Leadership

Sep

2022

Non-Profit and Marketplace Leadership: A Comparison

I was talking with a leader who has led both in the for profit and non-profit sectors. He spent around fifteen years in the non-profit sector leading people and then transitioned to the marketplace. During our conversation we discussed three areas to compare leadership in these two arenas.

General Leadership Approach

In the non-profit sector leaders are surrounded by individuals who work because of buy-in to a shared vision. This leader does not get to exert the executive leadership that occurs in the for-profit sector. In the marketplace a leader unfortunately can use power and fear to move people. In the non-profit sector the leader must influence because they have little to no power.

This leader suggested a few ways we can effectively influence others:

Create buy-in through sharing the vision – as John Maxwell states in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – “people buy-in to the leader before they buy in to the vision”
Build Trust – because of the principle above a leader in the non-profit sector must build trust to get people to buy into the vision
Understand your people – to influence people, we need to understand what motivates them and align the vision with their personal vision

The difference between the two: influence vs. power. Leading from relationship or from position. Regardless of the sector, influence will be more successful in the long run.

Management

Before going further allow me to differentiate between a manager and a leader. A managers mindset is to focus on people accomplishing the work correctly. Leaders provide vision and inspiration. A manager can and should function as a leader, but if they are in the middle it may limit how much vision they can provide.

What is the difference in non-profit vs. the marketplace? Many times in non-profit work the managers are leading volunteers so they are limited in the amount of production they get out of their people. In the marketplace often managers are leading paid staff therefore they can more easily hold them accountable. The primary difference is the amount of leverage a for profit manager has to get results. Fear of punishment from a leader in the long run will not lead to a healthy environment.

Employees

The difference between the employees in these two sectors returns to number three above. The factor that motivates employees. Daniel Pink in his book Drive suggests money is only a motivator up to a point where people feel adequately compensated for the work they perform. The difference this leader found between non-profit and for-profit employees was money tends to be the primary driver in for-profit. Most likely this is because of the emphasis on money as a primary metric for success.

On the other hand, in the non-profit sector employees are wired for the vision of the organization. They are passionate about the cause. As long as they are adequately compensated they want to see the vision fulfilled more than anything else. This reality is why leaders need to keep the vision in front of their employees. A bigger vision than money will translate into a healthier culture in any type of organization.

There are three areas where these sectors differ. If we apply some of the principles of leadership from the non-profit sector, leaders will develop healthier cultures in their organizations. Which of these three areas do you need to develop within your organization or team? Need help thinking into it? Contact me for a powerful thinking partner call. Lead Well.

Sep

2022

Leading Through the Stages

I recently read The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership by Tim Elmore. He discussed Ichak Adizes stages of an organization’s life cycle.¹ This language is beneficial for leaders to evaluate where their organization presently stands. Below are a few of the stages with some modifications on terms and an idea of how to lead in each stage.

Birth

This stage is also known as the startup stage. In this stage leaders fight to get their idea off the ground. They daily hustle to prove the concept, themselves, or make enough sales to get positive cash flow. This is an exciting and exhausting stage.

As a leader the most difficulty person to lead especially in this stage is yourself. Create habits that will help you win the mindset battles. Develop habits that force you to engage in business growth activities daily. Discipline yourself to avoid chasing new ideas until the time is right. Finally, have people in your inner circle who encourage you to persist when you want to quit.

Growth

Often, I work with leaders in growing teams and small business leaders who are experiencing growth. During this stage the organization is moving fast and there is a temptation to capitalize on every opportunity. This also is an exciting stage, but if you are not careful you may fall which I will discuss in a moment.

At this stage leaders need to get clarity of vision. Take time to slow down to clarify what the organization or team is about. This clarity prevents chasing good opportunities that do not align with your purpose. At this stage it may seem counterintuitive to create time to think into this because you are so busy. Slowing down to clarify your vision will help you to grow more intentionally.

Adolescence

At this point your organization is established. You have clarity around what your organization’s purpose is. Cash flow is solid and as the founder you feel pretty good about it, but a little overwhelmed because you know deep down you are doing too much.

As the leader you need to let go and empower. Take time to evaluate what is the best use of your time for the organization and then train and equip others to lead the other areas. Just like adolescence this stage can be awkward as the founder since you are letting go of what you have done for years.

The task may be done differently than you would do it but accomplish the same result. Take a deep breath, let go, and be there to assist as needed. The reality is someone else can and probably will take care of that responsibility better than you and catapult the organization to greater results.

A Caution on Success

Jim Collins wrote an excellent book How the Mighty Fall which describes what he found causes great organizations to fall. I do not have time to go into the details here, but one I will highlight is the undiscipline pursuit of more. Success is exciting, but also elusive. If we are not careful, we just pursue the next adventure for the thrill or the financial rewards.

As a leader maintain clarity of vision in your pursuit of more growth. Collins suggests the best leaders see the need to surround themselves with a great leadership team. This team keeps the organization focused on the core values to guide their pursuit of more. More is good when it aligns with your purpose and passion, but more for the sake of more can lead to a fall.

Which stage are you in. Need help thinking into strategies on how to grow through the stage you are in toward the next stage? Contact me for a powerful coaching session at no cost to you or a strategic planning session with your team. In the meantime, lead well.

https://site.adizes.com/lifecycle/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2018/01/11/business-life-cycle-spectrum-where-are-you/?sh=7f0b80c1ef5e
Collins, Jim. How the Mighty Fall. Harper Collins: New York.

Aug

2022

Fear in Leadership: Which Approach?

I was standing at my desk one morning typing away and then suddenly from the ceiling dropped a spider right in front of my nose!

Needless to say I jumped back a few feet and may have even made some noise because it startled me. Fear is an interesting thing. We all face it. As leaders we take risks and try to implement change. With this fear can creep in. How do you handle it?

Today I’m not going to give you a few principles but instead two perspectives on how we can approach fear.

False Evidence Appearing Real

Confession: I can’t really swim. You won’t find me in water where my feet can’t touch the ground. I did enough in college to pass my swim test, but water and I do not really get along. Why?

Really simple. Even though I know that I will float I tense up and don’t relax. In my head I think I

will drown if my feet can’t touch the ground. I allow myself to buy into the false evidence that I won’t float and think it is real.

As a leader you have a vision for where you want the organization or team to go. Maybe all you are focused on is the “evidence” of why this cannot happen. Maybe you are pioneering something new and all you see is the obstacles. Maybe a past fear is in your mind and you are focused on that evidence.

It has been said that what we focus on expands. If we focus on the false evidence and reasons why it won’t work when there is evidence how it can work, we will be paralyzed in fear. Whatever the vision is, choose to focus on the possibilities while still being aware of the obstacles. Move forward and identify what is true.

Forget Everything and Run

The first option is a way to move forward amidst fear. This second perspective unfortunately too often many of us take because it is easy. We respond like I did when the spider dropped in front of me. We run.

I remember when the shutdown of 2020 occurred and I was concerned about how I was going to provide for my family. How was I going to keep the business going? I started down the path of running from the fear by exploring other options and giving up on the business. Fortunately, that other option did not become a reality.

I was tempted to forget that things have always worked out in the past as I consistently did what I needed to do. Fear was causing me to be tempted to give up on the vision and run.

As a leader are you tempted to forget what got you to the place you are right now? Leadership is an uphill climb, and we will be tempted to quit. Remember what got you to the place you are. Focus on solutions. Surround yourself with people who will help you think how to move forward and call you out when you are trying to run. Gather a team that will climb the hill with you instead of running at the first sign of trouble.

Fear is part of risk taking and stepping out in courage. That is what leaders do. Instead of choosing either of these options, choose to keep taking the next step courageously moving forward amidst fear. Acknowledge the fear, but don’t allow it to drive you to run or get paralyzed.

Getting stuck in your fear? Contact me for a powerful coaching session to help you think into your leadership and break through your barriers. Lead Well.

Aug

2022

The Four D’s of Empowering

“Empowerment comes from teaching others things they can do to become less dependent on you.”

Ken Blanchard

I was facilitating The Maxwell Leadership Game with a group of leaders in an organization. During the training we entered a discussion about how overwhelmed they felt. At one point I asked them how many of them could train somebody else on their team to do some of their work.

Most every hand went up. Next, I explored if they were doing it. Soon they started explaining reasons they couldn’t or haven’t done it.

Empowerment is a great idea, but we may not always truly be empowering someone. Below are four approaches to empowering we may use with our teams. Two of them do more to disempower than empower others.

Dump

I once worked alongside a team and the leader would tell his team a task to do and then leave. Since I was not directly reporting to this leader, I would learn their frustrations. They would be confused because they did not know what success looked like for this task.

As a leader if you dump on your team chances are they feel they can never meet your expectations. Dumpers drop the task with no expectation clarification and then return frustrated because the team didn’t do it the right way. But they did not know what the “right way” was.

Dominate

With this type of empowerment we may think we are helping, but unintentionally we frustrate our team. When we take the posture of dominate, we provide the “what” and ALL of how we want something done. Another word for it . . . micromanagement.

As leaders if we tell our team what we want done and then swing to the opposite extreme of dumping by giving every single step then we disempower our team. We may think we are helping them, but the unintended consequence is the team either feels we do not trust them or controlled. Also, we are failing to equip them to do the job without us and possibly learn better ways to complete the job.

Direct

With this approach we are stepping closer toward matching the definition from Blanchard above. This is an improvement from dominate. Maybe this is a new task for someone. They may need more details on what to do or not do.

As the leader give them broad steps they could take, but not all the details. This gives them the tools they need, but they have the freedom to come to you with questions while figuring it out on their own. This stage will involve balancing asking lots of questions to help them think into how to complete the task with telling them some steps they may not know.

Delegate

Allow me to describe this at the 10-80-10 principle I have learned from others. Imagine you are building a playground for children under the age of eight. You will install a fence to protect the kids, but the playground could look very different depending on resources, creativity, and more. This is what this principle looks like.

You know what you want. Paint a clear picture at the beginning of the outcome you are looking for and key boundaries the team cannot cross. Let them go to do the work, this is the 80. Be available if they need you for questions. Near the end connect to see ways you could uplevel what they have created or help them complete it.

When we walk the tension of providing support with allowing room to grow, we create an empowering environment. It takes time and energy to do this, but this is how we develop leaders and not just order takers. Need help thinking into how you can better empower your team? Contact me for a powerful coaching session at no cost to you. Lead Well.

Jul

2022

Six Leadership Tensions

I was reading a recent issue of Harvard Business Review. In an article about reinventing your leadership team the author describes “six paradoxical expectations of leaders.”¹

A conversation recently with a friend describes this tension well. He told me that a early in his career a colleague told him “you see in black and white. . . you must allow room for the gray.” That is what effective leaders do. They see a tension between extremes in much of their leadership and determine how to walk in that tension.

I would suggest these are only a few of the tensions that exist, but here is what the research from a 2021 survey of 515 businesspeople found.

Strategic Executor

Leaders see more before others. They can see the path that needs to be taken, or at least the next step. That is only one half of the equation. An effective leader not only develops the strategy and vision, but also knows how to implement the vision to make it reality. The tension to balance: strategy and execution.

Technology with Humanity

It seems like each day a new technology arrives. As leaders we can get caught in “shiny object syndrome” chasing the newest technology to get our team results. Technology is helpful and can improve our efficiency and output, but without humans technology has limitations. As we look at technological improvements I suggest we ask: how will this help our people/clients and their results? If the technology does not help people then we may want to reconsider it’s implementation.

Politician with Integrity

I’ve been a part of a couple larger organizations. Regardless of the purpose of the organization: profit, non-profit, volunteer, etc. there are people. Where people exist there are political dynamics. I don’t like it, but we must admit this as a reality. Honestly, I’d rather stay out of the politics of any organization, but as a leader this comes with the role.

Effective leaders know how to navigate these relationships in a way to get results while holding to their values. Not only does balancing this tension help leaders get results, but it also increases their leadership credibility. Doing the right thing no matter what always ends up with a positive long-term return.

Confident Humility

The article uses the term “humble hero” to describe the tension between confidence and humility. In his book Good to Great author Jim Collins found this trait to be a key to performing at the highest level as a leader. He describes them as “level 5 leaders.” His research found these leaders have a balance of intense drive and humility. Being willing to push forward amidst fear and admit your part in failure will be a tool in balancing this tension.

Broad and Narrow

The research describes this as a “globally minded localist.” As leaders in our present world we have to think globally. We are one social media post away from sharing about what we lead with the globe. Global may or may not be where our business will best serve the world. As leaders we must stay in tune with both the local and global needs for what we provide and determine where we can achieve the best results.

Traditioned Innovator

We would not be where we are today without those before us. I could not be typing on this computer if Edison never invented the light bulb which led to many other technological advances. As leaders we lean toward change and innovation. The tension is respecting the past and how it helped you arrive where you are while continuing to look ahead to the possibilities for the future. Balance the tension of learning from past success while looking forward to new opportunities.

There are six tensions. How are you doing in each of these areas? How do you need to grow in your leadership in any of these areas? Need help thinking into strategies for becoming more effective as a leader? Contact me to set up a powerful thinking partner experience at no cost to you. Lead Well!

https://hbr.org/2022/01/reinventing-your-leadership-team retrieved May 25,2022

Jul

2022

Leadership Lessons from Nelson Mandela

Recently I rewatched the movie Invictus. For those who are not familiar with this movie. It is a movie about how Nelson Mandela used Rugby to unify a fragile South Africa right after he was elected president.

Tensions were still high because of the pain of apartheid and the anger at the people who had oppressed much of the nation. Mandela was not immune to this anger as he had been imprisoned for over 30 years before his release and election to office. As I watched this movie, I saw a few leadership lessons for us.

Everyone matters

As with any leader, Mandela had fans and he had haters. He did not live in fear though. He would intentionally walk slowly through the crowds to greet people, compliment people, and personally shake their hands. As a person who was imprisoned by the apartheid government, he could have refused to connect with anyone sympathetic to this philosophy. He didn’t. He intentionally reached out and connected with them.

As leaders we are busy, but people need to know we care about them. How do we do that? Take time to connect. Learn about the people we lead beyond their job responsibilities. Not just as a task to do, but because we care. Why did people follow Mandela? In part because they knew he cared.

Standing Alone

Colored people, as they were called in the movie, did not care for the national rugby team because it reminded them of the apartheid oppression. Because of this after a poor season they were ready to change the name. Mandela disagreed with this idea firmly even though members of his leadership team thought he should not get involved, he did.

Mandela saw more before the people and could see how this would further divide the already fragile nation. He explained why it was important to keep the name and by a small margin the people voted to keep the name. He stood alone for what he knew was right even amidst extreme political risk.

Sometimes as leaders we must have the courage to stand alone for what we know is right. Not because it is our idea, but because what we stand for is in the best interest of the greater vision.

A Grander Vision

As I mentioned, Mandela had many reasons to be angry and bitter. He instead chose a path of forgiveness. Instead of seeking revenge with his power he held a vision of unification. He saw in rugby, a sport his people did not understand, a chance to bring the nation together in unity. He knew the path to unification was not creating division and vengeance, but forgiveness and a common bond to rally around.

Sometimes we need to use different approaches to rally our team to a common vision. The vision may be a common goal, but is there something you can create that will unify everyone? That method of unifying may not be what you expect. It may be supporting a cause outside your organization or some other approach.

Which of these areas do you need to develop as a leader? Need help thinking into your leadership or getting your people to think bigger? Contact me to discover ways I may be able to help you or your team. Lead well.