Leadership

Jun

2021

Learning From A Special Needs Leader

I was talking with a woman who gets joy in being with people, specifically serving those with special needs. Kelly Hartman, CEO of Insights Consulting based in Indianapolis, IN is an authentic woman of great passion and purpose. Not only does she run Insights, but is also the founder of the non-profit organization Outside the Box which was founded in 2008.

She has spent decades serving in multiple leadership roles before becoming the CEO of Insights Consulting. While talking she described herself as a social entrepreneur who became CEO by accident. This leader of a Top Ten Best place to work in Indianapolis has a few principles that guide her leadership.

Do Business for Good and the Money Follows

Kelly leads a mission driven organization with an experienced leadership team and realizes the need to be profitable, but does not allow profit and money to be her focus. She believes if you do the right thing the money will follow. I think of this as the Golden Rule idea. If we treat others the way we would want to be treated results will follow.

With that being said, Kelly finds that since money does not drive her decisions she takes more risks. The mission is central to the organization therefore they will innovate and attempt new strategies to keep the mission moving forward. What helps her keep her staff turnover low, innovation high, and still maintain a profitable organization? The next principle helps us understand.

Flip the Organizational Chart

Picture the hierarchical top-down business structure and flip it upside down. This is how Kelly leads. She maintains as few layers between her and the front line for a couple reasons. First, she enjoys connecting with her staff and clients . . . that is why she entered the industry. Second, with fewer layers communication is fast and clear. This environment creates the ability to maintain an innovative culture that can rapidly execute plans and address challenges.

Trust the Team

The structure she created is based on Don Miguel Ruiz’ book The Four Agreements. Each of her staff agree to the following behaviors with one another:

Be impeccable with your word
Don’t make assumptions
Don’t take things personally
Always do your best

As these four agreements are lived out by herself and her team, the trust among team members increases. These four agreements create the foundation of trust: credibility. Authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner in their book The Truth About Leadership state:

“If you are going to lead, you must have a relationship to others that is responsive to their expectations that you are someone they can believe in.”

As Kelly and each team member live up to these four expectations the members believe in one another and trust one another so the team functions at the highest level possible.

As we closed our time, I asked her for a major leadership lesson. She used a simple illustration:

“Turn the hallway light on to see the other opportunities.”

While leading we can get stuck in the darkness of the day to day and feel in a rut. Imagine walking down a dark hallway full of doors, but the darkness prevents you from seeing the doors. When you turn on the light you see the doors of opportunity and can explore them. Surround yourself with other people who challenge you to think differently and therefore open doors of opportunity.

What about you? How are you leading? Do you trust your team and truly listen to them? What is one action step you can take from these principles. Are you not sure how your team really is doing and want to create an environment to assess your team? Contact me about to discuss facilitating The Leadership Game to build and assess your team at the same time. Lead well.

May

2021

Greatest Generation Leadership Qualities

Storming the beaches of Normandy, fighting battles I have never imagined nor would I ever experience in the same manner. Voluntarily picking up arms to fight in the greatest war the world has ever seen. These were the men and women of what Tom Brokaw called The Greatest Generation.

Years ago I read the book by that title and pulled it off my bookshelf as I was thinking about this week’s blog. In the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers a specific individual of this generation was highlighted for his leadership. As I think of this great generation, I see at least three leadership traits we can learn from them to challenge us.

Honorable

A generation that was exiting the Great Depression, the most difficult time in the history of the United States. Our country was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor and fifty million individuals had registered for the draft with ten million inducted into the military. These individuals wanted to serve their country and fight for freedom no matter the cost. And for many the cost was their life.

These men and women had a moral compass that guided their decisions. This is honor. Major Dick Winters who was highlighted in The Band of Brothers said it well:

“Wars do not make men great, but they do bring out the greatness in good men.”

All leaders are fighting a war, nothing like a world war, but we all have daily battles. When we lead with honor and a moral compass guiding us then each night we can rest peacefully.

Determined

Tom Brokaw writes about Martha Settle Putney who was a young black woman from Norristown, Pennsylvania. When the war broke out she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Corp, the women in the army and this was no small decision. As a young black woman, she blazed a trail and fought many battles for the rights of black women during her time serving in leadership roles in the military.

This determination was not just representative of her, but many in her generation. A thought from this now retired history professor that Brokaw shares captures the determination not only of this amazing woman, but a generation of people:

“Work hard. If you fail, don’t look around for others to blame. Look in the mirror. You have to accept responsibility for your own life.”

As leaders we must be determined and accept responsibility for our choices. Failure is part of the leadership journey. We must have the determination not to quit, but continue working toward the goal and learning from the failures along the path.

Proud yet Humble

While preparing for this I came across a documentary on Amazon Prime about Major Dick Winters of Easy Company. The paratroopers who dropped in behind enemy lines on D-Day. As they discussed and interviewed Winters, I saw a man who represented a generation of leaders.

Winters was what Jim Collins in his book Good to Great describes as a Level 5 leader. Collins describes it as a blend of professional will and humility. Winters demonstrated this with a healthy pride in what he did and was called to, and the humility to know he could not accomplish it without his team. He boldly led from the front but knew that being a strong leader means relying on others.

I would suggest any leader that aspires to grow into the greatest leader he or she can become must have this blend. Pride in what they do and humility to know they need a team. A statement Winters made in the documentary “Hang Tough” says it well:

“Set an example, let them follow you.”

As a leader how are you doing in each of these areas? Take a minute to evaluate the example you are modeling in your behavior, honor, and willingness to work hard even through adversity. Need someone to process this with? Contact me for a thirty-minute no cost to you coaching session. Be a great leader in this generation for your team today. Lead Well.

May

2021

Intelligent Leadership

“Knowledge is power.” Sir Francis Bacon

Really? Is it? Is the smartest person really the most powerful? Is the most intelligent person the best leader? If this were true then why aren’t more university PHD’s leaders of organizations or in government?

I am not discrediting the hard work and amazing achievement these individuals have accomplished and many of them are great leaders. What I am suggesting is there is a myth that the smartest person is the leader. This is what leadership expert John Maxwell calls the “knowledge myth” in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

An article in the Journal of Applied Psychology that studied the relationship between intelligence and leadership agrees with John’s law. They found “the relationship between intelligence and leadership is considerably lower than previously thought.”¹ I am not making a case that intelligence is unnecessary for a leader, but this intelligence is one part of the leadership quotient and here are a few things intelligence does bring for leaders.

Clarity of Thought

Intelligence is gained from formal education but continues with lifelong learning. The ability to think deeply and analyze subjects from multiple vantage points provides clarity of thought. Many of us have been in meetings where the leader either rambles mindlessly sounding unintelligent or speaking over our heads with technical jargon. Both demonstrate a lack of clear thinking. An effective leader must have an intelligence quotient that enables him or her to think clearly and communicate simply.

Clarity of Understanding

Creating time to think requires intellectual capacity and will clear space to better understand. Leaders solve problems, but in order to solve them we must understand them. Some leaders have a specific place they go not only to think into their problems, but they will take a notebook to write down their thoughts. The discipline of writing helps clarify challenges and provides greater understanding which leads to the third way IQ factors into effective leadership.

Communication Ability

One of the leader’s greatest challenges is communicating in a way that connects. As leaders think and understand they must have the intelligence to communicate their understanding in a manner that resonates with those they lead. This ability to transfer thoughts into a spoken message that connects with people requires IQ.

As a leader I am sure you are intelligent. How are you doing at leading in a way that uses your intelligence to connect with those around you? Do you want to be in an environment to see how you are doing in this area with those you lead? Contact me about facilitating The Leadership Game with your team. Lead well.

Judge, T. A., Colbert, A. E., & Ilies, R. (2004). Intelligence and Leadership: A Quantitative Review and Test of Theoretical Propositions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(3), 542–552.

May

2021

Speaking to Connect

Each day as a business owners and leaders we are communicating. We communicate by e-mail, text, chat, in person and more. The question is, are we connecting?

In his book Everyone Communicates Few Connect leadership expert and highest paid non celebrity speaker John Maxwell says:

“Methods of communication change, but connection is key. . .”

Leaders have a responsibility to connect the vision with each team member’s personal vision and/or with the client’s vision. This takes effort and time. Hopefully these three tips will help you grow your connecting ability.

Stories

I really enjoy watching movies, especially those based on a true story. When watching movies I get wrapped up in the character’s journey. This experience is like what stories can do when we communicate. As we share our vision with those we lead they need to see themselves in the story.

What is it that draws you into many movies? They are relatable to you. You see something you connect with in the story. Whether pitching to an investor, selling a product or service, or casting your business vision to the team stories connect.

Preparation

I took a speech class in college. After one of the talks I gave the professor complimented my speech and said “if you prepare better you will be even better.” He was right because when I communicate without preparing, I rarely am good the first time. A lot goes into preparation but consider these two questions as cornerstones to guide you in the process:

What do I want them to know?
What do I want them to do?

When we have clarity on the first question, we are able to carefully craft our message so we connect with others. Clarity on the second question enables us to clearly communicate what action we want them to take.

Practice

Great athletes, successful businesspeople, and excellent communicators did not reach their present level overnight. These individuals practice. Malcolm Gladwell suggested that 10,000 hours of deliberate practice enable people to reach that expert status.

You may not be attempting to become a world class communicator, but we are all looking to connect and influence others when speaking. This takes practice. It may be recording a video of what you are going to say to see how you can be more interesting or engaging. Maybe you need an environment you commit to continually working on these stories to sharpen your skills. Just like any professional, consistent excellent practice helps us improve.

Which of these areas do you need to improve in? If you want to learn more tips on communicating effectively e-mail me at randy@wheelercoachingsystems.com. In the meantime, keep preparing and practicing those stories to connect with those you lead. Lead Well.

May

2021

Time to Fire Them?

Not too long ago I was talking with a business leader who had to let some people go. Since I always like to learn from other leaders I asked him what made him take so long before letting these people go. A few thoughts came to mind such as the challenge of change, the uncertainty of the unknown and providing time to grow into a person worth keeping.

This last reason caught my attention. We sat there and discussed the criteria we should consider as leaders to determine whether the individual will grow or if the time to part ways has arrived. Below are four criteria to consider.

Time

In the spring my wife plants a vegetable garden. I would love if the plants popped up the next day, but that is not how it works. They require sunlight, water, and time to grow. As humans we are the same. When we start in a new environment, we need time to understand how to perform certain aspects of the job and navigate organizational culture dynamics. Before seriously considering letting someone go, we must consider if he or she has had adequate time to demonstrate ability to perform the job.

Behavior

We all have bad days and can have a sour attitude from time to time. The question to consider here is whether the behavior we see from the individual is consistent. We have all heard how a bad apple spoils the bunch. If this individual has behavior that negatively impacts the culture and performance of the team we need to have some candid and caring conversations. If the behavior remains, it may be time to make a change.

Performance

This may be the easiest criteria to evaluate because often objective measures exist to assess performance. Is the individual not showing up on time or failing to complete the work given to him or her? Maybe the individual has not been meeting his or her goals consistently and you have had multiple conversations. When performance issues have been clearly addressed and performance has not improved, change is probably the next step.

Expectations

Often when I work one on one with business owners and leaders I find problems arise when their expectations of others are unclear. This is where leaders must look honestly in the mirror to determine if any of the challenges they are facing are because of their lack of clarity.

If leaders want an individual to grow to a certain level they must paint a picture of the future for them. When expectations are clearly defined then both people will know if they are heading in the right direction. If expectations are unclear to the leader, they will be unclear to the led. Clarity here is essential to answer if they go or if they grow. The clearer the expectations the better the result.

Are you facing a difficult employee decision? Take time to look at these four areas and determine what is the best next step for you and for your organization. Lead Well.

May

2021

Always Influencing

Do you remember the movie Monsters, INC? In one scene the main character is checking in for work that day and Roz asks him if he has gotten some of his work done. He talks fast and says he will get it to her and she responds saying:

“I’m watching you, Wazowski. Always watching. Always!”

I was reminded of this quote from an experience I had recently. As a dad I’d rather coach my sons in their sports than watch. In part because I may pay more attention coaching than I would watching. Also, I enjoy the opportunity to positively impact the lives of other youth.

Apparently, I may have move influence than I realize. One young man I am coaching is a great kid, but my strong personality got in the way of being a positive influence. I will explain more in a moment. As I reflected on this experience I realize we continually influence others more than we may realize.

What I Say

My son’s team consists of third and fourth graders. I told them before a game the umpire would call a good strike zone and encouraged them to wait for good pitches. My first batter, who usually hits well took my words literally and barely swung during his first at bat. He took my words to heart and struck out watching.

We may have a formal or informal position of authority over others. Within that role our words are taken seriously therefore we need to choose our words carefully. If the leader of the organization says sales are down this quarter. Those in the organization may get nervous for their jobs even if sales are only down slightly and there is no concern of layoffs. What we say carries weight.

How I Communicate

If you are familiar with the personality behavior profile of DISC, I have a lot of “D” in me. What that means is I can be very direct, impatient, and am comfortable with confrontation. The young man above I mentioned happened to behave in a way that demonstrated poor sportsmanship and I confronted him in the dugout about it. I had my stern father look and voice even though I did not raise my voice.

I came to find out later this crushed him. I do not want any kid to not enjoy the game because of how I coach. After I found this out, I felt horrible. As I reflected on this I realized my insignificant position of little league head coach held weight for this young man. How I communicated could have been done in a tone that did not communicate to him such anger.

As leaders we need to be intentional about how we communicate. We may think we are being calm, but because of our position as a leader or parent those we are confronting may hear a shoe drop when we only think we are dropping a feather. Both our tone and our body language matter especially if we are communicating virtually . . . but that is for another day.

My Response

Coaching kids who do not completely know what they are doing is like training the new employee fresh out of college. We may know a lot and expect them to be where we are right now, but they are not.

A ball was barely hit in front of home with the bases loaded. The pitcher got the ball and overthrew first which leading to three runs scored. I was raising my voice trying to tell them what to do because they had not experienced the situation, so my response mattered.

Our emotions can get strong, as leaders we must be self-aware enough to not react but respond. When we respond we engage the thinking part of our brains and prevent over-reaction which in my experience leads to cleaning up many relational messes.

(In case you are wondering I talked to them in the dugout about being aware of the situations when they are in the field, but I over-reacted a little in the moment.)

People are always watching us. Parents, employees, our children, community members and more. This pressure is enough to make us want to make excuses like Mike in Monsters, INC, hide, or flat out quit. Do not do any of that! Be aware and keep growing your leadership in these areas so you can be more impactful leaders at work and home. If you want to increase your personal self-awareness go here to learn about the Maxwell DISC Personality Indicator I mentioned earlier. Lead Well!