Today marks the official close of another Thanksgiving weekend. Most of us have traveled near and far to gather with family and friends, enjoying a brief respite from the busyness of our lives. This unique American holiday began as a simple meal where the first settlers in Jamestown, Virginia gathered to thank God for his provisions. In 1863, with our nation in the midst of a civil war, Lincoln proclaimed an annual day of thanksgiving urging his fellow Americans to remember that the nation’s blessings were “gracious gifts of the most high God”.
Our current Thanksgiving celebrations seem more about feasting, shopping, and watching football than pausing to express our gratitude. Are we consciously aware and grateful for the gracious gifts we have, even on the day designated for that very purpose? I must confess it is easier to think about what I have accomplished or earned as a reward for my hard work and discipline, not as a gift.
Leaders have many opportunities each day to express our gratitude. It can be something small like a sincere “thank you” or something more formal like a promotion or bonus for a job well done. Many workers in our country never experience the joy of meaningful praise from their boss. In fact, feeling unappreciated or underappreciated is one of the primary reasons employees leave their jobs.
Can someone genuinely convey gratitude to another if a spirit of gratitude hasn’t transformed his or her own heart? In other words, can I express gratefulness without first being grateful? It’s an interesting question to ponder during this Thanksgiving season.
As you know by now, if you are a regular reader of this blog, my thoughts about leadership are deeply rooted in my faith and in the belief that a leader’s relationship with those they serve (employees, customers, and vendors) is dynamic and transformational. When leaders practice courage or exhibit vulnerability they transform how others view them and relate to them. If leaders serve, tell the truth, and love those who follow them the workplace is transformed into a holy sanctuary.
Expressing gratitude is also transforming. When I can acknowledge that who and what I am is not of my own doing, but rather the result of God’s graciousness to me, I am forever changed. I begin to view all those around me as part of God’s larger plan for my life. Who will I meet today that represents God’s gift to me, the person who will bring me what I need for this moment in time? Perhaps more importantly, who is waiting for me to offer that same gracious gift to them?
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Truth-Telling Revisited
Earlier this month I presented a seminar at an international gathering of Christian business leaders in Toronto, Ontario. The subject was “Truth-telling: The Hidden Profit Booster”. Attendees varied from the retired founder of a large family business to college students still planning for their careers. As usual I had fun preparing and presenting what I am learning about this challenging topic. Regular readers of my blog may remember an earlier journal entry in March about this important leadership principle.
I chose to address truth telling again because of the conversations that took place during and after my presentation. It became obvious during the seminar that not everyone shared my line of reasoning that telling the truth is good for business. I’m not suggesting there was widespread support for lying, just a sense from some participants that business practices have plenty of gray areas and this makes truth telling hard to carry out in the face of competitive pressures. No one disagreed with my assertions that people, including employees, customers, vendors, and even leaders tell lies. They seemed resigned to this inevitability. What they struggled to accept was my challenge that telling the truth has the potential to improve the bottom line.
When the topic of product labeling and advertising was used as evidence of ways we cheapen or devalue the truth, some wondered how a company could acknowledge a smaller portion or clarify the fine print and stay in business. Do consumers really care about these practices? Isn’t there a built in expectation that a capitalist, free market economic system will require choices between good and better, not just good and evil?
This minimalist thinking creates a challenge for leaders. How can we open a dialogue about truth telling if we don’t believe it is possible or practical to implement in our company culture, marketing, and product development? Must Christian leaders, in particular, compromise their faith values to protect jobs and ensure profits? Is truth telling, in fact, incongruent with business theory and practice?
I will be the first to acknowledge that telling the truth is hard. Notice I didn’t say complicated or esoteric. The basic principles of truth telling are simple and straightforward. They don’t require special training or innate skills. Simple but not easy…that is the challenge leaders face when called upon to tell the truth.
If you are like me the choice between easy and hard becomes painfully obvious. When confronted with the facts it is easy to gloss over them or dismiss them entirely. If challenged by another’s aberrant behavior it is easier to overlook or justify it. Avoiding or stretching the truth becomes second nature; a habit developed when we allow cynicism and ego to crush our spirits.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Our inner spirit, the place where God resides, is full of truth and love, enough to go around. It will require a commitment to vulnerability that may seem foreign to us, especially if we have suppressed our authentic selves through years of scrambling to get ahead or be accepted. Confession may be required, personal and corporate, before this new commitment to telling the truth can take root and flourish.
The idea that business and leadership will profit from a greater level of truth telling has immense appeal to me. I doubt that I am alone. What do you think?
I chose to address truth telling again because of the conversations that took place during and after my presentation. It became obvious during the seminar that not everyone shared my line of reasoning that telling the truth is good for business. I’m not suggesting there was widespread support for lying, just a sense from some participants that business practices have plenty of gray areas and this makes truth telling hard to carry out in the face of competitive pressures. No one disagreed with my assertions that people, including employees, customers, vendors, and even leaders tell lies. They seemed resigned to this inevitability. What they struggled to accept was my challenge that telling the truth has the potential to improve the bottom line.
When the topic of product labeling and advertising was used as evidence of ways we cheapen or devalue the truth, some wondered how a company could acknowledge a smaller portion or clarify the fine print and stay in business. Do consumers really care about these practices? Isn’t there a built in expectation that a capitalist, free market economic system will require choices between good and better, not just good and evil?
This minimalist thinking creates a challenge for leaders. How can we open a dialogue about truth telling if we don’t believe it is possible or practical to implement in our company culture, marketing, and product development? Must Christian leaders, in particular, compromise their faith values to protect jobs and ensure profits? Is truth telling, in fact, incongruent with business theory and practice?
I will be the first to acknowledge that telling the truth is hard. Notice I didn’t say complicated or esoteric. The basic principles of truth telling are simple and straightforward. They don’t require special training or innate skills. Simple but not easy…that is the challenge leaders face when called upon to tell the truth.
If you are like me the choice between easy and hard becomes painfully obvious. When confronted with the facts it is easy to gloss over them or dismiss them entirely. If challenged by another’s aberrant behavior it is easier to overlook or justify it. Avoiding or stretching the truth becomes second nature; a habit developed when we allow cynicism and ego to crush our spirits.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Our inner spirit, the place where God resides, is full of truth and love, enough to go around. It will require a commitment to vulnerability that may seem foreign to us, especially if we have suppressed our authentic selves through years of scrambling to get ahead or be accepted. Confession may be required, personal and corporate, before this new commitment to telling the truth can take root and flourish.
The idea that business and leadership will profit from a greater level of truth telling has immense appeal to me. I doubt that I am alone. What do you think?
Sunday, November 11, 2007
A Vision for Transformation
Today I was reminded that God is in the business of transformation. Our church hosted a choir from Teen Challenge, a faith-based, not-for-profit organization that helps men and women overcome their addictions to drugs and alcohol. The testimonies of the men who sang and shared were amazing reminders that with God’s help it is possible to transform a life that seems lost and hopeless into a new being, a person committed to living differently.
You might be wondering what this story has to do with leadership. I’m certainly not suggesting that today’s leaders are drug addicts or alcoholics, although some might struggle with these and other compulsions. Instead I’m wondering what role transformation might play in organizational life and how leaders could be a catalyst to encourage and manage this process?
The dictionary describes transformation as “an act, process, or instance of being transformed.” Transform is defined as “to change in composition or structure; to change in character or condition.” In other words, transformation involves real and sustained change. Organizations of all sizes talk a lot about change yet few seem to actually make much progress. Leaders may include references to change in their personal goals and enterprise strategic plans but these too seem more like “lip service” than reality.
So what is the missing ingredient? How can leaders implement and encourage real change? Perhaps my earlier reference to God as an agent of transformation deserves some consideration. Before you dismiss this idea completely, imagine a world where no spiritual guidance or belief system exists. Each person acts autonomously without a moral compass or code of ethics. While this might appeal to some persons, I believe the vast majority of people in our world recognize that a higher power is at work. Many would also concur that we are connected with each other and our planet in ways that remain a mystery, but nonetheless real.
A leader who acknowledges the importance of this spiritual connection and treats employees, vendors, and customers as sacred beings has the power to transform his or her organization. Not in a coercive or fear-based way but through servant leadership and a deep love for those they work with. A transformational leader seeks to empower others by inviting their participation in an inspiring vision of what the enterprise might become. Character and integrity take precedent over ego and power. To transform others, one must be transformed first.
While the Teen Challenge choir members boldly proclaimed past mistakes and ill-fated choices, they also acknowledged the One who helped them to make their amazing transformation. God and faith aren’t relegated to a Sunday morning worship experience or a private encounter in these men’s lives. Who would inspire your confidence and trust as a leader? Someone who boldly proclaims their Christian faith and lives their life with purpose and conviction or someone without a moral and ethical compass?
Perhaps one of the reasons organizations fail to transform structure, processes, and behavior is because leaders haven’t experienced their own personal transformation. It takes courage to claim a set of beliefs and to live as though these values really do matter. The world’s revered leaders have always understood this basic ingredient for lasting transformation. It took a choir of formerly addicted men to remind me about this simple truth. Now the real work begins in my own life and efforts at leadership. Will you join me?
You might be wondering what this story has to do with leadership. I’m certainly not suggesting that today’s leaders are drug addicts or alcoholics, although some might struggle with these and other compulsions. Instead I’m wondering what role transformation might play in organizational life and how leaders could be a catalyst to encourage and manage this process?
The dictionary describes transformation as “an act, process, or instance of being transformed.” Transform is defined as “to change in composition or structure; to change in character or condition.” In other words, transformation involves real and sustained change. Organizations of all sizes talk a lot about change yet few seem to actually make much progress. Leaders may include references to change in their personal goals and enterprise strategic plans but these too seem more like “lip service” than reality.
So what is the missing ingredient? How can leaders implement and encourage real change? Perhaps my earlier reference to God as an agent of transformation deserves some consideration. Before you dismiss this idea completely, imagine a world where no spiritual guidance or belief system exists. Each person acts autonomously without a moral compass or code of ethics. While this might appeal to some persons, I believe the vast majority of people in our world recognize that a higher power is at work. Many would also concur that we are connected with each other and our planet in ways that remain a mystery, but nonetheless real.
A leader who acknowledges the importance of this spiritual connection and treats employees, vendors, and customers as sacred beings has the power to transform his or her organization. Not in a coercive or fear-based way but through servant leadership and a deep love for those they work with. A transformational leader seeks to empower others by inviting their participation in an inspiring vision of what the enterprise might become. Character and integrity take precedent over ego and power. To transform others, one must be transformed first.
While the Teen Challenge choir members boldly proclaimed past mistakes and ill-fated choices, they also acknowledged the One who helped them to make their amazing transformation. God and faith aren’t relegated to a Sunday morning worship experience or a private encounter in these men’s lives. Who would inspire your confidence and trust as a leader? Someone who boldly proclaims their Christian faith and lives their life with purpose and conviction or someone without a moral and ethical compass?
Perhaps one of the reasons organizations fail to transform structure, processes, and behavior is because leaders haven’t experienced their own personal transformation. It takes courage to claim a set of beliefs and to live as though these values really do matter. The world’s revered leaders have always understood this basic ingredient for lasting transformation. It took a choir of formerly addicted men to remind me about this simple truth. Now the real work begins in my own life and efforts at leadership. Will you join me?
Monday, November 5, 2007
Restoring Trust
This past week I attended one of my favorite annual business conventions, “Business as a Calling 2007”. It is hosted by MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) an international organization known for its innovative approaches to helping the poor around the world improve their lives through microenterprise loans and business training. The theme of convention was “Trust in a World of Change” and that sparked my thinking for this week’s blog entry.
Eric Pillmore, former Senior Vice-President for Corporate Governance at Tyco International, was the keynote speaker for the opening session. He spoke about his experiences trying to rebuild trust and an ethical culture at Tyco after the company’s CEO was convicted of tax evasion.
One of the key questions he posed was, “Have we relied too much on the reputations of our leaders and not enough on evaluating their behavior and their values and their character?” In line with my posting from last week, how does measuring effectiveness fit with this important concept? Who in your organization has the job of evaluating the character of your key leaders? Would you even know how to begin?
Trust is earned by leaders who know what is non-negotiable in their life. These leaders aren’t swayed by ego, popularity, or the latest opinion poll. They have a set of values that is lived as authentically as possible, even in the face of opposition. They surround themselves with persons that tell them the truth and challenge their thinking when they are headed in the wrong direction.
Our political system and business organizations have done little in recent years to command the trust of voters, employees, and customers. Perhaps it is time for each of us to rededicate ourselves to evaluating character in ourselves and others. Will you join me in the conversation?
Eric Pillmore, former Senior Vice-President for Corporate Governance at Tyco International, was the keynote speaker for the opening session. He spoke about his experiences trying to rebuild trust and an ethical culture at Tyco after the company’s CEO was convicted of tax evasion.
One of the key questions he posed was, “Have we relied too much on the reputations of our leaders and not enough on evaluating their behavior and their values and their character?” In line with my posting from last week, how does measuring effectiveness fit with this important concept? Who in your organization has the job of evaluating the character of your key leaders? Would you even know how to begin?
Trust is earned by leaders who know what is non-negotiable in their life. These leaders aren’t swayed by ego, popularity, or the latest opinion poll. They have a set of values that is lived as authentically as possible, even in the face of opposition. They surround themselves with persons that tell them the truth and challenge their thinking when they are headed in the wrong direction.
Our political system and business organizations have done little in recent years to command the trust of voters, employees, and customers. Perhaps it is time for each of us to rededicate ourselves to evaluating character in ourselves and others. Will you join me in the conversation?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)