Sunday, January 29, 2012

Leading With Conscience

Conscience is a leader’s moral compass. It is an aptitude or judgment of one’s intellect that helps a person discern right from wrong. Conscience leads to our feelings of regret or remorse when we commit actions that go against our moral values. Sometimes we think of conscience as the metaphorical “voice within” that guides how we think and act. In the absence of conscience some of the world’s most heinous crimes have been committed.

I chose this topic for my weekly post because there are so many examples of leaders in business, politics, religion, and family whose conscience seems lost or at least badly weakened. Decisions are made without the benefit of a spiritual foundation or a set of principled moral values. Even when such a framework exists our selfish need for power and control may cause us to stray. Perhaps our lapses in judgment are more pronounced because we don’t see many persons behaving in a different way.

Leading with conscience means fighting a lonely battle to make a moral decision that could result in adverse consequences. Doing the right thing is rarely a popular path to take. Leading with conscience goes beyond what is simply required of us. The Good Samaritan did more than show pity for a wounded traveler. He acted to save the man’s life knowing that it might cost him personally and professionally. 

George Washington wrote that conscience often comes too late. “Conscience seldom comes to a man’s aid while he is in the zenith of health and revelling in pomp and luxury upon ill-gotten spoils; it is generally the last act of life, and comes too late to be of much service to others here, or to himself hereafter.” Today’s modern leaders would do well to heed Washington’s warning.

More than ever our families, businesses, communities, and nation need leaders of conscience. We need leaders who still believe in a Higher Power, whose life is guided by a set of moral principles, and who will accept the consequences for doing what is right instead of what seems popular or easy. Leading with conscience means being courageous, authentic, truthful, and loving. Don’t wait to accept the assignment.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Rebuilding Trust

In the biblical story of Joseph his brothers, in a jealous rage, sell him into a presumed life of slavery in Egypt. Years later, through a series of divine interventions, Joseph emerges as a vice-regent, a leader second in command to Pharaoh himself. When his starving brothers appear before him as accused spies Joseph decides to tell the truth and begin the process of rebuilding trust within his family system. In spite of the pain he had endured at the hands of his siblings, Joseph confronts the hurt and is reconciled to his biological family.

It is fairly common for me to encounter distrust as I work with leaders, teams, and organizations. In some cases the lack of trust is a response to some perceived past injustice, not unlike what Joseph may have felt. At other times leaders have failed to be truthful or authentic and so their colleagues and direct reports have a limited framework on which to build trust. The emotional and psychological stress of working under these circumstances usually exacts a heavy toll.

One simple way for leaders to begin building trust is to invite everyone to name their assumptions before a decision is made or a serious discussion gets underway. It is often quite amazing how tainted our personal preferences or ideas can be. Left unidentified they can cause a team or group to embark down the wrong path or choose an option that has little chance for success. Sometimes I invite team members to state their assumptions, presume they are valid, and identify the “what if” consequences for each. Then to challenge those outcomes, everyone is invited to presume their assumptions are not valid and again list the “what if” consequences. The resulting discussion will often include some breakthrough understandings that encourage greater trust.

Another tool for building trust is telling others the truth, not in a hurtful or mean-spirited way, but as an act of humility and love. Today’s political and business environments often resort to “gotcha moments” where persons are confronted with salacious events from their past (whether accurate or not). Joseph had plenty of evidence against his brothers but chose instead to forgive them and restore their trust. His act saved the entire family from experiencing almost certain death at the hands of widespread famine.

Rebuilding trust takes courage and may require the passage of time. But it will never succeed if leaders refuse to acknowledge their often flawed assumptions and fail to model genuine truth-telling. What relationship in your life would benefit from renewed trust? How trustworthy is your own leadership? The answers to these questions may not hold life and death consequences like Joseph’s did, but they are vital nonetheless. Perhaps this article can serve as a reminder to act wisely.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Positively Productive

I wonder how many leaders embrace the theory that if they become successful they will be happy? The upstart executive longing for a six-figure salary and a corner office will likely discover that achieving their goal may also redefine what success looks and feels like. The happiness they associate with being successful will elude them because now the corner office looks small compared to the penthouse...and on it goes. When leaders connect happiness with success it will always seem short-lived.

A better approach is suggested by author, Shawn Anchor, in a recent Harvard Business Review article where he postulates that “people who cultivate a positive mind-set perform better in the face of challenge,” what he calls the “happiness advantage.” While one’s genetics and environment also influence how happy we are, it turns out we can manage our happiness and thus our chance for success.

I have experienced this in an unscientific way during the past year by consciously choosing to approach my work and the current challenging business environment with a positive and upbeat attitude. The results have been remarkable as the quality of my business leads, the number of new contracts, and my overall business results have been steadily increasing. I find myself worrying less about an uncertain future and focusing more on controlling how I am viewing today’s opportunities. This past week I reconnected with a past client at a business event and discovered he had adopted my same approach with similar results.

It isn’t easy to rewire a brain that has been trained to equate happiness with success, but it can be done. Exercising regularly, making lists of things we are grateful for, and sharing positive feedback with others can all affect our personal sense of well-being. So can helping others, a daily practice I try to embed into my workplace activities. Sometimes this is as simple as taking a client to lunch or assisting a colleague with a project. I have even observed how behavior changes when you make eye contact, smile, or say hello.

Anchor’s research strongly suggests that increasing one’s happiness improves one’s chances of success. If leaders would begin to practice and teach others some of the simple positive approaches I just shared it’s possible that workplaces could become more productive. Yoda, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, was fond of saying, “Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.” Sound advice for leaders looking to develop a positive outlook for 2012. Now, where’s that light saber?

Sunday, January 8, 2012

The Case for Service

While I love technology I am not really a technology geek. One area that regularly causes anxiety is when I am required to load new software onto my Windows-based computer hard drive or update a current version. Unlike Apple products, Windows-based applications are often messy to work with and I find the options confusing. So, last week when I discovered that a newly purchased product would not work with the current version of publishing software installed on my laptop, I knew my day was in trouble. The experience prompted me to share my story.

I won’t reveal the company whose product and customer call center was involved. The name isn’t really important because too many organizations produce similar results. The actual online purchase and download process were fairly smooth, no major snags. Then the product install began and I hit my first snag. The serial number I had been sent was valid but the new product wasn’t recognizing my current version so I couldn’t complete the installation. I had no choice but to call customer support.

The automated phone system should have been my first clue that this wouldn’t be a great experience either. After carefully listening to all the prompts and picking my way through several levels of options I found myself in the hold cue waiting to speak with a live person. This system featured an option where I could leave a message and receive a call back within a prescribed timeframe. I figured this had to be better than waiting on the line so 20 minutes later I was the recipient of their automated callback.

Eventually a call center employee with a distinct accent was on the line and proceeded to ask me some questions about my situation. As I struggled to understand what he was saying we finally began troubleshooting my problem only to discover that the system he needed to “unlock” my new product wasn’t currently available. My call had now reached Case Number status. I was given a ten-digit number and told that I could call back within a few days and they should be able to resolve my issue. Meanwhile I could use the software in trial mode for the next few weeks. Today an email arrived inviting me to follow-up or submit an update about my case. Tomorrow I will try to find time during my busy day to wait on the phone until my case is finally solved.

I’m sure many of you have experienced similar results when trying to access customer service in some of our most successful companies. Why can’t they learn to handle customer issues with more respect and dignity? Why is my issue still unresolved some four days later? When I noticed a duplicate charge from Apple’s iTunes store over the holidays my email was responded to within a few minutes and a resolution was offered on the spot. After I had accepted their proposed solution a nice thank you email followed and a couple of days later I was invited to complete a customer service online survey about my experience. Do you think my assessment was anything less than the best?

Instead of case numbers and automated call centers why don’t companies simply make the case for better service in the first place? I have a feeling that idea has been put on hold. I just hope there is a case number to go with it.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Stub Your Toe

As another year dawns bright with promise and opportunity many leaders will be setting personal and company goals, including the numerous inane resolutions we annually promise to keep. Losing weight, exercising more, and lowering stress often top these lists. I confess to sometimes succumbing to this ritual, often with mixed results, although exercising daily has been one of my few success stories.

I’m not sure why some persons manage to conquer their fears and overcome obstacles to achieve their objectives while others never get beyond the task of creating a list. Perhaps one secret is the simple act of doing something instead of just talking about it. I know a colleague who this past year wanted to become more proficient as a public speaker and so he joined a local Toastmasters group. His willingness to take action, in spite of any fears, resulted in new friendships, fresh skills, and greater self-confidence.

Procrastination is a death knell for many of our fondest dreams and wishes. If we wait until we are older, better prepared, or more organized it is unlikely we will ever begin the process. Too many leaders think the future will somehow materialize without the need to get their hands dirty. If one has an aversion to failure, or desires a high degree of certainty in the outcome, then you may as well never make a New Year’s resolution or set a significant goal.

Within each of us are hopes and dreams that require more than good intentions if they are ever to be attained. Inventor, Charles F. Kettering, held more than 300 patents in his lifetime, including the electric self-starter for automobiles. He is quoted as saying, “You will never stub your toe standing still. The faster you go, the more chance there is of stubbing your toe, but the more chance you have of getting somewhere.” Like all inventors he was a man of action who overcame any fears of failure. Along the way I’m sure his toes were bruised and bloodied.

The new year could be the chance you’ve been waiting for as a leader. Instead of crafting a list of lofty goals why don’t you simply choose one item and then do it, regardless of the fears or risks it might represent. If you stub your toe in the process consider it a reminder that, unlike so many others, you are actually going somewhere in 2012. Bandaids anyone?