Gratitude and Limits

There was a time when I was an up and comer. I was on the career fast track, and I knew it. I didn't take it for granted; in fact, quite the opposite was true. At times I couldn't believe my good fortune and was grateful for every moment. I tried to soak up every experience like a sponge...constantly learning was essential.

Fast forward to middle-aged me.

New Again

I'm now two months into a whole new phase of my career journey. A new role, with a fabulous company that I've been connected to for almost twenty years. I'm leveraging every part of my previous thirty years of experience and pouring it into my new world.

It's intense, and thrilling, and scary, and incredibly exciting.

Building new things isn't for everyone. For me, building new things from the foundations of greatness is just about the best job in the world. 

Trusting the Vision

The path isn't exactly clear. 

There isn't a published roadmap in place yet. 

There isn't even an "end of the story" written in advance (because we now see that we have no limits.)

But we're taking something really good, and we're turning it into something incredible. How many of us have that opportunity? 

I don't take my new life for granted either; and still can't believe that good fortune has continued to follow me.

How About You
What path are you on? Are you fired up each day, whether or not the day is mapped out perfectly? Or, are you more comfortable playing it safe. Safe is okay.

If you're into just being...okay.

I think you should get fired up instead.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Change Management: The Story Matters Most

Here's a shocking revelation for you...changing how we behave in the workplace is hard. 

Really, really hard. 

Yet as leaders we throw the phrase culture change around like we are passing out candy on Halloween.

The Long Haul Vision
Wanting to change your organization's culture, whether it's to pull out of an employee morale ditch; to address major changes underway; or to build the energy for an exciting new period of growth, requires a vision that is sustainable over a period of years.

Culture change does not happen quickly. Ever. At least in a positive direction.

So, who is responsible for this vision of the future? That's not as easy an answer as one might think. Of course the senior leadership team must articulate a global vision for the future. However, neglecting the input from the team is a treacherous path that should be avoided.

The combination of strategic vision and employee buy-in is powerful. 

Really, really powerful.

The Compelling Story
The hardest part is actually not the visioning process, or collecting input from the team. The hardest part is always execution. Sustaining the message over time, particularly when the inevitable challenges arise are exactly when the true skills of the leadership team become apparent.

How many of us have seen grand roll outs of "new and life-changing programs" at our organizations over the years, only to see them drift and die?

You've put in the time to build your vision.
You've put together a compelling story that touches each employee.
Stay the course. You've earned this opportunity to truly change your organization!

How About You
Are you considering real change in your company? If so, invest the time and resources to build your vision, create your story, and stay focused through the highs and lows. It will be worth it!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Visions In My Head

We all see the world in one way...our way. We convince ourselves we're seeing it the right way too.

Oh sure, we also claim to be open-minded, and willing to walk in other people's shoes too. Hahahaha...sure we do.

Lens? What Lens?
Here's my dilemma...despite my powerful self-talk machine that "tells me" I'm open-minded, I find myself wondering if that is actually true. 

Or, at least, true enough.

Think about that for a second. You've spent your entire career in HR proclaiming to be open-minded, and as it turns out you're just like everyone else. 

Your lens is firmly strapped on, and that is the way you see the world.

Time for the Humble Pie Buffet
How exactly does one figure out if their world view is much more limited than they previously believed? How much courage does it take to ask and find out?

Whoa! Not sure I'm ready for that.

But if I'm going to be effective, I need to be a lot more open to feedback from those that I trust. (see this post about your Personal Board of Directors to learn more.) 

What might we learn if we ask those closest to us for their honest take on who we are? Are we ready for that feedback? More importantly, are we prepared to make the changes necessary to align our talk and our actions?

Heavy stuff.

How About You
When was the last time you took a step back and critically evaluated your 'open mind?' 

Is that too scary; or, could it be a moment that leads you to new ways of thinking, working, and leading?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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My Eyes Have Seen You

"It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though the limits of our abilities do not exist."
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Political Vision
Have you noticed the term "vision" gets thrown around a lot in corporate life? Personally, I love it. It can rally teams of people together; clarify where an organizaiton aspires to be; and differentiate a company from the competition in a big way.

As long as others do not attempt to sabotage your efforts...

...and that is where "vision" usually runs into trouble.

We are actually made to believe we have limits. Who made that decision? Was it someone threatened by our energy, risk taking, and success? Someone who clings to power by manipulating others to "know their place" and to understand "how things are done around here?"

I'm calling BS on that.

Wish List Vision
Instead of talking about the vision you have for yourself, your team, and your organization, do this instead:
- write everything down
- pull your Personal Board of Directors together and talk with them
- put your thoughts, ideas, and plans into action

Your vision does not have to be a fleeting wish list of a life you long for, but have accepted will never become a reality before you even put forth any effort. It can happen in your professional life, and your personal life too.

See your future. Make it happen. Today.

How About You
Keep your eyes focused on your vision of what you can become. Do not allow the risk-averse cowards in your organization to bully you into staying as lame as they are...you are so much more.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Your "Vision" Is Blinding You

One of the leadership traits I find most impressive is the ability to adapt and change. In politics you are vilified if you ever change your mind. It’s as if you’ve committed blasphemy!

In the real world however, a leader’s ability to see beyond the blinders of their passion, plans, and vision to see what they didn’t see previously is something special...

…and rare.

Keep Pushing

A quick example to illustrate my point. I’ve worked with many talented leaders over the years, and one of the most difficult barriers they’ve had to face is their own beliefs. One executive in particular was a huge boost of energy to the Nursing team. Her energy, commitment, and drive were exactly what the hospital needed.

Unfortunately, when it was time for her to adjust her approach based on a variety of political pressures (not the bad kind) she was unable to change. Her “vision” for what should be done blocked her ability to see what “needed” to be done.

Push and Pivot

The opposite, of course, is when humility, self-awareness, and classic big-picture thinking manifest themselves in real time. Another example...one of my original HR mentors, who was my boss at the time, was involved in a rollout of a new organizational policy.

The first round of meetings did not go well; but instead of shaking his head and lamenting that “employees just don’t understand that hard decisions have to be made” - he immediately called his team into his office to discuss the unintended (and missed) consequences of the policy.

We changed it.

On the spot.

How About You

Do you talk about your vision for your team, department, or organization? If so, that is fabulous, so many leaders can’t even articulate one! Just make sure that your strength does not become your weakness too.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 

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Messenger of God

"People exercise an unconscious selection in being influenced." 
- T. S. Eliot

Position and Power
I have been fortunate to serve in leadership roles for more than twenty years. It's hard to believe so much time has passed. One issue that continues to be ever present regardless of where I've worked or my position is the influence leaders have...but don't realize the real impact of that influence.

On one level, leaders bask in the new found glory of their position. Right? They have authority to make purchases, hire team members, and impact how the culture will be experienced by the employees.

That my friends is a lot of power. Remember, employees do not set the culture without leaders having a culture tolerance. Sadly, most organizations still have a low culture tolerance and thus those leaders power becomes a burden.

Influence
On a very different level, effective leaders understand the profound responsibility they have at all times. They understand that how they conduct themselves, even in more private settings, reflects directly on their credibility and the culture tolerance they will allow.

The best of the best embrace this responsibility and leverage it in a thoughtful and intentional way. They make calculated decisions all day long, not to manipulate, but rather to build their organizations in a spectacular way.

Yes, spectacular. If you're not up for making your organization spectacular why do you accept a leader's pay check?

How About You
What messages are you sending each day, and do you appreciate the breadth of your influence? Does the team look to you for support, vision, and leadership? Or, are you so above the masses that you don't have time to deal with simple things like culture, people...and success.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Stop Being Realistic

"One of the saddest lines in the world is, 'Oh come now - be realistic.' The best parts of this world were not fashioned by those who were realistic. They were fashioned by those who dared to look hard at their wishes and gave them horses to ride."

- Richard Nelson Bolles 

As you think about the work you need to accomplish today...this week...this year...spend some time distancing yourself from what is realistic. There is a phrase in sports that "safe is death" which means that simply doing what is expected and avoiding risk will guarantee defeat. The same principle applies to your legacy as a leader.
 
How About You
What about your legacy? Will it be one of transactional work that "kept the lights on?" Or, will you leave a different impression on your team, your organization, and your profession?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 


 
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Hey Leader...Grab A Towel!

I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking, speaking, and writing about effective leadership. It's been such a big part of my professional and personal life for so long that I don't really know anything else. Sometimes I'm convinced I've figured out the key pieces of being a leader...and at other times I feel like I'm just getting started.

...and that's where the trouble begins...

Title and Being Right
For many leaders having a fancy job title equates with their opinion always being the correct one. This is a colossal failure, and sadly happens regularly to those who find themselves with new authority or power.

Let's pause for a moment to remember what leaders are supposed to do. Our task is to guide, inspire, support and harness the power of the bright people around us. Our job is not to be an idea factory that squashes the creative genius of our teams.

Are you with me? It's not about us...it's about us leading our colleagues!

Title and Vision
Here's where thing get a little tricky. Leaders need to have a vision of how the team, department, organization or industry can be in the future. Their needs to be an inner drive to move toward that vision that gets the people around you fired up. 

However, the path to achieving that vision needs to be a shared process. When leaders who are unaccustomed to new found power, combine their enthusiasm with "their vision" we quickly find ourselves with a disengaged team and embarrassing credibility issues for the leader.

Remember the Emperor with no clothes? Well...you get my point.

How About You
Think about the leaders you work with...and think about your own leadership style. Is the combination of power and vision compromising your ability to inspire, support and leverage the team's creativity? 

If so, it might be time to reach for a towel and cover up.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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The Far Without The Near

I consider myself to be driven when it comes to my career. Okay, really driven. I like trying new things and taking risks that most of my #HealthcareHR colleagues just aren't comfortable doing...yet. We all move forward at our own pace, right? (Remember when LinkedIn was new and no one dared try it?)
 
Racing Ahead
One of the pitfalls I've discovered in my enthusiasm to push myself to get that next great job or test new strategies that truly are risky, is that I can sometimes miss what's happening in the world around me.

Looking ahead to what is in the distance...the vision I see of how things could be...can get in the way of how incredible things are now. As much as I love the phrase "I have a need for speed" sometimes racing too far ahead doesn't make sense. Particularly if that is the only thing I'm doing. 

Stop, Look and Listen
I'm now learning to find balance between my passion for pushing ahead as fast as possible and immersing myself in the endless possibilities around me. I'll be honest with you, it's not easy. 

I have found myself using the phrase "go go go" lately to describe my enthusiasm for making progress on all fronts. It's part of who I am. 

How About You
The more I think about this concept of balance in my career, I realize that the only way I know how to operate is to do both...at full speed! Don't judge. I am going to move forward in a full sprint. I have a need for speed...I'm just going to make sure I apply it to the far and the near.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Drawbridge Leadership

"We thought, because we had power, we had wisdom."
- Stephen Vincent Benet

Power

There is a certain energy that should come from serving in a leadership role. For leaders who have broken through to a high level for the first time it can be downright exhilarating. The organization trusts you to make major decisions that will affect anywhere from a handful to potentially thousands of employees.

With that role comes an unbelievable amount of automatic trust, pressure, and responsibility to do the right thing.

Clouded Vision

What happens when that new leader suddenly realizes that he or she may not necessarily appreciate some of the points of view on their leadership team? What if the inner circle isn't filled with a team of agreeable bobble heads that hang on every idea and phrase as if they were the most insightful thoughts ever uttered?

Change happens, that's what.

Consequences

To be fair, I am a big fan of change. I've had to reinvent my own style of leading and getting work done over the last four years because the world around me changed. It was my responsibility to reinvent myself in order to remain current. 

However, there is danger when we raise the drawbridge and surround ourselves with a smaller and smaller team that is saddled with the responsibility of executing our grand ideas. Is it realistic for a team of less than four or five to manage thousands, or even tens of thousands of employees? 

You know the answer. Yet time and again it seems a small group of leaders (who are incredibly isolated from the front line) convince themselves they know what is best for the whole company.

There is danger in arrogance...and an ever smaller inner circle could be considered the epitome of leadership arrogance.

How About You

Where is your leadership visibility? How accessible is the leadership team...really...when so much time is spent behind a mahogany door deciding "what's best" for the institution? Where is the action that backs up speeches that espouse transparency? It's time to lower the drawbridge and lead among our teams, not over them from the balcony.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Alignment Guarantees A Win

The world seems to be moving faster than ever. Changing environments continue to put enormous pressure on us to perform as both individuals and organizations. Sustaining high quality performance is not a given however simply because we have recruited a team of all-stars. In fact, a team of all-stars is only part of the story. 

In today's world of work, we need alignment if we are truly going to succeed.

Individual Leaders First
Consider what is expected of you in 2014. Is there an expectation that you as a member of the leadership team will be able to effectively manage the following issues:
-strategic plan implementation
-effective communication
-conflict (with peers and other team members)
-budgets
-professional goals
-serve as a brand ambassador
-and the list goes on...

How exactly are you going to effectively work through these challenges, sometimes all of them hitting on the same day?

Communication Drives Alignment
Saying that alignment is important and achieving alignment are two very different things. From my perspective the essential piece that often eludes even the most effective organizations is communication. I'm not talking about a "campaign" or a "series of messages that are on point." No, I'm talking about leadership being together, talking, challenging each other, respecting each person's point of view, and then finding consensus on what alignment really means.

Without the meaningful investment of time to really work together as a team, true alignment will never be realized. The leader who can bring the team together, allow for productive conflict, and still coalesce that energy into alignment is a rare find in today's world.

How About You
Do you contribute to the leadership culture in your organization to ensure alignment is a top priority? Or, is your silo so full of your "stuff" that you're hoping the others let you stay in your busy, albeit unfocused, world?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Who's On First?

Strategic plans...new ideas...reimbursement changes...regulatory interference...technology breakthroughs...excitement and enthusiasm to keep moving forward. These issues impact us each day in our work lives. We get fired up, or we should, and charge off down the trail ready to change the world.

But sometimes as we're racing along with the wind in our hair, we look around and see that we're the only one who has gone along for the ride. Why does that happen? Don't the people around us realize what a great opportunity there is if they just follow our lead?

C'mon people!

Communication Is Not Overrated

Keeping our team members informed of our vision is important during normal times. When we move into a period of rapid change it is absolutely essential that we explain exactly where we're headed on an ongoing basis. Feeling left out at work can be annoying, but worse than that is feeling like you don't understand what is expected of you.

Most of our employees come to work each day trying to make a positive impact. Without the proper guidance and direction from leadership, it is impossible to achieve that daily goal.

How About You

Do you meet with your team members regularly and share your vision? Do you include them in decision-making whenever possible so you have the buy-in necessary to execute on your plans? Don't make your guidance so difficult to understand that your team is left frustrated and saying who, what, and I don't know!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Abbott and Costello...gotta love it.

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