It’s the beginning of the new year and we are in planning and intention setting model! Listen to hear about a great resource we found to help make business planning inspirational AND extremely practical…
It’s the beginning of the new year and we are in planning and intention setting mode! Listen to hear about a great resource we found to help make business planning inspirational AND extremely practical … and hopefully very successful!
After entering adulthood, an interesting thing happens to almost all of us. We find ourselves in situation after situation where we have to make decisions that are really important.
After entering adulthood, an interesting thing happens to almost all of us. We find ourselves in situation after situation where we have to make decisions that are really important. This starts as soon as we leave high school. College or not? If college, where to go? What to study? If not college, what kind of work or trade school? And the need for decision-making never really stops.
When we are faced with these critical decision points, we often find we don’t have all the information we’d like to have in order to make the decision, so the outcome is unknown – the vision of the future can be murky. In other words, we know we need to jump, but we aren’t quite sure about the net.
What’s to be done in these situations? Many people, leaders, gurus are glad to give advice but at the end of the day, how do we actually know what to do? Or when to do it? How do we avoid the pitfall of paralysis – where the decision we make is to just not make a decision?
As coaches, we work with individuals facing important decisions all the time. While we don’t give advice per se, we have found that there are a few key considerations that seem to be helpful to our clients as they consider what step to take next (or to stick with the metaphor… whether to jump).
Of course, it’s important to focus on practical things such as potential income, location, hours, etc. But it can be equally helpful for this person to look through the opportunity lens: “What’s my opportunity to contribute to this organization – how will they benefit from my being a part of their team? What’s my opportunity to grow in this new organization – will I have the chance to develop my skills, forward my career, become a better leader?” This approach can even positively influence the interview itself, allowing the candidate to reinforce this idea of mutual opportunity.
At the end of the day, there’s often no way to ensure the net will be there when we jump, no matter how focused we are on planning, organizing, etc. But that fact doesn’t have to stop us from jumping anyway. Keeping some of these thoughts in mind can be helpful as you navigate through your decision-making. And if TLS can provide additional support to you or those that you know are in the midst of making important decisions, just let us know!
Schedule a complimentary discussion to discuss how TLS may be helpful to you and your decision-making.
Of course, it’s a logical goal to try and avoid the “accidental” leadership scenario where possible. This means focusing on the “deliberate” leader – one that has been identified, developed and prepared for their new role in management.
Andrew* couldn’t believe it. After just a few short months in his current role as an IT developer, he was being approached to take on a new role. The company was in the process of preparing for acquisition and Andrew’s manager was being pulled into the integration work. They needed Andrew to add a people-management component to his role, which to date had always been as an individual contributor.
And why not? Andrew was well-liked, had always had good reviews and at his last development discussion, his manager had raised the idea of Andrew moving into management at some point. So why not Andrew? And why not now?
This simple example is likely one that sounds familiar. Perhaps it’s happened to you – or perhaps you’ve had to make this decision – pulling your own ‘Andrew’ into a new role in a not-quite-planned, or ‘accidental’ way. And while this might be the best decision that could happen for Andrew, as well as his team, it helps if there are some specific foundational pieces put into place that might not be so…well, accidental.
Employees like Andrew, especially those in more technical roles, are often rational and process-driven. They may be self-starters and naturally organized. All reasons they may excel at their roles – and be considered as good candidates for promotion. The watch-out here is that these skills and natural aptitudes may not translate directly into management. People are not always rational or predictable. Helping the employee recognize how to translate existing skills into a new role AND identify new skills that may now be required is critical. Expectation setting can also be important – unlike prior roles where feedback may have been relatively quick (i.e. the new software does or does not work), feedback related to successful leadership may not be immediately available and the new manager may need to understand how to ask for, and receive, this kind of feedback.
Often the reason a person is unexpectedly pulled into leadership is based on changes that are taking place within the organization itself. These changes may be large and preoccupying – making it difficult to focus on the support that new leaders like Andrew may need. This can lead to early challenges and even burn-out – before he really has an opportunity to succeed. It’s essential that organizations be mindful of those individuals who are focusing and managing the day-to-day initiatives or activities, even when other notable changes are underway.
A new leader, especially one that has historically been successful in his/her individual role, may naturally fall into an “it’s easier to do it myself” pattern because that may feel more comfortable. Delegation can be a challenge for new leaders. But without appropriate delegation, the leader runs the real risk of burn-out and the staff can feel disempowered and unmotivated. Helping the new leader understand how delegation can be used to manage workload as well as empower employees may be quite helpful, especially in the early days of management.
New leaders may be naturally easy-going and generally liked. And that can be a great place to start. Of course, being liked isn’t essential for good leadership, but it doesn’t really hurt. Research is clear on this point, if you are in the game for the long term, you want your leaders to respect those they work with and you want to be able to respect your leaders. New managers may find that they are experiencing new levels of stress, which may lead to unexpected negative behaviors. Finding ways to address the stresses that are consistent with a basic standard of respect will pay dividends to the new leader throughout his or her career.
Not surprisingly, communication may be the most important factor in helping an accidental leader achieve success. It’s essential that he clearly understands the expected results for himself and his team. He needs to understand the success metrics that will be used to measure those results and he needs to understand the specific goals and objectives that will help him and the team get there. For a new leader, it may require the ability to see the bigger picture and how the team fits into that picture.
Of course, it’s a logical goal to try and avoid the “accidental” leader where possible. This means focusing on the “deliberate” leader – one that has been identified, developed and prepared for their new role in management. These individuals (hopefully) have had the opportunity to establish a vision for themselves as a leader and to think deliberately about their style and the values they will bring to bear in their new roles.
But since today’s business climate can be anything but predictable and may not always feel particularly stable, it’s good to have a strategy for those moments when you may need to call on your own “Andrew”. After all, in real life, Andrew ended up being a great manager – an ‘accident’ the company benefited from for many years.
Schedule a complimentary discussion to discuss how TLS may helpful to you as a leader, or for leaders in your organization.
This time of year often brings an expectation of reflection. Perhaps you’ll be crafting your New Year’s Resolutions soon. Unless you are a person that just pulls the same list out, you may find that creating your list requires reflection.
Clarity is such an important and impactful aspect of life, but we don’t really think about it until we feel it’s missing. Let’s try something:
On a scale from 1 – 10, with 10 representing crystal clarity, how would you rank the following aspects of your life:
This time of year often brings an expectation of reflection. Perhaps you’ll be crafting your New Year’s Resolutions soon. Unless you are a person that just pulls the same list out, year after year, you may find that creating your list requires reflection. And your reflections may very well point to the level of clarity, or lack thereof, that you are experiencing.
There are so many things that can occur in the workplace in a given year: transition to a new role, reorganization, voluntary (or involuntary) departure from one’s role, actively searching for a new role, etc. In fact, the possibilities are quite endless. And no matter what may have occurred to you specifically, your ability to have clarity as to the impacts of your current situation and the next steps before you are critical.
According to the definitions above, clarity can have a couple of meanings. The first one seems to represent an internal clarity. “Freedom from…ambiguity.” Sounds great – right? I suspect we’ve all had moments where we have experienced this kind of clarity. We knew where we were going, we had a plan to get there and we were confident in the expected results. This can feel amazing and incredibly validating.
The other definition gave me a bit more pause as it seems to reference the visual aspect of clarity. How does that relate to the way we think of clarity within ourselves and our lives? When we experience a lack of clarity, it can cause us to make decisions that can appear odd or even confusing. Years ago, I had a roommate that was a serial dater. She went through boyfriends the way most people change their socks. Now to be clear, choosing to date many people isn’t necessarily a statement about one’s sense of clarity. However, my roommate thought each one was ‘the one’ and was surprised and disappointed each time it didn’t work out. Thinking back on it, her life at that time was a visual representation of her lack of clarity regarding what she really wanted out of a potential partner.
Sometimes, experiencing a lack of ‘internal’ clarity can lead to a whole host of external decisions that visually reinforce this issue. Consider these examples:
Now consider your answers to the questions at the start of this piece. How close were you to a 9 or 10 on these questions? If you weren’t at or near the top of the scale, what would be required for you to move up the scale a point or two? What might an external view of your life say about your sense of clarity?
As we near the year-end, my wish for you is a sense of clarity and a life that is reflective of that clarity.
Starting a new year can bring many opportunities and to the extent you are seeking greater clarity, please contact us if we can provide any support.
A kind word in the cafeteria, a helpful comment from a meeting, an observation regarding a presentation – these are all ways we, as leaders, can engage other employees in supportive and encouraging ways.
I grew up in Houston in a Houston Astros family. We always had the games on the television and when I was older, I became more familiar with the sport and grew to appreciate the complexities and nuances of each game. Even as I moved geographically further and further away from Houston, I still followed my Astros. Frustrating season after frustrating season. Until this season when they finally won the World Series!
Houston has had its share of challenges in 2017 and the entire city seemed to band together in support of those men in orange. It was an amazing series to watch and so gratifying to see them finally go all the way. There were so many interesting stories about the various players. Stories of young men who were from different parts of the world and older men who had found their second chance. But the one that really caught my attention was one about George Springer, the World Series MVP.
George Springer is from Connecticut – in fact, he’s from the Hartford area so our local press here had a great time highlighting his achievements as the team won game after game. His stats were unbelievable and also record-breaking, but the story that gave me pause was one that was much older – back when George was eight-years-old. It goes something like this….
George started playing baseball when he was a young boy. He liked the sport and would often find his way to the local Double-A baseball park. It was there, when he was eight, that he was sitting in the stands before the game and Torii Hunter (the now-famous Minnesota Twin) was in the outfield, warming up before the game. Hunter threw Springer a ball – and Springer threw it back. And they kept playing catch.
Springer related this story to mlb.com and said, “I’ll never forget that. He didn’t have to do it and he did it. It stuck with me. He changed my life and I was only eight-years-old.” He went on to say, “You never know the impact you can have on somebody, just by saying hello or shaking a hand, whatever it is….I was eight-years-old [and my life was changed] by a guy playing Double-A baseball.” Years later he met Torii Hunter as a major league player and was able to thank him for taking the time for that game of catch.
Leaders focus on many things – often all at the same time. They may be thinking about what needs to be done, what hasn’t worked, what has worked and what’s ahead. Strong leaders are often thinking about their teams and how best to support them. But what they may not be thinking about is how they may be seen by other employees. Folks that may not even be in their organization, but that look up to them just the same.
A kind word in the cafeteria, a helpful comment from a meeting, an observation regarding a presentation – these are all ways we, as leaders, can engage other employees in supportive and encouraging ways. It may not seem important in the moment, but it can have a lasting impression. I remember the first time a very senior person gave me positive feedback based on something I had said in a meeting. I also remember the first time another senior leader told me she had heard about my work and was hoping we would work together someday. I am sure those comments don’t stick with those leaders all these years later, but they certainly do for me. It cost them nothing and gave me so much.
So, here’s the question of the day…Where will you find your unexpected game of catch?
I guarantee there is someone out there who will not forget it if you do.
Schedule a complimentary discussion to discuss how TLS may helpful to you as a leader, or for leaders in your organization.
I found the Former First Lady to be completely captivating, quite hilarious and more ‘real’ than I expected, and I noticed a thread throughout many of her remarks that seemed, at least to me, to be interesting perspectives on leadership.
Michelle Obama spoke at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Connecticut last week. My wife works for the organization that was a key sponsor for the event and I was lucky enough to be the “plus 1” for the evening. I found the Former First Lady to be completely captivating, quite hilarious, and more ‘real’ than I expected, and I noticed a thread throughout many of her remarks that seemed, at least to me, to be interesting perspectives on leadership.
When she was asked about the experience of being First Lady, she started by saying that the “person you see here is the one you’ll see backstage and the one you will see at home.” Using her own experience as an example she said, “The White House doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you are.” And isn’t that true? Isn’t it in moments of stress or high visibility that we believe a person’s true colors shine through? The ability to be aware of and consistent to one’s self no matter the circumstance is enviable, but also the sign of a strong leader.
This does require some introspection – which can be tough. It also requires forgiveness – forgiveness of our own challenges and failings as well as a forgiveness of others that may be different than we are. She also talked about the importance of being “comfortable with your own voice” and recommended that we actually learn to like the person that we are. She reminded us that all our stories are valid simply because they are ours, but it’s important that we own those stories and understand the impact they may have on our daily lives as well as the lives of others.
Mrs. Obama talked about her perspective of finding ‘balance’ by saying, “Balance is a practice art – we aren’t socialized to know how to do this.” At first, I didn’t quite understand her comment. A ‘practice art’? What does that mean? After sitting with this for a few days, I think it’s starting to make more sense. There is no science to balance for most of us. Balance doesn’t look the same or work the same between individuals, but we seem to know we have it when we feel it – which is a little bit like art itself. She talked about her experience of growing up with a large extended family that was in her immediate geography. It sounded like there were always aunts, uncles and other trusted adults around to provide support to each other. She acknowledged that this is not as common today as it may have been before and that we may be the first generation of truly isolated adults.
So, what does this mean for us now, even as leaders? I think it means that we can’t do it alone. It means that we become vulnerable by sharing our need for support and open to the support when it arrives. It means that we reduce the amount of resentment we may feel about our situation or about those that aren’t able to support us the way we’d like, and find individuals that can provide that support.
At the end of the day, we have the power of intention and choice…
At one point in the evening, the moderator asked Mrs. Obama how she landed on those issues that would become areas of focus during her time as First Lady. Her response was so interesting. She indicated that she was aware that it was unlikely that she would receive universal support for any issue – even a focus on childhood nutrition – given the political climate in Washington. She said, “Sometimes it might be more important to be creative” than to wait for legislation to change.
I thought this was a powerful message for our time today. Many individuals may find themselves feeling frustrated by their current situation at home, at work or in the country. It’s tempting to point to others, their flaws, and/or poor decisions as to the reason that things are not working, or aren’t working as well as they could. She talked about the importance of keeping your focus on the areas that you can control, or at least influence. As leaders, this is key for all of us. Where we can influence those that lead us, we absolutely should try. But we should not assume that our inability to influence those at the top is the reason to accept ‘the way things are.’ If our leaders’ behavior is less than kind, we can still be kind. If it appears that poor decisions are being made, we can continue to make good decisions, or at least try to do so. At the end of the day, we have the power of intention and choice – and these are powerful tools indeed.
Mrs. Obama’s message wasn’t designed as a leadership speech per se. But her messages resonated with me and I hope they may with you as well. Here are the questions I will leave you with:
If you can answer ‘yes’ to most or all of these questions – congratulations! You are likely a well-grounded and balanced leader.
If you would like to answer ‘yes’ to more of those questions, think of ways that you can begin addressing them one at a time. Along with accessing a mentor or friend, TLS can provide helpful support to you on your leadership journey.
The images of First Lady Michelle Obama are works of an employee of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.
The other day I was in the kitchen as my daughter was cooking a cake with a friend. She asked me to give some feedback on the way it was coming together. OKAY – now what to do?
(Or, tell me what you think I want to hear and I’ll remember what I believe.)
The other day I was in the kitchen as my daughter was cooking a cake with a friend. She asked me to give some feedback on the way it was coming together. OKAY – now what to do? On the one hand, I love her passion for cooking (she’s really the only one out of the four that seems to have my love for being in the kitchen). On the other hand, I knew that if I gave the feedback I felt I should give, she wouldn’t want to hear it – and would probably explain why that particular feedback didn’t apply in this particular situation. This started me thinking about the feedback process and how it’s simply fraught with perils for both parties that are involved.
But why is it so hard? And what can be done to make it more effective and (hopefully) helpful? Let’s start with why it’s hard……
We’ve all been burned before. You have, I have. We’ve all been in the situation where someone asks for our honest feedback but the moment it’s given, the reaction is grave. And you are left wondering – “Why didn’t I just keep my mouth shut?? It was never going to change anything anyway!”
There isn’t actually anyone to give the feedback. We’ve all heard the dangers of surrounding ourselves with ‘yes’ people, people who go along with our ideas even when the ideas may be less than spectacular. But even when the leader tries to guard against this, they may find it hard to get usable feedback. Research shows that this issue increases the farther up the ladder you climb. Many senior-level leaders feel they live in an echo chamber, where their staff members are likely to just echo the leader’s thinking.
It might expose a weakness. Leaders who ask for feedback may run the risk of sharing development goals or areas of weakness. This may create an environment where they feel judged or that their ability to lead is called into question. “If Sue is asking for feedback related to the way the project is going – does this mean she’s unsure? Or maybe she’s thinking we are going in the wrong direction?” You can see how this could lead to a very unhelpful chain of assumptions.
So, what’s the key to overcoming some of these challenges? Here are a couple of perspectives to consider…..
Why is the feedback process simply fraught with perils for both parties that are involved?
Relationships matter, or said differently, it’s all about trust. The relationship between the requester and the giver really does matter. It requires an atmosphere of trust that is genuine – not just lip service. It also helps if the person asking for the feedback is genuinely curious. There must be an explicit and implicit understanding that there is risk taken on both sides of the feedback equation. Research would indicate that leaders who genuinely seek honest feedback in an environment that is based on trust are seen as more effective than those that have not created this environment of trust.
The type and quality of the feedback matter. It’s important that the feedback be specific and actionable. If the feedback doesn’t provide information to guide actions and/or behavior change – it’s hard to consider that it’s all that helpful. It’s also very helpful if the feedback ties directly back to the specific goals of the individual (which should be in line with the goals of the organization). It may be helpful to use specific tools or methods to frame and support this process until the feedback reaches the level of quality that is most effective.
At the end of the day, it’s possible to create an atmosphere of trust and provide both parties in the feedback process with guidance, tools, and support to enable a productive feedback loop. Done well, this just becomes a part of the way the team and organization operates.
And in case you were wondering about the cake baking example….I did give my honest feedback and it was actually well-received (whew)! And the cake was delicious!
If you would like to discuss how your organization could create a more effective feedback process, feel free to set up a time to connect. We would love to share some best practices that we know will make a positive impact on your teams.
My kids often accuse me of starting many stories with “I heard this interesting story on NPR” so I’ll apologize now for starting this way – but it’s true – I did.
I heard this interesting story on NPR…
My kids often accuse me of starting many stories with “I heard this interesting story on NPR” so I’ll apologize now for starting this way – but it’s true – I did. In this story, the NPR reporter had the opportunity to sit in on a conducting class led by the music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop (also known as the Maestra in case you enjoy interesting words).
While I did enjoy the actual story – I found myself somewhat surprised by the number of parallels between conducting music and leading teams. I don’t think that was the point of the story, but I couldn’t stop thinking about this idea. And while some of these similarities were somewhat obvious, some mentioned in the piece represented hidden nuggets of leadership qualities that I hadn’t considered before:
When you think about it, the Conductor is taking someone else’s creation and giving it to the world through the orchestra. As leaders, we are doing a similar thing. We are taking the vision, mission, products, and services from our organizations and sharing these with our constituents through our team members. It’s a big responsibility but when it works, it can be incredibly gratifying. And while we may not get a literal standing ovation when things go well, we may realize the success in other ways, including our own satisfaction and increased employee engagement.
I’m including a link to the actual story. Give it a listen and then you can tell your kids all about it! Maybe you’ll receive fewer eye-rolls for your “NPR story”!
If you are interested in hearing more about how TLS may be helpful to you as a leader or leaders within your organization – contact us!
One of the first things I did after deciding to embark on the path of starting an executive coaching/leadership business was to hire a coach. I mean, why preach it if you don’t believe it?
One of the first things I did after deciding to embark on the path of starting an executive coaching/leadership business was to hire a coach. I mean, why preach it if you don’t believe it? That decision has proven to be a very helpful part of the process. However, like any good coach, my coach hasn’t handed me the answers to my many, many questions on sliver platters. Even when I’ve asked nicely. Very frustrating. At any rate, what my coach has done is to encourage me to look beyond my specific questions to better understand the emotions that were underneath. So, I’ve been thinking about that. A lot….
I was on the soccer field the other day, telling another parent about my new business venture. I was talking about this feeling I’ve had that I really wanted to get it right. I figured – there’s only one chance to launch – so there is a lot of pressure to make the right decisions. And sometimes the impact of trying so hard to make the right decisions is that it’s tough to make any decision at all.
Hearing my story, my soccer-parent-friend told me an interesting one of his own: Years ago he worked for a woman who was responsible for running payroll at his company. It was his first experience in that department and he felt the importance of the work they did for each and every employee. He also felt the urgency associated with getting it right. He was recalling her direction to the team as she was leaving for vacation. She didn’t ask them to call her if there were questions or concerns. She also didn’t tell them to just ‘hold’ the check run until her return. She simply said – “No matter what, just GO. And if there are issues we will address them after the run.”
Don’t the perfect get in the way of the good.
At first, I thought it seemed like a strange approach. I mean, don’t you want to ensure the payroll is handled perfectly every time? But the more I thought about it, I realized that she wasn’t saying she didn’t want to ‘get it right’. Her approach simply meant that getting it right wasn’t contingent on getting it perfectly right. And there’s the insight that my coach knew I would eventually get – it’s all about fear, not about decision-making. At the end of the day, it’s not productive to let the fear of imperfection get in the way of moving forward. You know this one: Don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good.
Every time we try something new, whether it’s a new business or simply a new food or new workout routine, there is a risk that it might not be exactly as we expected. But isn’t it better to have loved and lost….or something along those lines? I guess at the end of the day, this need to ‘get it right’ isn’t so absolute and it’s definitely not that helpful. Just GO. And if there are issues, we can address them ‘after the run’.
What are you trying to do perfectly? Have you experienced fear or some other unhelpful emotion getting in your way as you tried to accomplish your goals? Maybe coaching could be beneficial for you the same way it has been for me.
If you’d like to chat about it, schedule a complimentary discussion to discuss how coaching may helpful to you.
Want to try an experiment? It won’t take long – I promise. Here goes: For the next 5 to 10 seconds, think of everything you intend to do today – write it down if you’d like. Go ahead…I will wait…
Want to try an experiment? It won’t take long – I promise. Here goes: For the next 5 to 10 seconds, think of everything you intend to do today – write it down if you’d like. Go ahead…I will wait……3…..7….10…done.
Great. I’m curious – what’s on your list? Maybe hitting the grocery store on the way home from work? Picking up kids? Making a quick stop to that favorite place for coffee? Now think about what WASN’T on your list. What about breathing? Blinking? Continuing to have your heart beat? “Now wait a minute – that’s not fair”, you may be thinking. “You didn’t say to list things that are automatic!” And maybe you’d be right to feel like this was a trick question. However, it does make an interesting point about this idea of ‘intention’ – conscious and unconscious.
Don’t you know me? Often in our career, we assume that our intention to move to the next level (or be given the next challenging opportunity, be asked to lead the new product/branch office, etc.) should be obvious. I mean really, if we are delivering the results, getting strong reviews and considered a great team player – our intention should be clear. Like breathing or blinking, we trust that the next opportunity will be automatic. Why wouldn’t management be looking for the most capable, proven people to move up?
A brief aside. It’s worth briefly mentioning that research shows that it’s often not that direct. And while we won’t address all these issues today, there are adverse impacts that can come into play, such as implicit bias related to gender or ethnicity. Or maybe unknowingly competing with the manager’s godchild for the next promotion. Interesting topics for future blogs but for now let’s assume positive intent on the part of the manager. Ok – aside over.
He thinks, she thinks: or the power of the unknown. What can often occur is that management may make automatic assumptions about the intent of their team members. Managers are sometimes polled regarding those employees that have aspirations to move to the next level and how quickly the moves can happen. But what happens when you ask the employees those same questions? Would the answers match? In the absence of having very clear understanding of intent, managers may assign completely incorrect intent based on seemingly innocent assumptions. Here’s what I mean:
Let’s take Joe and Sarah. Joe, who has a long history of strong performance reviews, reports to Sarah. He’s respected by his peers and generally good to work with. Sarah knows that Joe would like to move up, but when a position becomes available that would represent a lateral move but one that would give Joe important new skills and experiences, Sarah assumes he wouldn’t be interested since it’s not a true ‘promotion’ and doesn’t advocate for him during the senior leadership talent discussion.
Or how about Robin and Steve. Robin has two young children and everyone knows it because of her super cute pictures on her desk and her hilarious stories on Monday mornings. Steve, Robin’s boss, loves having Robin on his team. She’s one of the strongest performers and always delivers. At the annual talent assessment, Steve hears about a new position that is being created that would be a great next step for Robin. However, he also knows the manager of this new position is very demanding and is concerned that Robin may find it difficult to balance her personal and work demands. He’s not sure that it’s the right timing to recommend her for the role, given the age of her children.
In both of these examples, the managers are in a position of having to make a judgment call based on their understanding of the intent of their employees. And in both examples, the managers believe they have their employees’ interests at heart. Would Joe want to make that lateral move if it supported his ultimate desire for promotion? Would Robin find a way to successfully strike a balance in a new role? Who knows? What’s needed is a shared understanding between these individuals and their managers.
The bottom line is this – when you are thinking about your career, be very specific about your intention. And then share that intention with your manager and other decision-makers in your organization. If you aren’t sure if your intentions are clear – ask. If you aren’t comfortable having the discussion, practice with a colleague, mentor or find a professional coach who can provide a safe place to practice the conversation until you are more comfortable.
At the end of the day, we may not need to focus on automatic actions such as breathing or blinking. However, even with the best support and intention from our colleagues and managers, we may not be able to fulfill our career intentions if those intentions aren’t clearly understood. So be purposeful and direct – and intentional.
Schedule a complimentary discussion to discuss how coaching may helpful to you and your organization.
What makes a good leader and who gets to decide? This is a question that I’ve been pondering lately. It’s sort of like when someone says “they say this new restaurant is really great!” Don’t you wonder who ‘they are’?
What makes a good leader and who gets to decide? This is a question that I’ve been pondering lately. It’s sort of like when someone says “they say this new restaurant is really great!” Don’t you wonder who ‘they are’? And how did ‘they’ get to have an opinion that matters?
Well if you walk into any bookstore, or shop with any online retailer, you’ll immediately see that there are a lot of ‘theys’ out there sharing ‘their’ wisdom regarding leadership. Some of these folks have been successful leaders themselves (i.e. Jack Welch, Steve Jobs, etc.). Others are academics who have focused much of their professional and academic life to the goal of better understanding leadership – how to demonstrate it, how to teach it, etc.
It’s so interesting. I guess if it was all that straightforward, you wouldn’t see such variety in thoughts, opinions, perspectives. So, I’m not going to try to add one more perspective to the mix. Except to raise one teensy, weensy super-obvious point about leadership – you tend to know it when you see it.
Let’s take a short trip back in history to 1964. The Supreme Court was hearing a case (Jacobellis v. Ohio) with the purpose of determining whether a specific motion picture would be considered pornography. Justice Stewart’s opinion on the matter basically says (forgive my non-lawyerly interpretation) that it is quite difficult “to define what may be indefinable” and added his now famous comment – “But I know it when I see it…”
I feel ya Justice Stewart. That’s how I feel about leadership. It’s tough to comprehensively define, but I sure feel like I know it when I see it. For instance, there are some common features that I often notice when I see a good leader:
They have a strong sense of what needs to be said and to whom. They think about the explicit and implicit meanings of the words they choose. They are willing to deliver the hard news as well as give praise when the situation requires it. They are sensitive to internal and external audiences and can balance the two well.
They are the first in line to take the heat when management ‘comes calling’. They give open and honest feedback to their team members, their peers, and their management. They understand the role that transparency can play and to the extent possible, share openly and honestly with those around them.
This is more important than any vision or mission statement the organization will develop. The leader will ensure the organization or team they lead fully understands the importance of the work. If the leader doesn’t understand and effectively communicate the role the team plays, chances are the team won’t understand it either.
This might be the most obvious one of them all, but honestly, it is? Support means letting people know where their weaknesses and challenges are and ensuring they have tools and support to address issues where possible. Support also means letting a person move on to the next role when the time is right, even if they are the strongest person on your team.
Here’s the thing – a list like this can go on and on. In fact, I’m sure there are 100’s of other elements you could add to the list. So, what is the purpose of even creating a list that’s not complete? Because at the end of the day, good leadership doesn’t just happen – it’s intentional. It requires focus and commitment and purposeful action.
Leadership: is demonstrated by individuals who understand the importance of these and many other elements. Individuals who understand while they may not be strong in all these arenas, are committed to consistent improvement. Individuals who understand the culture of their organization and how to prioritize the leadership styles and approaches that will work best.
Leadership: is supported by organizations that understand the connection between maximizing a leader’s potential and achieving organizational goals. Organizations who understand that without good leaders, it’s hard to cultivate an environment of success. Organizations who are willing to invest time and resources to ensure individuals have access to tools that will support effective leadership.
And when you find it – and these folks are everywhere if you are paying attention – those are the ones that you want to have running your teams and organizations. And those are the kinds of leaders that we all aspire to be.
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Before there was Hamilton, the amazingly successful musical written by the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda, there was In the Heights. It was another amazing musical written by Miranda…
Before there was Hamilton, the amazingly successful musical written by the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda, there was In the Heights. It was another amazing musical written by Miranda and while it was successful in its own right – it won the Tony for Best Musical in 2008 – it didn’t seem to become the phenomenon that Hamilton has become. And in some ways, that’s too bad – because the story is worth knowing.
Here’s the quick synopsis:
The story is set in Washington Heights, the northern-most neighborhood in Manhattan, historically settled by individuals from places such as Ireland, Greece, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. As the story goes, the neighborhood is gentrifying and many people are being forced to move to other neighborhoods as the ‘hipsters’ and ‘rich folks’ are moving in. The main character, Usnavi, spends much of the musical planning to go back to the Dominican Republic (his deceased parents’ homeland) which he believes will be where he finds his ‘home’. After a heatwave causes a black-out and individuals he loves most are affected, he decides the time has come to move. However, just as he is about to leave, he is reminded of the things he loves most about Washington Heights and the life he can lead there. In the final song, he sings: “…I found my island, I’ve been on it this whole time – I’m home!”
This part of the musical always brings tears to my eyes because it’s so powerful. This idea that even as he dreamed of finding a home somewhere else and had the opportunity to go seek it – he realized he was actually already there. He just needed to embrace it and make it his own.
Earlier this year, I found myself in the somewhat unusual position of considering ‘what’s next’. I had an opportunity to reconsider where my ‘home’ would be from a career perspective. My organization, the one that had supported me for almost two decades and provided me with ample opportunities to grow and develop, the one that had given me experiences with some of the strongest and most challenging leaders of my life, was giving me yet one more opportunity to grow and develop – and this one would mean leaving. I wondered – if this place where I’ve been for so long isn’t my ‘home’ – then where is it? And what is it?
When I was a manager, I often talked with my teams about the ‘whats’ and the ‘hows’. When the team would be feeling stuck, wondering how to get out of a current situation or how to address a particularly sticky problem, we would often take a step back and revisit ‘what’ we were trying to accomplish. Often, we would find that we were so focused on ‘how’ to get something done, we would forget exactly ‘what’ we were trying to do.
As I reflected on this, I realized that I was doing the very same thing. As I was thinking about starting over somewhere and finding a new home, I was focusing only on the ‘hows’ – how to prepare for college, retirement, etc. And all the while I was forgetting the really important work of determining ‘what’ it was I would do. So, for a brief moment, I stopped trying to answer all the questions and tried to be open to the possibilities of what could be
It was during this open reflection that I realized I would need to look no further than myself and my experiences for the next step of the journey. My early days of working as a therapist and the later days of working as a leader within the corporate world serve as the basis for my new career focus:
Transformative Leadership Services (TLS)
TLS is the company I have created that offers Executive Coaching and Leadership Development services to individuals and organizations. It represents a blend of my interests in working with individuals and my commitment to supporting leaders and their teams. It will entail applying a coach’s solution-focused approach to finding success in a sometimes-challenging and always-changing environments.
So, the next part of the journey begins. And while there are still many ‘how will it work’ questions to be answered, I am clear on the ‘what’. Like Miranda’s Usnavi, I do think I’ve found my island, I have been on it the whole time and I am home.
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