LEADERSHIP: WHERE ARE WE GOING? AND, WHY?

published: 2008-09-08

Alexander the Great is one of history's great leaders. Two thousand years ago, at the head of his Macedonian army, he unified Greece. And, then led a combined army to conquer their ancient enemy, the Persians. The objectives were clear and it all made sense for his generals and troops. However, after four years, he was still dragging them eastward - arriving eventually in northern India. But, his army no longer cared. Alexander was forced to turn back.

LEADERSHIP: STAY AHEAD

published: 2008-11-10

If you can’t keep up, you're part of the problem not the solution.  And, this is true for leaders, as for anyone else.  If you don't understand how your business works today – the market trends, new technologies, economic drivers and so on – then, people won't want to follow you.  As in a primitive tribe, they’ll leave you to die. 

LEADERSHIP: CREATIVE DESTRUCTION

published: 2008-08-04

General Motors was once a paragon of American business.  It's now in serious decline.  Its plight illustrates what a famous economist called “creative destruction.”  New industries, products and services rise to prominence; but, later lose their traction.  Horse-drawn carriages gave way to automobiles - ushering in gas stations but destroying buggy-whip manufacturers.  Gas guzzlers had their time on the road, but were overtaken by energy-efficient compacts.  And now hybrids; and, so on.

LEADERSHIP: EDISON NEVER STOPPED TINKERING

published: 2008-08-11

New ways often bring new words; or reinvigorate old ones.  "Betterment" is a case of the latter - and something every leader must deliver.  A strategic rethink may set a whole new direction for your business.  However, between these major shifts, there's lots of room for innovation and upgrades.  That's betterment.

LEADERSHIP: THE HEROES ON THE FRONTLINE

published: 2008-06-23

Talk to any soldier and they'll tell you it's frontline troops, not generals, who fight the battles.  HQ may set direction and define key goals but it's platoon leaders and their troops, who go there.  They're the ones, who reconnoitre, take territory, dig in and fight.  Now, business isn't warfare.  But, the metaphor has its place. 

LEADERSHIP: STAND TALL AS THE BEST MANUFACTURER

published: 2008-06-16

My father had an engineering business - making furnaces and other products.  And, I worked summers in factories, while studying engineering.  So, I love that hot, noisy world of clanging metal as it's formed and worked with presses and punches.

LEADERSHIP: WHAT THE HELL IS AUTHENTIC?

published: 2008-03-03

"Discovering Your Authentic Leadership" (Harvard Business Review, February 2007) is like a 20-minute, personal-growth workshop.  All the feel-good, righteous stuff is there.  You should be self-aware and authentic.  Don't try to be like anyone else.  Find your own life story and build on that.  Ensure you've got life balance.  Well, all that's fine so long as it finds you on parade and taking leadership actions others will esteem and follow.  And, in this regard, my experience (from three decades of consulting and leading) says there are other factors as well.  Like being passionate and driven, market savvy, technically proficient, tireless in the service of your team and, yes, at times even angry and unfair.  Generals Patton, Napoleon and Wellington weren't heavily into self-awareness.  Nor are many CEOs – including ones I've known and admired.  Nice is certainly valuable, but not sufficient.

LEADERSHIP: BEAT THE BUST

published: 2008-10-28

The Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffett, says the downturn is going to be both deep and long. Global central banks have caught the falling knife of financial collapse. But, there's blood (and shredded reputations) on the floor. And now, the real economy is in for a bad time. Customers are already delaying purchases; banks are loathe to lend - even to good businesses; and, no-one knows what the next fright will be.

LEADERSHIP: FOR SURVIVAL AND BEYOND

published: 2009-07-13

Apart from the paramedics, surgeons and undertakers of the business world, the rest of us are struggling.  Only bankruptcy specialists and their like are thriving.  Sadly, I'm not one of them.  So, I keep fighting; but, I also focus on life beyond the slump.  Why?  Because we can all learn something from people who've survived gulags and similar camps.  The secret is not strength or youth, but vision of a different and better future.  So, would your staff say you think beyond surviving the current quarter?  And, even if they're impressed with your "fire-fighting", do they sense you're leading them somewhere worth going in the future?  From recent discussions, here are some pointers I've heard for leaders to consider.

LEADERSHIP: BEING UPBEAT IS A CHOICE

published: 2009-10-12

"Today, it's all about confidence" is a comment I heard this week from a friend, who runs an industry association.  And, he's right.  More than ever, leadership is about having the courage to drive for success.  Market signals are ambiguous.  So, people's conclusions are driven by personal bias.  Bears are super-bearish, and seeking a cave for the economic winter.  While optimists see early signs of growth and are leading their cattle out to the new pasture.  So, how would your team label you: an optimist or a pessimist?  Are you seeking a cave or stepping out?  And, if it's a question of attitude, what can you do?

LEADERSHIP: 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY INEFFECTIVE MANAGERS

published: 2009-10-26

I'm no techo, nor a digital native.  But Langdon, V|E|C|T|O|R's technology manager, tries to educate me.  And, recently forwarded an article by Nari Kannan from www.it.toolbox.com* - and, I've borrowed its title for this Potshot.  It's a play on a famous book title and the seven negative habits he lists are all too common - and, not just in IT.  So, why not check below and rate yourself - and see what options you have to overcome such habits!

LEADERSHIP: WHEN GOOD-TO-GREAT IS ONLY LUCK

published: 2009-11-23

Business gurus and their books are full of magic formulae for achieving business and career success.  It's alluring: we all want to succeed.  And, they often clothe their advice in research across hundreds of companies or thousands of leaders.  Very impressive on the surface.  But, at bottom, it's all just another medieval philosopher's stone - promising to transmute stodgy lead into winner's gold.  Lovely words but not for real.  And, all too often, later review will indicate this "great" company has now slipped back, and that exemplary leader has fallen from grace - or, worse, is doing time.  But is there something we can learn here?

LEADERSHIP: POWER AND PURPOSE

published: 2010-01-28

US decline and China's inexorable rise are much talked of.  But, in a recent article, Josef Joffe* concludes his rebuttal thus.  "Gainsayers will still dramatise China's growth rates as a harbinger of a grand power shift.  But as the 21st century unfolds, the US will be younger and more dynamic than its competitors."  Whether right or wrong, it's an important issue.  And, his arguments have resonance for the durability of leaders, as well as nations.  He stresses the requirement for "requisite power and purpose."  If asked, would your colleagues say you still have these?

LEADERSHIP: YOUR KEY TO ORGANISATIONAL AGILITY

published: 2010-02-22

What would you give to achieve higher revenues, more satisfied customers and employees, improved operational efficiency and a faster time to market? That's what Donald Sull of McKinsey & Company offers if you achieve organisational agility. He defines it as identifying and capturing opportunities more quickly than your rivals. He quotes the heightened volatility of recent decades - and the acceleration during the GFC. But, what does this mean for you as a leader? Here are some thoughts.

LEADERSHIP: FROM MARS AND ALSO FROM VENUS

published: 2010-03-15

Discussing the percentage of women in senior roles is a quick way to start an argument. Some people, including some men, argue for gender equality – or a specific level of improvement. Others, including also women, argue that merit is all that counts. Less contentiously, as leaders, I believe we need both hard and soft skills – often categorised as male or female characteristics. IQ and EQ. Numeracy and literacy. Toughness and fairness. If you asked your colleagues, what would they say about your balance – and what might that mean? Here are some thought-starters.

LEADERSHIP: BEING GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO

published: 2008-02-11

Richard Rumelt’s CV includes conquering both mountains and new territory in business thinking. In the latter, from an analytical base, he’s disproved many old assumptions. One of his most notable findings is as follows: being in the right industry does matter, but being good at what you do matters a lot more – regardless of your industry.

LEADERSHIP: THE BLACK SWAN STRATEGY

published: 2008-01-14

Black swans don’t exist; only white ones. Or, that was the belief until European explorers found some swimming happily in Australia, that land of strange animals and even stranger people! John Stuart Mill picked up the conceptual possibilities in such evidence: the non-existent actually existing. And, Nassim Nicholas Taleb is the latest to popularise the implications of an unknown unknown coming to be known. And, one hopes Donald Rumsfeld has bought a copy of his book, The Black Swan. It might have helped.

LEADERSHIP: WHAT’S YOUR INNOVATION INDEX

published: 2008-02-18

The authors of an article in the December issue of Harvard Business Review assert that “five ‘discovery skills’ separate true innovators from the rest of us.” They list the usual suspects: Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Ratan Tata. And, as usual, it’s more about after-the-event generalisations than scientific deduction. But, that doesn’t stop us asking: what must I do to be more creative? Here are their five thoughts – and one I’ve added.

LEADERSHIP: BEING OUT THERE

published: 2008-04-19

Nature abhors a vacuum. Particularly, an information blackout. And, if you let one arise, it may quickly fill with “good stories” put about by competitors and enemies.

LEADERSHIP: PHYSICIAN HEAL THYSELF

published: 2010-05-10

The author of this article opens with an unbeatable leadership confession. He states that “The problem with health care is people like me.” He’s a doctor but the article equally applies if “doctor” is replaced by engineer (my training), actuary, lawyer or any other profession. By definition, leaders start with some specialisation – technical, social or commercial. And the better we perform, the more likely someone will appoint us to lead others – first in the same area and later across others. And the rot starts there – unless, like Thomas Lee, we recognise that changing roles requires changing priorities. Leadership is another profession. But we often fail to see that or we come to it after starting to lose our flexibility of thinking and behaviour. How well would your people say you’ve transitioned? High, medium or low?

LEADERSHIP: FOR BETTER CSR

published: 2010-05-17

It’s unusual to read something balanced and practical about CSR. Activists want business to carry the wrap for everything. Apologists limit it to immediate operating activities and what the law requires. True, the primary responsibility is to sell sound products that people want, employ and reward fairly and act honesty and responsibly. But, the authors of a recent HBR article offer an insightful approach to the boundary issue of what is and isn’t a company’s responsibility? They make this erstwhile no-man’s land a fertile ground for corporate creative thinking and commercial good sense.

LEADERSHIP: THINK BIG BUT ALSO SMALL

published: 2010-05-24

Successful leaders offer both an uplifting goal and the steps to get there. The secret’s in the balance. If you’re only visionary, your legacy may well be just that: a high-potential but unrealised dream. People love it, but nothing happens. Equally, if you’re only focused on action and implementation, your people may be busy as hell but going nowhere. On long flights, I sometimes cook up an idea and enjoy the experience of what the outcome might look like – truly the view from 30,000 feet. But later, back at my desk, I have to think about how we’ll get there and my interest wanes. Too much hard work. Which would your people say you are: the dreamer or the detailer? Test yourself: which of the following two statements is more your home territory?

LEADERSHIP: WHEN IN DOUBT, DISAGGREGATE

published: 2010-05-31

Seth Godin is part blogger, part public intellectual. Some days, he really nails a topic. Here’s an abbreviated introduction to a recent posting*.

“The typical American buys precisely one book a year … (but) when it comes to books, there is no typical American. There are a lot of Americans who buy zero books … and then there are people like me who buy 400. The average is irrelevant.”

It’s the old warning of the non-swimmer, who drowned in a river of one-metre average depth. So, what’s the equivalent for your leadership? Are you just taking “average” one-size-fits-all actions? Here’s a three-step alternative.

LEADERSHIP: WHAT’S YOUR SOVEREIGN RISK RATING?

published: 2010-06-15

Daily papers and serious journals are currently full of articles about sovereign risk. The possibility Greece or other European countries (particularly those fringing the Mediterranean) will default or reschedule their debt. This could undermine the standing and even the survival of the euro. Wikipedia defines it thus: the risk of a government becoming unwilling or unable to meet its loan obligations, or reneging on loans it guarantees. What is the leadership equivalent – and how do people rate you as a risk? Let’s explore some ways to reduce that.

LEADERSHIP: THAT ONE KEY LESSON

published: 2010-07-07

How do you rate yourself on the following five actions? Showing self-awareness?. Demonstrating authenticity, integrity and compassion? Understanding and engaging people as individuals? Showing self-leadership and adaptability? Communicating, particularly listening well – and widely? These are my phrases but, taken together, they encapsulate nearly 80% of the responses to a recent online survey that asked “if you could teach one thing to a young leader, what would it be?” From my decades of working with leaders (and being one), I can’t fault any of these suggestions. Even though, at times and to my cost, I’ve ignored some! But, notwithstanding their importance, they’re less than the full picture. Let me explain why – and suggest what else might be needed.

LEADERSHIP: HOW’S YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND COURAGE?

published: 2010-08-30

What do lobsters, scorpions and bees have in common? Yes, a capacity to inflict a nasty bite. But they also all lack a spine. An exoskeleton (the lobster’s hard shell) is all that holds their bodies together. There’s no internal bone structure. Some leaders are like this. Outer toughness and a nasty bite: the cutting remark or petulant decision. But little inner structure or resolve that makes for true leadership that will deliver results and build respect. What would people say about you: outer show or inner strength? Here are some action options.