Everything You Can Imagine

What is it about how we see the world? Some see the negatives, live in fear, and move so cautiously they miss any realistic chance of making a difference.

Others move so rapidly that they don't pause for even a moment to consider the impact of their reckless decision-making style.

Still others are so full of confidence that they are sure their approach is the right one. Until it's not.

Finding Balance
As someone who has a...shall we say, healthy ego...finding the sweet spot between confidence and arrogance can be challenging at times. 

Maybe you struggle with that too. Since I've been around the block more times than I care to count, that elusive thing known as experience has suddenly become an ally. 

It guides me...protects me...and spurs me on when I see opportunities that others don't see.

Blind Spots
But where is that balance? How do we find it when we know, whether we would like to admit it or not, that we have blind spots...even with all of our 'experience?'

Having a team that you trust around you makes a big difference. When you trust your team, ideas can be shared, different perspectives can be examined, and the best plan can be executed.

In the absence of that culture, you are destined to fall prey to those blind spots. Right?

How About You
Lead the way and build the culture in your organization that allows for growth, camaraderie and trust. Just imagine what could be possible!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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One of Those

You've met them before. They've been part of your organization. They contributed, were popular with the team, and had a bright future. They were always selected to work on the interesting, or complicated, or breakthrough projects. We relied on them as a sounding board when things seemed to get out of control. We almost took them for granted.

Then they were gone.

What Happened
Losing good people is not uncommon. Sometimes we simply cannot keep up with their rising star status, and an opportunity becomes available at another organization. Although we feel bad that we lost a great employee, we also feel good that our organization produced someone of such high quality that the competition didn't hesitate to grab them.

It still makes us wonder what we could have done differently though, right?

Emperors, Clothes, and Culture
One of the challenges every organization faces is whether or not the path they are on is actually a good one or not. Is the leadership team so caught up in the "latest thinking" and a "new vision" that they have completely lost touch with reality? 

Is there a dominating personality that forces the others to be nothing more than a team of bobble-heads that simple nod in agreement after every meeting, presentation and speech?

If so, what culture do you think is being created? How does that rising star feel about that environment? If you were to guess, would you think that rising star is likely to stay and be a part of that world?

Um, no...they wouldn't.

That "One" is Different
When we force ourselves to step back and critically assess our corporate cultures, we often can identify gaps or blind spots that we naturally miss. The discipline of taking a virtual time-out and seeking the feedback of your network (both internally and externally) can help us stay on track. 

If you are one of those leaders who isn't excited about being a bobble-head, but actually wants to lead in a world class culture, the environment described above can feel unsettling at best, and toxic at worst. Right? 

Where is the constructive conflict? Where is the back and forth conversation that moves the organization to a new level of excellence? Is it all based on a cult of personality?

How About You
Take a few minutes today and step back and think about your culture. Is there an arrogance that has permeated your organization? Is the "us against the world" mentality getting in the way of seeing the reality of your situation? Maybe being one of those leaders isn't so bad after all. Just think about all the opportunities out there waiting for you if you decide to leave.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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There's A Storm A Comin'

Change happens all the time. In fact, I'm pretty tired of using the term change because it is either perceived as a threat, or is completely missed by those who are simply unable to let go of their prehistoric, I mean traditional leadership styles.

But change is a comin' my friends.

Mind Over Matter
Instead of rambling on about change theory and the leadership development programming that supports it; I'd like to explore what we as leaders, particularly in HR think about during periods of change.

How do you prepare? Do you consult with anyone prior to things starting to churn? Are the political realities all accounted for in your mind as your organization barrels ahead? Do you even know the "real" dynamics involved?

These questions are important to consider, perhaps even make some notes privately to get things organized in your mind. Change is very often good...until those impacted feel threatened. Then change isn't so much fun for them...or those around them.

Pitfalls and Post Mortems

Answering the questions above help us (read here --> me) avoid the numerous pitfalls that will present themselves during any change process of a reasonable magnitude. Yet somehow despite my well-intended planning I repeatedly find myself doing the proverbial post-mortem on the unanticipated issues that blew up during the course of the change.

Why does that happen? Am I simply not good enough to map out every conceivable option that might come up? Do I have a blind spot that precludes me from managing every aspect of every change with every person involved? 

Oh, wait. There's people involved in every change process. Now I get it...turns out human behavior is nearly impossible to game plan.

How About You
I'm not willing to default the change challenge to human nature and be done with it. Somehow there has to be a way to think through and do a better job planning for, and reacting to the behavior of others during times of change. What do you do?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.




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