Leadership 101: Consistent, Fair, Explainable

Several years ago a mentor shared his business plan with me.  In part of it he wrote something he called a STAND.  When I asked what that was, he said it was knowing what you stand for before you are faced with a situation and have to make a choice.

I’ve shared part of his leadership wisdom and how it impacted me in this previous Smart Blog Post:  Why Leaders Need To Practice Compassionate Accountability

For the past several weeks I’ve been focused on another part of his STAND:  “[Tweet “I choose to be Consistent, Fair, and Explainable in all that I do.”]

These are some of the reasons those words are resonating with me again:

I’ve been studying the impact of parents that have a favorite child that is treated differently than the others.  It’s an ugly situation for everyone.  ….Even the favored child.

I’ve been thinking of times I’ve witnessed a boss becoming close friends with some of their employees and how that broke down trust with other employees.  (Even if both the boss and the employee were holding each other to a higher level of accountability, the perception of unfairness was still there.)

I know an executive that is struggling because he makes hard fast rules that sound powerful in his office, however when the rules are challenged or violated that executive avoids confrontation at all costs.

Breaking Out Of A Broken System: Change Begins With Me

Seth-and-Chandler1A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to interview Seth and Chandler Bolt via Google+.

  • Seth is the bass player for the internationally renowned band NEEDTOBREATHE.
  • His brother, Chandler is a decade younger, a very successful entrepreneur and a college student.
  • They look different.
  • They have different interests and different strengths.
  • They hang out in different circles.

Prior to the interview I had just a few hours to take a brief look at their new book.   I was hooked instantly because:

  • Of the electricity these two generate together.
  • Their WHY reflects so much of my own WHY.
  • Of their playfulness, and their deep respect for each other.
  • Of their pay-it forward thought process….
  • They get it.  You can’t break out of a broken system until you realize that Change Begins With “Me”!

How it all started:  The two of them were visiting one night and realized that the successes they’ve experienced are rooted in lessons their parents taught them.  (Lessons they did not always appreciate, lessons they sometimes took for granted, and lessons that many of their friends never received.)

As that realization sunk in, they decided to write a book to share those lessons with others and to give their parents a lasting legacy.  What they’ve created is as unique as they are.  Half of the book is written on a black background with white text, the other half is a white background with black text.  The pages are filled with pictures and doodles and links to music.  (They call it A.D.D. friendly and have written it with millennials in mind.)

Feb. 2014 Leadership Development Blog Carnival: What Great Leaders Do

Leadership Development Blog CarnivalI’m honored to host Dan McCarthy’s Leadership Development Blog Carnival this month.

January ended with MLK Day.  This month we honor Washington and Lincoln.  So when Dan and I reached out to our leadership networks, we asked bloggers to share posts about what great leaders do, posts that highlight vision, passion, courage, commitment and even a willingness to sacrifice their very lives to create a legacy of change.

24 Leadership Guru’s responded with stories, inspiration and tangible ideas to help each of us to lead at a higher level.  …And while we don’t all agree on where to stand on specific issues, we emphatically agree on what it takes to lead well.  Below each post is a quote from that contributor so you can easily share on Twitter!

In this post What Makes The Great GreatJohn Spence shares Nine Principles of Extraordinary Achievement.  The leaders we mentioned above lived these principles.  Do you?

[Tweet “Live a life of honesty and integrity. Your reputation is really all you have. via @AwesomelySimple “] 

Why You Should Invest Time Leading Your Boss & How To Do It

Leading and Communicating with your Boss

SmartBlogScene 1: Your previous boss is gone, a new one has been hired and is scheduled to start tomorrow.

  • You lead a great team that is in the midst of change.
  • A new database that was supposed to help the team is not what everyone thought it would be and has significantly increased workload.
  • Now you’re struggling to meet goals and not knocking every goal out of the park like you once did.
  • Everyone is tired, and stressed but trying hard to stay positive and take ownership.

So even though the new boss seems likable, nerves are high.

As you anticipate the change, how will you engage with the new boss?

Several years ago I was in that situation. I am proactive by nature and wanted all the cards on the table as quickly as possible. And, at the same time, I wanted to be considerate of his transition to a new company and a new job while commuting to another state every weekend.

When week three rolled around, I told him I would like to meet with him for one hour as his time allowed.

When we met I was prepared with a binder of information that included:

  • Pictures of the team.
  • History of the team. (We were pretty out of the box in all of our methods and I didn’t want that to be a surprise!)
  • Organizational charts.
  • All of our metrics.
  • Information about our current state and the plan we were working on.

My intention was to be completely honest about the strengths and struggles of the team. Some of what that open binder accomplished was a great strategy, and some of it was a wonderful surprise, it:

  • Helped him learn more about his job and the company.
  • Invited him to join our team.
  • Opened his eyes to see the people instead of the “human resources.”
  • Introduced him to our fun and innovative side.
  • Birthed an instant ally that knew we knew our business and were on it!

Years later, I realized that open binder was the difference between my team’s easy transition to the new leader and the struggles many of my peers faced as they held their cards close to their chests. While they felt micro-managed we felt freedom and support.


Scene 2: The economy is struggling and layoffs are becoming more normal for many organizations.

As I watched those layoffs occur, I’ve noticed that many times the people that were cut were not necessarily resistant to leadership or change, and not necessarily under-performers. Often they were the quiet ones who were good at leading themselves. People who did their work and never ever called attention to themselves. Many times, their work had a fundamental role in an organization, but in their silence, their value was forgotten.

So if you are introverted, hate drawing attention to yourself, or just don’t like someone hanging over you, what do you do? Dare to be a little uncomfortable, be proactive and call a short meeting with your boss or send a brief e-mail to them once a month.

Emphasis on a short meeting or a bulleted e-mail like this:

Hey Boss:

  • Here’s what I’m working on
  • Here’s how my results measure up over last month’s
  • Here’s a problem I faced and how I solved it or a problem I am facing and what I am doing…
  • Here’s a challenge I’m facing and I may need your help.

Just keeping you in the loop. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Guess what you just did?

  • You invited them into your world.
  • You reminded them of the value you bring.
  • You showed them how you think and the types of problems you usually solve that no one ever knows about.
  • And you enlisted them to help you solve a future problem.

Your leaders don’t know what you know, they can’t see what you see. No matter where you sit, it is your job to bring that understanding to them.

Management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of our time in leading yourself — your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation conduct. Invest at least 20% leading those with authority over you and 15% leading your peers.” Dee Hock


How about you?  Is it time for YOU to lead up?

 

 

 

Image Credit:  iStock

How to Hit A BULLSEYE in 2014!

Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution?

I remember the first time I ever made one.  I was sixteen.  It was New Year’s Eve and I left the family party before everyone else and walked home to an empty house.

In that quiet space I did some thinking and visualized what life would be like if I changed one of my habits and then I set a personal goal.

It’s the first time I remember being so intentional and so specific about something I wanted to accomplish.

In the months that followed I was so focused on the vision that I never once gave into the temptation to break that promise to myself.

In that process I learned a valuable lesson:

[Tweet “Strategic Quiet + Commitment = BULLSEYE and JOY! @GianaConsulting”]

Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.  Thomas Carlyle

2014 is just around the corner.