Category: Effective Leadership

A maestro, among other attributes, has given up the role of contributing directly to the output of the organization. Instead, he or she, guides others in a way that maximizes their contribution. So too, the coach does not play the game (the output of the team) but instead guides the players to do their best.

Making the transition from musician to maestro or player to coach is not easy… or for everyone. For some, the fun is in playing the music or the game and not in leading others. Many try to have it both ways. They are player-coaches, if you will.

The trouble with being a player-coach is that it’s hard to be good at both roles simultaneously. It’s hard to maintain a high skill level at each role and, perhaps most importantly, it’s hard to maintain the difference in perspective required by each role.

My best counsel is to drop the musician/player role and to get good at being a maestro. It seems to me that your leverage is highest when you are at a maestro level because of how you can affect the people who work for you.

 

Celebrating success is a challenge for most of us. Indeed, the irony is that those who are the best at accomplishing things are usually the worst at celebrating them. Is that you?

If so, take the time to celebrate and while you’re at it, to express gratitude and appreciation for the efforts made by you and by those around you–your team.

The key instruction here is to TAKE TIME. Schedule it and make it happen. Fighting fires or attending to a crisis is easy compared to taking the time to reflect on past success. No need to wallow in nostalgia. But important to spend a few minutes EXPRESSING APPRECIATION and generating some GOOD FEELINGS about a job well done.

The content this week contains thoughts on knowing one’s own strengths and weaknesses.

The most successful leaders we have worked with are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and not resistant to relying on others to take on tasks that are not in their wheelhouse. They are also good at seeking the perspective of others whom they recognize as having a different point of view and, therefore, something valuable to offer.

For example, a current client has a unique technical expertise that makes him in demand in the market. He knows his strength is in conscientiously attacking a problem and working out a viable solution. He prefers to work alone and to take on one challenge at a time.

He’s an excellent technician but has little interest or practice in networking with potential clients or making sales calls to secure the next contract. He may be an exceptional partner with someone who is more people and sales oriented but on his own, he is likely to have trouble getting steady work.

The point is, of course: Alone this client has a small chance of thriving but, partnered with someone with complementary skills, the chances of thriving increase significantly.

This example has relevance for leaders at all levels of an organization because even though the details can vary, the fact that all of us have areas of strength and areas of weakness is invariable. The best leaders accept this fact and act accordingly.

The content this week contains thoughts on prioritizing.

Setting priorities sounds easy and sensible.

It is sensible but that does not mean it’s easy.

Even if you’re not one to procrastinate, it’s commonplace to lose sight of what’s important or a priority. That’s just the way we’re made. It’s why the squeaky wheel gets the grease and why we get drawn into fighting fires every day, no matter how big they are.

As a leader, your task is more challenging because, in addition to setting priorities for yourself, you have to set priorities for others and then communicate those priorities clearly (which means, defining what success looks like and when the task is going to be reviewed).

A couple of tips:

1. Set your own priorities every day. Make a list (written or electronic) and keep it short. When a task gets done, replace it.
2. Think about your list before committing to it. Answer the questions: What’s the most important task for me to work on today? What’s after that? And, so on.
3. Appreciate the power of the discipline of creating a list of priorities. It’s simple to do and doesn’t take long but it takes your effort to make it a habit. Once it’s a habit, you’re in good shape (think of establishing the habit of flossing your teeth).
4. Understand that people need you to constantly communicate your priorities to them. If “drift” (working on tasks that are not a priority) was eliminated, you could probably cut your workforce in half.
5. Accept that priorities change and revise accordingly. It’s okay when it happens and practicing “letting go” is important (more so for some than others).

The content this week contains thoughts on hiring for fit.

If you are reading this, the chances are high that you’ve been exposed to information on personality or leadership style (e.g., The Eight Dimensions of Leadership). So, you’re probably familiar with the notion of seeing people as extroverted or introverted and people-oriented or task-oriented.

The advice is to determine what the best fit is for a given role and the personality characteristics of the person being considered for the role. Too often, there is a mismatch between the demands of a role and the characteristics of the person in the role or being considered for the role.

This is frequently the case when a task-oriented person, whether introverted or extroverted, gets promoted to managing others (a role arguably best filled by people-oriented individuals). They may be exceptional at getting things done but unless the person learns to be more people-oriented (through coaching or self-awareness or both), he or she will inevitably start to “lose” some of the people who work with and for them. This, in turn, reduces productivity and engagement–a net loss.

Other common mismatches are introverted/task-oriented sales people, extroverted/people-oriented accounting specialists, and introverted marketing managers.

To combat mismatches, work to understand the personality characteristics needed for a given role and sort candidates based on introversion/extroversion, people/task-orientation. Look to those who have been successful in a given role in the past and understand their personality characteristics. Use assessments like the DiSC to guide you when judging fit.

There are always exceptions but it’s usually easier to have success when the fit is right from the start.

For whatever reason, mindfulness, in general, does not get the attention it deserves in the business world. There are exceptions (General Mills, Aetna, Google, and others) but mindfulness is not a tool that’s regularly brought out like cash flow analysis, project management, leadership development, sales training, etc.

This is unfortunate because mindfulness can reduce stress and stress is common in every workplace. It may be due to the spiritual aspects of mindfulness and the basic oil and water mix of business and spirituality.

Have no fear, mindfulness, at its core, does not require a spiritual belief system. At its core, mindfulness is about staying in the present, in the “now.” The benefits of staying in the present are better concentration, better problem solving, better communication, increased self and other awareness and the resulting improvement in relationships, and resilience in the face of stress.

Staying in the present offers all of these improvements because, by staying in the present, you are less likely to let your mind take off down any of several unproductive paths. These paths include catastrophizing (thinking about the worst possible outcome), figuring out how to avoid any criticism or CYAing (interfering with relationships), and plain old “time wasting” by needless fretting. Going down these paths mentally is common, even normal, despite the inefficiencies.

To practice mindfulness, you need to learn to stop your thinking when you find your mind starting down any of the paths mentioned above or others. Easier said than done. But once done, it’s relatively easy to refocus on the present and return to more productive thinking (observing, interacting with others, planning, etc.).

In brief, implement this plan:

• Notice when your focus turns away from the present.
• Reorient yourself to the present by refocusing on what is going on around you and/or your breathing.
• Return to focusing on the present (observing, interacting with others, planning, etc.).

Best wishes with your attempts at becoming more mindful in the business setting! As always, let us know if you have questions…

 
“The main business case for (mindfulness) is that if you’re fully present on the job, you will be a more effective leader, you will make better decisions, and you will work better with other people.”–William George

As we approach the National Football League’s AFC and NFC championships, we would like to note that none other than Aaron Rodgers, of Green Bay Packers fame, gave credit to a familiar business book for helping himself and his team succeed. The ESPN article reads:

“The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” is a business book. It’s about the problems teams face as they try to “row together.” Rodgers calls it a “phenomenal read for anybody in a leadership position.”

“One [part] that especially talked to me about this team,” Rodgers said, “was communication and conflict and being comfortable having issues with teammates and resolving them and moving forward in a positive way and not having that fear of conflict, which I think alienates and isolates individuals. Being comfortable talking to people and letting them talk to you about issues they have and being constructive and positive in your reaction to that.”

Rodgers’ leadership has been questioned in the past year. When things have gone wrong, there have been suggestions that Rodgers has disconnected himself from the team, sort of like Favre in his final years. Rodgers, the theory went, became so big, so much of an institution, that he couldn’t relate to his peers.

In November, the week of the Redskins game, Bleacher Report published a lengthy profile on the quarterback titled, “Can Aaron Rodgers Be the Type of Leader the Packers Need?” Ex-Packers tight end Jermichael Finley was quoted heavily in the story. He told the website, “I just don’t think he was a natural-born leader. He wasn’t put on Earth to lead.”

The story also said that Rodgers is estranged from his family, is aloof and is extremely rough on his receivers, frequently chewing them out. Finley said he wasn’t a hands-on leader and was more concerned about his stats.

In an interview last week, Rodgers called leadership “a challenge.”

When he wasn’t in rhythm earlier this season, for example, he had a short meeting with the wide receivers. Many of them are young, in their early 20s. Some of them, at some point, were terrified of letting down Aaron Rodgers.

“He kind of took us aside and said, ‘I’m not yelling at you guys just to yell. I’m yelling because I care. I believe in each and every one of you.’ I think it meant a lot to all the guys,'” receiver Jeff Janis said.

“It’s especially hard for younger guys because he’s Aaron Rodgers, and he’s won a Super Bowl. When he said that, it just reminds you that, man, he really is on my side. He doesn’t want to see me fail. He wants me to be the best player I can be. It kind of [took] us aback a little bit. It was just nice to hear.”

For the full article, click here. Hopefully, the message is clear… even one of the best “individual contributors” needs a functional team around him or her to get the best organizational (team) results.

First and foremost, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season!

We also have a link to share. It’s to a slide presentation on the Pros and Cons of Keeping Score. We hope the slides are self-explanatory and look forward to hearing from you, if not. The basic idea is how keeping score vis-a-vis others or some internal standard produces stress and gets in the way of showing vulnerability. Not showing vulnerability reduces trust and inevitably decreases the odds of effectively leading others and working in teams. It’s a new way to think about a timeless challenge. The link is: here. Please enjoy!

Happy Holidays,

Vital Growth Consulting Group