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Successful Leaders Go “Bump In The Night” 

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I am amused when all I hear leaders talk about is their successes. The triumphs they achieved paint a blueprint of what it takes to achieve greatness.

The algorithm for leadership success is almost exclusively based on what worked for them.

True, events that went the right way for someone should be dissected and analyzed. It is important to understand the specific actions taken and behaviors exhibited that yielded a productive outcome.

But the reality is that very few stand-out leaders waltz through their career to command a winner’s platform.

Successful leaders suffer personal setbacks.

My career produced disappointments that foreshadowed future successes.

This is another “bump in the night” for me.

It was one of the most stressful and painful periods in my career; the telecom business was morphing rapidly and we had to choose our way at a breathtaking pace. Change and chaos were the conditions of the day.

I was president of the advanced communications business with a communications company in Canada at the time we merged with our neighboring provincial communications company to become a major national telecom player.

The chief executive officer of the newly merged company (who I had no relationship with), struck a task force to develop a new corporate strategy. I was asked if I had a data communications expert on my old team who could play a role in charting a growth course for the new company emphasizing Internet and data rather than traditional voice services.

I said yes, and assigned one of my direct reports who was an undeniable data expert and was perfect for the task. It was the right call on my part.

The board not only supported the task force’s strategic plan; my direct report was rewarded by being appointed president of the data and Internet organization in the new company.

Ouch! I was suddenly out of the executive leadership team and ended up reporting to a previous peer of mine who now reported to the CEO.

All those around me counseled me to leave the organization because I was overlooked. “To hell with them!” was the advice I received from almost everyone, including my closest friends.

I didn’t take their advice for I knew something about this individual that the CEO and others didn’t. Even though this individual had strong data expertise, he had limited leadership capabilities which meant that sooner or later he could run into problems – a gamble on my part, but I felt worth the chance.

I stayed, was a good lieutenant and waited for the meltdown.

It happened within a year. I was asked to replace this individual and re-assume my position as president and join the executive leadership team.

Lessons learned that made me a survivor leader:

– Always do what’s right for the organization even though it could place you at personal risk;

– Shut up and suck it up when you get punched in the gut;

– Take a long-term view when making a decision in a emotionally charged situation;

– Going against popular advice is often the best;

– Keep working hard in the face of adversity and show ’em what you got;

– Be wary of advice from those close to you. Sometimes their judgement is more clouded by emotion than yours is.

Surviving in the leadership jungle usually means taking a hit at some point.

Make a thoughtful reasoned call because a knee-jerk emotional one could rob you of future opportunities.

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Successful Leadership Doesn’t Depend on Schooling

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Standout leadership is not discovered in any textbook.

It is born in the trenches where results are achieved, conflict occurs, people engage and pain is experienced.

Every day is different. Each day teaches you something new.

My schooling as a leader covered more than 12,000 days.

They taught me these five key lessons.

1. Imperfection explains most success. Unfortunately, school teaches us that problems have “right” answers. This belief is a non-starter in business, where workable and remarkable solutions are often inelegant and messy. But they are effective because they capture the hearts of the people implementing them.

Business is fluid. It can’t be explained by trend analysis. “Plan A” rarely works. Scale fast imperfection and you will achieve much more than those seeking perfection.

2. Losing is a better teacher than success. Success encourages you to stay with the playbook that has worked for you so far and gives you no compelling reason to deviate from it. Losing, on the other hand, forces you to get out of your comfort zone, to try a different approach and create a new box to play in.

When you lose, study your failure from every possible angle. Your “post-loss analysis” will guide you effectively as you encounter future situations.

3. What got you here is irrelevant. It won’t get you to where you need to go. It’s all about “What have you done for me lately?” Every new challenge requires something different of you.

Have the discipline to ask “What do I have to do different now that I have new responsibilities?” And keep your feet moving. Every day should be a new day in terms of doing something startling.

4. Outrageous demands sometimes get met. People who are known for unique skills and have strong currency within an organization earn the right to be bold, to stick out their chins and blatantly ask for what they want even though it may be vowed by others as being “ridiculous.”

But leverage is vital (the organization needs YOU to perform a vital role) and timing is critical (they need you NOW). If you have both, you will be surprised with what you can accomplish. Make yourself invaluable; watch for the opening and ask for what you want.

5. Suck it up when you think you’ve been screwed over. You will always have setbacks; that’s the way it is. What really matters is how you deal with an outcome that doesn’t go as you would like.The key thing to understand in these circumstances is that it’s done. You have zero ability to change the decision that has been made. The only thing you have any degree of control over is what you do next.

So, take the punch; congratulate the winner; muzzle your ego and move on to prepare for your next opportunity.

Another day, another leader learning opportunity.

Take advantage of it.

Image credit : StockSnap.io

Employee Engagement: Every Leader’s Imperative

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I had to call my technical support contact last month about a simple billing question. When I finally got a live person, after enduring five minutes of Yanni’s greatest hits, her boredom just radiated through the phone. I guess I caught her mid-yawn. When I told her about my issue she asked me to wait while she pulled up my records. The silence between was broken only by her quiet sigh. Then I said, “Thank you for your help.” And something amazing happened – she warmed up. She said, “You’re welcome” and we quickly got to the bottom of my issue.

The exchange was significant for two reasons. First, this was definitely a disengaged, disinterested employee. Second, when I expressed my appreciation for her efforts, she instantly became more engaged and her performance improved.

According to a recent Gallup poll, over 70 percent of American workers are either actively or passively disengaged from their work. This is a troubling statistic. Not only is the human cost immense, the U.S. economy takes a $370 billion hit from this army of the disaffected. The message is clear: leaders have to do better at building employee buy-in and job satisfaction.

Luckily there are new tools in the kit for accomplishing this crucial mission. Social media and enterprise tools can help a company build a workforce that feels empowered and appreciated. At its heart it’s about building community, giving people a sense of being part of something greater than just their job descriptions. Some of the exciting tools for accomplishing this include Yammer, Newsgator, Jive and IBM Connections among many others of course.

The goal with all of these is to give people a voice, a way to share their ideas and know they matter to the organization. It allows long-term employees to mentor new hires, sometimes across global locations where collaboration is needed. This builds strong internal relationships, boosts morale and improves the performance of both the mentor and the mentee. The mentor’s skills are refreshed, and she gains the satisfaction we all feel when helping someone. The mentee, of course, learns the ropes not only from a leader, but from someone who lives them every day.

These networks also enhance the flow of information — people can access what they need quickly and efficiently. They allow for personal expression in the form of communities based on shared passions and interests. All of these increase engagement as people begin to see their jobs as part of a larger, organic whole – the company – of which they are an important part. As people become more invested, their pride in doing a good job soars. The result, in addition to improved performance, is increased personal happiness and fulfillment.

The other piece of the puzzle is recognition. Yes, people will become more engaged and their performance will improve, but the organization must recognize this in concrete ways. We all thrive with praise and acknowledgement. When someone does great work reward them with public recognition, and a monetary bonus or a prize. It’s a great feeling to earn something extra, something tangible that can be shared with colleagues, family and friends.

To build an engaged and productive workforce, start by building social-media enabled connections and communities, and add a continuous program of recognition and reward.

This combination works. I’ve seen it. Why are these statistics so high still? 70%, Really? We can do better than this.

A version of this post was first published on Forbes.com

 

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Superstar Leadership: Workplace Damage Control

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I’ve written lately about various aspects of workplace culture…People are always the number one consideration in my opinion. This topic always directly relates to recruitment and employee retention. It’s inescapable. It’s part of your workplace DNA. Performing a workplace culture audit of a prospective employer and how to nurture company culture, both as a manager and as an employee are so key.  Let’s keep tackling the dark side – repairing a damaged corporate culture.

Every workplace culture/organization (and employee) has good and bad days. Culture takes little hits on the bad days, but a string of bad days or months can turn into permanent damage. Unfortunately as those days and months grind on it can become easy to miss the signs of damage. A stressed management team may be focused on keeping the company afloat; a stressed manager with personal issues or job challenges may turn a deaf ear to rumblings of dissatisfaction.

In the first example, if management fails to communicate its trials, distrust will flower and thrive. In the latter example, also, a failure to communicate, compounded by a lack of responsibility on the part of the manager, creates a breach between employer and employee. Into that breach will creep distrust and its close cousin, unwillingness to believe anything management says. This is not good and should be stopped in it’s tracks.

Communication and trust are the underpinnings of healthy workplace culture. Other culture markers – a shared sense of mission, shared goals, respect – are rooted in trust and communication.

When trust goes, so also goes culture, that valuable mix of the personality of the workplace and its brand and the collective experience of what it means to work in the organization.

A simple measure of damage to a company’s culture is employee turnover. One local small company I know has had 95 percent turnover in the past three years. Yep, almost 100 percent. This happens.

The managers’ reaction? A tone-deaf range of comments, from ‘It was time for those people to move on’ to ‘We’re glad they didn’t go to competitors’; even the suggestion that the massive turnover is a ‘sign of growth on the part of employees fostered by the unique culture at X Company.’

Once you’ve pulled your jaw off the floor, let me assure you this example is real. Not surprisingly, this particular workplace culture is in dire need of repair. The company’s survivors are hardened and sour and new recruits into the organization are often bewildered and leaderless.

Here’s the basic prescription I would suggest to the executives if asked and from there I would refer them to my list of colleagues who specialize in this specific arena of employee retention and engagement (although this culture is so damaged they haven’t sought advice):

First, assess what’s really happened:

  • Make a list of those who left and when. Review notes from their exit interviews and look for repetition of words and themes. These repetitions are the top-level clues to what is wrong with the organization.
  • Correlate reasons given for leaving. I predict there will be very few ‘uniques’ in this group.
  • Cross-reference the above data with time of year as well as acquisition (or loss) of business.
  • Review every email sent to the company announcing a defection and look for patterns describing the person’s reason for leaving.

Now you have a lexicon of words, a vocabulary of loss of culture and cohesion. The next step is to assess what remains. This step is best taken with the help of a third party, a neutral coach or consultant.

Survey the remaining employees and any new employees on basic measures of job satisfaction:

  • Is compensation competitive? Benefits?
  • Is training adequate?
  • Is the work challenging and rewarding?
  • Do employees have a reasonable level of autonomy and responsibility?
  • How are initiative and excellence rewarded?
  • Is the physical work environment adequate? Are tools and systems in place that improve productivity and reduce drudge work?
  • Do employees feel comfortable talking to managers? If not, why?
  • Do employees feel that management tells the truth?
  • How frequent and relevant are communications?
  • Is feedback used to improve the work environment? Is it ignored?
  • Would you recruit a friend?

Now it’s time to step back and look at what employees and line managers said.

At this point, it’s imperative to commit to, and communicate, intent to change.

  • Communicate results of the survey.
  • Take ownership for the issues, and do not try to deflect responsibility.
  • If something can’t be changed or fixed say why.
  • Create a change action plan with dates, asking employees to help prioritize change items.
  • Implement the change action plan, honoring dates and milestones.
  • Communicate at every step.
  • Re-survey in three months and again in six months, and communicate the results.

Then tackle the hardest part:

  • Assign team leaders and give them responsibility and power to enact change. Support them (or they may fail.)
  • Meet with team leaders regularly and listen to them. Don’t talk over them or challenge what you hear, listen.

Without thoughtful intervention, a broken workplace culture with disheartened people can’t really be repaired. This is often the sad truth. Retention and recruiting will fail too. Employees will continue to head for the exits, and customers may even follow.

Take a look here to read about three companies using workplace culture for retention. This is a very useful case study for all to absorb.

What steps would you take to rescue a damaged corporate culture?

IMAGE via Flickr