when a leader leaves suddenly

Today's thinking about when a leader leaves suddenly comes from two different situations: the first is when a leader leaves under duress or from being suddenly dismissed...and the other comes from when a leader has a sudden death.  The first occurs on a regular basis and is something I frequently read about in the higher education news outlets.  The second has been brought home to me over the past several days during a visit to Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY where on March 1, 2016 President Joseph McGowen died suddenly after serving there for 26 years as president.  Both are tragic...both are unexpected...and both have consequences for the organization.

When a leader suddenly departs, there is much that needs to be done to allow the organization and its members to mourn AND to keep the organization moving forward in its mission.  First a few thoughts on moving forward:

• someone needs to take charge, and that person needs to be named by the Board (assuming there is a Board in place).  There should be no hesitation in this action - it should be swift and direct.
• give people time to grieve and process the sudden loss.  This includes time together and time separately.
• understand that everyone will grieve in a different way.  Allowing space and time for individuals will go a long way in the healing process.
• realize that productivity may go down for a time as people spend more time talking with each other than on their assigned tasks.
• get back to normality (or at least the new normality) as soon as possible.  Routine can often be a great healer of pain and sorrow.
• be clear and direct about what needs to happen moving forward.  The person who is now leading the organization is its leader...and should act in an appropriate manner.
• do not forget the one who is gone.  It is okay (and even encouraged) to talk about the leader who is now gone.

Here are a few thoughts on how to prepare ahead of time for a sudden departure:

• have in place a written emergency succession plan that identifies what needs to be done and who should be doing it.  Make sure that everyone knows who that named person is and then train that person in the tasks of emergency leadership.
• leaders should take care of themselves.  While there are some things one can never prepare for, leaders can work to stay healthy and keep themselves away compromising decisions and actions.
• talk about it with the team and the Board.  Organizations must face the fact and think about the "what if" situation and how they would best respond.
• ensure that leadership of the organization does not rest in the hands of one person.  Including others in regular operations and leadership prepares them to take charge when needed.

It is my prayer that organizations do not have to face this type of leadership transition.  It is hard..it is disruptive...and it can take a toll on people.  One of the great paradoxes of leadership is that those chosen for such a role must lead in a manner that reflects they will be there a very long time while at the same time understanding that they might not be there tomorrow.  Such is the way of leadership.

a leader's routine

This past Monday I was invited up to the Concordia University Texas baseball field to listen to Jake Arietta speak to our team's pitchers.  Jake, who is currently a free agent, played for the Chicago Cubs from 2014-2018 and was a key piece to their World Championship in 2017 (I am still holding out hope he will re-sign with them before the year begins).  Much of Jake's talk with our pitching squad was on preparation and getting ready to take the mound and pitch one's very best.  Some of it had to do with watching film, both of himself and the players he would face...some of it had to do with the regular physical exercise he does from day to day...some of it had to do with the mental exercises he does from day to day...some of it had to do with the routine of what happens on game day...and some of it had to do with the routine he goes through right before taking the mound.  All of this talk of routine and preparation got me thinking about the routine and preparation a leader goes through so that he or she is on the top of their game each and every day.  What is is that a leader should routinely do so that each day they can make good decisions, be a relationship master, clearly articulate the vision, and provide sufficient resources for their organization?  Here are a few examples of what I would consider good practices for a leader's daily routine:

• quiet time: whether at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day, being quiet and just relaxing helps one to gather their thoughts and start fresh.
• meditation: beyond just quiet time, this is prolonged time in which one works to empty the mind and just be still.  Many people find it valuable to meditate several times a day.
• prayer: talking to one's God and considering the needs of others helps to bring focus and create a reliance on something greater than oneself.  While many people pray throughout the day, a certain time set aside each day to engage in this practice can make it more valuable and rich.
• walking: whether it is the walk from one's car to their office, a brisk morning walk in the neighborhood, or a walk around the building during lunch, the act of exercise and quiet can help to prepare the leader for their work
• reading: for some it is the routine of reading the daily newspaper...for some it is reading a poem each morning...for some it is the reading of a scriptural text.  Taking the time to read and think about what one has read can help to create clarity for the day.
• emptying the inbox: the routine of either cleaning the inbox before one leaves the office or immediately in the morning helps to clear the clutter and begin the day fresh.
• writing: the act of journaling is a powerful tool to help one think about their life and their work in new ways.  Whether it is free writing, reflecting on something that has read, or crafting a poem every day, writing has been proven to be one of those routines that can can have great impact.

There are many other types of actions one can routinely take to impact their day-to-day leadership.  Choosing what that routine is; being thoughtful about how that routine is impacting one's leadership; sticking to that routine over time; and then reflecting regularly on the routine are all a part of what makes a leader able to perform at their highest level each and every day,  What's your routine? And what have you done lately to connect that routine to your leadership performance?

a note on the leader's spouse

Last week I attended a conference for pastors of large churches, a conference that was equally designed for their spouses.  As I listened to several of the speakers, I realized that there is a role and calling for the spouse of the leader...and began thinking about what that actually means, for both the leader and their spouse or significant other.  For me, I have had the good fortune and opportunity to have been married for almost 36 years and can write from experience about the importance of the relationship between the leader and their spouse.  So what are the characteristics the spouse of a leader should consider?  Here are a few thoughts:

• be kind: the days of a leader can be long and hard...and sometimes the nights can be equally long and hard.  A little kindness goes a long way at the end (or beginning) of the day.
• be demanding: the long days (and nights) are never a license for bad behavior.  Leaders are often in charge all day long - they do not need to be the boss at home.
• be honest: it is easy for leaders to begin to believe their own press after a time.  Holding a mirror up to your spouse from time to time keeps them humble and realistic.
• be their biggest fan: leaders are often the target of second guesses and on the receiving end of complaints and skeptical comments.  Knowing they will always have someone on their side does much to keep their fires lit and their enthusiasm going.
• be present: when spouses have time together, it is important that they both be present.  Demand (see above) that your significant other is ready to fully engage and bring their full self to the discussion.
• be interested: while some leaders may want to leave their work behind at the end of the day, they still want to know that someone cares about their work and wants to know what happened during the day.
• be your own person: leaders of organizations (especially large organizations) often have personalities that match that organization's size.  Spouses must have their own voice and their own sense of who they are beyond their significant other's role.
• be hopeful: there are times in a leader's life when hope begins to wane and they need support to keep going.  The same can be true of spouses...remaining hopeful in the midst of the dark times is important to both the leader and their spouse.

One other thought to consider...many leaders become mentors to other leaders.  In that mentoring process, remember to consider the leader's spouse and remind them of the importance of that other person in their life.  Keeping this relationship strong should be a priority for all leaders...and for those who mentor them.

servant or self-serving?

In a discussion with a colleague earlier this week, the idea came up of the difference between servant leadership and self-serving leadership...and what may be a supposed fine line between the two.  Of course, very few people would admit to engaging in self-serving leadership and would claim that they were all about servant leadership; very few people would want to be known as self-serving leaders and would rather be lauded as servant leaders; very few people would be able to recognize self-serving leadership in themselves and would be quick to point out how they are actually practicing servant leadership; and very few people understand the difference between the two, especially in themselves.  Even as I write this blog and think about this topic, I am putting myself at risk of being seen as someone who might be more self-serving than a servant in my own leadership.

So what might the difference look like?  And is it possible to be both a servant leadership and self-serving at the same time?  What follows are a few ideas about the differences between the two:

• Pride: leaders should take pride in their work and the execution of strategy for their organization.  Where that pride is placed is one indicator of whether one is a servant or self-serving leader
• Recognition of Others: when leaders recognize the accomplishments of others, is the end result a stronger and more constructive organization or is it only that more people appreciate the leader mentioning their names?
• Execution: as strategy is rolled out and executed upon, do others thank the leader for their vision and determination or do they look around and thank each other?
• Communication: who is at the center of the story the majority of the time? and who determines what gets said, when it is said, and how it is said?
• Decision Making: how does the leader react when decisions are made outside of her or his purview? are decisions mostly centralized or pushed out to others?
• Vision: Is the vision about something bigger and more aggrandizing? or is the hero of the story the client or the one being served?

While none of these ideas are exact and readily seen or known, they begin to give an indication of whether or not one is a servant leader or a self-serving leader.  The paradox of this concept is that in order to serve others, leaders may have to act at times in a manner that is perceived as self-serving.  One of the things I tell up-and-coming leaders is that they must be able to embrace the paradox that it is all about them AND not at all about them.  This is not an exact science...there are no 21 rules or 7 habits of determining whether one is being a servant or self-serving...and it would not be fair to determine for someone else, based on these concepts, whether they are a servant or self-serving leader.  My hope is that as I have thought about this concept, so will you.  And, when looking in the mirror, you will be able to tell the difference and begin to shape yourself more toward being a servant for those you lead.

when disagreements arise

Leaders will have disagreements with others...and others will have disagreements with leaders.  That is the nature of leadership, as decisions are made with which others will disagree.  It may be the actual decision; it may be how the decision was executed; or it may be that they were not included in the decision making process.  The only way to avoid disagreement with others is to not make decisions, and that could even lead to disagreement by those who want decisions made.

Given that disagreement will occur, how might leaders best handle those situations?  Here are a few thoughts:

• Consider what is behind the primary motive of the disagreement: what is causing one to disagree with the decision made? Is the disagreement coming from a place of hurt, being left out, differences of opinion, or just plain stubbornness?  Understanding the motive helps in directing and shaping the conversation
• Is the disagreement around values or operations? if there is a misunderstanding or clash around the values of the organization (or the individuals) the conversation takes a much different tone than if it is merely around how a decision was carried out.  A conversation between two people who agree on the ends but not necessarily the means is very different than a conversation between two people who fundamentally see the world through opposite lenses
• Consider the intensity of the disagreement (for both you and the other person): if the intensity of the disagreement is low, it may be possible to let it go and allow time to bring about equilibrium.  If the intensity is high, then it is imperative to seek understanding and work to restore equilibrium to the relationship
• Seek to know what one does not know: when disagreements arise, there is more than likely an unmet expectation on the part of one of the parties involved.  Work to uncover the information that might be missing from your thinking and help others understand what might be missing from their thinking
• Learn something from the disagreement: when leaders seek first to understand before being understood (thank you Stephen Covey) there is almost always something that can be learned which allows them to change their thinking and adjust their behavior. Enter the learning process with the understanding that "I might be wrong" and move into a learning mode rather than a defensive mode

As I typed the above five thoughts, it struck me that many leaders might be adverse to disagreement with others and, over time, back away from making the difficult decisions.  Making difficult (and sometimes not so difficult) decisions will cause disagreements to arise.  How leaders handle those disagreements can be the hallmark of their leadership and impact their relationships with others.

5 books that impacted my leadership in 2017

I had originally intended to write about the five books I read this past year that impacted my leadership and, as I looked thought my list of books read, realized that is was the books that I had (for the most part) read in the past (and dipped into this year) that had most affected my leadership in 2017.  So here is the list of five books that most impacted my leadership in 2017 (with no particular order of importance or impact):

• Henry V  by William Shakespeare: One of my go-to leadership texts, Henry V is the story of a man who is thrust into leadership and reflects on the role in a meaningful and realistic manner.  Henry's soliloquy on the loneliness and responsibility of leadership (act 4, scene 1) is a sober reminder of what it takes to lead and the steadiness one needs in the face of others' comments and thoughts.  Prior to the battle of Agincourt (act 4, scene 3), Henry inspires his army by reminding them that they and their actions will be remembered because of the hard work they will have done.  This particular speech was a go-to of mine as decisions were made and executed throughout the year.
• The Book of Job: this book in the Old Testament is a reflection on trusting in God, moving through the hard times, and doing the work with and among friends. Not necessarily an easy text to read, this book is full of paradoxical thinking and requires a re-thinking of how God works in our lives to bring about the Kingdom.  Job has no reason for continuing to believe and trust in God, much less a reason for living; despite urging from his friends and family to abandon God and move on with his life, Job remains faithful (though in a curious sort of way) and in the end has a greater understanding of God, himself, and others.  My favorite translation is the one by Stephen Mitchell, published by Harper-Collins and written in 1987.
• The Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney: my team knows that this is my bible of execution and shows up regularly at our strategy reviews and executive team meetings.  A simple (and not so simple) approach to executing strategy throughout the organization, this text provides both a philosophy of execution and specific approaches and tools the organization can use to take in make things happen.  Whenever I feel myself (or others) slipping into a mode of complacency and not being able to execute, I return to this book to see where we are failing to stay on track and address the necessary steps to start executing again.
• Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland: I love finding books that take a topic seemingly unrelated to leadership and finding new and hidden gems on how it speaks to the role of leaders in a new and unique way.  Art and Fear is one of those texts for me as the authors consistently remind me why leaders are unable to make and execute on hard decisions.  The tension that exists for artists between the ideal and the actual also exists for leaders...and the ability to manage that tension is one of the hallmarks of good leadership.  Simply substituting the words "making decisions" for "creating art" makes this a text on leadership and provides the reasons why leaders often fail in their roles.
• Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: this text, written in the 3-4 centuries BC, keeps drawing me back year after year to more deeply understand the complexities and the paradoxes of leadership.  The 80-some short poems each have something to say to leaders who take seriously their roles of courageous execution of strategy and compassionate caring for people.  Similar to the Book of Job, this is not easy reading and should be done in short bit and pieces, taking the time to contemplate and meditate on what the author is really saying.  One of my favorite sections is #11, where the author unpacks the idea that what is not present is what actually causes the action to happen (yes, you will need to read it to better understand what I am trying to say).  My favorite translation is by Jonathan Starr as a part of the Tarcher Cornerstone editions.

That's my list!  If you have read any of these before, I challenge you to read them again through leadership lenses.  If they are new to you, find time this year to read them, many of which can be read over time.  And finally, I challenge you to come up with your own list of five books that are your go-to leadership texts.  Which ones, over time, have influenced you the most and that you keep going back to, especially at those times that might be the most challenging?  A blessed New Year to all!

5 leadership lessons from 2017

As the year 2017 comes to a close, I am thinking about the leadership lessons I learned (or had reinforced) over this past year.  In no particular order, here they are:

• inner work determines outer work: one of my goals for this academic year is to increase and strengthen my personal devotional life or, as others have put it, to improve on my spiritual practices.  As I have dipped my toe into this and, having spent more time in reading scripture, prayer, and quiet meditation, I am finding that there is more clarity in my decision making and more calmness in my execution.  This has not been easy for me, so I am thankful for the advice of one of my Board members who reminded me to not make this another "law" I have to follow but to extend myself grace when I forget or do not spend the needed time each day.  I look forward to see how this increases over time and shapes the way I lead.
• team is everything: more than ever, I have experienced a great team this year, working with five other people who are moving in the same direction and supporting each other along the way.  This team did not come about easy, not was it perfectly formed the first day.  We have done the hard work needed to become a great team and know that we can never let down our guard, lest we slip back into bad habits and retreat back into our silos.  I have learned to never take having a great team for granted AND to never settle for anything less than a great team.
• decision making never gets easier: having been in a leadership role for many years, and having thought about and written about leadership for many years, it is still difficult and gut-wrenching to make those hard decisions that impact people and organizations.  Having done the inner work and having a great team with which to do the work helps to provide the support necessary when making these decisions, but they are never easy.  As an organization grows and changes, the decisions that leaders make become more complex and can have consequences far beyond what one can imagine.  Perhaps this is why leaders (especially those who are founding leaders) get stuck after the first few major changes and decisions.
• you are what you read: in her book A Poetry Handbook Mary Oliver notes that great poets begin to use the right words and sounds because they have read great poetry and writing over and over and over, giving them the ability to produce the right words and sounds through instinct (as well as the hard work they out into their writing).  I believe this is also true of leadership - creating vision, building team, and making decisions are all a result of the years of experience one has put into their craft of leadership, and it often begins with what one reads.  My reading list over this past year included more Shakespeare and poetry than ever before, as well as a number of  more in-depth books on how to run a university. 
• it's all about having the right people in place: as a corollary to "team is everything," this maxim is a reminder that leaders are always looking for (and pushing others in the organization to look for) the right people in the right seat on the bus (kudos to Jim Collins and his book Good to Great for ingraining this concept into all of our heads).  As Collins puts it "first who, then what."  This concept is very difficult for type A leaders to not only understand, but to enact in an ongoing manner.  Leaders want to get things done and not worry about who will get those things done.  Having the right people in place relieves the leader from having to worry about getting things done because the right people will have already done the right things.

That's my list of leadership lessons learned for 2017...next week I will look back at my top five books of 2017 and how they have shaped my thinking about leadership over the past year.