The Leadership Journal

I recently completed a series of leadership training events – below are my key takeaways. Over the next few months, I’ll provide some additional insights on some of the key traits, outlined below.

1.      A strategic thinker: able to grasp the big picture and think long-term.

2.      Socially venturesome and self-assured; forms new relationships easily and works to maintain them.

3.      Comfortable asserting authority and using power.

4.      Able to think critically (define a problem and determine the information needed to solve it; understand unspoken assumptions; form and test hypotheses; and judge the validity of conclusions).

5.      Adapts easily to changing situations and is able to adopt new approaches when necessary.

6.      Impact & Influence: Can influence and persuade other people, even without direct authority.

7.      Knows how to get things done within the political framework of an organization.

8.      Picks up new ideas and processes new information quickly and easily.

9.      Action-oriented: makes sure that decisions are implemented.

10.  Able to defend a point of view and to confront others appropriately when necessary.

11.  Empathy: Can see things from other people’s points of view.

12.  Discernment: Judges Ideas and people on merit alone, without bias or favoritism.

13.  Organized: Able to juggle many projects and responsibilities at once.

14.  Comfortable and effective in relating to people from many different backgrounds and cultures.

15.  Sensitive and tactful: promotes an atmosphere of good feeling and mutual consideration.

16.  Analytical: Skillful in using quantitative analysis to understand business issues.

17.  Respectful of other people’s points of view, as well as their time and priorities.

18.  Decision Maker: Able to make decisions even in ambiguous situations and without full information.

19.  Accepts critical feedback without getting defensive.

20.  Projects self-confidence, even in uncertain and difficult situations.

21.  A team player: cooperative, works well as part of a group.

22.  Able to think creatively, generating new ideas and approaches to situations.

23.  Doesn’t get discouraged and give up on things easily.

24.  Takes risks when appropriate, isn’t afraid to innovate and experiment.

25.  Clear and patient when explaining things; a good teacher.

26.  A skillful public speaker, good at presenting ideas and plans in a persuasive manner.

27.  Has a strong work ethic, willing to make sacrifices to achieve important goals.

28.  Able to be effective in an environment where strong and opposing views are being expressed.

29.  Understands how to motivate different kinds of people to do their best work.

30.  Listens to other people in a way that they feel understood.

31.  Recognizes new opportunities and acts to take advantage of them.

32.  Does not act or speak impulsively; does not easily lose composure.

33.  Comfortable taking a leadership role.

34.  Inspires other people’s trust.

35.  Delegates appropriately and effectively.

36.  Able to compromise when the situation calls for it.

37.  Handles pressure and stress well.

38.  A good writer expresses ideas and positions clearly.

39.  Urgent vs. Impt: Takes good care of the day-to-day aspect of running things.

40.  Makes tough decisions: Able to make decisions that are in the best interest of the organization, even though they cause individual people distress.

A few days ago, a friend asked me for some advice on what to consider, when contemplating a new job.  I shared some wisdom that I’d learnt from a mentor last year – when I was searching for new opportunities. Below are the 3 key factors which I shared with him. I would encourage you all to give them careful consideration, when seeking a new job.

1. What’s the chain of command ?

Often, your manager is the single most important factor in your career velocity. If you’re contemplating a new job, take time to review the new chain of command. How well do you know your hiring manager and his or her boss? What do you have in common with your manager? Do you get a sense that the chain of command truly appreciates what you bring to the table?

Your manager will play a role in providing opportunities for you to develop, as a leader. 3 key characteristics of great jobs are high visibility, a high level of complexity and meaningful, measurable business impact. Your chain of command and especially your manager – will play a major role in positioning you as a high potential performer and providing you with the opportunities to take on more responsibility. Talent, hard work and great interpersonal skills are certainly important – however you’ll need a strong cheering section as well.

So, it helps if you or someone you know – has a great relationship with your hiring manager. Otherwise – it’s a good idea to make sure that you have a very frank discussion with that person regarding your aspirations and her expectations. Many of us seem to forget that our ambitions and our relationships go hand in hand, perhaps even more so than our skills, talents or smarts.

 2. What are you going to do? Are you changing your functional role, your industry, both? 

What’s the real meat of the role? Is it something that you’re passionate about? Are you staying in an industry that you’re comfortable with, or are you breaking entirely new ground? What do you know about the Org Culture in the organization. It’s worth noting that individual business groups within a large organization, will often have fairly distinct org cultures. Do you clearly understand what success means in your new role?  It’s your organizations perception of your performance that matters, and not your own interpretation of how well you’re doing. What constitutes success in the first 30, 60 and 90 days vs. the first year on the job. Trust me – there’s a difference and you don’t get 90 days to prove yourself.

3.   Do you have any transferable skills?

What do you bring to the table? How does your work experience to date, prepare you for this new role. How comfortable are you with the job description and key deliverables of this new job? Do you have the skills required to slide into the new role and hit the ground running. Strong transferable skills can help you build and maintain momentum, in your new role.

As you consider a new role – these are the 3 key factors you need to consider carefully – in order of priority.

By far the most important is the is #1 “the chain of command”. Your manager can be your greatest asset or your worst handicap. If you don’t get along with your manager, he or she is unlikely to present you with the opportunities you need to keep growing in your role.  Sometimes you get along with your manager but she clearly doesn’t think much of your output. If you can’t stand out in the eyes of your manager or your managers chain of command – it may be hard to make any significant headway.

Even if you have a trustful relationship and a strong rapport with your boss – you’ll need to constantly “manage up”. Get clarity on what’s important vs. what’s urgent, prioritize deliverables and proactively manage expectations. Here’s an interesting book, on “managing up”.  I also came across this article – which you may find useful.

Cheers,

Servant Leader

A friend invited me to watch a Sounders Game, last week. For those of you who don’t know – the Seattle Sounders are a soccer team, playing in the U.S, Professional Soccer League –  MLS. It was a great event, we lost the match – but the atmosphere was great.

As I watched the game, I remembered a conversation I’d had with another friend -  who recently watched the Sounders take on one of the worlds best teams – Chelsea FC, of the English Premiership, in a friendly match. He talked about how Chelsea dominated the match with creative attacks and disciplined defence. Spraying passes effortlessly and making the game look more like a practice session. I heard similar feedback about another friendly, against FC Barcelona.

If you’re a die hard Sounders fan, you may disagree with this assessment – I wasn’t there, so I can’t judge. However, I’ve played and watched football (or Soccer), for most of my life and I’m quite knowledgeable about the worlds best leagues, and players.

As I listened to my friend go on and on about how well Chelsea played and how fit and strong -they looked, I asked him a question. Do you think any of our Seattle Sounder players could play for Chelsea? Are they good enough, and if not – why not?

I’d like to throw this out as an exercise to all you Leaders & soccer lovers out there.

1. What’s the key difference between both Football Clubs?
2. Why do you think the Chelsea players – played so much better than their counterparts, in the Sounders
3. Could a key player from Sounders FC, become a key player in Chelsea FC? What would it take for that to happen?

Now, think of Chelsea as a Fortune 50 Company – (such as Coca-cola, Procter & Gamble or Microsoft). The Sounders could be a much smaller, mid-tier Fortune 10,000 team.

1. What would be the key differences between both organizations?
2. What do you think would be the key differences between leaders in both organizations?
3. Do you think a leader from Sounders Inc could be succesful in Chelsea Inc? if not – why not?

Pls feel free to respond to my questions through comments on this blog post, or you could email me directly at leaders@theleadershipjournal.com

Servant Leader

Judy Elder

Earlier today, for some reason, I found myself thinking about Judy Elder. She was the GM, Consumer Products Division at Microsoft Canada, back in March ‘02. I probably have the  unfortunate distinction of being the last person she ever interviewed for a position at MSN Canada, she passed away on March 28th ‘02, at the age of 47. 

In addition to her role in the Consumer Products Division, Judy was also responsible for the Canadian retail and consumer marketing of all of Microsoft’s software, hardware tools and Xbox. She came to Microsoft Canada from IBM Canada, where she served as Vice-President, Communications and simultaneously held the position of Director of Integrated Marketing Communications for IBM North America. Prior to joining IBM Canada, Ms. Elder spent almost 18 years with Oglivy and Mather Advertising where she rose steadily through the ranks, culminating in a six-year term as President of Ogilvy One, Ogilvy and Mather’s direct and interactive marketing company. She also served as the Chair of the Canadian Marketing Association.

 Although I didn’t know Judy Elder personally, I remember being struck by her warmth and her smile. She had a way of making you feel at ease, even whilst asking tough, penetrating questions. I got the job, and during my first week – I ended up attending a memorial ceremony for Judy. The event was so well attended, and so moving, that I resolved to find out more about her. In doing so, I came across a speech she delivered to a Women’s Television Network series, organized by the Toronto Board of Trade. The speech was delivered just a few weeks before she died.  It was called “Mothers, Fathers, Men, Ambition: The people and values that motivate and shape women’s success”. The speech was so inspiring that it motivated top Canadian corporations to fund the Judy Project, a leadership forum for executive women at the University of Toronto’s Joseph L. Rotman School of Management. (Those who think words can’t have a lasting impact, – should think again).

It is that Speech which I remembered – this morning, as I prepared to write a motivational email to one of my mentees. Although this speech targets women, we can all benefit from Judy’s assertions about Life, Loved Ones &  Ambition. In Jan ’05, 3 years after she passed away,  Judy Elder was amongst the first 12 people in Canada to be inducted into the Marketing Hall of Legends, along with great Canadian entrepreneurs who created iconic brands such as Roots, Tim Horton’s, President’s Choice and Cirque du Soleil. I’m honored to have met this woman, even for only an hour – and I encourage you all to read her speech – and send me your comments.

(If for some reason, you can’t access the pdf links in this blog post – you may need to download Adobe Reader 9  It’s free – and you’re not compelled to change your search tool bar, you can simply uncheck the box): Link to Download.

Servant Leader….

Hi there, as some of you may know – this journal exists to provide useful, tangible information on Leadership trends, for a global audience, around the world. We will strive to post our write-ups, on a bi-weekly bases, primarily on Saturday’s or Sundays. So, those of you who have RSS feeds, can look out for new write-ups, every couple of weeks.

We’re hopeful that you will be able to apply some of our suggestions during your work week, and share your insights and learnings with us, through comments on our blog posts or emails to leaders@theleadershipjournal.com.

Cheers,

Servant Leader

I recently read a novel by Malcom Gladwell, titled “Outliers – The Story of Success”. It’s about the factors that contribute to high levels of success. In the book, Malcom reviews several interrelated trends. He examines the causes of why the majority of Canadian ice hockey players are born in the first few months of the calendar year, how Bill Gates achieved his extreme wealth, and how two people with exceptional intelligence, Christopher Langan and J. Robert Oppenheimer, end up with such vastly different fortunes.

Gladwell seeks to show that individual fame and fortune is “grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances”. He argues that “no one – not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses – ever makes it alone”.  Midway through the book, Gladwell asserts that autonomy, complexity and the connection between effort and reward, are the three key qualities that work has to have, if it’s to be satisfying. It’s not how much money we make, but whether or not the work fulfills us – that matters. Work that fulfills these 3 key criteria, is meaningful work, hard work is never a death sentence if it’s meaningful and produces tangible results.

Our jobs are leaders is to create an environment where our direct reports and team members feel that their work is meaningful. Most  Human Resources survey’s indicate that employees feel that they’re underpaid and overworked. As a result of this trend, many organizational leaders do two things:  They increase financial compensation for High Potential employees and encourage their teams to strive for a  better “work/life” balance. The truth is that most people don’t mind working hard – as long as it’s meaningful work.

Autonomy: Granted – not everyone wants to be Manager of people or processes. However, we all appreciate some level of autonomy. We all take pride in being given the freedom to drive specific initiatives or projects. It gives us a feeling of personal accomplishment.

Complexity: Often, there is a direct relationship between the level of complexity involved in a specific task, whether it’s real or perceived – and an individuals level of personal fulfillment.  If we can show our employees how the work they do – has a direct impact on our companies key objectives – then they’re more likely to put in an extra effort – especially in cases when the deliverables are challenging.

Efforts vs. Rewards: The most important aspect of meaningful work is that individuals need to clearly see the relationship between their effort and how they are rewarded. Financial rewards serve as important incentives for employees – however, money is not everything. More importantly – the types of high potentials who are motivated primarily by money, are not the individuals you want running your teams or your key long term initiatives.

The key reason that most employees leave their jobs – is that they feel unappreciated. Most of us would take the occassional word of encouragement and public recognition over a 10% raise. As leaders – we need to understand that people respond to a variety of incentives. Great leaders learn how to motivate their teams – by using the right combination of incentives. 

Perhaps it starts with having a clear unwavering commitment to provide your employees with opportunities to do meaningful work. That way, it’s easier to encourage and motivate your employees to excel. And when they do, then you recognize their efforts and incent them to do even better. I care about work/life balance – however most of us already spend the majority of our lives, working – I’d rather be doing meaningful work.