WHAT APPEARS TO BE

What’s your favorite form of communication? Is it telling, listening, asking questions, using body language…or emails?

The increased pace of business is de-humanizing us. Communicating via electronics increases the speed, but too often decreases effectiveness. Is it possible that to be an “above average leader” one simply needs to focus on being human?

WHAT MIGHT BE

A friend once shared this story. He was summoned by a colleague who wanted to speak with him. Upon entering his co-workers office, the man stated, “That was an up-my-nose email you wrote me.”

What?

“Your words didn’t sit right with me,” the colleague continued. And then he demonstrated: Looking at his computer screen with an angry expression on his face, he jerked air through his nostrils like a bull enraged. “Your email went up my nose.”

WHAT CAN BE

Like the kid who used to taunt us from the open window on the school bus as it drove away – leaving us standing on the corner, unable to respond – up-my-nose emails are the work of the weak.

It’s time to get off the bus and have a conversation on the corner. It’s time to stomp the elephant in the office by getting out from behind our desk, walking down the hall and having an honest conversation about real issues.

Up-my-nose emails are electronic darts designed to sting – but they only achieve two things: They reveal our own limited communication skills and they sabotage the very success we’re all fighting so hard to achieve.

What elephant are your ready to stomp? What up-my-nose email will you delete so you can have an honest conversation and move results forward?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

A lot of people might think that two is bigger than one. They might think that having two of anything would be better than having one of anything.

But think again. 

WHAT MIGHT BE

Mergers, acquisitions, and re-organizations are big part of the business landscape. “Bigger is better,” the thinking goes. And certainly, the numbers 1+1 do add up to 2. But this formula doesn’t work everywhere.

Those numbers aren’t what customers are buying. And those numbers don’t deliver quality and value. This is why so many organizations are confused when they do the math. “How come our 1+1 plan didn’t add up to more profit?” the moan.

The answer is easy. You wouldn’t throw your son or daughter into a marriage with someone across town whom they (and in best cases, you) had never met – and expect the marriage to work. Why would it be any different in business?

WHAT CAN BE

Fortunately, we’ve got leaders whom we can look to as role models. David is the leader of a leading medical nutrition company, and through a merger they’re involved in they’re changing the math. “We’ve got some ‘must win battles’ – our priorities in 2008,” David said. And what’s the most important battle? “Creating an engagement culture where we better realize the power of one,” he answered.

David and his leadership team are not leading numbers, they’re leading people. (Some companies make it harder than it has to be.)

Where are you ready to change the math? Where will you lead so 1+1=ONE!

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

This weekend children are going to peer into their Easter baskets and eye the chocolate bunny. And the first thing they’ll wonder is, “Is it hollow – or is it solid?” Kids are smart: if it’s a solid bunny they’ll get more chocolate. They, too, are after value!

Which begs the question: What do people think when they look at you?

WHAT MIGHT BE

I recently had a “hollow chocolate bunny” moment. While on a flight to work with a large organization, I sat next to (what I thought) was just another person. I was cordial. I was friendly. But I also had a lot of work to do.

Wouldn’t you know it – the next day who do I find in the session I’m conducting? The gentleman who sat next to me on the plane! I slapped myself on the forehead and thought, “Dog-gone-it, that wasn’t just another person. I wish I had spent time getting to know them.”

How hollow is that? Is my motivation to honor someone – to give them value – conditional upon if I can get something in return? I’m ashamed.

WHAT CAN BE

After a recent keynote a participant named Chuck shared, “You know, chocolate bunnies all look the same on the outside. It’s once you bite into them that you find out if they’re solid or not. People are like that, too.”

Take the chocolate bunny test: Do you deliver value regardless of what you receive in return? Or is your “giving” conditional and thus hollow? What’s the difference between people who just talk about values (hollow) and people who live out of their values (solid)? 

Here’s to the SOLID chocolate bunnies in our future.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

Try this quiz: How many educational degrees must hang on the office wall for a leader to be effective in his or her role? 

Most people tell us “zero.” There’s an important message in that.

WHAT MIGHT BE

Harvard need not fear an exodus of students. There will always be people who think leadership is about what they know, rather than what they do.

Yet, what’s the result when a person thinks that “leadership” is a diploma or position that is handed to you? Or something that happens to you when you move the tassel to the other side of your square cap?

How does a person limit his growth when he focuses on leveraging his education vs. having his education leverage him? Why is failure imminent when a person believes that what is necessary to be an effective leader is some quality they don’t already possess?

Some people are learning leadership wrong.

WHAT CAN BE

“I’ve never found a correlation between the level of a person’s education and their ability to lead,” shares a veteran, high ranking leader within a Fortune 100 company.

When people shift their focus from trying to discover the leadership silver bullet…to more aptly using the tools they already possess (their values, natural skills and greatest strengths), greater results happen.

Try this experiment: Identify what you consider to be the three most important leadership qualities. Then, write down the top three strategies you already know will deliver those qualities. Finally, create and commit to a 24-week behavior-modification plan to execute those strategies.

And then consider that the gang from Harvard will be working for you someday.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

It’s a disease afflicting millions, resulting in chronic under-achievement. Its symptoms include confusion, procrastination, and an “I…uh…well, um…you see…maybe” vocabulary.

These people have TBD – To Be Determined-itis.

WHAT MIGHT BE

Do people in your organization call meetings to determine what needs to be determined? And then call subsequent meetings to determine what hasn’t been determined? “That’s a TBD on that,” is the response when it’s time to make decisions.

And like concrete setting, the future is put on hold.

But you can’t really put the future on hold. You can only put your place in the future on hold. People who can’t make decisions put their teams and families at risk, while their careers are pushed to the sidelines.

WHAT CAN BE

In the NFL you get 30 seconds to call and run a play. Can you imagine if teams were also supplied with an endless supply of timeouts? The game would last for days – and the league would go out of business.

You don’t get many timeouts in life. And your company is in the business of making decisions. Here is what the best teams do:

• They’ve mastered the art of preparation – by giving themselves time to prepare between games.
• They spend their time in the huddle determining the best solution, instead of trying to fix the mistakes of the past.
• And they execute well together.

Is it possible the old saying is true: it’s not about making the right decision – it’s about making the decisions you make, right.

Do you have TBD? Or are you making decisions…and growing from there?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

How much money do you need to be happy? How fat does your wallet have to be before you will say, “Okay. They’ve satisfied me. My paycheck is big enough. I’ll never b*%#! and moan again”?

Most people find the idea of “being bought” insulting. Yet, do you know bosses that fall for this approach? They think they can “buy” productivity.

WHAT MIGHT BE

A group of bosses within a large company that is struggling have shared, “Morale will improve when the stock price increases.” In other words, don’t worry about how people feel; just help them make more money and then they’ll “be happy.” (Some are no longer wondering why this company is struggling.)

Readers who have done their research are cringing. Morale is a measurement of the past – and a predictor of the future. This is a cause and effect world – and morale is most assuredly a cause variable.

You can buy a person’s time, but you can’t buy their discretionary efforts, their ownership mentality, their willingness to contribute to a healthy team and fight for a cause.

You can’t buy morale.

WHAT CAN BE

Money is a motivator. It’s a remarkable way to ‘keep score,’ and determine who wins. All of which means, money is an outcome.

The wisest amongst us don’t make money the target; instead, they focus on the variables that deliver the most money: trust, ingenuity, collaboration, communication, execution, motivation, etc. And not so ironically, when these things are in place, people are happier.

And they make more money.

You don’t lead money, you manage it. But you can lead people. How effective are you?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

The marathon is beginning. You’re at the starting line. Suddenly, you look at the contestants around you – and are shocked! One person has a piano strapped to their back. Another is pulling a bath tub. And there’s a woman carrying an elephant!

As crazy as this sounds, consider that many people bring similar burdens to their day– and it destroys their chances for success.

WHAT MIGHT BE

• “This project is going to be tough,” says a colleague as she starts a meeting.
• “We’re going to take a hit in employee morale,” laments a teammate as an initiative is launched.
• “Productivity is going to dive when word spreads about this,” shares a well-intentioned employee – who is not adequately skilled.

Do you see the burdens these competitors are carrying as they enter the race? Yet, what they’re concerned about is real. So how do they best compete?

WHAT CAN BE

A team lead by a woman named Natasha knows the key: “It’s all about focus,” she says. “Because we go toward our focus, as we enter any change initiative, we’re going to create more of whatever we focus on.”

Natasha and her team take it further. They ensure greater results by addressing concerns directly – and in a way that creates greater results. Here’s how they turned the above concerns (read: burdens) around:

• “How do we simplify this project?”
• “What can we do to build employee morale through this?”
• “What steps can we take to increase productivity during this change?”

What do you have strapped on your back? Unload the burdens by changing your focus.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

Organizations crave the “can-do” attitude. It speaks to empowerment and a do-whatever-is-necessary eagerness. Businesses win with such an approach.

But what if people misunderstand what a can-do attitude is? Is it possible some people, in an effort to create “can-do,” actually manufacture a “can’t-do” workplace?

WHAT MIGHT BE

“Saying ‘yes’ is not a ‘can-do’ attitude,” shares a participant. “Too many people think they’re supposed to say ‘yes’ to all requests.” These people cannot be blamed; their intentions are noble. It’s their approach that must be refined.

The equation is simple: (yes × quantity) × magnitude of project ÷ time = productivity level.

Unfortunately, the average performer mistakes “no” as the only alternative. This also leads to a “can’t-do” workplace – and miserable results.

WHAT CAN BE

The answer lies in the middle. Between a blind “yes” and the dismissive “no” is the land of co-creation. It’s where mutually determined priorities are formed. It’s where conversations take place.

In this space of collaboration, supervisors move from:

• “Do this fast,” to “Where does this sit on your priority list?”
• Instead of “Here’s something we need to do,” and then walking away, the question is added, “What will come off your to-do list to get this done?”

And the employee’s role in this cooperative space is delivered by asking questions like:

• “How can we ensure that this aligns with our objectives?”
• “Given the other actions steps we’re taking, what time line do we want to use?”
• “What projects do we delay to deliver on this priority?”

The “can-do” attitude is not asked for – it’s created. How will you develop it today?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.