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Accepting fear will allow you to move foward in your business

My father was visiting over the holidays and reminiscing about his days as a Navy pilot. Being eighty eight years old and a WWII veteran, he is part of a small and shrinking group of men and women who came of age during a time of war.

As a carrier pilot in the Pacific theater, my father had to learn how to manage his fear. He describes his first carrier landing as the most terrifying experience of his life; one he recalls vividly today. There are no heroic images in his recollection, only feelings of paralyzing fear and disbelief. Is it really possible to land a plane on what appeared to be a “matchbook bobbing and weaving" on the surface of the ocean?

When his wheels first hit the deck and the arresting wires grabbed the tail hook, he realized it was possible; he had made it. His fear transformed into belief and the elation of accomplishment took over.  He said: “Once I admitted to myself that I was terrified, a sense of relief overcame me and I believed I could do it.”

Many executives don’t like to admit they are afraid. Instead of managing their fear, they pretend it doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, this denial prevents them from taking important and decisive action; they never “land the plane!"

Not landing the plane includes among other things: sticking with a strategy that is successful today, when all indications point to it failing tomorrow, keeping quiet on a point of principle to avoid “ruffling feathers,” waiting too long to admit to a mistake, and delaying action on popular yet poor performing executives. Any of these mistakes can cause your leadership to “crash into the ocean.”

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Admit to yourself that you are afraid. Even better, admit to someone else you trust and respect. Accepting fear is managing fear. It allows you to make the tough calls, move your business forward, and bring the plane in safely.

Happy New Year!

Accept Reality---and do something about it....

In Dickens’ famous story, A Christmas Carol, Scrooge must face his past, present, and future.  As he travels through his life, we experience a story of scornful failure followed by undeniable redemption.  We see early on that Scrooge has lost touch with what really matters; because he has accepted a cynical world view, he is left old, alone, and bitter.

During his time with the Spirit of Christmas Present, Scrooge is confronted by two of the most intense characters in the story.  When the Spirit opens up his cloak, sitting at his feet are two dirty and frightened children; the boy’s name is Ignorance and the girl’s is Want.  When queried by Scrooge, the Spirit provides some clear direction: “Beware of them both and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased.  Deny it!”

While up to interpretation, it appears that from the Spirit's viewpoint ignorance and denial are two sides of the same coin.  If you deny reality and claim ignorance, suffering is a certainty.  For anyone in business, this advice should resonate loudly.  

The business world is strewn with the bodies of leaders who chose to deny reality and paid the price.  We all want to hear good news. We don’t like the trouble and emotional angst that comes with problems.  However, not facing reality can cost you dearly.  Competitors that are underestimated will eat your lunch; under-performing executives left in place hurt morale; questionable ethics that aren’t challenged have painful consequences.

However, even Scrooge found redemption! By facing the impact of his denial and ignorance, his spirit rose from the ashes.  It is never too late to ask the tough question and to challenge your own actions.  This is what great business leaders do and their companies thrive.  

The good news is we can all learn from Scrooge. 

By accepting reality and doing something about it we can achieve great things.  

Happy Holidays!

Common Sense---a (business) notion that has been around for a long time...

Ben Franklin often spoke of common sense with such notable quotes as "If you would be wealthy, think about saving as well as getting” and “Creditors have better memories than debtors." 

Ben’s practical approach to life was admired by many and certainly has much to teach us about executive leadership.

In business, complexity is the enemy of common sense. When business ideas are allowed to flourish in the form of highly complicated and confusing concepts, common sense is often a casualty. Complexity hides basic truths and we don’t have to look very far to find examples

Senior executives must constantly be on guard for ideas that are too hard to explain, are expressed with emotion rather than logic, and are pitched with certainty, often by individuals convinced of their superior intellect.  “Trust me on this one, I completely understand the issues.”   To ensure common sense prevails you should:
 

o     Ask pointed questions and listen carefully.  Questions are almost always more useful than statements.  Poor listening is behind many bad decisions.

o     Encourage aggressive debate and give your team permission to engage in conflict when considering important decisions.  Let them know it is okay to “get into it”, notwithstanding personal attacks.

o    Seek input from diverse sources both within and external to your organization. Check out your thinking with those you trust to tell you the unvarnished truth. 

o    Recognize the natural role your emotions play in decision making. Emotions can override judgment; learn to question your emotions.

In business, common sense is an important litmus test for good decision making.  By asking questions like, “Does the idea pass the reasonableness test?"  

Would I do this with my own money?  
Can the idea be expressed simply?  
Is it supported by facts? 

These are the kind of questions Ben would likely ask.  

We would all do well to heed his wisdom; it is as relevant today as it was 250 years ago.

Comfort Zones

“Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” This disclaimer is no doubt familiar to anyone who has ever invested in a mutual fund. When I saw this disclaimer the other day, I thought about my clients and the discussion we often have about Comfort Zones. I've also written an article* devoted to this important concept published in the November (2010) issue of the Supply Chain Quarterly Magazine.

You likely arrived in your current position on the back of some real assets, like your ability to get into the details or make quick, effective judgments. Now let’s assume your responsibilities significantly increase. Perhaps you’ve become the CEO of a much larger company or the president of a global division with international range and scope. Will doing what you’ve always done, in the same way be a successful strategy now? Most likely, the answer is no. You need to avoid the trap of falling back into your comfort zones. To do this, you must be self aware and willing to adjust your approach.

As responsibilities increase with your changing role, it’s easy to confuse a strength with a liability. This is especially true under pressure. Behavior that may have served you well in the past may not be appropriate in your new higher level position. When you lead from the top you must work through a team of senior leaders who represent you, extend your reach and give you leverage. The behavior you want to rely upon to lead senior officers is different (in important ways) from the leadership behavior you used when you were one of those senior officers. This is probably the number one cause of CEO failure and there are examples of this in the business press every day.

This “Comfort Zone Trap” is not just a bad habit. It can be a fatal flaw. As you evaluate your own leadership style, you might look for this trap as a real opportunity to improve. 

*Read my article:  Are Supply Chain Leaders Ready for the Top?

In Business, You Get What You Expect

Clients sometimes say to me, “this organization is just too political.” At times it gets more specific, “that guy is a political animal."   With some folks there is resignation:  “I’m no good at politics; I need to get out of here!”  Politics are considered frustrating and counter-productive, which is often true.

In the business context, the word “politics” certainly has its negative connotations.  It stirs up images of the “yes man” (or woman), the “back stabber” (driven out of control by ambition), and the individual that says one thing and does another.  Why does anyone put up with this?  

The answer is simple:  You can’t avoid it. 

Anyone with kids has seen this play out from the earliest years.  Our twins were keeping score when they we two years old.  If you complimented one, you were neglecting the other.  At two they were competing for power in very simple and effective ways.

A business leader is expected to bring in the best talent, create a high performing organization, and hit the numbers.  In the “thrust and parry” of competition, there will be winners and losers.  No matter what, politics will be hovering around. 

  

So what should a leader do?  It is all about keeping it simple and clearly communicating your values.

People will model your behavior.  If want to minimize the impact of politics, be clear about what’s important.

Here is a simple exercise.  

Write down on a sheet of paper a single word you associate with a “political” organization. It should reflect behavior you have seen with your people.  Then come up with its opposite.

For example:

Negative                     Positive

BS                                Straight Talk

Showboat                    Team Player

Blame                          Accountability

Following this example you would simply, concisely, and frequently communicate to your organization that you value and expect: Straight Talk, Team work, and Accountability. In every interaction, you would consciously model these behaviors.  With the passage of time, the values will become second nature; most employees will be able to name and describe them. 

With all of the management theory and programs available regarding “culture change,” it's easy to forget the simple fact that really do you get what you expect!  If you want to minimize the negative effects of Politics, be clear about your values. Your folks will appreciate it.

Keeping it Simple---Simplicity is a Competitive Weapon

Business leaders often talk about the need to simplify.  Complexity can be like a mutant cell reproducing rapidly and absorbing everything in its path.   Things get so complicated that dense power point slide presentations, exceedingly long meetings, and complex vocabulary proliferate.

Of course, at the deepest level, complexity exists in everything around us.  Even single celled amoebas, some of the most basic life forms, are rather complex critters.   However, when most of us learned about them in elementary school, we didn’t need to comprehend their every physical process to explain what made them so unique.  While sitting in biology class and bored out of my mind, I even took notice of the teacher’s simple message:  “amoebas are single cell animals that reproduce without sex.  Now that’s memorable!

In today’s business environment, it’s become more difficult to “get to the point” amid the onslaught of complex ideas and concepts. 

What to do?  

Business leaders must impress upon their people that simplification is a way of life; it is an expectation.  This requires instilling core beliefs like, ‘simple isn’t dumber, it’s smarter.”  Most importantly, senior leaders must “walk the talk” by demonstrating this skill themselves. 

Simplicity creates velocity.  

Simple ideas can be communicated and acted on more quickly.  They are less prone to misinterpretation and encourage inclusion by ensuring more people comprehend the idea.  Simplicity creates more passion, commitment, and achievement. 

Executives that value simplicity can be heard saying things like:

“What is your key point in one or two sentences?

“No more PowerPoint, tell me in one or two typed pages!”

“How would you describe this concept to a child?"

Simplicity is a competitive weapon.  

Companies that value simplicity move faster than those that don’t.  

Embrace simplicity and great business results will follow.

Please join in on this "discussion topic" on my Executive Challenge Group on Linked In: PowerPoint slide decks are the dominate medium most company executives use to communicate plans, strategies, etc. What is the downside? What would happen if your company cut PP use by 50%?

Remember the power of your silence

I was at the NSC conference in San Diego last week and someone approached me with a question regarding the critically important skill of listening. It seems this executive has been struggling with this skill herself and has noticed that her team has the same challenge.  In her case, she was courageous enough to describe a costly mistake that she personally attributed to poor listening. 

“It is hard to listen when your lips are moving.”  Many of us were lucky enough to hear these words of wisdom (or something close to them) early in our careers.  They speak directly to the all important issue of listening. Listening is without question the most important leadership skill and it should represent +80% of your communication.

When some senior executives think about communication, they have visions of standing at the podium for the big meeting or presenting to the board, financial analysts, or any number of other important groups.  In these forums, the executive’s speaking abilities are showcased. “Wow she can really captivate the crowd” or “He can really think on his feet”.  These are great compliments; but there are better ones like: “she asks great questions” or “he listens to my every word and makes me feel like I’m the most important person in the world”.

Great leaders recognize the power of their silence.  They live to ask good questions and listen intently.  They also understand the deep impact listening has on every individual they encounter.  They know that great listening defines great leadership.

Listening skills can be learned.  They relate closely to understanding and honoring your role as a leader.  Great leaders are great coaches.  A leader’s role is to help the team get to the best answer…not come up with the answer.  When the leader forgets this, you can be assured that lips are moving more than they should.  Unintentionally, the leader has abandoned being a coach and in the process, confused his/her people.

You can read books, look at videos, go to seminars and use other learning aids to improve your listening skills.  Here is another simple tactic.  When your lips are moving, ask yourself if you are being a player or a coach and remember the power of your silence.