Archive for Character
Want to Get the Truth from Your People?
Posted by: | CommentsAs a leader, you want to believe your people are telling you the truth–but are they? Though some of us as entrepreneurial leaders have always been our own bosses, chances are you were at some point an employee. So, when you were an employee, did you always tell your boss the truth?
I’m not talking about lying (hopefully, you didn’t do that). I’m talking about telling the whole truth. 
For example, did you tell your boss what you thought your boss wanted to hear or what you thought needed to be said? Or when your boss asked, “Are we all on board?” were you willing to risk saying to your boss and the rest of your team, “I’m not really in agreement!” Or when you heard that other people in your organization expressing some frustration with your boss, were you willing to tell your boss, “Hey, I think you’ve got a problem!”
If you’re like the vast majority of people, your answers to the above questions were, “Not really.” If that is true of you–and you have leadership capabilities, why would you ever think that your people are always telling you the truth?
Now, this may seem self-serving (it’s not intended to), but this is one of the main reasons why you should regularly hire outside consultants. I’m always amazed at what employees tell me when I do my initial rounds of interviews with new clients. Some of what they say is predictable–but not always. Frequently, CEOs are surprised to find out what their people really think.
For example, we may think that we’re being a great boss by giving them lots of freedom, but they may be interpreting it as, “He doesn’t really care.” Or we may think that when we took the time to create, as a group, a new mission, vision and values statement that we did a great job. But they may be thinking, “This is just window dressing so she doesn’t have to deal with Joe and Judy and their lack of performance.”
Or we may think we’re doing a great job coaching our team because we give them lots of ideas and feedback, but they may be thinking, “I can never do anything right for him. He never says, ‘Great idea. Run with it!’” Or, we may be completely unaware that our non-verbals are communicating loud and clear, “I’m not listening to you.”
Throughout history, very few people have been willing to speak into power. It always has been and always will be. Though you and I will occasionally find some senior staff who will tell us the truth, most won’t. So don’t be surprised.
As you may know, one of the first steps toward creating change is facing reality. But to get there, you’ll probably need someone from the outside to help you get there. It’s no different than asking your customers to tell you the truth. Some will, but most will simply tell you what you want to hear. To get the real truth–and that is what you want–you’ll probably need someone from the outside to help you get there. So, choose wisely!
To your accelerated growth!
P.S. This should go without saying, but that someone should possess great relational skills, be able to bond quickly, and have impeccable integrity.
Star Trek and Leadership Development
Posted by: | CommentsForget whether you’re a “trekkie” or not, the series (from the original onward) has been a great vehicle for observing and evaluating both positive and negative leadership–and this latest edition is no slouch on that account.
I’ve never been a big trekkie fan (though I did think Jean luc Picard was a phenomenal leader) so I wasn’t in a hurry to see this latest Star Trek movie. However, the reviews have been so positive (Rotten Tomatoes has it at 95%, which is incredibly high for a major distribution film) that I finally caved in and went to see it this past Saturday, July 4th (and was amazed, like others, at how good it really was–even if you’re not a Star Trek fan).
And while there are a lot of great leadership lessons in it, the one I think you might find quite useful is found in the development of James T. Kirk’s character. If you haven’t seen the film, it’s basically a prequel to the series, starting with Kirk’s birth (and if you don’t know who Kirk is/was, he was William Shatner character back in the 1960’s).
When we first meet up with Kirk in this film (post birth), we see him as a young teen racing a car before he’s old enough to. Then we see him in a bar fight. Then we see him gaming the system. Then we see him in trouble–again and again and again. In other words, he’s a young, self-assured, rebellious, cocky, somewhat funny, anti-authoritan, and thrill-seeking kind of guy!
Now, if you were getting ready to hire a candidate for your business (let alone for a leadership position), how likely do you think it is that you would hire young Mr. Kirk? Probably between zero and nilch. And yet, by not hiring him, you’d miss out on hiring the very person you want, the next James T. Kirk, commander of the USS Enterprise, the leading ship of Star Fleet.
In other words, one of the great lessons you and I can glean from Star Trek is that we shouldn’t expect 40 year-old behavior from 22 year old “kids.” It’s the driving, wild, often reckless behavior of youth that creates the potential for real leadership. If we take that away, the people who don’t possess those kinds of pasts never seem to become great leaders.
When it’s all said and done, leadership requires taking risks, making bold decisions, trusting your gut (often against the data and others), being confident, having the strength to not be afraid when others are, being willing to charge ahead when others want to flee, etc. All of which are qualities that are often born out of “young, self-assured, rebellious, cocky, somewhat funny, anti-authoritan, and thrill-seeking kinds of guys (and gals).”
So, the next time you’re thinking about hiring someone (young, that is–by age 40 they should have these issues under control), you may want to add in some candidates you would normally toss out. The non-conformist you’re tempted to pass over just may be the very one who will help lead (or possibly save) your company–at least, that’s what the entire universe learned in this latest installment of Star Trek!
To your accelerated success!
Jack Welch on Flip-Flopping
Posted by: | CommentsWhen did “flip-flopping” become a sign of weakness?
If you don’t regularly read Business Week, you ought to at least peruse the back page when you’re near a copy–if for no other reason than to read what Jack Welch has to say.
This week’s edition (3/9/09) was one of those weeks that every leader should read.
In fact, I thought his subtitle, “Leaders are actually supposed to change their minds when the winds shift,” was perfect.
What set the stage for his comment was a discussion about President Obama’s decision to add 17,000 troops into Afghanistan, which is a guerrilla style war. Putting politics aside for a moment, Jack’s comment was that he hoped our President would reconsider his position. And then he brilliantly said,
“We hope, that he doesn’t fall prey to the dynamic that affects virtually every leader who has ever stood up to make a bold and defining strategy pronouncement, as he did with Afghanistan on the campaign trail: Call it fear of flip-flopping.”
Brilliantly stated. He then goes on to say
“It is the essence of leadership to have the self-confidence to admit that a strategy has gone off-course or a position has become outdated. And it is the responsibility of all leaders in such a ”predicament“ to revise their direction swiftly, widely communicate it, and move on without undue pandering or emotionality.”
Absolutely! Leadership is not about perfection. It’s about making a bold choice, taking action, evaluating the results and then making mid-course corrections until the desired result or outcome is achieved.
In the military, the old adage is, “No plan survives first encounter with the enemy.” This doesn’t mean a leader shouldn’t plan because the power of planning is not in the plan itself, but in the thinking that has to be done in order to create the plan.
There is a time and place for sticking with a strategy, even when the short-term prospects aren’t looking favorable. But there’s also a time and a place for changing a strategy mid-course when it’s clear that the winds have shifted“ (to use Jack’s phraseology).
How do you know which to do? That’s what leadership is all about. And the only way to learn how to make the right call is to make the wrong call a couple of times.
Being ”pigheaded“ and determined are essential qualities of entrepreneurial leaders, like you and me. However, changing your position (”flip-flopping“) isn’t necessarily a sign of weakness. In many cases, it’s a sign of strength–and quite often, the right thing to do.
So as you look at the strategic decisions your business needs to make this year, which ones do you need to stick with? And which ones do you need to change direction on? Whatever you decide, make sure you base your decisions on the what’s really happening–and not on some fear of being labeled a flip-flopper. As Jack says,
“Leaders are actually supposed to change their minds when the winds shift.”
To your accelerated success!
At the End of the Day, Likability Still Wins in Politics and Business
Posted by: | CommentsRegardless of which political party you’re in, or which presidential election you pick out of the past fifty years, the winner has almost always been the most likable of the two candidates (for example, Kennedy over Nixon, Carter over Ford, Reagan over Carter, Bush I over Dukakis, Clinton over Bush I, Bush II over Gore, etc.). And once again, in the Obama vs. Clinton race or the McCain vs. Romney race, we’re seeing it played out again. Interestingly, as of this moment, McCain wins over Clinton, but loses to Obama.
Now, this isn’t meant to be a final predictor of who’ll win in the fall. Who knows how the race will shape up and who will come off being the more likable (for example, who would have thought six months ago that McCain would be more likable then Romney), but the track record of likability is pretty consistent. Why? Because at the end of the day, we all like to do "business" with people we like.
In fact, just recently I was interviewing a lawyer for a speaking engagement I’m doing in May. During our interview he mentioned to me that he has to train the lawyers he’s hired to learn that most people will decide within four seconds if they’re going to do business with a lawyer. Four seconds! And what can someone decide in four seconds? "Do I think I’m going to like this person?"
Now, lest you be tempted to think that likabilty isn’t relevant to business growth, just review the people you do business with. Yes, you may endure a cranky business owner from time to time, but most of the time, you choose to do business with people you like. Now, occasionally you get stuck in a place where there isn’t much of a choice and neither option is likable. But whenever there is a choice between doing business with someone who’s likable vs. someone who’s not, likable wins every time (and in most case, you’re willing to pay a premium for the likable option–which is another good reason for taking likability seriously.
But it’s not just about you being likable, it’s every person in your business who has contact with any customer being likable. That means that the front desk person has to be likable. The bookkeeper or accounts receivable person has to be likable. Your VP of Marketing has to be likable. The cashier has to be likable. Etc. You pick the position. But whatever the position, the person in that position better be likable. Why? Because if they aren’t I can almost guarantee you that you’re not making as much money as you could.
So as you look through your business, grade your people on the L-Factor (as Tim Sanders calls it in his book, The Likability Factor). Who are your A players when it comes to likability? Your B players? And then your C and D players? Next, make a game plan for ensuring that you (and they) are all moving toward being A players when it comes to the L Factor. And finally, talk about likability frequently–especially with your managers and leaders. Why? Because you (and they) only have four seconds to win a customer over–and most people, when given the choice, prefer to do business with people they like.
Remarkability Begins in Secret
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t know if you’re a tennis fan, but this past Sunday’s achievement by Roger Federer at the US Open ought to WOW you. It was his tenth STRAIGHT grand slam final (no one else has even come close to that). It was his 12th grand slam title in total (putting him at number two on the all-time list, with no end in sight). Because he won the US Open series, he won an extra million dollars for winning the US Open as well (for a total two week take home pay of $2.4 million dollars–not bad!). And it was his fourth straight US Open win–as well as the fourth time he’s won both Wimbledon and the US Open back to back (again, something no one else in the history of tennis has ever done). Quite simply, he’s the best.
But what most of us don’t see is all the work he does in secret. For example, after winning Wimbledon each year, he goes down to Dubai–so he can practice in the HEAT. He calls up organizations like the USTA and asks for them to send him a few young men he can practice with–in Dubai. For hours, he’ll be out on the court. The young men will rotate in and out because of the heat, but Roger stays out on the court the whole time, hitting against "fresh blood," young up and coming players who have lots of energy and speed–hour after hour.
All you and I see is Federer on center court at Arthur Ashe stadium winning match after match, where he looks so calm in the midst of 100 degree days and intense pressure. However, for Roger Federer, those moments of greatness have all been formed in secret, when he’s been willing to push himself harder and farther than his competitors have–out on the practice courts.
That same principle holds true for you and me as well. Nothing is remarkable if it isn’t executed well. And the key to successful execution is found in the practice and preparation that’s done in secret–long before the moment of execution arrives. The speaker who writes out his speech, word for word, and then practices it several times until it feels natural, wows the audience with how "extemporaneously" he speaks. The executive who prepares for hours before a board or staff meeting, appears to be "brilliant" during discussions. The salesperson, who seemed so calm and well prepared for every question you threw at her and who slowly led you to buy–only got there because she had spent hours in private preparing answers for those questions so that they appeared "natural."
It really doesn’t matter what the subject is, remarkability doesn’t just happen. It’s built over time, in secret. So, what are the things you know you need to do–in secret, away from the eyes of everyone else–to get you to the next level? Do you need to practice some responses? Do you need to learn a new skill? Or a new language? Do you need to hone an existing skill? Do you need to practice some more? Do you need to take an additional course? Do you need to hire a coach? Do you need to listen to some audio programs? Etc.
What do you need to do, in secret, to get you to the next level? Whatever it is, do it. And maybe someday, just like Roger Federer, someone will be writing about you and your extraordinary achievement (and hey, an extra $2.4 million for your achievement wouldn’t be that bad either :-)
Raise Your Standards
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever wondered why some people seem to consistently perform at a higher level than others? Or why some people in your organization seem to continually produce more remarkable results than others? Or why some organizations seem to be at the forefront of their industry or market, year after year? If you have, then I think you’ll appreciate that one of the reasons why is that they have a higher mental standard.
For example, yesterday I was in a discussion with a few people about an upcoming event. As inevitably happens, cost issues came up (which isn’t a problem, from my perspective, because I’m a strong advocate of sound fiscal management). However, whenever cost issues arise, one of the normal patterns of behavior/discussion for most people is, "Well, if we do x, it’ll be good enough." After a few of those comments, one of the participants in the conversation noticed I wasn’t thrilled with the direction the conversation was going and said, "Oh, it just dawned on me, I’m trying to plan an event with the Make it Remarkable guy!" Bingo!
It’s the most amazing thing, whenever you or I have a standard of excellence or remarkability, it changes everything we do. Phrases like, "that’ll be good enough," or "Eighty percent is good enough, then move on," or "who’ll notice the difference," or "what did we do last time?" will be eliminated from your vocabulary and mindset. Instead, you’ll look at everything you do as an opportunity to do something more remarkably than you did last time.
It won’t matter if it’s an event you’re planning or a product you’re designing, a meal you’re preparing or a letter you’re writing, a project you’re completing or a proposal you’re submitting. It won’t matter if it’s a customer service initiative you’re creating or a web page design you’re submitting, a talk you’re going to give or a patient encounter you’re involved in. Nor, will it matter if it’s a vacation you’re planning or a room you’re designing. If your standard is excellence or remarkability, you’ll perform at a higher level.
Why? Because we always move in the direction of our currently dominant thought. If the standard we have for ourselves is "good enough" then that’s the image we have in our minds (and we will move toward that). However, if the standard we have in our minds is excellence or remarkability, then we’ll move toward that. In essence, it’s all about what’s in our minds. Or as I like to say, "The cognitive behavioralists are correct." If we want to see a change in behavior, the change must first begin in the mind.
So as you look at your mindset, what is your standard? Are you okay with "good enough" or "ordinary"? Or do you want something more? Do you want excellence or remarkability? What is your standard?
You see, trying to change behavior and performance apart from changing mindset is almost always fraught with failure. So if you want to change your performance (or that of the people you lead), start by raising your standard (or helping them to raise theirs). Eliminate words and phrases like "good enough" and "okay", and aim for excellence and remarkability in everything you do. My guess is that you’ll be surprised at how powerful the impact of such a simple change can be. Standards do matter!
P.S. If you want to change the standard of the people you lead, make excellence or remarkability one of your core values. Then begin a deliberate campaign to make that value part of your culture. Talk about it. Reward it. Cast vision about it. Tell stories about it. Create systems to sustain it. Demonstrate it. Etc. Once your people realize this isn’t the "flavor of the month," they’ll begin to own it. And once they own the value, the change will be dramatic.
Jean-Luc Picard It!
Posted by: | CommentsI was talking with a friend of mine recently who’s a senior executive of a company just north of the Fortune 100. As we were talking, I asked him, "So what do you think separates you from other people? What do you think makes you so good at what you do?" Without hesitating, he said, "Execution. I’m just really good at making sure that what needs to get done gets done. Most people don’t follow through well."
As I reflected on that comment I thought, "Now, isn’t that interesting. Here’s someone who’s had a remarkable career. And yet the one thing he chose to use to explain why he’s had a remarkable career is his ability to follow through and complete the assignments given him." In once sense that sounds so . . . unremarkable. But in another, it’s not. Think about it.
- How many times has someone promised to send you something, and hasn’t?
- How many times has someone said they’d complete a project by x date, and they haven’t?
- How many times has someone promised to make an introduction for you, and they haven’t?
- How many times has someone said they’d meet their plan or objectives in time, and they haven’t?
- How many times has someone promised to raise their game to the next level, and they haven’t?
- How many times has Sears promised to get your appliance to you in a two hour window, and they haven’t?
In other words, in a world full of people (and companies) who don’t follow through well, the person (or company) who executes well is, by definition, remarkable. When a job needs to be done now, this is the person of whom everyone says, "Get me Joe. He’ll get it done!"
Being a metaphor kind of person, I immediately began to think of the image of Jean-Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) from "Star Trek:The Next Generation." If you never watched the show, that’s fine–but what you missed out on was watching a great leader in action. And one of enduring lessons about leadership that you would have picked up from Jean-Luc Picard was his favorite line, "Make it so!" Frequently when he would issue an order (or affirm someone else’s decision) he would follow it up with a three word command to execute well, "Make it so!" In other words, don’t think about it. Don’t deliberate about it. Don’t put it off for another day. Don’t do something else. Just, "Make it so!"
So, as you look at your performance in your company or organization, are you a "Make it so!" kind of person? Are you a Jean-Luc Picard? Have you established yourself as the go-to person when a job needs to be done? Do your people or clients or friends know that your word is your bond, that when you promise to do something it’s as good as done? I hope so. However, if not, don’t worry. Today’s a new day. Go ahead and Jean-Luc Picard it! Become a "Make it so!" kind of person. It’s taken my friend to the upper echelons of a global company. Who knows how high it might take you in your organization?
Always be Generous
Posted by: | CommentsI ran into an encounter recently when a client who had hired me to speak, asked me if I would be willing to take $650 for a $762.21 reimbursement. Now, while this story eventually ended very positively, in the interim, I decided to make a couple of comments to him, one of which was (and he later confirmed this was true), "chances are, you’re not feeling great right now." Why could I say that? Because you know, like I know, that stinginess never feels great.
One of my favorite Jim Rohn stories is the one he tells about a time when his mentor, Mr Shoaf, asked him one day (and this probably occurred about fifty years ago), "When you get your shoes shined, how much do you tip?" Jim replied, "A quarter." To which Mr. Shoaf replied, in shortened form, "Well, you can do that, be a one quarter tipper, but if you do, chances are you’ll probably feel cheap all day. However, if you were more generous, if you were a two quarter tipper, chances are you would feel great all day and so would the person who shined your shoes. So which would you prefer to be, a one quarter or a two quarter kind of tipper?"
Though that’s not an exact rendition of Jim’s story, I’ve never forgotten the gist of it. Stinginess, or giving the minimal amount, never feels great. But generosity, always fills our sails and souls. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, put it this way, "Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies; for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments. (Proverbs 23:6-8). What a great word picture.
On the other hand, Solomon also said, "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." (Proverbs 11:25). In other words, generosity isn’t only good for our souls, it’s good for our businesses as well.
One of the best customer service books I’ve ever read is entitled, "Secret Service," by John DiJulius, who owns a couple of hair studios and spas in the Cleveland area called John Robert’s Hair Studios and Spa. John’s hair studios have an incredible reputation which have resulted in massive profits and growth, fueled by a retention rate that is double the national average. And one of the reasons why is their incredible generosity, especially in service recovery.
In fact, my favorite story about this concerned a woman who came in to have her hair dyed and the designer inadvertently overprocessed the client’s hair relaxer, damaging her hair so badly that it began to fall out. Well, not only did the John Robert’s team immediately begin working with her to try to keep the rest of her hair from falling out, they also called her almost daily, gave her free products and hair care, gave her free massages and spa services, sent her cards and flowers and gift certificates to a local restaurant, and even paid for her hair services when she went on vacation in Florida. How many other businesses do you know that would go this far? Though most of us would expect that someone who went through something this would never darken the doors of the place that caused them to lose her hair, the reality is that this woman not only remained a John Robert’s client, she even referred quite a few people to come with her to John Robert’s.
Why? Because John and his team went overboard. Their generosity index was and is off the charts. They didn’t do the minimum, they did the maximum. And because they were generous, don’t you think word spread? Absolutely. Everyone makes mistakes. But those who are generous always recover better and win in the long run.
So, as you think about your company or organization, which would you say you are? Would your clients or customers see you as generous? Or stingy? And when you’re dealing with your clients or staff, would they see you as generous? Or stingy?
Remember, generosity always wins. You feel better, the person you give to feels better, word about you spreads faster (and positively vs. negatively) and your bottom line gets better. Who could ask for anything more. Generosity always wins.
No One Can Make You Angry
Posted by: | CommentsThat is until someone makes you angry! Right? Wrong! For years I’ve taught this principle, but I still have to keep coming back to it because, well, people are people and they get under our skin. So, for example, in my life, this morning, i was reading a chapter from Jack Canfield’s new book, The Success Principles. In the first chapter he talks about how we need to take personal responsibility for our lives. And then he starts meddling. He talks about how two people experiencing the same event have different experiences and uses the following formula to talk about it.
E + R = O
Event + Response = Outcome
Now who has control over the response? We do. No one else does. No one can control our emotions . . . unless we let them. But even then, we were in control because we let them. Anyone feeling convicted yet?
So, when we the last time you let your spouse or your child "make" you angry? Or how about your boss? Or your employees? Or your neighbors? Or your in-laws? Or the people in your church? Or on your sports team? Or "the government"? You know, blame is one of the oldest sins on record (Genesis 3).
So, what’s the way out? Well, one way is by choosing to take full responsibility for our emotions—and our goals. Why? Because one of the reasons we allow people to take control of our emotions is that we continue to make our goals dependent upon them—which is bad decision. Why? Because whenever people are involved, chances are high our goals will be blocked. And when our goals are blocked, the normal resulting emotion is anger. So, if you want to reduce your anger, you’ll want to make your goals only those things which you have full control over (like your response), not those things/people that you don’t have complete control over (like everything else in the universe—including your spouse, kids, friends, boss and in-laws).
So, do you want to be free? If you do, take back control. Never let anyone take control of your emotions. And remember, no one can make you angry. No one . . . that is, unless YOU let them.