THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL ... · excellence leadership the magazine of...

ww ww ww .. LL ee aa dd ee rr EE xx cc ee ll .. cc oo mm

Women’s Leadership Development ProgramUniversity of Delaware

THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY

“Leadership Excellence is an exceptionalway to learn and then apply the best and latest ideas in the field of leadership.”

—WARREN BENNIS, AUTHOR ANDUSC PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT

ExcellenceL E A D E R S H I P

Leadership Development for WomenThrough the University of Delaware

The Women’s Leadership Development Program(WLDP) is a three-phase program for women in

public service that will…

• Guide them through the leadership journey in

becoming more effective leaders, both personally

and within their organizations, and

• Build leadership capacity within our public

service organizations.

An Investment in Womento Improve the Performance

of Delaware’sPublic Service Organizations

“Thank you for a memo-

rable program that has

helped me grow profes-

sionally and personally.

It will prepare me for

my life-long journey for

leadership.”—a recent participant

Journey of a LifetimeBy opening this door of opportunity, women will

come to understand the great potential of leader-

ship and build their own leadership skills and

self-confidence to significantly contribute to their

organizations.

LeadershipDevelopment forWomen in Public

Service

Open the Doorto

Your Future!

LeadershipDevelopment forWomen in Public

Service

Open the Doorto

Your Future!

throughthe

www.ipa.udel.edu/wldp

Institute for Public AdministrationCollege of Human Services, Education & Public PolicyUniversity of Delaware

Leadership Development for WomenThrough the University of Delaware

Myrna L. Bair, Ph.D.

302-831-3323

[email protected]

Audrey Helfman, Ph.D.

302-831-1708

[email protected]

http://www.ipa.udel.edu/wldp

ExcellenceL E A D E R S H I P

THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY

MYRNA L. BAIR

Leadership Is a JourneyTake it in progressivesteps or phases. . . . . . . . . 3

AUDREY HELFMAN

Achieving LeadershipStart developing your leadership skills. . . . . . . . .4

KEN BLANCHARD

Situational LeadershipAdjust your style to suitthe development level. . . .5

HOWARD M. GUTTMAN

Accepting FeedbackTake three actions tolessen discomfort . . . . . . . 6

MITCH DITKOFF

Culture of InnovationTake eight steps to startand sustain growth. . . . . .7

MARGARET WHEATLEY

Vision of the FutureChange brings somenew dynamics . . . . . . . . . .8

RONALD HEIFETZ ANDDONALD LAURIE

Adaptive StrategyAdapt behavior to meetnew challenges. . . . . . . . .10

ROSABETH MOSS KANTER

Change Masters vs.Change StiflersDrive change. . . . . . . . . . 11

MICHAEL G. WINSTON

Why Develop Leaders?This is your onlycompetitive advantage. . 13

JOHN KOTTER

Sense of UrgencyGrab attention when youshow the problem . . . . . .14

JAMES M. KOUZES ANDBARRY Z. POSNER

CredibilityBehave in ways that build your credibility. . . .15

DEBORAH L. RHODE

Moral LeadershipWe need rewards forethical leaders. . . . . . . . . 16

STEVE ARNESON

Lead from the MiddleProvide a link between the CEO’s vision and line execution. . . . 17

BARRY CONCHIE

Seven DemandsThese are essential todeveloping leaders. . . . . 18

WARREN BENNIS

The Art of Followership

Great followers creategreat leaders. . . . . . . . . . .19

MARY-FRANCES WINTERS

CEOs Who Get ItHow committed are youto diversity?. . . . . . . . . . .19

DIANNA BOOHER

CommunicationUse 10 strategies. . . . . . . .20

DEDE HENLEY

Unraveling OverwhelmThis must be a daily practice for women. . . . . 21

ARIANE DE BONVOISIN

Be Good at ChangeFind your changequotient. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

CYNTHIA MCCAULEY

Be a Better LeaderSeek development assignments. . . . . . . . . . . 23

Discovering Potential

Every sleeping beauty, late bloomer, and dormant talent longsto be awakened to their potential for leadership excellence.

VOL. 26 NO. 3 WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT - UNIV. OF DELAWARE EDITION MARCH 2009

WELCOME TO THE DEL-aware edition of Leader-

ship Excellence. This editionwas prepared for all those women who areor have been part of our Women’s Leader-ship Development Program. It is intendedto provide additional leadership learningopportunities for the “leadership journey ofa lifetime” that we mention so often.

TThhaannkkss ttoo OOuurr FFrriieennddssA very special appreciation to our friends

featured on the cover. We are very gratefulfor all they have done to help usprovide this program to women inDelaware. In the bottom row:Cindy Fauerbach (ManagerStatewide Training and Organiza-tion Development, Office ofManagement and Budget, State ofDelaware); Myrna Bair, Director;Terry Tolliver (Principal Analyst,Department of Finance, City ofWilmington); and in the back row NatashaEdwards (a second year MPA student work-ing in this program); Regina Roark(Assistant Land Use Administrator,Department of Land Use, New CastleCounty Delaware) and Katie Diamond (afirst year MPA student.

Audrey Helfman who facilitates Phase IIIwas out of the country when this picturewas taken. Please read Audrey’s articleabout this important part of our program.

The cover photo was taken in the Bucklibrary of the Buena Vista ConferenceCenter, where we hold our Phase I pro-gram. A special thanks to all the staff atBuena Vista for their help, to Mark Deshon,IPA’s graphic designer and to KathyAtkinson the University photographer.

AArrttiicclleess iinn TThhiiss IIssssuueeThe articles included in this edition are

from Leadership Excellence magazine andinclude many of the leaders in the field wehave referenced. They were also chosen toreflect areas that we cover in the program.For more information about LeadershipExcellence, please visit www.leaderexcel.comor to receive the journal as part of yourmembership, contact The InternationalLeadership Association: www.ila-net.org.

TThhrreeee--PPhhaasseedd PPrrooggrraammThe Women’s Leadership Development

Program, started in 1990, has evolved to athree-phased leadership training programfor women in public service. Our mission is“to help women in public service begintheir lifetime leadership journeys by build-ing leadership capacity and skills andlearning, growing, and embracing changeto successfully meet the many challenges ofthe 21st Century.”

The program focuses on individualdevelopment and is based on the belief thatindividuals can expand their leadershipcapacities; they can learn, grow, and change.Each phase builds upon the other and pro-

vides greater depth and opportu-nity for growth:• Phase I focuses on the concep-

tual foundation of leadership,male and female leaders, 360Degree Leaders, and the creativitynecessary for leadership to flourish.• Phase II sheds light on indi-

vidual personalities, behavior,and character using the Myers-

Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and theStrength Deployment Inventory (SDI). Italso elaborates on various leadership skillssuch as handling change and thinking out-side the box.• Phase III provides time to work on prac-

tical leadership development needs in asmall-group setting. The topics covered andthe skill sets practiced help individualsenhance their leadership abilities.

As Kouzes & Posner remind us: “Thereare no freeways to the future, no pavedhighways to unknown, unexpected destina-tions. There is only wilderness. To step outinto the unknown, begin with the explo-ration of the inner territory. With that as abase, we can then discover and unleash theleader within us all.”

We thank the University of Delaware,the Institute for Public Administration andthe State of Delaware for their continualsupport of these training programs.

For more information about our program,see my article, “Leadership is a Journey”and visit www.ipa.udel.edu/wldp. Pleasejoin us in your leadership journey. LE

Myrna L. Bair, DirectorWomen’s Leadership DevelopmentUniversity of Delaware

E x p a n d y o u r l e a d e r s h i p c a p a c i t i e s .

by Myrna L. Bair

Volume 26 Issue 3

Leadership Excellence (ISSN 8756-2308) is published monthly by Executive ExcellencePublishing, LLC (dba Leadership Excellence), 1806 North 1120 West, Provo, UT 84604.

Editorial Purpose:Our mission is to promote personal and organi-zational leadership based on constructive values,sound ethics, and timeless principles.

Basic Annual Rate:US $129 one year (12 issues)US $219 two years (24 issues)Canada add US $30 postage per year.All other non-U.S. add US $70 per year.

Corporate Bulk Rates (to same address)US $109 each per year for 5 to 25US $99 each per year for 26 and up* Ask about logo and custom editions andforeign bulk rates.

Article Reprints:For reprints of 100 or more, please contact theeditorial department at 801-375-4060 or [email protected]. Back Issues: (print) US$25.00. Permission PDF US: $50.

Internet Address: www.LeaderExcel.com

Submissions & Correspondence:All correspondence, articles, letters, andrequests to reprint articles should be sent to:Editorial Department, Executive Excellence,1806 North 1120 West, Provo, Utah 84604;801-375-4060, or [email protected].

Customer Service/Circulation:For information on products and services call1-877-250-1983 or email: [email protected].

Executive Excellence Publishing:Ken Shelton, CEO, Editor-in-ChiefSarah Hayes, Circulation ManagerNancy Low, Marketing ManagerRob Kennedy, Business ManagerMichelle Christensen, Public RelationsGeoff Pace, Sales

Contributing Editors:Chip Bell, Warren Bennis, Dianna Booher, Kevin Cashman, Marshall Goldsmith, HowardGuttman, Jim Kouzes, Jim Loehr, Tom Peters,Norm Smallwood

The table of contents art is a detail fromSSlleeeeppiinngg BBeeaauuttyy (image cropped) © ScottGustafson, and is courtesy of the artist andart print publisher Greenwich Workshop.

For additional information on artwork byScott Gustafson, please contact:Greenwich Workshop151 Main StreetSaymour, CT 064831-800-243-4246www.greenwichworkshop.com

Full view of table of contents art.

Copyright © 2009 Executive Excellence Publishing.No part of this publication may be reproduced ortransmitted without written permission from the

publisher. Quotations must be credited.

Our Leadership JourneyE . D . I . T . O . R ’ S N . O . T . E

2 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e

the Conger model of LD and designedto reinforce the journey concept.

Phase 1 is a one-day experiencewherein we explain that the first step isto get started. No one else can do it foryou: “We can no longer act as patrons,waiting expectantly for the right solu-tion. We are each required to go downto the dock and begin our individualjourneys. We are required to be there,as active participants. It can’t happenwithout us, and nobody can do it forus,” writes Margaret Wheatley inLeadership and the New Science.

In Phase 1, we want them to be pre-pared: to have a conceptual under-standing of power, leadership, andmanagement—how they differ andhow they are similar; know what char-acteristics are important for effective

leaders; share a leadership scenariowith other participants, and developthe confidence that they, too, Can Do It.

Although 50 participants may be inthis first step, we structure the pro-gram to meet individual needs. Some ofus need a detailed map showing all the hillsand valleys; some are happy with just signsposted along the way. Given individuallearning styles, we must includemany variations of learning: activi-ties, reflection, readings, and sharing.

At the end of the day, we providethem with additional reading, self-assessments, a model for developingaction plans, and reference material.This re-emphasizes that leadership is alife-long journey; we must all becomelife-long learners. At this point, weproperly prepare them, assure themthat we will be their guides, and helpthem see the future—the great benefitsthat await as they continue the journey.

Phase 2 in their journey is a two-day retreat, wherein we emphasizeself-understanding and skills-building.

Leadership Is a Journey

IN OUR WOMEN’S LDprogram, our analogy,

Leadership Is a Journey,conveys to participants that the processof becoming a leader is not instant oreasy, but it is a journey worth taking.

Think of a journey you’ve taken.First, you anticipate, then prepare, andthen start walking. You encounter dif-ficulties, but the joy of the adventureand the wonderful things you experi-enced during the trip make all theeffort very worthwhile.

These are the same steps our partic-ipants encounter. Our task is to betheir guide, help them begin the jour-ney, stay on course when thingsbecome difficult, and provide continu-al encouragement and nourishment.

In today’s instant gratification soci-ety, our participants need to under-stand there are no magic bullets tomake Ms. Average into Ms. Leader.There are roads to travel, steps to take,and obstacles to overcome; there arefellow learners along that journey;and every step forward makes us abetter leader. Peter F. Drucker noted:“Leadership is not magnetic personal-ity—that can just as well be a glibtongue. It is not making friends andinfluencing people—that is flattery.Leadership is lifting a person’s visionto higher sights, the raising of a per-son’s performance to a higher stan-dard, the building of personalitybeyond its normal limitations.”

The message is that leadership is ajourney of a life-time. There is alwaysmore to learn and to develop. As welearn and develop, we can have enor-mously positive impacts on ourselves,co-workers, and organizations. Successis a journey, not a destination. This jour-ney, noted Carl Jung, “is a lifetime’stask that is never completed.”

With the image of a journey in mind,our participants are more receptive toa long-term process. They are morepatient and willing to learn. Knowinghow this journey will unfold, they cannow relax and enjoy the scenery (thethings they experience, the people theymeet, and the abilities they develop).

Our program structure is based on

Knowing yourself is the first law ofleadership, but the path to under-standing is often difficult. How youlead, follow, and treat all those peoplealong the way is a function of whoyou are.

So the journey must take us acrossthe “mountains of self-knowledge.”This can be difficult. The challenge fortrainers is to make this as comfortableas possible, yet be brutally honest.Without understanding ourselves andhow we interact with others, we can’tbe effective leaders. Learning who weare, why we do what we do, and howwe can achieve positive interactionswith others is crucial for leaders.

Here we also begin building skills.This is like supplying them with thetools, gear, and guides they will need.Leaders need to be effective communi-cators, know how to deal with change,think outside the box, and understandthe next steps in the leadership journey.

At this point, our participants mayfeel a bit weary and lonely. We mustpass out water bottles and granolabars, shout words of encouragement,continue to show them the benefits ofthis journey, and assure them that theyare not alone. There are fellow travelersand learners: “Every moment requiresthat we stay together. We have the giftof each other. And that will make useven more curious, wiser, and coura-geous,” writes Margaret Wheatley.

Phase 3 consists of eight half-daysessions (like short weekend trips). Theymeet as a group, acquire new skills andknowledge, and practice leadership. Intheir group, they share the trials andvictories. What went right as they exer-cised their skills, what failed and why?What can they learn? It becomes obvi-ous to these emerging leaders thatleadership is not a certainty. At times,they succeed; at times, they fail. Whatis important is that they try and learn.

In post-session interviews, we askhow they think they have grown. Formost, the biggest growth is in theirself-confidence. They are not afraid totry new things, to learn from their suc-cesses and failures. They form bondswith fellow travelers and seek ways tokeep learning with each other. At theirrequest, we offer added learning expe-riences on topics as conflict resolution,emotional intelligence and communication.

An ancient pictogram for passages inChinese is depicted as a time when adelicate bud opens into a flower. We’veseen this flowering of new leaders. LE

Myrna L. Bair, Ph.D., is Director, Women’s Leadership Develop-ment Program, University of Delaware: www.ipa.udel.edu/wldp.

ACTION: Start your own leadership journey.

by Myrna L. Bair

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m 3

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Take it in progressive phases over a lifetime.

ition. I researched intuition from mul-tiple perspectives, reading literatureabout intuition from the fields of neu-roscience, communication, anthropolo-gy, and cognitive science. The topic isnow a favorite for many of the women.

The sessions are designed to allowindividual exploration of the topicthrough reflection, group discussion,and practice exercises. In order to fos-ter an environment where the womencan explore ideas and safely practicetheir leadership skills, the groupdevelops a strong bond of trust. Whatis said in the room stays in the room.

Each session ends by giving thewomen time to determine how theywill practice their leadership skills inthe workplace. Each subsequent ses-sion starts with a review of their pro-

gress on their skill development.At the final session, the women re-

flect on what they’ve learned throughthe program and provide a formalevaluation of the experience. I askedlast year’s participants to share whatthe experience meant to them. Here area few of the comments I received:• “I walk taller, have more confidence

and think smarter . . . I now think ofmyself as a leader.” Pauline Barcus • “Taking this class had opened my

eyes to the importance of taking timeout for me. The topics were related toour day-to-day functions that benefitme daily. It was one of the best classesI’ve taken in 20 years as a Stateemployee and would recommend allwomen take this class if offered theopportunity!” Brenda Annand• “Phase III is like the experience of a

gentle massage—it is light and enjoy-able at the time, but has a profoundlycentering and integrating effect, whichis more fully realized as time goes on.

Phase III: Achieving Leadership

AJOURNEY OF A LIFE-time begins with a

single step. AchievingLeadership is designed so that partici-pants work in a stepwise progression,putting one skill into practice beforetackling the next, during the year-longcourse of eight half-day sessions.

The first session helps participantsdetermine what they need to learn inorder to be a more successful leader.To do this, the participants must hon-estly examine what they want to learnthrough the program and then settheir own leadership developmentgoals. Although they are working in agroup, the women are encouraged tofocus on their development needs.

This individuality enhances the ini-tial tension that is felt when partici-pants are asked to work together todetermine the topics that should becovered in the upcoming sessions.This focus on self is quickly turnedinto an opportunity to receive an ini-tial negotiating lesson that providesthe participants the opportunity topractice negotiating and learn groupdecision-making strategies.

This first session introduces theimportance of understanding theprocess of leadership, practicing lead-ing, and recognizing that there areskills and tools they can use to makedecision processes move forward in acollaborative fashion. In addition,throwing the problem of topic selec-tion to the participants, results in thenatural exploration of additional top-ics the women discover they need tolearn about. Problems tend to gener-ate more ideas for what should belearned. The women often select top-ics that provide a natural progressionor focus on a theme—visioning, com-municating the vision, learning to feelcomfortable in conflict situations,negotiating, working with difficultpeople, developing creative solutionsto problems, understanding power,unleashing the potential in others, andworking collaboratively.

Sometimes the topics the womenrequest are unique. One year a grouprequested that a session focus on intu-

It pulled together material from previ-ous phases, and helped to create adirection for the future. I am gratefulfor this experience.” Wynne Hewitt• “For me, it was uncomfortable yet

empowering—a great way to growand develop in manageable steps. I feltencouraged at every meeting and cameaway with helpful personal education.I highly recommend it for any womanwho is interested in being all she canbe so she can get the most out of herlife. I use my skills daily and continueto grow and learn.” Nancy Logan• “I recently used the course curricu-

lum to solve a work-related problemthat we had faced for some time. Oneof my direct reports was having diffi-culty in working with an external part-ner. This individual was essential toour work performance and was creat-ing havoc because of her difficult style.

“We had discussed this difficult rela-tionship for months and consideredseveral options to resolve the situation,including my direct intervention withthe difficult person on my employee’sbehalf. I then decided to research myPhase III manual in the section aboutHandling Difficult People. I used thedetail to ask my employee a number ofdirect questions about this difficult rela-tionship and requested that he comeprepared to our next one on one meet-ing to discuss his responses.

“The employee answered the set ofquestions and came to our meetingwith the conclusion that it was hisreaction to the difficult person. One ofthe key questions that offered the turn-ing point was whether he believed thatthe person was being difficult on pur-pose. He quickly reached the conclu-sion that the person was not doing thison purpose and that it was actually hisreaction to her difficult behaviors.

“I’m pleased to report that this real-ly helped us to turn a corner with thiskey partnership! And my boss wasreally impressed with my use of theWomen’s Leadership material to solvea work related problem that we hadbeen facing for months!” Laura Miles

The experience of Phases I, II and IIIhave become a Journey of a Lifetime. Byopening this door of opportunity, ourparticipants see their great potentialand build their own leadership skillsand self-confidence, enabling them tocontribute significantly to their profes-sional and service organizations. LE

Audrey Helfman is Associate Professor, Women’s Leader-ship Development Program and Asssociate Policy Scientist,University of Delaware. Email [email protected] or visit www.ipa.udel.edu/wldp.

ACTION: Develop your leadership skills.

by Audrey Helfman



Taking the time to develop your leadership skills.

2. Coaching. High-directive/high-supportive behavior is Coaching. In thisstyle, you still provide direction, butyou also hear the person’s feelings,ideas and suggestions. You increasetwo-way communications but main-tain control over decision-making.

Coaching is for low-to-moderatedevelopment level. People who havesome competence but lack commit-ment to take responsibility need bothdirection and support. Thus, a coach-ing style—one that provides directivebehavior (because of their lack of com-petence) but also supportive behaviorto build confidence and enthusiasm—is most effective. Coaches both directand support their people. This stylebuilds confidence and motivation inpeople, while keeping responsibilityfor decision-making with the leader.

To improve your use of this style,you may want to ask for input ongoals and plans with competent teammembers and praise progress.

3. Supporting. High-supportive/low-directive behavior is Supporting. Inthis style, your role is to provide recog-nition and to actively listen and facili-tate problem-solving and decision-making. As competence rises, mostpeople question whether they can per-form the task on their own. Here aSupporting style is appropriate. Peopleneed to be heard and encouraged.

Supporting is for moderate-to-highdevelopment level. These people arecompetent but have variable commit-ment toward the task. You need topractice two-way communication andactive listening and to support peo-ple’s efforts to use their skills. You lis-ten, facilitate, and shift some controlfor day-to-day decision-making andproblem-solving to team members.You provide support and encourage-ment when they lack confidence or

Situational Leadership

I WISH I COULD TELL YOUthere’s a single solu-

tion to managing peo-ple—or one best leadership style. Re-grettably, that’s not the case. There is,however, a practical, easy-to-under-stand approach—Situational Leadership.

Effective leaders adapt their styleaccording to the development level ofthe people they are managing.

In Situational Leadership, there arefour leadership styles representingdifferent combinations of directiveand supportive behaviors.• Directive behavior is defined as the

extent to which you engage in one-waycommunication; spell out the person’srole; tell the person what to do, whereto do it, when to do it, and how to doit; and then oversee performance.Three words define directive behavior:structure, control, and supervise.• Supportive behavior is the extent to

which you engage in two-way com-munication, listen, provide support andencouragement, facilitate interaction,and involve people in decision-making.Three words define supportive behav-ior: praise, listen and facilitate.

FFoouurr SSttyylleessThe degree of direction or support

you provide depends on the develop-ment level of the person for the task.There are four development levels:

Style 1. Directing. High-directive/low-supportive leader behavior isDirecting. You define the roles of peo-ple and tell them what, how, when,and where to do various tasks. Youinitiate problem-solving and decision-making. You announce solutions anddecisions and supervise implementa-tion. You set goals, develop actionplans, provide direction, set time-lines,and closely supervise people whenthey are inexperienced or incompetentwith a task, even if committed.

Poor results tell you to focus ondeveloping your team members’ com-petence, confidence, and motivation.

To improve your use of this style,you may want to be more specificabout what each team member’s job isand what a “good job” looks like.

motivation on a given task.To improve your use of this style,

you may ask more questions, praiseperformance, or encourage your teammembers to solve their own problems.

4. Delegating. Low-supportive/low-directive behavior is Delegating. Youallow people greater autonomy, sincethey have the competence, commit-ment and confidence to do the task.People at this level are competent andmotivated to take responsibility. Thus,a low-profile delegating style—onethat provides little direction and sup-port—is likely to be effective. Eventhough you may still identify the prob-lem, you delegate the responsibility forcarrying out plans to experienced fol-lowers. They are permitted to “run theshow” and decide on how, when, andwhere tasks are to be accomplished.

Empower competent and confidentteam members to manage their ownperformance. Collaboratively set goalsand then delegate day-to-day decision-making to experienced team members.

To improve your use of this style,you may ask your team members totell you what resources they need toexcel and then secure those resources.

WWhheenn ttoo UUssee EEaacchh SSttyylleeThe right style is primarily a func-

tion of the degree of difficulty of thetask and the developmental level ofthe person doing the task.

Developmental level is the degreeof competence and commitment a personhas to perform a task without supervi-sion. Competence is a function of know-ledge and skills which can be gainedfrom education, training, or experi-ence. Commitment is a combination ofconfidence (self-assuredness) andmotivation (interest and enthusiasm).

The factor that triggers a change instyle is performance. Improvements inperformance shift the leadership style.Effective managers adapt their style tomatch development levels and meetchanging demands. Over time individ-uals and teams develop their own pat-terns of behavior and ways of operating;these constitute the norms, customs,traditions, and mores of the culture.

You may use one leadership stylefor the team, but a different style whendealing one-on-one, since individualsare at different levels of development.Shifting forward and backward instyle makes Situational Leadership adynamic developmental model. LE

Ken Blanchard is the author of the One-Minute Manager seriesand CEO of the Ken Blanchard Companies. Call 800-728-6000or visit www.bigspeak.com.

ACTION: Practice situational leadership.

by Ken Blanchard


LEADERSHIP STYLE

Adapt your style to their development level .

natural fear in the system. You have todisarm people if you want the truth,and the faster you can get the truth,the faster you can apply the learning.”

In contrast to Allgaier’s informalapproach, Joe Amado, past CIO ofPhilip Morris USA, formalized thefeedback process. Every year, he askedmembers of his IT team to complete a“leadership scorecard” on him. “It’slike 360-degree feedback, but it’s noton paper. It’s person to person.” Joekicked off a half-day meeting, then leftteam members to confer and answerquestions in four categories: How welldoes Amado allocate resources?Provide direction? Build capabilities?Give feedback on performance?

They gave him their honest feed-back, and Amado carefully consideredtheir input and made adjustments to

progress toward high performance.2. Don’t take it personally. As chief

learning officer for Mars, Jon Shepherdis part of the global people and organi-zation (HR) team. One post-alignmentsession included a review of the team’sanswers to the questions, “How wouldyou rate your leader’s performance,and what does he need to do different-ly to improve it?” Shepherd believesthat the team’s leader showed braveryin the way he handled the feedback.

“Hearing these things can shake youup and raise doubts about your abili-ties,” says Shepherd, “but our leadernever got rattled or became defensive.He just listened. He didn’t try to ex-plain or excuse himself; he didn’t tryto provide solutions. He just absorbedit.” The leader then led a follow-upsession in which he first “reflected”back the team’s concerns; then, theyjointly identified actions they couldtake to address the situation.

Accepting Feedback

LEADERS OFTEN EXPER-ience difficulty in

doing away with thetraditional leader-follower model andmoving to a horizontal approach wherethe leader and team members agree toplay by a new set of ground rules.

When we asked Helen McCluskey,president of Warnaco’s IntimateApparel and Swimwear Group, aboutcreating a horizontal, high-performanceteam, she responded, “My toughestchallenge is learning how to deal withnegative feedback. At first, I took it wellon the outside, but then overanalyzed,dwelled on it, and catastrophized it.”

In theory, leaders understand theneed for everyone on the team to pos-sess the leadership skills and authori-ty formerly reserved for the leaderalone. That authority includes theright and the obligation to call oneanother—or their leader—on behav-iors that compromise business results.But this new notion of accountabilityis easier understood than practiced.The leader needs to learn how toreceive feedback, and the team needsto feel comfortable delivering it.

TThhrreeee AAccttiioonnss ttoo TTaakkeeHere are three actions you can take

to lessen the discomfort for both sides.1. Give them the green light. Know-

ing how difficult it is for people to givehim negative feedback, Larry Allgaier,CEO of Novartis’s Global OTC busi-ness, makes it easy. “If I have an inklingthat something is troubling someone,”he explains, “I initiate a conversationthat makes it easy for them to give methe feedback. For example, I called ourGM in France and said, ‘I don’t thinkI’m as connected with the EuropeanGMs as I need to be. What do youthink?’” Knowing he had “permission”to deliver honest feedback, the GMdidn’t hold back. His response: “You’reright, Larry. I understand that thedeveloping markets may need youmore this year, but we would like tosee you in our countries more often.”

Allgaier believes that, “Gettinggood feedback, honest and timely, ishard for any executive because of the

Shepherd’s team leader was text-book perfect: He depersonalized thegroup’s comments, treating them as a“business case” rather than an attack.

Depersonalizing feedback was hardfor Roy Anise, former VP and GM ofChrysalis Technologies, a division ofPhilip Morris USA, and his team. Hesays: “Their self-worth always seemedto be on trial. They didn’t understandthat being questioned didn’t implybeing criticized personally.” Anisehelped the team break out of thismindset by role-modeling willingnessto take accountability for his perfor-mance and depersonalizing feedback.He told them that, if they saw him notliving up to his commitments andcame to him with that feedback, hewould view it as a gift. He even dis-tributed a number of Starbucks giftcards to his team and asked them togive one back to him each time hetransgressed, so they would feel asthough they were giving him a gift.

3. Act on their comments. Beingopen to feedback is one thing—actingon it is an even bigger challenge. WhenRoy Anise received candid feedbackfrom the members of his team, he wassurprised to learn that they judged himto be far more aggressive than hebelieved he was. He received similarfeedback from his boss, which spurredhim to seek coaching.

During his first session with thecoach, Anise explained that he wasunsure of how his team was progress-ing and where he needed to take it.

The coach commented, “I have noidea what you’re thinking. I can see whypeople who work for you feel the samesense of not knowing what’s going onwith you and why they’re intimidated.”

Anise bristled at the exchange. But aday later, he contacted the coach tothank him for his insight. As Anisesaid about his coach, “He exposed me,and initially I didn’t like it; but I need-ed to hear it.” Once Anise had seenhimself as others saw him, he couldbegin making changes. As he projecteda more open, receptive image, his teambecame more comfortable offeringopinions and raising objections.

Feedback need not be a negative ex-perience for the leader who receives itor the players who give it. When play-ers deliver it in the right spirit—feedback, not feedattack—and the leadertakes it as constructive criticism andacts on it, the team ends the winner. LE

Howard M. Guttman is principal of Guttman DevelopmentStrategies and author of Great Business Teams (Wiley). Visitwww.greatbusinessteams.com.

ACTION: Take these actions during feedback.

by Howard M. Guttman


COMPETENCY FEEDBACK

I t ’ s a c h a l l e n g e f o r a l l l e a d e r s .

unsure what’s needed to prepare theground, unable to resist the impulse fora quick yield, they rush in and wasteeffort. The same holds true for man-agers who want a culture of innova-tion. The antidote is first to get clearabout the scope of the effort by “stakingyour territory” or defining the fields inwhich you want to innovate. If you tryto innovate everywhere all the time,you’ll deplete your resources andexhaust your people. Second, you needto prepare the ground for planting byremoving obstacles to growth and byenriching the fertility of the soil.Preparatory efforts don’t feel like funand there’s no immediate reward, butwithout this effort you won’t have theground for future success. To preparethe ground, you might: 1) ask yourleaders to prioritize the top five inno-

vation needs; 2) quantify the cost/ben-efits of innovating in these fields; 3) askmanagers what they can do to establisha culture of innovation; and 4) researchidea management software options.What will you do this month to prepare theground for innovation?

3. Find the seeds: Locate powerful,new ideas. You can have ample spaceand fertile soil, but unless you havehealthy seeds to plant, you won’t reapa harvest. If you want a garden ofinnovation, you need many kinds ofseed. The more varied the seeds, thegreater your chances for an interestingyield. Ideas are the seeds. All innovationbegins with ideas. Where will your com-pany get its new ideas? Is there a process?Is it working? Can you count on yourpeople to deliver quality, game-chang-ing ideas? Or is there something elseyou need to do to tap their brilliance?To find the seeds, you might: 1) askyour people for three well-developedideas per week; 2) re-state your biggest

Culture of Innovation

SUSTAINABLE INNOVAT-ion, the endless

effort to find a betterway, can’t be achieved by mechanical-ly imitating best practices. The catalyz-ing agent for renewable innovation isthe cultivated ground from which bestpractices spring—the confluence ofpurpose, people, and processes (culture).

No aspect of innovation can take rootwithout creating a culture of innovation.Such a culture is simple to create, but it isnot easy because the ground of mostorganizations is hard. The metaphorthat conveys the effort required is creat-ing a garden. When your company isclear about the effort required, creatinga culture (garden) of innovation is sim-ply a matter of taking the time to exe-cute each step in the time-honored way.

To create a sustainable culture ofinnovation, take these eight steps:

1. Whet the appetite: Stimulate yourpeople’s innate hunger to innovate. If youare serious about being a gardener ofinnovation, you will need hunger—areal appetite for results. Without acommitment to the harvest, gardeningremains only a hobby and does notyield desired results. If your peoplehave little appetite for innovation, youneed to whet it; otherwise, they sit idlyby, waiting for R&D or senior leadersto lead the charge. And while theymay talk about growth, talk won’t putfood on the table. Fortunately, insideeveryone is the impulse to create. Yourtask is to awaken this impulse andhelp people own the effort to innovate.To whet the appetite, you might: 1)invite people already inspired to inno-vate to join your core team; 2) commu-nicate and celebrate all innovationsuccesses; 3) lead senior team innova-tion strategy and alignment sessions;or 4) create a business case for whyinnovation is so crucial and present it.What will you do this month to whet yourpeople’s appetite to innovate?

2. Stake and prepare the ground:Clarify the scope of the effort and increasereadiness. Amateur gardeners, fueledby visions of the harvest, tend to plantbefore they are ready. Unclear abouthow large a garden they can sustain,

challenges in the form of questionsthat begin, “How can we?” 3) identify10 scheduled meetings and dedicate atleast 25 percent of these meetings toidea generation; or 4) invite selectedcustomers to a brainstorming session.Where is the biggest untapped sourceof new ideas? What can you do thismonth to tap this fountain of brilliance?

4. Fence the garden: Protect aspiringinnovators from naysayers and idea killers.Uninvited predators and other varmintswill show up at all hours to devouryour tender, young seedlings or down-size your dreams—unless you fence yourgarden. Promising new growth ideas—the tasty indicators of breakthroughinnovation—will be devoured by raven-ous naysayers, unless you find a way toprotect the in-house innovators whooriginate and develop these promisingnew ideas. Your role is to fence yourgarden and protect your people fromthe acidic scrutiny, doubt, and prema-ture evaluation of left-brained, metric-driven, inhibitors of innovation. Tofence your garden, you might: 1) elimi-nate unnecessary metrics and bureau-cratic protocols; 2) serve your biggestnaysayers with an aspiring innovator’srestraining order; 3) request naysayersto seek you out with their concernsabout projects and pilot programs; or 4)provide safe havens for aspiring inno-vators to collaborate on new projectsaway from the scrutiny and micro-management of in-house skeptics. Inwhat ways can you protect your directreports from the chronic naysaying behav-ior of the senior team or Board?

5. Plant the seeds: Improve the processfor new ideas being pitched and taking root.While some seeds carried by the windmay land on fertile soil, most gardensrequire that seeds be planted systemat-ically. If you are sincerely trying to cre-ate a culture of innovation, you needto refine you seed-planting process,establishing a more effective way forthe carriers of seeds to increase the oddsof those seeds taking root. Yes, aspiringinnovators need to become more adeptat pitching (planting) their ideas. Butalso managers need to become morereceptive to the possibility that some-thing new is worthy of taking root.Having healthy seeds is a good start,but those seeds need to be planted in away that dramatically increases theodds of them growing into seedlings.To better plant seeds, you might: 1)identify best “idea pitching” practices;2) identify skillful communicators andask them to mentor others; 3) ask peoplewhat they need to make the idea-pitch-ing process more inviting, humane, and

by Mitch Ditkoff


CHANGE INNOVATION

T a k e e i g h t s t e p s t o s u s t a i n g r o w t h .

effective; or 4) train your people in theart and science of making skillful pre-sentations. What will you do this month toimprove your idea-pitching process?

6. Tend new growth: Find healthy waysto nurture new possibilities. Conceivingideas is easy; bringing them to fruition ishard. Along the way, they get neglected,mishandled, and trampled. What startsas a brilliant possibility often shrivels onthe vine. With the right sustained effort,gardeners of innovation dramaticallyincrease the odds of exciting new ideasmaking it to market. To tend new growth,you might: 1) create “virtual garages”where people work on promising ven-tures; 2) give feedback to aspiring innova-tors; 3) make “innovation slush funds”available to project champions; or 4)establish “innovation spaces” to encour-age creative thinking, collaboration, andcross-functional brainstorming. What willyou do to foster the growth of a new project?

7. Thin and transplant: Evaluate, sim-plify, and decide what to focus on andwhat to defer. Savvy gardeners thin outnew growth to make room for thehealthiest plants and even transplantthe healthiest of the thinned-out plantsto roomier locations. You need a clearstrategy for how you will evaluate,select, and fund new initiatives—andidentify promising new growth to betransplanted for future development.You might: 1) communicate the criteriafor evaluating new ideas; 2) identifythe resources available to support newgrowth; or 3) establish “greenhouseenvironments” that will enable you tonurture the growth of new ideas andpilot programs. What promising ideas orinitiatives killed last year should have beentransplanted into an “idea greenhouse?”

8. Celebrate the harvest: Acknowledgethe bounty and express appreciation for thegardeners. Have a holiday, ritual, or cer-emony to express gratitude for theharvest. The harvest feeds the body, butthe acknowledgment of the harvest feedsthe soul, strengthening everyone’sresolve to begin the growth process againnext season. To sustain a culture of inno-vation, you need to celebrate the harvestand acknowledge people for their effortsto innovate. You might form a team ofpeople to schedule, plan, and facilitatean event to celebrate your innovationharvest. How will you organize a “cele-brate-the-innovation-harvest” event?

Follow these eight steps for creatinga sustainable culture of innovation. LE

Mitch Ditkoff is president of Idea Champions and author ofBanking on Innovation, Free the Genie and Awake at theWheel. Visit www.ideachampions.com.

ACTION: Create a culture of innovation.

by Margaret Wheatley defensive. We focus on things we cancontrol. It becomes more difficult towork together and to focus on the bigpicture. Stress deprives us of our abil-ity to see patterns. We can’t see ourwork as part of a larger system. Webecome forgetful and experiencesleeplessness, restlessness, anger, andtears. Each of these has negative con-sequences on work. As people experi-ence their growing incapacity to getwork done well, they often blamethemselves for failing to produce.

Pressure on leaders. Out of fear,many people turn to leaders withunreasonable demands. We wantsomeone to rescue us, to save us, to

provide answers, to giveus firm ground or stronglife rafts. We push for astrong leader to get usout of this mess, even ifit means surrenderingindividual freedom togain security. But noteven the strongest ofleaders can deliver onthe promise of stabilityand security.

Still, we charge ourleaders to provide solutions. Whenthey don’t deliver, we sacrifice themto atone for the sins of the system.Leaders must resist assuming the roleof savior, even as people beg for itand grow more fearful and fragile.When people are directly affected byexternal events, the leader must pro-vide emotional support while main-taining productivity. When leadersare personally affected by challenges,they find it difficult to inspire confi-dence and credibility.

Core functions. Not long ago, com-panies engaged in five-year strategicplanning. Those days seem very dis-tant. Many of the primary functions—HR, planning, forecasting, budgeting,staffing, development—only workedbecause we could bring the futureinto focus; the future felt within ourcontrol. Now it’s difficult to do a reli-able budget for the year. One solutionis to submit alternative scenarios.

SSeevveenn NNeeww CCaappaabbiilliittiieessWe can prepare for the future

MANY PEOPLE ONCEhoned their skills

at predicting or antici-pating the future. But now these skillscan be a liability. They may lull usinto a false sense of security about apredictable future and keep peoplefrom staying alert to what’s happen-ing in the present.

Even so, planning experts arecharged with regaining stability. Man-agement may clamor for new plan-ning tools and processes, and pushhard on planners to find new modesof prediction. Staff mem-bers often suffer severeburn-out as they workzealously on stabilizing aninherently temperamentalworld. A wise planningexecutive said: “ I tell peo-ple we won’t get anymore clarity. This is asgood as it gets.”

Since we are all inter-connected, the problemsof a few affect all of us.The actions of a few corrupt execu-tives may bring down an entire com-pany, even though thousands ofpeople work there with integrity. Nocompany, industry, or nation isimmune to these system effects.

One executive once told me: “Nowit seems that we can’t influence out-comes. We are at the top but feel thatthings are being done to us.” Anotherexecutive said simply: “The oldstrategies don’t work any more.”

When so much is beyond our con-trol, when senior leaders reveal theirown feelings of powerlessness, howcan we survive the turbulence?

NNeeww DDyynnaammiiccssIn uncertainty, new dynamics

appear and old ones intensify. Let’snote how these new dynamics affectemployees, leaders, and core functions.

Employee behaviors. Uncertaintyleads to increased fear. As fear rises,we tend to focus on personal securityand safety. We withdraw, becomingmore self-serving, reactive, and

Vision of the FutureT h i s i s a s g o o d a s i t g e t s .

CHANGE DYNAMICS


3. Demand honest, forthright com-munication. In a disaster, informationenables people to respond intelligent-ly. We are hungry for information sothat we can respond well to urgentneeds. We take in information, makefast judgment calls, try something,quickly reject it if it doesn’t work,and then try something else. Weexchange information. We deal farbetter with uncertainty and stresswhen we know what’s going on,even if the information is incomplete.Freely circulating information helpscreate trust, and it turns us into rapidlearners. The greater the crisis, themore we need to know.

4. Prepare for the unknown.Preparation allows people to moveinto the unknown with greater skilland capacity. While traditional plan-ning processes no longer work, it isdangerous to abandon thinking about

the future. We need to explore newmethods that project us into alterna-tive futures. As people engage in sce-nario building or disaster simula-tions, they feel more capable to dealwith uncertainty. As they becomebig-picture thinkers, individual andcollective intelligence increases.Trusting relationships enable us to callon one another when chaos strikes.

5. Keep meaning at the forefront.Meaning is the most powerful moti-vator. People gain energy and resolvewhen they understand how theirwork contributes to somethingbeyond themselves. When we arefrightened, we may first focus on ourown survival, but we’re capable ofmore generous and altruistic respons-es if we discover a greater purpose toour troubles. Why is my work worthdoing? Who will be helped if Irespond well? Am I contributing tosome greater good? People don’t stepforward in order to support greed oregotists or to benefit faceless entitiessuch as shareholders.

6. Use rituals and symbols. We arebecoming aware of the deep humanneed for shared symbolic expression

without knowing what it will be byattending to the quality of our rela-tionships, to how well we know andtrust one another. We can engage inemergency preparedness drills. Byworking together on simulations, wedevelop cohesive, cooperative, trust-ing relationships.

To counter the negative dynamicsstimulated by stress and uncertainty,we must give full attention to thequality of our relationships. Nothingelse works, no new tools or technicalapplications, no redesigned chart.The solution is each other. If we canrely on one another, we can copewith almost anything. Without eachother, we retreat into fear.

There is one core principle fordeveloping these relationships. Peoplemust be engaged in meaningful worktogether if they are to transcend indi-vidual concerns and develop newcapacities. Here are seven ways toput this principle into practice.

1. Nourish a clear identity. As con-fusion and fear swirl about, peoplefind stability and security in purpose,not in plans. Clear identity describeswho we are, the enduring values wework from, the shared aspirations ofwho we want to be. In chaos, identitygives us a place to stand. When thesituation grows confusing, our valuesprovide the means to make clear andgood decisions. A clear sense of iden-tity enables us to respond intelligentlyin the moment. Times of crisis alwaysdisplay the coherence or incoherence.Are we pulling together or going indifferent directions? Are people’sactions and choices congruent withthe stated values, or are they basingtheir decisions on different values? Ifthey are using different values, arethese the real rules of the game?

2. Focus people on the bigger picture. People who are stressed can’t recognize patterns, or see thebigger picture. As people becomeoverloaded and overwhelmed withtheir tasks, they have no time orinterest to look beyond the demandsof the moment. So, leaders mustsponsor processes that bring peopletogether so that they can learn of one another’s perspectives and chal-lenges. Otherwise, people will spiralinward, lose all sense of meaning for their work, and feel increasinglyisolated and alone. The way youbring people together need not beformal. People need less formalityand more conviviality. They needtime to decompress, relax, and listento one another.

when we experience something trag-ic—and the need for celebration whenwe experience something wonderful.The use of ritual and symbols is com-mon in all cultures. As our livesbecome more stressful, we are redis-covering this basic human behavior.Symbols and rituals appear sponta-neously. No one department has tocreate them, but the organizationneeds to notice them when theyappear, and honor them by offeringsupport and resources.

7. Pay attention to individuals.There is no substitute for direct, per-sonal contact and conversations. Eventhough managers are more stressedand have less time, they need to pickup the phone and connect with peo-ple they want to retain. Key people—experienced workers, innovators, newhires, and younger workers—all needto know that their leader is thinkingabout them. When people feel caredfor, their stress is reduced and theycontribute more. People share theirknowledge only when they feel caredfor and when they care for the organi-zation. It is not new technology thatmakes for knowledge exchanges, butquality human relationships.

None of these suggested behaviorsis new advice. We know the impor-tance of relationships. So why are we not investing in creating healthy,trusting relationships? Many organi-zations, as a matter of policy, distance themselves from their em-ployees. They wrongly assume thatflexibility and efficiency are achievedby letting people go when times gethard. True, organizations need toshrink and grow as times demand,but it is possible to achieve flexibilitywithout sacrificing loyal, dedicated,and smart workers.

During unpredictable change, I feelconfident to make only one predictionabout the future: Any organizationthat distances itself from its employeesand refuses to cultivate meaningfulrelationships with them, is destined tofail. Those who succeed will evokeour greatest human capacities—ourneed to be in good relationships, andour desire to contribute to somethingbeyond ourselves. These qualities areonly available where people feeltrusted and welcome, and where peo-ple know that their work matters. LE

Margaret Wheatley writes, teaches, and speaks about newpractices and ideas for organizing in chaotic times. She ispresident of The Berkana Institute, consultant, and professor of management. Visit www.margaretwheatley.com,www.berkana.org or 801-377-2996.

ACTION: Focus people on the big picture.


way to those solutions.Second, adaptive change is distress-

ing for people going through it. Theyneed to take on new roles, new rela-tionships, new values, new behaviors,and new approaches to work. Manyemployees are ambivalent about theefforts and sacrifices required of them.They often look to the senior executiveto take problems off theirshoulders. But those expec-tations have to beunlearned. Rather than ful-filling the expectation thatthey will provide answers,leaders have to ask toughquestions. Rather than pro-tecting people from outsidethreats, leaders shouldallow them to feel the pinchof reality to stimulate themto adapt. Instead of orienting people totheir current roles, leaders must disori-ent them so that new relationships candevelop. Instead of quelling conflict,leaders have to draw the issues out.Instead of maintaining norms, leadershave to challenge “the way we dobusiness” and help others distinguishimmutable values from historical prac-tices that must go.

SSiixx GGuuiiddiinngg PPrriinncciipplleessDrawing on our experience with

managers from around the world, weoffer six principles for leading adap-tive work:

1. Get on the balcony. Business lead-ers have to view patterns as if theywere on a balcony. It does them nogood to be swept up in the field ofaction. Leaders have to identify strug-gles over values and power, patternsof work avoidance, and the manyother reactions to change.

2. Identify the adaptive challenge.When businesses cannot learn quicklyto adapt to new challenges, they arelikely to face their own form of extinc-tion. Leaders need to understandthemselves, their people, and thepotential sources of conflict.

3. Regulate distress. Adaptive workgenerates distress. Before putting peo-ple to work on challenges for whichthere are no ready solutions, a leadermust realize that people can learn onlyso much so fast, and maintain a pro-

Adaptive Strategy

LEADERS TODAY FACE ADAPTIVE CHAL-lenges. Changes in societies, mar-

kets, customers, competition, andtechnology around the globe are forc-ing them to clarify their values, devel-op new strategies, and learn newways of operating. Often the toughesttask for leaders is mobilizing peopleto do adaptive work.

Adaptive work is required whenour deeply held beliefs are challenged,when the values that made us success-ful become less relevant, and whenlegitimate yet competing perspectivesemerge. We see adaptive challengesevery day at every level—when com-panies restructure or reengineer, devel-op or implement strategy, or mergebusinesses. We see adaptive chal-lenges when marketing has difficultyworking with operations, when cross-functional teams don’t work well, orwhen senior executives complain thatthey can’t execute effectively.Adaptive problems are often systemicproblems with no ready answers.

Mobilizing an organization toadapt its behaviors to thrive in newbusiness environment is critical.Without such change, any companytoday would falter. Getting people todo adaptive work is the mark of lead-ership. Yet for most senior executives,providing leadership is difficult.Why? We see two reasons. First, tomake change happen, executives haveto break a long-standing behavior pat-tern of their own: providing leader-ship in the form of solutions. Manyexecutives reach their positions ofauthority by virtue of their compe-tence in taking responsibility andsolving problems. But when a compa-ny faces an adaptive challenge, thefocus of responsibility for problemsolving resides not in the executivesuite but in the collective intelligenceof employees at all levels, who needto use one another as resources, oftenacross boundaries, and learn their

ductive level of tension and motivatepeople without disabling them.

Although leadership demands adeep understanding of the pain ofchange—the fears and sacrifices associ-ated with major readjustment—it alsorequires the ability to hold steady andmaintain the tension.

A leader has to have the emotionalcapacity to tolerate uncertainty, frustra-tion and pain. He has to raise toughquestions without getting too anxioushimself. Employees, colleagues, andcustomers will carefully observe verbaland nonverbal cues to a leader’s abilityto hold steady and tackle tasks ahead.

4. Maintain disciplined attention.Different people with thesame organization bringdifferent experiences,assumptions, values,beliefs and habits to theirwork. This diversity isvaluable because innova-tion and learning are theproducts of differences. Noone learns anything with-out being open to contrast-ing points of view.

As Jan Carlzon, CEO ofScandinavian Airlines System (SAS),told us, “The work of the leader is toget conflict out into the open and use itas a source of creativity.”

Because work avoidance is rampantin organizations, a leader has to coun-teract distractions that prevent peoplefrom dealing with adaptive issues.People need leadership to help themmaintain their focus on tough ques-tions. Disciplined attention is the cur-rency of leadership.

5. Give work back to the people.Everyone has special access to infor-mation that comes from his or her par-ticular vantage point. Everyone maysee different needs and opportunities.People who sense early changes in themarketplace are often at the periphery,but the organization will thrive if it canbring that information to bear on tacti-cal and strategic decisions. When peo-ple do not act on their specialknowledge, businesses fail to adapt.

All too often, people expect seniormanagement to meet market chal-lenges for which they themselves areresponsible. Indeed, the greater and themore persistent distresses that accom-pany adaptive work, the worse suchdependence becomes. People tend tobecome passive, and senior managerswho pride themselves on being prob-lem solvers take decisive action. Thatbehavior restores equilibrium in theshort term, but ultimately leads to com-

by Ronald Heifetz and Donald Laurie

1 0 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e

CHANGE STRATEGY

Mobilize employees to adapt new behaviors.

the people at the top must be continu-ally reviewing other policies, strate-gies, structures, and systems in theorganizations to make sure they’re allcompatible with the new direction.

Communication. There must be goodcommunication in all directions toassure that people learn from what’shappening locally and that the policydecisions made at the top quickly reachthe people who are taking action locally.

Compensation. And there must benew signals, symbols, and rewards thattell people, “We’re serious and we’regoing to prove it by signaling it in a dif-ferent way, such as who gets promotedor which new plant gets the business.”

FFoouurr LLeeaaddeerrsshhiipp CCoommppeetteenncciieessThis kind of management of a total

change effort takes leadership. Thereare at least four important leadership

competencies that we mustencourage in the peoplewho run our enterprises tomake sure they’re doingthese things.

First, like all changemasters, they must betuned into the environmentand connected with sourcesof data and problems, sothat they know what andwhen to change.

Second, they must be able to use astyle of thinking that I call kaleido-scopic thinking. This is the ability tochallenge traditional beliefs, assump-tions, and practices, to see whetherthings should be done differentlytoday. Change masters think the way akaleidoscope works. A kaleidoscope isjust a device for seeing patterns. Whenyou look through it, you see a certainpattern. But if you twist it, shake it, orchange direction, the same fragmentsform an entirely different pattern. It’snot reality that’s fixed, but often ourviews of reality. Change masters canshake up and shuffle the pieces of thebusiness—the array of departments,the systems, the human resources—inmany different ways. They can chal-lenge their own beliefs and assump-tions to move toward something new.

Third, change masters have a clearvision and communicate it. They active-ly believe in it and are committed to it.

Fourth, change master leaders build

BEFORE EXECUTIVES CANmake significant

long-term changes intheir organizations, they must oftenchange the company culture. But beforethey can change the company culture,they must become change masters.

TTiippss ffoorr CChhaannggee MMaasstteerrssHere are some of the requirements

for mastering change.Shared vision. Before improving

quality or changing the culture or busi-ness direction, people at every levelmust understand and buy into thevision—the vision of what the changewill mean to the company and to them.

Consider, for example, the StanleyWorks, a 150-year-old tool manufactur-er. Stanley has long beenknown for high quality andhigh profitability. Now it’smeeting the Pacific Rimchallenge in many basicproduct lines. At StanleyTools, every worker on theshop floor can tell you whythey’re moving in the direc-tion in which they’re mov-ing. They understand therationale and what it meansto them. The vision is real for themand they buy into it. It’s not just anoth-er set of marching orders from the top.

Management structure. You don’tsimply announce, “We want tochange.” Rather, you clearly define thechanges, identify the people responsi-ble for them, and put a managementstructure in place.

Education and action tools. Havinga management structure in place, younow educate the people responsiblefor change and provide them with thetools they need to get the job done.

Experimentation and innovation.Executives need to encourage localinnovations and experiments, ratherthan impose a discipline on everyone.Let local units decide for themselveswhat it means to operate with highquality and high performance, forexample, and to innovate in ways thatmight serve as models for the rest ofthe organization.

Support systems. At the same time,

Masters will exercise leadership and manage the change process.

by Rosabeth Moss Kanter

CHANGE LEADERSHIPplacency and habits of work avoidancethat shield people from responsibility,pain and the need to change.

6. Protect voices of leadership.Giving a voice to all people is thefoundation of a firm that is willing toexperiment and learn. But, in fact,whistle-blowers, creative deviants, andother such original voices routinely getsmashed and silenced.

People speaking beyond theirauthority usually feel self-consciousand sometimes have to generate “toomuch” passion to get themselvesgeared up for speaking out. Of course,that often makes it harder for them tocommunicate effectively. They pick thewrong time and place, and oftenbypass proper channels of communi-cation and lines of authority. But,buried inside a poorly packaged inter-jection may lie an important lesson. Totoss it out is to lose valuable informa-tion and discourage a potential leader.

LLeeaaddeerrsshhiipp aass LLeeaarrnniinnggMany efforts to transform organiza-

tions through mergers and acquisitions,restructuring, reengineering, and strat-egy falter because managers fail to graspthe requirements of adaptive work.They treat adaptive challenges liketechnical problems that can be solvedby tough-minded senior executives.

The prevailing notion that leader-ship consists of having a vision andaligning people with that vision isbankrupt because it continues to treatadaptive situations as if they weretechnical: The authority figure is sup-posed to divine where the company isgoing, and people are supposed to fol-low. Leadership is reduced to a combi-nation of grand knowing andsalesmanship.

Such a perspective reveals a basicmisconception about the way busi-nesses succeed in addressing adaptivechallenges. Adaptive situations arehard to define and resolve preciselybecause they demand the work andresponsibility of all members. They arenot amenable to solutions provided byleaders; adaptive solutions requiremembers to take responsibility for theproblems that face them.

Leadership has to take place everyday. It cannot be the responsibility ofthe few, a rare event, or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. LE

Ronald A. Heifetz is the director of the Leadership EducationProject at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government inCambridge, MA. Donald L. Laurie is managing director ofLaurie International Ltd. in Boston. This article is adoptedfrom an article appearing in Utah Business, July 1997.

ACTION: Adapt to new challenges.

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m 1 1

Change Masters vs. Change Stiflers

can’t be solved at any one level. Itcomes from the barriers that existbetween areas—not from a lack ofteamwork or a failure of the processes.You can establish excellent participa-tive processes and statistical qualitycontrols and still fail because thewhole organization is too divisive.

EEqquuaall TTiimmee ffoorr CChhaannggee SSttiifflleerrssIn the interest of equal time, I have

written a corporate philosophy for thecompany that prefers mediocrity andstagnation. This is my guide to stiflinginnovation for those who do not wantto be change masters.• Be suspicious of any new idea from

below—because it’s new and becauseit’s from below. If the ideawere any good, the peopleat the top would havethought of it already. • Insist that people who

need your approval to actgo through many other lev-els of the hierarchy first—itdoesn’t matter in which dir-ection. The point is to slowthem down, because youdon’t want radical changes.A variant is to have departments chal-lenge and criticize each other’s pro-posals and then just pick the winner,thereby guaranteeing they’ll never col-laborate on anything again.• If you don’t want innovation, high

performance and quality, withholdpraise, express criticism freely, andinstill job insecurity. Believe that thesethings keep people on their toes. Howelse would they know that you havestandards? Subscribe to the machoschool of management. It said thatpeople do their best work when terri-fied. If you don’t have strong stan-dards, they just won’t perform. • Change policies in secret and reor-

ganize unexpectedly and often. If youdon’t want people taking initiative tosolve problems, then you must keepthem in suspended animation, neverknowing when another directive fromcorporate is going to cut things to rib-bons again. Some of our old-stylemanufacturing plants found that thebest way to close the facility was toannounce it on the radio that morningas people were driving to work. Thatway, they didn’t lose productivity andthey avoided anxiety that might slowthings down.• Be control conscious. Count every-

thing that can be counted as often aspossible. If you don’t want people totake initiative and solve problems, you want to have more measurements

coalitions. They know how to createpartnerships across areas, betweensuppliers and the company, with cus-tomers as joint ventures, and with theunion. They reach out to embracemany parties because they realize thatevery change must be sold; otherwise,people will likely resist it.

TThhee IInntteeggrraatteedd EEnnvviirroonnmmeennttOverall, the kind of environment

that drives change master companiescan be called integrated. The cultureand structure are integrative. Jobs arebroad so territories overlap. Peopletend to be linked together in cross-functional teams, oriented toward thesame end product. Communicationflows freely and knits people together.Groups can form and reform withaccess to any part of the organizationif that’s what’s needed to solve aproblem. These organizations are flex-ible, but they’re also connected by ashared vision that’s set at the top.

The opposite environment, whichdestroys the ability to be competitive,is what I call segmentalism. Such sys-tems chop the world into tiny pieces.The philosophy is, “Stay on yourpiece; learn that job and nothing else;take no responsibility for anythingelse.” Department doesn’t talk todepartment; level doesn’t talk to level.

Endemic to segmented environ-ments is a systemic roadblock to inno-vation, change, and problem solving.This could be called the elevator men-tality. Elevators go up and down innarrow vertical channels. That’s thementality you find in some compa-nies. Instead of just saying to the guyin the next office, “Let’s get together,form a team and solve this problem,”you go through channels.Departments act as fortresses ratherthan collaborators. Internal competi-tion has nearly killed our auto indus-try. Even within automakers, you finddivisive competition. Buick oncethought Cadillac was the enemy, notone in the same family knit togetherby common purpose and a need tocollaborate. GM’s new structure sug-gests the company is no longer divid-ed along product lines.

Unfortunately, even in this day ofsearching for excellence and questingfor quality, too many companies stilloperate the old way. In fact, I find thatthe biggest limitation many executiveshave in implementing their ideas andreaching their goals comes from orga-nizational structures and practicesthat segment people. It comes fromthe inter-departmental issues that

than you need. You want to measureso much that all behavior will go onlyto the measures. To stamp out initia-tive, make sure there is no sparechange that people could ever invest ina special project that’s not in a budgetsomewhere. Make sure that so muchtime is taken up just meeting the mea-sures that nobody would be able tothink about investing in the future orsolving a problem.• The attitude at the top should be,

“We already know everything impor-tant there is to know about this business.We’ve been in business a long time,and we’ve been successful, so we’ll justkeep doing what we’ve been doing.”

A good place to start in changingthe culture is to reverse the old rules. Increasereceptivity to and forumsfor new ideas. Many com-panies are already doingthis through qualityprocesses. What aboutother processes? Howmany people are reached?

What about ideas forthings that can’t be doneright the first time because

they’ve never been done before? Thatis one of the slight contradictions in“Do it right the first time.” You have tohave done it once before to know whatright is. Make sure those kinds of qual-ity standards aren’t a barrier to experi-mentation and to trying new things.

Faster approval and less red tape arerequired. Do things really have to gothrough so many levels of signatures?

Increase praise, recognition forachievements, and open communica-tion—especially advance warning ofchanges in plans.

Maintain an attitude that you’re al-ways learning and can learn from anysource. This helps convert change frombeing a threat to being an opportunity.

Change is always a threat when it’sdone to me or imposed on me, like itor not. But it’s an opportunity if it’sdone by me. It’s my chance to con-tribute and be recognized.

That’s the simple key to all of this:make it an opportunity for people andreward them for it. Throughout everyrank of American organizations, we mustthink about problem solving as entre-preneurs do. They think of every prob-lem as an opportunity to do it better.This is the kind of attitude we need. LE

Rosabeth Moss Kanter is the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor at Harvard Business School and author of America ThePrincipled (Crown Business/Randomhouse) and The ChangeMasters. Visit www.randomhouse.com.

ACTION: Become a change master.


pays huge dividends. Clearly, compa-nies that continue to invest in their tal-ent are better positioned to takeadvantage of recovering markets. Theyinvest time and money planning forthe future—selecting, training, andretaining the next generation of lead-ers. By staying committed to high per-formance succession and LD practices,TGE, Pepsi, Motorola, Goldman Sachs,and HP have strengthened their posi-tion in attracting and retaining top tal-ent, making them talent magnets.

2. Build leadership excellence, evenin challenging times. High-performingorganizations recruit top talent andplace them on focused, driven teams.They let their skills, drive, intelligence,and creativity come to the fore. Theytrain them and focus their energy onrewarding challenges. They give them

the place, space, knowledge, andchance to excel. They build a leader-ship team across boundaries of func-tion, geography, and business with aclear, common vision and strategy.

The LD programs at UBS, GE, andDell use a combination of presenters,learning technologies, and post-pro-gram project work to reinforce strate-gic initiatives. When leaders train andwork together, they gain commonvocabulary, shared skill-building, andstronger reinforcement and teams.

3. Bring in the best people and bringout the best in people. There is nothingwrong with your people that can’t befixed by what is right with your peo-ple. Leading companies identify andbuild on strengths. They find and nur-ture champions, create compellinggoals and direction, build skills, andspread enthusiasm. They encourage,excite, teach, listen and facilitate. Theytap, orchestrate and use the talents and

Why Develop Leaders?

HIGH PERFORMANCEleaders are distin-

guished by a set ofcore beliefs and actions. They believethat a business rises and falls on thestrength of its leaders at all levels.They identify, attract, and retain themost talented, diverse group of highperformers. They understand the corecompetencies and skills required tomeet challenging goals and surroundthemselves with highly capable staff.

These leaders encourage develop-ment by rewarding excellence, servingas role models, and encouraging per-sonal and professional growth. Theypush decision-making down anddevelop people’s confidence in theirability to lead, manage, and impactoutcomes. They allocate authority andresources to enable people to makedecisions and act independently with-in their area of responsibility.

They believe in the strength, capac-ity and potential for growth and con-tribution of their people, and bytranslating their commitment to con-sistent, purposeful action, even underfire, they pass the test of true leader-ship. They view the cost of LD as aninvestment. The impact of their deci-sion to develop their human capital isenormous. It is like when a small peb-ble makes a big ripple on a still lake.

For years, we’ve talked about theWar for Talent. We revised vision state-ments to emphasize acquiring, devel-oping, and retaining talent, promisingto create a high-performance culture.Yet, in challenging times, such promis-es are rarely kept, as people are oftentreated as liabilities. When leadersrestructure, reduce discretionaryspending, defer product development,out-source manufacturing, pursue vol-untary retirements and resort to lay-offs, the War for Talent gets lost.

SSeevveenn LLeessssoonnss ttoo BBee LLeeaarrnneeddHere are seven lessons:1. Success over time hinges on the

quality of leadership. Organizationsthat invest in leadership outperformthe field. Paying attention to humancapital, especially during tough times,

skills of their teams. They’re support-ers, resource-providers, obstacle-removers, facilitators, and team-builders. The mark of an excellentleader is the performance of the team!

4. Keep the fires burning. Whengrowth stops, people lose motivationand energy. Individuals identified asmarginal performers need to receivespecial management attention. Perform-ance is a function of goal clarity, sup-portive structure, adequate resources,required skills, performance-enhancingfeedback, motivation, and relationshipswith supervisors. Instead of eliminatingplateaued managers, ask: How can wekeep them motivated? Continuingopportunity keeps people working withhigh effort and enthusiasm.

5. Culture counts, especially duringtough times. Business flows in cycles,and the best leaders are constantlysearching for market opportunitiesand threats and take quick, creativeaction, allocating resources (time, tal-ent and capital) to pursue opportuni-ties. De-cisions are made quickly, andvision is translated into action. Duringconstant change, the ability to learnfaster is a source of competitive advan-tage.

6. Paying attention to human capi-tal pays off on the bottom line. We seea strong correlation between compa-nies listed as “Best Places to Work”and superior business performance.Firms with well-designed successionplanning and LD programs for the topthree levels of management enjoy aclear advantage. When you invest inyour people, you invest in your suc-cess: productivity, employee satisfac-tion, and financial performance rise.

TRW offers quality LD programs;HP has phenomenal on-line learning.

7. Stand up for your beliefs. The Warfor Talent will be won by organizationsthat believe in the strength, capacity,potential for growth and contributionof their people, and have the courageand commitment to keep their promis-es through thick and thin and do theright thing for their employees,brands, company and society, evenwhen professional and social risks oreconomic pressures confront them.This principle anchors their beliefs andbehaviors.

The only sustainable source of com-petitive advantage is the capacity ofyour people to learn, grow, and out-perform the competition. LE

Michael G. Winston is strategist of transformation. He hastop-level experience in five Fortune 100 Companies. Visitwww.michaelgwinston.com.

ACTION: Excel in your leadership development.

by Michael G. Winston



S m a l l p e b b l e s c a n h a v e b i g r i p p l e s .

ago, few people had ever heard of eBay.Today, millions of people recognize thecompany that CEO Meg Whitman andher team, with a powerful vision andstrategy, created—an unparalleled glob-al ecommerce engine and a leadingcompany that has reshaped online com-merce and payments around the world.

MMaakkee IItt HHaappppeenn4. Communicate for understanding

and buy-in. Make sure as many peopleas possible understand and accept thevision and the strategy. Changeimposed is not change effected. A criti-cal mass of people must understand thevision and strategy to bring about suc-cessful transformations. Leaders can usenew and innovative ways to get acrossthe messages about the urgent need forchange, the new direction and how toget there. Emails and screen savers andtext messaging can supplement postersand newsletters. Companies like BritishPetroleum use broad-based communica-

tions to help customers as well asemployees understand how the chang-ing picture of energy in the world todayaffects its vision and strategy.

5. Empower others to act. Remove asmany barriers as possible so that thosewho want to make the vision a realitycan do so. When leaders do this effec-tively, they can achieve astonishingresults. For example, in an industrycrushed by the weight of rigid struc-tures, systems and culture, where com-panies have been figuratively crashingand burning over the past decade,Southwest Airlines has broken throughthose barriers to maintain its successbased largely on its expectation that allemployees act in a leadership capacityto cut costs and improve service.

6. Produce short-term wins. Createsome visible, clear successes as soon aspossible. To avoid burnout, rememberto stop and celebrate your progress.When you do, you receive renewedenergy for the efforts ahead.

7. Don’t let up. Press harder andfaster after the first successes. Be relent-less with instituting change after change

Sense of Urgency

YOU NEED MORE ACTIONfrom a broader

range of people—action that is informed, committed,and inspired—to lead change. Therate of change won’t slow down. Andcompetition will speed up. You will bepresented with more terrible hazardsand wonderful opportunities.

My book Our Iceberg Is Melting is astory that outlines eight change steps:

SSeett tthhee SSttaaggee 1. Create a sense of urgency. Help

others see the need to change and to actimmediately. The pull of the status quois so strong as to derail transformationefforts if urgency is not clear. People atall levels need to be convinced of theneed for change, or the transformationefforts imposed can be slowed or sabo-taged. How many companies make itclear to their stakeholders the possibleconsequences of a change in the mar-ket and prepare for it? Many don’t,and some are no longer with us. Today,we see companies resting on their lau-rels for too long and then struggling tocatch up to changes in the marketplace.

2. Pull together the guiding team. En-sure there is a powerful group guidingthe change—one with leadership skills,bias for action, credibility, communica-tions ability, authority, analytical skills.This crucial step is often disregarded byeven knowledgeable leaders. The rightteam—not just top players, not just un-empowered middle managers, not justtechnologically qualified team mem-bers—is still a must for effectivechange. So, gather such a team, andwork with them closely to plan for anddeal with any disaster that might strike.

DDeecciiddee WWhhaatt ttoo DDoo3. Develop the change vision and

strategy. Clarify how the future will bedifferent from the past, and how youcan make that future a reality. Changeleaders often neglect this step or imple-ment it badly. There can be a clear andurgent need for change but no visionand strategy. Only a few organizationshave made outstanding strides articu-lating a vision and creating the rightstrategy to make it happen. Eight years

until the vision becomes a reality. Inthe past decade, we have seen somecompanies flame up with great initialmomentum and then crash, unable tosustain the innovation needed for con-tinued success. Others have risen fromtheir knees and managed great leaps.Because changes now happen so fast,“don’t let up” is even more important.

MMaakkee IItt SSttiicckk8. Create a new culture. Hold on to

the new ways of behaving, and makesure they succeed, until they become apart of the culture. The knowledge ofways to make the transformation hap-pen should be embedded deeply in theorganization. Many more people needto have this knowledge and skill-set.

These eight steps for leading changehold up well. The question is, howwell do you implement them, startingwith creating a sense of urgency?

Suppose, for example, that you are amid-manager. You see a problem witha new strategy, IT system, strugglinggrowth initiative, aging product line,or a difficult merger integration. Butthe problem is either not seen by oth-ers or isn’t being addressed. It’s as ifyou are living on an iceberg that’smelting—you see the dangerous ero-sion, but your fellow penguins, espe-cially those on the Leadership Council,are saying, “Problem? What problem?”

So what do you do? Tell your boss,immediately. Start talking it up. Try toget an appointment with the CEO.Prepare an in-depth presentation. Donothing—leading change is not yourjob, and they don’t pay you enough forthe aggravation. One of these optionsis what most people choose to do.

If you have seen these options fail,you may say to yourself: “What can Ido?”, “I don’t have the power”, “it’snot my job”, “this could be hazardous,and I have an obligation to keep breadin the mouths of my family.”

There is a better option to getting animportant change started: You do act,but not by relying on telling bosses, bigbosses, or anyone, not by offering whatwill look like opinion, or by dumpingdata on anyone. You show others theproblem, in the most attention-grabbingway possible, with only one goal: to cre-ate a sense of urgency around the issue.The formula: show them, don’t just tellthem, and create a sense of urgency,don’t just point to a problem. LE

John Kotter, an expert on leadership at the Harvard BusinessSchool, is the author of Leading Change and Our Iceberg IsMelting. Visit www.ouricebergismelting.com.

ACTION: Create a sense of urgency.

by John Kotter


LEADERSHIP URGENCY

I n c i t e i n s p i r e d a c t i o n .

tive about the future. Beyond having adream, a leader must communicate thevision in ways that encourage people tosign on for the duration, excite themabout the cause, and make the contextmeaningful. Whatever the circum-stances, when leaders breathe life intoour dreams and aspirations, we’re morewilling to enlist in the movement.

Competent. To enlist in a cause, peo-ple must believe that the leader iscompetent to guide them. They mustsee the leader as having relevant expe-rience and sound judgment. If peopledoubt the person’s abilities, they’reunlikely to join in the crusade.Leadership competence refers to theleader’s track record and ability to getthings done. Such competence inspiresconfidence that the leader will guidethe organization in thedirection it needs to go.

CCrreeddiibbiilliittyy IIss KKeeyyThree of these four key

characteristics of what peo-ple want most in their lead-ers make up “source credi-bility.” In assessing thebelievability of sources ofcommunication—whethernewscasters, salespeople,physicians, priests, managers, militaryofficers, politicians, or civic leaders—researchers typically evaluate them onthree criteria: their perceived trustworthi-ness, their expertise, and their dynamism.Those who are rated more highly onthese dimensions are considered to bemore credible sources of information.

These three characteristics are simi-lar to the essential leader qualities ofhonest, competent, and inspiring.More than anything, people want tofollow leaders who are credible.Credibility is the foundation of leadership.

We also must believe that leadersknow where we’re headed and have avision for the future (forward-looking).Leaders must do more than be reliablereporters of the news. Leaders make thenews and make sense of the news. Weexpect our leaders to have a point ofview about the future. We expect themto articulate exciting possibilities.

Although compelling visions arenecessary for leadership, if the leaderis not credible, the message rests on aweak and precarious foundation.Leaders must be vigilant in guardingtheir credibility. Their ability to takestrong stands, to challenge the statusquo, and to point us in new directionsdepends upon being highly credible.

Because these findings about the

characteristics of admired leaders areso pervasive and consistent, we creat-ed as our First Law of Leadership: If youdon’t believe in the messenger, youwon’t believe the message.

WWhhaatt IIss CCrreeddiibbiilliittyy BBeehhaavviioorraallllyy??Credibility is the basis of leadership.

But what is credibility behaviorally?How do you know it when you see it?

Here are six common phrases peopleuse to describe how they know credi-bility when they see it: “They practicewhat they preach.” “They walk thetalk.” “Their actions are consistent withtheir words.” “They put their moneywhere their mouth is.” “They followthrough on their promises.” “They dowhat they say they will do.”

When people decide whether aleader is believable, theyfirst listen to the words,then they watch theactions. They listen to thetalk, and then they watchthe walk. They listen tothe promises of resourcesto support change initia-tives, and then they waitto see if the money andmaterials follow. Theyhear the pledge to deliver,

and then they look for evidence thatthe commitments are met. A judgmentof “credible” is handed down whenwords and deeds are consonant.

This realization leads to a prescrip-tion for leaders on how to build credi-bility. This is our Second Law of Leader-ship: Do what you say you will do.

This definition of credibility corre-sponds with the two actions everyleader must take to build and sustainpersonal credibility. To be credible inaction, leaders must first be clear abouttheir beliefs; they must know whatthey stand for. That’s the “say” part.Then they must put what they say intopractice: they must act on their beliefsand “do.” This consistent living out ofvalues is a behavioral way of demon-strating honesty and trustworthiness.

Credibility makes a difference in theattitudes and actions of employees,customers, and other vital businesspartners. Leaders must take it person-ally. Loyalty, commitment, energy andproductivity depend on it. LE

James M. Kouzes is the Dean’s Executive Professor ofLeadership, and Barry Z. Posner is the Dean, Leavey School ofBusiness, Santa Clara University. This article is adapted fromtheir book The Leadership Challenge, 4th edition (Jossey-Bass)and used with permission. Email Jim at [email protected] Barry at [email protected].

ACTION: Learn ways to behave credibility.


LEADERSHIP CREDIBILITY

by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

LEADERSHIP IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEENthose who aspire to lead and those

who choose to follow. Strategies, tac-tics, skills, and practices are emptywithout understanding the aspirationsthat connect leaders and constituents.

For 25 years we’ve asked people totell us what they look for in a personthat they would be willing to follow.We first asked: “What values, personaltraits, or characteristics do you look forand admire in a leader?” Respondentsidentified different values, traits, andcharacteristics. Content analysisreduced these items to a list of 20(each grouped with several synonymsfor clarification and completeness).

From this list, we developed a sur-vey Characteristics of Admired Leaders,and sent it to 75,000 people worldwide.We distribute a one-page checklist, askrespondents to select the seven quali-ties that they “most look for andadmire in a leader, someone whosedirection they would willingly follow.”

Our findings have been consistent.Clearly, there are a few character testssomeone must pass before others will-ingly grant the designation leader.

Four traits receive the most votes:Honest. Honesty is selected 90 per-

cent of the time, emerging as the singlemost important factor. If people aregoing to willingly follow someone—whether into battle or into the board-room—they first want to know thatthe person is worthy of their trust.

Forward-looking. About 70 percentof respondents select the ability to lookahead, having a sense of direction anda concern for the future. Whether wecall that ability a vision, dream, call-ing, goal or agenda, leaders mustknow where they’re going if theyexpect others to willingly join them.They have to have a point-of-viewabout the envisioned future, and theyneed to connect that point of view tothe hopes and dreams of constituents.

Inspiring. People expect their leadersto be enthusiastic, energetic, and posi-

CredibilityWhat followers expect.

financial payoffs are obvious: employ-ee satisfaction improves customer sat-isfaction and retention; enhancesworkplace trust, cooperation, andinnovation; and saves substantial costsresulting from misconduct and surveil-lance designed to prevent it.

People perform better when theybelieve that their workplace is treatingthem with dignity and respect andensuring basic rights and equitablereward structures. Workers alsorespond to cues from peers and leaders.Virtue begets virtue, and observingmoral behavior by others promotessimilar conduct. Employersreap the rewards in highermorale, recruitment, andretention. Employee loyaltyand morale are higher inbusinesses that are involvedin their communities, andcorporate giving correlateswith public image andfinancial performance.

A reputation for ethicalconduct by leaders andorganizations also has financial value.Such a reputation can attract customers,employees, and investors, and buildrelationships with government regula-tors. Most individuals believe that com-panies should set high ethical standardsand contribute to social goals.

FFoouunnddaattiioonnss ooff EEtthhiiccaall LLeeaaddeerrsshhiippMoral leadership involves ethical

conduct on the part of leaders, as wellas the capacity to inspire such conductin followers and create ethical cultures.

Most organizations have ethicalcodes and compliance programs. Inprinciple, their rationale is clear. Codesof conduct can clarify rules and expec-tations, establish standards, and projecta responsible public image. If widelyaccepted and enforced, codified rulescan also reinforce ethical commitments,deter ethical misconduct, promotetrust, reduce the risks of liability, andprevent free riders (those who benefitfrom others’ adherence to moral normswithout observing them personally).

In practice, however, the value ofcodes is subject to debate. Skepticsoften fault current documents as eithertoo vague or too specific. Also, isolated

Moral Leadership

GIVEN THE CENTRALI-TY of ethics to the

practice of leadership, itis striking how little research hasfocused on key questions: How doleaders form, sustain, and transmitmoral commitments? Under what con-ditions are those processes most effec-tive? What is the impact of ethicsofficers, codes, training programs, andsimilar initiatives? How do practicesvary across context and culture? Whatcan we do to foster moral leadership?

One difficulty plaguing analysis ofmoral leadership is the lack of consen-sus on what exactly it means. Leader-ship requires a relationship, not simplya title; leaders must inspire, not simplycompel or direct their followers.

Leadership is inescapably value-laden. All leadership has moral dimen-sions. The essence of effectiveleadership is ethical leadership, whichrequires morality in means, as well asends. Whether such leadership is cost-effective in the short term, is uncertain.“Ethics pays” is the mantra of mostleadership literature. But when andhow much depends on various factors.

EEtthhiiccaall CCuullttuurree aanndd FFiinnaanncciiaall VVaalluueeMost studies that attempt to assess

the value of values find positive rela-tionships between ethical behaviorsand financial results. For example,companies with stated commitmentsto ethical behavior have a higher meanfinancial performance. Employeeswho view their organization as sup-porting fair and ethical conduct and itsleadership as caring about ethicalissues observe less unethical behaviorand perform better; they are morewilling to share information andknowledge and to go the extra mile inmeeting job requirements.

Employees also show more concernfor the customer when employersshow more concern for them. Workerswho feel justly treated respond inkind; they are less likely to engage inpetty dishonesty such as pilfering,fudging on hours and expenses, ormisusing business opportunities. The

by Deborah L. Rhode

ETHICS MORALITY

I n s p i r e e t h i c a l b e h a v i o r .


ethical codes and compliance struc-tures are viewed as window dress-ing—public relations gestures orformalities to satisfy federal guidelines.

Efforts to institutionalize ethics cansucceed only if they are integral to theculture and taken seriously by leaders. Acommitment to moral leadershiprequires the integration of ethical con-cerns into all activities. That means fac-toring moral considerations intoday-to-day functions, including plan-ning, resource allocations, hiring, promo-tion, compensation, performanceevaluations, auditing, communications,public relations, and philanthropy.Responsibilities to stakeholders need tofigure in strategic decision-making, andassessments of performance need toreflect values in addition to profits.

EEtthhiiccaall CCoommmmiittmmeenntt The leader’s own ethical commitment

is critical in several respects. First, lead-ers set a moral tone and amoral example by theirown behavior. Employeestake cues about appropriatebehavior from their leaders.Whether workers believethat leaders care aboutprinciples as much as prof-its influences their conduct.

Consistency betweenwords and actions isimportant in conveying a

moral message. Decisions that meshpoorly with professed values send apowerful signal. No mission statementcan counter the impact of seeing leaderswithhold crucial information, playfavorites with promotion, stifle dissent,implement corrosive reward structures,or pursue their own self-interest.

One overlooked opportunity formoral leadership is for those in top posi-tions to keep their own compensationwithin reasonable bounds. Another is tocreate more safe spaces for reports ofmisconduct and moral disagreements.Doing so prevents the far greater costsof external whistle-blowing.

Not only do we need more rewardsfor leadership that is ethically andsocially responsible, but we also needfewer rewards for leadership that is not.We need to alter compensation struc-tures that unduly favor short-term prof-it maximization, and define success toinclude ethical and social responsibilityas well as financial profitability. LE

Deborah L. Rhode is the Ernest W. McFarland Professor of Lawand director of the Stanford Center on Ethics. This article isadapted from her book Moral Leadership (Jossey-Bass) and usedwith permission. Email [email protected].

ACTION: Engage in moral leadership.

know that people want to learn, grow,develop their knowledge, and under-stand the organization. You also knowthat sharing information makes themmore engaged and helps spark innova-tion. Beyond promoting the corporateuniversity and encouraging individualself-development, take the team on anew learning journey—one that givesthem insight into how their workimpacts the rest of the organization.

At your next team meeting, invite aleader from another department to sharetheir groups’ structure, goals, and chal-lenges. Leave time for Q&A, and ensurethe leader outlines how your depart-ment can help make them more success-ful. Create a “shadow program” withanother department, assigning employ-ees to spend a day with a peer learningabout that team’s work (perhaps this can

be a rewards-based program for top per-formers). Take advantage of internal cus-tomer immersion programs, so yourteam knows what it’s like to interactwith customers. Invite key employees toobserve your cross-functional meetingsto see how you interact with your peers.Engage the team in brainstorming keyservice metrics, and assemble a balancedscorecard of how well they’re partneringwith other departments. You can showyour team how they fit into the largerpicture in many ways. Structure whatwill work best for your group. Yourgoal is to get your people looking leftand right—building a commitment togreater partnerships. When employeesbetter understand how their workmakes a difference, they’ll raise theirgame and create a stronger company.

3. Make a vertical connection. Alsoconnect the team by creating a strongvertical link to your department’s pur-pose and goals. As a leader, you areresponsible for communicating the

Lead from the Middle

THE REAL CHALLENGEof leading people

falls to middle man-agers. Today, it’s the leaders in themiddle who must communicate andexecute strategy, solve problems, cre-ate efficiencies, and manage perfor-mance. This is where the leadershiprubber meets the road, providing thelink between the CEO’s vision andexecution. Fortunately, most lessons ofleadership provide a blueprint foryou. You’ve learned to clarify expecta-tions, empower employees, and pro-vide feedback; however, to broadenyour influence and impact, you needto adopt four macro practices:

1. Do your homework. If you’vecome up through the ranks, you knowabout your team and how it impactsthe company. You know your group’spurpose and key metrics. But do youknow much about other departments?If you’re in Finance, do you know whathappens in Operations or IT, and howthese groups contribute to the compa-ny’s success? As a leader, you need tosee how the pieces fit together so thatyou can identify opportunities forprocess improvement, innovation, andrevenue growth. And, you need toensure that your department is part-nering effectively with other areas.How can you best learn about othergroups? Attend other departments’communication sessions. Read theirpostings on the intranet site. Sign upfor an executive speaker event wherethe group’s leader is presenting. Askyour manager for other departments’annual strategy presentation orprogress reports. Or find a peer in thatdepartment and set up a few “cross-education” sessions. Invite a peer tolunch and explain your goal of learn-ing more about his or her department;most fellow managers will share theirgroup’s goals. In short, network later-ally with a purpose. You’re not justestablishing relationships and influ-encing other departments, you’rebuilding insight into how the compa-ny works to gain a holistic view!

2. Expand the team’s horizontalview. From your vantage point, you

department’s mission and objectives,and connecting those with the compa-ny’s strategy. Aligning the team verti-cally takes discipline and perseverance.

Information needs to be communi-cated many times in multiple ways tobe fully absorbed. You’ll need to over-communicate in creative ways to keepyour team connected to the mission.Hold regular update meetings with theteam to share the strategy, and brief theteam on the latest metrics or results.Invite senior leaders to your team meet-ings to talk about the department’sgoals, and encourage employees to askquestions. Assign employees to makepresentations to their colleagues abouttheir group’s goals and progress. Useyour intranet portal to post the strategy,goals and objectives, and update them.Quiz direct reports regularly about thekey components of the mission andstrategy. Establish “skip-level” meetingsfor your people to have conversationswith your manager about the strategy.Invite the CEO to your meetings toshare how the company is performing.

Keep the mission, goals and strate-gy top of mind for your team. Ensurethat your employees know whythey’re coming to work each day, andhow their work is helping to achievedepartment and company goals.

4. Represent your best talent. Beyondconnecting the team to the mission(upward alignment) and exposing theteam to other departments (laterallearning), you must focus down, onthe team (serving others). You alreadyknow several best practices for moti-vating and inspiring the troops, andyou’re likely good at coaching anddeveloping your best players. Now letyour top performers shine on theirown to influence how the rest of theorganization views your top talent.

Take your best people to meetingswith your managers or senior leaders,and let them make the presentations.Send them to cross-functional meet-ings. Make sure they’re getting expo-sure to other leaders by pairing themwith mentors. Represent them at talentreview meetings or in conversationswith the CEO. Let them lead key por-tions of your meetings with the fullteam, or lead committees. Recommendthem for new assignments. Be knownas a net exporter of talent.

By excelling at the four practices, youmaximize your leadership impact. LE

Steve Arneson is President of Arneson Leadership Consulting,specializing in leadership development and talent management.Call 571-334-9605, email: [email protected] orvisit www.arnesonleadership.com.

ACTION: Excel at these four practices.

by Steve Arneson


LEADERSHIP INFLUENCE

I n f l u e n c e u p , d o w n , a n d a c r o s s .

They clarify how their own values—particularly a concern for people—relate to their work. They alsocommunicate a sense of personalintegrity and a commitment to actbased on their values. As a result,employees know where they standwith these leaders. Their values—con-sistent and unchanging—operate like abuoy anchored in the ocean, holdingfirm against the elements while indi-cating the way.

3. Challenging experience: Howmuch latitude are leaders afforded indecision making? Are leaders givenmajor responsibilities with wide-rang-ing delegation? By galvanizing peoplewith a clear vision and strong values,the leaders challenge their teams toachieve goals. Most leaders have hadsignificant challenging experiences at

key points in their careers while havingthe freedom to determine how theywould achieve outcomes. Confrontingchallenges accelerates their learningcurve, stretches their capacity for highperformance, and broadens their hori-zons about what is possible.

4. Mentoring: Is mentoring valued?Are leaders expected to acceleratehighly talented people to their opti-mum levels of performance? Greatleaders aren’t just hard-charging andhighly driven. They understand theimportance of personal relationships.Indeed, the leaders we studied consis-tently had a close relationship eitherwith their manager or someone in thebest position to advise them. This isoften someone who serves as theirmentor. These mentoring relationshipsare not the product of formal compa-ny-wide mentoring programs—notthat these aren’t helpful. These infor-mal mentoring relationships enable

Seven Demands

WHO WANTS TO FOL-low someone

who is going nowhere?Or someone who’s unreliable or un-trustworthy? Organizations wrestlewith these questions and others as theyconfront the elusive challenge of defin-ing and developing effective leadership.

Most people are certain that leader-ship is about direction, about givingpeople a sense of purpose that inspiresand motivates them to commit andachieve. Leadership is also about arelationship between people—leadersand followers—that is built on firmground; enduring values build trust.

What’s the best way to develop tal-ented leaders to achieve sustainedhigh performance? Having studiedleadership talent for more than 40years, Gallup set out to discover thedemands that leaders must meet tosucceed—and to uncover the develop-mental framework that wouldenhance leadership performance.

SShhaappiinngg LLeeaaddeerrsshhiipp DDeevveellooppmmeennttOur research confirms the impor-

tance of seven demands essential tothe development of all great leaders:

1. Visioning: Who contributes to,controls, or communicates the big pic-ture? Are leaders encouraged to paintpictures of the future? When do lead-ers talk about and shape the future?It’s no surprise that visioning is onedemand. Great leaders have a talentfor seeing and creating the future.They use highly visual language thatpaints pictures of the future for thosethey lead. They seem to attain biggergoals because they create a collectivemindset that propels people to helpthem make their vision a reality.

2. Maximizing values: How do cor-porate values align with individualvalues? Are leaders encouraged tolead with their values? Are leadersasked to describe the values that areimportant to them? These leaders alsorecognize that through visioning, theyshowcase their values and core beliefs.By highlighting what is importantabout work, great leaders make clearwhat is important to them in life.

each leader’s needs and differences tobe addressed. Inspired by their positiveexperiences with mentors, the leadersbecome intentional mentors them-selves. They selectively pick a fewhighly talented individuals and investgreatly in their growth and develop-ment over time. They see the success ofthese mentees as a reflection of theirown success. These leaders practice aform of succession planning that culti-vates the next generation of leaders.

5. Building a constituency: Are lead-ers expected to grow networks beyondtheir immediate work relationships?Does the organization promote thegrowth of networks by measuring theirbusiness impact? Leaders create rap-port at many levels across their organi-zation and beyond. They know thebenefits of building a wide constituency.One leader said, “My work forces meto have a relationship with certain peo-ple. I just think about those I don’t yetwork with and figure out who mightbe useful to know. I find that relation-ships built this way bring dividends.”These leaders understand networksand the importance of networking.

6. Making sense of experience: Areleaders able to meet with peers toshare understanding and learning ofnew issues? Is there a clear leadershipfocus on “lean” communication? In alltheir relationships, effective leadersenlighten others by making sense ofexperience. They also learn from theirmistakes and successes, and—as theyseek a range of experts—they ask ques-tions and listen. These leaders dealwith complexity and help others makesense of it by keeping things simpleand making information accessible.They help people understand what’sgoing on so they can achieve success.

7. Knowing self: Is every leader clearabout his or her strengths and weak-nesses? Effective leaders have an acutesense of their own strengths and weak-nesses. They know who they are—andwho they are not. They don’t try to beall things to all people. Their personali-ties and behaviors are indistinguishablebetween work and home. They are gen-uine. It is this absence of pretense thathelps them connect to others so well.

For leadership potential to be con-verted into sustained, high organiza-tional performance, the developmentexperiences for talented high potentialsmust be framed around the seven keydemands of leadership. LE

Barry Conchie is Principal Leadership Consultant with Gallup.This piece originally appeared in the Gallup ManagementJournal (gmj.gallup.com) and is reprinted with permission.

ACTION: Grow you leadership capacity.

by Barry Conchie



W h a t s e p a r a t e s g r e a t l e a d e r s ?

when the Great Man’s actions go awryis increasingly regarded as unaccept-able. Great leaders need great follow-ers who can amplify their strengthsbut also correct or modulate theirinevitable human flaws.

The importance of dynamic follow-ership applies to the full leadershipspectrum—from brilliant leaders whoneed fabulous support and execution,to decent leaders who draw on the tal-ents of their followers, to weak leaderswho urgently need the strength oftheir followers to accomplish impor-tant missions, to toxic leaders whoneed to be disempowered by moralfollowers. Conscience-based follower-ship could make a huge difference indefeating terrorist groups to defusingthe power of schoolyard bullies.

The relationship between dynamicleaders and followers is ahighway to success. Lessthan dynamic performanceby either party to the rela-tionship leads to mediocrityor worse. There is sometruth in the belief that greatleaders inspire followers. Itis no less true that mediocreor poor leaders demoralizefollowers. But followers’

commitment and actions are not neces-sarily dependent on the leader.Dedication to the organization or mis-sion and self-empowerment are equal-ly powerful. With these qualities,followers can make the organizationrun well and the leader look great.

Many organizations today are train-ing people how to be great followers.For example, Brent Uken, of Ernst &Young, has a clear strategy to introducedynamic followership so it can takehold in the culture. Microsoft identifiesone critical employee skill as “comfortaround authority” and has a curricu-lum to help employees engage leaderswith candor and intellectual vigor.

Most organizations require a degreeof hierarchy, even if they have rich net-works. In hierarchies, “leader” and“follower” are roles, not personalitytypes. Each role must be played well.The same individual usually playsboth roles at different times or in differ-ent contexts. You spend millions toimprove your leadership. Why not alsotrain for exemplary followership? LE

Warren Bennis is a Distinguished Professor at the USC andauthor of Leaders and On Becoming A Leader. This article isadapted from his introduction to The Art of Followership(JosseyBass/Wiley) edited by Ronald E. Riggio, Ira Chaleff, andJean Lipman-Blumen and part of the Warren Bennis LeadershipSeries. Call 1-800-225-5945. [email protected].

ACTION: Develop great followership.

The Art of Followership

CEOS AND CHIEFdiversity officers

(CDOs) wrestle withmyriad issues every day. Ted Childs,CDO for IBM, recently said thatCDOs are really Global Secretaries ofState. As such, their work touches onjust about every aspect of the busi-ness. Today’s issues are complex, andthere are often many opinions aboutthe solutions.

I provide perspectives to help youbreak through to the next level inyour diversity and inclusion efforts.

WWhhaatt DDoo tthhee BBeesstt CCEEOOss GGeett??In our study, we interviewed 20

top CEOs. These leaders amass almost$1 trillion in revenue and employmore than 3 million people. They aresome of the most powerful people inthe world, shaping our future withbreakthrough technologies, innovativeretailng strategies and state-of-the-artinvestment models. They lead globalAmerican businesses: Procter &Gamble, Eastman Kodak, Major LeagueBaseball, Wal-Mart, Sears, TimeWarner. Surprisingly, many have beenin their positions less than five yearsand yet are hailed by industry analystsas superior leaders who make a differ-ence in their spheres of influence.

These 20 titans of industry told ustheir stories with candor and passion.Every diversity professional knowsthat leadership commitment is vitalfor diversity to succeed. But what isnot clear is what commitment lookslike. Without exception, each of these20 leaders recognizes diversity as akey driver of business success, andthey have intentionally evolved intooutstanding stewards of diversity.

TTeenn TThhiinnggss ttoo GGeettThe purpose for this project was

to address concerns among diversitypractitioners who cry: “My leadersdon’t get it.” This is what our 20CEOs “get”:

1. Leaders are stewards of diversi-ty. The “stewardship” principledescribes how these CEOs lead.Stewards take care of something orsomeone. They do not delegate, rele-

IN MANY WAYS, GREATfollowership is hard-

er than leadership. Ithas more dangers and fewer rewards,and it must routinely be exercisedwith much more subtlety. But greatfollowership has never been moreimportant. Yes, we must continue todecipher between toxic or bad leadersand forward-thinking and strongleaders; yet studies of an often forgot-ten group—followers—haslargely been ignored.

Our culture honors lead-ers, but what about good fol-lowers? What role haveengaged followers playedbeyond the view of outsidersthat have helped highly suc-cessful CEOs make the rightcalls at the right time? Howcan followers contribute toeffective leadership? The leader-fol-lower dynamic is complex, as follow-ers often play multiple roles in theirrelationship to leaders. Positive fol-lowers often help set the standardsand formulate the culture and policiesof the group.

The topic of followership is pop-ping up everywhere. The new concernwith followership stems largely fromthe recent tsunami of leaders goingwrong. This happens when leadersignore the feedback they get from fol-lowers or when followers fail to givethe feedback leaders need. FromEnron, to 911, to the Catholic Churchpedophile scandals, to the non-existentweapons of mass destruction in Iraq,followers didn’t grab the attention ofleaders in time to avoid disaster.Clearly, we need to remedy this.

The topic of followership is toooften subsumed under the umbrella ofleadership. Why? American culture, inparticular, with roots in our nationalmyth of rugged individualism, hashad a long love affair with the “GreatMan” concept of leadership. Scholarshave chipped away at this with moresophisticated models of what reallymakes leadership work. Still, businessand political cultures cling tenaciouslyto the “Great Man” theory. Now, theprice organizations and countries pay

CEOs Who Get ItThey all commit to diversity.

by Mary-Frances Winters

LEADERSHIP FOLLOWERS PEOPLE DIVERSITY


Great followers create great leaders.

by Warren Bennis

gate, or abdicate their stewardshiprole, deeming it an honor to be of ser-vice. Operating at a higher level thanaccountability, stewardship is anexpression of humility, compassion,and appreciation.

2. Diversity is not separate fromthe business. Diversity is integral tothe business and is mainstreamedthroughout policies and practices. EdZander, CEO of Motorola, put it best:“Business and diversity are one inthe same. Business means diversity,and diversity means business.” Atevery meeting, he addresses threetopics: ethics, quality, and diversity.

3. Diversity is a significant driver of business success. For some, optimiz-ing and leveraging diversity amongemployees and customers is the keydriver. Take AG Lafley who is usingdiversity to drive innovation at Proctor & Gamble.

4. To really “get it,” you must have diversity immersion experiences.And then use the power of your ownpersonal understanding as teachingand learning tools.

5. Diversity principles are hard to grasp—and practices are evenharder to do.

6. You have to work at diversityeveryday. It takes a lifetime to master.

7. Leaders have to be on the frontlines daily. They become champions,internally and externally, for diversity.

8. The principles of diversity mustbe affirmed and reaffirmed regularly.Since everybody learns in myriadways and at a different pace, youneed to affirm these principles in dif-ferent forms and venues. Tim Solso ofCummins says that he talks aboutdiversity constantly, almost until he istired of hearing himself talk about it.

9. Leaders, at all levels, must “getit.” And if they don’t, they must beremoved from leadership.

10. They acknowledge that theydon’t know what they don’t know.And they seek help from up, down orsideways, or secure outside help.Several of the leaders have retainedexternal advisory councils, while oth-ers rely on friends and mentoring orcoaching relationships to advancetheir knowledge.

The CEOs who get it lead globalenterprises while offering theiressence as prodigious stewards ofdiversity. LE

Mary-Frances Winters is CEO of The Winters Group. Thisarticle is adapted from her Chief Diversity Officers Briefing.Visit www.diversitybestpractices.com/ceos.

ACTION: Become a steward of diversity.

by Dianna Booher

enforce and ignore, by the behavioryou reward and penalize, and by thequality of the products and servicesyou advertise and actually deliver.

5. Be Credible. Consider the look,language, likeability factor, character,and competence. People often judgeyour credibility by your appearance(dress, grooming, movement, gestures,facial expression, posture, walk). Whenyou speak, they judge your ability tothink on your feet and express yourself.People tend to trust people they like.

6. Be Concerned. Concern connectspeople. In whatever situation—fromproduct recall to layoffs to employeeillness to accident victims to stressedcolleagues—there’s great power incommunicating your concern. Whenlogic causes a lapse in the relationship,emotion closes the gap.

7. Be Connected. Leaders who showthey care about people as individu-als—not as employees, suppliers, orcustomers—make a connection. Thosewho don’t fail to communicate, andlose employees and customers.

8. Be Current. Speed is the new mea-sure of quality. No one wants to waitdays to hear the latest big news. Speed

is essential in bringing scat-tered work groups up-to-date on new projects,diffusing rumors, andmaintaining morale.

9. Be Competent. Ensureyour communicationdemonstrates competence.People hear what you sayor see what you write aboutyour work. Often theyjudge your competence by

what you communicate—your reputa-tion with customers or colleaguesoften rests on a single interaction.

10. Be Circular. Ask, “Who else needsto know?” when there’s a change ofplans or when new ideas surface. Pub-licizing your point, encouraging feed-back, facilitating conversations acrossfunctions are just a few ways to be cir-cular in your communication.

Communication is the most criticalcomponent of great customer service,the biggest challenge leaders experi-ence in times of change and upheaval,the most frequent reason top talentjoins a new team, and the most fre-quent complaint employees cite astheir reason for leaving.

How well you communicate dic-tates how well you do as a leader. LE

Dianna Booher is author of The Voice of Authority (McGraw-Hill). She is CEO of Booher Consultants, a communicationstraining firm. Visit www.booher.com or call 800-342-6621.

ACTION: Apply these 10 strategies.

POOR COMMUNICATION!We hear this com-

plaint often. The prob-lem? Information is not communication.Posting announcements, holding tele-conferences, or scheduling meetings isnot substantive communication. These10 strategies will help you deliver amessage that informs and encouragesothers while gaining buy-in:

1. Be Correct. Tell it like it is. Fromthe C-suite to the mailroom, truth-telling is key to productivity. If youmissed your numbers, say so. If youmade a mistake, admit it. Be known asa person who speaks the truth. Thereare easy answers. And then there aretruthful, more difficult answers. Yourpower as a communicator often de-pends on your choice between the two.

2. Be Complete. Don’tget so busy analyzing, solv-ing problems, questioning,coordinating, deciding, anddelegating that you fail tocommunicate what’s goingon to those on the sidelines.To make good decisionsand take appropriateaction, people need com-plete information. Greatleaders give people thewhy’s, what’s, and how’s.

3. Be Clear. Be specific. Separatefacts from opinions. Verify assump-tions. Vague generalities create confu-sion. Speak and write in simple, plainlanguage. Muddling information cre-ates a sense of phoniness, insincerity,or intimidation. Purposeful evasion—where harmony is valued above hon-esty—destroys trust, erodes morale,and lowers productivity. In such cul-tures, everyone gets along, goes along—and sinks together. Face-saving is apoor substitute for problem solving.

4. Be Consistent. A manager hears,“The company is not doing well.Freeze wages.” Then she sees construc-tion crews remodeling the executivedining room. Customers, colleagues,and employees experience disenchant-ment when they see inconsistencies inthe workplace. You can’t not communi-cate—by words, action, or silence. Youcommunicate by the policies you

CommunicationYour most important asset.

COMPETENCY COMMUNICATION


TTaakkee FFoouurr TTiippssHere are four tips: 1. Do not pack your bags and join

the national guilt trip. Carol Evans,CEO of Working Mother magazine says,“The National Guilt Trip is what hap-pens when you take 24 million work-ing mothers and put them into officesand communities that cling to the con-cept that men should work and momsshould stay home.” This cultural con-tradiction plagues us. We want towork; in some cases we need to work;and many of us love to work. And welove our families. We women becomeparalyzed by this contradiction.

Abandon the guilt trip. Focus onwhat you do at home and work thatseems to be working, instead of focus-ing on what you do that doesn’t seemto be working so well. Remind your-

self that you are a good mom, leader,friend, sister, mentor, and ally.

2. Learn to be ‘selfish.’ Now, the lastthing most women would want to becalled is selfish. In fact, we often say yeswhen we mean no, and do things weresent, to avoid appearing selfish.Being everywhere at once, ready toanswer needs, defend our brood, orsoothe conflicts at a moment’s notice isthe gift of the feminine—the fierce andpowerful mother archetype—and weare masters at it. Yet just because we’regood at it, doesn’t mean we should doit until we drop! It may be time to con-sider how to give to ourselves. Caringfor yourself is not selfish. It’s critical.You must get serious about self-care ifyou intend to expand your best offer-ing to the world. You can’t think clear-ly, make solid decisions, or stay intouch with the power of your convic-tions if you’re worn out and exhausted.

3. Quiet your mind. The more Iwork with leaders, the more I see the

Unraveling Overwhelm

WHAT IS IT COSTINGhigh-achieving

women to get to andstay on the top? We hear of womenwalking away from high-poweredpositions to go home to their families.Consider Karen Hughes, counselor toGeorge W. Bush. In the midst of a cam-paign, she left the White House andmoved back to her family in Texas.

What is over-extension costing us?Often the answer is our health, peaceof mind, and even the privilege ofcontributing to our children’s lives.

I’m stunned at the low level of self-care, the extreme self-doubt, guilt, andlack of self-confidence that plaguesmany successful women leaders. Inmy coaching, I meet women who areout of balance and overwhelmed dueto demanding work and home sched-ules. They race from project to project,deadline to deadline, never arriving ata place where they can breathe a sighof completion. Their e-mail inboxmultiplies by the second, while asteady stream of voicemail collects ontheir office and cell phone lines.

All of this activity means that theirminds are on overload. Even in sparemoments, they can’t rest. Anxiety andfear become constant companions.

And the collateral damage is notjust to themselves. Last year, we facili-tated a workshop for 24 women exec-utives at a major corporation. Onewoman, Kate, shared her story. She isa mid-thirties, senior manager, mar-ried with a two-year-old daughter.Kate goes to work at 6:30 a.m. andreturns home at 8 p.m. She rarely seesher daughter. She told us tearfullythat at night, she sits by her daugh-ter’s bed and holds her hand. Thisstory broke my heart. Is this the prizefor our dedication to leadership? Mustwe give up one to have the other?

I don’t believe it’s an either-or choice.I know that many women, like Kate,believe they must put in long hours,“face time,” to maintain credibility andto be viewed as strong team players.

How can women stem this tide?How can we reclaim what is mostimportant to us?

power of mental mastery, or havingpower and choice over your thoughtsand emotions. You won’t become areal leader by digging through the flot-sam and jetsam of your mind. Youcan’t think your way to authenticityand creativity. Mastering your mindmeans that you choose what you placeyour attention on. It means decidingwhen and where your attention goes,in spite of the demanding and arbi-trary commands of your mind.Meditation helps you to regain choiceabout which thoughts you follow, andmakes you aware of how often yourthoughts cause tension in the bodyand limit free flow of the breath. Themind is a great ally when used withfocus, but many of us let it go wherev-er it will. To access your intuition, thevoice of your truest self, you mustdevelop practices to quiet the mind.

4. Set clear boundaries. Boundariesare made by your choices about whatworks for you and what won’t work.Clarifying boundaries begins by know-ing yourself and then communicatingto others what is and isn’t acceptable toyou, given your needs and values. Theearly challenge consists in identifyingwhat isn’t working for you in your life.Otherwise, how will you know whatyou want and don’t want? Pay atten-tion to your feelings. When you’reangry, upset, or frustrated, something isnot working for you. A line has beencrossed. A need has been ignored. Thenext time you get angry, identify whatset you off. Was it something someonesaid to you or about you? Was it anunmet need or expectation, a brokenpromise? Record your findings. It mayhelp to ask, “What do I want mostnow?” Then ask for it. You may need amore flexible work schedule whileyour children are young and havemany activities during the day. Youmay need to work with the school sys-tem to create a new schedule. You mayneed to ask for more help at home withcooking and cleaning. You may needtime alone, to rest, rejuvenate, read,and reflect. Ask for it. Set clear bound-aries and be powerful in demandingthat your boundaries be honored.

Unraveling overwhelm mustbecome a daily practice for womenleaders. When we are calm, clear andgrounded, we are much better posi-tioned to make the kind of choices andtake the kind of actions that will makea difference for us all. LE

Dede Henley is CEO of The Dede Henley Group, a leadershipdevelopment company and author of The Secret of Sovereignty.Visit www.Dedehenley.com, or email [email protected].

ACTION: Reclaim what is important to you.

by Dede Henley


LEADERSHIP WOMEN

H e r e ’ s h e l p f o r h a r r i e d w o m e n l e a d e r s .

AA LLiiffee ooff CChhaannggeeI learned about change while

building First30Days, a company dedicated to helping people throughchange, and through my own lifeexperience. I grew up in six countriesspeaking four languages. I balanceddifferent cultures, religions, foods, andschools. I’ve had seven jobs in manyindustries—from high-powered corpo-rate positions in NYC to volunteerwork in the non-profit sector in Africa.I’ve been in dozens of relationships.I’ve been fat and thin, happy and sad.I’ve had lots of moneyand no money. Thechanges kept coming—change is inevitable.

Everyone is goingthrough his or her ownversion of change; someare better at handling itthan others. Whether try-ing to lose weight, find ajob, deal with the loss of aloved one, quit smoking,or end an unhealthy rela-tionship, change optimists have aunique outlook on life and the transi-tions it produces.

QQuueessttiioonnss aanndd PPrriinncciipplleessTo understand how change affects

you, answer these questions: Are yougood at change? Would someone whoknows you well say so? Are you betterat making or facing changes? What’sthe best change you’ve made? What isthe hardest change you’ve faced?What change do you want to make?Why hasn’t it happened yet? What’s inthe way? How much change are younow experiencing in your life? On ascale of 1 to 10, how willing are you towelcome change into your life?

Now that you understand howchange is part of you and where youare on the change scale, you can applynine basic principles. To get throughtough transitions, change optimists:

1. Have positive beliefs. They areoptimistic, believe that life is on theirside, and reach for good thoughts. Theybelieve that they can initiate and fol-low through with changes in their ownlives. Change is good and possible.

2. Believe that change always bringssomething positive into their lives.When faced with change, they knowthe change guarantee: “From this situa-tion, something good will come.”

3. Activate their change muscle,making them resilient. We all have thismuscle; we are smarter, more intuitive,and more resilient than we’ve been

Be Good at Change

EACH YEAR IN THEU.S., 55 million

people will lose theirjobs, 45 million will go on a diet, andtwo million will get divorced. Theseare all life changes.

Change surrounds us on a grandscale, but also in unique personal wayswith our families, friends, careers,finances, health, and spiritual outlook.

Change is omnipresent and indis-criminating. All human beings,regardless of their age, economicstanding, religious affiliation, or edu-cational background are either secretlyhoping to make a change, facing anunexpected change, or helping some-one else through a change. Think ofall of the changes you may have beenthrough: divorce, illness, losing aloved one, becoming a parent, mov-ing, changing jobs, graduating, and soon. The core of your being is wrappedup in change.

Since change is the only thing youcan expect, getting good at it shouldbe the number-one life skill to culti-vate! The Dalai Lama said that it isessential for kids to learn how to navi-gate change. But for those who missedout on a change education—that’smost of the population—the learninghas just begun. When asked how theyfeel about change, most people willsay that they hate going through it.They will say that change is hard andthat they feel alone when goingthrough transitions. Most people findthat change makes them feel confusedand overwhelmed.

Our initial reaction to change isnegative because we haven’t learnedthe best way to initiate it or to handlethe unexpected changes that can turn our lives upside down. The worldhates change, yet it is the only thing thathas brought about progress, wroteCharles Kettering.

While we can’t avoid change, wecan become better at navigating tran-sitions. People who are good atchange (change optimists) know thattheir beliefs, feelings, thoughts, andactions directly affect how easy orhard a change can be.

told. Our change muscle is strength-ened each time we go through achange. Draft a change resume listing all of the changes—good and bad—that you’ve experienced. You’ll beamazed at how much change you’vealready navigated.

4. Refuse to allow change demons—challenging emotions that arise duringchange—to stop their forward momen-tum. Fear, doubt, impatience, blame,guilt and shame are the main demonsthat come up during change, but changeoptimists don’t allow these emotions toslow their progress, choosing instead

to focus on faith, surrender,honor, forgiveness, andother positive emotions.

5. Understand that theywill experience less painand hardship if they acceptthe reality of their situa-tion. Resisting change isnot the answer. Changeoptimists let go of the ideaof how life should be andaccept where they are now.Acceptance gives you

relief and allows you to move forward.6. Control what they say, think, and

feel while going through change. Theyunderstand that empowering ques-tions like “How might this change begood for me?” and positive thoughtsand language (instead of why-me vic-tim vocabulary) helps them movethrough change.

7. Look within. Change optimistsknow that part of them never changes.It is calm, centered, and knows what todo. This place can be accessed throughsilence, meditation, talking a walk,spending time in nature, or throughreligious practice. During change, youneed to reconnect with this part of your-self, to wake up, to be more conscious.

8. Turn to a change support team.They know they are never alone—there is always someone who can help.Moving through change is easier whenyou seek the help and support of others.

9. Take action. People who are goodat change don’t remain stagnant. Theytake care of themselves physically, theymake decisions, and they have a plan.

When you look at these nine princi-ples, which ones challenge you? Whichdo you need to work on to become thetype of person who can handlechange—who is open to the unexpect-ed and eager take on changes thatneed to be made? LE

Ariane de Bonvoisin is the founder of first30days.com, a web-site that helps people transition through dozens of changes, andauthor of The First 30 Days. Visit www.first30days.com.

ACTION: Navigate your life transitions.

by Ariane de Bonvoisin


CHANGE FOUNDATION

Find your change quotient!

challenge framework identifies severalkey challenges—features of assign-ments that stimulate learning:• Unfamiliar responsibilities—handling

responsibilities that are new or differentfrom previous ones you’ve handled• New directions—starting some-

thing new or making strategic changes• Inherited problems—fixing prob-

lems created by someone else or exist-ing before you accepted the assignment• Employee issues—dealing with

people who lack adequate experience,are incompetent, or resistant to change• High stakes—managing work with

tight deadlines, pressure, visibility, andresponsibility for critical decisions• Scope and scale—managing work

that is broad in scope or large in size• External pressure—managing the

interface with external groups, such ascustomers, vendors, or partners• Work across cultures—working

with people from different cultures orwith institutions in other countries• Workgroup diversity—working

with people of both genders and dif-ferent racial and ethnic backgrounds

Start looking for such challengesthat broaden your experience and tar-get a particular competency.

FFiinndd aanndd AAdddd AAssssiiggnnmmeennttssHow can you find and add devel-

opmental assignments to your job? • Reshape your job by adding new

responsibilities. These might beacquired from someone else’s work-load, or they may be tasks that need toget done and currently are not. Forexample, you could add “fix it” respon-sibilities to your job by taking on theresponsibility of managing dissatisfiedcustomers or difficult suppliers. Or

Be a Better Leader

YOU MAY BE GREAT ATyour job and even

enjoy it. But is your jobhelping you develop as a leader? Ifnot, you might need a change, but notnecessarily a new job. In looking fornew challenges, you may think first ofa new job—one that gives you moreresponsibility and authority. But amajor job shift may not be possible,practical, or attractive to you now.

The good news is that it is possibleto shape your current job and non-work pursuits to grow as a leader.This development-in-place approachdoesn’t require a change in jobs, but itdoes require: working with your bossand others to add responsibilities toyour job, engaging in temporary tasksor roles, or seeking leadership oppor-tunities outside the workplace.

WWhhyy SSeeeekk LLeeaaddeerrsshhiipp DDeevveellooppmmeenntt??I see three reasons why you should

seek a variety of developmentalassignments during your career:

1. Effective leaders continue todevelop their repertoire of skills. To beeffective in leadership roles, you haveto master new skills in additional are-nas. Instead of always relying on alimited set of natural capabilities, youneed to become more well-rounded.

2. Most learning and developmentoccurs through practical work and lifeexperiences. We learn best when ourdaily responsibilities and challengesrequire it. We need the opportunity toengage in experiences, draw lessonsand insights from those experiences,and apply our new knowledge andskills to future experiences.

3. The more types of experience, thebetter you develop a repertoire of skills.If you focus only on doing the workthat you already excel at, you’re lesslikely to broaden your leadershipcapacity. If you step into new situationsand face challenges that call for untestedabilities, you grow and successfullytake on leadership responsibility.

CChhaalllleennggee SSttiimmuullaatteess LLeeaarrnniinnggChallenge is a key element of a

developmental assignment. Our job

experience influencing without authori-ty by creating a networking group.• Seek temporary assignments—tasks

or responsibilities bound by time, suchas a project, task force, one-time event,or short-term activity. For example, toadd scope-and-scale challenge to yourjob, you could take on a colleague’sresponsibilities while he’s out for leaveor join a team managing a project. Oryou could hone your coaching skillsby shifting some responsibilities offyour plate: delegate one of yourresponsibilities to a direct report andhelp that person master the new task.• Go outside the workplace. You

might take on leadership responsibili-ties outside of your employment—incommunity, non-profit, religious,social, professional organizations, andfamilies. These settings often have thesame challenges. For example, to expe-rience the challenge of working acrosscultures, you could host a student froma different country or volunteer on aservice project in a foreign country.

FFoouurr GGuuiiddeelliinneessObserve four guidelines when seek-

ing developmental assignments: Guideline 1: Share your ideas with

coworkers and invite their suggestions—don’t rely on yourself to generateideas for developmental assignments.

Guideline 2: Narrow your list ofideas and discuss them with your boss.Which ones have the most promise,practicality, or learning potential?Which ones would be very beneficialto your group or to the organization?

Guideline 3: Have a short-term andlong-term approach to developmentalassignments. You might undertakesome assignments quickly, while oth-ers might take longer to transpire.

Guideline 4: Craft a plan to maxi-mize the learning from a developmentalassignment. Your plan should addresseight questions: What skills, behaviorsor actions do I need? How will I getfeedback on how well I am applyingthese skills, behaviors, or actions?What past experiences can I draw on?What knowledge will help with thisassignment? From whom should Iseek advice? What about this assign-ment makes me anxious? Who wouldbe a good coach or role model for me?Who will support and reenergize me?

Shape your work and life experi-ences to help you expand your leader-ship knowledge and skills. LE

Cynthia McCauley is a senior faculty member of the Center forCreative Leadership (CCL), a top-ranked, global provider ofleadership education and research.

ACTION: Develop leadership in place.

by Cynthia McCauley



Y o u d o n ’ t n e e d t o c h a n g e j o b s .

For 25 years, our three monthly magazineshave been the source for the best and

brightest insights from all the top consultants,coaches, authors, and executives.

Use our FREE Development Tools:

• Personal Excellence Plan, an easy-to-useguide designed to help you create and imple-ment vision, mission, goals, and priorities.

• Excellence Worksheet, the perfect way tobring Excellence into your personal study or team meeting.

Team Leadership($10/month)Leadership Excellencebrings together the bestthinking in the world, fromall the top practioners, in atime-effective format.

Leadership Excellence■■ 1-year (12 issues) $129■■ 2-year (24 issues) $219■■ 3-year (36 issues) $269

Master of Excellence Leadership Package• 1-year Leadership Excellence• Your choice of 1-year Sales & Service

Excellence or Personal Excellence• 20-Year Instant Consultant leader-

ship library CD• 3-book package on leadership*

■■ $329 (save over $150)**

Self Leadership($8/month)Personal Excellencefocuses on seven dimen-sions of personal devel-opment and leadership.

Personal Excellence■■ 1-year (12 issues) $99■■ 2-year (24 issues) $129■■ 3-year (36 issues) $199

Sales/Service Leadership($5/month)Sales & Service Excellencecovers seven dimensions ofsales, marketing, and serviceexcellence.

Sales & Service Excellence

■■ 1-year (12 issues) $59■■ 2-year (24 issues) $99■■ 3-year (36 issues) $139

PERFORMANCE SYSTEM

Please start my membership!Please sign me up for the item(s) checked.

Name ___________________________

Company_________________________

Address __________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

Phone ___________________________

Email ____________________________

■■ Visa ■■ MC ■■ Amex ■■ Disc ■■ Bill me

# ______________________ exp. _____

Signature _________________________

20-Year InstantConsultantCD archive: com-prehensive,searchable data-base of the best

ideas and strategieson management,

leadership, and produc-tivity. Instantly access the perfect articlefor your presentation, meeting, or per-sonal study with over 3,200 articles bybest-selling authors, leadership experts,coaches, and consultants.

CD or Online Access:

■■ $199

*Books may be different than shown. ** For Canadian and International subscriptions, add $20 U.S. postage per year—all three publications include Leadership Excellence, Sales and Service Excellence, and Personal Excellence.

Recent contributors include: Marshall Goldsmith, Jim Collins, Tom Peters, Anne Mulcahy, Warren Bennis, Michael Porter, Margaret Wheatley, Patrick Lencioni, and many others!

Recent contributors include: Tom Hopkins, Jim Rohn, Dianna Booher, Oren Harari, DebbieAllen, Adrian Gostick, T. Scott Gross, Brian Tracy, Jeff Thull, and many others!

Recent contributors include: Laura Schlessinger, Tony Alessandra, Tom DeCotiis, KurtDuNard, Bob Davies, Marshall Goldsmith, Wayne Dyer, Peter Block, and many others!

Fax this form to 801-377-5960, call 1-877-250-1983,

email [email protected] or visit www.LeaderExcel.com

Get StartedToday!

“Sales and Service Excellence is crisp, succinct, and actionable—a nice change fromHarvard Business Review, whose articles are interesting but too academic to be useful.”

—PETER G. BALBUS, CEO & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PRAGMAXIS

“Personal Excellence is the only reading you’ll need to do for continual self-improve-ment both personally and professionally!”

—SHARLENE HAWKES, FORMER MISS AMERICA, AWARD-WINNING ESPN BROADCASTER

LEADERSHIP

Leadership ExcellenceCelebrating 25 Years of Excellence

http://www.leaderexcel.com/

THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL ... · excellence leadership the magazine of...

Documents

Transcript of THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL ... · excellence leadership the magazine of...