If you only ask one question.

Every day leaders are required to make decisions.  Some are profound; others are sublime. Often times it is fair to question whether a decision really needs to be made or whether someone has simply abdicated their responsibilities.

Before a decision is rendered, you typically need to know some information to make an informed response.  In my opinion there is only one question that you need to ask.  That question is ‘…how...’

It may be followed by some clarification such as ‘how will this make a difference’ or ‘how will this be accomplished’.  In every instance the ‘how’ is a call to action.

‘How’ challenges the participants to be part of the solution.  ‘How’ implies that ‘why’ has already been considered because you do not seek solutions to that which is not required. 

‘How’ looks to the future while considering the past. 

‘How’ recognizes that ‘when’ is now.  ‘How’ demands a positive response.

‘How’ engages all parties up and down the decision-making chain and in so doing it answers the ‘who’.

And ‘how’ fulfils ‘what’ by defining the action to overcome inertia. 

When ‘how’ can be answered all the side issues become mute.  Your call to action; those included in the solution; the anticipated outcome; the timeframe all become defined in the process resulting from the answer to one simple question.

HOW?  Not why, not when, not who…just one simple question.  How?

As a leader you want to make sound decisions while developing your staff into intelligent, thoughtful team members.  When they know that your first question is ‘how’ you will have encouraged them to come to you with fewer questions and more solutions; seeking approvals not answers. 

Any organization that reaches this point is on the verge of greatness.  Just ask ‘how’!

Who do you work for?

Logic responds that we all work for our employer.  In a macro sense this is quite true.  After all, someone else is signing our cheque so that is who we work for.

Allow me to offer another option, one reserved for those in positions of leadership.  I submit that those who lead by inspiring their team members actually work for these same team members.   How so…?

As the leader you set the goals and objectives.  It may be an interpretation of the larger corporate goals, but there are specific team outcomes that you need to accomplish.  Once these are set, your job is to facilitate the team to allow individuals to maximize their efforts on a daily basis. 

You must ensure that they are properly trained, equipped and inspired.  You must ensure that the chemistry of the group is always in balance.  You must monitor progress.  You must anticipate obstacles and respond accordingly.

In all of these responsibilities you are serving your team members.  If effect, you are working for them and on their behalf to allow them the greatest likelihood of success.  If the team fails it is seldom the work of the members that will be found deficient.  Most likely the blame falls (quite rightly) to the leader.  He/she has failed in their primary duty, i.e., to make success possible.

I appreciate that at first blush it seems to be counter-intuitive.  But trust me on this!  The better job you do in enabling your staff to be successful the greater the likelihood that your goals will be accomplished as well. 

Service has it rewards.  And they are much more satisfying than being served.  I am not advocating spoon feeding your team members or doing their jobs for them.  Rather it is the act of supporting, uplifting, encouraging, enabling and inspiring the team, individually and collectively, in which you gain your rewards. 

Take another look at who you work for.  Maybe it’s time to focus on something other than the name on the cheque…

The Way We Were

As we approach the end of the year, for many it is a time of reflection.  We look back not only on this year, but on the end of years in times past.  We visit our memories; some pleasant, others not so much.

When times are difficult we tend to recall the ‘glory years’ when everything came easily, almost effortlessly, though we know that was not the case.  We find ourselves longing for the good ole’ days and melancholy starts to wash over us. 

When this happens we begin to get experience the paralysis of inaction and indecision.  We wonder how we can roll back the clock to see how good the emotions of success made us feel.  We stop leading and start reminiscing.

And if we have had a successful year, there is a natural tendency to be somewhat smug.  We have new experiences on which we can rest our laurels. We stop leading while we accept the accolades.

Both of these responses are normal under the circumstances.  But as a leader you have no time for these indulgences.  Your job must always be forward looking.  There are no such things as ‘future memories’.  You are in the ‘memories building’ business and it is one that has no end; it has only infinite possibilities.

This season, be certain to recall…reflect…rest…and rejoice.

But remember tomorrow is only a day away and others are counting on you to do your job so that they can do theirs.  It may not be fair but it is the reality.

My very best regards for health and success in the New Year!  I will talk with you again in January.

Let's call a spade a shovel.

The headline said that we are in a ‘post-truth’ era.  Not quite sure what the heck that is.

Then a story appeared on the news that reported on a ‘false news’ posting that appeared on Facebook.

Is it just me or has the whole world gone nuts.  In my Webster’s both ‘post-truth’ and ‘false news’ appear as definitions for the same word…LIES!

I mean, how hard is it to understand?  Frankly it is a binary proposition.  If it is not truth…it is a lie.  There are no fifty shades of gray here.

Have we really devolved so far that we are now sugar coating lies so, like medicine, we can swallow them more easily?  It used to be that only accounts receivable was required to put up with this nonsense.  You remember ‘…the cheque is in the mail…’ or ‘…I didn’t get an invoice…’  Kids told teachers that the dog ate their homework.

As the leader, you know how imperative it is that you conduct yourself with integrity.  If your word cannot be trusted then there are no absolutes.  You are simply presiding over controlled chaos. I strongly doubt that your employees want a new division of HR called ‘Fact Checkers’ to know which of your strategic plans are real and which are intended to waste your time.

Take the high road.  Be honest, be consistent and be accountable.  Don’t accept as a ‘fait accompli’ this notion of post-truth.  Ensure that your team, your division, your company stands for something worth defending. 

I am reminded again of an oft-repeated quote:

‘…Reputation is what others think of you; character is what you are…’

Push back against the trend before it becomes the norm. 

Solomon's choice.

I have written frequently about the need for leaders to exhibit character even at the expense of skills.  That said, one cannot lead effectively when they are devoid of competencies.  This begs the question as to what skills are the most important, not only for a leader, but for the leader’s aspiring leaders.

Clearly the answer will vary depending upon the specific responsibilities of the role; the nature of the products or services you provide; or the type of people who report to the leader.  But I would submit to you that there is one skill, one quality, one competence that not only overrides the others but also is transferable to any position.  That quality is wisdom.

It is no coincidence that the Biblical King Solomon, when asked what gift he wanted, asked for wisdom above wealth, fame or even good health.

Wisdom is commonly recognized as a combination of knowledge and experience.  But a wise person can be identified well before the accumulation of either.  Telltale signs include the following:

·        A willingness to say ‘…I don’t know…but I want to learn…’

·        Someone who listens more than they talk.

·        Someone who shares the moment of success.

·        The person who pulls others up alongside, not down to their level.

·        The ability to have an open mind, but grounded opinions.

·        One who is not swayed by the flavor of the day.

Clearly there are other indicators of wisdom even when that wisdom is young.  As the leader you want to identify and then nurture these future leaders.  Engage them and challenge them to grow into their potential.  As your behavior models  and guides them, your whole organization will benefit.

Wisdom does not imply infallibility.  We all make mistakes or fail from time to  time.  The wise mitigate the consequences because they made a considered decision to begin with and they don’t ride a mistake to its’ logical conclusion in the misguided hope of a miraculous recovery.

As you build your team of leaders, look for character first.  But then seek wisdom. You should not be surprised to see the latter as a function of the former.  

At the risk of repeating myself...

The foundation of authentic leadership is built on certain qualities which are independent of the role to which you have arrived.  These are issues of character more than competence and they are transferable from job to job, company to company, or industry to industry.  They give credibility to everything else about you, your strategies and your performance.  And while none of us is perfect, authentic leaders strive daily to meet the highest definition of these attributes.

Without an order of priority, for there is none, these pillars are:

1.   Truth

2.   Accountability

3.   Ethical conduct

4.   Moral conduct

5.   Legal Conduct

Increasingly these qualities seem to be under attack.  And if not attack, then most certainly they are being eroded. It is not external forces which are bringing about this demise.  Rather it is the internal nature of those in positions of leadership who no longer recognize the importance of maintaining a character above reproach; they no longer subscribe to the foundational qualities that others admire and respect.  

Today, too many leaders have loosed the chains of responsibility and have become accountable only to themselves.  In so doing, they put all of us in jeopardy. 

When truth becomes abstract, it ceases to be truth.  When morals, and ethics and even the law become subjective or situational, standards cease to exist.  When leaders are excused for their bad behaviour rather than being held accountable for it, how do we fairly hold others to account?

In the past decade, personal economic malaise has prompted some to question what is moral; what is ethical; what is legal; what is truth?  It is as if our economic well-being should define that which, in reality, is unalterable. Morals, ethics, laws and truth may sometimes be considered difficult.  But they must not be left at the side of the road as baggage too heavy to carry.

Over 250 years ago, Edmund Burke stated “…the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing…”  We are in times that require good people to demand better from our leaders, whether they are economic or political; educators or religious.  We don’t lack the right perspective; we lack commitment to speak out these opinions. 

As a leader, you are in a particular position to positively influence others simply by the reflection of your character.  Your willingness to be held accountable, and to hold others accountable, raises the bar within your sphere of influence.

We need more leaders to act like leaders.  And we need it NOW! We need leaders who are willing to ‘call out’ others who are not maintaining the standards.  We need leaders who recognize that leadership is a privilege, not a birthright, and that it comes with responsibilities towards a greater good.

I encourage all leaders to stand up…to stand out…and demand from both themselves and other leaders that their example be one of dignity of character.  Model it to your sphere of influence.  RAISE THE BAR for everyone.  Only good can come of it.

Step Back from the Edge

I woke up this morning and saw the sun rise as it did yesterday, and for millennia of days before that.  There were no reports of hell having frozen over.  No flying pigs have been reported.  At least in my area of the world, the sky remains firmly above my head.

Fundamentally there have been no changes to my life.  It is, as they say, business as usual.  Oh, except for the fact that the US did the unexpected – to some, the unthinkable – they elected Donald Trump as their next President.

Several months ago I posted a blog entitled “Lessons from the Donald” (http://leadersthatinspire.blogspot.ca/2016/03/lessons-from-donald.html)

Things are seldom as bad as they look, nor as rosy as expected.  As the leader, your main responsibility now is to keep your team focused on the present.  No one can state with certainty how the next four years will unfold because Trump steadfastly stuck to a platform essentially devoid of policy specifics.

 If things are working well for you, stay the course.  If results are less than planned, the election outcome does not change your responsibility to respond to the competitive environment and plan accordingly.  You cannot use the election as either crutch or an incentive.  It is one moment in time.  Don’t lose perspective.

I did not have a vote.  Therefore I have nothing to celebrate or mourn.  I have only something else to consider in making my plans.

Your leadership role is unchanged.  Deal with the facts, not the emotions of events.  Be the calm in the midst of the storm.  Those who look to you for leadership are perhaps more in need of it today than last week.  Rise above the noise; maintain clarity of mind; pursue the passions that have motivated you in the past.  Deal with the imperfect just as you always have.  

At the end of the day, the moon will again take its place in the heavens to be followed by sun in the morning.  T’was always thus.