success, but, if poorly executed even a good plan is a waste of time.

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Jan 28 2010

Simple Leadership

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Peter Walsh is an organizational expert with many books, radio, and television appearances to his credit. On his TLC show he goes to the home of a family who can’t seem to straighten up their house or throw anything away. Are there really people who live like that? Apparently so, but that’s not the point. Walsh arrives with his crew, and in a few short minutes (in TV time) has sorted, arranged, and redecorated, resulting in a pristine house and a family changed forever; we hope. All very impressive. But there’s something else that comes through if you listen carefully to what he says in the show and in interviews: it isn’t complicated!

Every time I’ve seen Walsh, he is espousing a set of principles that are pretty straight forward and not difficult to grasp. I congratulate him on his success in not escalating to ever more complex theories and models to sell more books. I wish leadership training and writing would follow the same model.

I once received a rejection from a magazine wherein the editor said my article idea was really good and well thought out, but didn’t present anything new. Now I’m not going to cry over a rejection, it happens. But his reasoning really took me by surprise. Should I be striving to present new information? Is there new information in the field of leadership? There are thousands of new books every year. Do they provide new information? More importantly, do leaders, especially new leaders, need new information?

Of course they do! But what is old stuff to those of us who have studied leadership is brand new information to those who haven’t, and the one thing they don’t need is for some expert to make it more complex just to sell a new book.

Before you accuse me of being anti-publishing, let me assure you I love books and articles on leadership. The ones I find most valuable are those which approach a leadership issue from the aspect of personal experience or serious research. I’ve never really found much new in that sort of writing. Instead, these books and articles present the same old information from a point of view I might not have considered, or maybe details a situation I hadn’t experienced but might in the future. The Carrot Principle by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton serves as a good example. I did not find the premis of this book particularly new. The book is on my shelf though because it presents a basic leadership concept with significant research and some very good approaches, some of which I hadn’t considered.

I’ve come to believe that leadership is a very complex simple thing. That’s because the basic tenets of leadership are pretty simple but executing them effectively can be very complex. I compare it to the game of chess. The basic moves and rules are fairly simple but the game itself is extremely complex with a seemingly infinite number of possibilities that change significantly with every move. But, no matter what strategy the players adopt, or how complex the game becomes the rules are still simple, and they don’t change.

It would be silly for me to say there is nothing new in leadership. There will always be new approaches and innovative thinking and I certainly encourage that. But, when we’re presenting leadership to people who are new to the art, we need to always remember that the basic rules are simple and when we try to make them complex, we lose our effectiveness.

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