Be yourself: The issue is authenticity

Effective leadership styles are as unique as fingerprints.  Leadership techniques and tactics that work for one leader don't neccessarily work for another.  If you are a naturally introverted person and you try to imitate the technique of an extroverted, ebullient person it comes off as inauthentic...everybody knows you are faking it.  Lack of authenticity erodes trust and no leader can be effective if their staff don't trust them.

Marcus Buckingham has an interesting new HBR article on this subject and what it means to the development of leaders.  You can find it at this link.  It's worth listening to the 15' audio interview as he explains his point of view.

Standardization as a source of innovation: Captain Sullenberger: Dealing with the Unexpected

Professor Michael Roberto's Blog: Captain Sullenberger: Dealing with the Unexpected

In my March 21st blog I made a case that standardization is the source of innovation.  Professor Mike Roberto recently posted a short video(39 seconds) of Captain Sully Sullenberger.  Capt Sullenberger reinforces the notion of standardization as a source of innovation.

For those of you who don't know or may not recall, in 2009 Capt Sullenberger was the pilot of a US Airways aircraft which struck a flock of Canadian geese on takeoff and had catastrophic engine failure as a result.  He successfully ditched the aircraft in the Hudson River and saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew.

US Memorial Day

I spent part of the last week reading "On Hallowed Ground: The History of Arlington National Cemetary" by Robert M Poole.  The first hundred pages of this 270 page book are about the history of the Custis Lee Farm and how that land transformed from a working farm to a military encampment to an expedient burial ground for the dead from the Civil War.  The deliberate placing of the cemetery on the grounds of the home of Confederate General Robert E Lee and the post Civil War legal battle over title to the land is covered in some detail.  It reveals the depth of resentment for those who chose to rebel against their home country.

More than that history though, is the way Arlington National Cemetery symbolizes how America chooses to honor those who serve and those who die in service to their country.  In their own different ways The Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan  have all transformed Arlington National Cemetery.

For anyone who truly wants to understand the meaning of Memorial Day in the United States, this book is highly recommended. 

Our families deserve a fair share of our best efforts

A global company never sleeps.  Staff in different parts of the world are always working.   That makes it easy to fall into a 24/7/365 work routine where there is no room for anything else.  Work is only one part of our lives.  Great leaders create a work environment where staff have something in the tank when they get home.  This often gets articulated as "work-life balance".  At one level I believe everyone is responsible to create their own work-life balance.  At the same time I believe leaders create the environment where everyone can make a variety of choices.
How does the leader create that environment?  In my 23 and 24 April blogs I talked about technology and the leaders role as a multiplier. In this blog I focus on leader behaviors.  Simply, leaders create that environment by setting the example.  Like it or not, staff watch their leader's behavior like a hawk.   No matter what a leader says about work-life balance, what they actually do speaks louder to their staff.  Some examples:

1.  Office hours.  If you say you want staff to keep "normal" office hours but get to the office at 5am and leave at 7pm every night you are sending a message about what's expected.
2.  Email.  If you send weekend and late night email you are setting expectations for others.
3.  Vacation time.  If you don't take your allotted vacation time or you email or participate in teleconferences every day during your vacation you are establishing a standard.
4.  National holidays.  If you work during holidays or do not recognize different national holiday traditions you are setting expectations.
5.  Reward and recognition.  If the workaholic on your staff is the one who gets promoted, raises and bonuses you are setting expectations.

My overarching point is leader behavior not policy, creates a healthy work environment where staff can make choices in their personal lives.

Your legacy as a leader is the people you leave behind

Too often as leaders we think our legacy is what we accomplish in our role....the degree to which we meet our business targets, a reorganization, a strategic initiative, completion of a successful project, securing a big contract.  Clearly these are important accomplishments.  That said, I believe the legacy to the organization isn't the accomplishment of tasks and missions but the people the leader leaves behind.  I argue this demands that the leader needs to take a personal interest in their development.

What does "take a personal interest in their development" mean in practice?  First, it means having a plan.  I believe everyone needs an individual development plan that's agreed at the beginning of each year and reviewed at least once.  It needs to be separate but related to the performance appraisal.  Second, it means in-role assignments to build skill or capability.  Sometimes it means taking chances in selecting people for new roles....ones in which they haven't "checked every competency box" or had the ideal set of preparatory assignments.  It also means balancing challenge and support...sometimes referred to as "tough love".  You want to support and reinforce strengths AND challenge.  Often taking a personal interest in their development means letting a trusted team member go to another part of the organization, even though it creates a hole in your own.  One of my most satisfying accomplishments in Shell was when a person I identified with high potential in 2002 replaced me when I retired in 2011.  I was able to advocate for his promotion and a series of development assignments over nine years that lead to his selection.  I did this not specifically planning for him to replace me, but believed he would be able to make broad contributions given the right development path.  Specific skill or knowledge gaps can be addressed by formal courses or training.  I mention this last because too often "sending someone to a course" is a lazy way of addressing development needs.  To be sure there are times when formal training is the correct solution to a specific development need, but formal training needs to be just one tool in the kit....not the "silver bullet" to every need.

My last point is that the development of others shouldn't be confined to the leader's direct reports.  Spending time with the development of those two levels down in the organization....the reports of your direct reports is part of a robust approach to developing others.

The approach I'm suggesting takes time and time is precious to every leader.  This demands that the leader be disciplined about priorities and ensure "time on the diary" is dedicated to the development of others.

The Paradox of Learning-Can you say "I don't know?"

The paradox of learning is that the leader must be just as proficient at "un-learning"...the process of challenging assumptions and mental models....as she is at learning.
 
All too often leaders find themselves in a position where they think they should know the answer to a question, problem, or dilemma  because of their position in the organization.  In some cultures there is an expectation that leaders "know" because of their position.

My point in this blog is that if you think you "know" the answer to a challenge because of your position or act like you do because others expect you to, this constitutes a "learning disability".
Learning takes place when there is a gap between what is known and what is unknown.   Recognizing this gap creates tension and as human beings we have an impulse to close the gap and resolve the tension. Learning is the process to close the gap.  If the leader thinks they "know" or "should know" because of their position there is no tension, and hence no learning.

To be sure the leader cannot profess ignorance about everything.  One of the most important factors in generating trust....what causes men and women to follow...is the confidence that their leader knows what they are doing.  In fact, there is some evidence that in extreme conditions people will follow whoever it is who demonstrates competence regardless of their rank in the hierarchy.

Great leaders aren't afraid to say "I don't know". They aren't afraid to create a little tension by doing so.  They are confident enough to publicly challenge their own assumptions and mental models...reveal their thinking and articulate what causes them to come to certain conclusions.  This encourages staff to voice points of view that otherwise might not be voiced.

To be sure it's uncomfortable for the leader to behave in this way.  In Professor Michael Roberto's blog he quotes Dr. Peter Carruthers of Los Alamos National Laboratory. “There’s a special tension to people who are constantly in the position of making new knowledge."  Great leaders embrace the tension and discomfort that comes with saying "I don't know".

Everyone Has a Role to Play

In Peter Senge's opening to The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook he tells the following story.  Among the tribes of northern Natal in South Africa the most common greeting is Sawu Bona which translated means "I see you".  The proper response is Sikhona which when translated means "I am here."  The order in which this greeting occurs is important:  Until you see me I do not exist.  It is as if when you see me you bring me into existence.  To people in this culture, ones identity is based on the fact that they are seen....respected and acknowledged as a person.

Everyone has a role to play in organizations....there are no "little guys".    Sometimes our organizational hierarchy and compensation systems lead people to believe some people are more important than others.  Clearly, some people are able to monetize their skill, training and knowledge in positions of responsibility, but that doesn't make them more "important" as people.

Great leaders know everyone has a role to play.  Great leaders "see" those in  low status jobs.  They look them in the eye... the food service workers, administrative staff, the cleaning crew, 3d party contractors... they greet them,  they listen to their concerns, they keep them informed on the purpose and direction of the organization, place priority on their health and safety concerns...and most importantly thank them for their contributions.

Trust is the currency of leadership and the leader generates trust by respect....respect for everyone.