Leadership Essentials Web-Based Reading 5.2014

05.
2014
Essentials of leadership
development,
managerial ef fectiveness,
and organizational
productivity
Vol.31 No. 5
The Standard of Global Leadership Development
Presented By
A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS
Interview with Jim Concelman
Development Dimensions International (DDI)
0
8
0
5
Accessing Charisma
By Lou Solomon
Transforming
Leadership
By Ken Keis
Judging the Leaders
By Jim Clemmer
1
9
1
7
Leadership is About
Responsibility
By Debbie Ruston
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LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE IS AN EXCEPTIONAL
WAY TO LEARN AND THEN APPLY THE BEST AND
LATEST IDEAS IN THE FIELD OF LEADERSHIP.
WARREN BENNIS, AUTHOR AND
USC PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
Kerry
Patterson
VitalSmarts
Co-Founder
08.2013
development,
and organizational
productivity
Vol.30 No. 8
Presented By
$9.99 a month
0
6
Crucial Accountability
By Kerry Patterson
Confront slackers
Preparing Leaders
By Elaine Varelas
Develop the next
generation now
Purpose of Power
By Gary Hamel
It gets things done
Developing Leaders
By Jack Zenger, Kurt
Sandholtz, Joe Folkman
Apply ve insights
2
4
2
2
Email: LE@editor.hr.com
05.2014
development,
and organizational
productivity
Vol.31 No. 5
Presented By
5
Accessing Charisma
A social skill that can be learned
Lou Solomon
7
Become a Wellness
Leader Today!
You can no longer aford to ignore
wellness leadership
William McPeck
8
Transforming Leadership
Five pillars critical to becoming a
transforming leader
Ken Keis
12
Measurement-based
Leadership
How leadership with
measurement component works
Aleksey Savkin
13
Stupidest Strategies
Leaders Use to Motivate
Team
and how to avoid them
Antoine Gerschel and
Lawrence Polsky

15
Orbit-shifting
Innovation
Thought triggers for a CEO
Rajiv Narang
17
Judging the Leaders
Are the most efective leaders
loved or feared?
Jim Clemmer
19
Leadership is About
Responsibility
Stop managing & start leading
Debbie Ruston
20
Thriving in Changing
Times
When your successful past becomes
your greatest obstacle
Carol Kinsey Goman
25
Character at the Top
Concentrating on follower-ship
is what counts
Dick Cross
29
Lean Conversations
Leadership conversations for
productivity breakthroughs
Dwight Frindt
31
The Great Leadership
Challenge
And its impact on the quality of
execution
Gabriel Paradiso
33
Finding a Mentor
Know the 4 simple steps
Glen Harrison
38
Its Not Just Leadership
Development Anymore
Its also about followership
Dr. Greer A. Staples
39
Career Development
Four resolutions to grow your
future leaders
John Salamone and
Jacob Flinck
41
The New Bottom Line
Return on self-awareness
Kevin Cashman
42
Stay Ready!
Seven ways leaders can stay ready
La June Davis-Wiley
47
Strategy and Leadership
How to do a strategy audit in 10
minutes?
Lszl Kvri

49
Want Change?
Try Lincolns formula
Mary E. Marshall
51
Leader as Coach
Create the drive organizations
require to thrive
TonyKubicaand
SaraLaForest

A blueprint for success
Leadership Excellence interviewed Jim Concelman from Development Dimensions
International (DDI), at the Leadership Excellence Awards this past April. DDI was
placed rst in the Large Consulting Category - Interview excerpts. PG.22
0
8
0
5
Accessing Charisma
By Lou Solomon
Transforming
Leadership
By Ken Keis
Judging the Leaders
By Jim Clemmer
1
9
1
7
Leadership is About
Responsibility
By Debbie Ruston
Leadership is not all about power, influ-
ence and money. It is also about compassion,
humility and integrity. Benjamin Disraeli
once said, I must follow the people. Am I
not their leader? This plain sentence has a
powerful meaning behind it, which pops a
question in open - Who is a true leader? Well,
leadership is one of those intricate terms - you
hear it many times but with various defini-
tions. A true leader is all at once he is the
servant as well as the manager.
The different leadership traits and respon-
sibilities have been chalked out by our dis-
tinguished authors in this edition of Lead-
ership Excellence. Would you love working
with a charismatic leader or a dull leader?
Without a speck of doubt you will choose
the first option. And isnt it true that we all
long for oozing out that charismatic charm
from within us? It can be learned, says Lou
Solomon in her article Accessing Charisma. An
interesting read that makes you understand
how to access charisma!
It is really fortunate and rewarding if you
find the right mentor. Glen Harrison in his
article Finding a Mentor says how you can
develop special knowledge, skills or abilities
with the help of a mentor. Understanding
your needs, engaging a wide network of ex-
perience, selecting someone you trust, and
actually asking someone to be your mentor
will get you started.
Ego is the prime villain that comes in way
when you become successful. Effective man-
agers are continually learning and growing
themselves. They completely understand that
every single person in their team is unique
in their own ways and approve their merits.
Author Debbie Ruston in her article Lead-
ership is About Responsibility clearly points out
that leaders should stop managing and start
leading. Well there is a difference between
managing and leading!
This months Leadership Excellence also in-
cludes 5 exclusive interviews with the winners
of the Leadership Excellence Awards (Large
Leadership Partners & Providers Category)
this past April.
Hope you enjoy reading the inspirational
write-ups by our authors in this issue of
Leadership Excellence.
Leadership Excellence Essentials
(ISSN 8756-2308)
is published monthly by HR.com,
124 Wellington Street East
Aurora, Ontario Canada L4G 1J1.
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Publisher
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Copyright 2014 HR.com
No part of this publication may be
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Quotations must be credited.
Vol.31 No. 5 Editors Note
4
leadership excellence essentials presented by HR.com | 05.2014
Regards,
Debbie McGrath
HR.com
As a shy, military brat starting school in Great Britain, I was
anything but comfortable in my own skin. At home my father
was a disciplinarian. At school, kids who were too talkative got
called out. So, I put my head down, made straight As and tried
to be invisible. I didnt speak up until I was about 10.
Somewhere along the way I decided it would cost me too much
to stay uncomfortable and invisible and I put myself out there.
Today, as the founder of a firm that develops leaders like
Fortune 500 CEOs, managers, entrepreneurs and their teams into
strong communicators, with a focus on authenticity helping
them to make connections, earn trust and build influence - I
have learned one thing they all have in common. They all covet
charisma and executive presence. The question they always ask
is, Can you learn presence and charisma?
My early struggle has been a gift, so I know these things can
be learned. To be sure, the learning feels less risky for some.
But for me and many of the executives I have worked with, the
learning has been something of a re-invention.
The 20th century celebrated business people with turbo-
extroversion. Charisma doesnt fit neatly in to that box. Its not
about personality style, professional title or economic status.
Researchers at MIT have figured out that connecting with
people is what generates charisma. You dont show up and spew
charisma as a solo act. Its actually a social skill, which like many
Accessing Charisma
A social skill that can be learned
By Lou Solomon
5
Accessing Charisma
6
others is learned. Here are six tips on how to access charisma
that I give my clients:
1. Be attentive. Attention is the electrical current that connects
us. Its unattractive to be distracted when others are speaking,
leading a meeting or just trying to have a conversation. A Harvard
study confirms that our brain is wired to wanderwhich is okay
when youre stuck waiting at the doctors office or riding the train
into work. According to best-selling author Daniel Goleman,
mindfulness is the ability to notice when your mind wanders
and redirect your thoughts back into the present moment. It is
a learned, leadership habit that takes constant practice.
2. Humanness before rank. Leaders who prioritize the human
connection before wielding power are perceived to be more
trustworthy than those who do the same thing in reverse. It
doesnt take long to connect. We all love that moment when a
leader looks us in the eye. I dont mean the quick ping of eye
contact. People know when you only glance and quickly look
past them, absorbed in your own mental agenda. I mean the
feeling that someone has taken a moment to see whos within.
3. Draw people out. Charisma is measured by your ability to
release others into a more enjoyable state of communicating. You
do this by being curious, asking questions, listening and being
positive. Researchers at MIT have found that upbeat people
who are sincerely interested in what other people have to say
have natural charismaand they are successful in negotiations
and presentations. You have a serious handicap in conversation
if you are not curious about the other person.
4. Notice your second language. Did you attend school with
a shy kid who was sometimes labeled stuck up? That was me.
At times I was so uncomfortable that I stood apart and turned
away from groups of my peers. I appeared uninterested and un-
approachable. Non-verbal signals are a second language. Being
aware of your own signals will allow you to channel the energy
of connection. Some of the most important non-verbal signals
for connection are a warm tone of voice, friendly facial expres-
sion, open gestures and standing near and fully facing others.
Even a warm handshake can trigger a connection.
5. Strength from vulnerability. Most of the executives who
come to my studio dont trust themselves to use their own experi-
ence and wisdom to connect with people. They are surprised to
learn theyve got everything they need to be an authentic leader.
I once coached a successful entrepreneur who lost a leg during
his service in the military. He concealed his prosthetic leg under
long trousers and other than a slight limp you wouldnt know
he wore one. His instinct was to keep this part of his story to
himself and speak only to his business experience. He didnt
want people to think he was telling a sob story. It turned out
that sharing this part of his story increased the connections he
made as a human being not just a successful entrepreneur. The
language of personal story is a medium for human connection.
The ability to empower others by sharing what your life has
taught you is an important part of authentic leadership.
Leaders are quick to tell me that their organization is too big
and they cant possibly connect with everyone. The bar keeps
going up for communicators, but the stakes are too high to give
up on connection. The right approach is to think of culture as
a conversation in which we can draw out employees and release
them into a higher quality expression and innovation.
For example, it has been more than five years since the acquisi-
tion of Wachovia by Wells Fargo was announced. For five years,
Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf has been on the road, greeting
his new employees and thanking everyone for their good work.
He holds town meeting after town meetingand each one is
telecast to all employees at Wells Fargo. He tells personal stories
and laughs with the audience. Each year he writes a thoughtful
and personal year-end summary to his leaders. He passes on
opportunities to be a celebrity spokesperson for the banking
industry and focuses on whats good for Wells Fargo. In an in-
terview with American Banker on his awards for 2013 Banker
of the Year, Stumpf said his number one job was keeper of the
culture, which is about community. He is warm and welcom-
ing when he meets employeeswho glow with pride when they
speak about their CEO.
6. Finally, never try to fake it. The attempt to manipulate a
connection is much more transparent than wed like to think.
The brain knows incongruence in a millisecond. First and fore-
most, be a student. The real work of life is going within and
developing your own self-awareness. LE
Lou Solomon is CEO of Interact, a communications consultancy that
helps business leaders and their teams build authenticity, make connections,
earn trust and build infuence. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the
McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte. Solomons new
book focuses on building trust, infuence and charisma, and is set for release
later this year.
Visit www.interactauthentically.com
Email lou@interactauthentically.com
By William McPeck
You can no longer afford to ignore wellness leadership
Become a Wellness Leader Today!
Wellness leaderships time has come. Read on to learn how
and why wellness leadership must be incorporated into your
leadership practices starting today.
Which leadership model do you practice? Is it authentic
leadership, servant leadership, transformational leadership or
another? No matter which model it is, I would argue you also
need to practice wellness leadership.
In todays value added economy, the statement, Our employees
are our most valuable asset is no longer just a trite statement.
It is reality. Thanks to the global 24/7 economy, ever increasing
complexity and the increasing pace of change, employers need
the whole employee showing up for work each and every day.
If you are a senior leader of an organization that provides em-
ployees with health benefits, you are well aware of the costs to
your organization associated with employee health and wellness.
While these costs are the most visible, they are neither the only
costs, nor even the largest cost to your organization.
Employee health and wellness impact your organization in
many other ways, including:
Absenteeism
Presenteeism
Engagement
Performance and productivity
Motivation
Morale
It is for all these reasons combined, I would argue that why
you, as a leader, can no longer ignore employee health, wellness
and wellbeing. Today, wellness leadership must be included in
your leadership repertoire.
The leadership literature is broad, comprehensive and complex.
Much has been written about leadership theories, leader quali-
ties, leader competencies and so forth.
From this literature, I take the essence of leadership to be:
Creating a strategic vision
Choosing the right strategies
Successfully executing the strategies
Influencing, inspiring and motivating others
Developing others
So what is wellness leadership and how do these seven key func-
tions of leadership apply within a wellness leadership framework?
Wellness leadership is about:
Creating a framework for the organization for all employee
health and wellness efforts
Using the key functions of leadership to create workplace
conditions that make it easy for employees to practice living
healthy lifestyles
Supporting employees in their quest for health, happiness,
wellness and wellbeing
Identifying and removing the barriers to health and well-
ness success
Wellness leaders include employee health and wellness as
part of their organizations vision. They readily and frequently
share this vision with everyone within the organization, as well
as other stakeholders. It is important that employee health and
wellness be seen as positive and affirming. Wellness program
strategies will always have the best chance of success when they
are closely aligned with the organizations overall strategic goals
and initiatives.
Employees look to their leaders as being role models. By
serving as a role model for health and wellness, leaders can be
inspirational, influential, and enhance employee motivation.
Leaders, who visibly demonstrate commitment for wellness,
send a strong message to their organization that contributes
significantly to wellness program success and sustainability. In
fact, researchers have found that leadership commitment is one
of the keys to wellness program success.
Leaders play a strategic role in their organizations culture.
Wellness leadership is about aligning wellness norms and goals
with the organizations culture. It is absolutely critical for the
wellness program to be aligned with the organizations culture.
During the course of any year, a majority of employees have
been known to attempt, on their own, to make healthy lifestyle
changes. Unfortunately, most attempts do not result in long term
behavior change. In my mind, this creates a great opportunity
for leaders to create the opportunity for employees to include
any lifestyle changes within their employee development plan.
Wellness leaders support healthy lifestyle changes as much as they
support other work related changes the employee wishes to make.
As a leader, you are a living example of what you want yourself
and your employees to accomplish. You are a representative of
the organization. Wellness leadership will help you inspire your
employees from yet another perspective or dimension.
Do not ignore wellness leadership any longer. Incorporate it
into your leadership practices beginning today. Start by invit-
ing others to join you in a short walk around the building or
parking lot. LE
7
As an independent contractor, William McPeck is a worksite wellness and
wellbeing program thought leader, strategist and mentor. He is dedicated
to helping employers and program coordinators create successful, sustain-
able worksite wellness and well-being programs, especially in small employer
settings.
Email williammcpeck@gmail.com
Leadership: Never has there been a greater need for itnor
such a lack of it.
This article is about you, the Leader, and your skillsnot the
multiple theories of leadership. Well save that for another time.
Everyone is a leader at some level with someone. Leadership
skills are required for parenting and for being a friend and part
of a couple, in your household and at work. You also have the
responsibility of leading yourself.
Leaders are not born. Leaders are developed. They hone their
skills over years, not days, weeks, or months.
Most effective leaders are in their late 30s or older. Why? Ex-
periencing, learning, developing, and maturing take time. Any
winemaker will tell you excellence cant be rushed
To be a successful leader, an individual must have certain
foundational skills.
Research released this year identifies two main reasons why
leaders fail and three skills that help them succeed.
The Top Two Reasons Leaders Fail
1. Lack of Interpersonal and Emotional Intelligence Skills
2. Hubris: Excessive Pride and Exaggerated Self-Confidence
(Arrogance)
The Top Three Reasons/Skills Leaders Succeed
1. High Self-Awareness
2. High Emotional Mastery (Self-Management Skills)
3. Deep Understanding of Human Behavior
We identified those truths over 20 years ago in the first edition
of our book Transforming Leadership. Bestselling authors Kenneth
Blanchard, The One Minute Manager, and Jim Kouzes, The Lead-
ership Challenge, have endorsed CRGs Transforming Leadership
model as the next step in any leadership development track.
Five pillars critical to becoming a transforming leader
By Ken Keis
Interactive
8
What does that mean for you?
Simply put, if you have a desire to be an effective leader in any
area of your life, you must be proficient in various leadership
skills.Our research identified 60 specific skills in five categories
(pillars) as critical to becoming a transforming leader. The skills
required to be successful will vary depending on the situation
and the need.
We found skills are not independent of each other; they are
interdependent. They build on one another like LEGO blocks.
The first step? Become Self-Aware of your leadership skills
levels before you set out on a training or development track. If
you have gaps or deficiencies in your skills, we encourage you
to investigate furtherand design a development plan. CRG
will help you do that.
The Five Categories/Pillars of Transforming Leadership
1. Transforming Leaders have first-rate Self-Management
Skills. If you cant manage yourself, how can you possibly lead
others? The clearer you are about who you are, the more cred-
ibility you have as a leader. Who you are includes your values,
beliefs, purpose, goals, plans, wellness, confidence level, positive
mental attitude, and your willingness to be a continuous learner.
2. Transforming Leaders have excellent Interpersonal Com-
munication Skills. The ability to talk has little to do with
successful communication. An effective leader is an effective
communicator. That includes understanding and being able
to implement the skills of attending, observing, suspending,
questioning, listening, challenging, and being assertive.
3. Transforming Leaders demonstrate Coaching, Counsel-
ling, and Problem-Management Skills. You need to be able to
lead yourself, communicate with others, coach and help others
solve problems, and persuade and influence others to own their
problems. Do you know how to show advanced empathy and
encourage others to identify and be accountable to specific
performance and outcomes? Can you manage confrontation and
engage the skill of immediacy? Those skills are required in work
situations and every day at home in your personal relationships.
4. Transforming Leaders have exceptional Team/Consulting
Skills. The dynamics of leadership involve being awake and
aware. In this skill set, you address the following skills.
The current state of a team
The groups needs, wants, problems, and fears
The readiness and willingness levels of the team and in-
dividuals
How to facilitate and overcome resistance to change
How to design and implement steps and solutions
Can you imagine a sports coach being successful without
thoseskills?
5. Transforming Leaders have outstanding Organizational
Development Skills. You must be grounded about yourself; com-
municate effectively with others; hold individuals accountable
for their actions; facilitate team needs, wants, and performance;
AND understand how those actions fit into the bigger picture
of the organizationand the steps that need to be taken when,
with whom, and how.
Your understanding of the five stages of organizational devel-
opment and what is needed to fulfill each one is also critical.
Upon reflection, some of you may feel overwhelmed about the
prospect and complexity of becoming a Transforming Leader.
The fact is that most people dont engage the process. Thats why
there are so few Transforming Leaders!
If you want to rise to the challenge, there are unlimited oppor-
tunities. It is a long-term commitment with enormous rewards.
Note: Abraham Lincoln was a mature person before he attained
the level of leadership skill that motivated people to vote him
into the Office of the President of the United States of America.
Here are some resources to support you on your Leadership
Development journey.
If you are serious about your leadership development and
the development of others, the second edition of Transforming
Leadership is one of the best resources. Te 330-page hardcover book
goes into detail on each of the skill sets and provides examples on how
to develop and embrace each skill. It is intense and content-driven. If
you are looking for light and fufy, its not for you.
To confrm your current Transforming Leadership skills, we
suggest you consider the Leadership Skills Inventory 360 (LSI360)
assessment. In the online interface, you can request up to 10 indi-
viduals that work with you to provide feedback about you regarding
the fve pillars and the 60 critical leadership skills. Te process is set
up to serve small to very large teams. Organizations can deploy the
assessment company-wide. A detailed report compares your opinion
of yourself to the feedback of the others.
If you are not ready for the LSI360, then consider the Leader-
ship Skills InventorySelf (LSIS) assessment, where you rate your-
self on the 60 skills and answer 12 questions about the principles of
Transforming Leadership. A report creates an outline of how you are
doing in each of the critical leadership skills areas. You immediately
see areas where you can improve. Many coaches use this assessment
to serve their clients in coaching sessions.
One of the 10 truths of todays most successful leaders is they are
continuous learners. Transforming Leaders are constantly growing
and learning. LE
Ken Keis, MBA, President of CRG, is considered a global authority on
the way assessment strategies increase and multiply your success rate. In 25
years, he has made over 3000 presentations and invested 10,000+ hours in
consulting and coaching. He is the author of Why Arent You More Like Me?
Discover the Secrets to Understanding Yourself and Others. Kens expertise
includes assisting individuals, families, teams, and organizations to realize
their full potential and to live On Purpose! Call 604 852-0566
Visit www.crgleader.com
Email info@crgleader.com
Video
Book
CRG Leader Books
9
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Leadership
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How leadership with measurement component works
Measurement-based Leadership
Interactive
Measurement-based leadership
Strategy and Leadership are buzz words today. Training
Centers teach to think strategically; they promise to improve
leadership style by giving various best practices that are driven
by past experience. Basically, there is nothing bad about this
until people start losing the focus on what actually matters.
If leadership training works, then why is it that so many
employees dont see the big picture of what they are doing; why
then do so many strategies failed to be executed? Hopefully
someone in the company stops chasing for another leadership
skill, or another of the emperors new clothes.
Leadership is one of the soft skills that can be hardly quantified,
but the results of the leadership can be successfully measured.
With this article Id like to share another point of view on leader-
ship and how leadership can be actually based on measurement.
There is a problem with leadership and strategy
Recently I got a call from a potential customer who had a
problem with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It doesnt
make sense suggesting KPIs that are out of a business context,
so I asked him right away about the companys business strategy.
The customer was happy to inform me that they have a well-
formulated strategy and what they are looking for is to support
their leadership efforts with some numbers that KPIs are sup-
posed to give them.
After a short discussion it appeared that a companys strategy
consisted of 3 goals formulated using vague phrases like We
want to be the best... and We want to have the biggest... I
was prepared to share my point of view on what a correctly
formulated strategy is, but it was not clear for me what exactly
the customer meant by leadership efforts.
I continued with the questions and it appeared that the main
channel of communicating a strategy to employees were weekly
meetings. According to a new top management initiative de-
partment managers were obligated to add some KPIs into their
presentations and this was supposed to improve their leader-
shipstyles.
This and many other examples showed that nowadays people
tend to misuse terms like leadership and strategy. Any deci-
sion is called strategic just because it was taken by top man-
agement; any skill related to communication with employees is
now labeled as a leadership skill:
People tend to use a term strategy for a vague set of busi-
ness goals that company has. For sure, a company needs to have
these goals, but astrategy is more aboutfinding the reasons of
the problem, defining clear objectives and formulating a plan
to achieve them.
Managers attend business training that is supposed to
improve their leadership styles, but what they actually need is
to improve their basic project management skills.
Confused by various buzz words, leaders start to lose their
focus on what their role is and how to fulfill it. A good ap-
proach to solve this problem is to make leadership a little bit
more technology than art, this would be possible if we could
implement a proper measurement system. Lets see how we can
quantify and measure leadership.
How to implement measurement in leadership
As any soft skill it is hard to measure leadership, but it is pos-
sible to measure the result of an application of leadership skills
in real business. You wont know what a leadership score of a
manager is, but you will be able to say, if specific results were
achieved and to what extent.
Measurement cannot be done at the end of the project, it
should be implemented in the beginning together with the
definition of business objectives. When on a weekly meeting
someone suggests a new business objective and others agree on
it, and the next step is to discuss 2 questions:
How is this supposed to help a company with our ulti-
mate business goals? E.g. is a suggested objective is coherent
with other objectives and how it can be implemented into a
business strategy.
How are we supposed to track this? E.g. how does a
company know what the progress towards an expected result is?
If you dont know how an objective will help to achieve an
ultimate goal or if it is hard / impossible to track the effect, then
you need to formulate a business objective in some other way.
We were not talking about leadership (as an ability to lead)
yet, but this is a home task that a person needs to do before
leading others. Those leaders who formulated their business
12
strategy well dont need to search for a Philosophers stone for
their leadership skills.
How leadership with measurement component works
There are people who say that leadership cannot be measured.
Thats true, but the results of the leadership should be measured
and tracked.
Do something that can be tracked and youll find a way
to track it!
Lets review how leadership will work when measurement was
implemented into the strategy:
1. Business strategy was correctly formulated. Business objec-
tives are cause-and-effect linked and show how you will get to
a desired business outcome.
2. Each objective can be tracked. One can tell if it was achieved
and to what extent.
3. When employees have a new task, they can see the big
picture (why this needs to be done) and they know about how
their progress will be tracked. As a result this task is much more
tangible for them.
4. If the task was not completed successfully a team can report
back obstacles that they faced so that a strategy can be updated.
Leader will still need to be charismatic, listen to a team, see
the picture of the future, etc. What has changed then?
Leadership is more design than art
By implementing measurement systems into their business
strategy, a leader makes the strategy more tangible. By sharing
the big picture of the strategy with the team he or she involves
employees in the strategy design and execution. On this level,
the leadership is supported more by specific business processes
rather than by some soft skills. In this sense it is more about
design than about art.
Try this approach for your business. Im sure that the discussed
approach will generate more tangible results for your business
than a development of abstract leadership skills. LE
Measurement-based Leadership
Aleksey Savkin, is a founder of AKS-Labs, vendor of BSC Designer software
and tools for software engineers. His areas of expertise are remote team
management, Balanced Scorecard, KPIs, business performance management,
general info-business development and marketing. Aleksey is the author of
a number of articles and books on Balanced Scorecard. He runs Balanced
Scorecard seminars in the Moscow Business School (MBS).
13
A journey from a bad KPI
to an excellent strategy
How to track soft skills
like leadership
A main job of leaders is to motivate their teams. Faced with
endless changes and challenges, employees need leaders who will give
them energy to continue when all seems lost. Yet, it is amazing how
stupid some leaders can be when they try to motivate their teams. We
are especially surprised when we work with really bright executives
(Ph.D.s, MDs, MBAs at Fortune 500 companies) to fnd that even
they employ the stupidest strategies.
Here are the seven stupidest strategies that not only dont work, but
do the opposite of what is intended:
1. Instituting change via email I wish I could only count on
my two hands the number of times I have seen executives implement
changes via an email: new system rollouts, organizational structure
changes and other large scale change. Yet some leaders think an email
will sufce to communicate change. All it does is leave employees
frustrated, scared and unable to succeed. Instead, change should
always be delivered in person either individually or in a meeting.
While it doesnt necessarily take a lot of time, it does take prepara-
tion and thought. We have a time-tested one-minute change speech
that brings an organization together instead of tearing it apart during
times of upheaval or shift.
2. Being unavailable How can you motivate your team if you
are not available to answer questions, fll in the blanks or lend a sup-
portive ear. John, a Fortune 500 Insurance executive, consistently sent
requests to his leaders via email (see #1) and then could not be reached
to discuss them until after the requests were due. No wonder his team
was so frustrated that one of them even had a nervous breakdown.
If something is important to you, then act like it. With texts, video
chat, email and phones, there is always a way to be reached. Dont let
your laziness or infexibility hurt your employees or cause them to
not meet your required deadlines.
3. Not saying hello Sarah hired us to lead a team event for her
80-person marketing division to motivate her team. As a result, she
learned from her team what she needed to do to motivate them. Just
say hello. If she would just say Hi as she walked into the department
in the morning, people would be a lot more motivated. How could
she think that she could have a productive, motivated team that cared
about anything she thought without having the courtesy to say hi in
the morning? So take fve seconds to say hello to your team members
each day, let them know you see each of them as a person, and youll
start earning some relationship capital to build on.
4. Starting with I think When leaders are trying to get
employees motivated to come up with new ideas, and they start by
sharing their ideas frst, it instantly demotivates their employees. At
a Fortune 200 energy company, Andy, a fnance executive, would do
this day after day and then wonder why his team never came up with
any ideas or wouldnt take action on his ideas. It was because they felt
like it didnt matter what they thought because Andy was so excited
about what he thought. Before you ofer your thoughts, start idea
generation with What do you think? How would you go about it?
What should we do? Ten let your team go at it. If they cant fgure
it out, then you chime in. But if you reach that point too many times,
either you need a new team or you need to be more open.
5. Not frequently recognizing and reinforcing the positive We
have heard all the excuses about why leaders dont take time to recog-
nize and celebrate success. Te most frequently cited reasons include
that they believe that their employees are paid to do a good job, may
By Antoine Gerschel and Lawrence Polsky
and how to avoid them
Stupidest Strategies Leaders
Use to Motivate Team
14
expect a raise, or that there is no time to notice or pay compliments.
Yet we have polled over 1,000 professionals at public, government,
and private companies and over 80% say that they dont get enough
positive feedback. Taking a moment to say, thanks for the extra
efort or, I appreciate your creativity on that goes a long way to
keep people humming.
6. Doing their job for them Henry, the top operations executive
at a multibillion dollar manufacturing conglomerate, would fy around
the world involved in every detail of global operations, visiting one
market after the other. Tere are very few places on this planet he had
not been. He was so busy with travel and managing details of the global
operations, that he couldnt spend enough time leading his function.
It got so bad that his CEO told him: Change the way you run your
business or well send you into early retirement! Tempting as it may
be sometimes because you may think you can do it faster or better,
dont do your employees job for them. Tat is why you pay them.
7. Avoiding confict We all know that confict is the gateway
to new ideas and stronger relationships. Yet leaders around the world
avoid it all costs. Tey think they can nice there way to success.
Christine, a middle manager at a technology organization, is a perfect
example. Everyone who worked for her loved her. Tat was because
she avoided the tough conversations she needed to have. Te result?
Her team continually reported the lowest morale and productivity
of any division. Despite feeling good talking to her, her team knew
there were problems all around, and her avoidance of them drove
their spirits into the toilet. Dont be fooled into thinking being nice
will motivate anyone. It never does. When your team brings problems
up, your job is to address them: make a list, prioritize, work on the
ones that are achievable and explain why others are not. Tis is the
defnition of leadership.
So if you want to really motivate your team, be smart. Do the op-
posite of the stupid strategies. Your team will be more motivated and
productive than you can imagine. LE
Stupidest Strategies Leaders Use to Motivate Team
Business performance experts Antoine Gerschel and Lawrence Polsky are managing partners
at PeopleNRG. Te global leadership and team consulting frm has educated and inspired more
than 60,000 leaders in 11 industries in 30 countries on fve continents since 2008.
Visit www.PeopleNRG.com
By Rajiv Narang
Thought triggers for a CEO
Orbit-shifting Innovation
Today no CEO dare be caught not talking innovation.
However, very few succeed in making innovation happen. There
is usually a gap between a CEOs aspiration for innovation and
the reality of making organization innovation happen. As a
result, most of them repeatedly find themselves faced with more
questions and fewer answers. Orbit-shifting Innovation is the
outcome of Erehwons twenty-year quest to find answers for the
unanswered questions of innovation, the unanswered questions
raised and posed to us by CEOs.
Surfing through the multiple uncertainties that confront in-
novation, we have unearthed many innovation myths that CEOS
still need to bust. These persistent myths are the reason why
innovation doesnt necessarily drive results the way the CEO
aspires, resulting in an innovation gap.
The first innovation myth is at the heart and soul of every
innovation endeavour: the WHY of innovation. Most organiza-
tions believe that purpose of innovation is to conjure up a new,
breakthrough idea. In pursuing the new, they often miss the
bigger picture- will this new idea create a transformative impact?
In fact, the world has gotten so seduced with the romance of
the new; to the extent that the pursuit of newness overrides the
purpose of innovation.
Most innovation leaders have become mesmerized with newness
to such an obsessive extent that it becomes the end in itself.
Whats new about this idea is almost always the first driving
question. However, a search for the new in itself doesnt usually
lead to innovation. Instead, when an organization chooses to
pursue a transformative (orbit shifting) purpose, then innovation
becomes a natural outcome. The focus here is on the transfor-
mative purpose, rather than the new idea for the sake of itself.
It was the Orbit-shifting ambition to save lives in Africa with
textiles that led Vestergaard Frandsen to the Orbit-shifting idea
Lifestraw a straw with which a person can drink from any
source and it purifies it as you drink. Orbit-shifting, as this
example illustrates, is the real passion and the driving purpose and
innovation is merely the means to make the Orbit-shift happen.
Hence, one of the biggest myths that a CEO will need to bust is
this romance with chasing the next new idea. Instead, s/he will
need to ask, What is the next big transformative purpose? and
then, how can innovation be a route to this transformation?
In the course of our innovation journey, we have come across
many organizations that start by saying, The problem is not
ideas, we have over 3,000 ideas - the problem is execution.
However, digging deeper, what we have almost always uncovered
15
is that what at first sight, appears to be a multitude of ideas
is usually rooted in only a few and limited ways of thinking.
The many ideas are often restricted to the conventional, more
of the same tracks. This busts the second myth that innovation
equals ideation. In reality, we have found that an Orbit-shifting
innovation emerges not with the search for ideas but by uncover-
ing the unquestioned boundaries within which most of the current
ideas co-exist. The crux for CEOs is the realization that creating
breakthroughs needs the organization innovation drive to move
beyond mere ideation to recognizing and then breaking through
mental model boundaries related to growth, customers, markets,
business models, etc.
The belief that market research, market trend studies, and even
direct consumer contacts will lead to a new market insight is
another myth. Consumer insight is the new buzzword, and so
most top managers now slot time to meet customers. However,
meeting consumers does not guarantee insight. We (Erehwon)
have discovered that an insight gap exists because the lenses with
which we engage customers are jaded. Hence, we first need to
renew our lenses An Orbit-shifting insight is a quest for questions,
to join new dots and not a search for answers. A new question leads
the team at Nintentdo to create Wii a game changing game. This
orbit-shifting idea emerged when the Nintendo team questioned the
industry trend of following technology roadmaps in designing the
next game. This new question leads the team to discover a previously
unrecognized market need- going beyond teenagers and creating a
family game. Sony, on the other hand, missed discovering this op-
portunity because they continued to ask the same questions and got
the same answer in fact even when the question of social gaming
was raised by one of their senior leaders, it was ignored. Further,
in the search for new questions, the organization and the team will
need go beyond merely engaging with customers. They will need to
engage with a wide spectrum of the insight sources including
ecosystem entities, domain experts, and lateral experts. New
insight sources are needed to open up new questions and join
new dots. In fact, the greater the challenge, the wider has to be
the spectrum of insight sources to be engaged with.
CEOs need to go beyond merely challenging their people to
come up with out of the box ideas. Instead, they have to start by
identifying the box and then provoking their teams with an out
of the box challenge. That Breakthrough innovation starts with
an out-of-the-box idea is another myth waiting to be busted.
Orbit-shifting innovation, by design, does not start with an out-
of-the-box idea; it really starts with an out-of-the-box challenge.
For SK Telecom in Korea, monetize the non-monetized part of
the network was an out of the box challenge that led to an out
of the box idea Ring Back Tones. This created a new revenue
stream. An out-of-the-box challenge, as this example brings alive,
is what is needed to propel the team /organization thinking to
go beyond the current box to discover an Orbit-shifting idea.
On deeper reflection, most CEOs find themselves faced with
a painful realization that most big ideas dont get killed, they just
get diluted. Most organizations innovation journeys usually end
with the emergence of a promising new idea. The strategists in
organizations believe they are the thinkers and their role ends
with the identification of the big idea. The execution is left to
the implementers. This is one myth that needs to be busted ruth-
lessly. As much, if not more, innovation will be needed to execute
a new idea, as was required in coming up with it.
Another myth is that the top management can mandate in-
novation. Therefore, CEOs have begun to believe that if they
bring in the right experts or create an innovation department,
innovation will be delivered. The reality is that innovation
cannot be mandated because ownership and excitement cannot
be mandated: people have to take charge. Hence, innovation is
as much a leadership journey as a structural journey. How do
the people who lead innovation inspire others to also believe in
the new idea, the new proposition, with as much commitment
as they do? How can they get key stakeholders to be owners
rather than just presiders or evaluators of the innovation journey?
How do they get implementers to execute the new idea with
the same passion that it was conceived with? Merely mandating
innovation will not be enough, passion will need to be ignited
and innovation will need to be to unleashed.
Yet another myth is that if organizations want innovation to
flourish, they need to hire new people with new capabilities.
However, in reality, a new person can rapidly get sucked into
the gravity of the organization, very quickly delivering more of
the same. This myth stands busted for us because we have experi-
enced a number of Orbit-shifts that have happened when existing
teams and leaders - the same people, have broken through their
mindset gravity, to lead the organization towards a transformative
impact. Hence, it is not about who leads innovation. Instead,
it is the organizations capacity to confront and breakout of the
limiting mindset gravity that uplifts the pursuit of innovation.
The final myth, and in our experience the biggest source of dilu-
tion, is that once the big idea has been developed into a working
prototype, then taking it to market is a simple case of Test and
Launch. But a new idea entering the old pipe may suffer its
greatest dilution in the last mile. Take-to-a-market is usually
done with the conventional approach of piloting in one market
and then simply cascading the formula to other markets. An
Orbit-shifting idea needs to be taken to market with a version-
ing mindset instead, which is about how to make it work rather
than the conventional piloting mindset, which is rooted in the
go or no go mindset.
Busting these myths will enable CEOs to first unleash Orbit-
shifting Innovation and then lead it to in-market success. LE
16
Orbit-shifting Innovation
Rajiv Narang is Founder, Chairman, and Managing Director of Erehwon
Consulting, Indias leading innovation consulting frm. Narang has spoken
at strategy, innovation, and business conferences around the world, and is a
sought after expert on everything innovation. He is the author of Making
Breakthrough Innovation Happen How 11 Indians Did the Impossible
and coauthor of the new book ORBIT SHIFTING INNOVATION: Te
Dynamics Of Ideas Tat Create History.
Visit www.erewhonconsulting.com
By Jim Clemmer
Are the most effective leaders loved or feared?
Judging the Leaders
According to behavioral sciences research cited in Connect,
Then Lead, in the July-August issue ofHarvard Business Review,
when we judge others especially our leaders we look
first at two characteristics:how lovable they are (their warmth,
communion, or trustworthiness) and how fearsome they are
(their strength, agency, or competence).
The authors point out that most leaders emphasize their
authority, credentials, or capability. But doing that before
establishing trust is exactly the wrong approach because it
can evoke fear or disengagement.
The feature article answers the 500 year old question raised
by Niccol Machiavelli on whether its better to be feared or
loved by pointing to:
A growing body of research suggests that the way to influence
and to lead is to begin with warmth. Warmth is the
conduit of influence: It facilitates trust and the communication
and absorption of ideashelps you connect immediately with
those around you,demonstrating that you hear them, understand
them, and can be trusted by them.
The authors cite Zenger Folkmans recent research on likability
to make their case thatthe chances of a leader being strongly
disliked (such as being feared) and still considered a good
leader is about one in 2,000. See Demanding Leaders Are
Much More Effective and More Likable for more on this
research. Itincludes a chart showing the Impact on Likability
of Being Demandingfor men and women. You can also link
toZenger Folkmans new Likability Indexfor a self-assessment.
Where I start disconnecting with Connect, Then Lead is
when the authors provide advice on how to project warmth and
strength or power. Their focus on body language, speech, and
presence smacks of faking authenticity.
How to be more likable, build trust, or increase perceived
honesty and integrity is a challenge we often encounter in our
leadership development work.
Another groundbreaking and highly effective approach to this
conundrum pioneered by Zenger Folkmans research isleadership
cross-training at the heart of their Extraordinary Leader
Development System. SeeLeadership Cross-Training is Powerful
and RevolutionaryorPowerful Combinations: Drive for Results
and Builds Relationships.
Leadership is situational and different leadership is needed
in different circumstances and times. In the 15th century
Florentine Republic, Machivellis advice that its much safer
to be feared than loved may have been appropriate for those
times. In todays world, its clearthe most effective leaders who
consistently deliver top results are loved or at least very
likable. LE

Jim Clemmer is a bestselling author and internationally acclaimed keynote
speaker, workshop/retreat leader, and management team developer on leader-
ship, change, customer focus, culture, teams, and personal growth. Prior to
founding Te CLEMMER Group, Jim was co-founder of Te Achieve Group
and Achieve International. Both were purchased by California-based Zenger
Miller Inc. and now part of AchieveGlobal.
Call +420 731 503 023
Visit jim.clemmer@clemmer.net
Demanding Leaders Are Much
More Efective and More
Likable
Interactive
17
By Debbie Ruston
Stop managing & start leading
Leadership is About Responsibility
Leadership is a huge responsibility that is often confused
with managing. When an individual is promoted to a manage-
ment position, ego often gets in the way. Many new or existing
managers, use their power to micromanage and see themselves
as an authority figure.Tis is one of the things that cause disen-
gagement in the workplace. According to a recent gallup poll, 70%
of employees are disengaged. What is this costing companies in lost
production and profts?
How can managers play a role in turning this around? It starts with
letting go of managing people, and being willing to start leading
them. We lead through our example. Not by our words, but by our
actions. When you become a manager, you have not arrived. You
cannot stop pushing yourself to do more, and learn more. It is not
about securing the corner ofce and handing out instructions. You
are now responsible to help others learn how to step into their own
leadership and be the best they can be in the work they are doing.
Efective managers are continually learning and growing themselves.
Tey are in the game with their employees. Tey have their fnger on
the pulse of what has worked, what is happening, and what needs to
be done to move forward. Tese 3 points are the distinct combination
of how to be a highly respected visionary leader.
Wisdom is built through experience. Efective managers under-
stand exactly what its like to be an employee. Tey know what has
inspired or discouraged them. Tey have seen people before them
do things the right way and do things the wrong way and because of
this, know how to make improvements to take what has worked and
make it even better. When you experience something you have new
distinctions of thinking. You are able to take good and bad results to
gain a distinction, to course correct and do things a little diferently
or in a new way completely. Tis is a valuable resource to bring to a
leadership position.
Tey understand every person in their team has something valuable
to bring to the table, and know how to bring out the best in each
individual. Tey know how to recognize the strengths and contribu-
tions of each individual and how to help them excel in what they are
doing. Tey also know how to teach them how to improve on things
they could do better so the individual is learning and growing.
Tey know where they are going. Based on their own experience of
what works and what doesnt, who they have on their team and what
their strengths are, and have the vision of how they can efectively
put all of that together to create the future growth of all. Tey have
a vision of whats possible based on these factors, and are not simply
running reports and doing forecasts for the next quarter.
Great leaders have the ability to create a vision so strong that people
step into that vision because the leader has credibility in their eyes.
Tey have demonstrated results through their own example. Tey are
confdent but not cocky. Tey see the value in others. Tey recognize
and utilize peoples strengths and help them learn and grow in other
areas they want to improve upon. Tey bring people up to duplicate
their leadership, all working together as a team and do not feel threat-
ened by ideas or strengths their team brings to the table. Tey respect
their employees and see them as equals, not as juniors that must be
dominated to fear management in order to gain the best performance.
It is a choice what style of management you are using. You can sit
in the corner ofce using the outdated, ego driven, stick and carrot
style management. Or, you can get in the game of leadership, under-
standing your role is to bring out the best potential in others, helping
them learn and grow, with the goal of helping others outshine you.
It is bigger picture thinking. It is having the confdence to embrace
others potential, instead of being threatened by it. It is the ability to
collaborate and work together to achieve bigger potential than you
could ever reach yourself.
Take some time to refect on who you are being. Are you managing
or leading others? If you are managing, what is the next step you can
take to improve your leadership? LE
19
Debbie Ruston is an entrepreneur, international trainer and visionary leader.
She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entre-
preneurial leadership mindset.
Email Debbie@TeSuccessEducator.com
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/debbieruston
20
By Carol Kinsey Goman
When your successful past becomes your greatest obstacle
Thriving in Changing Times
There are two kinds of change -- incremental and discon-
tinuous -- that are taking place simultaneously and constantly in
todays business organizations. Incremental change is the process
of continuous improvement -- what the Japanese refer to as
kaizen. Discontinuous change is the kind of large-scale trans-
formation that turns organizations inside out and upsidedown.
Incremental change fits the Newtonian framework of a linear,
progressive and predictable world. There is an unmistakable logic
behind incremental change that makes it easy to communicate
and relatively easy for people to adopt because it uses current
practices as a baseline for the systematic improvement of a
product, service or system. And we human beings like that. We
can base our future success on our past performance.
But much of the change our organizations are facing today is
not incremental. It is discontinuous. And, if leading incremental
change can be compared to encouraging a group of joggers to
gradually pick up the pace, then leading discontinuous change
is like encouraging those same joggers to leap off a cliff and
build their parachutes on the way down. Discontinuous change
-- restructuring, re-engineering, transformation, etc. -- chal-
lenges our most deeply held beliefs about the past. It confronts
the entire organization with the possibility that the very roles,
actions and attitudes that were most responsible for past success
will be insufficient and perhaps even detrimental in the future.
That concept is harder to communicate and much harder for
people to adopt. We dont like to contemplate letting go of the
skills and behaviors that got us here. Thats understandable,
thats basic human psychology -- its just not an attitude that
helps an enterprise move forward.
One of the greatest challenges for a leader who wants his or
her team to thrive in changing times is to identify those prac-
tices and attitudes that need to be eliminated in order to more
quickly adopt new behaviors. Here are five key questions that
you should ask your team members to consider:
1. What do we do best? (What skills, abilities, and attitudes
are we most proud of?)
2. Which of these current skills, abilities, and attitudes will
continue to make us successful in the future?
3. What do we need to unlearn? (Which skills are becoming
obsolete? What practices -- attitudes, behaviors, work routines,
etc. -- that worked for us in the past may be a detriment in the
future?)
4. How does our competence stop us from doing things dif-
ferently? (Where are the comfort zones were most reluctant
to leave?)
5. What new skills do we need to learn to stay valuable to
the organization?
Building a culture that is comfortable with -- even aggressive
about -- innovation, risk, and change, means that everyone needs
to embrace the process of continuous learning, unlearning, and
relearning that is essential to personal and organizational success.
As the leader, you can begin by identifying those behaviors and
attitudes that you personally need to unlearn. Then address the
topic openly: Talk candidly about your problems with letting
go of the past, empathize with the feelings of awkwardness that
comes with leaving the comfort zone, and massage damaged
egos by applauding all efforts that your team members make. LE
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is a popular international speaker at corporate,
government, and association events. Shes a body language coach who helps
politicians, business executives, and sales teams align their verbal and nonver-
bal messages for greater impact and professional success. Call: 510-526-1727
Visit www.CKG.com
Email CGoman@CKG.com
The Leadership 500 Awards dinner at the beautiful Vail Cascade
Resort in Vail, Colorado.
Christine Belknap & Andrea Lawson from NCR
Corporation, accepting their 2nd place award
in the Large Companies category
The winners from the Large Companies category
being recognized for their leadership achieve-
ments by HR.com CEO, Debbie McGrath
Jim Concelman (DDI), Al Switzler (VitalSmarts), Fraser Marlow (Bless-
ingWhite), Nancy Sullivan (Lee Hecht Harrison) and Craig Ross (Verus
Global) accepting their awards in the Large Leadership Partners and
Providers category
Conference participants and keynote speaker Lance Secretan
celebrating the Non-Prot Organization category winners
Describe your overall leadership vision and mission specifc to this program.
DDIs Vision is to ignite positive change in people, workplaces, and communities
around the world through our talent solutions and global team of engaged associates.
We are grateful for this recognition of Interaction Management (or IM for short) that
has helped transform millions of leaders and lives around the world. At the heart of IM
is the Catalyst Leader who sparks positive change in others and learns whats essential
to leadershiphow to maintain self-esteem, listen and respond with empathy, seek
inputs and ideas, build trust, and empower others; and how to conduct an efective
interaction with teams and peers.
What makes your program unique and diferentiated?
Te Interaction Management (IM) system focuses on proven Interaction Essentials or
foundational skills that all leaders need to develop and maintain high-trust, efective,
and productive relationships, both in and out of the workplace, that drive business
results. And, with DDIs global footprint, IM is also uniquely positioned to support
our multinational clients looking to establish or strengthen a global leadership culture
across their enterprise.
Our approach provides leaders with a blueprint and a common leadership language
for how to engage in efective interactions to meet both the personal and practical
needs of their direct reports and colleagues. And once they have a strong foundation
on the essentials, IM builds on other critical competencies like coaching, infuencing
others, delegation, resolving confict, fostering innovation, among other skills. Before
leaders can do any of those, they must frst understand how to treat people with
respect, listen, empathize, etc.
How is this program delivered, both online and in a classroom?
Te fexible components of IM are designed to allow organizations to create their
own curriculum, learning journeys, or custom development solution. IM ofers a wide
range of topics critical for frontline leaders that can be delivered through traditional
classroom, virtual classroom, Web-based training, informal learning and just-in-time
support. With the help of self-assessment exercises, positive model videos, job aids,
skill practice, and more importantly, practical tools to engage the managers of the
learners, newly-learned skills stick and are put to use back on the job as soon as
learners step out of training.
For clients with dispersed audiences, they have seen the same learning outcomes with
virtual classrooms (compared to traditional classroom sessions) without the time and
Large Leadership Partners & Providers Category
Leadership Excellence Rank
#Globalleadership14 Global Leadership Excellence 2014
Jim Concelman
1
Company Name: Development Dimensions
International (DDI)
Program Name: Interaction Management
Program Director: Jim Concelman
Address: 1225 Washington Pike, Bridgeville,
PA 15017
Call: +1 (800) 933-4463, +1 (412) 257-0600
Email: info@ddiworld.com
Visit: www.ddiworld.com
A blueprint for success
Leadership Excellence interviewed Jim Concelman from Development
Dimensions International (DDI), at the Leadership Excellence Awards this
past April. DDI was placed frst in the Large Consulting Category. Here are some
excerpts from the exclusive interview.
Video
expense of travel. For learners with impossible schedules, Web-based
training takes two hours or less to complete and Practice Labs ensure
that you are not sacrifcing engagement and application for fexibility.
To make the 70:20:10 approach easier, we have a variety of informal
learning oferings through additional instructor-led or self-directed
exercises that can be used before, during, and after formal training.
For todays learners, weve also built just-in-time options with mobile
and social learning, plus virtual simulations to practice skills.
So depending on the needs of our clients, we can help design custom
development solutions. If they need a 90-minute learning modules
spaced out over a few weeks, a half-day virtual course, a 3-day program,
or a comprehensive Learning Journey that incorporates assessment,
application, and measurementwe can help. Te options are limitless!
What level of leaders do you address?
While IM is designed for frontline leaders (ie. frst-level managers,
supervisors, team leaders, or emerging leaders), we recognize that leaders
across all levels continue to struggle with the foundational skillsso
yes, many senior leaders have still benefted from IM. DDI also has
a suite of leadership development solutions designed to address the
unique challenges for middle managers and executives.
How do you measure success and ROI of your program?
DDIs Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research (CABER) uses
a set of proven, standardized tools to measure beyond Kirkpatricks
4 levels of evaluation. Weve helped companies to identify leadership
skills critical to success, check reactions and learning, identify and
monitor catalysts or barriers to desired results, and measure behavior
change. We have also helped clients report improved talent and business
outcomes, like higher employee engagement or lower voluntary
turnover and demonstrate how improved leadership behaviors impact
business results.
What is your area of expertise in leadership training, when it comes
to teamwork, execution and frontline managers?
IM draws on our 40-plus years of experience assessing and developing
millions of leaders around the world; we developed IM to equip leaders
at the frontline with essential skills to drive both engagement and
execution. We pioneered behavior-modeling for leadership training
and hundreds of research studies have shown post-training behavior
changeleaders who have really changed how they lead, manage their
teams, and execute strategythat really improves business results.
What is the customer, client, or participant able to take away and
apply to improve themselves and the performance of their team
members?
Trough extensive studies across multiple companies and industries,
we have seen measurable and signifcant behavior change. Leaders
transformed into better coaches and managers. Tey listened more,
gave better feedback, and delegated more efectively. Our impact
analysis showed post-training improvements in quality of work (44%
improvement), customer satisfaction (42%), productivity (38%), and
efciency (37%). Such improvements had a positive impact on the
bottom line: an increase in sales productivity, a drop in absenteeism
and downtime, and increased employee retention by 42.3%.
What impact does your program have on the users?
Clients from around the world have shared how they have become
better people in and out of the work place, sparked by an experience
with our leadership development programs. We captured their stories
in a book called SPARK!. Leaders become people who others want to
be around. People who beneft from stronger relationships at work, at
home, and in the community; who can solve problems in a spirit of
partnership; and who can efectively express empathy and emotions.
What lies ahead for your program?
We are excited to add to our series of online simulations for diferent
environments and situations to provide virtual platforms for leaders
to practice and further develop their skills after formal training. One
of the things that we found from initial customer feedback is that
leaders love taking the challenge. Te simulations are engaging, they
are game-like, and they pull leaders in. So we will be developing more
simulations, broadening to topics like coaching and giving feedback,
and making them an even more immersive experience. Another
thing we are looking at is how to more efectively deploy continuous
learning, how we make our informal learning content more accessible
and easier for L&D managers to get out to their leaders.
Wed love to share the specifics of our recent analyst rankings as
the worlds premier leadership development firm.
But we cant do it here.
Our agreements with the third-party research firms preclude going public with the rankings.
But we can show them to you one-on-oneyou have only to contact us directly. Get a private
briefing and learn how working with DDI can help put your organization on top.
Contact us at insight.ddiworld.com/Outrank or 1-800-933-4463
to see how better leaders can help you outrank competitors.
Weve been put
in quite a position.
Ad2014_Putinquiteaposition_outrankcompetitors_Print_Fullpage_HRcom_ConferenceAd_Layout 1 3/5/2014 11:04 AM Page 1
25
By Dick Cross
Concentrating on follower-ship is what counts
Nine assignments as a turnaround CEO have cut a path
for me to a single, overarching conclusion about leadership in
a job at the top. Of a company, a division, a team, a project,
a family or a church group - Concentrating on follower-ship
is what counts.
And the concomitant? Ive become skeptical about the value
of techniques for leadership. The idea that leadership is a
technique, and that its highest effects can be replicated by
copying someone elses success, has lost its appeal for me.
The crucible that alloys us into effective leaders lies on the
inside, not on the outside. The headwaters of a Braveheart-
brand of follower-ship arise only from within. It seldom results
from attempting to fit into someone elses suit.
Zealous following germinates in a soil of authenticity. In the
degree to which every aspect of the character we exhibit at the
top is anchored in unswerving commitment to a clear set of
principles by which we live. In all circumstances. Particularly
the hardest. Because everyone is watching.
Many of us fail to pay sufficient, conscious attention to the
degree of scrutiny with which others in our organizations look
to us for clues in even the most subtle points of our behaviors
and demeanor. Clues for signals about whether to give more than
the minimum to keep their jobs. About whether or not to put
themselves at risk in order to contribute their all to our inten-
tions. And about how to maintain themselves in our good graces.
Yet the models for how to fashion our behaviors and our
demeanor as the seeds of patriotic followings is inconclusive.
Because the record evidences no particular style that is reliable
in generating that result. Different styles attract different fol-
lowings. And many, when effectively executed, can be equally
compelling. Both Hells Angels and The Angels of Mercy inspire
deeply loyal constituencies. Just different. The point is that con-
sistency of behavior, of decision making and of action anchored
unambiguously to a deep set of clearly demonstrated convictions
is what counts.
So, what makes a powerful leader?
Cutting across the spectrum of the models for leadership are
two inside attributes, not techniques, that raise the odds of
transforming who we already are into powerful, adhesive forces
in our organizations.
The first inside attribute has to do with how we view our
own jobs. So often the signal we get from our bankers, boards
of directors, investors and even our employees is that ours is a
job of ultimate responsibility. The responsibility to craft powerful
vision, to define a winning strategy and to oversee precise and
superior execution. And when we chin to these responsibilities,
we get to keep our jobs, get a pat on the back and maybe, a
deposit in our bank accounts.
This is a transactional way of approaching our jobs at the top,
which is the way most of business works. You deliver performance
of A . you get reward of B. Accordingly, most of us have
little chance of changing that prevailing protocol among those
outsiders who evaluate and have influence over us.
But the protocol for how all those outsiders operate doesnt
necessarily mean thats the mindset we need to adopt in ap-
proaching our own roles. In fact, its not our most effective
positioning for creating zealous followings.
A better angle is to think of our own motivation as duty, versus
responsibility. Our duty is our allegiance to a higher calling. One
that we decide is worthy of our complete commitment. One that
we will sacrifice and put ourselves at risk to accomplish. Because
of its fundamental goodness and because of its worth to others.
When we are driven by a sense of duty to a higher calling
versus fulfilling a responsibility that someone else placed upon
us through a transactional agreement, our thinking is clearer.
Our motivation is deeper. Every expression of our being attracts
and inspires people, the ones who care deeply about the same
things we care about, to give their all to our cause. Because they
believe deeply in us, and want to be successful together.
The second inside attribute has to do with how we view
those people who are assembled for us to lead. Those whom
we intend to molt into a zealous following. This second anchor
point for the platform for Braveheart-brand leadership begins
with discarding our concept of employees and replacing it with
the concept of volunteers.
Everyone has choices for where to spend their 40-60 hours a
week for pay. The fact that some have chosen our organization,
and that we have agreed to pay them for their efforts, gives us
no right to treat them as anything less than valuable volunteers-
Individuals who have gifted us with their abilities to think and
with their skills. Our jobs, therefore, are not to discipline them
into what we believe will be the most productive use of their
time. But rather to create settings where they can develop as far
as they can, and where they can contribute the full extend of
their capacities in supporting us, and all our others, in achieving
our shared intentions.
Viewing those around us as volunteers, versus employees, resets
our idea of being in charge. No longer is it our job to decide
what each individual needs to do and through our powers to
hire, incent and fire to direct him into that activity. Maniacal
following attaches itself to leadership that evidences authentic
caring about the individuals around it. Not simply enforcing the
terms of job descriptions and employment agreements. Caring
about every individual becoming better than he ever might be
in any other organization. To be intensely proud of the working
part of his life. Not only in the actual performance of his
specified duties, but also in every aspect of contributing to our
organization in order to further a cause and a leader he admires.
So, how do the ideas of duty and volunteers circle back to the
creation of zealous followings? The record supports the hypoth-
esis. And the evidence is building, particularly in what we are
learning about the motivations of the Gen Xers, Ys Millenials
and Nexters.
What is it that anchors the capacity to mold these new gen-
erations into powerful-packed follower-ships? What foments
the their pandemic zeal to help us achieve what we seek to ac-
complish with our organizations?
Their allegiance is not attracted to hubris at the top, nor to the
command and control and follow the rules Ive established
models weve inherited. But rather to vivid and consistent
demonstrations of generosity of spirit, and love. Love for ones
cause and for ones assembly .. from the top.
Not only have I found the quest for follower-ship through
the ideas of duty and volunteers more effective than emulating
someone elses techniques for leadership in building zealous
organizations . but this shift in thinking also opens the gates
to a deeply satisfying pathway for a lifetime of fascination with
building zealous follower-ships. And with the role of the job at
the top in creating them. LE
Dick Cross has worked with underperforming companies for more than
25 years, helping mainstream businesses achieve their next level of success.
Dick has been the Chairman, CEO, or President at nine of those companies,
and has mentored more than 100 CEOs. Dick is the author ofJust Run
It!: Running an Exceptional Business is Easier Tan You Tink(Bibliomo-
tion 2012) and 60-Minute CEO: Mastering Leadership an Hour at a Time
(Bibliomotion 2014)
26
Describe your overall leadership vision and mission specifc to this program?
VitalSmarts believes organizations that invest in their people enable their workforce
to carry out business practice more successfully. Tat is because what lies between
an organizations lofty goals and the outcomes it desires is often good old-fashioned
human behavior. VitalSmarts has identifed an innovative approach for enabling
organizations to achieve new levels of performance by focusing on the human system,
otherwise known as the Cultural Operating System. Just as electronic devices need
basic functions like input, output, data management, and so on, organizations
need basic human software to execute fawlessly and innovate consistently over
time. Our research led us to four foundational skill sets that, when present across
all levels of the organization, ensure things run smoothly and improve routinely.
Tey are: self-directed change for the individual, open dialogue for interpersonal
interaction, universal accountability for the team, and infuential leadership for the
organization. Crucial Conversations addresses one of the foundational skill sets of a
high-performance culture--open dialogue. Specifcally, it teaches skills for creating
alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional,
or risky topics at all levels of your organization. By learning how to speak and be heard
(and encouraging others to do the same), training graduates can begin to surface the
best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions, and then act on their decisions with
unity and commitment.
What makes your program unique and diferent?
In addition to the Cultural Operating System approach to leading organizational
change and improving performance, VitalSmarts competitive advantage lies in
training programs that are research and evidence-based. Weve spent the past 30
years studying top performers worldwide to fnd out what separates the best from
the rest. Our observation led us to identify high-leverage behaviors exhibited by top
performers across industries, occupations, and cultures. Te outcome is a research-
based training methodology that focuses on teaching these best-practice behaviors to
employees at all levels, from top executives to front-line workers. Organizations that
adopt the behaviors taught in Crucial Conversations see marked behavioral change
and measurable improvements in quality, productivity, cost, employee engagement,
and other key results.
How many people do you impact per year with this program?
To date, more than 900,000 people have graduated from Crucial Conversations
Training. Each year, VitalSmarts trains between 125,000 to 150,000 people in Crucial
Conversations.
Al Switzler
2
Company Name: VitalSmarts
Program Name: Crucial Conversations
Program Director: Andy Shimberg
Address: 282 River Bend Lane, Suite 100
Provo, UT
Call: 801-724-6272
Visit: www.vitalsmarts.com
Begin with behavior
It is important to focus on the human system (cultural operating system), says Al
Switzler from VitalSmarts in an exclusive interview with Leadership Excellence.
Video
How long does it take to complete this program?
Crucial Conversations is available through both classroom and virtual
training. Classroom courses are delivered over one to two consecutive
days, or can also be spread out in space-learning sessions according to
a schedule that best meets client needs. Virtual Training is delivered in
fve to seven two-hour learning blocks via live, synchronous learning.
How is this program delivered (online, classroom, etc.)?
Crucial Conversations is available through both classroom and
virtual training options. Our classroom courses infuse engaging
classroom time with original video clips and practice using real-life
examples. Classroom courses are available via avenues such as: in-
house training, where one of our expert trainers delivers the program
at the client location; public workshops, where anyone can attend a
pre-scheduled, public training workshop held in locations around
the world; or Trainer Certifcation, where individuals or trainers
from a client organization get certifed to teach the course within
their company. Virtual participants can expect a live webcam feed
of the Master Trainer, large presentation slides, chat and hand-raise
capabilities, quizzes, polls, breakout sessions with fellow participants,
and digital participant materials.
Crucial Conversations is ideal for employees at all levels, from
front-line workers to top executives. It teaches people how to engage
in efective dialogue when the stakes are high, opinions difer, and
emotions run strong. While every person encounters these conditions
daily, leaders who manage direct reports, teams, or projects can
especially beneft from these skills. Following Crucial Conversations
Training, leaders can navigate crucial moments much better to achieve
results while fostering a productive working environment.
Our clients report several results of their Crucial Conversations
Training initiatives. Firstly, there is productivity and quality. Sprint
Nextel saw a 93% improvement inproductivity and a 10 to 15%
improvement in quality, time, and cost. Secondly is teamwork.
Employees at MaineGeneral Health were 167% more likely to speak
up and resolve problems with colleagues after being trained in Crucial
Conversations. Tirdly, it can be measured in the area of relationships.
Franklin Pierce College reduced passive-aggressive behavior by 14%
and increased trust levels by 15%. Fourthly, it is evident in the area
of performance. STP Nuclear Power Plant went from total shutdown
to generating the most electricity in the nation among two-unit
plants. Finally, when it comes to efciency, AT&T reduced billing
costs by 30%and Sprint Nextel reduced customer care expenses by
$20 million annually.
What is your area of expertise in regards to leadership training,
like teamwork, execution and frontline managers?
Crucial Conversations ofers many benefts to leaders as they can
manage their team members better and increase their personal infuence.
Specifcally, clients report improvements to teamwork, employee
morale, client satisfaction, efciency, execution, and corporate culture.
members?
Crucial Conversations Training teaches a high-leverage skill set for
navigating high-stakes, political, or emotionally volatile situations in a
way that secures results while also improving relationships. Participants
learn how toSpeak persuasively, not abrasively; Foster teamwork
and better decision making; Build acceptance rather than resistance;
and Resolve individual and group disagreements.
Crucial Conversations graduates leave training with a tool box of
skills to create alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue
around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topicsat all levels of the
organization. By learning how to speak and be heard (and encouraging
others to do the same), they can surface the best ideas, make the
highest-quality decisions, and then act on their decisions with unity
and commitment. We also receive overwhelming feedback from our
graduates that these skills are applicable not only at work, but also in
the home. Graduates use these skills when communicating with their
spouses, children, and family members to repair strained relationships
and navigate lifes most crucial conversations with their loved ones,
with both candor and respect.
Whats in store for the future?
We did a second edition of Crucial Conversations at the tenth year
anniversary. We have done four iterations of the training program to
be sure it increases the transference and the ROI because we are totally
devoted to that. And in March, as mentioned earlier, we announced our
instructor-lead Virtual Classroom Training. Tis way were making it
available to many more people who cant travel, dont have the budget,
or dont have the time for a two-day course. We are excited that after
all these years, Crucial Conversations is still fnding acceptance.
By Dwight Frindt
Leadership conversations for productivity breakthroughs
Lean Conversations
Lean Conversations are conversational structures and pro-
cesses that use less of everything: less intellectual effort, less
time devoted to non-value adding conversations, less emotional
energy expended, and less time to produce outcomes desired by
a team of people or the organization overall. They are designed
to eliminate the friction and waste from your own interactions
and throughout your organization that have resulted from
unproductive, unexamined conversational patterns. Mastery of
lean conversations may provide the edge that separates those
companies who thrive during lean economic times from those
that disappear.
Conversations include spoken conversations, memos, emails,
written policies and procedures and any other structures of
language, especially including body language, intended to pass
information or cause or guide interactions between people.
We are forwarding our proposition based on ideas developed
in the Toyota Production System. Toyota defined three types
of waste: muda or non-value-added work, mura or unevenness
and muri or overburden. Non-value adding work is waste that
must be done under the present work conditions. The flow (or
smoothness) based approach aims to achieve JIT by removing the
variation caused by work scheduling. Muri is all the unreason-
able work that management imposes through poor organization.
Unfortunately, most lean practitioners in North America focus
on the tools and methodologies of lean, versus the philosophy
and culture of lean. -Excerpts From Wikipedia
The thought processes of lean can be successfully applied
to create taxonomy of all of the types of conversations held
throughout an organization. Conversations which add waste can
be identified and reduced, with the ultimate goal of elimination,
and conversations that add value can be nurtured and developed.
More importantly, the effectiveness or productivity of a groups
conversations can be dramatically enhanced by building new
conversational capacities to replace the wasteful ones.
Muda, or non-value-added conversations are those that cur-
rently occur throughout the day while attempting to accomplish
work. Most have never been examined for true necessity or value.
More and more, the obvious example of this is the rapidly ac-
celerating percentage of time being spent on email, texts and live
chat, if only to delete all of those that have been ccd to whole
lists of people with no real thought for relevance.
Shigeo Shingo, the driver of this thinking at Toyota, pointed
out that its only the last turn of a bolt that tightens it - the
rest is just movement. If you apply this thinking to a rigorous
examination of all the conversations involved in moving a type
of work forward, how many of the conversations, currently
perceived as necessary, can be removed? In addition to looking
at very visible and identified steps in a process; focus on things
like the seven conversations you had to have with Bob to get
him to complete the project he was assigned.
We regard mura or unevenness as those conversations that arise
from all of the surprises that occur during the day, generally
as a result of failures to communicate with people who need to
know. This type of waste seems to be heightened in those of our
clients who pride themselves in being in rush businesses like
advertising or seasonal businesses like tax accounting. Much of
the crunch time is actually self-induced through the absence
of productive conversational capacities, systems & processes
29
Leadership Development Part
3 Your Speaking
Interactive
30
that can go a long way towards smooth or balanced work flow.
When it comes to unreasonable work imposed by manage-
ment (muri or overburden), most executives and managers will
conceptually agree with the idea of eliminating it but believe that
creation of the problem pretty much belongs to others. If they
are in the middle of the organization, they might see themselves
as victims of muri. It is much harder to see and own work we
are imposing on others that may be unreasonable.
One of the most obvious targets for reducing overburden is
the seemingly endless meetings that managers in many organi-
zations attend. Simply requiring a clear Purpose and Intended
Outcomes for each meeting and asking who are the essential
attendees to produce these outcomes? will lead to tremendous
reductions in meeting attendance and lost work hours. Further
exploration for the underlying beliefs that drove past attendance
levels may expose broader unproductive beliefs and misunder-
standings that can lead to even greater savings.
Diagnostic:
For self-discovery, do a tracking and recording process for just
24 hours:
1. How many times a day do you break your thought or
action pattern to react to calls, texts, emails, and instant chats?
2. How many useless to unimportant emails do you look at,
glance at, or at least take the time to delete?
3. Note how many minutes it took you to do that.
4. How many calls do you answer just because your phone
or cell rang?
5. How many were unimportant or could have been directed
to others?
6. How many times did someone walk into your office to
take advantage of your open door policy?
7. How much time did you spend on conversations that could
have been directed to others?
8. How many times and how much time did you spend
thinking or worrying about projects or tasks that are someone
elses accountability?
9. Can I make an appointment with you that you will keep
or do I have to resort to wandering into your office (or worse,
standing in line outside your office) to get the response I need?
10. How many times and for how long did you wander down
the hall and into others offices to talk over something that was
on your mind?
11. How many times did you or anyone else you engaged with
in the test period share at least a rough draft of a purpose and
intended outcomes for the conversation?
12. When you engaged with another person, how many times
did you check in to be sure you got their content, feelings,
and intention before you moved the conversation to action or
solution?
13. What percentage of your interactions is like that?
14. How many times during the day did you pause to check in
with your three top strategic priorities to be sure your interac-
tions with others were based on those?
15. How many and what kind of wasteful conversations or
interactions did you observe in others during the day?
Proposed Actions:
Its one thing to diagnose the three types of waste and friction
in an organization and another to do something about any, let
alone all three of them. Actually, the doing is simple, but not
easy. The central challenge is intervening in the inertia of your
automatic behavior.
There are several initial steps to get you started making Lean
Conversations the standard in your life and your organization.
First, it begins with you. If you actually did the exercise for at
least a day, you were probably shocked at the opportunities you
saw for time and energy savings. Now multiply that by all the
people in your organization. You will quickly see the huge return
available on any investment of time and money in training and
development for Capacity Building of the skills required to
engage in Productive Interactions.
Start by creating a mental picture (Yonder Star) of what your
day would look like if you were excited about your answers to just
three of the most important diagnostic questions above. Create
a specific measurable goal for each. Turn those three behaviors
into productive habits through practice, practice, practice. Then
it will be time to pick another three and not before.
Creating productive habits will require developing new ca-
pacities. You will have to learn to self-observe, preferably with
rigor. New outcomes require that you catch and correct your
existing behaviors. You cant do that until you can notice them.
You can support yourself by telling others around you about
your new commitment and giving them permission to call you
when you backslide.
Be aware that, at every moment, you are at the Leadership
Choice Point. The basic premise is that in each instant you
have a new choice to pursue your vision (Green Line), continue
with a predictable behavior (Blue Line), or succumb to one
of your worries or concerns (Red Line). The model below
illustrates this idea.
The model shows three characters; all focused on the shared
vision or shared vision. This kind of alignment will be required
for collective success in your undertakings. Being truly Lean
in the execution process requires re-training the people around
you in what to expect from you and how to interact with you.
Thats right, re-train! After all, you trained them to interact with
you the way they do now!
Retraining consists primarily on making them aware of the
work you are doing on yourself to be lean in your conversations
and requesting that they do the same with you. Invite them to
do the Diagnostic in this paper and take on the hard work of
fundamentally altering their old habits. You might even include
dialogue and progress sharing as part of your regular team meet-
ings or create accountability groups where members can support
each other in making the shift to Lean Conversations!
The degree of payoff from this work is a function of your
willingness to risk vulnerability and to invest the time and
energy to do the work, both individually and collectively. LE
Dwight Frindt is the Co-founder and Principal of 2130 Partners. He is an
author, executive consultant and coach and skilled facilitator. Prior to found-
ing 2130 Partners, he held executive positions in mining, heavy construction,
nuclear plant construction management, real estate acquisition and invest-
ment management.
Visit www.2130partners.com
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/dwightfrindt
Lean Conversations
31
By Gabriel Paradiso
And its impact on the quality of execution
The Great Leadership Challenge
Fortunately, Daniel Goleman comments that it has already
been proved that the DNA of an organization is marked by
the emotional atmosphere that exits in it, and this atmosphere
arises from nearly between 50% and 70% of the actions taken
by their leaders. Looking at these figures, the impact is high.
An organization gains the personality or the DNA of its leaders.
The leader is, more than any other person, who sets the con-
ditions which directly determine the ability and motivation to
answer positively to work, therefore its impact in the organiza-
tional results. Thats why, Goleman continues, Organizations
start to develop effectively when they start to understand their
real emotional reality.
However, can we create profitable organizations and, at the
same time, healthy ones? The more positive the mood of the
directors is, the better the organization DNA will be, the better
its operation and its economic returns, or in other words, the
longer a team of executives are deep in a negative DNA, the
worst the returns will be. There is a formula to quantify this rela-
tion, according to it; an increase of 1% in emotional atmosphere
of services goes with an increase of 2% in returns. Sometimes
I am in organizations where my internal voice says How good
it would be to work here! Sometimes I am in companies where
I do not want to stay for more than two hours. Emotional
atmosphere is smelt, is felt, and is experienced. The smell
of a sustainable company is not the same as the smell of an
organization with high turnover, high index of labor accidents,
lack of commitment and its impact on clients dissatisfaction.
So, can leadership improve the quality of execution? Is the
quality of execution that great future challenge or an everyday
task that we are not hitting the nail on the head? Both things.
I want to be clear, it is neither at the expense of strategic pur-
poses, nor income statements or EBITDA follow up, nor the
strategy of operations or if the supply chain is effective or not.
Of course, it is important to know in depth the decision to di-
versify products and services or to choose to work with LEAN
Manufacturing, certify an international quality standard or
upload data to the cloud. What can I say about carrying out
innovations according to the model of Blue Ocean Strategy!
All these have a great impact on execution, we cannot deny it,
results orientation is a vital organizational competence. But
be careful, there are studies which show that the way people feel
working for an organization accounts for between 20% and 30%
of the global returns. Thats why it is not surprising that a soft
variable as it is managing appropriately emotional resources
can end causing hard results.
Having mentioned this; I would like you to revise and think
some concepts of S.M.R. Covey that he worked on very well in
his book El Factor Confianza and where he adheres and sup-
ports the thesis of how soft variables finish being a positive
drive to hard business results and indicators.
The first formulas he contrasts are:
Strategy x Execution (Strategy x Execution) x Trust
= Returns = Value
Here we can see that solving this formula is not just a word
game. In terms of profitability the word returns will be well
32
seen, but in terms of competitiveness and sustainability, it is
the value which makes the difference.
This author introduces the existence of another simple formula
which permits us to take trust as an intangible and non-quan-
tifiable variable and transform it into an indispensable factor
that becomes not only tangible but quantifiable: Trust always
determines two results, speed and costs. When there is less trust,
there is less speed to take decisions and costs increase.
It seems difficult to measure or see it reflected in an Income
Statement and Balance Sheets, but transcendental values
as trust and integrity are literally translated into income,
benefits and long term development. Some people think as
Professor John Whitney - that the lack of trust doubles the costs
of doing business.
Clarifying it, the lack of trust is a tax that it is paid when we
are in the presence of : a toxic culture, functional areas fighting
among them, micro management, rules and procedures of a high
bureaucratic level, leaders with hidden diaries, information
transmitted in a slow and cautious manner, employees behavior
to protect themselves, among others. When does trust become a
dividend? , surely in the presence of: mutual tolerance, healthy
communications, cooperative atmosphere, transparent human
relations, employees listened by their leaders, innovation, com-
mitment and when the priority is work and not the political
agenda, to mention some references.
Once Jack Welch was asked, how would you classify the leaders
at work and he recognized four dimensions:
Leaders who get results and live respecting the values: we
must keep and promote them.
Leaders who dont get results or respect the values: we
must open the doors to let them go
Leaders who respect the values but do not get returns:
we can teach, advice, transfer to other sectors or they can have
another position.
Leaders who are the most difficult to treat are those who
get high returns but do not respect the organization values.
They meet their objectives but they do those using methods
that are clearly challenging these values. According to the author,
these leaders must learn to act according to the values or they
can be allowed to leave in spite of the returns. Keeping them is
harmful for the organization and destroys credibility and trust.
Some sustain that the capacity to inspire, grow, develop and
recover trust with all the stakeholders shareholders, clients,
suppliers, community and colleagues is the key leading com-
petence of the new global economy. This is the great leadership
challenge and its impact on the quality of execution. It is what
and how. A long term challenge and a hard task every day. LE
Gabriel Paradiso is the CEO of Umana Consulting. He is also a speaker,
trainer and coach.
Visit www.umanaonline.com.ar
The Great Leadership Challenge
Celgene - Joe Garbus
VP, Talent & Leadership Development
Deloitte - Bill Ribaudo
Managing Partner
Directv - Linda Simon
Sr. VP, Leadership & Org. Development
Directv - Maureen Williams
Director, Leadership Development
Renault - Mara Olaizola
Talent & Career Development Director
Sony PlayStation - Ronda Ryan
Program Manager, Leadership Development
State of Minnesota - Dr. Brenda Norman
Director, Workforce Planning & Development
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
For more information and to register:
zengerfolkman.com/events
July 28 - August 1
Park City, Utah
For questions or group discounts contact
trobert@zengerfolkman.com
JACK ZENGER
JOE FOLKMAN
Join us for what is fast becoming one of the premier leadership
development events in the country. Youll have the opportunity
to experience Zenger Folkmans award-winning workshops,
learn from todays global leadership development experts, and
network with peers from across the country.
Learn how our research and strengths-based approach can
help your organization drive employee engagement, build
customer satisfaction and boost bottom-line protability.
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Finding a Mentor
Know the 4 simple steps
By Glen Harrison
A lot of people have gone further than they thought they
could because someone else thought they could. Zig Ziglar
Richard Branson followed this famous quote with one of his
own in a recent blog postFind a mentor. Branson clearly under-
stands the impact a mentor can have on our success. So, why dont
more of us take advantage of the benefts of mentorship? Simply put,
it can seem like an overwhelming task. Who do I choose? How should
I ask them? How does this whole mentoring thing work? Wont this
take too much time? With this in mind, here are 4 simple steps to
help you fnd a mentor and maximize the value of the relationship.
Why You Need a Mentor
Defne what specifcally you want your mentor for.
Is it to develop special knowledge, skills or abilities? Are you looking
for a champion that will advocate for your next promotion? Or, are
you just looking for a general resource as a go to or sounding board
when you run into a challenge.
Being very clear about the why before thinking about the who
will help you fnd the right person and help you both beneft from
the relationship.
READ MORE: 5 Ways To Find Mentors and Make it Matter -
Forbes Magazine
Make a Mentor List
Draft a list of potential mentors based on the requirements youiden-
tifed earlier.
Not sure where to start?
Tink about colleagues (past and present).
See if your organization has a formal mentorship program in
place.
Look at your local chamber or professional association.
Leverage your LinkedIn network.
Now that you are aware of potential sources:
Challenge yourself to include at least one person from each
group to make sure your list is comprehensive.
Rank the list against the requirements you identifed in step one.
Create a short-list of potential mentors to connect with.
READ MORE: Ten Ways to Find Your Mentorship Match Globe
and Mail
What Makes a Great Mentor?
List the qualities that you are looking for in a mentor.
While there aremany qualitiesthat you could look for, I would
simplify it to one simple word;TRUST.
Look at your short-list of mentor candidates, and ask yourself these
two questions:
1. Do you trust that they will be invested in your success and
genuinely want to see you succeed?
2. Do you trust that they have the knowledge and experience that
will help you to grow as a leader? Essentially,have they been where
you want to go?
Obviously trust is something that will need to be developed, but
if you can answer yes to each of these questions, youve likely found
your mentor.
READ MORE: What Makes a Great Mentor Proft Guide
Will You Be MyMentor?
Connect with the mentor that you have identifed in the above
steps and ask them if they are interested.
Asking someone to be your mentor probably feelsa lotlike asking
out your high school crush. But, it doesnt have to be. Like dating,
mentorship works best when you start slow and develop a relation-
ship frst. So, start the relationship by identifyingsomething that
you can do for them.
Looking for an opportunity to help out on a project they are working
onor facilitating a professional connection are just a few quick ideas
for starting the relationshipin a meaningful way. Delivering value is a
great way to demonstrate to a potential mentor that they will beneft
from the engagement.
Now you still have the tough part...asking. Again, like dating, start slow.
Express your interest in following a similar career path and ask
your potential mentor if you can schedule some time to discuss how
they developed throughout their career. It is a great frst date and
an opportunity to validate your choosing them in the frst place, gives
them the opportunity to see if they want to work with you, and sets a
foundation fortherelationship. A few weeks after the conversation - or
a few conversations - you can reach out to them again for the formal
Will You Be My ... Mentor.
Tis is one of the few times that I recommend emails. Emails are
less likely to put the potential mentor on the spot and make them
feel pressured to say yes. You dont want them if they are not all
in. With this in mind:
Make it easy for them to say no
If this is not a good time for you, would you kindly refer me to a colleague
who might be available
Be clear on the time commitment required
...I am hoping that we could meet once a month for an hour. I will plan
a short agenda with specifc topics to discuss for each meeting.
Make clear your intentions for the relationship.
...I am looking to enhance my leadership skillsand am confdentthat
your experience and insight would be invaluable in this pursuit.
READ MORE: How to Successfully Turn (Almost) Anyone into
Your Mentor Entrepreneur Magazine
Its Not Tat Hard
Can you really exploit the advantages of mentorship in just four
easy steps? Absolutely.
You could write hundreds of books on how to identify a mentor,
how to get the most from the relationship, how to be a good mentee
(always hated this word). However, to get value from mentorship,
you actually have to start.
Breaking down the process into these four simple steps enables you
to put meaningful thought and consideration into each step instead
of getting bogged down in a complex process.
Understanding your needs, engaging a wide network of experience,
selecting someone you trust, and actually asking someone to be your
mentor (this is kind of an important one) will get you started. Te
rest is up to you. LE
33
Glen Harrison started his journey withSigma Assessment Systemsnearly two
decades ago managing a large scale employee development project for Chrysler
that involved over 30,000 management and staf. Over his career, Glen has
worked with a third of the Fortune 500 and with every level of government in
Canada and the United States.
Blog Glen-Harrison.com
Visit www.sigmaleader.com
Twitter @SigmaLeader
Describe your overall leadership vision and mission specifc to this program
Organizations of all types depend on technical experts. Be it in engineering, fnance,
IT or HR - all aspects of the organization require the advanced expertise of highly
educated professionals. But leading such technical experts presents a double challenge:
First, technical populations have specifc workplace needs and their engagement drivers
difer from non-technical teams. Second, leaders of technical experts are for the most
part technical experts themselves. As a result, leaders in technical environments need
to learn a specifc set of skills and techniques to lead their expert colleagues without
letting their own technical talent becoming a hindrance.
Fraser Marlow
3
Company Name: Blessingwhite, A Division
of GP Strategies.
Program Name: Leading Technical People +
Program Director: Marissa Gareld
Address: 23 Orchard Road, Skillman,
Princeton NJ
Call: +1 (908) 431-2147
Visit: www.blessingwhite.com
Leading Technical People
Leaders of technical teams face a double challenge, says Fraser Marlow from
Blessingwhite in an exclusive interview with Leadership Excellence: They must
understand the idiosyncrasies of technical people and develop skills outside their
traditional areas of expertise.
Video
What makes your program unique and diferent?
Leading Technical People+ is unique in that it is built around the
specifc challenges that technical leaders face and the instructional
design is based on ongoing research into how technical audiences
want to learn soft skills. Tis is actually diferent from how technical
audiences learn hard skills and also from how non-technical audiences
learn soft skills. So it is a specifc area of expertise that BlessingWhite
provides. BlessingWhite made substantial investments into Leading
Technical People+ and completely overhauled the program in 2013.
Today it is one of our most popular solutions.
We impact around 6,000 people with this specifc program.
Leading Technical People+ is based on an ongoing learning approach.
Tis leadership development journey typically lasts 3 to 6 months.
At the core of the program is an instructor led series of modules that
can be as short as a day, but in most implementations will include a
foundations module plus 3 to 5 half-day modules.
How is this program delivered, both online and in the classroom?
It is a multi-modality program, blending self-paced content, online
tools for pre-work and feedback gathering, and instructor led modules
(both classroom based and virtual). Te program incorporates business
simulations, peer coaching, assessments and social media / peer
learning.
Leading Technical People+ benefits all leaders in technical
environments, but is of particular value to newly promoted managers
who are facing the challenge of leading teams for the frst time.
Te ROI of the program is measured by tracking pre- and post-
feedback from followers. Depending on the clients own measurement
process we will incorporate multiple Kirkpatrick levels or other success
metrics.
For Leading Technical People+ the area of expertise is Leadership
in a Technical Environment. Tis addresses the challenges of leading
technical people, the challenges technical people face in taking on
leadership roles, and also addresses the fact that most leadership
development programs are not delivered in a way that engage technical
audiences.
members?
For individual participants, Leading Technical People+ provides an
accessible and pragmatic framework for technical leaders. Because of its
modular format, clients and participants can pick those modules that
are most aligned with their desired learning outcomes. Organizations
running Leading Technical People+ report the following improvements
within technical teams: accelerated time-to-market for new product
concepts, reduced friction and increased productivity, more rapid
adoption and implementation of new technology, techniques, and
processes, retention of high-value technical talent, smoother, faster
transitions for people promoted to leadership roles, leaders who can
handle increased span of control;d a culture where technical experts
thrive and a reputation that attracts the best in the business
Testimonials from Leading Technical People+ participants highlight
the blind spots they had and how these blind spots would derail their
engagement and leadership eforts. When entire teams participate
from the same technical department, we see a very rapid adoption of
a common language around leadership and a greater respect for other
team members. Ultimately, Leading Technical People+ gives technical
managers the tools, the confdence and the skills to lead their teams
more efectively.
Whats in store for the future?
We are taking the great programs of Blessingwhite that we have
developed over 40 years and we will keep updating them.
Can you tell us about your leadership vision and mission specifc to this
program?
Our vision is to see the day when a majority of businesses achieve enduring
profts as a result of building and developing an inspired and fulflled workforce.
Our mission: to equip leaders and teams everywhere to live and lead true to their
values and deliver their best ever in every interaction of every day. Te Pathways
to Leadership Process supports leaders and teams in creating more inspiration
and fulflment in their daily interactions -- and getting the results to achieve their
strategic objectives and contribute to productivity and innovation.
We ofer a BIG PROMISE of 2 Years in 3 Days. In three days, we will accelerate
your teams leadership competencies at a rate that would otherwise take two years to
accomplish. Its proven, and thats why our fagship process, Pathways to Leadership
is our most requested.
In our programs, there are three ways we ensure ROI to and sustainable change
for our client-partners. We promise more INSPIRED & FULFILLED LEADERS,
we equip leaders to realize and activate the potential in every interaction of every
day to establish a fulflled and inspired workforce. We promise IMMEDIATE
PERFORMANCE IMPACT so what happens in the training room shows up
consistently in the workplace. Te result is that leaders with the skill to anticipate
and respond to their day-to-day business challenges. We promise to BLEND THE
WORK & DEVELOPMENT STREAMS because the days of taking people away
from the work they need to get done are over. Your business objectives form the
backbone of our curriculum, so theres no time away from work.
We serve nearly 2,000 participants each year, and because our work focuses on the
whole person and those leaders go home to create more inspired families, friends and
communities, their ripple efect impacts thousands more.
Pathways to Leadership is a 24-week process.
How is this program delivered, both online and classroom?
Te program includes pre-learning, a three-day ofsite launch session led by a
facilitator. Following the launch ofsite, the group of leaders engage in self-guided
sustainability teams for 12-weeks, with agendas provided. Te process then includes
a two-day ofsite mastery session led by a facilitator, followed by an additional 12-
Video
Craig Ross
4
Company Name: Verus Global Inc.
Program Name: Pathways to Leadership
Process
Program Director: Craig Ross
Address:10822 West Toller Drive, Ste. 300,
Littleton, CO 80127
Call: 303-577-0075
Visit: verusglobal.com
Value driven life
People should lead lives that are true to their values, says Craig Ross in an
exclusive interview with Leadership Excellence.
weeks of sustainability team meetings, with agendas provided.

Most often leaders who are Executives, Directors, Managers,
Supervisors, High Potential and/or Infuencers
Accountability/measurement. How do you measure success and
ROI of your program?
Overwhelmingly our clients have informed us they are assessed
to death, and so they readily adopt our preferred method of linking
outcomes to their objectives: We align the training to their existing
internal assessment or set of criteria or data theyve collected.
Common measurements include productivity and engagement
scores. We collect ongoing quantifed and qualifed data that is
shared back to clients, including participant evaluations and reports
highlighting successes in their application of the tools to their
leadership competencies and behavior/business objectives.
Behaviors and mindsets, culture, alignment, agility,
communication, culture, innovation, performance and trust.
members?
Leaders apply 20+ tools to their personal development plans,
current business objectives and real-time business challenges. By
becoming profcient with a large suite of tools, leaders and teams
increase their engagement. Leaders spend time on work objectives,
building accountability and ownership to ensure successful execution
and they focus on accelerating results, reversing the trend of fxing
and fghting fres to building and developing people, partnerships
and performance. Tey develop the ability to create new solutions
and a sustainable fow of continuous improvement and innovation.
Teyll incorporate a common language to up-level leadership and
communicate more efectively. Te process creates an environment
of trust and alignment among team members.
Sample Successes include:
600% Increase in Incremental Sales Driven by Innovation in an
Innovate or Die business situation. Tat reality was facing Terence
Calloway, then Associate Director of R&D (Procter & Gamble) and
Reza Rahaman, Vice President of Specialty Division Innovation
(Clorox) in their joint venture: GLAD. Teir challenge: increase
product innovation productivity by 4X, while increasing proft
margins, building consumer loyalty and delivering what Consumer
Reports rates as simply the best trash bag. As they focused on
developing culture via Pathways to Leadership, and created fast and
robust improvement to their growth -- increasing incremental sales
driven by innovation 600%. Te team created a 6X improvement in
R&D productivity.
A $54 Million Turnaround: Building on the premise that People
Want to be Great, and every interaction is an opportunity to
build and develop their greatness -- they attribute a large part of
the turnaround to Pathways to Leadership. In February 2011,
an international cofee distributors senior management team
was in turmoil, slowed-down by lack of trust and infrequent
communication. Tey met for three days to begin the Pathways to
Leadership Process. Tey team turned around their $54 Million
Defcit in 12 months and saw a stock increase of 125% within six
months of attending their launch Pathways to Leadership session.
A 10% Increase in Productivity: Shortly after taking over as
Plant Manager for a plant owned by one of the largest glass bottle
manufacturers in the world the Plant Manager realized that the
livelihood of 210 families depended on his ability to turn the plant
around. He was asked what was needed to turn the plant into a High-
Performance Plant in three years. His answer: We need to invest in
the people. He had the right people -- and they had more potential
to ofer. Within six months of their frst Pathways to Leadership
session, trending lines in Gross Margin, Productivity, Quality and
Safety had all shifted upward.
What lies ahead for the program?
What lies ahead for the leaders we serve is the scalability: We are in
the early stages of contracting with our most inspired client-partners
to serve their entire workforce and the results to-date have been
very compelling. Tey need to impact not 40 leaders, but 40,000
leaders to be more focused and living their values to inspire a high-
performance organization.
38
Its Not Just Leadership Development Anymore
Its also about followership
By Dr. Greer A. Staples
Organizations spend much time and money to train and
develop management to be efficient at leadership, but little is
done about those people who are meant to follow. Research
suggests that there is a general lack of understanding on the role
of followers in the leadership equation. There is, however, an
increasing amount of literature on the subject of followership
in human resource management training to help companies
improve their training and performance. Followership has been
described as many things, but the bottom line is that follower-
ship is intertwined with leadership and organizations that ignore
the fact that followership is mutually reliant on leaders as well
as followers do at their own peril. In order to be a good leader,
almost every leader needs to be good a follower. A lot of the
research has been carried on human resource management, and
it suggests that there are traits and behaviors associated with
followership that good leaders need to learn to manage.
In an ideal world, followers should be able to be their own
leaders. However, organizational standards of performance for
followers puts a wedge between leaders and followers forcing
individuals to follow social views of hierarchical structures that
exist in terms of the power, command, title and control.
Various sectors have identified an array of techniques that
can help build effective organizations, at a minimum, these
techniques include commitment, authenticity, alignment, and
servant leadership to drive leadership in the direction of fol-
lowership development.
Engagement
An employer who is more involved is supposed to be more
productive and contributes more to the organizations human
resources management bottom line. Leaders who understand that
they do not exist in a vacuum and recognize that success, come
because of a conscious contribution of followers. Leaders who
allow followers to be more involved will get followers who exercise
more initiative and put more effort in being more productivity
thus furthering the missions and goals of their organizations.
Authentic leaders and followers
A person is more likely to follow a leader who is authentic
than someone who does not meet expectations of truth. A
leader who engages with employees can be assured that his/ her
followers will bring him a positive achievement in business.
Trust is essential for followership and authentic leaders foster
sustainable and positive follower behavior. Researchers and
others need deeper insights into follower behaviors, and their
work engagement to identify the behaviors that are unique to
influencing positive follower outcomes.
Followers Alignment
Organizations who recognize the importance of followership
in human resource management will advocate alignment of both
leaders and followers at all levels of the organizational struc-
ture. Leaders need to understand the significance of engaging
followers in the organizational strategic planning process. This
makes it easier for followers to understand what they are working
towards and to know what is needed to push the organizational
vision forward. Alignment is more about vision than it is about
leadership. It is about showing followers what they need to see,
making sure they know what they need to know about how their
leaders will help in advancing the organizations goals.
Servant Leadership
The concept of servant-leaders was introduced in the 70s, and
this concept has been compared with shared leadership as well
as with authentic leadership. Servant leadership suggests that
leaders should learn to serve the people they lead first. It is a
concept that replaces the traditional leadership model of control
and command. Servant leadership focuses on the developmental
need of followers, this makes followers more committed to the
success of the organization.
Resource Box
Elevating the conversation in each of the above topics can
help organizational leadership learn or hone various techniques
that organizations can employ to develop effective followers. LE
Dr. Greer Staples is an adjunct professor at Brenau University School of
Business Management and Mass Communications in Gainesville, Georgia.
Dr. Staples is also a faculty member at Prince Institute Southeast in Mont-
gomery, Alabama. She is an alumnus at the University of Phoenix, School of
Advanced Studies and holds a doctorate in Management of Organizational
Leadership.
LinkedIn Greer Staples
Leadership Develop-
ment Program
Interactive
By John Salamone and Jacob Flinck
Four resolutions to grow your future leaders
Career Development
Look around your organization. Which of your employees
are in line to play critical leadership roles? Do you know? And
more importantly, what are you doing to get them ready? If your
organization is like most, creating a comprehensive leadership
development plan is like keeping a New Years resolution. You
know that it is important, you set the goal, you have all the
intention to keep it, but then you get too busy, make excuses
and soon forget about it. However, based on certain trends,
the creation of a leadership development plan is one resolution
that organizations can no longer be ignored.
A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report indicated that 48%
of organizational leaders will be eligible to retire by 2015. This
is not to suggest that they will all walk out the door next year.
However, when they do, organizations must have an established
plan to replace them. This is especially true since the Bureau
of Labor Statistics estimates that 70 million Americans will
retire from the workforce between 2010 and 2020 while only
40 million will enter the job market. If these trends hold, the
pressure from the labor market will ultimately cause a war for
talented leaders and this is not a battle you want to lose.
To plan for this impending reality, organizations must proac-
tively identify and cultivate a talent pipeline. However, cracking
the leadership development code is a task only some organiza-
tions have perfected. In fact, in 2008, only 36% of companies
surveyed by Oracle indicated they were ready to fill their leader-
ship positions immediately.
So, what makes a great organization good at developing leaders?
First, they understand that every employee is vital to the mission,
vision and success of an organization. Next, they create career
paths and development programs for employees at all levels of
the organization. Finally, as openings occur, they have a succes-
sion plan that allows them to put the right leader, in the right
job, at the right time.
If you think your organization is ready to crack the code, its
time to start working on some resolutions.
Resolution #1: Assess the needs of your organization
As the renowned author and consultant Jim Collins always
says make sure you get the right people on your bus. This is also
true for your leadership pipeline. First, figure out the type of
leader your organization needs and identify the most important
skills by asking some key questions. Do you need substance over
style; technical ability over managerial experience; or a strong
presence versus a quiet confidence? At its core, every organiza-
tion is different and you may even need individual leadership
styles based on the required expectations for specific positions.
So, take the time to evaluate and understand what competencies
and experiences youll need to develop and maintain a strong
and capable leadership cadre.
Resolution #2: Be transparent
Once you understand the needs of the organization, dont fall
into the trap of letting the yearly performance review be the
only time you discuss career aspirations with your workforce.
Holding in-depth career development conversations with your
employees throughout the course of the year will enable you to
understand their short and long term goals. Employees with an
interest and immediate ability to perform at the leadership level
should be considered for high-priority positions. Those who
need a longer range timeline required to develop the knowledge
and abilities necessary for the rigors of leadership should fully
understand their path to success. Transparency is also a two way
street. The Society of Human Resource Management (2012)
reported that 44% of employees will be looking for new jobs in
the next year up 8% from the previous year. By having regular
career development conversations with your employees, youre
more likely to know if they are planning to leave.
Resolution #3: Create career paths
After youve identified your talent pool, it will become easier
to align your pipeline to specific career paths around occupa-
tional roles and responsibilities. Those employees on a fast track
will accelerate through the path to leadership positions. Keep
in mind that their forward progress creates opportunities for
other employees to rise up as well. In a 2012 report by Oracle,
it was reported that only 42% of employees understood their
career paths and only 45% knew about internal opportunities
for advancement. Therefore, make sure you are creating and
cultivating career paths at the entry, mid, and senior levels of
the organization.
Resolution #4: Link training to leadership career paths
Once the paths are established, its time to inject training
into the equation. However, progression through the path will
only work if training is strategically aligned to the appropriate
career levels. This overarching talent management approach must
also take into account the individual needs of each employee
at given points in their career. Lets say you have an entry level
employee who possesses all the technical abilities to advance to
next level but lacks confidence required to present solutions to
large groups of seasoned managers. A designated career path
complemented with corresponding formal and informal training
opportunities will enable you to design and implement a strategy
to help this employee reach the expected levels of performance
for advancement.
One final word on the resolutions, dont let anyone tell you
that that leadership cannot be taught. According to John Kotter
(Harvard Business Review), the most pernicious half-truth about
leadership is that its just a matter of charisma and visionyou
either have it or you dont. The fact of the matter is that leader-
ship skills are not innate. They can be acquired, and honed.
This is further supported by Peter Drucker (Harvard Business
Review), who states that leaders are not born; they are grown.
With the right experiences and training, anybody can lead at
any level of an organization!
Remember that career development and leadership training are
lifelong processes. Providing career paths and development op-
portunities that aligns the aspirations of your employees with the
goals of the organization will build your leadership pipeline and
finally enable you to cross off those important resolutions. LE

39
John Salamone and Jacob Flinck both work at FMP, Inc. John is a Vice President specializing
in strategic human capital management. Jacob Flinck is a Senior Consultant specializing in career
development and talent management.
Email jsalamone@fmpconsulting.com
Email jfinck@fmpconsulting.com
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41
By Kevin Cashman
Return on self-awareness
The New Bottom Line
Nosce Teipsum, know thyself, threads it way through history
as one of the pre-eminent precepts in life. It is a classic theme
that appears in the writings of great thinkers: Socrates, Ovid,
Cicero, as well as in the sayings of the Seven Sages of Greece,
and on the entrance of the Temple of Apollo, in early Christian
writing, Vedic literature, and in Taoist texts. Despite the contin-
ued urging of contemporary thought leaders and scientists, who
validate this fundamental principle via social and neuroscience,
many still ignore this essential wisdom.
Scoffed at and relegated to back-seat stature, self-awareness
has been seen by many for too long as too soft for business,
merely a nice-to-have skill, but not critical to tangible bottom-
line performance. And although many leaders are obsessed with
changing the world or the marketplace in which they operate,
only a few, exceedingly aware leaders are humble enough to take
the time to understand and change themselves and to make the
connection between their personal development and their orga-
nizations. However, the few who have made this commitment
and taken this tact have tangibly experienced growth.
Research Links Performance to Better Self-Awareness
Now new research validates with a large body of data the
unequivocal relationship between leader self-awareness and
organizational performance. Korn Ferry analysts, David Zes
and Dana Landis write in their whitepaper, A Better Return
on Self-Awareness, that public companies with a higher rate
of return (ROR) also employ professionals who exhibit higher
levels of self-awareness. In a recent interview with Dana Landis,
she noted self-awareness is not a soft skill, a nice-to-have. Its
playing out in your bottom line. This is about leadership ef-
fectiveness. The researchers analyzed 6,977 self-assessments
from professionals at 486 publicly traded companies to identify
blind spotsdisparities between self-reported skills and peer
ratings. At the same time, they tracked stock performance.
They pursued the questions: Did the individual leaders see
themselves the same way others saw them? How significant is
a culture with widespread feedback? The frequency of blind
spots was measured against the ROR of those companies stock.
The analysis demonstrated that, on average:
Poorly performing companies employees had 20 percent
more blind spots than those working at financially strong com-
panies.
Poor-performing companies employees were 79 percent
more likely to have low overall self-awareness than those at
firms with robust ROR. Stock performance was tracked over
thirty months, from July 2010 through January 2013. During
that period the companies with the greater percentage o f
self-aware employees consistently outperformed those with a lower
percentage. (Zes and Landis, 2013)
Landis shared that people with fewer blind spots had improved
performance, as well as greater satisfaction. She emphasized the
potential implications of what we can discern from this large
body of data, the macro patterns and the micro learning. For
example: What can we learn from the differentiators? How can
we apply this learning in terms of fostering a culture that values
a high level of self-awareness and feedback?
This research with its hard evidence makes it very difficult
to cast self-awareness aside as unimportant or too soft. Self-
Awareness may be the most crucial developmental breakthrough
for accelerating personal leadership growth, for optimizing the
effectiveness of senior teams, and for engaging and building
a pipeline of future leaders. Learning to pause to build self-
awareness is an evolving, never-ending process critical to leader
success. It is critical to know ourselves in order to leverage our
potentialities:
We need to know our strengths to assert them in the ap-
propriate circumstances;
We need to know our vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and dis-
tressing emotions, to check them and to prevent asserting them
inappropriately and in non-value creating ways;
When we are not self-aware, people around us have a better
sense of our strengths and weaknesses than we do, and we lose
credibility;
When we are self-aware, we are more in touch with reality;
people trust and respect us more.
St. Augustine reflected, People travel to wonder at the height
of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses
of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion
of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.
Knowing others is one outward indicator of emotional intel-
ligence but knowing ourselves is possibly the principal inward
sign of wisdom.
While pragmatic experience demonstrates that successful
change begins with self-change, who would have thought that
it is such a critical factor in sustaining business performance?
With this validated connection, the world of leadership and
performance may never be the same. Have you paused today in
order to deepen your self-awareness and business impact? LE
Kevin Cashman is a best-selling author, top-ten thought leader, world-class
speaker, global CEO coach and pioneer of the grow the whole person to grow
the whole leader approach to integrated leadership development. He is the
founder of the Chief Executive Institute, referred to as the Mayo Clinic
of executive development by Fast Company magazine. He also founded
LeaderSource, recognized as one of the top three leadership development
programs globally.
Visit www.cashmanleadership.com
A better return on
self-awareness
Interactive
By La June Davis-Wiley
Seven ways leaders can stay ready
Stay Ready!
Weve spent most of our lives focused on getting ready. It
started before pre-school. Our parents found the best schools for
us. We continued the pattern through high school and college.
We got ready for college. We got ready for our career. We got
ready for the next promotion. However, when we achieve what
we initially set out for, we feel accomplished. However, in todays
workforce we know that change is inevitable. We need to know
that what got us here wont get us to the next level, unless we
learn to STAY READY!
What skills, knowledge and attributes can keep a leader in
the Ready position?
Be a Life-Long Learner
In your life-time, you will never learn it all. But who is going
to stop you from trying?
Many feel that theyve graduated from college and they attend
a seminar or two annually, isnt that enough? Being a life-long
learner is not an act it is a habit. The practice of life-long learn-
ing is achieved a little each day. It starts with a little curiosity
and enough passion to take it a step further to investigate it.
When Leslie Watkins used the term in her schools mission
statement in 1993, it recognized that learning is not confined to
childhood or the classroom but takes place throughout life and
in a range of situations. (Wikipedia) An opportunity to learn
is everywhere that we are and with everyone that we encounter.
Life-long learning places a leader in the position to have answers,
knowledge and the ability to speak with confidence on any topic.
Be a Clear Communicator
Communication is the most important key to being a Stay
Ready leader. Communication is a two-way process, transmis-
sion and reception. Always consider your audience (the receiver)
when communicating. Identifying and connecting with your
audience decreases the likelihood of miscommunication. Clear
communication involves clarifying your goals. Do you have a
purpose for speaking? Or are you simply talking to hear yourself?
Your audience is very intelligent and they know fluff when they
hear it. Express your point with conviction. Either you have
something important to deliver or you are passionate about
your words. You must exude confidence and conviction when
you speak. If you dont believe yourself, why should I? What
is the action that you want taken as a result of your message?
Always wrap up with a clear call to action. Before ending your
talk, ensure that the receiver understood the transmission and
reiterate the key points. At last, thank the audience for their
time and make yourself available for questions.
Be Knowledgeable on Industry Trends
In order to be a Stay Ready Leader, you have to know whats
going on around you. It is not enough to know your day-to-
day operations. Be an anticipatory leader, know whats coming,
anticipate how to prepare for it and get out in front of it. Tunnel
vision is not your friend. if you want to be a Stay Ready leader.
Dont be afraid of the internet and social media. Make it a
weekly practice to review industry magazines and white papers.
Stay abreast of what your industry thought leaders are saying.
Attend conferences, network and venture out into the world
of blogging. Read what industry bloggers are writing. Follow
your competitors.
42
43
Improve and Promote Your Team
Theres no I in Team. Yes, you are the leader, but where
would you be without the team? Who would you lead? Who
would follow? As you learn and grow, encourage your team to
learn and grow. Affirm and acknowledge your team. Identify
strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that your team members
know what you think and how you feel about them. This should
not be a mystery. Dont be afraid to challenge your team to go
further. Lead by example.
Let the team know that you are a part of the team. Inspire
and motivate your team. Let them know your vision. Explain
the common goal that you all work toward. Provide updates on
team progress. Recognize your high performers. Encourage your
middle performers and coach your low performers to the middle.
Be a Coaching Leader
Once guidelines have been set and the collaborative focus has
been established it is a great time for the leader to act as coach.
Once the marching orders have been declared, allow your team
to do the work. This does not mean go away, just give them
room to learn and grow. Let your team know that you are there
to assist and help them when it is needed. Check in at regular
intervals to make sure they are on track. In time, the leader
will know who requires more coaching and who doesnt. This
style of leading creates a partnership, a collaborative. Employees
are more fully vested in the end result when they buy in and
own it. Just because you have been granted the role of leader it
doesnt mean that you must do all of the work. As leader, you
will have your own set of responsibilities and probably more
than a handful of meetings to attend. Your employees will feel
empowered and will come to you when assistance is needed.
All employees need coaching on professional development.
This is a major role for the leader. Talk to your team and help
them to develop in areas where you see a need and where they
have expressed interest. After all, you hired these people. There
was something that you saw in them. Now give them the tools
that they need to do their job and give them the room to ac-
complish it.
Be a Change Leader
Be ready for change. You know its coming, whether it presents
itself as a new implementation, a new team member or simply
a new coffee pot. With change comes resistance, obstacles
and confusion. As leader, it is your responsibility to welcome
change, encourage change and promote change. As an agent for
the organization it is your job to introduce the change to your
team. Include your team in the change process. Identify change
agents who can assist from a staff level in getting the word out
about the change. Dont hide from it. Embrace the change and
model acceptance with your actions.
Be a Grateful Leader
Practice an attitude of gratitude. Through gratitude comes
respect for oneself and for those that come in contact. Gratitude,
although not considered a business trait can change how a leader
responds to situations and how staff responds to a leader. If it
feels better, we can call it customer service. It is in the service
that you will find the gratitude.
Employees emulate actions that are performed by their leader.
These actions will be repeated with co-workers and internal
and external customers. Leaders must accept responsibility for
teaching their staff how to interact with others.
Leaders have spent the greater part of their lives getting ready.
At last, you are in charge. You are the leader. Now its time to
stay ready. Stay ready for the next move. Stay ready for interact-
ing with, motivating and cultivating staff. A great leader must
stay ready for change. A respected leader must stay abreast of
industry trends. How can you coach me, if you dont know?
Most importantly a great leader must stay a clear communicator.
Finally, stay grateful and express your gratitude freely.
It seemed to be a hard task getting ready. It wont be easy to
Stay Ready. If you are passionate about being a great leader it
is worth it. Remember, what got you here, wont get you there.
If you stay ready, you wont have to get ready! LE
La June Davis-Wiley, M.A., SPHR is an accomplished human resources
professional with over twenty years in the industry. She currently works as
Corporate Director of Human Resources, in the Healthcare market. She is
a Life Coach and presents workshops, and seminars on Communication,
Change Management and Confict Resolution.
Email lajune.davis-wiley@provena.org
People dont resist change. They resist being

changed! Peter Senge
To lead people, walk beside them As for the best

leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The
next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the
people fear; and the next, the people hate When
the best leaders work is done the people say, We did
it ourselves! Lao-Tsu
Stay Ready!
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Can you tell us about your leadership vision and mission specifc to this program?
As the global leader in talent mobility, Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) is distinguished
in our ability to deliver scalable leadership development solutions and consistent
quality that help organizations develop role-ready leaders at all levels. Trough
structured coaching and experiential learning, leaders are better able to meet present
and future organizational leadership and business objectives. We bring an unmatched
global infrastructure that leverages the expertise of a community of 3,000 coaches
worldwide and 800 at the Executive Coaching level, serving individuals in hundreds
of locations across 64 countries. With nearly 50 years of industry experience and 20
years in Executive Coaching, LHHs Executive Coaching practice focuses on helping
organizations identify development gaps, build leadership capabilities, and strengthen
leadership pipelines.
Lee Hecht Harrison is diferentiated in the industry through our delivery of
consistent, quality coaching services worldwide. Unlike other frms, we are not a
consortium. We deliver globally through a community of local, certifed coaches
with continuity and accountability in our processes, tools, and methodology across
all of our 300 global locations. Te International Coach Federation has designated
the training LHH provides to its coaches as an Accredited Coach Training Program
for ICF Certifcation.
Another diferentiator for LHH is our global capability. LHH has a highly organized
infrastructure that enables global delivery of leadership consulting services and allows
us to smoothly implement and execute on large-scale, enterprise-wide coaching
programs. Tis is fully supported by a dedicated project management team stafed
by 25+ experts who are dedicated to ensuring organizations achieve their goals. And
once a program is initiated, our global reporting platform provides a clear line of sight
into activity, spend, outcomes, and ROI with 24/7 access for our client organizations.
Finally, LHH is recognized by independent research a between as and top
provider of leadership development. In 2013, Kennedy Consulting Research &
Advisory named Lee Hecht Harrison a Vanguard Leader in Leadership Development
Consulting. Te Kennedy report confrms that LHH has one of the largest forces
of leadership development consultants in the market. Our capabilities are built on a
solid infrastructure that supports consistent delivery and project management, and
informed by local and regional insights. Our clients value the open and collaborative
approach we ofer and the results achieved.
Lee Hecht Harrison delivers coaching to approximately 2,500 people each year.
Nancy Sullivan
6
Company Name: Lee Hecht Harrison
Program Name: Executive Coaching
Program Director: Vicki Foley, SVP Global
Leadership Development Practice Leader
Address: 50 Tice Boulevard, Woodcliff Lake,
NJ 07067
Call: 609-259-1663
Email: Vicki.Foley@lhh.com
Visit: lhh.com
Creating Coaching Cultures
LHH helps clients create high performing cultures by developing leaders
coaching skills, says Nancy Sullivan in an exclusive interview with our
editorialteam.
Video
How is this program delivered, both online and the classroom?
LHH Executive Coaching is delivered primarily in person, via
face-to-face meetings. Additionally, all of our coaches are also skilled
in delivering coaching virtually, if requested by the coachee.
LHH Executive Coaching addresses leaders at all levels, from
managers through the C-Suite. Tese individuals may be high-
potentials, succession candidates, emerging leaders, or newly hired
or transitioning leaders. Our point of view is that there is beneft in
coaching at all levels in the organization.
LHH defnes coaching as a development process designed to help
individuals and teams achieve and sustain top performance in ways that
are linked to the organizations needs and measurable business results.
We measure success in every coaching engagement. Te three categories
where we can track quantifable results are People, Productivity, and
Proftability. People measures include turnover costs, value of retention,
engagement scores, and hiring costs. Productivity measures include cost
or time savings, the impact of goal achievement, project completion
and enhanced speed. Proftability measures include value of customer
retention or acquisition, increased sales or revenues, accelerated time
to market for new product development, and improved bottom-line
business results. In addition, we fnd that many of our client frms also
choose to identify intangible or perceived changes including improved
teamwork and morale, accelerated efectiveness on the job, enhanced
communication skills, and increased employee engagement.
What is your area of expertise in regards to leadership training in
areas of teamwork, execution and frontline managers?
LHHs expertise in coaching is widely recognized as best-in-class.
One of the reasons for this is that our Results Based Coaching Model
is applied to every coaching engagement. In Phase 1, we set goals
and expectations, starting with an agreement on desired results
based on both the individuals and the companys perspectives. Tis
Coaching Agreement ensures that all stakeholders are in alignment
with the desired outcomes and how these support the coachees and
the organizations objectives. In Phase 2, we collect and analyze
data using assessments and/or interviews. LHH coaches collect
information to help the individual generate self-awareness and also
to understand how they are perceived by key stakeholders. Analysis
of this information guides the design of a detailed development plan
that also supports the companys business objectives. In Phase 3, the
coaching action plan is created. Completely aligned with business
needs, the action plan is designed to identify areas for development,
actions to be taken, timeframes, resources needed, and success measures.
With the action plan in place, regularly scheduled coaching meetings
occur to discuss specifc actions, develop competencies using role-
play, experiential learning, and coaching, review progress, and clarify
next steps. Troughout the coaching engagement, there are periodic
check-ins with stakeholders to assess progress and observable behavior
shifts. In Phase 4, we conduct a fnal meeting between the coach, the
coachee, and his or her manager to review results of the engagement
and to plan further development through training and/or mentoring
programs to ensure sustainability.
Beyond addressing individual coaching needs, LHH knows that
building a coaching culture is a top priority for most organizations.
Designed leveraging our Results Based Coaching Model and proven
Coaching Practices and techniques, our Coaching Conversations
program is delivered around the world to create coaching cultures
within our client organizations. Tis blended learning, group
capability-building program assists managers and leaders in gaining
skills and confdence in conducting coaching conversations, enhancing
the ability of managers to improve employee performance, retain
top talent, and develop emerging leaders. Via our online Coaching
Portal, managers have access to coaching skills videos, bite-sized
learning modules, tools, and resources to ensure the sustainability
of the program.
members?
Each coaching engagement is unique because it is specifc to the
individual being coached and the organization. However, since LHH
coaches over 2,500 leaders each year are able to share themes of key
stakeholders experiences. Some of the developmental areas we are
consistently asked to address include increased self-awareness and
emotional intelligence, improved executive presence, faster integration
into a new role, improved relational skills, improved leadership skills,
efective team leader techniques, improved relationships with peers,
boss and direct reports, better listening skills, intentional messaging,
and modelling efective coaching techniques learned from the coaching
experience.
LHH fnds that many of our clients report impact in the areas
of: retention of top talent, increased productivity of a team, higher
levels of engagement, customer retention, increased sales or revenues,
decreased time to market for new product development, accelerated
assimilation and results for a leader in a new role, a robust talent
pipeline, and improved bottom-line business results.
What lies ahead in the future?
We want to be where our clients and coachees are. Expectations about
how and where people work and learn are shifting dramatically. Te
old model was about doing everything in person, in the ofce, with
plenty of paper. We know that generations entering the workforce
are changing and the expectations of the organizations are changing
along with them. Now, with the emergence of online collaborative
technologies, LHH has an opportunity to help organizations as they
transition to a totally mobile enterprise that leverages new social and
virtual technologies. We are continuing to build upon our blended
learning approach, infuenced not only by the availability of new
media but also by the behaviors of the people we work with. Tis
is an exciting new frontier for us and for everyone in our company.
47
By Lszl Kvri
How to do a strategy audit in 10 minutes?
Strategy and Leadership
Considering that over 90% of companies are mediocre, it
doesnt make much sense to even raise the question of strategy.
Companies are mediocre because they have no leadership who
could provide a concept that may serve as the foundation of any
kind of strategy, so they are, without exception playing catch-up.
Their leaders are staring in the rear-view mirror and at various
indicators while stepping ever heavier on the gas pedal. All
the while there is only one song coming from the speakers at
maximum volume: faster!
Paradoxically they are terrified of taking their eyes off the
rear-view mirror and focusing on the road.
People leading firms do precisely this. There is no noise, their
attention is proportionately spread between the road, the mirrors
and the indicators with most attention dedicated to the road,
they feel the car and most of all: they know precisely why they
are driving and they know it pretty well where they are heading.
There is no strategy without a concept!
Its easy to find out if there really is a concept behind a written
and internalized strategy; we just need to ask the question: what
is your strategy based on? If the CEOs answer is quantitative or
is based on outside factors, like last years results, market data,
competitive behavior, etc., then there is no concept.
There is no focus without strategy
This is also easy to test. Just see what happens in the controlling
department in budgeting or reporting times: so called bullshit
strategies, that are not based on a defendable concept but are
dreamed up by management in offsite sessions somewhere in
the mountains or beach resorts, simply cant be implemented.
If they still appear to be implemented, it is mostly because the
controlling team is diligently correcting the numbers in the
reporting period.
The organization is weak without focus
A weak organization is slow and reactive. It is passive. There
is simply nothing to organize around. Most of the people dont
do what they should be doing and almost everybody performs
way below their abilities 10-12 hours a day.
We can immediately recognize a weak organization: its enough
to sit around at the main reception for 5-15 minutes during
lunchtime and listen to the people. They are typically cynical,
complaining or you can see fear in the eyes.
A weak organization is a sign of no leadership
Without a leader there is no concept, strategy is forgotten and
resources are wasted on trying to keep together a disintegrating
organization while the company is missing opportunities and
falls behind. LE
Lszl Kvri is the founder of Prakhsis, an international group of top indus-
try experts with CEO and board experience who provide hands-on support
for boards and c- teams for building leading companies. In the past 15 years
Lszl has handled executive search and strategy consulting assignments across
North America and Central Eastern Europe in all major industries.
Call +420 731 503 023
Visit www.prakhsis.com
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refreshed on pressing topics in the industry.

Carla Lawrence,
Business Transformation Group
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By Mary E. Marshall
Try Lincolns formula
Want Change?
My work often takes me into organizations that need to
make some fundamental change, but have been unsuccessful
doing so in the past. I have thought a lot about how companies
get themselves into this predicament and more importantly,
how they get out of it.
It seems to start with a state of discontent and therefore,
unproductivity, because some process, person or product
doesnt work as well as it used to and no one really knows how
to address it. Its usually not that the organization doesnt foster
an open culture and welcome opinions and ideas, (although
that can be the problem), its more likely that the players dont
even realize they are in the middle of dysfunction.
Its likely things have been slowly declining for a while and
people have become complacent, always waiting for someone
else to address it, or hoping that it will get magically fixed.
Then the discontent starts to bleed on to the customers and
good people become disenchanted and leave. The leaders are
left wondering what the heck just happened.
The first step in repair is to recognize there is a problem. If
the organization is not getting the results, deadlines are not
met, and good people are leaving, you have a problem. My
guess is that multiple people could tell you whats going on in
two seconds, so as the leader, your job is to ask. Someone will
tell you the truth.
Assuming you have diagnosed the right problem, test it out
with your senior managers and ask if you have identified the
issue. Make it a safe place for conversation and ask lots of
questions most importantly dont be defensive or youll
stop getting honest feedback.
The next phase is solving the issue including insuring that
it wont happen again. I like to use the approach outlined in
a great article in the Wall Street Journal from February 15,
2014 entitled, What Would Lincoln Do? Te article talks about
how to solve problems and engage people to get behind ones cause.
Lincolns approach included the following:
Cite precedent - When has this approach been used
successfully in the past?
Make your case - What do you want to do?
Humor helps - Dont take yourself or the situation too
seriously.
Principles frst - Always adhere to your values and the
companys.
Be inclusive - No one ever solved a problem in a vacuum.
My guess is that if you take this approach to a solution, whether
its a small issue or a larger systemic problem, it will eventually get
solved. Remember that the key to lasting solutions is that it was
everyones solution, not just yours. Everyone wants to be a part of
a solution and rarely admit they were part of the original problem.
So next time you know you have a situation where a signifcant
change needs to happen in the organization, ask yourself, what
would Lincoln do? LE
Mary E. Marshall is an entrepreneur who has spent her career making small
businesses into successful ventures. She has done this both as a CEO and busi-
ness owner herself, and as an executive coach and consultant. She launched
Marshall Advisors, LLC as an Executive Advisory agency to work with CEOs
and their executive teams to help them achieve their goals more quickly and
efciently.
Email mary@mary-marshall.com
49
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By TonyKubicaand SaraLaForest
Create the drive organizations require to thrive
Leader as Coach
Whether you, as the leader, are responsible for the success of a
business or an operating unit within the business, a key responsibility
is to ensure that each person reporting to you understands what it
takes for him or her to succeed.
Te traditional way to do this is to:
Defne your expectations.
Identify metrics to measure success (although unfortunately
they are often not tied to organization or team goals).
Conduct an annual performance review.
Identify corrective actions that the employee needs to focus on.
Follow-up to ensure that the employee is making the necessary
progress (although we often fnd this left unattended).
In other words, performance management is most often approached
using negative feedback: Focusing on whats not going well.
When approached in this way, leaders are in efect managing for
compliance.
1
Tey identify what is not working and strive to correct
those defciencies so that employees are compliant with the expecta-
tions you have for their performance.
Sure, managers are taught to start with the positive and then point
out the negative. Unfortunately, using this process, employees have
been conditioned to wait for the but. And its the but that erases
the positives especially if the feedback (not just in the performance
review but also in day-to-day interactions) focuses on what is not
right. When the negative feedback is equal to or more than the posi-
tive feedback compliance is the outcome.
At this point you may ask: Isnt this what I need compliant em-
ployees? Te answer is No. Compliant employees may or may not
be committed employees, and it is only committed employees who
serve as diferentiators for your business.
When we ask leaders, What are your diferentiators?, we invari-
ably get the answer: Our employees are the best. Yet, employees are
diferentiators only when they are:
Committed to the success of the organization.
Selfess team players.
Creative and innovative.
Excited about what they doing.
Turning employees into diferentiators is achieved through coaching
for commitment.
2
Tis process focuses on fve elements:
1. Understanding what is important to employees their goals,
aspirations, and underlying motivations.
2. Assessing if employees goals and aspirations align with the
mission, vision, and values of the organization.
3. Determining how you can help employees achieve their goals
and aspirations within the context of the organization.
4. Defning and agreeing on actions and steps employees can take
to progress.
5. Providing ongoing feedback on how employees are performing
and specifying areas in which they are doing well and areas in which
they can make further adjustments.
Managing for compliance operates in a traditional hierarchical
organization. A managers performance review or potential for promo-
tion is not dependent on performance reviews of his or her reports. In
comparison, coaching for commitment operates in an environment
where employee development and growth are a signifcant part of the
managers job. It is one of the criteria a manager must meet if he/she
is expects to be promoted in the organization.
Good leaders (that is, managers by title who also demonstrate
strong positive leadership) understand the importance of coaching
for commitment, and they live it. Its palpable in the organizational
culture and in the relationships among its members.
Coaching for Commitment Process
1. Understanding what is important to employees their goals, aspira-
tions and underlying motivations.
Each employee comes to the job with diferent aspirations, moti-
vations, career goals, contribution goals, and underlying motivators.
Can you defne these for each of your employees?
How can you help employees reach their goals if you dont know
what they are? And, helping your employees reach their goals is part
of your job. Creativity and innovation thrive when people are working
in concert to achieve whats important to them. When they realize that
whats important to them is also important to their manager and to
the organization, a new dynamic is created that injects positive energy
into both the manager/managed dyad and the organization itself.
2. Assessing how employees goals and aspiration align with the mission,
vision, and values of the organization.
If employees goals are contrary to the organizations there is a
mismatch. For example, if an employee wants to travel and gain
international experience and the organization is a regional frm with
no travel opportunities, this will be an obvious mismatch. Or, if an
employee believes success comes only by working alone while one
of the organizations values is teamwork, there is another mismatch.
As you start this process, you may uncover a mismatch between an
employees expectations and the organizations culture. Should this
happen, you have two options:
a. Work to align the employee with the organization by an honest
and open discussion about how success relates to the mission, vision,
and values of the organization. You always start with working toward
alignment.
b. Counsel the employee to move to a diferent position within
the organization or to another company. Perhaps the employee is
with the right company but in the wrong job or, perhaps, is just in
the wrong company. After working toward alignment, you may both
agree the job and the employee or the company and the employee
are a mismatch. In some cases, repositioning the employee may be
possible and helpful. In other cases, it is best they move along, and
you can help them do so constructively. Te sooner this is done, the
better for the employee, the employees colleagues, the manager, and
the company.
3. Determining how you can help employees achieve their goals and
aspirations within the context of the organization.
Your job as manager/leader is to help your employees achieve their
goals. To do this, you must be realistic and supportive and tell them
51
what specifcally they must do, and what you, in turn, can do to
help them.
Te specifcs of this discussion (which should be an ongoing one
throughout their employment with you) will depend on each em-
ployees goals and expectations. Your job at this stage is to reach a
mutual understanding and identify how you can help and what they
can expect from you. Tereafter, you should continue to support them
and nurture their growth.
4. Defning and agreeing on actions and steps employees can take to
progress
Once you and the employee are aligned, the next step is helping
them defne what they specifcally need to do to achieve their goals.
Again, this is a process rather than an event and should be ongoing
throughout their work with you/the organization.
Tis process can include things like:
Participation in the training programs ofered by the organization.
Becoming an efective team player.
Practicing and living organizational values.
Demonstrating leadership if promotion is a goal. For example,
an employee can work within a committee or manage a small project.
Demonstrating deep expertise if they aspire to be a subject
matter expert.
Meeting specifc requirements based on your organization and
its needs.
Seeking cross-functional exposure, learning, and relationships.
5. Providing ongoing feedback on how employees are performing and
specifying areas in which they are doing well and areas in which they can
make further adjustments.
You are supporting, and the employee is pursuing, a process of
improvement. Ongoing feedback is critical; developmental feedback
is a process not an event.
In addition to conducting formal performance reviews at least
twice a year, you should also provide ongoing micro reviews (infor-
mal feedback) that provide feedback at a specifc moment and are
real-time based. Some of this feedback will be positive, some will be
negative that is, corrective in nature. Although negative feedback
alone is not constructive, balanced feedback is important. Remember,
however, that how you deliver it is more important than what you
say. Our earlier concern was the ratio of positive-to-negative feedback.
Research, however, shows that high-performing teams have a positive
to negative feedback ratio of 2.9 or greater.
3
Te reason for biannual performance reviews and frequent micro
reviews is to ensure that both you and the employee are doing what
you each committed to do. If either of you is not living up to your
commitment or if the employees performance is raising a concern,
then quick (timely) and candid feedback is important.
Coaching for Commitment Benefts
Coaching for commitment may appear to be time consuming, and
you may wonder if it is worth it. Te answers to these questions are:
Yes, it involves a greater upfront commitment of time.
Yes its worth it.
Te benefts you can expect from coaching for commitment are:
Stronger employee engagement and commitment.
Better employee/job match, which results in higher productiv-
ity and retention.
Less time required to replace senior people who leave, as this
process is also inherently a succession building process.
Improved recruiting, as good employees will hear about your
work environment and will want to work there (we call this talent
gravity).
A happier work environment (organizational and employee
health and well-being are proving ROI).
Greater creativity and innovation as employees feel supported
and inspired.
And. ultimately, better customer service from happier more
empowered employees.
Is this a panacea? No. Tere are no panaceas. Tis is simply a better
way to manage the current workforce and to create the energy, creativ-
ity, commitment, and drive organizations require to thrive.
When you are coaching for commitment, you will have a workforce
that truly is one of your key diferentiators in the marketplace. LE
References:
1. Boyatzis, Richard E., et al. Coaching for Change, People Matters,
June 2010
2. Coaching for commitment is based on the work of Richard
E. Boyatizis and his team at Case Western Reserve University in
Cleveland, Ohio
3. Losada, Marcial, and Heaphy, Emily. Te Role of Positivity and
Connectivity in the Performance of Business Teams: A Nonlinear
Dynamics Model, American Behavioral Scientist, Vol 47(6), 740-765.
TonyKubica and SaraLaForest are founding partners of Kubica LaForest Consulting, a con-
sulting and coaching frm specializing in leadership development and business growth initiatives.
Tey are authors of Organizational Gravity - Strategically Growing Your Companies Brand,
Culture and Talent and speak to audiences nationally.
Visit www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com
Visit www.yourbusinessgyroscope.com
Email tony@kubicalaforestconsulting.com
Email sara@kubicalaforestconsulting.com
Leader as Coach
52
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05.

People dont resist change. They resist being

To lead people, walk beside them As for the best

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