A Case for Competence

One fascinating aspect of today’s society is the lack of competence on so many levels. In business there are far too many examples of rudderless ships steered by captains who couldn’t pilot a toy boat in a bathtub. Politicians and their minions regularly disappoint us with incoherent arguments, dull platitudes, and unimaginative solutions to nearly every problem they encounter. Our public educational system is often stifled by bureaucracy and tenured faculty who prefer guaranteed salaries, benefits, and lifetime pensions over student success. Even the simple task of efficient service at a fast food restaurant is often suspect.

One reason for incompetent behavior is a lack of accountability. If little Billy is never held to any standards of conduct, morally or socially, is it any wonder he grows up without an internal compass to guide him in the workplace? When political leaders can lie and cheat without fear of losing their office or suffering any legal consequences, why should they choose a different course of action? If special interest groups weld most of the power and influence in education, do standards of excellence and choice have any chance?

Accountability in a corporate environment is often viewed through a purely negative lens. If an employee fails to perform as expected there will be unpleasant consequences. This notion does nothing to inspire competence or excellence. When your only perspective about work is tied to completing a prescribed task then it is easy to succumb to mediocre performance. Consider the difference if that same employee understands how she is contributing to a greater company vision, like excellent patient care or superior customer service.

When the context or desired outcome is clearly in focus then accountability is easier to enforce and competence increases. As frontline employees become more engaged in day-to-day processes and have a voice in their improvement, accountability follows. If direct reports know their boss really expects them to say what they are thinking about policies, procedures, and product development, or better yet listens to their suggestions, competency grows.

Sometimes it feels like no one is in charge of our public and private institutions. Perhaps that is because image often trumps substance. We are so conditioned to telling the world how smart we are that we often don’t realize our own incompetence is on parade. Just because your iPhone can instantly tweet your whereabouts or what you had for breakfast doesn’t mean you should. Your dozens of Facebook friends doesn’t mean you understand intimacy and can carry on a real conversation.

Perhaps another way to measure competency is to lay claim to your body of work and invite others to judge for themselves. After all, our legacy is not what we tout about ourselves during our lifetimes but rather what people will remember and miss about us long after we are gone. Sadly, many of us may be leaving a shallow legacy at best for the next generation. It may not matter. Maybe there won’t be anyone who can competently write about it anyway.

What’s Cooking?

My mom’s kitchen has always been a special place. As a youngster it was home to an amazing array of shapes and colors that sometimes made their way onto the floor as impromptu toys. The aroma of fresh baked bread, fried chicken, or the latest vegetable from the garden would fill the house on a summer day. Family banter around the table was a regular occurrence when I was growing up, unlike the rare occasions most of us now find ourselves gathering for a meal. The kitchen was also a teaching environment where I learned basic cooking skills and shared chores with my siblings.

Perhaps leaders could learn a few lessons from the culinary arts. Whether an amateur cook or a professional chef, there is a discipline and rhythm required to running an efficient kitchen or preparing a meal. Recipes serve as the foundation. They guide the cook in selecting ingredients, measuring quantities, mixing in sequence, and applying the proper time and temperature. While my mom cooks mostly from memory these days, her early success depended on having a reliable set of instructions.

Effective leadership also depends on discipline and processes. Too often leaders fail to plan for the organization’s growth. There is no recipe or vision to guide the way. Poor screening and interview techniques may result in hiring the wrong persons to fill important roles. Without an essential mix of talent and skill, and with little or no orientation and training, is it any wonder the results we hope to achieve go unrealized or turn out badly?

The best cooks intuitively sense when an ingredient is suspect or a required flavor is missing. My mom has honed her skills through hours of practice and plenty of failed outcomes. Leaders who only depend on a rigorous adherence to the prescribed course of action will fail to notice when an employee is hurting, a resource is missing, or the timeframe is unrealistic. It’s fine to follow the plan, but ill-advised to ignore ones intuition along the way.

In spite of observing my mother’s prowess in the kitchen for nearly 20 years I failed to learn much about the art of cooking, although I do fry a pretty mean egg. Perhaps it is because I spent more of my time working on the farm rather than in front of the stove. It could be the result of my lack of interest in the subject matter. Instead of aspiring to be the next Chef Tell, I had set my sights on becoming the next Frank Lloyd Wright. (That didn’t happen either.)

Becoming a competent leader, like being a talented cook, is more than raw talent and training. There is a need to trust ones intuition and rely on past experiences. You must know how to select the best people, find the right resources, and combine them effectively to accomplish your vision. Your reward will be as appetizing as a gourmet meal...without needing to wash the dishes. Bon appétit!

Zeal Appeal

The dictionary defines zeal as “eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something; fervor.” It’s synonyms include eagerness, enthusiasm, intensity, and passion. If you have ever sat among the bleacher seats at a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game you recognize a form of zeal that frequently infects anyone who follows a professional sports team. Zeal is also associated with causes, like the environment, where ardor for saving the planet can result in destructive and illegal activities, including torching luxury homes and world class resorts.  Zealots may become so fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious or political ideals that they resort to violence as a means of furthering their agenda.

In today’s workplace zeal seems strangely absent. It is rare to find a leader or employee whose passion shines bright as they flawlessly execute their appointed duties. When zeal does emerge it is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale and listless environment. I frequently notice evidence of zeal among persons who simply love what they do, regardless of status or station in life. The shoe shine man in an airport terminal who polishes souls and shoes everyday; the cab driver whose vehicle includes bottled water and a daily newspaper; the waitress who attentively replaces empty drink glasses or provides extra napkins without a reminder; the receptionist who cheerfully greets you by name because she remembers your voice.

It would be easy to make excuses for our lack of zeal. A crushing workload, limited resources, intense competition, political uncertainty, and rising costs can certainly dampen enthusiasm for even the most optimistic leader. So where does one turn to rekindle that inner fervor and sustain a passion for the work leaders must do?

I believe a zealous leader is clear about his or her own calling and willing to focus like a laser on whatever that purpose might be. For me it has been a desire to create inspirational leaders and to find organizations willing to invest in this approach. It hasn’t always been easy and I confess to growing weary at times but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to lower my expectations or compromise on what I know is right.

If leaders were more willing to identify their calling, and engage employees and customers in their singular vision, then we would have more companies like Apple. The zeal of their fans is on display each time they launch a new product or upgrade an existing one. Their ability to focus has created entirely new business segments, like cloud computing and music, from a company that used to make personal computers.

As these brief thoughts suggest, zeal can have positive and negative consequences. Knowing where a leader crosses the line is probably best left to experts smarter than me. But I do know that without zeal ones leadership will lack energy and enthusiasm, key ingredients needed to pursue your organization’s mission and vision. With that in mind, on a scale of one to ten, what’s your zeal appeal?

Darkness Into Light

Most of us can recall times when the lights went out and we were trapped in utter darkness. I remember on a few of those occasions being in places where the darkness was absolute, so pitch black that I couldn’t see my hands even held just an inch from my face. Unless one is well-acquainted with the surroundings, moving about under such circumstances becomes nearly impossible. Even if the environment is familiar it is likely you will still bump your knee or stub a toe.

Darkness is also a metaphor that frequently signifies our fears and anxieties. As leaders, we often face such darkness when we are dealing with stress or depression. It may also emerge if a decision has reached an impasse or we find ourselves unable to move beyond the trauma of a major contract lost or a partner’s sudden death.

In those hours of darkness it is hard to imagine seeing the light again. The pain and grief prevent us from imagining a future and we struggle just to go through the motions of a normal workday. It is hard not to see these dark times as punishment or failure. This was the setting for Easter morning as a broken and despondent group of women made their way to a tomb where they planned to anoint the body of a dear friend and leader. It was both an act of grief and courage.

For leaders facing their own dark night, whatever the cause, it is prescriptive to note that facing ones fears is necessary, even vital, if we can expect to recognize the light again. Without a lonely trip to the place where our deepest desires and dreams have been shattered and lost, we can’t experience the joy and brightness of resurrection’s new day. 

I don’t pretend to understand the mystery of Easter or the hope that emerges from depression but I do know that light follows darkness. In my own business and personal journey I have experienced the dark night and the brilliant light. Leaders must not be afraid of the challenges that will come if they accept the truth. Hope and light emerge only when we believe what we don’t think is even possible.

Who’s Fooling Whom?

The first day of April is celebrated in many different countries as a time when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. Perhaps you have been the perpetrator or recipient of such mischief over the years. Hopefully the only damage done was a bruised ego or a gentle reminder not to take yourself too seriously.

Being fooled in the workplace is more likely to have some lasting impact. Leadership is dependent on integrity and if one’s words and actions can’t be trusted it is easy to see why performance and relationships will suffer. It only takes one incident where the truth is compromised to affect a leader’s credibility. If no apology is forthcoming, or the leader simply ignores their culpability, then trust is damaged and followers learn not to be fooled a second time.

I’ve never understood why leaders seem so foolish as to believe their own versions of the truth without testing what others might see first? Why would a leader risk taking action if they knew that others on the team have contributions to make? Wouldn’t it be smarter for leaders to admit that they don’t know everything?

One reason this fool’s approach still works is because too many leaders have surrounded themselves with persons who are only too willing to defend every idea or decision made. Perhaps they are trying to protect their own self-interest through this behavior but in so doing are unwitting accomplices to the foolishness that results. Leaders often fail to tell the truth when the situation demands it, like a need for layoffs or when morale takes a turn for the worse.

The fools who call themselves leaders today might take to heart this advice from former President Ronald Reagan, “The character that takes command in moments of crucial choices has already been determined by...the little choices of years past — by all those times when the voice of conscience was at war with the voice of temptation, whispering the lie that ‘it really doesn’t matter.’” Who in the workplace gets to challenge your version of the truth? Are you willing to give them credit for their great ideas? Your answer to these questions may also apply to the basic query of this post. Who’s really fooling whom? I hope you’re not surprised by the answer.