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ExcellenceL E A D E R S H I P

THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY

NOVEMBER 2011

Steve Jobs1955 - 2011

“Leadership Excellence is an exceptionalway to learn and then apply the best and latest ideas in the field of leadership.”

—WARREN BENNIS, AUTHOR ANDUSC PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT

TThhee ‘‘VViissiioonn TThhiinngg’’TThhee ‘‘VViissiioonn TThhiinngg’’Tribute to Steve JobsTribute to Steve Jobs

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ExcellenceL E A D E R S H I P

THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY

GEORGE BEAHM

The ‘Vision Thing’Jobs always looked forthe next big thing. . . . . . . 3

MARK FAUST

Tribute: Steve JobsHe led and managedfrom the heart. . . . . . . . . . .4

CATHERINE J. REZAK

Thinking LeadersInvolve them in a learningprocess or program. . . . . . 5

ROBERT VETERE

Thinking CanineCreate an entire teamof top dogs. . . . . . . . . . . . .6

JOHN RENESCH

Mature LeadersOnly they can buildsomething sustainable. . . .7

M.S. RAO

Iconic LeadersSteve Jobs was worthhis weight in gold. . . . . . . .7

BEVERLY KAYE ANDEILEEN MCDARGH

Turning the TablesEmployees benefit fromboss appreciation. . . . . . . .8

GREGORY GULL

Lead with VisionKeep developing yourthinking skills. . . . . . . . . . 9

TARA JONES

Three Key BehaviorsPractice them to boostyour performance. . . . . . 10

GRAHAM JONES

Leading From the BottomTurn things upside down. .11

RONALD E. RIGGIO

Leading with Social SkillForget about traits; startleading people. . . . . . . . .12

HENRY BRASHENAND WANDA GRAVETT

Leading With PurposeFollow these four simpleIDEA steps now. . . . . . . .13

BRUCE WEINSTEIN

Ethical CriticismWhen done right, itbrings out the best. . . . . . 14

BECKY SHAMBAUGH

What You Can Learnfrom government failure. . .14

SUZANNE BATES

Build Your BrandWhen you are in anyleadership role. . . . . . . . .15

DANNA GREENBERG,KATE MCKONE-SWEET,AND H. JAMES WILSON

Entrepreneurial LeadersTake five actions tobecome one of them. . . . 16

DOUG LENNICKAND FRED KIEL

Moral LeadershipIt signals a great firm. . . .17

LAURA PARAMOURE

LD AccountabilityIt applies to all of thestakeholders. . . . . . . . . . .18

IRVING H. BUCHEN

Executive ProfilingProfile your leaders. . . . .19

TED PRINCE

LD StrategiesAdjust to a new normal. . .20

VOL. 28 NO. 11 THE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE NOVEMBER 2011

The Power of Freedom

These horses embody the creative freedom found at Apple, thanks to the leadership of Steve Jobs.

IN OUR ANNUAL RANKING OFBest Leadership Development

Programs, we named GeneralMills #1 among large organizations. Why?What General Mills does in LD correspondsnicely with our 50 Best Practices and ourseven ranking criteria: 1) meaningfulvision/mission linked to strategy; 2) broadand deep involvement and participation; 3)effective program design/model, crediblecontent, and customized, relevant curricu-lum; 4) qualified presenters, presentations,and delivery; 5) personal accountability forperformance and results; 6) high take-homevalue for participants; and 7) impres-sive program impact and outreach.

This year, I was impressed withthe new Great Manager program thatKevin Wilde, Pete Longhurst, andtheir team are doing at General Mills.Their Leadership Institute developeda global Building Great Leaders pro-gram to increase the number ofGreat Managers. In addition to discus-sion-based executive presentations, the pro-gram uses self-awareness tools such aspersonality assessments and 360 feedbackinstruments as well as theatrical simulationsto increase Great Manager competencies.

Another element of the General Millsprogram is the core belief that talent/LD iscentral to its mission of Nourishing Lives—making people’s lives healthier, easier andricher with its portfolio world class brands.In fact, the company states that one of itsfive core values is, We respect, develop and in-vest in our people, and backs up the statementby investing heavily in talent development.

The General Mills Institute for LD buildsthe company’s talent pipeline. It offers variousdevelopment experiences and tools for pro-fessional employees, management and lead-ership. Directors and officers are developedthrough the Building Great Leaders program.The course is taught by senior executives,and utilizes coaching, self-awareness assess-ment data, and theatrical leadership simula-tions. All employees benefit from classroomtraining, digital e-learning, and social learning.

General Mills also measures the value andresults of its LD programs through align-ment with key business strategies and met-rics. Dozens of General Mills employeeshave served in leadership roles to advance

the industry—and for two years GeneralMills has shared its Continuous Improvementtraining with the state of Minnesota to helpgovernment be more efficient.

TToopp PPeeooppllee AArree TTaarrggeetteeddMost employers are convinced that other

companies are actively seeking to hire awaytheir top people, said Michael Haid, SVP ofTM at Right Management. “As competitionbecomes adept at replicating products, ser-vices, operating models and marketingstrategies and demand for certain skills setsrises, leaders see that talent is the last remain-ing source of competitive advantage. No organi-zation is immune from the stress of effectiveretention or competitive recruitment. CEOs

and HR staffs are feeling vulnerable;and seeking ways to hold onto theirrising leadership.” Visit www.right.com/globalleadershipstudy.

Despite the slow job market,“most organizations find it tough tohold onto their best people,” saidBram Lowsky, EVP/Americas forRight Management. “There’s a furi-ous war for top talent under way,

constant poaching of high performers bycompeting companies, and a very restiveworkforce. The challenge is to retain yourbest contributors, target them for develop-ment, and show them they have a futurewith the organization. Top talent always hasemployment options. They’ll usually findsome place that they feel appreciates whatthey bring.” Email shari@fryerassociates.com.

SSppoott HHiigghh PPootteennttiiaallss“At a time when organizations struggle

to build their leadership pipeline, retain topperformers and plan for management suc-cession, it’s ironic that so many don’t identi-fy the most promising employees, saysSandi Edwards, SVP of AMA Enterprise.“Only half seem committed to holding ontotheir best talent and developing these peo-ple to contribute at higher levels of perfor-mance.” When used properly, competencybased and predictive assessments can pro-vide the hard data to minimize risk and maxi-mize success in identifying future leaders.

Also, few organizations integrate LD andsuccession planning with strategy, saidEdwards. www.amanet.org or emailabein@amanet.org, or pgryan@aol.com.LE

The best is benchmarked, imitated, and targeted.

by Ken Shelton

Volume 28 Issue 11

Leadership Excellence (ISSN 8756-2308) is published monthly by Executive ExcellencePublishing, LLC (dba Leadership Excellence), 1806 North 1120 West, Provo, UT 84604.

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Great Leaders and Top TalentE . D . I . T . O . R ’ S N . O . T . E

2 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

Editor since 1984

Kevin Wilde

wonderful—that’s what matters to me.”Here are more of my favorite Steve

Jobs’ lines (from my book, I, Steve):What are the great brands? Levi’s,

Coke, Disney, Nike. Most people putApple in that category. You could spendbillions of dollars building a brand notas good as Apple. Yet Apple hasn’t beendoing anything with this incredibleasset. What is Apple, after all? Apple isabout people who think “outside thebox,” people who want to use comput-ers to help them change the world, tohelp them create things that make a differ-ence, and not just to get a job done.

All we are is our ideas, or people.That’s what keeps us going to work inthe morning, to hang around thesegreat bright people. I’ve alwaysthought that recruiting is the heart andsoul of what we do.

But it’s not just recruiting. Afterrecruiting, it’s building an environmentthat makes people feel they are sur-rounded by equally talented peopleand their work is bigger than they are.The feeling that the work will havetremendous influence and is part of astrong, clear vision—all those things.

Recruiting usually requires morethan you alone can do, so I’ve foundthat collaborative recruiting and hav-ing a culture that recruits the “A” play-ers is the best way. Any intervieweewill speak with at least a dozen peoplein several areas of this company, notjust those in the area that he wouldwork in. That way a lot of your “A”employees get broad exposure to thecompany, and—by having a companyculture that supports them if they feelstrongly enough—the current employ-ees can veto a candidate.

Why did Apple struggle to innovateduring the decade before I returned in1997? You need a very product-orient-ed culture, even in a technology com-

The ‘Vision Thing’

SINCE 1976, STEVE JOBSspoke his mind, to

the delight of his advo-cates and the dismay of his detractors,in every possible venue. But no matterwhat you think of Jobs, who twicecites “the vision thing” on his résumé,one indisputable fact stands out: Hegave us some of the most memorablequotes about the nature of business inour time, including this one: I’m alwayskeeping my eyes open for the next bigopportunity, but the way the world is now,it will take enormous resources, both inmoney and in engineering talent, to makeit happen. I don’t know what that next bigthing might be, but I have a few ideas.

Indeed, Steve Jobs had a few goodideas. He occupied a unique and envi-able position in the business commu-nity. He was selected as “CEO of theDecade” by Fortune magazine, the“world’s best-performing CEO” by theHarvard Business Review, and “Person ofthe Decade” by the Wall Street Journal,among numerous other honors.

On August 18, 2011, news broke thatthe only authorized biography of SteveJobs, written by Walter Isaacson, curi-ously had been moved up from March2012 to Nov. 21, 2011, prompting ques-tions as to why. Big publishers simplydon’t move up pub dates four monthson a whim. Clearly, a shoe had beendropped. Six days later, on August 24,the other shoe dropped: Steve Jobsannounced he was stepping down asCEO, and asked the Apple board to“execute our succession plan,” whichput Timothy Cook at the helm.

On October 5, one day after Apple’snew CEO held his first media event toannounce the iPhone 4Gs, Apple’sboard stated that Steve Jobs, at age 56,had died. The board released a state-ment: “Steve’s brilliance, passion andenergy were the source of countlessinnovations that enrich and improveall of our lives. The world is immea-surably better because of Steve.”

One of my favorite lines aboutSteve Jobs was said by him: “Being therichest man in the cemetery doesn’tmatter to me,” he said. “Going to bedat night saying we’ve done something

pany. Lots of companies have tons ofgreat engineers and smart people. Butultimately, there needs to be some gravita-tional force that pulls it all together. Other-wise, you can get great pieces of tech-nology all floating around the universe.But it doesn’t add up to much.

People think focus means saying yesto the thing you’ve got to focus on. Butthat’s not what it means at all. It meanssaying no to the hundred other goodideas that there are. You have to pickcarefully. I’m actually as proud of thethings we haven’t done as the things Ihave done. Innovation is saying no to1,000 things.

In most people’s vocabularies, designmeans veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’sthe fabric of the curtains and the sofa.But to me, nothing could be furtherfrom the meaning of design. Design isthe fundamental soul of a man-madecreation that ends up expressing itselfin successive outer layers of the productor service. Some people think designmeans how it looks. But of course, if youdig deeper, it’s really how it works. Thedesign of the Mac wasn’t what itlooked like, although that was part ofit. Primarily, it was how it worked. Todesign something really well, you haveto get what it’s all about. It takes a pas-sionate commitment to thoroughlyunderstand something, chew it up, notjust quickly swallow it. Most peopledon’t take the time to do that.

Product innovation is not about popculture, and it’s not about fooling peo-ple, and convincing people that theywant something they don’t. We figureout what we want. And I think we’regood at having the right discipline tothink through whether many otherpeople want it, too. That’s what we getpaid to do. So you can’t go out and askpeople, what’s the next big thing?Henry Ford said, “If I’d have asked mycustomers what they wanted, theywould have told me ‘A faster horse.’ ”

You have to have a lot of passion forwhat you’re doing because it’s so hardthat if you don’t—any rational personwould give up. And you have to do itover a sustained period of time. So ifyou don’t love it, if you’re not havingfun doing it, you don’t really love it,you’re going to give up. And that’swhat happens to most people. If youlook at the ones who end up being“successful” in the eyes of the societyand the ones that don’t, often the oneswho are successful loved what theydid, so they could persevere when itgot really tough. The ones who didn’tlove it quit because they’re sane, right?Who would want to put up with this

by George Beahm

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 3

LEADERSHIP VISION

J o b s l o o k e d f o r t h e n e x t b i g o n e .

stuff if you don’t love it? So it’s a lot ofhard work and it’s a lot of worryingconstantly and if you don’t love it,you’re going to fail.

About half of what separates success-ful entrepreneurs from the non-success-ful ones is pure perseverance. Unlessyou have a lot of passion about this,you’re not going to survive. You’regoing to give it up. So you’ve got tohave an idea, or a problem or a wrongthat you want to right that you’re pas-sionate about; otherwise, you won’thave the perseverance to stick it through.

You’ve got to find what you love.Your work fills a large part of your life,and the only way to be truly satisfied isto do what you believe is great work.And the only way to do great work isto love what you do—don’t settle.

People judge you by your perfor-mance, so focus on the outcome. Be ayardstick of quality. Some people aren’tused to an environment where excel-lence is expected. It’s painful when youhave some people who are not the bestpeople in the world and you have toget rid of them; but I found my job hassometimes exactly been that—to get ridof some people who didn’t measure upand I’ve always tried to do it in ahumane way. But nonetheless it has tobe done and it is never fun.

If you want to live your life in a cre-ative way, as an artist, you have to notlook back too much. You have to bewilling to take whatever you’ve doneand whoever you were and throwthem away. Let’s go invent tomorrowrather than worrying about what hap-pened yesterday.

Great artists never stand still. Italways occurs to them at some pointthat they can do this one thing for therest of their lives, and they can be real-ly successful to the outside world butnot really be successful to themselves.That’s the moment that an artist reallydecides who he or she is. If they keepon risking failure, they’re still artists.Artists like Bob Dylan and PabloPicasso were always risking failure.

This Apple thing is that way for me.I don’t want to fail, of course. But eventhough I didn’t know how bad thingsreally were, I still had a lot to thinkabout before I said yes. I had to consid-er the implications for Pixar, for myfamily, for my reputation. I decidedthat I didn’t really care, because this iswhat I want to do. If I try my best andfail, well, I’ve tried my best. LE

George Beahm is editor of I, Steve: Steve Jobs In His Own Words,published by Agate B2. Visit www.agatepublishing.com.

ACTION: Lead innovation like Steve Jobs.

by Mark Faust

board knew they could no longerignore his revolutionary vision andoptimistic view for his child that wasagainst the ropes and going down forthe count, they knew that no one elsehad such hope as Steve did in Apple’sultimate ebb.

His mind was nimble, and he revo-lutionized animated movies with fran-chises like Toy Story and Cars shortlybefore revolutionizing the musicindustry with iPods and iTunes. Hetook on portable computing withiPads by taking on a contrary view torival Microsoft. Bill Gates’ model wasto make the computer the “set-top box”that anchored Americans’ living rooms.Instead, Jobs focused on people as thecenter of their living rooms, and creat-ed media and devices that would sur-round them, instead.

CCaanncceerr:: NNoo IImmppeeddiimmeenntt ttoo IImmppaaccttMoreover, he did not allow the can-

cer that ate away at his body to becomean impediment to his impact. He turnedit into an asset that empowered him.

This passage about how his cancerdiagnosis affected him is from hisStanford University commencement

address rated the best of alltime by USA Today:

“No one wants to die.Even people who want togo to heaven don’t want todie to get there. And yetdeath is the destination weall share. No one has everescaped it. And that is as itshould be, because Death isvery likely the single bestinvention of Life. It is Life’s

change agent. It clears out the old tomake way for the new. Right now thenew is you, but someday not too longfrom now, you will gradually becomethe old and be cleared away. Sorry tobe so dramatic, but it is quite true.Your time is limited, so don’t waste itliving someone else’s life. Don’t betrapped by dogma—which is livingwith the results of other people’sthinking. Don’t let the noise of others’opinions drown out your own innervoice. And most important, have thecourage to follow your heart and intu-ition. They somehow already knowwhat you truly want to become.Everything else is secondary.”

Steve helped us all to think differentand think anew. LE

Mark Faust, founder of www.EchelonManagement.com is agrowth consultant, executive coach, speaker, and author ofGrowth or Bust: Proven Turnaround Strategies to Grow YourBusiness. Visit www.echelonmanagement.com.

ACTION: Lead people and projects from the heart.

WHILE STEVE JOBS ISa business hero of

mine whom I admiremuch, I think it is idiotic for anyone inbusiness to deify him and make itseem as if he had some sort of irre-placeable magic that can’t be replicatedat Apple or anywhere else.

IInnnnoovvaattiioonn IIss aa PPrroocceessssPeter Drucker proved this in his

research around innovation and entre-preneurship: all innovation is a processand can be replicated when any com-pany puts in place innovation objec-tives and a process with accountabilitythat has an intense focus on the cus-tomer and a goal of a new dimensionof performance.

I believe Apple will continue itsreign of being innovationexemplars. Jobs and teamhave been preparing forthis for a long time. Thenew conservators of theApple culture will commu-nicate and manage thetransition well. And whilesome fear that it is over,there are innovationsaround the corner that willreassure the public thatApple is not just Steve Jobs.

But gosh how I love and respectthat man.

We need more heroes in business,and he was an exemplary visionary.Like David Ogilvy did with advertis-ing and marketing, Steve contradictedthe industry with vision. To para-phrase Ogilvy, “Steve Jobs’ gods werenot our gods.” He didn’t bow at thealtar of incrementalism, but he spokethe words and created worlds of revo-lutionary growth.

Steve Jobs was perhaps the mostagile CEO in the history of Americanentrepreneurialism. Like any greatinnovator, Steve used defeats like beingousted from the company he founded,Apple, as a stepping stone to stillgreater innovations to create a ground-breaking company in a different indus-try—animated movie studio Pixar.

His being wooed back to his firstlove, Apple, happened because the

Tribute: Steve JobsHe led/managed from the heart.

LEADERSHIP HEART

4 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

placing a new emphasis on criticalthinking in the leadership curriculum.

LLeeaarrnniinngg ttoo TThhiinnkk LLiikkee aa LLeeaaddeerrPeople learn best when actively

involved in the learning process, engag-ing in behaviors they want to learn.What’s vital in developing criticalthinking skills in current and futureleaders is framing those behaviorswithin a relevant, job-related context.

Traditional training oftenfalls short. Emphasizing thetactical skills of managing—setting goals, communicat-ing expectations, providingfeedback—doesn’t prepareleaders to use strategic skillsof critical thinking, motivat-ing, energizing and provid-ing vision. Developingcritical thinking musclescalls for new methods—transformativelearning experiences that force leadersto exercise new thinking and demon-strate new behaviors that are relevantto their positions and the work they do.

Discovery learning has proven to bea powerful way to change perspectivesand build critical thinking skills andinsights. Learners are guided and moti-vated to explore information and con-cepts, construct new ideas, identifynew relationships, and create newmodels of thinking and behaving.

The methodology is highly experien-tial and interactive, incorporating gametechniques, visuals, simulations, small-team exercises and other participant-centered elements that enhance learning,accelerate skill acquisition, and ensure long-term retention. Participants contend withobstacles, make decisions (and mistakes)and discover the impact of their actions.They practice in a safe place—withoutrisk or real-world consequences.

You can hone the critical thinkingskills in your leadership pipelines withtwo discovery learning solutions:• Zodiak®: The Game of Business Finance

and Strategy is a simulation board gamedesigned to enhance business acumen.During the training, participants man-age events and make decisions on capi-tal investments, staffing, pricing andnew products. Then they analyzeresults and answer to investors.• Impact5®: The Business of Leadership

Thinking Leaders

AS ECONOMIES RECOV-er from instability,

they are reshaping howbusiness gets done and restructuringthe economic order. In this new normal,leaders must do things differently ifthey expect to achieve positive results.

Most leaders are poorly prepared tonavigate their companies through sucha demanding landscape, defined by fastand furious change and a rising tide ofdata. They get bogged down; makedecisions based upon erroneous orincomplete information; fail to under-stand the implications of their actions;and become scattered in their thinking.

If thinking drives behavior, and behav-ior drives results, financial recovery andgrowth will be hard to achieve unlessleaders learn to think clearly and criti-cally. Critical thinking is the number onerequirement for successful leadershiptoday. This big picture thinking enablesleaders to understand the impact oftheir decisions and ensures alignmentwith goals and accountability for results.

WWhhyy CCrriittiiccaall TThhiinnkkiinngg IIss CCrriittiiccaallEvery two years Executive Development

Associates (EDA) conducts a survey onthe trends, growth and evolution ofexecutive development—asking seniorED professionals to gauge the readi-ness of the next generation of leader-ship talent. Its 2010 Trends reportrevealed trouble on the horizon. Thesurvey identified “hot topics” in ED.At the top of the list was leadership, fol-lowed by “business acumen, honingskills in strategy execution, leading/man-aging change, and talent management.”

When asked, “What competenciesdo your leaders lack,” respondents saythat five things are missing: 1) strategicthinking; 2) leading change; 3) abilityto create a vision and engage othersaround it; 4) ability to inspire; and 5) understanding the total enterpriseand how the parts work together.

Smart companies are revampingtheir leadership development to impartthis crucial knowledge. To acceleratethe development of high-potentials andraise leadership accountability to a newlevel of awareness and action, they are

Game focuses on leadership accountability,using a challenging slice of reality simu-lation. Unlike approaches that addressleadership from a “what you need to do,what skills you need to have” perspec-tive, Impact5 answers the question“What does your organization needfrom you as a leader to positivelyimpact success?” During the training,leaders develop a new mind-set aboutleadership and link their competenciesto results in three areas: customer, orga-nizational, and financial. They leave witha big picture perspective, prepared tofocus on behaviors and actions that willhave the highest impact on success.

After discovery learning experienceslike these, leaders can better think on adeeper and broader scale and solve

real workplace issues. Theymake connections betweenwhat happened in the LDactivity and what happensin the business. They alsodrive results, armed with arobust understanding of compa-ny financial and strategic per-formance drivers and a keensense of accountability forachieving those goals.

NNeeww 33RRss ooff EExxeeccuuttiivvee EEdduuccaattiioonnTo succeed in the new normal, lead-

ers need to learn how to be discerning,think clearly and wisely, and beaccountable for their impact. Deploythe new 3Rs of executive education:

1. Reevaluating the LD curriculumobjectively to make sure it not onlyaligns with corporate strategy but alsoassures that the leaders being devel-oped understand how their actions anddecisions affect organizational success.

2. Reinvigorating LD content with abusiness acumen focus to ensure lead-ers understand the business—financialdrivers and strategic objectives—andhave ample opportunities to engage incritical thinking, apply it to real-worldsituations, and analyze consequences.

3. Reengineering LD delivery withactive, not passive, learning experiences—small-team activities, challenge sce-narios, simulations, game techniques,post-session action projects and otherdiscovery learning exercises that makeit easier to transfer learning to the job.

By assessing LD initiatives throughthe lens of what’s required of the next gen-eration—and addressing gaps—leadersexercise their brand of critical thinkingand put themselves in a stronger posi-tion to succeed in the new normal. LE

Catherine J. Rezak is chairman of Paradigm Learning. Call 727-471-3170 or email Cathy.Rezak@paradigmlearning.com.

ACTION: Cultivate critical thinking skills.

by Catherine J. Rezak

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 5

COMPETENCY THINKING

T h i n k c r i t i c a l l y i n c r i t i c a l t i m e s .

easy to talk to, a terrific judge of char-acter. Like Clinton, and Doerr, one ofour top Venture Capitalists, this breedhas an uncanny ability to read bodylanguage and emotional cues. Theseare the skills of a natural leader andmotivator. Retrievers are great speakerswho use their rapport with the publicto enhance the reputation of their com-pany or product. Potential problems: Ifyou’re a retriever, you can be too ener-getic and overwhelm your staff. Youalso need to match those people skills,as Doerr does, with insight into finan-cial details and day-to-day operations.• Border collie: Wal-Mart founder Sam

Walton is clearly best of breed, but othersinclude lifestyle maven Martha Stewartand Yahoo’s Carol Bartz. The bordercollie has it all: smarts, independence,and the ability to get the best from oth-

ers. This breed is a natural CEO, withthe ability to herd people in the rightdirection and keep track of everything.As a leader, this breed can be anxiousand demanding, but also protective ofthe pack and very loyal. They pushpeople hard, but you also reward themwell for service, building tight-knitorganizations, and employee morale.• Rottweiler: A corporate protector

whose primary task is to preserve alegacy. In this category we have MaxDe Pree and Michael Volkema, whoeach took the helm at Herman Miller,and Anne Mulcahy, former CEO ofXerox. The Rottweiler sets a course ofaction, sees it through and is unlikely tosquander company resources on ideasthat have little chance of succeeding. Ifyou’re a Rottweiler, you value traditionand look to the past for lessons that helpyou to deal with a crisis. However, agood protector often ends up as the oldguard once the younger generationcomes along. Your challenge is to listen

Thinking Canine

ABOUT 67 PERCENT OFCEOs own dogs

(vs. 39 percent of thegeneral population), and these topexecutives say man’s best friend hastaught them much about how to suc-ceed. Dogs can teach us about boost-ing creativity, employee engagement,and more collaborative organizations.

What’s behind the love affair be-tween corporate top dogs and their caninecompanions? Dogs read our moods andintentions and clearly outrank us inemotional intelligence. Our early partner-ship with dogs was the pilot for team-work and collaboration—the kind thatmakes organizations run smoothly.

Some of our best CEOs are so dog-like in their pursuit of success, theyresemble certain breeds:• Tenacious Terrier: Fashion magnate

Diane von Furstenberg, Fox mogulBarry Diller, and Silicon Valley entre-preneur Larry Ellison are best of breed.Terrier comes from terra, meaning of theearth, and these dogs were bred to ridthe garden of moles and other leafypredators. They attack with great fury,tunneling with their hind legs, andmercilessly rout their prey. If you’re aterrier, you’re a scrappy, independentleader. You take on all competitors,regardless of size. You are fiercely drivenand intensely focused. You know whatyou want and you go for the deal, nomatter how high the stakes. However,you’re likely to have tunnel vision andcan easily miss important things on theperiphery. Your staff may also find youaggressive and dominant. But yourbark is usually worse than your bite.Your motto is Never give up, no matterthe odds. This attitude helped vonFurstenberg recreate her fashionempire, made Diller a tough negotiator,and won Ellison the America’s Cup.• Golden Retriever: Think president

Bill Clinton, former Hewlett-PackardCEO Carly Fiorina and Silicon Valleyventure capitalist John Doerr. The gold-en retriever is an expert at engagingpeople—this breed that puts relation-ships above all else. The retriever is theboss everybody loves: good-natured,

to the innovators and learn how to getin front of industry change.• Husky: An innovator and an inde-

pendent thinker, such as Steve Jobs ofApple and A.G. Lafley of Procter &Gamble. If you identify with this breed,you’re exceptionally strong, hardwork-ing and able to carry a heavy load.Here is Steve Jobs channeling his innerhusky: “You can’t just ask customerswhat they want and then try to givethat to them. By the time you get itbuilt, they’ll want something new.”Because of their stamina and doggedperseverance, Huskies are also idealresearchers and financial managers, yetthey tend to roam and to follow theirown impulses if not fenced in. Myadvice: Build consensus. Learn fromthe golden retriever or border collie.• Poodle: The energetic CEO with a high

level of taste and style. Think financierHenry Kravis, New York City mayorMichael Bloomberg and Avon’s CEOAndrea Jung. Kravis was known for hisparties, Bloomberg for his emphasis onexcellence, and Jung for her designerwardrobe. Poodles are sensitive, thor-ough, and energetic, but they’re alsoeasily bored and like to shake things up.Their intuition can be off the charts, andthey may say or do astonishing thingsto move a meeting in a new direction.If you’re a poodle, you’re open to change,and you inspire others with your over-arching vision. You may leap ahead tothe next problem before others under-stand your thinking, and your staffmay find you enigmatic or aloof. Smartpoodles learn how to build consensus.• Bloodhound: The entrepreneur who

can sniff out new opportunities andcover an astounding range of territory.Many CEOs are at least part bloodhound.They use their sleuthing skills to trans-form the marketplace. The purest of thebreed is Sir Richard Branson, founderof Virgin Group, who started with arecord company and ended up with acommunications business, hotel chains,fitness centers, and a travel empire. Helearned to delegate, hired strong execu-tives to head up each new venture, andbrought on a strong second-in-command,Stephen Murphy, as the global CEO tobring discipline to his investments.

No company is a one-dog show. Thebest CEOs are hybrids and draw on thefull range of canine skills. They alsohire a strong second-in-command andput together management teams thatreflect these different breeds. LE

Robert Vetere is president of the American Pet Products Assoc. andauthor of From Wags to Riches: How Dogs Teach Us to Succeedin Business and Life. www.americanpetproducts.org

ACTION: Build a top dog team.

by Robert Vetere

6 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

COMPETENCY THINKING

B e s t C E O s h a v e d o g - l i k e t r a i t s .

These leaders may not initially be pop-ular. After all, adults are often unpopu-lar among adolescents who rebelagainst mature accountability. Theymay oppose many of the current trendsand advocate new approaches. Theytranscend left and right, conservative andliberal. They stand for a new way toexist in a sustainable world together,not exaggerating our differences andwarring with one another.

Many mature leaders are alreadyspeaking out and stepping out to create afuture whereby people evolve andgrow in a climate of dignity, respectand security that unites people.

BBeeccoommiinngg MMaattuurree LLeeaaddeerrssWhen paradigms change, the agents

or catalysts for change rarely come fromwithin the core of the system. Establishedleaders are often so embroiled in the tra-ditions, beliefs and priorities of the sys-tem they rarely even see the need forchange, much less initiate it. Only thenewcomers see the naked truth. In manycases, the leadership for this new con-sciousness is coming from smaller

countries, lesser-known per-sonalities, individuals with-out rank or title —peoplewho can see dysfunctionand policies that border onthe insane because theyhave some distance andobjectivity. They are notmired down in the system.

Leaders for a better futurepossess a powerful vision for

what is needed to be sustainable andthe spiritual chutzpah to act on the vision.In contrast to traditional leaders whospend years building resumes, acquir-ing wealth and power, and playingpolitics to get the titles and ranks theyachieve, these new leaders know thatthe way to this better future is simple.No widespread trainings, no large bud-gets, no expert consultants are needed.All we have to do it change our thinkingby letting go of outmoded beliefs andimmature attitudes that no longer serve us.

Our hope for a sustainable way oflife and for a future that works foreveryone lies in these more mature lead-ers. Through them we will transcendtraditional means of resolving conflict.We will transcend perverse nationalism,rankism and brandism. This better futureaffirms and respects all of life; allows allhumanity to meet their basic needs; andmakes this planet a hospitable home. LE

John Renesch is a business futurist, mentor to consultants,speaker, and author of 14 books, including The Great GrowingUp. Visit www.Renesch.com, email john@renesch.com.

ACTION: Cultivate mature leadership.

Mature Leaders

WE ARE CHALLENGEDto get along with

one another and withour environment. Our childlike indul-gences, the gridlock and dysfunctionthat riddles our institutions, and ourinability to govern ourselves withcivility are evident. A cry for adult con-versations is echoed by many pundits.

People in positions of power seemto be unable to function, while most ofus are left to choose from three responses—resignation, helplessness, or cynicism.Standard & Poor’s called Washingtongovernment “dysfunctional” as part ofthe downgrading of our national cred-it rating. Einstein warned us decadesago that we cannot solve ourproblems with the same con-sciousness with which we creat-ed them. Maintainers of thestatus quo ignore his advice.

As more people realizethat their leaders are actingdysfunctionally, we see theirbehavior compared toteenagers acting out—engag-ing in adolescent indulgencesthat don’t match with their responsi-bilities. An implied promise of leadersis they are mature adults acting respon-sibly for the good of the whole.

The consciousness Einstein talkedabout includes a more mature approachto managing complexity. We have cre-ated systems that have become morecomplex than our adolescent thinkingcan handle. Not unlike Frankensteinand his creature, we’ve created morecomplexity than we are able to control.

We need to make a conscious choice togrow up and start thinking and acting likeadults. The Dalai Lama stated: “As peo-ple see their predicament clearly—thatour fates are inextricably tied together,that life is a mutually interdependentweb of relations—universal responsi-bility becomes the only sane choice forthinking people.” This universal respon-sibility requires a grown-up approachto our challenges and conflicts.

We can choose whether to evolvetoward a higher form. Those who takea stand for this new truth will be theleaders who create the better future.

STEVE JOBS WAS ANiconic leader who

set high standards forinnovation. Apple’s success can beascribed to his visionary and innova-tive leadership. Yet Steve was a collegedrop-out—like Richard Branson, BillGates, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell andMark Zuckerberg. He rose from hum-ble origins and was a symbol of hardwork and hope. He created businesshistory through unconventional strate-gies and unflagging determination.

If you ask an Indian child whatdoes alphabet A stand for? The childwould say, A is for Apple (computers).An American child might respond, Ais for Apple and innovation. That’s theimpression that Apple Computers hascreated worldwide under the leader-ship of Steve Jobs. Innovation is almostsynonymous with Apple Computers.

TTeenn LLeessssoonnss ttoo LLeeaarrnnHere are 10 lessons you can learn:1. Follow your passions. Your pas-

sion delivers the goods. The iPod wassuccessful because Steve passionatelyspent many hours for 12 years, talkingwith software, hardware and designexperts to come up with brilliant ideas.Passion counts more than money ininnovation. When you work with passion,you enjoy meaning, create your ownidentity, build your brand, contributeyour best, and deliver amazing outcomes.

2. Be a visionary. Steve was so vision-ary that where the imagination of othersstopped, his began. He knew where hewanted to go and how he could takehis people there. He created imagery orpictures for people, connected with them,and articulated his vision effectively.

3. Be focused. Steve was focused onhis goals and objectives. He knewwhere his heart was and worked withdedication. He says, “People think focusmeans saying yes to the thing you’vegot to focus on. But it means saying noto the hundred other good ideas thatthere are. You have to pick carefully.”

4. Be a team builder. Steve was goodat selecting the right talent, hiring theright people with right attitude, andcapitalizing their strengths. He said,

by John Renesch

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 7

LEADERS MATURE LEADERS ICONIC

Let’s finally heed Einstein’s advice.

Iconic Leaders

by M.S. Rao

Learn to lead like Steve Jobs.

“My job is to not to be easy on people.My job is to make them better. My jobis to pull things together, clear theways, get resources for key projects,make these great people even better.”

5. Set an example. No leader caninfluence others greatly except throughexample. Steve was an example. Hededicated his life to technology. Hewalked his talk and delivered his bestand expected the best from others.

6. Have tenacity—be persistent. Stevewas noted for tenacity and resilience. Asan adopted child, he learned to survive.When he was ousted from Apple, hesaid, “It was awful-tasting medicine,but the patient needed it. Sometimeslife hits you in the head with a brick.Don’t lose faith.” He focused on hiswork rather than blame his circum-stances. When he was rehired, manydoubted his capability. He proved hiscritics wrong and put Apple on top.Each time he failed, he learned lessonsand moved on without any regrets.

7. Strive for excellence. Aristotle said,“Men acquire a particular quality byconstantly acting in a particular way.”Steve acquired the quality of excellence.He emphasized adding value to existingproducts and services through innova-tion and creativity. He believed morein excellence than perfection. He raisedthe bar for himself and for others. Hesaid: “Some people aren’t used to an en-vironment where excellence is expected.”

8. Build your brand. Steve was syn-onymous with Apple, and he createdimpact and impression globally. He wasa tough and transactional leader, like JackWelch, who meant business. He provedeverything is possible through passion,vision, mission, execution and innovation.

9. Make your choices wisely. Steverealized in February 2011 that his timewas short. Hence, he made his ownchoices and spent his last days wiselywith his wife and four children with-out leaving any regrets. He led a com-plete life, and his innovative ideas andproducts will be his lasting legacy.

10. Be an icon. Steve walked the pathless traveled, becoming a trailblazer. Hestarted as a small fish in a big pond andultimately became a big pond of inno-vation and excellence. He rewrote therules of business and changed the waytechnology works. He made a qualita-tive difference in the lives of people.

Steve Jobs embodied the Americandream—global dream—of a better life. LE

M.S.Rao is a LD expert, educator, researcher, speaker, practi-tioner, founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India, andauthor of Spot Your Leadership Style–Build Your LeadershipBrand. Email profmsr7@gmail.com.

ACTION: Follow the road less traveled.

the quick text message of acknowledge-ment or a post-it-note left on your desk.

We expect the boss to do it to us. Butdo we ever expect to do it in return. Ittruly turns the light on you when youexpress a simple thank you.

Keep in mind—this is not sucking upto your manager. If it is not sincere, for-get it. We had an experience where aworker (who thought he had a jerk fora boss) began to focus on what his man-ager was doing right. His simple state-ment of thank you and appreciation beganto manifest itself in the form of morepositive behavior from the boss. Amazing!Once you see it and say it, you get it.

3. Notice more! There is so much wetake for granted and expect from oth-ers. Doesn’t it feel great when your bossnotices something that you do well?Since “whatever is recognized getsrepeated,” take time to recognize thesmall things done each day. Here aresome sentence stems that can start you:You made my day when . . . It touched mewhen . . . I could not have done this withoutyour help . . . You surprised me when . . .

4. Help them help you! Instead ofexpecting your boss to read your mind . . . let them know what’s on it! Tell

your boss what you need inorder to do the very bestwork. And then, for heav-en’s sake . . . when he does . . . let him know that younoticed. Don’t just make arequest. Tell your managerwhat you need and whyand what will happen as aresult. Most bosses needand want you to succeed. Ifyou fail, they fail.

5. Remember that bosses are peopletoo. Aging parents. Troubled teens.Broken marriages. You name it. Salarygrade and rank is an equal opportunityemployer when it comes to troubles,misery, and heartache. Give your bosssome appreciation. You might step inthe shoes of your manager and seek tounderstand rather than to be understood.

The stretch sales goals they insist oncould be coming from the pummeled fistof a senior executive or the whining voice ofshareholders. It’s not about you—it isabout business realities. The brisk tonecould be the result of too many confer-ence calls. The irritation could be fromsleepless nights and pressing demands.So, think about Boss Appreciation from aspirit of generosity and compassion.The results could be astounding. LE

Beverly Kaye is CEO of Career Systems International. Visitwww.careersystemsintl.com. Eileen McDargh is founder ofMcDargh Communications. Visit www.eileenmcdargh.com.

ACTION: Actively appreciate your boss.

YOU AND YOUR FELLOW EMPLOYEEShave likely complained about your

boss many times. You said you wouldnever have done it that way, or you feltyou deserved credit or appreciation andit just never came. It’s also likely thatyou’ve spent precious time whining,complaining, and second guessing.

We can all share stories of the bossesfrom hell; however, bad mouthing theboss can be bad business—particularlysince what we give out, we get back. Whatwould happen if we reversed the trendand let the boss know what she didwell? What if we actually looked forwhat was right rather thanwhat was wrong.

October 16th was NationalBoss Appreciation Day. Wedid a survey and found thatemployees don’t often stopto pay attention to some-thing positive that was justsaid by a boss. They don’ttell the boss if his idea was agood one. They don’t let theboss know when their inter-vention prevented a battle, or nipped aproblem before it grew.

Why appreciate your boss? Becausegiving credit, showing appreciation,and noticing great behavior really doesgo both ways. If you want it, give it.

Here are four opportunity points foryou to watch for and act on. All caneasily escape you, alas, they usually do.

1. Catch your boss doing somethingthat helped you. Ken Blanchard remind-ed us of the importance of this idea inthe One Minute Manager. You know thefeeling when something that you’vedone is ignored or discounted.

Since managers are not mind readers,be specific! Tell your boss exactly whatthey did that helped you, how you feltabout it, and why it mattered to you. Themore specific you get, the greater chancethat you will get repeat performance.

2. A simple thank you goes a long way.You know how you feel when someonethanks you. You might have received

Turning the TablesTurn the light on you in five ways.

PEOPLE APPRECIATION

8 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

by Beverly Kaye and Eileen McDargh

ceive a different future. As Lohr noted,“Evolving beyond past success is adaunting task.” Nothing fails like success!

Had IBM focused on quality—improv-ing and innovating computer technolo-gy rather than maximizing profitabilityof mainframes—they likely wouldhave avoided a near-death-experience.They would not have tied the enter-prise to the limited life of one idea.

General Motors. In a time when thefuture is not the past—leaders must sus-tain viability. Yet most leaders focus onmaximizing near-term profit, as if thelong-term is simply the sum of a seriesof short-terms. The fallacy of profit-above-all-else thinking is illustrated inthe failure of another pillar of egoisticcapitalism, General Motors—a corpora-tion wherein the long-view was thewrong view! GM put profitability beforeviability and inevitably had to go ongovernment life support to avoid death.

Many leaders fail to understand thatproducts and services were first ideas.The continued emergence of ideas sus-tains an enterprise over time.

Since change shapes our tomorrows,you need to be open to possibilitiestoday. It’s not inevitable that you mustface death before recreation can occur—nor is it the way of quality leadership. Iffocused on quality, you’ll be poised toimprove and innovate products, ser-vices, and processes. You’ll be commit-ted to progress—not blindly bent onmaximizing short-term profitability.

Sustaining competitive advantage isabout maintaining and improving thecapability to create and then innovate thenext idea while delighting customerswith existing products and services.

Since order and change are comple-mentary, not mutually exclusive, wiseleaders sustain both order and change toenhance viability. Holding order andchange in mutual relation requires vision.If you are not committed to meeting

Lead with Vision

PAST SUCCESS CAN IM-pede future success.

In his New York Timesarticle, Steve Lohr uses IBM reachingthe 100-year old mark to call attentionto practices that contribute to longevity.He suggests that all companies will losetheir dominance—only a few will survivebeyond the dominance they once held. Andin his book, The Living Company, Ariede Geus reports, “The life expectancyof a multi-national corporation—Fortune500—is between 40 and 50 years. One-third of the companies listed in the 1970Fortune 500 had vanished by 1983—acquired, merged or broken to pieces.”

This may be common, but it is notinevitable! Why can individuals expectto live 78 years, and yet human activitysystems (corporations) rarely survive 40years? Because people can learn/adapt.

TTwwoo CCaasseess iinn PPooiinnttManaging/leading organizations as

profit machines diminishes viability andlimits sustainability and survivability.Here are two cases in point:

IBM. As Lohr states, “In the early1990s, IBM nearly ran out of money.Its mainframe business was reelingunder pressure from the lower-costtechnology of personal computing.”This statement seems to convey thatmoney is the leading indicator of surviv-ability or that profitability ensures viabili-ty. Many people advance the notionthat cash is king. Yes, cash is a key fac-tor, but not the only factor or even theleading factor! Profitability does notensure viability—an enterprise requiresmuch more than money to meet the yet-to-be-known challenges that lie ahead.

At IBM, it is not that computer tech-nology ran its course—it is that IBM ranout of ideas regarding future technology.They held onto the idea that maximiz-ing profit was the thing. They ran out ofideas long before they ran out of money!IBM ceased focusing on the improve-ment and innovation of product andprocess (quality) and turned attentionto making the organization a profit-maximizing machine. The leaders lim-ited IBM to being a mainframe com-pany, impeding their ability to per-

the yet-to-be-determined challenges oftomorrow, you should not be leading.

HHooww ttoo LLeeaadd WWiitthh VViissiioonnDon’t wait for a crisis before think-

ing about a different future. Developyour thinking skills—systems thinking,statistical thinking, critical thinking, andstrategic thinking—to lead with insightand vision. Here are six tips:

1. Acknowledge the need to generateand develop ideas. With technologybegetting more technology, innovationappears to be increasing faster. So, ifyour business is not cutting edge, itmay soon fail to make the cut.

2. Take an “as if” approach whenleading people. Developing ideas is notso much a skill as it is a mindset aboutpeople that is evident in the leadershipexperience you provide. The beliefs andvalues that you hold in your mind pre-figure the leadership experience youprovide. This constitutes your vision ofpeople. You relate to and lead people asyou envision. By leading as if peopleare creative, you foster their creativity.

3. See the difference between missionand vision. Mission is the answer tothe question, what business are we in?Vision is the answer to, what’s the natureof the experiences we intend to create?While mission is about the means of theenterprise, vision is about the meaning,about something deeper, unchanging,and greater than the enterprise itself.

4. Co-create a collective vision. Don’tsimply share your vision—co-create acollective vision and demonstrate your beliefin the power of others. With meaningbeing relational, and vision being adescription of how people relate toeach other and to the work of the orga-nization, vision becomes a way to meaning.An enacted vision is the sense of ordervital to a potential-actualizing system.

5. Provide the space for creativity.Guided by vision, create the physicaland psychological space through astructure designed to support the con-tinuous development of capability, notthe exercise of control. Your structure,policy, and management practice shouldenable the emergence of creativity.

6. Establish a system for learning.Cease managing by results and begin lea-ding with knowledge. Institute a systemfor learning where everyone engages incontinuous improvement and innova-tion. Learn about quality to see thewhy, what and how—educate yourselfbefore educating and training others.LE

Gregory Gull, Ph.D., helps leaders think critically and is Corefaculty, Leadership Ph.D. Program, School of Business & Tech-nology, Capella University. Visit www.forprogressnotgrowth.com.

ACTION: Lead with vision and creative ideas.

by Gregory Gull

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 9

LEADERSHIP VISION

D e v e l o p y o u r t h i n k i n g s k i l l s .

them and how what they do daily con-tributes to achieving the vision. Thevision also needs to be aimed at pro-moting co-operation among people andteams—getting them to want to worktogether toward a common goal.Leaders need to paint a picture to helptheir people identify with the vision—and the goals that will lead to it—sothey become we goals, and people talkabout how we’re going to do that. You’llget more engagement and ownershipwhen you involve people and teams inworking out the how of achievinggoals, since they’re delivering the per-formance.

How the vision is shared is as vital asthe vision itself. It’s not enough to createa clear, compelling vision—and presentand explain it at road shows, town hallsand vision posters. The vision needs tobe lived. Leaders need to model behaviors

congruent with the vision. They needto set an example to their people andensure that their behavior is consistentwith values they espouse. People watchtheir leaders, trying to interpret theirwords and moves to see if they’re walk-ing the talk. Every informal conversa-tion needs to reinforce the vision. It’sno good talking about cost-cutting—and then expensing for a lavish lunch;or talking about creating a feedbackculture—then withholding feedback.Get the vision right—and live it!

2. Challenge. Leaders must also chal-lenge their people to keep them focusedon delivering high performance. If lead-ers expect high performance, they needto show how much they believe theirpeople can achieve it—and demon-strate that belief in their words and innon-verbal behavior. Imagine a leaderwho tells people that she has highexpectations of them achieving greatperformance, yet says it in a monotonevoice, while fidgeting and not making

Three Key Behaviors

AS A LEADER, YOU’REalways looking for

your people to “golonger, work harder and give more thananyone else” as Vince Lombardi oncesaid. But in this more with less cultureof high targets and high redundancy,and such uncertainty of the futurewith the debt crisis and threat of thedouble dip—can we really expect toget this? People are looking even moreto their leaders for answers, for cer-tainty, for confidence in the future.

Performance targets are unlikely tobe achieved in the absence of effectiveleadership—and yet leaders don’t dothe performance: leaders lead peopleto deliver the results. Leaders can tellpeople what to do and how to do it,since they have the position, authority,status, and power. But if leaders seeksustainable behavior change and high per-formance, they need to influence theirpeople’s attitude—their mindset—in away that makes them want to do things.For employees to say, I do it because Iwant to do it, not because I’m told to doit, they need to have a compelling rea-son and support for achieving morewith less. Great leaders have a bigimpact on performance, satisfaction,motivation, commitment, engage-ment, loyalty, and trust. People wantto enjoy their job, to feel good about it,and be proud of their employer.

TThhrreeee CCrriittiiccaall BBeehhaavviioorrssSo, what should leaders focus on?

To create a culture where high perfor-mance is inevitable and sustainable,leaders need to practice three behaviors:

1. Vision. Leaders must developand communicate a compelling visionthat inspires people. A clear, compel-ling vision is a core predictor of perfor-mance. One simple and clear vision isDisney’s Making people happy. Peoplealso need to connect emotionally withthe vision—it needs to be strong andmeaningful to them. Visions that con-tain socially-oriented values increaseemotional bonds to the company; andhence engagement and commitment tothe work. During tough times, peopleneed to know what is expected of

any eye contact. They’re unlikely tofeel that she really believes in them!

In tough times, more leaders focuson the here and now, getting stuck inthe details, even making their report’sdecisions—thus removing their auton-omy, ownership, responsibility, andintellectual stimulation. Rather thansay, That’s the way it’s always been doneor That’s how I do it, leaders shouldchallenge people to come up with dif-ferent methods and solutions; to re-examine their assumptions about theirwork; to rethink how it can be per-formed; to let them strive to achieve it;to make decisions for themselves; tofind solutions to their own challenges,rather than relying on you, their leader.

3. Support. If you provide a visionand challenge people to deliver it, youneed to support them to achieve it.Enable people to share their views andopinions, to feel valued for their contri-butions, and to seek help when theyneed it. Demonstrate respect for indi-viduals and concern for their personalfeelings, needs, and development (ser-vant leadership). Support can also comein the form of training, development,coaching, or reward for a job well done.Reward doesn’t always mean money.Find creative ways to reward great per-formance. What better way to maintainmotivation than to personalize rewards.Sometimes people just need to hear apersonal thank-you and great job fromthe boss, or gain increased autonomyor responsibility. They need to knowwhen they aren’t doing a great job, anddiscuss what they need to do different-ly. Create a feedback-rich culture.

Assess yourself to determine if youprovide the right balance of vision, chal-lenge and support. Do I: Provide my peoplewith a compelling vision for the future?Make everyday tasks and goals meaningfulto people by relating them to the vision?Give a clear picture of what I expect fromthem? Act as a positive role model for peopleto follow? Provide direction and support tomy people during times of uncertainty?Demonstrate belief in my people’s ability toachieve high performance and results? Showinterest in my people as individuals, and notjust interest in the job they are doing? Havehigh performance expectations of myself andmy team? Encourage my people to takeappropriate risks in order to achieve results?Encourage my people to articulate theirviews and opinions? Provide developmentalfeedback when they get it wrong? Let peopleknow when they’re doing a great job? LE

Tara Jones, Ph.D., is a Principal Consultant at Lane4, specializing in performance, leadership development and executive coaching. Visit www.lane4performance.com.

ACTION: Assess your performance behaviors.

by Tara Jones

1 0 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

PERFORMANCE BEHAVIORS

P r a c t i c e t h e m t o b o o s t p e r f o r m a n c e .

it reflect the true potential of the peopleand the organization? I see too manyorganizations where performance isconstrained by the limitations of thesenior leaders. Sadly, this is not justabout capability but about their motives.Their self-interest gets the better of themand the organization comes second.

TTuurrnniinngg LLeeaaddeerrsshhiipp UUppssiiddee DDoowwnnBottom-line leadership (BLL) is about

putting performance first. But it is morethan achieving the performance thatkeeps stakeholders happy; it’s about thefuture health of the organization. Leadersoften focus too much on deliveringnumbers-driven short-term KPIs andtargets which could jeopardize theirfuture growth and sustainability. TheBLL approach recognizes the multidi-mensional nature of performance and

the attention that needs to be paid toother performance measures such asinnovation, people engagement, efficiency,and, clearly-defined milestones that leadto the achievement of the vision.

BLLs then define the environment thatwill deliver the performance. What enablersand incentives need to be in place toensure performance? What values willdrive success? What attitudes, mindsets,and behaviors are required of the peo-ple who will deliver the performance?How will these things be measured?

Whatever the answers, six criticalfactors need to be met to deliver sus-tainable high performance:• Individuals and teams are clear about

what is expected of them on a day-to-day basis as well as in the longer-term• Success is recognized and celebrated• People thrive in conditions where

high performance expectations are accom-panied by high support to achieve them• Delegation and empowerment are

the norm, being underpinned by goodworking relationships, a feedback cul-

Leading From the Bottom

TOO MANY LEADERSadopt a top-down

approach to their roles.It’s the obvious, easy option. Structuresare drawn with leaders at the top, andleaders are expected to inspire follow-ership among the people below. Often, Ihear the dreadful word subordinates,which perpetuates the notion of leadersbeing on top, directing their minionswho cater to their whims. Leaders talkabout cascading their vision, down!

So the language, ethos, and culturein most organizations perpetuates andexacerbates an unchallenged protocolthat leaders should adopt a top-downapproach. But what if leaders turnedtheir profession on its head andadopted a bottom-line approach?

WWhheerree DDoo YYoouu SSttaarrtt??Most theories and models of lead-

ership overcomplicate a role which isquite straightforward. At the simplestlevel, leaders are tasked with deliver-ing performance that will satisfy keystakeholders. If this performance is tobe delivered and sustained, then lead-ers must oversee the creation of a cul-ture that enables it to be delivered.

So there are three core elements toget right: leadership, performance, andenvironment. But where do you start?This is where too many leaders takethe easy route and start with theirown leadership. Why not? Leadersusually get promoted to leadershippositions because of their personalattributes, whether it be their experi-ence, achievements, knowledge, skills,etc. They have reached leadershippositions because of who and whatthey are so that it is natural that theyshould start from and rely on whathas got them to where they are.

The environment leaders createwill inevitably reflect the stamp thatthey impose upon it. At the extreme,there is the danger of producingclones and delivering performancewhich is a direct function of thestrengths of the leader, but which isalso limited by his or her weaknesses.

The resulting performance couldwell satisfy key stakeholders, but will

ture, accountability and ownership,and clearly-defined goals• The we’re in it together mindset is the

foundation of high performing teams• Healthy competition exists in the form

of shared learning and commitment toeveryone’s development, and individ-ual and team goals being aligned

Only when the multidimensionalperformance is identified, and culturerequired to deliver it is defined, canbottom-line leadership be mapped out.

BBeeiinngg AA BBoottttoomm--LLiinnee LLeeaaddeerrBottom-line leaders require agility

and flexibility to stay in tune with theirenvironment. They take nothing forgranted when it comes to their people’scommitment, loyalty, and engagement.They know that no matter how good ajob they do as a leader, some peoplewill be disgruntled and disengaged.They devote time and energy to listen-ing to their people’s views and show-ing empathy, knowing this is vital in theharsh, new normal commercial world.

Leading from the bottom involvesbuilding and maintaining day-to-dayrelationships with colleagues. BLLsmay gravitate toward certain people,but they also establish good relationswith others they don’t always connectwith. They display humility so peoplefeel comfortable telling them what theythink and come forward with ideas. Thiskeeps them up on what’s happening sothat they can deal with issues quickly.These leaders never stand still. Whether itis driving internal change aimed atsustaining and enhancing engagementand the culture required to deliver highperformance, or innovating to maintainand gain competitive advantage, BLLsstrive to stay ahead of the game. Thisinvolves planning what-if scenarios sothey are prepared for as many surpris-es as possible. These leaders expect theunexpected, and they are ready for it.

Of course, being a BLL is demanding.Much of their time is spent operatingoutside their comfort zone. Self-belief,adaptability, and resilience are neededwhen times get tough and setbacks testthese leaders’ inner strength. Mentaltoughness becomes a crucial attribute.

BLL is not focusing solely on deliver-ing the numbers. It is about ensuring thefuture health of organizations by prioritiz-ing and defining multidimensional perfor-mance measures, creating and maintainingthe environment that will deliver them, andleading in a way that is in total alignment.LE

Professor Graham Jones, Ph.D., is Managing Director of Top Performance Consulting Ltd, and author of Thrive On Pressure (McGraw-Hill). Visit www.tpc.uk.net.

ACTION: Meet the six factors of high performance.

by Graham Jones

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 1 1

PERFORMANCE FACTORS

S t a r t t u r n i n g y o u r l e a d e r s h i p u p s i d e d o w n .

calm, positive expression goes a longway in leading people in crises.

If you are familiar with the abilitiesapproach to emotional intelligence, you’llsee that these skills coincide with somekey abilities of persons with high EQ.

The next three skills are the verbal/social counterparts of emotional skills.These represent the key skills of socialintelligence—the ability to read and under-stand social situations and dynamics,and perform in those social situations.• Social expressiveness includes being

verbally articulate, engaging others insocial interactions, and managing im-pressions. Social expressiveness looks alot like extraversion, but it’s more care-fully controlled, and more effective.• Social sensitivity is skill in reading and

interpreting social situations, and the sub-tleties of verbal communication. It involvesknowledge of social rules, elements of

social etiquette, and the ability to mon-itor yourself in social situations.• Social control is a social role-playing

skill, developed over time, that allows aleader to play the part, and to appear calmand in control in social situations. Thisskill is consistently related to leadereffectiveness because it is connected bothwith acting the part, while instilling con-fidence and leadership self-efficacy.

Although all of these social skills areimportant in developing good leader-follower relationships, social expressive-ness and social control—are the best pre-dictors of effective leadership. We callthis combination savoir-faire, meaningknowing how to do in leadership situations.

TThhee QQuueessttiioonn ooff BBaallaanncceeEffective leaders have these basic

social skills in large amounts, and theybalance the social skill dimensions. Theamount of each skill, and relative balance (orimbalance) among the skills, creates differ-ent skill profiles—and different types of

Leading with Social Skill

THE SEARCH FOR TRAITSthat predict effective

leadership continues.While we do know that personalitytraits such as extraversion, emotional sta-bility, and agreeableness, do predict lead-ership effectiveness, the relationships arenot strong. Moreover, traits are formedearly, and can’t be changed much. Wesuggest that a better approach tounderstanding leader effectiveness (andfor developing leaders) is to focus noton traits, but on basic social skills.

Leadership is about managing socialrelationships. Having the right person-ality can help, but developing strongleader-follower bonds, inspiring andmotivating others, and tactfully man-aging conflict is about skill, not traits.

SSiixx BBaassiicc SSoocciiaall SSkkiillllssOur model consists of six skills that

are important for successful social rela-tionships and effective leadership. Thefirst three skills deal with ability tocommunicate emotionally, involvingskill in nonverbal communication.• Emotional expressiveness is the abil-

ity to express emotions—to accuratelysend your feelings and emotional mes-sages to others. It’s part of a leader’sability to inspire others at a deep, emo-tional level. It’s critical for charismaticleaders (yet they possess skills beyondthe ability to affect, and infect, othersemotionally). Leaders also need toexpress a positive and optimistic out-look in order to lead people forward.• Emotional sensitivity is being able to

read and interpret the emotions and feelingsof others. A key to building trust in fol-lowers (or in any interpersonal rela-tionship) is to develop an emotionalconnection with others. Leaders whoare emotionally sensitive are consideredempathic and in tune with followers.• Emotional control is ability to regu-

late emotions and control their expres-sion. It is vital that leaders be able tocontrol their emotional outbursts, par-ticularly the display of negative emo-tions. Fits of anger are often the undoingof leaders, and being able to mask feltemotions (worry, concern, fear) with a

leaders. For example, possessing socialand emotional expressiveness—whilelacking emotional and social controlcan cause a leader to appear out of con-trol. The leader can’t control strongemotions and may lash out at others.

Similarly, being too sensitive (bothemotionally and socially) can cause aleader to be hypersensitive to others’feelings and opinions, and overly con-cerned with how he or she appears, orrelates, to others. Effective leaders develophigh levels of each skill in such a way thatthe skills balance and complement oneanother. When leaders have high socialskills, and good balance among them,they’re likely to be labeled charismatic—not just an emotionally-arousing leader,but a leader who can inspire, connecton a deep level with followers, andbuild positive working relationships.

The most important skills for leadersand executives are the social skills, par-ticularly social expressiveness and socialcontrol. While there’s evidence thatextraverts make better leaders, whenwe put social skills into the equation, thesocial skills mediate the entire relation-ship. In other words, the only extravertswho make good leaders are those whopossess social skills.

Social skills predict transformation-al leadership—leaders who better con-nect with followers, motivate them toperform at high levels, and develop thefollowers’ own leadership capacities.The connection between social skills andeffective leadership is not surprising giventhe part that emotional and social intelligenceplay in leadership. However, rather thanviewing these qualities in terms of intel-ligences, we view them as trainable skills.

The six social skill dimensions can bemeasured by a self-report instrument, theSocial Skills Inventory (SSI), published byMindGarden (www.mindgarden.com). Ityields a report on each social skill dimensionand assessment of relative balance amongthe dimensions. By understanding thesocial skills model, you can assess yoursocial skills and get feedback on yoursocial skill strengths and weaknesses.

Recently, the social skills model andSSI measure have been used to improveinterpersonal functioning—for example,to train hostage negotiators and helppeople overcome shyness or fracturedinterpersonal relationships. Social skillsare vital for developing effective leader-follower relationships, leading understress or crisis, and developing theleadership capacity of team members.LE

Ronald E. Riggio is the Henry R. Kravis Professor ofLeadership and Organizational Psychology at ClaremontMcKenna College, consultant, and author. Visit www.cmc.edu.

ACTION: Cultivate these six social skills.

by Ronald E. Riggio

1 2 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

COMPETENCE SOCIAL

F o r g e t a b o u t t r a i t s ; l e a r n t o l e a d p e o p l e .

by identifying and prioritizing whodoes what by when. Today, everyonehas to do more with less. PLs inspirepeople, making it easy to set expecta-tions about the quality of work and thelevel of accountability and direct com-munication. PLs take four steps to cre-ate a culture that enables them to makethe best decisions: 1) Assess perfor-mance to ensure employees have thetools, resources, and support to do thejob. Set consequences for performanceso everyone is accountable, and rewardhigh performers, inspiring them to coachand develop others. 2) Determine themost important things to do and clear-ly communicate them. 3) Provide theskills/resources necessary to get thejob done through coaching, mentoring,training, and development. No matterhow purposeful the leader, employeeswon’t perform well in organizations

that have poor on-boarding and train-ing. HR should work with leaders indeveloping employees. 4) Offer feed-back and hold everyone accountable.

3. Evolve thoughts, data, and ideasinto decisions by using critical thinkingto assess the best course of action. Glo-bal business is defined by unprecedentedchange. A model reflecting this woulddepict adaption through change or evolu-tion. Survival relies on the ability to benimble, quick, and precise in our actions.This model might also be viewed aspredictive by identifying future needsfor survival. Most problems aren’t new—they tend to recur. What is differentis how we choose to resolve them.

PLs know that problems tend to havea cycle and offer a starting place uponwhich to build and improve with innova-tive thought and action. Starting fromscratch every time we are challenged dimin-ishes our response time—and edge! PLsidentify the start line ahead of whereothers target their efforts. They have a

Leading With Purpose

LEADING WITH PURPOSE HELPS US AVOIDleading by accident—a thoughtless

process that can create disasters thatcan have a huge impact far beyondour immediate circles of influence.While it may seem obvious that weshould lead with purpose, it isn’t easy.

As leaders, we must act quickly, andwe’re often forced to address unfore-seen situations. For instance, the mar-ket shifts, organizations are sold, keyplayers change, and fuel costs skyrock-et. Such situations require us to makea thoughtful, fast response to avoid anunfortunate reaction to unanticipatedevents. Without purposeful planning,there can’t be purposeful leadership (PL).

PL can be achieved by followingfour simple IDEA steps:

1. Inspire others to achieve peakperformance while enhancing job sat-isfaction, productivity, and morale. Tomotivate and inspire employees, PLscreate conditions that incite employeesto become inspired and engaged, result-ing in an organization that is produc-tive, nimble, and effective. To achievethis, PLs do three things: 1) Developand implement a clear mission that res-onates with everyone. Most organiza-tions have a solid mission statement, butemployees won’t be on board if theydisagree with the mission, don’t feelthe organization is working towardthe mission, or aren’t aware of the mis-sion. Employees need to feel that theirwork makes a difference and contributesto mission fulfillment. 2) Develop a clearvision statement. Creating a clear andcompelling vision of a positive futureis critical to success. PLs use the visionto unite and inspire employees to achievea common goal. 3) Be a role model.People watch to see that a leader’sbehaviors are consistent with whatthey advocate. When leaders effective-ly communicate and provide guidanceand support—they are inspirational.

2. Direct others by setting expecta-tions and clear, measureable goals and

clear advantage and method for mov-ing forward rapidly. PLs draw onreserve knowledge when dynamicssuddenly shift, such as the suddendeparture of key leaders, board shifts,acquisitions, union actions. They antici-pate multiple scenarios and developstrategies to turn on a dime and adjustto uncontrollable external factors (thecost of energy, emerging competition,regulation). They know their team andtheir talents, enabling them to call newplays into action with agility and deci-siveness and to draw employees intothe action with enthusiastic support.

Each time PLs drive change or expe-rience the error of their way, they learn.They share their mistakes so that otherscan learn and grow from them. Leadersshould be learners. PLs embrace ethicaland innovative leadership as part ofhow they do the work they do. They helporganizations not merely survive butthrive long term! Such companies aredistinguished by how they get to thebottom line, not the bottom line. It’stheir respect for employees and cus-tomers and their ethical practices.

4. Act decisively while staying onschedule. Action is a key component ofleading with purpose. It is about callingupon behaviors that create successwhile leading with strength and byexample, drawing others into thosesame behaviors in pursuit of the sameoutcomes. It is about demonstratingthat you are what you say and that youact in a certain manner with intent,using core values and beliefs as a basisfor applying knowledge and experience.

Your actions must be purposeful,since they pull all other pieces of beingpurposeful together in order to hit tar-gets, achieve success, and influence anddevelop others. Actions should matchintentions since others judge your actionsto determine if they are consistent withwhat you say you advocate or whatactually should be. Then they either fol-low your lead, or don’t. For PLs, actionis what they do and what they drive.

Leading with purpose draws uponyour knowledge, savvy, insight, andlessons learned from things gone awryand from those in your pack. You neverdo it alone. If you’re a successful leader,you have a pack of supporters, validators,and influencers, all on purpose. Thus, thecycle of inspiring, directing, evolving, andacting begins again, as another PLemerges from the pack, inspired andled by the work of a purposeful leader. LE

Henry Brashen, Ph.D., is a program director for Walden Univ.School of Management. Wanda Gravett, Ph.D., is a core facultymember in Walden University’s School of Management.

ACTION: Follow these four IDEA steps to PL.

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 1 3

LEADERSHIP PURPOSE

F o l l o w t h e s e f o u r s i m p l e I D E A s t e p s n o w.

by Henry Brashen and Wanda Gravett

burst was more about her own frustra-tion than about helping John get backon track. It’s understandable to be frus-trated when people aren’t doing theirbest work, but ethically intelligent criti-cism is given with an eye towardimproving the other person, for thatperson’s sake and for the sake of others.

EEtthhiiccaallllyy IInntteelllliiggeenntt CCrriittiicciissmmHere are four ways to give ethically

intelligent criticism:1. Find the right setting. Cheryl was

right to criticize John, but she shouldn’thave done so in front of John’s assistant.

2. Start with something positive orpraiseworthy that the person has donerecently. Cheryl might say that she wasglad John had gotten the grant he hadworked so long and hard to earn.Starting with praise is good from bothan ethical and a psychological point ofview. Ethically, it gives to others theirdue. Psychologically, it makes themreceptive to what you’re about to say.

3. Focus on the behavior, not the per-son. If you’re troubled by a team mem-ber’s work ethic—coming to work late,leaving early, spending too much timesurfing the Internet—calling him or herlazy or selfish diminishes that person. It’s

also probably untrue; he/shehas likely done good work inthe past, and outside of work,may be full of energy. Insteadof saying, “You’re a goof-off,”you could say, “You’ve beencoming to work late often,and when you’re here, you’renot spending enough time onthe projects you have to do.”

The first is an insult; the second a validcomplaint about a behavior.

4. End on an inspiring note. If this isa first offense and it’s not egregious,don’t give an ultimatum or threat.Instead of saying, “You’d better get youract together, or else,” give your vote ofconfidence. People rise—or sink—tolevels expected of them. EILs seek notto frighten but to inspire.

If you find yourself in Cheryl’s posi-tion, speak privately to the trouble-some employee, praise that person’scontributions, mention specific con-cerns, and affirm your belief in him orher. The employee will likely makechanges for the better, and you willhave achieved the ultimate goal ofexcellent leadership.

People will pleasantly surprise youif you only give them the chance. LE

Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D., is a speaker and author of EthicalIntelligence (New World Library), and host of “Ask the EthicsGuy!” Visit http://theethicsguy.com.

ACTION: Be an ethically intelligent critic.

Ethical Criticism

RECENT EVENTS IN WASH-ington have illumi-

nated the stunning failureof our leadership. I’ve never before seenfrom various factions of governmentsuch a lack of collaboration and willing-ness to work together for the greater good ofthe country. Yet I choose to look for thesilver lining—something we can learn.

Most firms have processes in placeto encourage people to work together,yet they still struggle with collaborationbetween leadership levels, departments,genders, generations, and cultures. Aculture of collaboration starts at the top.How well leaders work together setsthe tone for how others work together.If the vice presidents of sales and cus-tomer service won’t collaborate for thegood of the customer, don’t expecttheir teams to work together either.

One big factor in collaboration is thattoo many leaders are trapped in 20th-century leadership models that simplydon’t work today. Our world is becom-ing more complex and interconnected.We can’t use the thinking and decision-making processes to navigate the globalterrain that we used just 10 years ago.It will take a fully engaged, collabora-tive and cross-functional group work-ing toward a common cause to dealwith tough, complex problems. If lead-ers don’t put away their political agen-das and egos, it will catch up with them.

I once worked with a Fortune 150organization that had exceptionalgrowth for 20 years. But things startedto go awry, and they lost key contractsand market share. The leaders called usto assess the situation. We discoveredthat their leadership was the problem. First,they lacked clarity about objectives.Second, departments were not workingtogether—the silo mentality and blamegame were rampant. The lack of collab-oration between functions created aripple effect that reached to customers.With a targeted leadership developmentapproach, we worked with the leadersto get the organization back on track.

You can move beyond organizationalpolitics, find common ground, and worktoward common goals using five ideas:• Take time to build relationships and

build the team. We saw this strategy

Great leaders bring out the best.

IT WAS THE WEEKLY TEAMmeeting, no different

from others. My friendJohn, his boss Cheryl, and his assistantMinsun, were planning their work forthe week. John made a casual remarkabout the prestigious grant he’d beenawarded, when Cheryl exploded.

“All I’ve heard about for weeks isyour grant!” she blurted. John hadnever seen his boss show anger, andthe two had worked together for years.

Cheryl stopped yelling, and Johnbecame quiet. Her anger had simmer-ed for weeks, and it erupted violently.John confessed to me that he had talk-ed much about the project for whichhe’d been given funds. It was valu-able to his career, and he had workedhard to get it. He also admitted thatalthough the organization had givenhim some time each week towork on the project, he wasspending too much time on it.

Cheryl was right; John hadhis priorities in the wrongorder; nevertheless, Cherylcould have presented her crit-icism more respectfully. Johnwas embarrassed to bedressed down in front of hisassistant. Surely, Minsun did not haveto be in on the bloodletting.

Cheryl did prompt John to rethinkhis priorities, but her style of criticismwasn’t consistent with ethical intelligence—the art of doing the right thing andtreating people the right way. It wasn’tcompatible with leadership excellence.

What should be the goal of criticism?You might achieve several goals: Helppeople get back on track; make themfeel bad for what they did or didn’t do;remind them of your power/authori-ty; inspire/motivate them to do betterwork; display how clever, smart, orperturbed you are; or blow off steam.Flaunting your power doesn’t improvethe situation. Being nasty or instillingfear is disrespectful and hurtful.

Ethically intelligent criticism seeksto bring out the best in others. Whenyou have power over someone else,you ought to use that power imbal-ance constructively and seek to makethings better, not worse. Cheryl’s out-

1 4 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

What You Can Learnfrom government leadership failure.

ETHICS CRITICISM LEADERSHIP FAILURE

by Becky Shambaughby Bruce Weinstein

ing any senior managers,” says Cook.Golin Harris preserved what worked,while infusing a new value, by high-lighting the value and making the mes-sage stick. People were excited becausethey were part of a winning team.

BBuuiillddiinngg BBrraanndd iinn aa NNeeww RRoolleeFred Cook wasn’t well-known to the

Golin Harris leadership team when hewas brought from LA to Chicago andthen made CEO a few months later. Hesensed the challenge: “It’s one thing tobe given a title and another to earn therespect that comes with the title,” he said.

Cook talked one-on-one with eachleader. “I wanted to understand theirstrengths, leverage them, and convincethem the change was good for the company.”This built momentum for a course of action.If this doesn’t happen, you need to takeaction. One person who is not commit-ted can sink the ship. You have to askfor, and receive, 100 percent commitment.As you start in a new role, build trust,get people on board, and assess if theyare all with you, hearts and minds.

Once everyone is on board, cascadethe message. This takes sustained effort.People need to hear the message manytimes, feel it, and believe it. You mustconnect logically and emotionally. It hasto stick. Communicating is the most

important thing you do. If youdon’t keep it going, people willdismiss the message as just apassing fad.

A good communicationsstrategy is necessary to exe-cute any business plan. Plandaily, weekly and monthlycommunication activities.Have meetings, written com-

munication, and clever reminders thatkeep the message front and center.

You drive the communication planand are responsible for it, but you can’tbe the only one to deliver the message.Include everyone in the organization.

Your leadership brand is most valu-able when it is known by many others.You have to create buzz. Like a productbrand, your leadership brand impact ismeasured by the number of people who areaware of you and have a positive impression.Does your name spring to mind whenpeople think of leaders in your space?Do they call you for a comment, or togive a speech, or be on a panel? Whenpeople are looking to do business inyour category or industry, being the firstperson they think of is invaluable. LE

Suzanne Bates is CEO of Bates Communications and author ofDiscover Your CEO Brand (McGraw-Hill). Visit www.thepow-erspeakerblog.com or www.bates-communications.com.

ACTION: Build your leadership brand.

IN 2003, FRED COOKbecame the third CEO

of Golin Harris in 54years, when Al Golin stepped aside. Asthe baton was passed, the financial pic-ture at Golin Harris was shaky. “Wehad grown complacent, resting on ourlaurels. A collaborative, friendly and sup-portive culture meant that we would losea new business pitch, and you’d see aflurry of emails congratulating everybodyfor coming in second or third.”

Cook wondered how he could infusea winning attitude, part of his brand,without losing what worked at GolinHarris. He wanted to turn up the heatand change the chemistry of the com-pany, without changing the people.

Think of a time when you’ve startedin a new role. You have good people,and good values, but something isn’tworking. How do you preserve what worksand still drive forward? One big challengeis building a brand—and inter-twining your personal brandwith your company’s brand. Youneed to enhance brand aware-ness by using your personalbrand to highlight the companybrand.

Cook first celebrated whathe wanted to emphasize—awinning attitude. “If a teamwon new business, I sent out trophies,a note from me, and a gift card for $50.”Rewards and recognition create tangiblereminders of the values that you want.

You also have to start measuringpeople by those actions and behaviors.Once you define a value, learn how tomeasure it, track it, and communicateresults. Golin Harris started trackingwinning success every way they couldmeasure it; and by 2007, four yearslater, they won Agency of the Year awards.

The next challenge is sustaining themomentum. How do you keep it going?At Golin Harris, one Agency Awardtrophy was mailed from office to office,all 30. People sent back videos of thetrophy. They had it in front of the EiffelTower, on a ferry boat in Hong Kong;we shared all this on our web site.

Within a few years, the company wasthriving financially. “We went from noprofit to 20 percent margin without chang-

Build Your BrandWhen you have a leader role.

by Suzanne Bates

LEADERSHIP BRANDwhen President Obama and Speaker ofthe House John Boehner took time outfrom intense negotiations to play golf.A key element of integrated, balancedleadership is getting out of the regularworkplace and building relationships.When you know someone as a humanbeing—as more than their title or posi-tion—it is easier to find a way to worktogether. Executive sessions, team-build-ing efforts, and offsite retreats can buildrapport and trust, help people to agreeon common ground or common vision.• Step back and ask, “Who are we real-

ly serving?” I wonder how different theoutcome of debt negotiations would beif those in our government had remem-bered that they were elected to servethe citizens. Leaders get caught up inthe same situation and succumb to thesame problem—forgetting whom it isthey serve. They become so focused onthe process that they lose sight of theirpurpose: to provide value to the cus-tomer. Leaders need to develop andconsistently communicate a shared visionthat inspires and engages everyone andconnects them to those they serve.• Be accountable and accept responsi-

bility for problems. In this debt crisis,we blame everyone except ourselves. Yetwe’re part of government and shouldaccept responsibility for creating ourbudget problem, and hold ourselvesaccountable for fixing it. Leaders havea hand in creating problems, if only bybeing asleep at the wheel. Blaming oth-ers doesn’t solve anything. Taking respon-sibility is a first step in the right direction.• Leverage the rich diversity of ideas,

perspectives, and experiences aroundyou. Leaders need to capitalize on thatdiversity to produce better outcomesand navigate different viewpoints toreach successful conclusions. Leadersshould be role models for embracing newideas, being open to other perspectives,fostering innovation and collaboration,and compromising when necessary.• Make the hard decisions now. If you

can’t make the tough choices now,what makes you think you will be ableto do it later? Leadership calls forcourage, for stepping out of the statusquo to make the difficult decision.

Out of tough situations emerge pow-erful and impactful leaders. Your orga-nization needs authentic leadership. So,tear down silos, embrace collaboration,and build bridges. This is your chanceto lead, to do something big, and toshow others what is possible. LE

Rebecca Shambaugh is CEO of SHAMBAUGH, thoughtleader, speaker, author, and provider of results-focused LD andcoaching services. Visit www.shambaughleadership.com.

ACTION: Provide authentic leadership.

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 1 5

their decision-making. When goals andculture reflect the past, ELs can applyanalytical models to predict whatshould be done next. When the futureis unknowable and bears little resem-blance to the past, ELs create the futurethrough action and experimentation.

2. A worldview guided by social, envir-onmental, and economic responsibilityand sustainability (SEERS). ELs navi-gate social, environmental, and economicvalue creation and the inherent tensionsand potential synergies.

3. Self-and social aware-ness. Through an authenticand insightful understandingof their own sense of pur-pose and identity and ofhow they are affected by thecontext around them, ELsmake more effective deci-sions in uncertain andunknowable circumstances.

We find that ELs differentiate them-selves by leveraging the inherent connec-tions among the three principles. They givethe principles new life and practicalmeaning rooted in these relationships.

TTaakkee FFiivvee AAccttiioonnssBy methodically taking five actions—

and deliberately learning as you movefrom one to the next—you become an EL:

Action 1: Understand when (and whennot) to apply prediction logic. ELs knowhow and when to use analytical approaches.Prediction logic, the use of an analyticalapproach, is an extension of the scien-tific method in which people learn tothink, evaluate, and act to move towardpredefined goals. The premise is thatyou can protect against or control thefuture through detailed analysis, suchas data mining, market research, andstatistical tools to identify and developopportunities. Prediction logic is mostapplicable for situations in which goalsare predetermined, issues are clear, causeand effects are understood, and the data arereliable and available. This assumes thatan uncertain future can be predicted anddecisions made based on those predictions.

Action 2: Apply creation logic tounknown contexts or analysis-resistantopportunities. Novelty or complexitylimits predictive capabilities. In new orcomplex circumstances in which tradi-

Entrepreneurial Leaders

OVER THE YEARS, WE’VE EXPLORED HOWto change existing models of edu-

cation and development to shape thenext generation of leaders. We don’tjust need to change our approach todeveloping leaders—we need a newway of characterizing leadership as weneed more entrepreneurial leaders (ELs)who use a distinct way of thinking basedon a different world view of business.

ELs understand themselves and thecontexts in which they work, and acton and shape opportunities that createvalue for their organizations, stake-holders, and society. They’re driven bytheir desire to create social, environ-mental, and economic opportunities.Rather than being discouraged by fewresources or high uncertainty, theytackle these situations by taking actionand experimenting with new solutionsto old problems. ELs refuse to cynical-ly or lethargically resign themselves toproblems. Through self-reflection,analysis, resourcefulness, and creativethinking and action, they find ways toinspire and lead others to tackle seem-ingly intractable problems.

EL is not synonymous with entrepre-neurship. It’s a new model of leadership.Entrepreneurs, and the discipline ofentrepreneurship, are often focused onnew venture creation. ELs work in estab-lished organizations, introducing newproducts, processes, and expansionopportunities; work in social ventures,tackling societal problems that othershave ignored; and build engagementin social and political movements; andchange existing services and policiesin NGOs and in governments.

ELs are united by their ability tothink and act differently to improve theirorganizations and the world.

FFoollllooww TThhrreeee PPrriinncciipplleessThree interlinked principles guide ELs:1. Cognitive ambidexterity. ELs use

both prediction logic and creation logic in

tional cause-and-effect relationships areunknown, ELs apply a different logicbased in action, discovery, and creation.We label this creation logic. As surprisesarise, ELs adapt to or overcome them.Creation logic enables leaders to makedecisions by beginning with thoughtfulaction that gives rise to new data thatcan be analyzed to guide future action.

Action 3: View prediction logic andcreation logic as complementary andnecessary keys to performance. All ELsneed to employ both creation and predic-tion logics and cycle between the two asthey introduce new ideas or initiatives.This enables them to effectively innovateand manage change. Teaching ELs cog-nitive ambidexterity involves showingthem the underlying theories and methodsand having them apply and alternatebetween them.

Action 4: Consider social,environmental, and economicvalue creation simultaneous-ly (not sequentially). ELsmust understand the inherenttensions and potential syner-gies that exist among social,environmental, and economicvalue creation. They mustlearn how to assess theinterests, rights, and powers

of diverse stakeholders. Rather thanask whether a sustainability solution toa challenge is possible, ELs need tolearn how to develop, implement, andmeasure the effects of responsible andsustainable solutions.

Action 5: Know that your decisionsand actions are embedded in uniquesocial contexts. ELs engage in a newway of knowing based on an expansiveview of business. By understanding theirown perspective and the world aroundthem, ELs are better prepared to gatherand apply diverse perspectives as theyrespond to situations that are uncertainand unknown—and to effectively co-cre-ate an opportunity and to negotiate theuncertain and ambiguous results thatcan arise from their decision-making.

ELs see the social, environmental, andeconomic implications of their decisionsand actions. They explore three criticalquestions: Who am I? What is the contextin which I am situated? Whom do I know,and to what does that give me access? Thisenables them to make responsible choicesas they choose a path of action, even inuncertain situations. LE

Danna Greenberg is Assoc. Professor of Mgmt., Kate McKone-Sweet is Chair of the Technology, Operations, and IM Division,and H. James Wilson is Senior Researcher, Executive Education atBabson College. They’re co-authors of The New EntrepreneurialLeader: Developing Leaders Who Shape Social & EconomicOpportunity (Berrett-Koehler). Visit www.newleaderbook.com.

ACTION: Take these five actions of ELs.

1 6 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

LEADERSHIP ACTIONS

Yo u c a n t a k e f i v e a c t i o n s t o b e c o m e o n e .

by Danna Greenberg, Kate McKone-Sweet, and H. James Wilson

behaviors, including your thoughts,emotions, and external actions.

To develop moral intelligence, lead-ers must first understand that: effectiveleadership begins with effective self-man-agement, which begins with self-aware-ness and ends with living in alignment.And, living in alignment is about align-ing personal reality (thoughts, emotions,actions) with organizational and individ-ual goals and with the ideals in our moralcompass (principles, values, beliefs).

Moral leaders begin by asking: Whoam I ideally? Who am I really? What aremy goals? What are my strengths? Whatare my gaps? What do I need to learn?What behaviors do I need to change?

Reflecting on your personal valueshelps build a trusting and trustworthyculture through: self-awareness (what areyour values?); self-disclosure (share yourvalues); and discovery of others (discoverthe values of those who report to you).

But a moral leader’s personal reality—the moment-to-moment experience ofthought, emotion and action—is changing.For the most part, our personal realitycan be managed through exercising thepower of personal choice. We can’t chooseour emotions or involuntary biologicalprocesses, but we can choose what tothink, what to think about, how to thinkabout it, what we do and what we say.

You can change what you think, yourtone of voice, the look on your face andwhat you do. And when you changewhat you think and do, you influencethe emotions you feel and your invol-untary biological and physical processes.

Whether you’re in alignment or not,you’re always influencing those aroundyou. Positively influencing others is whateffective leadership is all about.

CCoonnnneecctt RReeaalliittyy wwiitthh MMoorraall PPrriinncciipplleessWe’re all fallible human beings, and

perfection will escape us. We mightembrace the principles, which means

Moral Leadership

WHEN FACED WITH DIFFICULT MARKETchallenges, most leaders prioritize

short-term financial gain over everythingelse, including their long-term responsi-bility to customers and employees. Leaders’cognitive intelligence (IQ), coupled withtheir expertise (technical intelligence),have led leaders to believe a focus onshort-term financial gain is their bestchoice. Their choice may lead to poli-cies that might make it difficult forsome customers or employees, butthey think that it’s necessary for thecompany to survive longer-term.

Experts label cognitive and technicalintelligence as threshold competencies—the price of admission to leadershipranks. And yet the high-profile failuresof companies since 2008 have taughtus that such threshold competenciesare no longer sufficient for exceptionalperformance or even survival.

Leaders who outpace their competi-tion apply moral intelligence. These aremoral leaders—not solely focused onfinancial gain. They apply values, suchas personal integrity and compassion, totheir decisions. These values guide theirresponsibility to employees, customers,or shareholders. A moral compass is atthe heart of sustained success.

There are many examples of morallyintelligent leaders to inspire us. Moralcourage doesn’t develop overnight.Most successful leaders are morallygifted, but few are moral geniuses.They all make mistakes from time totime, and, earlier in their careers, theytypically made moral mistakes moreoften. But because of their high moralintelligence, they are quick studies.

BBeeccoommiinngg aa MMoorraall LLeeaaddeerrMoral intelligence is nurtured in our

early years by our family or caregiversand in the workplace, as well. Moralcompetence is an outgrowth of living inalignment—the interconnection of yourmoral compass (basic moral principles,values, and beliefs), and your goals and

we’re morally intelligent, but sometimeswe may not live up to them. In thosetimes, we’ll be morally intelligent andmorally incompetent simultaneously.

Fortunately, we can enhance compe-tencies related to the principles:• Integrity: Acting consistently with prin-

ciples, values, and beliefs; telling the truth;standing up for what’s right; keeping promises.• Responsibility: Taking responsibility

for personal choices; admitting mistakes andfailures; and responsibly serving others.• Compassion: Actively caring about others.• Forgiveness: Letting go of one’s own

mistakes; letting go of others’ mistakes.We can’t choose the moral principles

—they exist independent of our accep-tance of them. Also, we can’t chooseour emotions. What we can choose areour values, beliefs, goals, thoughts, andactions. And, we can choose to changethose to better align with the principles.

When you’re a leader, you’re alwayson stage. Everything you do is scruti-nized, analyzed and interpreted. It’shard to hide bad behavior. But there isan upside to your visibility—you canmodel moral skills and messages forothers by standing up for what’s right.

When you are highly skilled in themoral competencies, you can use yourleadership power and visibility to producethe best business results. Moral leadersinspire their followers’ best efforts bybeing compassionate and forgiving.When followers see that leaders activelycare about them and let go of mistakes,they forge a bond with their leaders.

In addition to proficiency in moraland emotional competencies, effectiveleaders are inspired by a belief in theessential goodness of their people. Thisencourages employees to live in align-ment, release their positive energy, andcontribute their best efforts. As a moralleader, you hold yourself responsible forhelping others stay aligned with idealsimportant to them—while creatingorganizational policies, practices andreward systems based on moral values.

Every organization lives within acommunity. Moral leaders considerthese three different levels of responsi-bility for communities: Do no harm; addcurrent value; and add future value.

Mark Twain said, “It is curious thatphysical courage should be so commonin the world and moral courage so rare.”

It’s time for moral courage to take cen-ter stage and for leaders to accept the re-sponsibility that comes with prominence.LE

Doug Lennick is CEO and Co-founder of the Lennick AbermanGroup, a performance-enhancement consulting firm. Fred Kiel,Ph.D., is co-founder of KRW International. They are coauthorsof Moral Intelligence 2.0. Visit www.lennickaberman.com.

ACTION: Exercise your moral leadership.

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 1 7

ETHICS MORAL

I t ’ s t h e k e y t o g r e a t c o m p a n i e s .

by Doug Lennick and Fred Kiel

Training often begins with a requestby a manager who believes his teamneeds training and moves through fourimpact points: planning, classroomlearning, behavior changes due tolearning, and organizational impact.

1. Planning. The planning of thetraining intervention is usually a briefdiscussion between the manager andthe trainer to identify the content of thetraining program, when it is to begiven and who is to receive the train-ing. During the planning stage, thestandard for content is identified, andif done correctly, necessary organiza-tional impact is determined. Sinceimpact to an organization requirestraining to be relevant to the job, thejob relevancy and key performancemetric need to be determined in theplanning stage. To determine these

things collaboration between the train-ing designer and the requesting man-ager is required. Both the trainer andthe requesting manager are stakehold-ers and therefore should be heldaccountable for results at this stage.

2. Classroom training/learning. Thetraining designers or facilitators are theonly ones who can influence the resultand be held accountable for this stage.Since the training function designs anddelivers the content, it is ultimately upto the trainer to influence students andensure they learn the material. Thetrainer has the major influence on thetraining methods and holds the great-est accountability for learning in theclassroom. However, managers mustalso be held accountable for the accura-cy and relevancy of the content. If thecontent is not relevant to the student’sjob, the trainer will have challengesmotivating students to be engaged.Without engaged students, learning isdifficult. If a manager reinforces the

LD Accountability

ALL LEADERS UNDER-stand the need for

accountability—meaningpeople accept responsibility for the things orareas they impact. Job descriptions andperformance evaluations are oftenused to help employees understandtheir areas of responsibility and identi-fy the metrics for measuring their per-formance. Company metrics (formaland informal) are used to measureorganizational health regularly andhold individuals, teams, and depart-ments accountable for their results.

Since the need for accountability isunderstood, why is accountability fortraining and leadership developmentstill so illusive? Why is it so difficult tohold stakeholders accountable? Whatshould the results be? What stakehold-ers are responsible for results? Whatmetrics best reflect training impact?

The inability to quantify trainingresults has led to anecdotal measurementssuch as training operations numbersand conversion from classroom to e-learning as a means to show ROI. Butthese numbers don’t show training’sreal impact (results) and look only atthe trainer’s activities to show account-ability for training’s benefit.

Senior leaders continue to questionthe value of training/LD, forcing direc-tors to quantify their impact. Progressis being made on how to define andquantify training results. Hard questionsare being asked about what trainingcan impact and who is responsible forensuring training success.

What can training impact? Trainingcan address the knowledge, skill, orattitude of a student; add to a student’sknowledge; help students gain a skill;or help students change their attitude.The evaluation/impact of training canbe made by determining how muchstudents have learned, what behaviorsstudents have changed, and what arethe results due to behavior change.Reviewing these impact points helps usto understand who is accountable forthe results at each point. In addition totrainer and student, other stakeholders areaccountable for training results.

importance and relevance of the train-ing, the chances for success greatlyincrease. Also, if students know thatthey’ll be required to apply their learn-ing once they leave the classroom, mot-ivation for learning is doubly enhanced.

3. Behavior change. Here the studentapplies/implements the knowledgeand skills conveyed in the class. Sinceapplication of learning is the greatest fac-tor in retention of the learning, this is akey stage for the manager to influencetraining success. The student has leftthe classroom and returned to the job,the manager must provide a place forthe student to apply the newly gainedknowledge and skill and be account-able for training transfer to the job. Whenthere is collaboration between the man-ager and training designer before theclass, the knowledge and skill will applyto the job, and the manager can rein-force the use of newly developed skills.The greater accountability for training suc-cess at this stage rests with the manager.

4. Results/effects of the training. Ifthe manager collaborates with the train-ing designer during the planning stage,and both parties determine behaviorchanges needed, standards for the behav-ior change, and metrics to be impactedby the training, then during the effectstage, managers, trainers, and studentsshould be held accountable. The manag-er supplies the intended result, the stan-dard for achieving the result, and thereinforcement of the learning. The train-er supplies the means to achieve the re-sult, and students absorb the materialand display the intended behavior.

A review of the areas of impact fortraining helps to define the stakehold-ers who are responsible/accountablefor the results. Understanding theinfluence of the student’s manager inthe process helps to show the manag-er’s authority before and after as vitalfor training success. During each stage,the impact can be measured. The stan-dards of performance set by the man-ager and outlined in the training designby the trainer can be reviewed, perfor-mance metrics reflecting behaviorchange can be evaluated, and metricscan be assessed to monitor the successof learning. If there is success duringthe classroom stage and failure at theimplementation stage, the main stake-holder to have influence on the result isthe manager. All three stakeholders—manager, trainer and students—must worktogether to ensure the desired impact. LE

Laura Paramoure is President & CEO of Strategic Training.Call 919-882-2108 or visit www.strategictrainingllc.com.

ACTION: Hold stakeholders accountable in LD.

by Laura Paramoure

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COMPETENCY ACCOUNTABILITY

W h a t ’ s y o u r p r o g r a m ’ s i m p a c t ?

would neither be a self-learning experi-ence nor faithful to the dynamics andoften impulsive nature of the executivethinking process. After all, that is theprize—the rare and unique portrait notof how smart we are but how are wesmart. The least intrusive and most reveal-ing way is a series of prompts designedas a model to structure self-analysis.

Avoiding emotional judgments, theprocess involves engaging in self-con-versations, observing and recordingthe way you think, problem solve, andmake decisions. It is an analytical auto-biography—it is a unique compilationthat builds in unobtrusively and seam-lessly how you doing with what youare doing. It has been tested both withaspiring executives (where it seems tobe predictive) and tenured CEOs. Theresponses have been affirmative; one

compared it to the confirmation thatmight be provided by installing andmonitoring electrode brain implants.

The profile emerges in five stages:1. Range: Priorities and preferences.

What makes you tick, stirs your dreams,fires you up? What gets her juices flow-ing and heart pumping? What will sheendure? Does she like to fight? Will shesit for hours going over details and beabsorbed to the oblivion of everything/everyone else? Is she happy, moody, orangry most of the time? What makes herenergy rise or fall? Is she steady or mer-curial? Does she like crossword puzzles?

2. Ego: Dominating or occasional?How important is it to be Numero Uno?And be acknowledged as such by all?How does he react to praise? Does heswell or appear uncomfortable? Is heeasily bruised or hurt? Is it more vitalfor him or the company to succeed?What is his driving mission in life? Whatlegacy if any does he seek to leave?Does he consider himself so indispens-

Executive Profiling

TYPICALLY CEOS AREanxious to know,

How am I doing? Am Iperceived as effective, valued, even liked?Although such feedback is alwayswelcome, it’s hard to find. Searchingfor answers is often perilous. Whomshall I ask? How shall I phrase it? Puttinga colleague on the spot may be awkward?Will I stand there with egg on my face?

Then, too, what to expert? Oneenthusiastic atta boy or mumbling notto worry? How helpful is that? Ofcourse, an executive coach or mentormight solve the problem.

But suppose such an alter ego is notavailable or has been less trustworthyor insightful. What then? Back tosquare one? Is there no other option?There is always self-assessment. But thatis a problem in its own right. Althoughit minimizes self-exposure, it is oftenso emotionally biased that it involvesoften flagrant distortions and blindspots. Then even when you are right,you don’t trust your objectivity.

But suppose the focus could beshifted—from how am I doing to what Iam doing, from judgment to data, fromperformance to process, from the outsideto the inside? Would a more objectivesearch make a difference—make it moremanageable, instructive, self-revealing,and interesting—tell you a great dealabout yourself, almost as much as per-formance evaluation? After all, how I amdoing is really about what I am doing—content and substance not just impacts—smarts, pride and admiration.

As a coach, I’m fascinated by howexecutives think their way into leader-ship—and how alike they are—howmuch transference there is—how cog-nition and framing shapes direction,sets up decision making, positionsvisioning. And because it is individu-alistic, it offers a unique electro-cardio-gram—it is a one-of-a-kind rendering—a profile of who you are—your brand.

Finally, how to record the process?One temptation is to develop cognitionchecklists and compile and administerthe items like a survey or test. Distil-lation would produce patterns, but it

able that the company will fall apartwhen he leaves? Does he thank others?

3. Thinking: idea dynamics. Is theCEO deliberate or fast; slow or quick;big picture or snapshot; present orfuture-oriented? Is he impatient withthose who think differently? How doeshe show his pleasure or displeasure?Does the selection of his team mirror orcontrast his thinking style? A companyshould not hire a CEO who is an intel-lectual lightweight. The capacity forpowerful conceptualization is only astep away from powerful leadership.

4. Starting points: getting going.How and where does she start off?What are her first questions? Does shecharacteristically offer or ask for back-ground or history? How important isthe past to her? Or does he prefer toplunge right in—in the middle ofthings—and move ahead quickly?Does she accept interruptions whileholding forth or pause and seek reflec-tive feedback at critical points? Doesshe tell clinching stories? Same ones?Does she reframe so that the discussioncan return to the original track, butnow it’s more inclusive and consensu-al? Are her thinking and conversationsfrom the beginning expansive orrestricted, inviting or excluding?

5. End points: wrapping things up.Are the CEO’s conclusions arrived atcumulatively or sequentially? Does heincorporate opposing positions, or arethey deleted in his summation? Is healways poised for action? Is he alwayscalling for what’s next? Do his conclu-sions tick off a detailed laundry list orare they a rapid and sweeping flour-ish? Does he take the time to relate allthe parts and preserve all? Does hevalue the whole as a spawning con-text? And does he concern himself withfollow-up? Or does he parcel out anddelegate the final communication andimplementation of a decision to others?

Observation is a skill; self-observationa science; rendering an art. All threemust be brought to bear. We need toturn the inside out—allow the secretdrivers to surface and take over. Butthat requires endowing, elevating, andequating the power of internal leader-ship thinking to be free and empowered—to display all its apps: running thecompany, shaping its culture, anduplifting the behavior of senior staff.

What remains to be done is to incor-porate and recast the five stages intothe executive interviewing process. LE

Irving H. Buchen, Ph.D., is a member of the doctoral businessfaculty at Capella University, consultant, trainer, coach andauthor of Partnership HR and The Hybrid Leader.

ACTION: Create a profile of your leaders.

by Irving H. Buchen

L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 1 9

LEADERSHIP PROFILE

S e e k i n s i d e - o u t a p p l i c a t i o n s .

Several cognitive biases lead to deci-sions being bad. One of these, the fram-ing bias, is when we view decisionswithin the framework of what weunconsciously desire to be the case; so,in many situations, having more infor-mation actually leads to worse decisions.

Yet business education is still foundedon the pillar of rationality and data analysiswithout considering how these real-world behavioral phenomena impactthe decisions of leaders. LD programsstill focus on case studies that assumethat we act wisely and in everyone’s bestinterests when we have enough information.

So we have two trends: 1) the newnormal is no growth, and 2) most deci-sions are skewed toward poor financialoutcomes. Could these two be linked?Could it be that bubbles are driven byunconscious biases that lead to terrible

financial outcomes? That we’re doomedto repeat these until we see this? Yes!

To escape from the economic trap ofthe new no-growth normal, leadersneed to understand that they will bepart of the problem until they under-stand their own behaviors deeplyenough to show them how to compen-sate for their own cognitive biases.

LD, executive training, and learningneed new strategies for the new nor-mal so that they can address the prob-lem constructively. It is not an optionto continue with the same learning andLD strategies that may have caused theproblems we have already experienced.

The New Normal requires laser focuson how behavior impacts financial out-comes. Before the new normal, LD wasfocused on improving team and corpo-rate functioning and increasing em-ployee loyalty and engagement. Theseissues need to be addressed still. But inview of the dramatic new conditions ofthe new normal, there are even higherpriority issues to be addressed. These

LD Strategies

LEADERSHIP DEVELOP-ment (LD) approach-

es have an implicitassumption: that generally things aregoing up—sales, customers, profits—even if some of these might not behappening at a particular time. Whathappens if the reverse is the case?

It’s clear that the US economy is infor several years of either low-growth,no growth, or even negative growth.How does this affect LD and training?

The new normal is either no salesgrowth or even negative sales growth,driven by increasingly thrifty customerswho are deleveraging. This will take atleast 10 years, probably longer. Howdo you train leaders to manage andguide organizations that must stillincrease shareholder value when GDPgrowth in real terms is zero?

When facing growth/profit crunches,leaders can’t use traditional approaches:no debt or much less debt, no ability tothrow capital around, growth must comeorganically, not just through M&A; nofinancial engineering to paper over fun-damental problems; and less risk toler-ance by boards. So most traditional MBAbromides can’t be employed. And nowleaders can’t even count on employees.Compensation will decline in real terms.Employees will be viewed as variablecosts. There will be fewer of them. Theywon’t have pensions. They’ll only gettraining when needed, likely be voca-tional, technical, or tactical in nature.So employee loyalty will diminish.

RRaattiioonnaall DDeecciissiioonn--MMaakkiinnggThe new normal coincides with a sec-

ond major trend: most approaches thatwe consider to be rational are, in fact,driven by unconscious cognitive biasesthat skew our decisions dramaticallyaway from what is truly rational.

This explains why brilliant executivesand leaders can make obviously wrongdecisions that yield terrible results. Wesaw this in the US financial crisis. TheEuropeans have the same basic prob-lem. Firms such as Lehman and BearStearns, deemed to be paragons of brilliantdecision-making, also show this effect.

center around how to create capital inno-growth and even declining markets.

Training needs to show leaders howto focus their behaviors on those that createcapital and reduce those behaviors thatincrease the risk of capital consumption,including the risk of corporate failure(while still accepting appropriate riskso that rewards are not adverselyimpacted by overly cautious behaviors).

These issues include showing leadersand managers how to help: employeesand customers with capital creationthrough deleveraging behaviors: man-agers with capital increasing behaviorsthrough more innovation and lessresource utilization; partners and sup-pliers with capital-increasing behaviors;and companies with capital increasingcompetitive-strengthening behaviors.

Companies must deliberately set outto develop: Innovator behaviors (as dis-tinct from innovation processes); costleadership behaviors (as distinct from costreduction processes); and lower-riskbehaviors (not just lower-risk processes).

This training needs to show how thebehavioral disciplines such as behavioralfinance and behavioral economics can beleveraged to improve decision-makingand financial outcomes. Also leaders andmanagers need to increase their sensi-tivity to the cognitive biases that impactthem in their work and personal life.

Companies need to conduct new typesof training for emerging and existingleaders to address five new challengesof the new normal: 1) training in behav-ioral finance—how behavior impactsfinancial outcomes and how to leveragethis knowledge to improve the value ofcompanies in an era of no- or negativegrowth; 2) awareness training in cognitivebiases (and what types of biases specificpeople are subject to) in order to improvetheir effectiveness in decision-making andavoid unconscious biases that lead themto making decisions with poor financialoutcomes; 3) training in business acumen—behaviors that lead to positive finan-cial outcomes, and avoid approachesthat depend on financial engineeringthat result in unsustainable financialresults since they’re not behaviorally-based; 4) training to show the preciselinks between cognitive biases, deci-sion-making approaches and theirimpact on real-world financial state-ments; and 5) simulations that put theselessons into practice in situations thathighlight the difference between case-studies and real-world behavior. LE

E. Ted Prince is founder and CEO of Perth Leadership Institute.Visit www.perthleadership.org.

ACTION: Focus on behaviors that impact outcomes.

by Ted Prince

2 0 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 1 w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

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