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Archive for May, 2010

Quotable Quotes: Arrogance

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

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Last week’s Quotes were on egotism and I termed it the co-joined twin of arrogance. In other words, egotism is yin to arrogance’s yang.

Arrogance will eventually crash and burn as many corporate chieftains have proven, especially over the last decade.

Not surprising when you consider the words of Samuel Butler, “The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride and arrogance.”

And they certainly prove the Arabian proverb, “Arrogance diminishes wisdom”

Many of the most arrogant believe the popular unwisdom, “It’s only arrogance if you’re wrong.”

Proving David Hume’s sage words, “When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mistaken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities.”

And Sydney J. Harris offers an additional view, “Nobody can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own.”

But it is Jorge Luis Borges who puts his finger on the true problem, “…the image of the Lord had been replaced by a mirror.”

It would be nice to believe that all those mirrors on Wall Street were smashed in the financial quake, but that is merely wishful thinking.

Flickr photo credit to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/essygie/3898825852/

Expand Your Mind: Women’s Dubious Progress

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

expand-your-mindThree steps forward and five backward, that’s a description of the progress women have made over the last 40 years. I was reminded of this by several articles over the last couple of months, but it was really driven home by, of all companies, mighty, “do no evil” Google.

Let’s start with a history lesson. Back in the 1970s when women first asserted themselves they were accused of being aggressive or even a bitch. In spite of making up 50% of the workforce nothing much has changed.

As one woman put it, “Even in this day and age, a guy barks out an order and he is treated like someone who is in charge and a leader. But when a woman communicates in the exact same way, she’s immediately labeled assertive, dominating, aggressive and overbearing.”

Many people think that technology companies are different, more accepting of women and that that is especially true of startups, but it isn’t—and when it comes to raising money you would think that it’s 1960.

Women own 40 percent of the private businesses in the United States, according to the Center for Women’s Business Research. But they create only 8 percent of the venture-backed tech start-ups, according to Astia, a nonprofit group that advises female entrepreneurs.

But when Candace Fleming was raising money for Crimson Hexagon, a start-up company she co-founded in 2007,… a potential backer invited her for a weekend yachting excursion by showing her a picture of himself on the boat — without clothes. When a third financier discovered that her husband was also a biking enthusiast, she says, he spent more time asking if riding affected her husband’s reproductive capabilities than he did focusing on her business plan.

The problem is global according to the 2010 Corporate Gender Gap Report co-authored by INSEAD and the World Economic Forum.

Female employees tend to be concentrated in entry or middle level positions… A major exception to this trend is Norway, where the percentage of women among boards of directors is above 40 percent for the majority of respondents. This is due to a government regulation that mandates a minimum of 40 percent of each gender on the boards of public companies…The average for women holding the CEO-level position was a little less than 5 % among the 600 companies surveyed. Finland (13%), Norway (12%), Turkey (12%), Italy (11%) and Brazil (11%) have the highest percentage of women CEOs in this sample.

None of this surprises me—it’s more or less business as usual.

But Google’s recent action really floored me. Google, the company that left China because of forced censorship, is censoring ads for cougar dating sites.

Google has recently deemed those dating sites “nonfamily safe,” and therefore its ads for such sites containing the word “cougar” will not be allowed on so-called content pages.

However, they see nothing wrong with sites that hookup young women with sugar daddies.

Google continues to allow similar advertising for the many sites that match older men and younger women, like DateAMillionaire.com, which assures its clients they can meet “sugar babies.”

I’m disappointed, are you?

Flickr photo credit to: pedroCarvalho on flickr

Thoughts on “Ego Out”

Friday, May 21st, 2010

A comment on Ego-merge by Peter Gluck asked for my thoughts on “ego out.” (Peter is a charming fan who says he translats many of my posts into Romanian for his newsletter Info Kappa. How’s that for a great ego trip?)

mirror_mirror_on_the_wallI googled “ego out” to be sure I understood the conversation and here is my two cents—which has absolutely no basis other than my own thoughts on the subject.

First, let’s differentiate between ego and self-esteem.

  • Ego believes that it knows best and ignores any evidence to the contrary, let alone other people’s ideas/thoughts/beliefs.
  • Self-esteem is the belief that one has value and can add value to one’s world. (Note: This kind of self-esteem has nothing to do with the kind promoted in the entitled mentality so prevalent today.)

Self-esteem is good and should be cultivated and nurtured.

Ego, as it lives inside your head, isn’t intrinsically bad, but its application to the rest of the world is bad.

So people say, ‘eliminate ego from the conversation’.

Nice thought, but it falls in the same realm as eliminating junk food and mandating daily exercise to control obesity. As any fool can tell you that just ain’t gonna happen.

What can be done? Let’s look at it a bit differently by equating

  • ego to subjectivity; and
  • ego-out to objectivity.

The first thing that happens with the word change is it eliminates the threat of being egoless—a concept most people cannot/won’t embrace.

Next, change focus and spend energy bulking up and strengthen objectivity.

Third, increase awareness, so that you are conscious of which view you are applying to [whatever]. That heightened awareness will help you keep your subjective/ego view inside your head where it belongs or to plainly state that your words/actions are subjective, not definitive or “right.”

In many cases you want to present your subjective view and in all cases you can have both. For example, Whistler’s Mother is considered brilliant by every yardstick and objectively I can appreciate that, but I have no subjective liking for it.

This blog is another good example. The ideas as well as the commentary on other people’s thoughts, articles, etc. are purely subjective, based on my MAP, i.e., my ego.

I have spent decades developing my objectivity and awareness in knowing which is which, so I have reason to believe it works.

I’ve also found that the stronger my objectivity gets the more it tempers my subjectivity.

And sometimes, I find that ego/subjectivity really adds to the conversation, as long as all parties listen objectively.

Sxc.hu photo credit to: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/582071

Leadership’s Future: Innovation or Wordsmithing?

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Last week I wrote about HBS’ effort to legitimize leadership as a multi-faceted function worthy of scholarly pursuit as opposed to anecdotal advice.

thought-leaderBack in 1994 Joel Kurtzmen coined the term “thought leader” and defined it as follows,

“Thought leader is a buzzword or article of jargon used to describe a futurist or person who is recognized among their peers and mentors for innovative ideas and demonstrates the confidence to promote or share those ideas as actionable distilled insights (thinklets).”

Back then it may have had meaning, but 16 years later its frequent use in conjunction with the leadership flavor-of-the-month has reduced it almost to meaninglessness.

“Innovative ideas” doesn’t mean restating old stuff in new ways or recycling ideas the way the fashion industry recycles styles.

More importantly, truly innovative thinking is not tied or constrained by ideologies or past actions.

A great number of leadership fundamentals were first stated 2500 years ago in China by Lao Tzu and others of his ilk.

It is good to restate them in language current to the time and place, but presenting them as original or innovative and then claiming, or accepting, the mantle of thought leader is not.

Flickr photo credit to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalidoskopika/2022600793/

Wordless Wednesday: the Original Thought Leader

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

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WikiMedia Commons photo credit to: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lao_Tzu_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_15250.jpg

Ducks in a Row: Avoiding Ego-merge

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

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Sunday I quoted Colin Powell on this subject and it reminded me of this article. I don’t remember where it was originally used, but it dates back to the dot-bomb recession.

It’s “And” Not “Because”

Last week I attended a quasi-social business function and found myself in conversation with a very knowledgeable and polished executive. When I asked him what he did he said, “I’m not working, I’m looking for my next opportunity.” His answer floored me and I asked again. His initial reaction was to repeat himself, assuming that I hadn’t heard him (it was noisy), but my continued look of inquiry finally brought a second answer, “I’m a CFO.”

It’s sad enough that people choose to define themselves based upon how they earn a living, and very bad when, as in the conversation mentioned above, employment becomes the career validation without which the career ceases to exist. However it’s much worse when people take another step and subconsciously merge their identity with that of their company—I call it ego-merge.

I coined the term in the eighties to describe a state of mind that is not only unhealthy for individuals, but also damaging to the companies for which they work.

Ego-merge is the result of melding “me” and “my company” in the mind of the employee, whether worker or manager. It’s most obvious in tough times and most noticeable in conversation when people use “because” instead of “and,” thereby crediting the company or manager for their skills: “I’m great because my company/manager is great.” instead of, “I’m great and my company/manager is great.”

At first glance ego-merge might actually seem to be a positive for companies, but it’s not. When employees’ egos merge with their company’s, they often blame themselves for the company’s problems even when they have little power and may not have any line responsibility. Worse, it can be a major productivity sapper when times are tough—employees with ego-merge have a difficult time believing that they are good enough to help turn the company around, since in their minds their skills are good because of the company.

Ego-merge is often the by-product of the best companies/managers, where people are very involved, have high esprit de corps, and are passionate about their mission and success. It also happens with more Machiavellian managers who try and foster this attitude within their organization as a retention tool. Ego-merge does, in fact, encourage people to stay, but it also cripples them and reduces their long term value to the company.

It’s every company’s/manager’s responsibility to help their people grow and become stronger, not to subtly cripple them in the hopes that they won’t leave. Better, it’s in both the manager’s and the company’s best interest to become people-builders.

Why? Because reputation, both the manager’s and the company’s, is everything when hiring, and being known for your great G&S (grow and strengthen) policies will help you attract, develop and keep the best and brightest. Sure, you’ll lose them now and then when they’re ready for the next challenge and you can’t provide it, but the benefits resulting from their ultra-high productivity and creativeness during the time they’re with you will far outweigh the loss when they do leave.

How? Through some simple actions. G&S isn’t rocket science, nor does it have to be costly.

  1. Treat everyone on your team and in your company with the same level of respect you want.
  2. Listen to your people. Encourage and assist them as much as possible in developing the skills they need to take their next step—even when it makes your life a bit more difficult.
  3. Always remind them that for all their successes, challenges, and failures it’s “and” not “because.”

But what if you’re a manager pushing G&S down while your own manager is either blind to it or the type who sees ego-merge as a plus? What can you do as just a worker with no control or leverage?

Awareness is the best protection against ego-merge. Recognize that it exists, understand what it is, know its symptoms and whether you’re prone to it, then monitor yourself, always remembering that the opposite of ego-merge is not arrogance.

  1. Post a watch for the first symptom of ego-merge: when your glow of accomplishment for an exemplary project you did is quickly quenched by negative internal news or media coverage. The greater the offset the greater the ego-merge.
  2. Listen to yourself. When describing a project (successful or not) or coup (large or small), listen to how you describe it and where and how you attribute its success or failure. Adjust accordingly.
  3. Offset and reduce ego-merge in others by publicly giving full credit to those around you at all levels up and down for their contributions.

Flickr photo credit to: Svadilfari on flickr

They are NOT You

Monday, May 17th, 2010

“We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions.” –Stephen Covey

Think about it.

You assume people will do the right thing when faced with choices.

You assume the visions presented by your leaders are honest, true and in your best interest.

You assume your religious leaders practice what they preach.

You further assume that they will protect you and yours when their own go off the rails.

You assume your spouse/partner/friend will like the movie/book/people that you like.

You assume your team will tackle work/projects in the same way you do.

like-meBut for any of these assumptions to be true, all the people involved would have to have exactly the same MAP and experience that you have—which is impossible.

And that is what you want to remember the next time you find yourself assuming.

Flickr photo credit to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjhughes/266394830/

mY generation: 7 of 100 Ways to Get Fired

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

See all mY generation posts here.

7of100

Quotable Quotes: Egotism

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

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Seems that leaders everywhere are drowning in egotism; many are going down for the third time and haven’t even noticed. So I thought that I would dedicate today’s Quotable Quotes to egotism—long may it reign rot.

Egotism has to be at the root of the old saying,“He has lulled himself into a false sense of competence.”

Or, as Dan Post said, “Egotism is the glue with which you get stuck in yourself”

Colin Powell warned about a condition I call “ego merge” (I’ll write more about it Tuesday) when he said, “Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it.” Obviously that doesn’t happen to the Fulds and Thains of the world.

Then, again, they may have learned the truth of Martin Dansky comment, “If you’ve chosen egocentricity for your career path than you’ve chosen to live with the illusion that your surroundings will serve you continuously.”

Have you ever considered that egotism is a kind of anesthesia? No? Bellamy Brooks and Frank Leahy both came to the same conclusion.

Brooks said, “Egotism is the anesthetic given by a kindly nature to relieve the pain of being a damned fool”

But Leahy was more direct, “Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.”

And since we’re on the subject, join me next Sunday for a quotable look at egotism’s co-joined twin, arrogance.

Flickr photo credit to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrs_logic/3556644715/

Expand Your Mind: Creativity, Innovation and a Warning

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

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Are you middle-aged? Or wonder what you will be like when you are? Then I have great news for you. Creativity and thinking skills—new brain studies show that middle-aged brains are excellent, making new connections and perking along at their prime in lots of areas.

Inductive reasoning and problem solving — the logical use of your brain and actually getting to solutions. We get the gist of an argument better. We’re better at sizing up a situation and reaching a creative solution.

Creativity is a subject that has always fascinated. Why could Rembrandt create magic with a brush while others produced nothing? Many people write, but how many Shakespears has the world produced? What is the difference between them? Perhaps new research will offer some insight.

“Creativity is kind of like pornography — you know it when you see it,” said Rex Jung, a research scientist at the Mind Research Network in Albuquerque. Dr. Jung, an assistant research professor in the department of neurosurgery at the University of New Mexico, said his team was doing the first systematic research on the neurology of the creative process, including its relationship to personality and intelligence.

Creativity often leads to some kind of innovation, but it doesn’t lend itself to groupthink. As I’ve frequently written, creativity happens in those long, silent times when your mind is free to roam. New research shows that this is true.

To come up with the next iPad, Amazon or Facebook, the last thing potential innovators need is a group brainstorm session. What the pacesetters of the future really require, according to new Wharton research, is some time alone. …a hybrid process — in which people are given time to brainstorm on their own before discussing ideas with their peers — resulted in more and better quality ideas than a purely team-oriented process.

It was so-called financial innovation that brought down the global economy. Five years before it happened Warren Buffett called derivatives “financial weapons of mass destruction,” but four years before that Peter Drucker condemned that kind of financial innovation.

In a piece he penned in 1999, “Financial Services: Innovate or Die,” he frowned on the kind of transactions that have done such terrible damage to Goldman’s reputation and, more important, to the world economy. Since the 1970s, he wrote, “the only innovations” among banks “have been any number of allegedly ‘scientific’ derivatives.

“But these financial instruments are not designed to provide a service to customers,” Drucker continued. “They are designed to make the trader’s speculations more profitable and at the same time less risky—surely a violation of the basic laws of risk and unlikely to work. In fact, they are unlikely to work better than the inveterate gambler’s equally scientific system for beating the odds at Monte Carlo or Las Vegas.”

Finally, a public service announcement from me to you. No matter how openly you live your life in these days of social networking, I doubt you would post your tax returns of medical records online, let alone send them directly to the bad guys.

But that is exactly what happens when you use a public copier or return a leased one. A decade ago I learned that digital copiers are essentially computers, complete with hard drive, and every document copied is saved on that drive and readable with software that can be downloaded free on the Net. If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe CBS News.

Flickr photo credit to: pedroCarvalho on flickr

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