On Leadership

I put the following quote -- attributed to Norman Lear -- at the end of a keynote speech I wrote for my boss recently but, upon re-reading it over the weekend, I couldn't help but think of how it parallels the state of the nation today and Obama's (and our) challenges ahead.

“To be an effective leader, you not only have to get the group of followers on the right path, but you must be able to convince them that whatever obstacle stands in the way ahead, whether it’s a tree or a building that blocks the view, you’re going to get around it. You’re not going to be put off by apparent barriers to your goal. All journeys are filled with potholes and mines, but the only way we can move beyond them is to approach them, and recognize them for what they are. You have to see that it’s only a tree, or whatever, and it’s not insurmountable. Everywhere you trip is where the treasure lies.”

New Car, Caviar, Four-star Daydream

In perusing articles for a Succession Planning workshop that we're developing, I came across the following quote in Business Week (“An Executive Recruiter's New Strategy,” January 16, 2009) regarding how Heidrick & Struggles is evolving from executive search services to heightened leadership advisory services.

“When it really [hits home] is when you look at all of these technologies today that can potentially disintermediate a search firm. Not at the high-end CEO and board level, but what's going to happen at the lower echelon of search -- in the $300,000 salary range -- with the advent of companies like LinkedIn?”

Wait. $300K is considered the low echelon? I need a raise.

Positive Feedback

While researching the topic of feedback for a leadership seminar I was developing a couple of years ago, I came upon the following study.

Dr. Daniel Kirschenbaum, a sports psychologist at the University of Wisconsin, videotaped groups of bowlers. He then edited the tapes, creating two different versions. In one version, he deleted any examples of poor bowling performance, leaving only images of proper bowling techniques. In the second version of the tape, he deleted any examples of good performance, leaving only images of poor bowling style.

He then used the tapes to give lessons to the same groups of bowlers.

Some groups viewed the edited tape showing only examples of proper bowling techniques. The lessons emphasized repeating what had worked for them. Other groups viewed an edited tape, seeing only examples of poor bowling. Their lessons focused on not repeating prior mistakes.

Those bowlers who viewed examples of proper bowling techniques showed as much as 100% improvement in bowling scores, far more than the other group.

Key learning: We learn better, and are able to improve task performance, when we focus on our successes rather than our mistakes -- which oftentimes can be seen as “at odds” with traditional management techniques found in corporate America where managers see themselves as problem-solvers whose job is to fix what's broken.

This has never been so apparent to me as it has been over the past few weeks as I watched both sons playing Little League. At an age where most kids are just attempting the sport for the first time, it was shocking at times to hear the coaches (thankfully from the opposing teams) yelling at and berating the kids.

Son #1's coach was, in direct contrast, a saint. He made the game so much fun for all of his players and complimented them continually -- even after failed plays. "Nice try." "Great throw; next time aim just a little higher!"

As a result, this group of first and second graders was literally on fire toward the end of the season making double and triple plays and slamming balls to the outfield. Many of the rival teams could barely compete at that level.

Last night, after the last game of the season, the coach bought ice cream for all of the players. And instead of simply handing out their trophies, he made a point of recapping the best plays of the season for each. Their faces were beaming. I was impressed and felt blessed that my son was a part of his team.

(Source: Jay R. Tombaugh, “Positive leadership yields performance and profitability,” Development and Learning in Organizations: Volume 19 Number 3 2005, pp. 15-17)

Role models

I’ve been interviewing a lot of job candidates lately for client-related positions ranging from Executive Administrative Assistants to Controllers and I’ve noticed the following. A lot of the younger candidates for positions—who I typically find to be much more in tune with themselves, level-headed, well spoken, focused and driven then I was at their age—respond to the query, “Describe for me a leader you admire,” with a narrative of their father or mother whereas older individuals cite a current/former manager, military strategist or President (including one nomination for George Bush recently but that’s another rant altogether).

Did parenting change over the past 25+ years or rather, as you age, do different types of leaders emerge in your consciousness to change the frame of reference? Worse yet, perhaps the impact of parenting lessens over time?

Regardless of the cause, after listening to scores of aspiring, freshly minted college graduates give testimony to the strong character development functions their parents provided, the sound role models they were, and the solid foundation of integrity and ethics imparted, I am suddenly keenly aware of my own responsibility as a parent and the enormous impact I can have on the success of my kids both short- and long-term.

I now aspire to be the future response to that same question when my children are on their many job interviews throughout life. And color me a braggart, but I think I can top George Bush . . .