Saturday, January 26, 2013

Puzzle Pieces

I love puzzles, even though I rarely have time in my busy schedule to indulge my passion. Whether it is a colorful landscape or a complex jumble of similarly shaped objects, puzzles challenge me to pay attention to detail, find common elements, and design a strategy for solving the pictorial riddle. Puzzles also offer an interesting perspective about leadership.

Every leader I know is unique. Yes, they may share some common characteristics but each approaches their leadership role in a specific way. Like a puzzle, leaders are complex. Some leaders seem mostly interested in presenting one aspect of their personality, not unlike the nuanced colors that make a puzzle more challenging to solve. Other leaders are adept at modifying their behaviors to relate best to the persons they are with, just like the disparate colors that make it easier to distinguish certain puzzle pieces.

The best leaders understand that they are only one piece in their complex workplace. Regardless of position or skills, leaders quickly lose credibility when they assume a role of power and control that disregards the contributions of others. I have been disappointed on more than one occasion when I discovered a puzzle piece is missing. The picture remains incomplete when any element is absent, regardless of size or stature.

In my leadership development work I point out how leaders are often perceived by others in a less than favorable light. Sometimes this isn’t news to the leader, at other times they seem oblivious to this reality. Regardless of how effective we are as leaders, it is natural for those who see things differently to misunderstand us or misinterpret our intentions. When I put a puzzle together I always add extra light because without it the muted features of the image aren’t as obvious. Leaders must welcome the perspectives of others, regardless of how uncomfortable it may feel to have blind spots revealed.

I doubt if most leaders view their workplace as a complex puzzle. Many of our public personalities seem interested only in preserving their image and maintaining power and control. If only they realized the collective beauty of an engaged workforce or energized community; a place where each person’s opinions and talents matter. Like a completed puzzle, the culmination of any project or the success of any enterprise rests in the contribution of each piece, regardless of size, shape, or color.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Persistence Pays

Recently I read a magazine article touting the power of persistence and it reminded me of my own musings about this topic in a blog post dated January 12, 2008. The byline for the article read “How persistence—the ability to stay focused on goals despite obstacles and adversity—makes us who we are.” My own experience validates this point. I hope you enjoy this post from the archive.

Few parents can resist the incessant whining of a petulant child who seems to know just the right moment to throw a tantrum in their effort to influence our decision to purchase the latest toy or irresistible candy sweet. While some of us may hold our ground and say “no” on a consistent basis, most will eventually succumb to their wishes and give them what they want. It seems that persistence has its rewards.

Leaders know that persistence plays a role in building successful organizations. The challenges of reduced product life cycles, economic volatility, and competitive pressures require a high level of determination, diligence, and perseverance if they are to be met and conquered. A relentless attention to quality, innovation, and process improvement are touted as necessary to build a world-class enterprise. Every company experiences ups and downs in its efforts to maintain profits and make a difference in the world.

The problem with persistence is that it takes time, a luxury many of us claim we don’t have. Maybe that’s a valid argument given our worldwide access to the latest trends, stock prices, and corporate news. It’s hard to stay the course when the pressure to perform is so magnified. But imagine the outcome if a silkworm chose to deviate from its instinctive ritual of eating, chewing, and spinning? The cocoon that results from this persistent pattern of behavior could never be completed. The miracle of transformation that occurs when the cocoon breaks and a magnificent butterfly emerges would also be lost.

Few leaders appreciate the transformational power of persistence. I know from experience that my own desire for results makes it difficult to perform the steady, consistent tasks that build every successful business. Nurturing strong relationships with clients, prospects, and referral sources takes time. Opening new doors, creating new products, and building a brand don’t happen overnight or even over five years. Sowing seeds is just the first step to a bountiful crop. In between there is lots of watering, weeding, fertilizing, and waiting…in other words, persistence.

Perhaps the lesson I need to learn most as a business owner and leader is that God is persistent in His love for me; in fact his mercy never fails. He knows that my personal transformation isn’t over, that I have much to learn about patience, surrender, and obedience. So I’m taking steps to consistently and persistently carry on with my goal to work with leaders who want to be inspiring and organizations that embrace them. In the end I hope my clients will say that about me and our firm.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Adjust Your Attitude

Mohandas Gandhi is quoted as saying, “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”

Most of us, leaders included, have needed an attitude adjustment at one time or another. Our evaluations of people, objects, events, and ideas are often framed in the context of attitude. Researchers disagree about the specific definition for attitude but do seem to find consensus around the idea that attitude has a conscious and unconscious component. Gandhi’s quote makes it clear that attitudes do have consequences.

Changing one’s attitude is largely a response to communication. Leaders who are intelligent and self-confident are less easily persuaded by one-sided messages. The credibility of the messenger (perceived expertise and trustworthiness) affects how easily one’s attitude shifts to a new position. Because emotion also plays a role it is easy to see why no-smoking and global warning campaigns can be successful tools to influence attitudes.

Leaders who demonstrate largely negative behaviors in the workplace can create an environment where fear and mistrust poison the attitudes of direct reports and colleagues leading to decreased morale and productivity. If that same leader would adjust his or her attitude to be more positive it is likely the workplace surroundings would change for the better as well.

Measuring attitudes is inherently difficult. A leader might explicitly report that they harbor little prejudice while implicitly hiding their real intentions. Attitudes are further complicated by social norms. The pressure to fit in could influence one’s willingness to shift their attitude.

Gandhi’s connection between positive thoughts (attitudes) and words, behaviors, habits, and values is prescriptive. A leader who is willing to adjust his or her attitude, especially in a positive way, will leave a legacy that is worth emulating. As Martha Washington once said, “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.”

Sunday, January 6, 2013

All About Me

In ancient Greek mythology, Narcissus was a handsome youth who rejected the advances of a nymph only to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. He spent hours gazing enraptured into the pool and eventually changed into the flower that bears his name today, the narcissus.

If only the tale of young Narcissus had ended with a lesson to be learned about the dangers of excessive selfishness. Unfortunately there have been many persons, including leaders, that have succumbed to the behaviors associated with narcissists. While a certain amount of self-love is necessary for healthy psychological development, the traits found in narcissists move far beyond any balanced view of life.

Narcissists tend to focus mostly on themselves in interpersonal exchanges, they have difficulty being empathetic, display haughty body language, exaggerate their own achievements, detest those who don’t admire them, and use other people without considering the cost. These behaviors, when found in leaders, create a challenging workplace environment.

Co-workers and direct reports will find it difficult to negotiate or reason with a narcissistic leader. They will often find themselves blamed for what is going wrong and may rarely, if ever, receive credit for any successes. If the leader feels threatened by someone else's ability, he or she may attack that person’s character, showing contempt for them. These same leaders may be quick to exploit others for their own personal agenda.

In extreme cases, narcissistic leaders can create a corporate environment that is dominated by the need for profit. With a short-term goal of maximizing the bottom line, it is easy for these leaders to infuse the company with a “less than human” slash and burn approach. Employees and customers both lose when these tactics are employed.

You won’t find a modern-day narcissistic corporate or political leader infatuated by their reflection in a mirror. Instead you will encounter someone who is simply unwilling to face who they really are. And that seems much more dangerous to me.