Category Archives: Professional Development Standards

Leadership Lessons from an American Revolution General

January 03, 2013   admin
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I just finished a book titled, “Henry Knox, Visionary General of the American Revolution.” (Puls, 2008) If you will permit, here are a few leadership lessons drawn from the read.

Be Curious

Henry Knox began his education at the esteemed Boston Latin Grammar School founded by Harvard College. (Alumni included Benjamin Franklin and Sam Adams.) When the Knox family’s financial situation started to founder and then the father left home, Henry – now age 8 – was forced to stop school and take a job. Henry was hired to work at a local bookshop. Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, young Knox was inquisitive and worked to steadily learn from the adult storekeepers and their many books.

Lesson: An effective leader uses curiosity as a fuel to constantly discover useful things about the organizational actions versus mission. This means cultivating professional relationships at all levels to better understand the prevailing culture (and sub-cultures). By this understanding comes wisdom on how to interact with team members to set and achieve the best strategic goals. A natural, important by-product is trust-building which is the foundation for every effective organization.

Be Hands On When Needed

In 1781 at Yorktown, the American Army outnumbered their British counterparts but the battle’s outcome was not a foregone conclusion. General Knox worked hard to prepare the battlefield, especially the night of October 7, when he and his men worked in near silence to dig substantial trenches for the upcoming fight. Because the ensuing battle looked pivotal in the war, Knox took personal command of the artillery guns to ensure the most accurate and strategic outcome. When the smoke cleared, the Americans were victorious and received the ceremonial sword of the British General.

Lesson: A great leader will have a finely tuned ability to delegate but must resist the temptation to abdicate, especially when the project goals are critical to the organizational success. The leader also may choose to be more hands-on when modeling is necessary. This is as much art as science but the team should never doubt the leader will get his or her hands dirty.

Shift Priorities Based On Principles

As Secretary of War under President Washington, Henry Knox accomplished or influenced several large-scale objectives including the following.

  • Called for the a new constitution (the final product looked much like his proposal)
  • Launched the U.S. Navy
  • Constructed frontier and coastal defenses
  • Negotiated positive treaties and policies with American Indians
  • Strongly advocated for the military academy at West Point (founded in 1802 after Knox’s government service)

In addition, Mr. Knox resigned as Secretary of War when it became obvious his family needed him to be present for financial reasons. President Washington was disappointed but understanding. An interesting note about Knox is while several of his pursuits looked very different on the surface, they all served the larger mission of standing up a fledgling nation.

Lesson: A leader must constantly measure priorities against timeless principles and organizational aims. Just as important, the leader must have the humility to shift priorities to keep the company moving forward. Also, a holistic leader will not neglect a personal mission and will be ready to make even more dramatic shifts as required.

Our nation’s history is rich with incredible known and unknown heroes. As we go through this Christmas season into a new year, will you join me in a fresh commitment to more healthy professional and personal relationships for leadership growth?

Reference

Puls, Mark (2008). Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution. New York, NY. Palgrave MacMillan.

Picture Credit – Marion Doss on Flickr

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How to Hire Keepers (2 of 2)

January 10, 2012   admin
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Last time we looked at the ideal way to hire longer term employees. How let’s look at what to do if you forget!

What If You Forget Character at First?

It is bad enough to make a poor hiring decision. Any of us who have made this mistake (including yours truly) know about it within a short time after the new person begins work. However, it is worse to compound this large mistake by then trying to “reform” a person’s character through a competency lens. For instance, I once hired an individual who interviewed very well. He was articulate, respectful and knowledgeable. I thought we had a winner. Within the first 30 days of work, I knew I had blown the hiring decision. Here was the observed behavior.

  • Low productivity and high social behavior (little work and much talking)
  • Hit and miss customer service skills
  • Excellent interactions with those in positions of high authority
  • A need to do things other than in his job description

Since I was in a government system at the time, terminating this person would require a mountain of paperwork based on significant time in place to document any shortcomings. Sadly, I compounded my hiring decision by moving this person to another functional area thinking we had simply mismatched his skills with the area. At the time, I was frustrated that the behavior did not improve.

Soon after the first internal move, we started down that long road of performance review, standards communication and too much documentation. I brainstormed and coached with the supervisors in an effort to “diagnose.” In reality, I was in denial of the character problem we were facing and continued to try and salvage the employee all the while going down the government discipline road.

It was not until I could realize and communicate to the problem employee what were character problems. I eventually summed it up as, “you are unwilling to take direction and instruction.” I then followed with several clear examples to support the statement. Clearly, these were more character traits and not competency obstacles. They had little to do with his past job experience and knowledge because they were part of who he was as a person. While it is never wise to rush to judgment on a person’s character, it is still critical to go there at least in analysis.

Use Courage, Consideration and Wisdom

I can just hear all the HR people out there wringing their hands because this character discussion is what lawsuits can be made of (slander, liable, discrimination, etc.). Be smart about how you speak your thoughts during an interview discussion with other selecting members but do not dodge character issues. Focus on behavior, not on conclusions. “When you do A, B suffers” or “On such-and-such day, you did X and at this company we seek to makes decisions based on Y.” You could also use the opener from the previous paragraph as well.

If you think this person can be salvaged, you must tackle the character concerns and not dance around the issues through a competence mindset. You may want to ask your HR or legal sections for advice on how to say it but you must exercise courage and tackle this challenge. You are not putting the person down but are seeking better alignment with the values your section, division or company hold dear.

Make a Decision

You owe it to the entire company to work through these issues authentically yet compassionately. By doing so, you may create a long-term employee, increase morale and build your own credibility all at the same time. You may also discover in this process that value alignment is impossible. If this is the case, it is time to learn a lesson for next time and respectfully show the employee the door.

Character and competence. Both are essential traits to a highly effective team member but it is essential for a leader to understand both categories and how and when to apply them in any given situation. Otherwise, you can be sure your prescription will miss the mark and prolong problems within the organization.

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How to Hire Keepers (1 of 2)

January 03, 2012   admin
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Let’s face it … hiring can be difficult! There are so many unknowns.

When hiring for and growing employees within an organization, it is important to consider both character and competence traits. Considering only one or the other could be like being stuck in a fence. The single best strategy for helping a company improve results starts with hiring the right people for the right business needs. It is far better to leave a vacancy unfilled rather than fill just because “any warm body in the chair will help.”

The pain and cost of making poor hiring decisions is unnecessary. Sprinkle the hiring process with a bit more deliberation and patience and watch the long-term results take an upward course.

Too often, managers or would-be leaders blur the lines between character and competence partly out of fear and partly out of ignorance. The fear factor comes from our litigious society that promotes fudging or hiding the truth. The ignorance comes from a lack of intellectual curiosity that leaves us with too few leadership thinkers. For best use to any organization, character and competence need to be viewed in all their distinctiveness of meaning and use. Before we talk about the people side though, let’s think about the position.

Defining the Position

Go out and search the web for a few random open job descriptions. Most will focus almost entirely on the technical requirements. This is a recipe for disaster (more on that later). The fact is a job ad or description built only from technical traits is incomplete. Think about it.

Let’s pretend you want to hire a person for your IT Help Desk. In the extreme, you could find a person who could answer every alien technology question well but steal your company blind. Why? It’s a character thing.

Character and Competence Definitions

For our purposes, character traits refer to the values a person uses to make decisions, especially in difficult times. Number one on my list of preferred skills in this category is integrity. This is about consistently (as possible) doing the right thing in public and private settings.

Another character trait on my short list of favorites is excellence. Doing a task well, diligently and thoroughly is imperative for enterprises to thrive. It is related to work ethic but goes farther in the sense of working AND thinking at the same time. In other words, this means employing more than just my hands to complete a job. Of courses there is a long list of things to consider in the character area.

A second critical area to consider for employees is the competence. I could fully trust a new hire’s character but if this person does not have or cannot readily learn the skills required for the position, I have shot myself in the foot by bringing this new one on board. Examples of competence traits include trade skills, computer abilities and communication attributes to name a few. Keep in mind, competence is easier to teach than character.

Competence Now, Character Later

One of the interesting things is the tendency of managers to hire mostly based on competence and later judge by character. Perhaps this is based on a naïve assumption that most people possess higher character quality than reality or maybe on the fact that it is harder (although still possible) to measure character.

Whatever the reason, this process of hiring based on competence while expecting high levels of character often leads to misunderstandings and unneeded conflict. Usually the casualty is the new hire and the company suffers in the lost productivity, wasted payroll and training dollars and, ultimately, organizational results.

Let’s consider the two possibilities on why managers mistakenly hire for competence while wishing for better or different character.

1. Ignorance. This is a killer in today’s fast-paced marketplace. Either not asking appropriate questions or making too many assumptions will result in a more expensive cost model although the impact is usually insidious and not easily split out from other expenses unless a senior manager decides this is important. The manager may assume that things like honesty, respect and teamwork are natural traits for many seeking new positions. Do not make these or similar assumptions. A famous man once said “trust but verify.”

2. Efficiency. It’s easier to immediately see competence than character attributes. For instance, if your résumé says you can run a drill press, I can easily test your skills in a matter of minutes. If you insist you are honest, I must be more creative to verify your statement and it will likely take a bit more time. One method to test for character traits is to constantly ask in an interview for past examples of behavior in a variety of situations.

Next time, we’ll look at what you can do if you forget to hire with character in mind.

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5 Leadership Secrets of an Aviator (3 of 3)

August 05, 2011   admin
Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

Let’s continue from part 2 …

Be Flexible

Now this might seem to contradict the previous point but speaks to how things can change without much warning. What if my plan does not work? One rainy winter day, I landed an F-4 with the hook down because of a hydraulic failure. (The Navy guys out there are laughing.) The firm touchdown went as planned but the hook bounced over the cable. Fortunately, my Weapons System Officer (WSO or backseater) and I had discussed this possibility and stayed on the runway to catch the opposite end cable. Had we missed again, we would have ejected from the aircraft.

One tongue-in-cheek saying in the Air Force is “flexibility is the key to air power.” Regardless of how pretty the strategic plan looks, you will have to improvise in some way. This is where knowing and living principled values will pay big dividends. Stick to decisions as much as practical but do not run your company train over a cliff for sake of your personal ego. If the market needs change, adapt. Make another decision. Be flexible.

Have An Out

An analogy here is related to formation flying of two or more aircraft. One of the staples of formation flying is the rejoin where one airplane overtakes another aircraft with speed, geometry or both. Every good formation flier always has an out in case the unexpected happens.

In the military, there is always a designated formation leader but the reality is that all pilots in the formation have basic responsibilities to keep everything safe. A nice rejoin concluding with a mid-air collision will ruin anybody’s day, hence, the “what if.” No matter how the rejoin may be going, a savvy aviator will be constantly assessing and adjusting not only the rejoin maneuver but the Plan B should something go very wrong. Fighting other airplanes requires more aggressive use of geometry although the same basic rules of a rejoin apply.

I remember a time as a new F-4 driver when in the thick of a practice fight, there were two of us unknowingly converging on the same target, belly to belly. I was going to be a hero. Thankfully I had an experienced backseater who yelled, “Belly check!” Upon rolling inverted and seeing the imminent mid-air, I wracked the airplane in an opposite direction and we all lived to fight another day.

As the leader, you may or may not want to publicly admit your Plan B to risk distracting or demoralizing your team members. You may not always have an elegant or fully developed alternative. Be always thinking though. It may be an out by phases or increments. This really is an extension on the flexibility theme but this is the era we are in. Said another way, if all our grand schemes fall apart, what will we do? How will we recover the keep the enterprise viable? How will we rally the “troops” to pick up the pieces?

Nimbleness is a critical core competency and an effective leader will always be a few steps ahead of those being lead. I am not suggesting you pursue goals half-hearted; just be smart and ready to improve a good plan with great execution.

Keep flying …

Think long-term …

Be decisive …

Be flexible …

Have an out.

Simple yet helpful steps to making your leadership skills shine.

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5 Leadership Secrets of an Aviator (2 of 3)

August 04, 2011   admin
Two F-4 Phantoms on Takeoff

Continuing from part 1 …

Think Long-Term

If an airplane is in trouble, it is common sense for the pilot to land as soon as practical. Despite the urgency, there are questions to consider that will make or break the outcome. What is my fuel state? What is the nearest field that can appropriately handle the aircraft emergency? How far to the ideal airport? What is the weather like at the intended landing airport?

So often, it is easy to be too caught up with the urgent priorities of the present while all but forgetting the long-term. Executing a flawed business plan perfectly will still assure the eventual demise of any enterprise. Leaders must consider questions like the following:

  • Where will our current organizational behavior lead?
  • What changes are needed to arrive at the preferred destination?
  • What business are we really in … long-term?
  • How should the firm change to meet fickle consumer demands?
  • How should we shape internal succession plans?
  • How are we educating and growing the up-and-coming leaders to meet their future challenges?

Of course, there are many more questions as well. The long-term may seem far away but it is as or more important than the present for the leader. Chances are that your employees do their best work in the present. It is your job as a leader to devote enough time to future work.

Be Decisive

Prescribing a remedy for an aircraft emergency requires making consistent and timely decisions. A pilot can only make decisions based on what is seen, heard and felt (e.g., airframe vibrations, extra weight on the flight controls, etc.). In many cases, a wing-man can take a look at crippled airplane to give any more data. Otherwise, it is time to analyze the problem and move toward a solution.

Several years ago, when an engine fire indicator came on in the F-4 I was flying, I immediately turned directly toward the home airport. This sounds basic and yet many a student pilot has wasted precious minutes in a sim by working through the checklist before turning the airplane toward a suitable landing patch.

Decision-making is an obvious skill that any successful business person will have. A wise leadership instructor once said, “Intent counts for more than technique.” His point was to make timely decisions for the good of the organization. The only people who have 100% of the data for a decision are historians (and that might even be debatable). Don’t overly labor on a decision: Make it. It is guaranteed you will learn something from it if you are open. This is particularly true if the choice turns out to be a blunder. If you are not making very many decisions, you are likely not learning much. Stay aligned with mission, vision, and values but, by all means, make a decision.

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5 Leadership Secrets of an Aviator (1 of 3)

August 03, 2011   admin
F-15 Eagle

In military flying, studying and training on emergency procedures (EPs) was constant. Quick thinking and disciplined responses were expected as a minimum standard to succeed in a military aviation career.

EPs raise emotion. EPs tax the most skilled pilot in spite of any outward bravado. The idea behind repetition and difficulty in training was to make the real thing seem relatively easy and to greatly increase the chances of a successful conclusion. Although I despised EP simulator flights (EP sims) as much as the next pilot, they were invaluable preparation for emergencies that invariably occurred in the real airplane.

Here are a few lessons from EP sims and flying in general that relate to the study and practice of leadership.

Keep Flying

When a pilot encounters any type of emergency situation, the natural tendency is to focus too much attention on the emergency. There is more than one story of an aviator too distracted with a problem to fly safely. As a beginning Air Force pilot, I will never forget a sim ride where I became so distracted from basic flying I ran into a mountain. The instructor’s quiet words of, “You would be dead right now if you had been in an airplane” was very sobering.

In the business setting, most of us do not have the privilege of shutting down the machine to redesign and rebuild it to meet the latest marketplace needs. The company must continue operating as we do our respective leadership work. A practical leader will continue directing what should be accomplished today while honoring timeless principles and continuous improvement.

The real leader will constantly evaluate if the current movement aligns with mission objectives. This is not about feel-good but about results. This is about meeting competitive demands in our very fast-paced economy, regardless of the organization type. It takes courage but it is a critical skill for the leader to do the right things.

Next time, we’ll look at two more leadership secrets of an aviator.

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Leadership Acumen

January 19, 2011   admin
Photo by joye~

What is leadership acumen? Leadership always yields tangible business results in the long-term. Since acumen is about insight and wise action, let’s consider it in context of great leadership and excellent business.

Insight

In many ways, leadership is about understanding self and others. A leader is not very effective at leading others without first leading self. Said another way, “Do as I say and not as I do” has fleeting success. What are some overlapping areas for leadership and business?

  1. Fill Out the Team – A leader who is growing in understanding of self will know what type of people to add to the organization for a more complete team. All of us have strengths and weaknesses and bringing others in who have strengths not otherwise present in the existing group is essential for great leadership and measurable business outcomes. When looking for new team members, a leader will understand and consider a lot of personality traits, character attributes and leadership skills.
  2. Watch for Falling Paradigms – A companion insight for excellent leadership acumen is recognizing the important role of mindsets. It is possible to force behavior changes for the short-term but this tension eventually resolves itself with a mindset change or someone leaving the organization. A sharp leader works to develop tools to help discover, look at and adjust personal as well as organizational mindsets. Only then, can behaviors change long-term with the resulting improvement in culture.
  3. Demand Thinking – Leadership authority is not granted by a nameplate; formal power is – do not confuse the two. Leadership acumen demands innovative thinking be cultivated at all levels. This will require a measure of humility especially when a great idea comes from someone with a less-than-impressive title. (Here is an argument to reduce the use of titles but I digress.) The amount of decision-making authority to grant can be debated internally based on the desired culture but a healthy organization must have active thinkers with all their ideas popping out of the woodwork … consistently.
  4. Allow for Mistakes – A culture that is a one-strike environment will clearly not inspire innovation. Self-awareness on mistake-mindsets will help the leader improve and then communicate this growth to others.

Wise Action

Assuming an organization is reasonably successful at fostering the preceding environment, what is the best way to sort through all the ideas and dialogue to take decisive action? While part of the answer is an art form, there are definite limits to consider. Here are three foundational ideas.

  • What is the intended, long-term destination of the organization (vision)?
  • Why does the company exist (mission, aim or purpose)?
  • How does enterprise intend to treat people inside and outside the organization (values)?

The answers to these guiding concepts should come through extended dialogue over months or even years. Part of the process of refining these overarching ideas thoughts will help make decisions on specific ideas in the environment. Everything must tie back to the vision, mission or values … hopefully to all three if possible.

Although a bit tongue-in-cheek, the next step is to simply make decisions. When a company is struggling, there is a tendency to slow or stop making conclusions. A certain amount of caution and analysis may be warranted if cash flow is tight but a leader must be careful to not stagnant out of fear. Procrastinate too much and your competition will eat your lunch.

One important measuring stick to help continue making decisions is the question, “What is the right thing to do?” Based on everything I know about our company, what is right? Listening to my conscience, what is right? What would those I most admire advise on what is right in this circumstance? What do others on the team think is right? The answer to “what is right” can vary depending on the environment but the discussion is healthy.

Build in whatever helps are necessary: write down the list of fears, form an informal advisory board (and use them), or specifically define what will happen with no decision. You can think of other ideas. Most of all, a leader must keep making intentional decisions … other people inside and outside the company depend on it. Anybody can make an easy decision; a leader will not run from the tough choices or allow other team members to shirk similar responsibilities in choosing. Remember, no decision is still a decision.

Results

Ultimately, results are what matter. Leadership acumen and process is great and informative but if it does not translate into action and measurable results, there is probably little linkage to business acumen. To repeat, true leadership acumen will link to tangible business results in the long-term. At times, this may take longer than the next quarterly earnings report but therein lies some of the art form: balancing the different time spectrums to have an organization that grows and produces at the same time.

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5 Leadership Secrets of an Aviator (1 of 3)

5 Leadership Secrets of an Aviator (2 of 3)

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Advantages of Positive Thinking

December 18, 2010   admin
Photo by wadem

There is the classic question on whether the glass is half full or half empty. We could argue endlessly on a philosophical level about which outlook is more useful but let me make a practical argument for the-glass-is-half-full or the use of optimism.

The Christmas season reminds me of the power of optimism and how it can be a catalyst for other principles. (Principles meaning those things that are timeless, obvious and effective. Examples include respect, courage, consideration, service, excellence, etc.) Christmas is about new beginnings and how things can improve in amazing ways.

There are a lot of people hurting now with the sluggish economy. Layoffs continue and many are nervous about tomorrow. One of the necessary ingredients in prevailing over tough times is embracing optimism. This is not about escapism or denial; this about relentless perseverance and confidence that just happens to wear a smile (at least inside).

Optimism alone can fall short but, when used properly, can serve as a great driver. For example, when faced with a difficult problem – like job loss or other financial setback – the pessimist might be tempted to give up too soon.  On the other hand, the optimist will actively engage in finding a solution over and over and not be put down by the first few failures. Some might argue optimism is soft but I suggest optimism is tough because it’s most needed when situations are the most difficult.

While upgrading to the F-15 from the F-4, I had some struggles learning how to fight with the new airplane. Because it was more capable than earlier fighters, it was important to maneuver differently to win. This required unlearning earlier lessons and learning new ones. During this time, optimism was one of things that kept me going. Even after failing two flights in a row (a big deal), I was committed to learning and was optimistic I would do so. Optimism was not the main or only ingredient but it was sure important. (I successfully upgraded by the way.)

The opposite holds as well. I worked with a man several years ago who was consistently pessimistic. No matter how I or others tried, there was no humoring his downcast outlook away. As a result, one of the hallmarks of his work was small or incomplete solutions. If you think you can’t or consider yourself unable, you are probably right.

Here are some application thoughts especially as we think about an approaching new year and the potential for greatness in each one of us.

  1. Hold on to optimism like the treasure it is. Although incomplete by itself, optimism is of incredible value when combined with other principled actions.
  2. Optimism is a great driver to reach better solutions. When faced with choosing between bad or worse, push back and look for good or great. Optimism helps keep the head clear for fresh possibilities. Don’t settle for “just OK” as this will likely turn into regret or at least disappointment later.
  3. Optimism is practical. I must admit I have been skeptical at times of those who are overly optimistic. Just trying to “think” away a problem or challenge does not work. I was once lost in the woods and no amount of thinking (by itself) helped me find my way out. However, optimism combined with common sense action saved the day.
  4. Optimism is a choice. Whether or not you feel naturally prone to optimism, this trait can be cultivated over time and become “natural.” Great people examples come to my mind and you likely have similar role models as well. Choose optimism and you will enjoy a great number of options across the board over time.

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Perseverance Meaning

December 11, 2010   admin
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One of my dreams was to fly fighters. The power of this dream had carried me through many difficult things over nearly two years of Air Force flight training and education. Now it was time to complete one last hurdle … land survival training … in Northern Washington … in the dead of winter. I really had put the thought far from mind as I worked through the other flying schools. Now, the reality of survival training was here.

We began the classroom training and all seemed straight-forward enough. The instructors made many things sound logical and I began to think this training might not be too bad. I was, after all, familiar with the outdoors from earlier hunting, hiking and camping trips. Wouldn’t it be like that?

Brutal Reality

One of my early clues that this would be some different was when we began making our own “tents” from parachute silk. As we assembled the supplies, we were fitted for snowshoes. This was my second clue about the challenges that lay ahead.

The outdoor part of the training began by adjusting to being active with almost no food. We hiked more and more each day using the snowshoes which only made us hungrier. Sleeping under the individual silk parachute on top of four feet of snow was a new experience as well. The challenge was the instructors would leave us in the late afternoon with a list of several things to do before the next morning. As team leader, I became more and more frustrated as we kept failing to complete the assignments from now allowing enough time.

As we proceeded farther into the week, the demands increased as did the failure rate. We tried to improve our teamwork and think of new ways to meet the requirements but to no avail. Even worse, the instructors began breaking our team into smaller groups making the requirements more difficult yet. I eventually switched to “survival” mode and simply tried to make the best of the circumstances. This tested my patience because at times it seemed I was simply playing games. In reality, the instructors were trying to teach lessons that would help should any of us find ourselves in desperate circumstances.

I am not allowed to talk about the last few days of training but suffice to say I was fully tested mentally and physically. At times, it seemed as if time had stood still and we were forgotten. I persevered – almost mechanically. Thankfully, the dream of flying burned brightly in my mind and fueled a persistence I did not know was there. Suddenly, the training was over. We made it through. It may not have been elegant but we were now graduates and a little wiser for the hardships.

Lessons

While I realize there are many military folks who have gone through more difficult training and conditions than I, Air Force survival training taxed my stamina at the time and gave me greater confidence that lasts to this day. I now believe most of us have hidden reserves that can be tapped in the most difficult times.

Committing to learn as a leader requires persistence as well. At times, the office politics, unreasonable policy demands or simple tiredness lead to less than stellar relations or decisions. One key part of developing as a leader is to learn disciplined perseverance. This requirement usually occurs when a leader faces setbacks. Conceptually, continually look for any small leverage points that will help you improve as a leader and influence others to do right as well. Here are some application ideas.

1. Re-double Preparation and Personal Growth Efforts – At times, a growing leader may feel frustrated by a lower than ideal influence at work. In times like these, when you feel like you are marching in place, re-direct the energy into your own personal development. Check out a leadership book from the library, record your difficult time in a journal including lessons learned or call that mentor you haven’t talked with in a while.

2. Look for Ways to Improve in Your Personal Relationships – If you are feeling under-valued at work, don’t take it out on your friends and family, embrace them! Re-focus the negative emotions on making your personal life even better. Exercising positive influence for those you most care about is satisfying.

3. Keep Doing the Right Thing – The natural human reaction to difficult times can be to lash out or do less-than-excellence work. Resist the temptation! Persevering means to do the right thing even when there is little encouragement in the environment. The leaders we most admire are those who cultivated and carried out an innate sense of doing good even in the face of bad stuff.

When all else fails … just keep going! Sometimes it’s that simple.

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Four Types of Preparation

December 04, 2010   admin
Photo by quacktaculous

In any field, preparation is a key part of success. Years ago, my Dad was a residential painter by trade. One thing he would say was, “a paint job is only as good as the preparation.” As a child, the quote was a mindset shift for me as I thought all there was to painting a house was to slap the paint on. In reality, there were many hours of preparation to first sand, seal, repair, and prime the surface.

The need for preparation is clear anywhere you want to look. For instance, several years ago, I knew an up-and-coming leader. He embraced things like excellence, continuous improvement, leadership and seemed to be a student. As expected, he was promoted several times within the organization and seemed like a refreshing change to candidly address internal problems.

Eventually, this man was promoted to a very senior position where he would have the authority to make sweeping improvements as he desired. He did not make any lasting, positive leadership changes in several years at the helm. What happened? I didn’t realize until later but this individual suffered from a lack of preparation.

The manager had great intent, knew the buzzwords and had participated in several internal, professional, development programs with the rest of us. However, he had not ‘paid the price’ to grow. Said another way, he had not internalized and cultivated the development material. Once in the new position, it was too late to make-up the lost months and years of preparation. The evidence was the lack of positive change in a dysfunctional environment.

It is no more effective to cram for leadership or excellence growth than it is to rush a good paint job. The finished product will tell the honest story. Some times when I hold a seminar, I like to borrow from a colleague to first talk about the type of development attendees. There are bullies, prisoners, tourists and students. Let’s apply this to preparation and see if you recognize anybody.

Bully – This person will not only try to disrupt the education but will work hard to brings others down too. The bully will try a variety of tactics to both disrupt and deprive others of learning … relentlessly. I’ve seen it happen.

In terms of preparation, the bully will knock leadership preparation and actively try to cause others to do the same. This might come in the form of active procrastination or offers to do others things besides growing as a leader. This person may put down any of the normal activities in leadership development such as reading good books, journalling, seeking counsel from respected sources, and so on.

RESULTS: Negative growth

Prisoner – In a training sense, a prisoner is at a class because the boss said so or because it’s the only way to get a promotion or another similar reason. The prisoner is just there to endure the time and move on.

For preparation, don’t expect anything from the prisoner unless ordered. The prisoner is just there … enduring … watching the clock … thinking about other things.

RESULTS: Irritation by all and general deterioration

Tourist – Ah, the happy tourist. Let’s enjoy the sights, take pictures and maybe send a postcard to Grandma. I’ve seen a number of seminar participants who are friendly, polite and even take an occasional note or two. The fact is, the tourist attendee is only slightly interested in the material and will put any book on the shelf (permanently) once the class is over. This attendee probably showed up at the training just to get a day off work.

A tourist in a preparation sense will usually express positive thoughts toward development of one type or another but will probably stop there. Maybe, this tourist will buy a book once in a while or put one on reserve at the library but that’s it.

RESULTS: No forward motion masquerading as happy talk

Student – Any personal development requires active, consistent engagement. A true student does just this. The engaged student is a treat to have in any development course. This person constantly processes the material, asks questions from genuine curiosity and energetically wants to apply the information. Any instructor worth his or her salt will learn from a student.

In preparation, a student is well … a student! This person is constantly learning, curious, and persevering toward excellence. A student does a book report without being asked. The student continues to think about a new concept and how to apply it to family and work. The student enjoys learning.

RESULTS: Progress!

In a family or organization, persisting in excellence growth will require effort and much, much preparation before the growth is obvious to others. We can all do better (myself included). The question in preparation is not how are you compared to others but how are you doing compared to yourself?

Picture Credits

Paint brush and bucket on a ladder – luv is max on Flickr

Classroom group – Improve It on Flickr

Tourist group – Simon Blackley on Flickr

Graduates – bredgur on Flickr

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