waiting/acting-a leadership paradox

Once the decision to act has been made, the next decision is when to act...and is it better to act quickly and in short order or wait until the right moment - whenever that might be?  Whether it deals with relationships, families, small, or large organizations, or even in one's personal life, the decision to wait or act has consequences.  Western culture tends to have a bias toward action while eastern culture seems to have more of a bias toward waiting...and again, both biases have consequences.  For those in leadership positions, especially in larger organizations, deciding to wait or deciding to act has rippling consequences across the institution.  So what is the right answer?  How does one know whether to wait or act quickly?  Here are a few thoughts on what leaders can think about in these situations:

• attempting to determine what, if any, harm might be done in the interim before acting
• determining what else is happening in the life of individuals or the institution
• considering if the situation might change for the better if one waits
• thinking through all of the steps needed to act properly and having the time to accomplish those steps
• taking the time to think through the consequences (known and not known) that might result from the action
• having time to seek enough counsel from trusted friends and advisors
• considering the message that is sent to others from acting quickly or waiting to act
• reflecting on what it is about the person making the decision that is leading them to act more or less quickly

Here is the paradox - for each of the above considerations, there are seldom right and wrong answers...they all merely have differing results and consequences.  The leader uses her experience, her knowledge, her wisdom, and her gut to make the decision to wait or act quickly, and then moves forward.  Personally, I never what to be the one who is known for making rash decisions AND I never want to be the one that is known for waiting forever to decide and act.  Embracing and living out that paradox is not only a sign of competent leadership, it is also good and well for the unit or organization that is being led.  Making the decision is only the first step...deciding when and how to act on that decision may be more important that the decision itself.

what's the secret?

Whether it is in relationships, families, or organizations, secrets tend to keep people from functioning well...and it is often  the leader (formally or not) who asks the hard question, "What's the secret here and why are we not talking about it?"  Secrets exist for all kinds of reasons, including not knowing how to talk about them, being ashamed or afraid to talk about them, or not even knowing what the secret is and being unable to name it.  Because secrets (intentional or not) bring about tension and dysfunction, being able to tease out the secret and create a safe space in  which people can talk about the issue at hand are roles leaders must play.  How can they do that?  Here are a few thoughts:

• be brave enough to ask the question...while the answer may be surprising and/or hurtful, getting the issue on the table is the first step in the process
• create trust among the team...no one will share secrets with people they do not trust (that's why they are called secrets).  Spending time with the team in open dialogue is the critical first step in this process
• don't be afraid of the truth...truth can hurt, and leaders know that the hurt can then lead to healing.  Most secrets, once they are brought out into the open, will not destroy an organization; the ones kept hidden might.
• create a culture of permission and forgiveness...if people are punished for sharing secrets, they will start keeping even more secrets to themselves.  A culture that rewards the unmasking of secrets can become very powerful
• understand that people are complex subjects...leaders should never assume they know their people well enough that secrets would not be kept hidden.  As a wise sage once told me, "people disappoint...and that's because they are people."
• practice the art of compassion...sharing the secret in the room is difficult and includes a certain amount of vulnerability.  Showing compassion to those who reveal secrets and to those whom the secret affects will go a long way in solving the issue at hand

Secrets are all around us, whether we believe they are or not.  Here's the good news...not every secret has to remain secret IF the culture is such that secrets can be shared as needed.  And here's even the better news...once secrets are talked about they are no longer secrets, and relationships, families and organizations can begin to function well once again.

quick thoughts on a Friday morning

No one particular idea is coming to me this morning, so here are a couple of thoughts that have crossed my mind this past week when it comes to leadership:

• when working to build a collaborative culture, how does one handle the paradox of "staying in one's lane" and "engaging with and questioning all parts of the organization?"
• what happens when an organization sets rules and guidelines and then has to live within the boundaries of those rules and guidelines, even though the unintended consequences of those rules and guidelines could not even have been imagined when those rules and guidelines were developed?
• what is the balance of responsibility for communication between those who have the information and those who want to know the information?
• given all of the decisions organizations make on a daily basis, which ones are most important and how do people know whether or not enough time has been given to that decision?
• similar to the third thought above, what is the balance of responsibility for giving feedback between those who have feedback to give and those who should be receiving feedback?
• do those of us in leadership positions really understand leadership...or are we just hoping to get it right as we live out our positions?
• similar to above, do those of us who follow those in leadership positions really understand what leaders are to do, or do we just expect them to act in certain ways based on our own needs and wants?
• similar to the fourth thought above, when determining what an organization most needs at any given time, who should have the most say...and how does one know that any one person's or group's say is the right one at that time?

Just a week's worth of thoughts on leadership...I hope they spark some thinking in you as well!

quick thoughts on a Friday morning

No one particular idea is coming to me this morning, so here are a couple of thoughts that have crossed my mind this past week when it comes to leadership:

• when working to build a collaborative culture, how does one handle the paradox of "staying in one's lane" and "engaging with and questioning all parts of the organization?"
• what happens when an organization sets rules and guidelines and then has to live within the boundaries of those rules and guidelines, even though the unintended consequences of those rules and guidelines could not even have been imagined when those rules and guidelines were developed?
• what is the balance of responsibility for communication between those who have the information and those who want to know the information?
• given all of the decisions organizations make on a daily basis, which ones are most important and how do people know whether or not enough time has been given to that decision?
• similar to the third thought above, what is the balance of responsibility for giving feedback between those who have feedback to give and those who should be receiving feedback?
• do those of us in leadership positions really understand leadership...or are we just hoping to get it right as we live out our positions?
• similar to above, do those of us who follow those in leadership positions really understand what leaders are to do, or are we just expect them to act in certain ways based on our own needs and wants?
• similar to the fourth thought above, when determining what an organization most needs at any given time, who should have the most say...and how does one know that any one person's or group's say is the right one at that time?

Just a week's worth of thoughts on leadership...I hope they spark some thinking in you as well!

when ego becomes a roadblock

Most people who achieve a leadership position do so because they are good at what they do - top salespeople get promoted to sales manager...the best teacher becomes the school principal...the high achieving VP becomes the next CEO.  People are promoted for their prior accomplishments, many of which become obsolete in the leadership role.  And of course, when one's prior accomplishments become obsolete, there is a sense of loss and a longing to return back to what one knew, loved, and for what one was rewarded.  Learning how to do things differently, learning and practicing new skills, and putting aside one's ego become some of the most difficult things for leaders.  This is where ego can become a roadblock.

The same can also be true for organizations.  Those companies and institutions who have been successful in the past can find it difficult to change and accept that what they were once recognized for is now a roadblock to future success.  Early innovators or adopters find that because they were ahead of the curve, and have seen unprecedented success because they were first in the game, often believe that they can just keep riding that wave, even if the wave is starting to lose strength.  The ability to re-innovate or re-adopt becomes hard if not impossible.

So how might those in leadership positions keep their organizations - and themselves - from letting ego become a roadblock?  Here are a few thoughts:

• Have a group of trusted advisers who a) are not a part of your specific industry and/or b) came to the organization after the organization's source of pride was first implemented
• Know that no good thing lasts forever, and understand that just when you think you have all the answers that is the time to start making changes
• When the organization (or people within the organization) feels resistant to a new idea, begin to explore immediately why that is, understanding that ego might be driving a majority of that opinion
• Always have a readily available list of organizations that are actually better than yours...and remember that they too could easily be insignificant next year
• Remember what it felt like personally (and organizationally) to be an early adopter and the one who was recognized for success...and understand that to re-create that feeling will take laying aside what you currently do and begin something new
• Consistently remind yourself and others around you that ego can be a roadblock, both for individuals and for organizations - and wonder out loud whether or not that has happened to you

The paradox of this topic is that everyone in a leadership role needs to have a positive and strong ego AND that same ego needs to be kept in check with the reality that pride often comes before the fall.  Whether one practices confident humility or humble confidence, those in leadership roles need to be on constant alert to not let their ego become a roadblock...both for themselves and for their institutions.

practicing the execution of leadership

While I cannot speak from personal experience, this is what I think I know about doctors who are getting ready to perform a surgery:

1. They read up on the latest research that has been done regarding the surgery they are about to do
2. They consult with other doctors who have recently performed that particular surgery
3. They use models and/or 3-D imaging to examine that part of the body and simulate the surgery
4. They keep learning up until the day and time of the surgery, just in case there might be something new to learn

What about those in leadership positions?  Do they, when getting ready to execute a decision, follow similar procedures and practices?  Do those who claim to be leaders take each decision and execution of a decision as seriously as a doctor performing surgery?  Perhaps those in leadership positions believe that these are not life and death situations, when in fact the result of those decisions could be life or death for an organization...and can certainly feel like life or death to those people affected.  Perhaps those in leadership positions believe they have learned everything they need to know about leadership and that there is nothing new being written or said that  they do not already know.  Perhaps those in leadership positions believe that leadership is inate in people, and that they are in that role because they have worked hard and done what comes naturally.  The problem with these beliefs is that leaders ARE executing life and death decisions, and to leave that up to intuition, well meaning, and fate could cause serious harm.  So how might leaders practice executing their decisions?  Here are a few thoughts:

1. What's on your bookshelf?  Have you read widely in the area of leadership and know where to turn to for a reminder of what to do in certain circumstances?
2. Who is in your contact list?  How many people do you know that have already executed on these decisions, and are you willing to reach out to them for advice?
3. Have you looked for the latest research?  Reading Peter Drucker and Jim Collins  is important...but have you found out what academic research has been done recently on the particular decision you are getting ready to execute?  Just as in medicine, new ideas are being discoverd every day on these topics.
4. Have you practiced what you are going to say and/or do?  Writing out what you are going to say, how you are going to say it, and rehearsing with others in a role play can make the execution go much more effectively.
5. Do you have a team around you to whom you are listening and with whom you are collaborating?  Many of those in leadership positions have gotten there because of their individual hard work...these decisions are often much more complex and more difficult to execute.

When leaders consider that their decisions (and the execution of those decisions) are high stakes, what happens prior to that execution will look different.  I would posit that many of our decisions in organizations (and in life) are hgih stake decisions since they involve people and their livelihood.  Let's take leadership preparation and practice seriously!

horizontal silos

Those who have followed my regular blogs know how much I detest silos within an organization, and I will do everything I can to bust those silos.  I also know that silos are a natural part of most organizations, and that people have to work hard to keep tearing them down AND to use them when necessary.  Earlier this week, a colleague of mine described what we believe may be horizontal silos in our organization, where the communication breaks down not between functional areas (marketing, admissions, academics, etc) but more between working layers (another term I would rather not have to live with) such as executives, leadership teams, staff and faculty.  Just as with vertical silos, no one sets out to create these...they tend to happen over time for many different reasons.  So what can leaders do to help blow up horizontal silos?  Here are a few thoughts:

• set up systems and tools that can provide proper and timely communication among the layers
• have those who serve in the different layers rub shoulders with those in other layers - sometimes just hanging out with others provides new perspectives
• train those who serve in different layers how to do their work in a way that is collaborative among the layers
• remind those who work in the layers that their work goes two ways - and that their ability to communicate in both directions is critical to breaking down the horizontal silos
• strengthen the layers - find and train the best people to work in them
• consistently remind the layers that everyone is working in the same direction...and that each layer has different roles in and responsibilities towards the organization
• get very clear about the expectations of each of the layers, ensuring that each layer has an accountability structure for their work
• be a place of forgiveness - any type of silo work, whether it be vertical or horizontal, will end up with people stepping on each others toes.  Be able to say "I'm sorry" and "I forgive you"
• acknowledge throughout the organization that horizontal silos will occur and need to be addressed over and over again.  Silos by themselves are not inherently bad...they just tend to cause bad behavior