young leaders

I am thinkng these days about creating an advisory board made up entirely of people under thirty. As I have recently celebrated year 50 of my own life, that seems like a long time ago. What was I thinking back then? What (and who) shaped my opinions? Was I more influenced by my past than I am now (or vice-versa)? How did I lead? Did I lead? Or was I merely moving along a path of which I had no clue?

That being said, I believe it is incredibly important to engage young people in discussion of leadership and organizational development. My current advisory board met several weeks ago and we had a wodnerful discussion on what the future of the College of Business at Concordia University Texas holds - but everyone (for the most part) around the table was of my generation or the one before me. What does this generation of those under 30 think about when it come to Concordia's mission of developing Christian leaders?

We often discuss mentoring as if a mentor needs to be older and wiser. Could it be that those who are younger and more foolish (as my mother used to say of me) are really the ones with the right questions? Does their perspective make more sense in today's world? Are they actually closer to the situation (i.e. college students), having a better understanding of the needs, desires and wants of those we serve? Could it be that the leaders of tomorrow need to be shaped by their peers rather than those who have been leading for a long time? How do we solve the problems of today if we listen to those who have led us into those problems?

So what do you think? Does an advisory board of those under 30 make sense? What type of role might they play for me and my organization? How would I use their knowledge and skills? With what type of questions should they be engaged? And what might meetings of this group look like?

If you have thoughts or answers, let me know - I'm ready to engage those who are young and foolish...or incredibly intelligent with the answers that are needed for developing today's leaders.

the right question

Leaders know how to ask the right questions. Our picture of leaders is often the one standing up front, making a speech or telling people what to do, and acting all "charismatic." But the leader who wants real followers will be the one asking questions, often from the back of the room, and listening deeply to the answers.

So what's the key to asking the RIGHT questions? A few thoughts:

1. know what you want as a result of the answers - what is the outcome you (or others) want to have achieved as a result of the time together.
2. believe deeply that others have good answers to give - if you are only asking questions to make people FEEL as if they have a part, the questions will be formed and asked half-heartedly...and the answers wil reflect the same.
3. know your audience - prepare ahead of time by learning about and understanding the person/people with whom you will be talking.
4. think through the questions - be sure the questions are actually questions and not statements...word the questions so they have the ability to elicit great responses...make the questions understandable the first time they are asked
5. be ready to go with the flow - if the right questions are asked, you never know what the answers will be, so you need to be able to go where the answers lead...and ask follow up questions based on what you hear
6. LISTEN CAREFULLY - if you ask good questions, you better be able to listen deeply and carefully, because good questions elicit good responses, which cause you as a leader to think and develop new ideas...if you listen carefully
7. trust that the person will be honest in their answers - this is really about being empathetic with the other person/people. If they know you trust them, you become more trustworthy and thus they will be more honest in their answers, leading to a deeper dialogue
8. engage in the dialogue - be willing to be a full participant in the question and answer session. Even though you are the one asking the questions, your full participation can more fully ensure their complete participation
9. have the heart of a learner - questions arise when one is willing to be a learner. You can learn something from anyone, if you are able to ask questions thats elicit good responses

I once told my students that if they learned to ask the right questions they would be considered "gods and goddesses" in their worlds. I believe that the world belongs to those who know how to ask the right questions, and that it is a skill that can be learned. Go ahead and spend the rest of the day being a question asker - and watch people invest more of their lives in you and your leadership.

restless discontent with mediocrity

This past Saturday at our CTX graduation, Rev. John Nunes of Lutheran World Relief, referred to our President Tom Cedel as a "man who has a restless discontent with mediocrity." What a great phrase - and what an apt description of Concordia's president - and what an apt description of great leadership.

It was Jim Collins who wrote in his book Good to Great that the enemey of GREAT is GOOD. How many times do people feel as if it is "good enough?" How many times do peopel settle for less than greatness? How many times are people satisfied with thier own performance, others' performance, or the performance of their organization? Striving for excellence is the hallmark of a great organization - and of a great leader.

How does one's "restless discontent with mediocrity show itself? Here are several thoughts to consider:

1. debriefing after every event, noting what could be done better, and then DOING it better the next time around
2. rewarding people for trying out new ideas and concepts - even rewarding them when they fail to achieve all of the results hoped for
3. defining and talking about what EXCELLENCE means to your organizaton
4. continually asking the question, "What else can we do?"
5. taking "experts" out to lunch and picking their brains
6. holding everyone accountable to the vision; in other words, are we doing what we said we would do - and if not, why not?
7. having a vision
8. asking a lot of questions of everyone you know - both within and outside of the organization

So where are you today? Are you only seeking excellence - OR - are you practicing a restless discontent with mediocrity? I think they look different - and make a difference - for yourself and for your organization.

never let an opportunity slip by

Last night the Samaritan Center for Pastoral Counseling held its annual Ethics in Buisiness Awards banquet. In addition to a fund-raising evening for them, it was also a small Concordia University lovefest. Our President Tom Cedel served as the Honaorary Chair of the event and was the emcee for the evening; Concordia was one of two major sponsors of the event (Dell being the other one); our students were recognized for the work they did in researaching and writing reports on the nominees this year; several of the speakers recognized and gave "shout outs" to Concordia for their involvement; and I had a chance to address the 300+ attendees regarding the selection process. What a night!

Why do I tell you all this? Because this happened as a result of me getting a phone call two years ago from Nancy Blaich, executive director of the Samaritan Center, asking if I would consider having Concordia students involved in the research aspect of the selection process. I NEVER hesitated - and reponded with a postive YES. Since then, the students selected to help with this project have had an opportunity to meet with some of the greatest people in Central Texas...Concordia has been recognized as THE primary partner in this effort...I have met some really cool people as a result of this project...and Concordia's students are getting an amazing "hands-on" opportunity to learn about and practice such skills as cold calling, interviewing, writing, and networking. All because I did not let an opportunity slip by.

I believe that leaders are always looking for opportunities. Today I am having lunch with a friend from Houston who has an idea to propose to me about partnering with his company in providing strategic planning for social-sector organizations; yesterday I had a gentleman tell me that he wants to be involved in Concordia's big change (reorganizing the curriculum); I met another person yesterday who wants to engage our students in what we called "mini-internships" during their freshman and sophomore years; Tuesday...well, you get the idea.

How does one go finding these opportunities. A few ideas:
1. get out of the office - find neat people and hang out with them (coffee, lunch, networking breakfasts, whatever)
2. be an interested person - ask questions about what people do, what their hobbies are, where they are from, and what interests them. Do not worry about telling others about yourself
3. be ready and able to tell your story - can you share your organization's mission, vision and values? do you have your "elevator speech" ready at any given time? do you know what to ask for when the opportunity arises?
4. don't be afraid to ask - if someone shows interest, start with the prhase, "Have you ever considered__________________?" Give them an opportunity to think about possibilities
5. learn to NEVER say NO - you can't always say yes, but give people an opportunity to pitch their idea, ask questions, consider how it fits with your misison, vision and values, and tell them you will get back with them. Saying NO finishes the conversation (and probably the relationship)
6. be a bragger - when these opportunities pan out and great things happen, tell others about it. Challenge people to consider how they might also get involved. And always point to how this decision made a difference in your organization

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, let an opportunity slip by - you don't know what it will do for you and/or your organization.

seeing trust

Hve you ever found yourself thinking about something, and then seeing it everywhere? Over the past 7-10 days, I have been considering the importance of trust within an organization (especially my organization) and suddenly see the word in everything I read. I picked up Warren Bennis' Managing the Dream at Half-Price Books and I kept seeing the word "trust" throughout. I invited in a speaker for our Thrivent Scholars program, and he talked about Stephen Covey's The Speed of Trust. I talked with a colleague, and he mentioned how important trust was for his organization. So I started thinking that maybe I should pay a little more attention to this concept as it relates to Concordia University today.

Anytime an organization goes through a change (especially a BIG change, aka "the move"), trust can grease the wheels for that change to occur in a smooth fashion. But there are two items about trust that I consider critical to the process:
1. TRUST SHOULD BE GIVEN, NOT EARNED: how can one really earn trust? If I make someone earn trust, then when they do something I don't like, will that trust automaticaly be withdrawn? How much does someone have to do before I trust them? Who decides what that threshold is? If I make someone earn my trust, I am operating on the principle of law, not grace. But if I can GIVE trust, then I am giving them a gift, which allows them to act in FREEDOM, not fear of wondering if they have done enough. Imagine what could happen in organizations if everyone GAVE trust immediately to everyone else?
2. TRUST SHOULD BE GIVEN ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION. Some may word this to say, "trust goes both ways;" I would say trust goes ALL ways. In my organization, administrators should trust faculty and faculty should trust administrators. I think that often times, people expect trust to automatically flow "downward" but not so much "upward." If trust is to work within an organization, people have to give that trust across the board - and not make some people (or groups of people) earn it.

Stephen Covey says that "trust is the one thing that changes everything." I would agree. He also says that "people respond to trust." So the challenge for leaders is two-fold: first, do you trust those you lead without exception; and second, have you built a culture which honors, values, and rewards trusting behaviors? If we want thing to change, then trust is critical.

What have you done today to give trust to others?

what's your goal?

It's a worthy question...most people would agree it is important...and it is something we think about all the time, whether it be personal or organizational goals. Over the past two weeks, I was reminded that for organizations to exist, there is really one goal - read on...
In my Introduction to Business class, we were discussing the "fundamental and powerful concepts" within business (fundamental and powerful concepts help shape how one thinks within any given discipline). While many of the comments had to do with customer service or quality products, one young man piped up and said very simply - "profit." His classmates jumped all over him, but after some clarification and further understanding, we all came to the conclusion that he was right. PROFIT is the ultimate goal of business - and any other organization if it wants to exist beyond a short time.
That same weekend I began to read The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt. I had seen this book on the shelf for years, but had failed to pick it up. Not too far into the book the narrator is confronted with the question, "What is the goal of your business?" After many attempts to answer the question (all of them wrong), he realizes that the answer is TO MAKE MONEY. To effectively and efficiently operate a business, one must then figure out what it is that makes money for the organization and begin to work on those processes.
SO...how would I translate that into a University setting (or a church...or a not-for-profit venture...or any organization that seems to have "more lofty goals" than making money)? It still comes down to the fact that in order for any organization to continue its work (be that making a product or delivering a service) it's goal must be to make money (in reality, to make MORE money than they are spending). At the University level, our income is derived (for the most part) through credit hours sold (what we might call our throughputs). Those credit hours are delivered through classes (what we might call our inventories). And our costs - for the most part - consist of our faculty (what we would call our operational expenses). Knowing that, we have to find a way to increase throughputs, decrease inventories, and decrease operational expenses...while at the same time staying true to our mission and value added propositions.
At least that is how I interpreted Goldratt's thinking for the University. I am not sure if I am right, BUT the book got me thinking about profit in a different way. I would recommend it for anyone who has to think about an organization beyond one day. And by the way, it is also a fun story to read.

get real

Later this afternon I will be heading to Louisville, KY where I will attend the IACBE conference (International Association of College Business Education). This is our official accreditating body for the College of Business here at Concordia University Texas. While there, I will be presenting on the topic of Student-Centered Assessment: How I abolished grades and established real learning.

So what is the difference between real learning and...fake learning? I'm not sure there is an exact opposite to real learning, but let me try to describe what I mean by "real learning." I believe real learning takes place when:

• students take responsibility for their own learning
• students are engaged in real-world projects and assignments
• students direct the conversation
• students are asked to think deeply and critically
• students focus on excellent work rather than receiving a grade
• feedback is about improvement, not a percentage
• students ask questions about how to get better, not how to get a higher grade
• students are excited to come to the classroom (or at least optimistic about what they will be doing)
• there is less heard from the teacher - and more heard from the students
• assessment is less about memorization and more about application
• projects and assignments build on one another toward a culminating event
• projects and aassignments have enough meaning that students will keep and use them later in life
• students are able to articulate what they learned - rather than what grade they received
• students learn about and practice skills and competencies while learning content int eh subject area

I have worked hard to create this type of classroom - some ideas work out spectatcularly...others flop! However, when I asked a student the other day about not receiving grades during the class, she said she actually worked harder on her assignments and in class because of that. Those words gave me enough incentive to keep the experiment going and tinker with the syllabus a little bit more, trying to make my classroom more about "real learning."