Category Archives: Leadership

The Impact of Leadership

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Milliseconds Before Impact
The Impact of LeadershipJosh Kenzer / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

I have been blessed to have met many very influential people during my lifetime. Many are Vistage speakers who have accomplished much and are now giving back to others by sharing their experiences and learning with other CEOs. Others are current CEOs who have overcome huge obstacles to achieve success. Some are professional athletes or celebrities who have influenced fans and followers around the world. Others are local heroes in the community who influence through sacrifice and serving others.

We expect these types of high-profile people to have an impact on others. What is often forgotten is the impact that each and every leader has on those around them. I am certainly not “high profile”, and yet I cannot count the number of times people have come up to me to thank me for the impact I have had on their life. It’s very humbling, as I can’t even recall some of their names or where we may have met. I certainly did not feel at the time of the situation they described that it could be a life-changing experience!
Who are these people I have impacted? Sometimes it’s a former employee or client, and other times it is someone I met only briefly. Sometimes it is someone who heard me speak or read my blog whom I have never met in person.

What did I do to warrant this gratitude? Some of the stories are a result of a kind gesture I made or an encouraging word I shared. Some are because they felt I truly listened to them and gave them an opportunity to be heard. Others are a result of asking just the right question to get them thinking about something differently or seeing additional possibilities they had not yet considered. Sometimes it’s because they felt that I led by example and they recognized that I never asked anyone to do something I would not do myself. Or that I maintained a high level of integrity and consistency in my actions, so they always knew what to expect.

Whatever the case, the impact was significant enough that they wanted to let me know. Hearing those stories motivates me to continue to have that type of positive impact on others. What type of impact are you having on others at your company or in the community? Are you being the kind of leader who will have a positive impact on the lives of others?

Are Your Goals Still Relevant?

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Goal!
Are Your Goals Still Relevant?ekkebus / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

I encourage people to establish annual goals in advance. Sometimes when I ask how they are doing with those goals, they tell me that they are not doing very well, and they are pretty hard on themselves. When I dig down to learn more, I discover that the person has not failed to achieve the goal, but rather the goal is no longer relevant. Something has changed in the environment or situation that has caused that goal to no longer be important in the big scheme of things. Instead of acknowledging that change, the person instead feels like they are failing.

If that sounds familiar, I’d suggest you change your thinking. If you are faced with a goal that is no longer relevant, why not replace that goal with a more relevant goal? Just make sure you are not confusing the urgent with the important, and that the goal still moves you toward your long term vision. (For more on urgency and importance, I’d suggest that you read author Steven Covey.)

Just as most companies no longer utilize 10 year strategic plans because the world is changing too quickly, our goals can also change during the year. Make sure your goals are fluid and relevant…and still a stretch to achieve!

Frustrated Flying – The Customer Experience

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Blog Airplane photo

Remember when air travel used to be fun?  I used to arrive at the airport less than 30 minutes before my flight and was easily able to make my flight.  Now we have long lines at security, lots of rules about what you can and cannot take onboard, and have to spend a lot of time waiting in the airport.  I understand the intent behind the changes – things will never be the same after 9/11 – but feel the experience could still be improved in many ways.

Those federal requirements are one thing.  What’s worse is how some of the airlines have made flying even more frustrating.  I recently flew on two different airlines.  They both charge for seat selection, checked bags, and even carry-on items.  The size and weight limitation for personal items, carry-ons and checked bags were different at each airline.  Therefore even though I was traveling just a few days apart, I could not take the same sized personal item or suitcase on both flights.  I had to spend a lot of time planning what to pack in which bag just so I would not have to pay extra when I arrived at the airport.  I would much rather have preferred to spend that time and energy elsewhere!

Have you created the same level of frustration for your customers to do business with you?  Do you have a lot of rules, requirements, and other obstacles that make it hard to do business with your company?  Or are you truly customer-friendly, making the experience simple and enjoyable?

Memorial Day 2014

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Memorial Day

Many people only think of Memorial Day as a holiday from work or the unofficial start of summer.  When I was young, I knew Memorial Day as the time we’d open the lake cottage and start our weekly treks to enjoy the lake on weekends.  It was also a time for parades and BBQs.  Flags were everywhere, symbolically honoring those who had fallen.

Each year I see fewer flags, and meet fewer people who spend a few moments giving thanks to those who have given their lives to keep us safe.  Without those brave men and women, we would not enjoy the many freedoms we have today.  Please help your employees to understand the true meaning of holidays such as Memorial Day, and the impact of the ultimate sacrifice made by so many Americans.  Perhaps you can start your weekly staff meeting this week with a moment of silence to honor those service men and women?  Or ask your team to share about any relatives or friends who have lost their lives in service to our country?  Make a difference!

Weird Weather and Leadership

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Weird Weather

Weird Weather

It has certainly been a year of unusually challenging weather throughout the country.  Between incredible snowstorms, severe tornadoes, and excessive amounts of rainfall, many businesses have been impacted in unprecedented ways.   HSN just reported that their first quarter earnings were down partially due to the severe weather.  Several of my Vistage members in Florida also faced unanticipated demand reductions this winter due to the snowstorms up north. Weather issues impacted transportation, and many of their customers were unable to ship their products up north, causing delays and reduced demand for my members’ products and services.  Additionally, people were snowed in for days at a time, reducing purchases and productivity since they could not get to work.

Just this week, one of my Vistage members reported that they had to shut down one of their offices for a day due to the severe flooding and road closures in the Florida Panhandle.   Business may be impacted for several more days as damage is assessed.  Thankfully none of my members’ employees were harmed in any of the severe weather events.   However, business cash flow and profitability have been negatively impacted due to weird weather.  What is a leader to do?

First, make sure you have the appropriate insurance policies in place.  Talk to your insurance agent to make sure to have business interruption insurance in addition to coverage for property damage or loss.  While it will not cover the indirect reduction in demand for some of my members, if your business is directly impacted it can provide a valuable safety net.  Second, you should build contingencies into your business plan.  Make sure your net profit margin isn’t razor thin in the first place so that you can handle unexpected downturns.   And make sure you have appropriate lines of credit available to help you manage cash flow through unanticipated situations. Third, a disaster preparedness plan is crucial for longer, more severe disruptions.  Do your employees know what to do?  How to communicate with you and one another in case phone lines are down and electricity is unavailable?  How often do you revisit and update the plan?

As a leader, it’s our job to deal with unanticipated situation.  The best leaders plan for the unexpected.

Leadership and Accountability

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Ducks
I had an interesting conversation with a top community leader the other day. I had never had a chance to have an in-depth conversation with him before, so I relished the chance to learn more about him and his path to success.

I learned how he had worked his way up in various companies before achieving the position he now holds. He made some tough decisions and had to overcome some difficult situations along the way. I often hear those types of stories, and so I was not surprised at the types of stories he shared.

What I found fascinating was that he admitted that he does not like to be held accountable. All of the executives with whom I work realize that accountability will help them achieve even greater success. Some of them call me “The Accountability Queen.” Yet here I was, talking with an accomplished senior executive who shared that he intentionally avoids situations where he can be held accountable. What I found even more interesting was that when I probed deeper, it became apparent that he attempts to hold his direct reports accountable within his organization. In effect, he is not practicing what he preaches, or he feels he is exempt from his own rules. That’s not the best way to motivate others! Not surprisingly, his attempts to hold his direct reports accountable often fall flat, which frustrates him. He does not seem to understand how his refusal to be held accountable may be negatively impacting the organization as a whole. Sadly, I suspect he will learn that lesson the hard way.

Some of you will tell me that you hold yourself accountable, and that external accountability is overrated. I’m good at holding myself accountable because I have a high goal-orientation. And yet from my experience with my groups, I can tell you that my success rate is much higher when the group holds me accountable than when I rely on myself. I wish the accomplished leader with whom I met would give it a try and see how it would propel him forward and make his organization more successful!

Leadership, Sunsets and Rainbows

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Beautiful Rainbow and Sunset

Many years ago, I used to work in an office that overlooked a parking garage.  It wasn’t much of a view, but I found myself rarely looking out of the window, anyway.  I was able to become very focused at work and intent on the task at hand, and block out my surroundings.  I moved on from that company and went to another company whose office was on the water.  I had a corner office with two walls of picture windows overlooking Tampa Bay and could see all of nature, including beautiful sunsets, dolphins, pelicans, stingrays, and more.  It was a gorgeous setting and view.  And yet I often found myself once again not paying attention to my surroundings at all.  My husband would call me at work and ask if it was raining in my part of town, and I would often have no idea.  I’d have to stop and look out the window and say, “Oh, yes, it’s raining, and there’s even a beautiful rainbow that I had not noticed.”

What a shame that I was so focused on what I was doing, that I lost sight of the big picture and my beautiful surroundings.  How many sunsets and rainbows did I miss?  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned the importance of paying more attention to what’s going on around me.  I need to be focused at work, and I also need healthy breaks in the action so the world doesn’t pass me by.  I need to occasionally look up, check out my surroundings, and pay attention to what’s going on around me.

What about you – are you so focused on certain things that you are missing much of what goes on around you?   Take a step back and look at your surroundings with new eyes and share your observations with others.  Appreciate what you have and what you do.  Take time to appreciate those sunsets and rainbows in life.  It will help you become a better leader.

Photo by:  55Laney69 / Foter / CC BY

Is Your “Busyness” Negatively Impacting Your Business?

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Shopping - Race to the Checkout

Are you a busy leader?  Welcome to the crowd!  All of the leaders I coach are busy.  As a matter of fact, if I come across a leader who says they aren’t busy, I view them with a bit of skepticism!

It seems as if people are getting busier than ever.  Just look at kids today vs. 40 years ago.  It’s common now for kids to have activities almost every night of the week as well as on weekends.  I sometimes wonder if kids are getting enough rest and relaxation.  When I was young, there seemed to be more time to just lie in the grass, stare at the clouds and daydream.  I have fond memories of being completely relaxed, letting my imagination run wild.

It’s not just kids who seem to be constantly busy.  If you are a leader who spends most of your time running from meeting to meeting and performing tasks that you can check off your lengthy to-do list, beware!  Your busyness may be negatively impacting your business.

When are you taking the time to dream about the possibilities?  To think about the future and how to create the future you desire?  To look at the horizon and see what new technologies, competitors and opportunities will be appearing in the next few days, months and years?  To make sure that all of the tasks and meetings are taking you in the right direction?

The most successful leaders schedule regular time on their calendar for a “meeting with themselves”.  They clear their desks and their minds from distraction, and allow the creative and strategic ideas to flow.  The top 1% also encourages their management team to do the same.  By making the time for creativity and vision, you will ensure that you are heading in the right direction.

 

Photo by:  David Blackwell. / Foter / CC BY-ND

Top 10 Reasons NOT to Join Vistage

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I loved this posting by fellow Vistage Chair Artie Isaac (artie.co), and received his permission to share:

Top 10 Reasons Why NOT To Join Vistage

Some high-potential candidates raise obstacles, rather than applying for membership in Vistage. Here are some of their reasons.

10.  “I can’t make the time to join Vistage.”

You think your time is precious? No Vistage member has any more time than any other member. We all have 168 hours each week. That’s it. The question: how do we choose to spend our time?

Vistage members don’t participate in Vistage because they are bored or because they are trying to find some way to spend time. They are among the most productive business people anywhere. They are very conscious of how they invest their time.

Vistage doesn’t take time. Vistage nets time. Vistage members report — within 45 or 90 days — that they stop doing other people’s work, start getting home earlier, and devote more time to the most important relationships in their lives.

9. “I need to wait until I get over this hump (or project or initiative or fiscal quarter).”

 Anyone who thinks, “I’ll have more time after I get over this hump,” isn’t accurately predicting the future. There are always more humps to follow this current hump.

Were you humping 24 months ago? 12 months ago? 6 months ago? If so, humping is not the cure for humping. Vistage lets you live without constant humping.

Generally, Vistage members wished they had joined six or 12 or 18 months earlier.

8.  “I’m too busy in my business.” 

Vistage members report that spending time on their business (rather than in their business) with a group of peers makes them more effective leaders.

Within months of joining Vistage, members are doing more in less time.

7.  “I can’t afford Vistage.”

What is your budget for your own professional development? Surely it’s not zero. You must be willing to invest in your own growth as a leader. If your budget allows, Vistage might be your very best alternative.

Vistage members don’t belong because they need to find some way to spend money. They do it for the ROI.

6.  “No, really: I have no cash. We’re on the verge of bankruptcy.”

Oh, that’s too bad. We don’t have a persuasive counter-argument for that.

If you want to have a quick brainstorm on ideas for getting out of your cash crunch, call one of the local Vistage chairs. Otherwise, let us know when cash flow exceeds your cost of doing business.

Vistage members need to have the wherewithal to fund productive change. 

5.  “I already have a peer group.”

Is your current peer group highly functioning?  If so, great. If not, does your peer group have a professional, trained chairperson?

Vistage chairs receive hundreds of hours of training each year. Meetings are productive — and members leave with new methods for leading their own meetings back at the office.

4.  “I already have a executive coach.”

Executive coaching is an excellent resource. In Vistage, one-on-one sessions with a Vistage Chair is put to the test of a peer group. Peers hold one another accountable more powerfully than a single coach can.

The coaching and peer group combination at Vistage amplifies the call for leadership, maximizing growth of each member.

3.  “I already have an advisory board.”

You have friends, trusted advisors, a spouse, and buddies. They all give you advice. But none of them give you agenda-free advice. Their advice always has an agenda: their love and affection for you, their desire to impress, their axe to grind. Their advice might be good, but it isn’t free of some agenda.

Vistage groups offer agenda-free advice. Members give each other their best thinking: take it or leave it. The highest performing members listen hard to what their told at Vistage.

2.  “I can’t trust others with my secrets.”

What’s the deal? Are you a loner? Are you on the lam? Can you even trust yourself?

Vistage members learn how to trust by being trustworthy. Groups immediately study how to maintain confidentiality, because that is the necessary ingredient for true sharing.

Vistage members reach adulthood, marked by a developmental milestone: knowing what stories are ours to tell, and what stories are not ours to tell.

1.  “I can’t possibly learn from other people.”

Is that your plan: to walk alone into your grave? Rest in peace.

Some Vistage members arrive ready to learn. Others are reluctant to learn. But they all learn that they are not the smartest person at the table.

Every Vistage member will tell you: I have learned fundamental lessons from each person in my group.

Thanks, Artie!

Always a Leader

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How often do you use statements that include the word “always”?  “I always do the right thing.”  “She always gets it wrong.”  “That always happens to me.”  Extreme phrases of any kind are hard to live up to.  I was reminded of that recently when I was honored to receive the Red Scott Award.  The award is given to the Vistage Florida Chair who best exemplifies the spirit of Vistage following what Red felt were the real tenets of great Chair leadership:  Always putting their member’s needs ahead of their own, always making it a top priority to assist their fellow Chairs, and always putting the organization’s needs and well-being ahead of their own.

Red Scott was a terrific mentor, leader and person – as you know if you have read some of my prior blog postings.  He achieved great fame and wealth, and yet was respected as a humble man.  I have tried to follow in his footsteps to be the best person I can be.  Now that I have received this great honor, the pressure is on for me to do even better.

The “always” statements associated with this award can be challenging at times.  It often takes much less effort to put your own needs first, and worry about the impact on others later.  Behaving unselfishly can also mean getting rolled over by someone who takes advantage of the situation.  When that happens, it’s easy to think, “Why bother?”  The answer, of course, is because it’s the right thing to do.  Remember, as a leader, you are always being watched by your employees.  If you can focus on always trying to do your best, that’s all anyone can ask.  Even leaders are human, after all!