CULTURE

Oct

2019

Learning From a Leader in the Copy and Print Industry

We were sitting in a conference room overlooking the Indianapolis skyline. Our meeting was originally about his new role, but it evolved into a different conversation. This man I was sitting across from had served as an executive level leader in the copy and print industry at two companies.

I had to capitalize on the opportunity to learn from him so I asked him what his top three leadership principles are . . . and he gave me four. Over his years in various roles with Xerox and later Sharp Business Systems Ross developed and lived by these ideas.

Integrity

Yes, any good leader would say this, but his definition was very powerful:

“ An uncompromising value system to do what is right”

He takes this a bit further by emphasizing the importance of having people who will hold you accountable. This is the inner circle that John Maxwell refers to in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. These individuals Raifsnider speak truth with each other’s permission.

Culture

I’ve heard it said that culture eats leadership for lunch. At the same time leaders have a responsibility to be aware of and influence the culture of the organization. Ross described a healthy culture as one where people are first. This environment creates a sustainable and predictable organization versus a toxic, unproductive and stagnant organization.

Ross suggested that a continuous learning environment also creates a healthy culture. This will require investing in your people both by formal educational opportunities and on the job challenges to stretch them. Raifsnider found that when you attract the right people, invest in people, and people understand and embrace and understand their role in the mission and vision, a healthy culture evolves.

Communication

Leaders know this is critical to leadership at any level, but Ross broke it down to three “C’s”.

Clarity – make sure what you say makes sense. I would add use the KISS principle and keep it simple to keep it clear.

Context – the leader helps provide clarity when he or she explains the purpose behind what is being communicated. This improves understanding and increases buy-in.

Consistent – We have a lot pulling at us professionally and personally. We would love to say something once and be done, but unfortunately that is not always the case so we must communicate the message consistently.

When leaders combine these three “C’s” they equal trust from those who follow them.

Results Matter

We can be the best leader in the world, but we won’t stay the leader if we fail to get results. What do results look like? For the non-profit sector these are the areas that are relevant to the key stakeholders. When that is determined metrics can be placed behind it for accountability. For-profit organizations must determine what results are relevant in a return for their measurables. Ultimately accountability for results Raifsnider suggests must honor people for the greater good of the organization. Keep the people first to maintain a healthy culture and ultimately drive the desired results.

What about you? When you look at these principles which do you need to focus on over the next week, month, quarter, or year? How would your team or organization look different? Need help getting your organization thinking like leaders? Contact me to schedule a 15 minute discovery call to learn about a 45 minute leadership training for your organization or team at no cost to you. In the meantime, lead well!

Sep

2019

Learning from a Leader in the Employment Services Industry

As we sat across from one another in the training room of one of Indianapolis’ best places to work I could see evidence of a positive and impacting culture all around me. There are quotes on the wall to reinforce the core values and flags in a room just beyond from multiple countries promoting the organization’s diversity.

This was not just for show but was an outworking of a culture built on honoring people both within the organization and those they serve. Morales Group has a vision to create an American Dream machine for the under-served workforce. They are striving to fulfill this vision in a holistic manner to meet multiple needs of those who enter their doors.

Usually during these conversations I learn the top three leadership principles of a leader. I did find those out, but in full disclosure they are the principles straight from Patrick Lencioni’s work The Advantage (which I do recommend) of humble, hungry and smart with people. This was a brief conversation, but these principles were at the foundation of their core values: be humble, be courageous, be a light.

We continued our conversation and I wanted to learn how he reinforces and maintains such a positive culture in a very transactional industry. A few practices and concepts became apparent.

Assess

We get results on what we inspect. This organization invests in an engagement survey to determine how their team is producing in this area on a regular basis. This is not just a one-time tool, but they use the results and make adjustments where needed to improve this area. This tool helps solidify a culture build on trust and relationships which promotes efficiency and speed.

Reward

Legos. What does this have to do with rewards? We all are kids deep down and each month an exceptional employee receives a Lego to add to the wall of the house. The house is representative of the Mexico house build team members participate in. This process reinforces the positive culture and reminds everyone why they do what they do.

Apply

Most companies have stated values, but Morales applies these values. In my brief time with Seth I experienced his humility. He first demonstrated that as he came out to meet me and spoke to every employee he passed. A small action demonstrating great humility. One of their values is to be a light. The organization provides 25 hours of PTO to serve in the community as a direct application of this value. These are only two ways of many which reinforce their cultural values.

Accountable

Individually and corporately this organization implements accountability. On an individual level this is the idea of having “radical candor” where conversations are honest and open, but also respectful and loving. This candor reinforces a culture that has no silos and operates at the speed of trust. Corporately they choose to have an advisory board who holds them accountable and prevents critical mistakes.

It’s been said that culture eats leadership for lunch. At the same time the leader influences the culture. When you look at these principles to reinforce a positive culture, what do you need to improve within your organization or team? Share with me your thoughts and contact me if you need a thinking partner to help you process changes you need to make in your organization. Lead well.

Sep

2018

Lessons from Another Great Female Leader

I sat across from a woman who has experienced a great journey as a leader. This woman is no stranger to a diligent work ethic. While having two children under the age of three she finished her undergraduate degree in accounting. As if this wasn’t a big enough challenge she then completed her MBA while having three kids under the age of four.

Having three kids under the age of four is hard enough, but through great tenacity and persistence this woman accomplished what she did academically. This was only the beginning of what those traits brought to her.

Jo Biggers who now is the Vice President of Finance and Administration at CountryMark shared many lessons about leadership that I was able to learn during our time together. At the point in her career where she had four children at home she switched from public accounting to a role at Delco Remy and Magnequench where she served for many years until moving to MISO which eventually provided her the opportunity to lead as a Vice President.

I asked Jo what she would say are her top three leadership principles and through our conversation I gathered the following:

Lead by example. The hard work she modeled both at work and home transferred not only onto many of the employees she led, but also at home. She has hard-working adult children who are independent because of her example. Biggers believes that if she expects others to do something then she should be modeling that behavior and serve as the example. When leaders are modeling what they expect they will attract the kind of followers they desire.
Self-awareness. Ms. Biggers shared a challenging situation she encountered at one company. Through this situation she had the opportunity to see two very different approaches to leadership. Eventually this situation negatively impacted her. Through conversations with her coach and an increased self-awareness she realized the way she was leading was not how she desired. This became a pivotal moment in her career when she switched from being a micro-manager to a leader who empowers others. This occurred because she was open to growth and feedback that increased her self-awareness. Because of this revelation she builds an empowered team by asking them “who did you talk to?” to assure they have buy-in and are collaborating with one another.
Culture. Through her transformational experience over time at a previous company she realized the importance of culture in leadership. Previously Biggers believed people never do enough and are kind of lazy. Over these later years in her career she has realized she gets better results by trusting her people to do the job at their highest possible level of ability. When leaders create an environment of trust others are empowered and not living in fear of being fired or striving for constant recognition.

As we concluded our time together I asked her to share with me any thoughts she would share with female leaders and she had two major thoughts:

Let the guilt go. As a mother she struggled with guilt because she worked outside home. She is wired for that and that is ok. You are not an inferior mother because you work outside of the home. Use your strengths to lead well both at work and home.
Work hard. Similar to another female leader I have learned from Jo said you have to work hard and continually improve personally and professionally. Always be growing.

One final thought which I thought serves as a great reminder to all leaders was: “When in a position of power you have to be careful all the time.” Whether a coach, parent, teacher, CEO, Vice-President or whatever position of leadership we hold, people are always watching so use your influence in a way that will continually add value to others. Whether people see you or not, do the right thing and this will be a non-issue.

What about you? Do you micro-manage or do you lead? What does the culture of your organization or team tell you since it will be a reflection of your leadership? What example are you setting for those you lead? Continue to grow and become more self-aware so you can lead well at work and home.

Sep

2018

Three Leadership Lessons from a CEO in the Technology Sector

I am sitting in a chair at ClearObject across from CEO John McDonald, but I am not in an office, at least not in the traditional sense. McDonald has his “office” in the corner, but it is another cubicle like everybody else.

The chair I sit in is a comfortable, couch-like seat. We are across from each other with a coffee table in between us and behind him are two workspace areas. One is an open area in the corner where a group of employees are working on a project while the other is a glass enclosed space where two employees sit working on yet another project.

As we discuss what it means to be a leader everyone in the office is capable of hearing our conversation just like everyone is able to hear his daily conversations from his “corner office.” This environment is a picture of his leadership approach.

The leader of this Internet of Things organization located in Fishers, IN that creates digital products to replace physical products serves three primary roles as CEO in this fast changing industry.

Raise venture capital
Hire people better than himself at everything
Retain talent

Those three descriptions define his job, but three principles define how he leads within this role.

Vision. When I asked how he described this popular and important leadership concept, he described it as sailing. Company goals are like the skyline, an objective that is far enough and challenging enough that he can’t do it on his own, but close enough to see. As leaders we can paint a grandiose picture, but the vision has to be tangible enough that the team members can define their roles in fulfilling that vision.
Culture. McDonald defines culture as the unwritten rules about how things are done. As a leader with new employees, he finds the most important time in an employee’s experience is the first day. This new individual will naturally test the culture. When a leader has clear norms and expectations, that have been accepted, the team members will quickly clarify for new employees how to perform when they are not aligned with expectations. A leader must be intentional and purposeful in the culture he or she creates in the organization.
Accountability. Accountability at ClearObject is less about punishment and more about acknowledgement. During their Quarterly meetings John will celebrate successes as a means of holding individuals accountable. How does he do this? He sets the bar so people can overachieve. Does he have low standards? Absolutely not. He sets the expectation and gives employees the freedom to go beyond the expectation, thereby exceeding customer expectations and creating an outstanding experience for the client.

As I described the layout of the office and we see McDonald’s guiding principles I realize that everything aligns. An open office space creates open dialogue which is essential in the fast moving tech sector. This also creates a culture where people are approachable whether that is a customer coming in or employees within the organization.

As a leader of your organization or team what kind of culture are you creating? How are you holding yourself and others accountable? Is your vision bigger than you, but still within sight? What is one way you can use these principles to help you grow as a leader at work and home? Comment below or contact me if you want help thinking into your personal or team leadership results.

Sep

2018

Confessions of Bad Leadership

The morning was still cool and the sun had barely come up so the atmosphere was not too thick with humidity. I was excited though because I got to tear up things.

I am the early riser usually in my home and I got to go to the local Rotary garden that our family helps take care of. Today was a little more enjoyable because I got to dig up the broccoli that had been planted and harvested over the past four months.

At first I was yanking the broccoli out of the ground by hand, but my back and body quickly reminded me I am no longer in my twenties so I retrieved a shove to help the process. As I was pulling out the broccoli plants and tossing them into a pile to haul off I was struck with a question: why is it as leaders we find it much easier to tear down than to plant and allow time for growth?

As I pondered this question a few ideas why I find tearing down easier than allowing growth to occur came to mind:

Impatience. Quite frankly I can be extremely impatient with the process of planting seeds and waiting for them to grow. When I used to coach athletes on a daily basis it felt much more efficient to yell across the room for them to be quiet and stay on task. It may work for a moment, but I found if I took the time to understand what motivated that individual who often was off task and planted seeds to help them see a bigger picture I got improved results.
Selfishness. Let’s be honest, we like to see results and when we pull up plants or tear down a building for a construction project the results of our work are quickly evident. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see results, but what if we are trying to get results at the expense of another person’s well-being. Daniel Goleman coined a phrase called the “amygdala hijack.” In simple terms this is when we blow up at another person and we behave completely irrational. Selfishly we may feel better because we “blew off some steam,” but in the long run we will have a lot of messes to clean up from our over-reaction.
Ease. The process of tearing down an object is much easier than building or allowing time for growth. I did not have to think about what plant to pull up or where to put it. The labor was fairly mindless. On the other hand when planting the garden you have to bend down and put the seeds in a particular area and dig up each hole. You have to think about where to plant the seeds and how to space them. I know, not too physically laborious, but it requires more mental energy.

As a leader launching a project or program or planting seeds of growth in the lives of those we serve either at home or work requires energy. Tearing people down, unfortunately, is quite simple while creating an environment for growth takes great planning, care, and persistent work. As leaders do we plant seeds of growth with the people around us or unintentionally tear them down? What is one way you can create fertile soil to develop great leaders by creating a culture of patience, selflessness, and comfort with being uncomfortable? Need help thinking into that? Contact me and I’m glad to help. Lead well at work and home.

Sep

2017

8 Types of Culture . . . Which is Yours?

Have you ever stepped back to think about what the culture really is where you lead or work? Culture is those unspoken expectations and habits that are formed within a group of people. For example, some families have a culture where there is no cursing. Some organizations are very positive and creative while others may be negative and rigid.

Why is culture so important? Culture establishes your standards and expectations. Culture creates your team’s daily environment. Culture is like the personality of your organization and as the leader it often is a reflection of you.

In his book How to Build and Sustain a Championship Culture, sports psychologist and author Jeff Janssen provides a definition for eight different types of cultures. As you look at this list ask yourself “what is the culture of the group or organization I lead most like?”

Corrosive culture – this is a culture that is dominated by conflict, frustration, negativity, gossiping, selfishness, distrust, and cliques. People are not working together, but instead are constantly battling. People become apathetic or resistant to achieve goals because of a lack of respect for the leader.
Country Club culture – the priority here is to look good and have a good time. Championships do not matter and coasting through is acceptable.
Congenial culture – the priority is that everyone gets along. People don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Most likely there are no candid and honest conversations occurring. Although there are positives to this culture, results are not a priority.
Comfortable culture – comfort is key here. People want to accomplish big goals and have depth to their relationships, but only if this is easy. Being out of one’s comfort zone is not acceptable.
Competitive culture – if results are very important but people are not as important, then this is your culture. This culture has a strong focus on results and not a high focus on relationships.
Cut-throat culture – results are all that matter. If your character flaws such as selfishness or outside issues are overlooked because you get results such as wins or lots of sales, then you are part of a cut-throat culture.
Constructive culture – a balanced focus on both results and relationships. People are willing to work hard toward common goals and develop solid relationships.
Championship culture – this culture has a strong and clear sense of their mission and purpose. They have very clear goals and have a strong desire to achieve them. Both members of the team and the leaders are intentional about building strong relationships with one another to the point of being lifelong friends.

I have shown you Mr. Janssen’s definitions which are focused on a sports environment, but can easily translate to another environment. Where is your culture now? Where do you want it to be? What needs to change in order for you to get there? Most likely, if you are the leader the first changes must happen with you. What steps will you take today in order to create the culture you want tomorrow? It starts with one step. In the words of NIKE . . . Just Do It!