Archive for November, 2010
Video Book Club: Difficult Conversations November 30 2010 no responses
The Video Book Club is back from a brief hiatus with one of my favorite books, Difficult Conversations
In this video clip, I talk through one of the main ideas in the book.
How to Apologize When Your Candid Comments Show Up on WikiLeaks (or Somewhere Else You Didn’t Intend) November 29 2010 one response
A good piece of conventional wisdom for leaders used to be to never do, say or write anything down that you wouldn’t want to read on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. Times have changed though. As this week’s WikiLeaks release of more than 250,000 U.S. State Department documents shows, there’s a pretty good chance that your recorded thoughts and actions can end up all over the internet in no time flat.
As reported in the New York Times and other major publications, the State Department memos contain some rather embarrassing details of how diplomacy gets done and some very candid assessments of individual world leaders. For example, according to a summary in the Financial Times, the documents describe French president Sarkozy as having a “thin skinned and authoritarian personal style,” Russian president Medvedev as “Robin” to Prime Minister Putin’s “Batman,” Afghan President Karzai as “an extremely weak man who does not listen to facts,” Italy’s PM Berlusconi as “feckless and vain,” and North Korea’s Kim Jong Il as a “flabby old chap.”
Since most of those observations could be made firsthand by anyone who follows international news, you sort of have to wonder what the value was in writing them down. In any case, they were and now the apologizing is underway. While it’s unlikely that your closeted skeletons will suddenly appear on WikiLeaks (although the probability of someone’s Facebook page or blog is much higher), you’ve likely faced situations as a leader where your true thoughts inadvertently come out (You’ve probably learned the hard way that the recall button on that e-mail you just sent by “Reply All” doesn’t actually do anything). In spite of all the lessons you’ve learned, it will probably happen again in the future. If not that, then you may end up on the receiving end of someone else’s unintended candor.
Here are some suggestions on how to apologize in the first instance and why and how you should accept the apology in the second:
Lessons from the TSA on Communicating Change November 23 2010 2 responses
So, yesterday, I went through airport security for the first time since the full body scanning machines and enhanced pat down procedures were put into effect. Honestly, it was no different than it was the other twenty or so times I’ve gone through security at Dulles this year. If anything, it was faster. (That might have had something to do with going through security at 5:30 am). Took my shoes off, coat off, put them in the bin, briefcase on the belt, walked through the traditional electronic portal and was directed to the belt to pick up my stuff. Zip, zap, out of there.
There was a guy in front of me who was pulled into a private cubicle for a pat down but it looked like everyone else was sailing right through. Which, I have to say, was quite a bit different than what I would have expected based on the media coverage over the past couple of weeks. You would think everyone going through security was having a close encounter of the TSA kind. Not the case. What is the case, however, is that the TSA could have done a better job of preparing their staff and the public for the changes. Since leaders have to navigate their stakeholders through change on a more or less continuous basis, it seems worth it to take a look at the body scan/pat down controversy to see what we can learn about communicating change.
Seven First Steps for New Members of Congress (That Apply to New Leaders in Any Field) November 19 2010 one response
The orientation process of newly elected Members of Congress started this past week. A long time ago, in a more bipartisan age, I helped organize a week long orientation program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government for the freshman congressional class of 1986. If I remember correctly they had spent an orientation week in Washington and them came up to Cambridge for a week of policy briefings. I haven’t heard whether or not this year’s class is headed to the Kennedy School. One thing I’m pretty sure of, though, is is that after a week of meetings and briefings in DC this past week, a lot of the new members heads are spinning from learning about all the things they have to get organized in a short amount of time.
A lot of what they’re facing is similar to what faces any new leader coming on board in a large, complex organization. To succeed, you’ve got to get your feet on the ground quickly, determine your priorities and line your resources up against them. The research shows that most new executives have about 18 months before they’re deemed a success or failure. Since new members of the House will be up for reelection in two years, they’re operating on a similar time frame.
Earlier this year, a colleague shared a book with me called Setting Course, that’s produced by the Congressional Management Foundation. It’s a guidebook for new Members of Congress and provides a step by step plan for getting up to speed quickly. I was thumbing through it this morning and paying particular attention to the Do’s and Don’ts summaries at the end of each chapter. There’s a lot of sound advice there. Here are seven first steps I pulled out that, with some situational tweaking, seem to apply to any new leader, not just new Members of Congress:
Leaders Can Change the Weather November 17 2010 no responses
Lately, I’ve been in a lot of conversations with leaders about what’s different about moving into more senior and visible executive roles. One guy in a group last week summed it up by saying, “I change the weather.” When I asked him to explain, he said he’s been noticing that his team and extended organization take their cues from him and reflect whatever he’s projecting. If his outlook is sunny and bright, the organization is sunny and bright. If his outlook is stormy and cloudy, the weather in the organization is pretty much the same.
While you may not have thought of it in terms of a weather forecast, you’ve probably experienced this phenomenon from one end or the other. Most people who have been around organizations for any amount of time have worked for a boss where the question on everyone’s mind was, “What kind of mood is he in today?” It’s the same dynamic. The boss controlled the weather.
So, if you’re the boss, it’s worth thinking about what kind of weather system you’re creating. Warm front or cold front? Sunny and pleasant or stormy and blustery? What kind of impacts do your weather systems have on the team’s results? Have you even been aware that you’ve been creating the weather?
If you’re interested in becoming a more effective leadership meteorologist, here are a few things to pay attention to:
It’s Not Just You: Three Ways to Get Your Confident Self Into the Game November 15 2010 one response
Last week I spent an afternoon talking with about 60 newly promoted executives of a well known global company. The group had flown in from around the world and the topic was how to lead at the next level. The framing question for my work with executives is what do you pick up and what do you let go of to achieve the different results that are expected of you in a bigger job?
One of the first things we talked about is the need to pick up confidence in your presence and let go of doubt in how you contribute in your new executive role. To get the conversation going, I shared this question combined with a story –
How many of you have been in this situation? You’re the newest member of the leadership team and it’s your first regularly scheduled team meeting. It’s you and 10 or 12 other people gathered around the conference table and it’s that part of the meeting where everyone is going around the table giving their 3 or 4 minute weekly update. The way the table is set up that day, you’re at the far end of one side of the table and the check-ins start with the person opposite you and then the ball is passed to the right until, thirty minutes or so later, it’s your turn. Of course, you’re not hearing a whole lot of what’s said in that 30 minutes because the little voice inside your head is jabbering away with helpful comments like:You’ve got nothing. These people are all so well informed and you don’t know beans. You’re going to look like an idiot when it’s your turn. How did you get here anyway? There must have been some glitch in the succession plan that got you onto this team. Everyone here is smarter and more experienced than you. Geesh, they’re even better looking than you are. I hope you don’t screw this up. Please, don’t screw this up.
Most of the people in the room laughed a little nervously or sheepishly when I played out the scenario. I asked them what they were thinking and a guy nearby looked up and said, “Thank God, it’s not just me.” He’s right – it’s not just him and it’s not just you. Just about any time you move up into a new leadership role, you’re going to feel the nerves as you get your feet on the ground and figure out how the new game is played. The goal is to get through that period as quickly as possible so you can confidently do what you’re expected to do.
Based on some of the advice from senior executives featured in my book, The Next Level
Leadership and Your Long Term Legacy November 11 2010 2 responses
Perhaps you've heard the story about the Renaissance era traveler who came upon a group of three men smashing rocks by the side of the road. He asked the first man what he was doing and the man said, "I am engaged in the daily drudgery of smashing large rocks into smaller rocks." The traveller then asked the second man what he was doing. With more energy and enthusiasm, the man said, "I'm shaping these rocks into bricks." Finally, the traveler asked the third man the question. With a fire in his eyes, the man joyfully replied, "I'm building a cathedral to celebrate the glory of God."
It's all about perspective and intent. Today, I got a different perspective by climbing to the top of the cathedral in Florence, Italy. Construction on the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore began in 1296 and ended 170 years later. It's capped by a 375 foot high duomo which is the largest brick dome in the world. If you have eight Euros and some cardiovascular endurance, you can walk up 464 steps that lead to an outdoor platform at the top of the dome. From there, you're treated to a 360 degree view of Florence and Tuscany.
As I was walking through this ancient city searching for dinner tonight, I started thinking about the kind of leadership that must be required to start a project you won't live to see the end of. It's easy to look at a cathedral and conclude that you'll likely never work on something like that. That doesn't mean, however, that your leadership can't build a legacy that outlives you.
Here are a couple of examples that might hit closer to home.
The Power of Courtesy November 9 2010 one response
I travel a lot. Mainly domestic in the US, two or three round trip flights a month for business. In an average year, I'll travel internationally once or twice. This week, I'm in Florence, Italy to speak to a group of newly promoted executives.
If you fly in the US very often, you know that you kind of have to put on your armor to get through the cattle call type feel of navigating through crowded, noisy airports and squeezing onto a plane where it's likely that you're going to have the head of the person in front of you almost in your lap when they recline their seat. Not a lot of fun really.
Guess that's why I was so impressed by the experience of connecting through Brussels yesterday. It's the cleanest, most open, quietest airport I've been in in a long time. Maybe ever. The waiting area at the gate was the picture of calm. When the gate agent announced it was time to board, everyone quietly got up and moved gracefully into line. There was none of the jostling for position that you typically see at the gates at my home airport of Dulles.
Maybe everyone was calm because the process of getting through security was so pleasant. Yes, pleasant. There was a bit of a line, but everyone was cool about that. After I put my bags through the scanner, I walked through the electronic portal and it beeped. Since I fly a lot, I usually know what I can have on my person without making it beep. When it did in Brussels, a very courteous guy asked me with a smile if I could step to the side so he could search me. He told me everything he was going to do, maintained friendly eye contact, patted me down and then scanned me with his electronic wand. It turns out that my passport had some sort of magnetic strip that set off the machine. We laughed a little about that. He wished me a nice day and sent me on my way.
Boarding the Brussels Air regional jet to Florence, the flight attendant (his badge said Purser actually) greeted all of us with a smile. He spoke perfect English, French, German and Italian and opened and closed every interaction with a smile. You could feel the calm radiating throughout the plane. That was maintained right through the announcement from the pilot that we were going to have to divert to Bologna because of severe wind conditions in Florence. It didn't feel like a big deal and it really wasn't. There was a big bus waiting for us on the tarmac and we were in the Bologna terminal within five minutes. From there, I caught a taxi to the train station, hopped on TrenItalia to Florence and was at my hotel maybe an hour later than originally planned.
With a six hour time change and 18 hours of travel, it had been a long day but not a stressful one. I'm convinced that a big reason for that was because of the courtesy of the people I came in contact with and that humans were considered in the design of processes and public spaces. When you think about it, it's really not that hard to incorporate courtesy and consideration into everyday life. Makes me wonder what the leadership opportunities are there.
The Heroes of Walter Reed November 5 2010 one response
Yesterday, on a rainy afternoon in Washington, DC, I had the privilege of doing something that I wish every American had the opportunity to experience. Through her company, Hooks Book Events, my friend Perry Hooks arranged to give 200 copies of a new book about women combat veterans called When Janey Comes Marching Home
They’re heroes and to explain why they are I want to share a few of their stories with you.
It Never Ends. Even More Leadership Lessons from the Washington Redskins November 3 2010 8 responses
So, if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you might have expected me to have some sort of leadership lessons post on yesterday’s mid-term elections. I’m waiting to see how the various players respond in the next couple of days before I get to that topic.
One that I’m very clear on, however, is that the Washington Redskins are still one of the go-to resources for real-life lessons on how not to lead. You may recall that about this time last year, I wrote a post titled Learning What Not to Do from the Leadership of the Washington Redskins. That post, which mainly focused on team owner Dan Snyder, went a little viral. It was picked up by a bunch of Redskins fan sites and led to my five minutes of fame in an interview with DC’s Fox TV affiliate. It’s the only post I’ve ever written that received dozens of comments that all agreed with what I wrote.
I must acknowledge that, at least from my limited perspective, Snyder has changed a lot of the things I criticized last year (not that I’m taking any credit for that). He’s improved the fan experience by adding high def jumbotrons in the end zones (and even took out some seats to do it). He publicly owned up to accountability for the team’s lackluster performance at the end of last year. He fired his lackey and hired a professional general manager. He appears to have removed himself from the day to day management of football operations. You have to give him credit for all of that. And, of course, he hired a Super Bowl winning coach in Mike Shanahan to lead the team from the sidelines and a five time Pro Bowler in Donovan McNabb to lead the team on the field.
Leading the team on the field unless it’s a closing two minute drill to beat the newly energized Detroit Lions. Down by five points in the closing minutes last Sunday, Shanahan benched his Pro Bowler and replaced him with second string QB Rex Grossman who was intercepted by Detroit’s scary good defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh who ran the ball back for a game clinching touchdown.
You can argue about the intelligence of Shanahan making the substitution. Rabid sports fans are known to disagree after all. What doesn’t seem open for much debate, however, is the poor leadership that Shanahan showed in the hours and days after the game. While he’s put his own unique spin on them, there are three “leaders don’t do this” lessons from last year’s post that Shanahan is demonstrating this year:
Scott Eblin is an executive coach, speaker and author of 
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