Bring on the Change!

As a contemporary leader, you’ve undoubtedly been asked to support a change management initiative. Ironic though it sounds, change is a constant in today’s business world. Managing change isn’t an easy task. People resist change for many reasons, including fear of personal failure, concern for increased workload or comfort with the status quo. 

Leverage change by focusing on the positive
 

Although change can be negatively perceived, it is the fuel that drives progress. Just imagine our world if no change had occurred in the last 30 years. Roll the calendar back to 1983, to find a world where cell phones were few in number and looked like bricks. Laptop computers (let alone tablet devices) were nonexistent, the Berlin Wall still stood, and FMLA was unknown. Despite the trepidation to move away from the security of what is known, change can often be good.

“Change Management” is the term given to efforts to help people successfully navigate any type of change. Given that change is, by its very nature, unpredictable and unwieldy, trying to manage it may be a barrier to success. Leaders may be better served by focusing on leveraging change rather than managing it. Here are three steps to accomplish that goal:

Identify the levers of change: Change doesn’t instantly materialize; it comes about because of a real or perceived need. Ensure that, as a leader, you fully understand the big picture behind the change. Often, there are influences outside your own job or organization. Ask many questions to understand all of the "whys" behind any change effort.

Take a positive look ahead:  People are often mired in the challenge of change simply because they are stuck in the present. That same mindset gives us heartburn in stop-and-go traffic. We observe only the mass of idling cars around us. We fail to see that we will move through and reach our destination, soon to fully forget the unpleasant experience. To leverage change, look ahead. What is the change intended to accomplish? Once it’s fully implemented, how will life look? What are the three most positive impacts likely to occur because of the change?

Embrace and promote the change:  Once a change initiative is underway, it’s difficult to stop it. Yet many try, contributing to frustration and wasted energy. With an understanding of the cause for change and a focus on the probable positive outcomes, it’s easier to rally around the change effort and become a cheerleader. It is rewarding and fulfilling to be a part of a successfully completed strategy. It doesn’t feel nearly as good to resist and derail a significant initiative.

Change will continue to influence every facet of our life – and for that, we should be grateful. Decades from now, when human teleportation allows instant contact with loved ones, cars sip energy from the air around them and batteries run forever, we’ll have change to thank. Leverage change now  to fully realize the many benefits that it will bring tomorrow.

 

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Build Your Strategic Muscle

As a leader, you may be coached to “be more strategic.” This advice, while well intentioned, is difficult to follow. According to Lominger, a globally recognized expert in leadership development, strategic agility – the ability to think strategically – is a critical leadership competency, but one in which many leaders are lacking. It is also among the most difficult to develop.

Many leaders are puzzled when told to "be more strategic."

Given the challenge to fulfill the “be more strategic” goal, what options do leaders have to build strategic muscle? Gaining an understanding of the meaning of the word strategic may be a good place to start.

Being strategic means “identifying long-term or overall aims and interests and the means of achieving them.” Leaders attempting to build strategic muscle should focus on a key phrase in this definition: long-term. Thinking versus doing, planning versus executing, and looking broadly versus focusing narrowly all support a long view. As such, they are important elements in the formula to be more strategic.

Many leaders attained their positions through stellar performance as individual contributors. With a wonderful ability to execute and the stellar results that followed, these lucky folks were rewarded with a promotion to a leadership role. Small wonder that these great “doers” struggle to be more strategic!

Building strategic muscle is similar to any muscle-building program. It takes time, practice and patience. Here are three strategic muscle-building exercises that a leader desiring to be more strategic should first take when faced with a challenge, project or problem. There is no time limit on completing these steps. In fact, if the situation allows, spacing them out over several hours or even a few days will be most helpful.

Look long:  Ask, “What would success look like?” Write down the first five things that come to mind. Avoid any tendency to filter the results.

Inject creativity: Consider the most unusual, unorthodox or untested actions that might help to achieve the outcomes you’ve just identified. Avoid the temptation to eliminate any actions due to budgetary, technical or personnel constraints. List everything that comes to mind, aiming for at least five creative actions.

Scan broadly: Identify every stakeholder – this means anyone who is impacted (positively or negatively) by the challenge, project or problem. Then, select at least three individuals from different backgrounds and interest groups and discuss the challenge, project or problem (obviously staying within the bounds of confidentiality, if the matter is sensitive.)

These exercises accomplish two purposes: First, the leader cannot immediately jump in to tackle the matter, wearing his or her tried and true “Super-Executor” cape. The natural pause of thinking time causes the leader to approach the situation in a much broader manner. Secondly, the process of exploring creatively and fully (especially with input of others) can open one’s mind to new ideas or different ways of addressing the challenge at hand.

Building strategic muscle is a challenge for any leader, especially those who have built their reputations on quick execution. Leaders can successfully meet the challenge through purposeful and diligent exercises targeted on developing strategic capacity.

 Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Two Most Important Leadership Tools

Leaders rely on many tools for professional development and self-improvement. Smartphone apps help maximize productivity, books and articles offer poignant advice, and coaches serve as thinking partners. These and other leadership resources are often touted as "must-haves" to ensure the leader's success and certainly, each has its place.

There are, however, two simple and unassuming tools that can help any leader transform from merely effective to truly outstanding. The key to success lies in the leader's commitment to use each tool to its fullest. 
 

1.      Tool #1: The Mirror:

What kind of leader are you? How do you measure your effectiveness? Do you know how your direct reports actually see you? Many leaders answer these questions confidently and positively, based on productivity metrics or smiling faces at staff meetings. These same leaders are shocked when engagement surveys yield sub-par scores or exit interviews indicate a lack of leadership skill.



Hold up the mirror to see what others see

Hold up a mirror by seeking frequent feedback from peers and direct reports. Individuals, especially direct reports, may at first be reticent and withhold or downplay constructive critique, but an open, genuine leader can assuage these fears. Listen from a place of pure curiosity, resisting any urge to defend or explain. Be attuned to trends, especially when a trend emerges from disparate groups. Open your ears to commentary that is positively cloaked. “I know you’re awfully busy” or “You have very high expectations” may be criticism in disguise. Ask follow-up questions:  “what does ‘busy’ look like to you?” “How do the high expectations impact you?”

Act on what you see in the mirror, and be sure those offering feedback know that you are doing so. Engage them in your efforts.  “I heard your concerns about my busy schedule and am committed to provide you with more face time. Call me out any time you believe that I’m lapsing into old habits.”  Sustain the momentum through regular check-in and ongoing behavioral adjustments.

2.      Tool #2: The Microscope:

Obtaining candid feedback is a first step, but self-transformation requires understanding of behavioral root causes.  Using our “busy” example, the next step is to place the situation under a microscope of objectivity.

Examine the dynamics in play. Which factors impacting your schedule can you control and change? If you cannot adjust, what options do you have to ensure that your staff has the time that they need?  Are there others who seem to have successfully mastered this challenge and if so, how can you learn from them? Is there a way to engage your staff in the activities that seem to pull you away from them?

The key to seeing objectively through the microscope is to first accept the validity of the feedback. Once the concern is acknowledged as fact, the lines of defense evaporate and effective solutions can emerge.

Leaders who want to improve have many resources available to them. The mirror of rich, valid feedback is an important foundational leadership development tool. When that mirror is used in conjunction with a microscope of objective analysis, a leader is able to see what others see and transform that image into what he or she wishes to become.

Are You A Good Leader? Ask These Seven Questions

Many people delve into leadership books or participate in webinars to discover the secrets of great leadership. With a plethora of leadership advice and seemingly endless resources available, the world should be full of great leaders. However, reading and learning do not always translate into sustained behaviors.

I'm aware of one very senior leader for a large, well-known public company who prided himself on reading every new management book. He envisioned himself as a wonderful leader, full of contemporary knowledge, sprinkling his conversation with the latest management metaphors and buzzwords. However, his team had an entirely different view. The leader's micromanagement and fear-inducing style created an atmosphere of instability, disengagement and lack of trust. 

How could this individual be so blind to the impact of his actions? Is it possible that he truly believed himself to be the authentic, inspiring and exemplary leader outlined in the titles on his reading list? What could he have done to conduct a reality check, a verification of sorts, that he truly was a great leader? 

Here are seven simple questions that he - or any leader, in any situation - might ask of followers. We use the term followers to describe direct reports, committee members, family or others who make up the team that you lead.

1.  How often do my followers start the conversation, whether in meetings or one-on-one situations?
Others are willing to initiate dialogue when they perceive the environment to be one of mutual respect. Hesitation on the part of a follower may simply be the hallmark of an introverted personality, but it could also indicate a lack of confidence to take the lead for fear of reprisal. 

2.  Do my followers genuinely and consistently ask for my advice?
Assuming that your followers have some degree of self-sufficiency, seeking the counsel of the leader is a sign of respect for the leader’s knowledge, experience and perspective. It also demonstrates confidence that the leader will advise and guide, versus meddle or control. 

3.  How often - and how - do my followers challenge me?
Publicly challenging one’s leader is usually ill advised. Nevertheless, good leaders encourage healthy dialogue and invite dissenting opinions in one-on-one or in small group settings. Followers who feel valued will confidently provide input in these situations.

4.  How often have I altered my course or revamped an idea based on the input of my followers?
A strong leader not only encourages alternative points of view, but also actively considers them and integrates the best ideas – or may use them in place of his or her initial plan. Leaders who acknowledge the intelligence and skill of their followers often incorporate their suggestions, and give credit to the team when they do. 

5.  How much do I know about the "big picture" of each of my followers lives?
Knowing and understanding the full scope of a follower’s life situation may seem trivial, “touchy-feely,” or even intrusive. However, good leaders know that many things can affect the leader-follower relationship. Although some people prefer to keep life details private (and this should always be respected), many do openly share the broad picture when the leader creates and environment of trust and respect. 

6.  When we interact, do my followers have a spring in their step and a smile on their faces?
As a rule, followers of authentic, inspiring and exemplary leaders are happy, engaged and positive. Even the committee curmudgeon will usually muster a wry smile or two under the direction of a truly great leader. 

7.  How do my followers treat their followers?
Those who feel respected, those who know that their input is valued and those who enjoy a relationship of trust usually treat their own followers in a similar way. Conversely, those who are constantly questioned, disrespected, or fearful will find it more challenging to set a positive tone within their own groups. 

There are many leadership self-assessments, from simple to sophisticated. This short questionnaire is one quick method that any leader in any situation can use to candidly evaluate his or her progress on the path to leadership excellence. The key for any leader is to do more than simply read, attend seminars or click into webinars. Translating learning into great leadership requires holding up the mirror to see yourself as your followers see you.

Image courtesy of David Castillo/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Leading YOUR Way

Ask various people for a definition of a great leader and you are not likely to find identical answers. Certainly, there will be some similarities, but the definition of leadership greatness is a highly individualized one. Leadership is not an exact science.

How, then can you become a great leader? Here are three fundamental elements:

Lead YOUR way.

Learn, grow and develop, but don't try to be something you're not. Successful leaders are, above all else, keenly self-aware. They know their strengths and maximize these traits to compensate for weaker areas. Noted leadership expert Bill George coined the phrase "authentic leadership" to describe the behaviors of leaders who "know who they are."

Develop YOUR go-to support team.

Understanding your strengths means acknowledging - and filling - the gaps. No one is good at everything and no single leader can excel in every situation.  Leadership success depends on identifying team members whose talents complement rather than duplicate yours. Moreover, you must be sufficiently self-confident to tap the expertise of these individuals, when the situation warrants.

Find YOUR best place.

Varying situations require different approaches. Although truly great leaders master the art of style-shifting, all leaders have a inherently preferred approach to leadership. Finding the organization and role best suited to the preferred leadership style is key to success.  A command-and-control leader has a high risk of failure in a process oriented, people centric function such as social work. Conversely, a creative, free-thinking innovator may not find success as the leader of a mechanical engineering team, where methodical attention to detail is critical. There are, of course exceptions, but the majority of us are most successful when our inherent style fits the culture of our organization and work team.

Becoming an outstanding leader is akin to becoming a world-class musician in an orchestra or superstar athlete on a team.  Know your strengths, rely on others to round out your gaps and ensure that you are in a setting that allows you to showcase your talents to the fullest.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.