Champions Integrate Drive and Empathy

Question your nature if the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile didn’t move you. Millions of lives got rocked from those tragedies and the pictures are gut wrenching. Also gut wrenching is seeing some of my friends’ lives get tough due to recent layoffs. It seems like each day presents new challenges and each business day gets harder.

Today, our leaders are called to be compassionate and driven. Our employees need to feel appreciated, or at least let down easily, and our businesses have to reach new heights despite the obstacles. A question I’ve debated with myself and with others is how to balance drive and empathy. How do I show enough compassion and still I apply the performance pressure? My dilemma is that it’s Sunday night and I’m preparing for my Monday morning at work, but my mind is on Chili.

Do I forcefully transition? If so, how? If not, do I show up unprepared for another challenging day with big demands at the office?

Before answering that question, I believe there are leaders who are naturally empathetic and leaders who are naturally driven.  But I believe champions are both—and both are critical for success.

Champions have a sensational drive for success and an ability to truly connect emotionally with others. Their compassion doesn’t impede their business acumen. Nor does their business acumen impede their compassion. Since a champion is self-aware, they know their natural tendencies and where they need to compensate for their lack of skills. If empathy is natural for the champion, they will compensate for balance and emphasize drive. If a champion is more naturally driven and less empathetic, they will compensate by emphasizing compassion.

My concern for the Chileans shouldn’t keep me from being prepared for my Monday. And my Monday shouldn’t desensitize me to the Chileans.

Below are a few points to consider as you work to better integrate your business drive and empathy as a leader:

1. Know your natural tendencies. Are your natural tendencies more for empathy or for drive?
2. Prepare to compensate the other attribute by being intentional in your actions in order to capture a healthy balance. Too much empathy can stifle progress, and too much drive can create a trail of people debris behind you. Realize that both traits are important.
3. Take a little more time before you react. Try not to always respond at your first notion. Consider [taking] a pause and allow things to soak in a little more.
4. Help others understand the reasoning behind your reaction or position—whether empathetic or direct. Explaining the reasoning helps others overcome their tendency to take things personally.
5. Explain your motives. Explaining your motives not only helps others realize you’re not completely insensitive, or overly sensitive for you empathetic leaders, but explaining your motives holds you accountable for making sure your motives are right.

Champions know in their heart of hearts that the world – in general and in business – is not black and white.  They are keenly aware that a black and white approach will fall short of the results and guiding principles they are committed to. They must be able to integrate their keen business drive with a deep appreciation for the people with whom they work and the events occurring in the world that impact all of us.

Onward!

Tags: champions, compassion and drive, Drive for results, Empathy, Leadership skills, OrganizationalChampions, tragedy and leadership

Champions Don’t Do It Because They Have To

If you’ve been watching the 2010 Winter Olympics, you’ve seen champions in action.  One champion who stands out for me is Shaun White.  Knowing that my coolness factor pales in comparison to that of Shaun White only elevates my appreciation for his bravado. For those who don’t know, Shaun White is the two-time U.S. Olympic Gold medalist in the snowboarding halfpipe event. I watched him earn his second Gold last night and was amused by his preparation before his last run.

In snowboarding, competitors get two attempts to score on their runs down the halfpipe. Their scores for both attempts aren’t accumulated to a grand total, but rather, only one of their scores—their highest score—counts. Shaun was the last competitor to go for both rounds. In his first attempt, he set the high score. No one else got close. So when it was time for his second attempt, he had already won the Gold. There was no need for him to do anything else. Gold was secure. What was amusing was overhearing his conversation with his coaches. He expressed in his excitement that he didn’t think he could run. His coach asked him what he wanted to do on his run and White said, “I don’t know. Go right down the middle.”

But of course, that’s not what Shaun did. He went all out—not for Gold, not for reward, not for promotion. He went all out because that’s just who he is. Champions relish a whole lot more in who they are, not in what they do. Put a set of skates on Shaun and he’ll go all out. Put him on the front lines and he’ll charge forward. Put him in any situation and he’ll go extreme, every time.

Shaun brings the same championship attitude to every area of his life. He and his brother, Jesse, have been in business together since 2002 when Shaun was 15 years old pursuing their passion of designing clothing.  They recently pitched a girls’ line and were met with some resistance—despite the success they’ve seen with their designs for the male population. There was doubt as to whether or not they could handle designs for the ladies.  But their passion, creativity and preparation won the Creative Director of Burton’s (the world’s leading snowboard maker) over in a big way.

What is the key to Shaun’s extraordinary success?

Shaun White knows what he loves to do.  He is clear about what lights him up and where his strengths lie, and he pursues them with unbridled passion and courage.

He is committed to giving his all, without fear of the risks.  In Shaun’s case, he not only faces financial risks but risk of physical injury every time he engages in a sport because he is pushing the boundaries of what he has done before and what has been done period.  He is not focused on the risks, but the fulfillment of reaching new heights—literally.

Shaun is playing full out in life and, because of that, he is setting new standards and challenging others to do the same.

Do your pursuits align with who you are?  What is holding you back from being a champion in your life and achieving extraordinary results that light you up?  We can all learn from champions like Shaun White.  Imagine what the world would look like if we all pursued our own passions fully without being held back by fear.  Inspiring!

Tags: champion, passion, Shaun White, Winter Olympics

Passion & Perspective Trumps Proficiency

Sometimes the Super Bowl match-ups aren’t very compelling. But for me, Super Bowl XLIV (Colts versus Saints) was worth the watch. Why, because the off-the-field stories are so inspiring – especially for the Saints. This team rallied behind a community in turmoil – New Orleans in post Hurricane Katrina – and the community in turmoil rallied behind the team. The team and the community needed each other in order to heal. Drew Brees, the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, was presented as the face of healing for New Orleans. A Super Bowl victory would mean the world to Brees and to New Orleans.

As I watched Brees in his Super Bowl pre-game and post-game interviews, I observed his category 5 heart, his mission-minded mentality, and his passion for victory. You see Brees’ passion in his eyes and in his voice. He seems to have a strong and enduring will that has been born out of setbacks such as his potential career-ending injury while with the San Diego Chargers. How closely those attributes resemble the community of New Orleans.

When Brees reflects on his journey to Super Bowl XLIV, he talks a lot about perspective and how perspective has helped him find peace and develop strength. After seeing the devastation in New Orleans firsthand, there wasn’t much more that could rile Brees. His new perspective would help him fight through adversity and his passion would inspire others to do the same. And his passion and perspective helped him and his team defeat a very proficient Peyton Manning and Colts team.

This is a common observation in leaders. Leaders with passion and perspective outperform leaders who rely on proficiency alone. Influential and inspiring leaders just seem to outperform skill-set leaders – acknowledging the obvious point that these attributes aren’t mutually exclusive. What we can learn from Drew Brees is that passion and perspective matters in our leadership, in our performance and in the results.

Congratulations Who Dat nation!

Tags: bowl, brees, drew, football, hurricane, illustration, Leadership, manning, new, Orleans, passion, perspective, peyton, saints, super

Observers Make Better Creators

My daughter Alex, at age 10, has her sights set on being the world’s greatest fashion designer. Her bedroom features a sewing machine, a mannequin, and the 2009 DVD series of the show, “Project Runway.” She’s got a sketch book full of outfit designs and random fabric spilling out of her closet.

My wife and I have taken Alex on a couple of visits to a few fashion forward shops and stores—even spending a couple of days in Miami’s fashion center, South Beach. I’ve gotten quite a kick out of watching my daughter’s reaction in these world renowned stores. “These people don’t know what they’re doing, Dad”, Alex suggests. “I’ve got my own ideas. I need to get home and get to work.”

While I admire my daughter’s drive, I’ve begun to encourage her to become a better observer—a better learner.

Alex has my DNA. I take much of the blame for her pace and her drive. It takes a great deal of conscious effort for me to slow down enough to observe and learn. I like to create. But I’m a much better creator when I slow down enough to listen rather than talk, to observe rather than react.

Today, Northwest Arkansas is experiencing a winter storm that has our community shut in. The storm has forced me to listen, observe and learn more. I found time to watch a 19 minute TED video that was recommended to me by a friend. I invite you to watch the TED video where Carl Honore, author of In Praise of Slowness, presents the value of slowing down.

By slowing down we enrich our lives, become aware through our observations, take in the preciousness of the moment – and because of it, we become better creators.

Are you blazing past life’s precious moments or are you making time to listen, to learn and to observe? I encourage you to work in some “slowness” into your life. I think you’ll be surprised by the results.

Onward!

Tags: Carl, creating, creativity, down, Fast, Honore, rushing, slow, TED

Learning from Adaptable Leaders – One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work

The challenges we’ve faced economically have brought necessary change in businesses at every level. The larger the company, the greater the change. And the greater the change, the more that change is felt by everyone. We’ve seen everything from massive layoffs to corporate mergers. Corporate leaders have had to rethink how they do business to remain competitive – and profitable. Jobs that were once thought of as secure have become dispensable. The concept of being a “lifer” at a company has virtually become a distant memory.

As a corporate leader, it can be difficult to stay on top of all the changes and support your team members in navigating those changes so they can stay focused on business objectives while dealing with the uncertainty.

If my experience as an external consultant has taught me anything, it is that adaptability is the most crucial ability for any leader. Thousands of observations, interactions and interviews have shown me that those leaders who have advanced their careers and supported company growth through tumultuous times found a way to fit in, build trust and contribute quickly in any setting they are placed. The adaptable leader is a cross-cultural champion who can easily navigate and contribute in different environments—and that is their profound differentiator.

One of the most significant challenges I’ve experienced in working with so many companies is how to quickly adapt or acculturate to the different cultures within our client base. SVI has a culture and it is unique and different. Within SVI, as with any organization of any size, there are micro-cultures. Additionally, each one of our clients has their own behavioral standards and norms as well as many, many micro-cultures. When I’m called into work with one of our clients, I must effectively acculturate from my culture at SVI to my client’s culture to serve them well. In any given week, I may be immersed in ten different corporate cultures and who knows how many micro-cultures.

It is clear that I’ll be highly ineffective unless I can navigate well across many different work environments, structures, standards, expected behaviors, rules, routines, and norms. Having cross-cultural abilities means that I am capable of subconsciously or consciously processing social cues. Being adaptable to different cultures means that I am able to quickly pick up the unwritten rules of a group or community. Without cross-cultural abilities—the ability to adapt within various cultures—I can be perceived as a social klutz. By honing the skills necessary to adapt to different cultures, I am able to communicate powerfully so that they know I really “get” their needs and goals. It is only from that place that I can serve them and introduce programs, tools and the innovative thinking that will help them successfully reach their goals and grow.

That’s why I have significant empathy and admiration for the adaptive skills of professionals and leaders who are asked to lead in today’s cross-cultural business environment while faced with the demands of the shifting economy.

A champion doesn’t create culture at all, but rather, effectively navigates across many different cultures. The champion works with people where they are. From there, he can bring them and the organization to a place where they can collectively realize more of their full potential in their industry and as individual contributors.

Tags: behavior, behaviors, champion, communicating, corporate, cross-cultural, culture, office, people

What Distinguishes a Key Leader from a Normal Leader?

There’s so much talk about key leaders, but what distinguishes key leaders from other leaders and how do we spot them? Below are a few points to consider for identifying your key leaders.

1. Know what a key leader is:

A key leader is someone whom you rely on, more than others, to move your business forward. Note the emphasis on the word, forward. Key leaders aren’t differentiated from others by how well they execute the work, but rather, how they help move your business into the future.

2. Know what a key leader does:

Sure, a key leader can execute the work effectively, but their real value is in their ability to create growth and establish competitive advantages for you today and tomorrow. Key leaders don’t just manage the value proposition, they create value.

3. Know how to spot a key leader:

Consider evaluating key leader potential by comparing the following characteristics of a leader versus a key leader.

I hope this helps. Onward!

Connecting in a Disconnected World

When we talk about being connected in terms of our relationships, what do we mean? How do we connect with people? How do we establish that connection and how do we maintain it? To me, being connected with somebody means that I have an established and mutually beneficial relationship with that person. They understand me and I understand them. There are no ulterior motives and neither party is trying to take advantage of the other party. It is a win-win mentality that is open and comfortable and these sentiments are felt throughout the relationship.

What happens when parties become disconnected? When there is a loss of mutual benefit and a win-win mentality one or both parties will end up feeling a negative impact. Disconnect between a leader and an organization can lead to greed, poor business decisions, loss of jobs, loss of respect and, in extreme cases, the demise of the organization. Today’s leaders need to ensure that they engage and invest relationally in their organization in such a way that will result in transparency, mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Below are some things that leaders can do to align, or connect, themselves with the values and goals of their organization and the people that work with them:

1. Show vulnerability – Don’t be afraid to share yourself with others and to expose parts of your true personality. By sharing your personality, your team is better able to relate to you. A leader who can relate to her employees can ask more of them during important and intense times.
2. Be passionate – Don’t hesitate to show your emotions. I’m not pushing for the unbridled emotions of a leader, but maybe we’ve gone too far the other way and suppressed our emotions. Our passion is expressed by our emotional energy, and it truly inspires others.
3. Adopt a cooperative mindset – Pursue win-win scenarios every time. Not only will this pursuit help you build and establish trust, but the pursuit is more productive than win-lose scenarios. Why, because true collaboration and sharing of valuable ideas happen between people and organizations that trust each other.
4. Invest in others – Take the time to get to know the people you work with. Know these 3 things about them:
   • What are they good at?
   • What makes them come alive?
   • How do they uniquely contribute?

By doing some of these relatively simple tasks leaders can elevate their performance by having the ability to connect. Try it!

Onward!

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 Leadership 1 Comment

4 Communication Considerations for Today’s Leaders

Rarely, if ever, have I heard someone complain about being over-communicated to. On the other hand, I almost daily hear of complaints for a lack of communication from others. Over-communication doesn’t exist, under-communication is prevalent – and it seems like it always has been.

Communication is tricky today as anyone can communicate anything to anyone at anytime from anywhere. Fierce competition and finicky consumers have forced successful organizations to prioritize agility and nimbleness in their organizations. No one can deny the extreme challenges of our marketplace.

These challenges call us to shift our thinking as it relates to how we communicate. Here are 4 principles to consider:

1. Communicate Early: The speed of business forces us to get the word out fast. No longer do we have the luxury of full analysis. Today, agile businesses have agile leaders who can form assumptions based on limited data. These leaders don’t wait for complete investigations before they communicate issues or opportunities. They may hold back their judgment for the final analysis, but they aren’t holding back the discussion.
2. Communicate Often: The speed of business forces us to communicate in shorter segments today. Exhaustive, “fully-baked” conversations are a rarity these days as our pace doesn’t allow for the communication emersions. Because of this, the best leaders are sharing information with more people more often. More is better when communications are forced to be brief.
3. Be Concise: Speaking of brief, few things are more burdensome today than a rambler. I want to be fully present in conversations, but sometimes it can be difficult in a conversation that drags. Don’t burden others with your communications. Know your points, communicate them efficiently, make sure they are understood, and then get out of there.
4. Be Precise: The danger in communicating early is that you communicate misinformation. Since we don’t always have the luxury of full analysis, we must prioritize accuracy in our communications. Be careful not to grandiose your ideas. Stick to the points you’re confident in and don’t allow your communications to stray to the irrelevant or unimportant points.

Hope this helps. Onward!

Today’s Culture Dilemma

I recently had the opportunity to write an article for the Center for Retailing Excellence at the University of Arkansas with their quarterly newsletter, “CRE8: Creating the Retail Landscape of Tomorrow.” In the article I discuss some of the issues that complicate today’s business world and prevent positive culture from developing. There are many factors that distinguish successful companies from unsuccessful companies, but culture remains a consistent common denominator. When you think of organizations that you truly enjoy interacting with – what thoughts and emotions do your experiences invoke? When I interact with a company that has a highly developed and evolutionary culture I always have a great experience and get what I have come to expect. For example, when I fly Southwest I know that I am going to get a positive customer experience due to the pervasive and modernized customer-centric culture they have worked diligently to establish. It’s the same with Google and the same with Disney.

Only by creating an agile culture are companies truly able to successfully navigate through today’s complex business challenges. Some of these challenges include:

1. Scandal-driven Accountability
2. Communications & Continuous Access
3. Social Responsibility
4. Globalization
5. Abundant Consumer Choices

Build a thriving culture will require your intense focus on the following areas:

1. Protect your company heritage
2. Build transferable leadership skills that help build in agility and adaptability
3. Don’t just develop skill-sets; develop the proper mindset through values
4. Define specific behaviors that support values
5. Allow for cultural expression in a diverse and cross-cultural global business environment

By focusing on these points you should be able to steer your company in the right direction and begin to develop the agile culture that will allow your company to succeed in today’s tough business world.

Onward!

Tags: culture

Can You Be Too Connected?

Over the years, our organization, SVI, has launched thousands of social networking studies to measure the connectedness of leaders inside and outside of organizations. We wanted to understand how one’s connections to others, or their networks, impede or enable one’s success. Do the most successful leaders have the most contacts? Do the most trusted leaders have the most friends? If I have more Facebook or Twitter friends than someone else, am I more likeable?

With the rise of social networking and the new emphasis our businesses have put on community involvement, it seems like we’ve elevated the importance of our connectedness to others. But is this a good thing? What does our research have to say?

After receiving almost 10,000 survey responses, we’ve discovered that there is no such thing as a standard ideal network. Different situations call for different relational dynamics. We did learn, however, that you can be too connected. Studies have shown that having too many connections impede our productivity. In this instance, our connections become the priority, not our performance. Additionally, too many connections can impede the level of trust others have in us. After all, isn’t it hard to trust the dinner party “glad hander”? You know these people. They are at every community event shaking hands with everyone they come in eye contact with.

For the champion, building relationships is different. What matters to the champion is not the quantity of their relationships, but rather the quality of them. And like our research shows, someone who’s not overly connected or networked has the time to invest in others and build a deeper level of trust with a precious few. Our research shows that the top performers in a business aren’t the most connected. In fact, these top performers typically drive the middle of the road when it comes to their network strength. The difference is, however, that these top performers are the most trusted regardless of their network size.

Below are a few ways to build trust within your networks:

Invest in others by listening first and showing real concern. Seek to know their agenda or needs before you share yours.
Be willing to be a little more transparent or vulnerable than usual. Share more of yourself with others in the truest way. Don’t project something you’re not.
Always operate with a cooperative mindset, pushing your self-serving agenda aside for the sake of a win-win outcome.
Don’t be afraid to share your emotions. Allow others to see your passion. It will ignite theirs and they will appreciate you for it.

I’m spending time discussing this at the upcoming Northwest Arkansas Economic Summit coming up on November 11th.  I hope to capture your thoughts on this topic prior to the event.  Please leave a comment on this post.

If you are near Northwest Arkansas on November 11th, I invite you to come to the summit. There is more information about how to take part in this summit at their website.

Onward!

Tags: champion, connect, connected, connecting, network, networking, organizational, OrganizationalChampions, professional, relationships, social