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Archive for October, 2010

Expand Your Mind: Leader Stuff

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

expand-your-mindFour interesting takes on CEO leaders today.

From Mark Suster via TechCrunch talking about an important CEO role that is rarely mentioned—Chief Psychologist.

My primary role was “chief psychologist” and as I’ve learned over the past few years the same has been true as a VC. Both are basically people businesses.

What do you think of when you think of CEOs? Most people think of those who are “charismatic, effusive and outgoing,” but what about all those who are “calm, eremitic and observant?”

But then there are the introverted CEOs—calm, eremitic, and observant—who prefer flying below the radar. You’ve never heard of them because they don’t like the spotlight.

Ask any leader, CEO or not, about the power of stories and they will tell you that stories are critical to any effort at engagement. And how better to learn the fine art of storytelling than through improv, which is available to all?

Improvisation (or improv, as it’s commonly called) is becoming increasingly accepted as a method to teach business skills; in fact, many of the country’s top business schools are including lessons on improvisation and its use in the world of business…

After all that reading you would probably appreciate a good video and what better subject than watching these experts Talk about the biggest mistakes a leader makes?
Bill George, Professor, Harvard Business School and former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic
Evan Wittenberg, Head of Global Leadership Development, Google, Inc.
Dr. Ellen Langer, Professor, Harvard University
Andrew Pettigrew, Professor, Sïad Business School, University of Oxford
Gianpiero Petriglieri, Affiliate Professor of Organizational Behavior, INSEAD
Carl Sloane, Professor Emeritus, Harvard Business School
Jonathan Doochin, Leadership Institute at Harvard College
Scott Snook, Associate Professor, Harvard Business School and retired Colonel, US Army Corps of Engineers
Daisy Wademan Dowling, Executive Director, Leadership Development at Morgan Stanley

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedroelcarvalho/2812091311/ and YouTube

Of Porcupines and People

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

porcupines

Sometimes good things arrive in my inbox amidst the silly videos and spam.

And so it was yesterday; I was thinking about what to write when this arrived and it seemed the perfect answer—assuming, that is, that you are as tired as I am of the rising tide of hit pieces so prevalent this election.

Fable of the Porcupine
It was the coldest winter ever and many animals were dying because of the cold.
The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together.
This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions, even though they gave heat to each other.
After awhile they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen.
So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.
Wisely, they decided to go back to being together.
This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationships with their companions, but the most important part of it was the heat that came from the others.
In this way they were able to survive.
Moral of the story:
The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people.

The best relationship is when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others as opposed to dying alone in the cold.

What do you think? Will humans live up to the example of porcupines or die alone in the cold?

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nostri-imago/2854029427/

Leadership’s Future: Defying Conventional Wisdom

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

conventional-wisdomTrue leadership often defies conventional wisdom about what works and what doesn’t in order to succeed.

Conventional wisdom says that a high school with 4100 students and 300 teachers is doomed to fail, which it did until a giant dose of in-house of initiative and tenacity turned it around.

In 2000 only a quarter of Brockton students passed statewide exams and a third dropped out; compare that to now.

This year and last, Brockton outperformed 90 percent of Massachusetts high schools.

This wasn’t accomplished by a charismatic, visionary leader who came from outside, firing up the troops and getting rid of dead wood.

It came from a group of teachers working under a principal who did nothing.

That team of leaders took the initiative, meeting on their own time to craft an approach that would work.

Then Susan Szachowicz and a handful of fellow teachers decided to take action. They persuaded administrators to let them organize a school wide campaign that involved reading and writing lessons into every class in all subjects, including gym.

An approach that didn’t cost more money, but one that fundamentally changed Brockton’s culture.

Moreover, they had the tenacity to keep selling the concepts to their peers in the face of doubt and resistance. Not just with words, but with support and training.

In just one year test scores rose dramatically.

Overnight, the restructuring committee gained enormous credibility, and scores of once-reluctant teachers wanted to start attending its Saturday meetings, which continue today.

Szachowicz became principal in 2004, replacing the positional leader who did nothing.

Read the article (it includes a link to the Harvard study) and remember it the next time conventional wisdom tries to dictate to you what can and can’t be done.

Image credit: Tombstone image generator

Wordless Wednesday: Reader’s Paradise

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

reader-paradise

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/courtneybolton/4512896566/

Ducks in a Row: Tata’s Culture of Innovation

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

ducks_in_a_rowLot’s of talk about creating a culture of innovation, but often that’s all it is—talk.

The most important factor in a culture of innovation is the ability to fail.

India’s Tata is a leader in creating a culture of innovation and Sunil Sinha, an executive in Tata Quality Management Services, discussed its approach recently at Harvard.

Sinha described a culture of innovation at Tata that includes employee-awards programs for both successful and unsuccessful ideas. What’s important, Sinha said, is that employees feel comfortable in bringing forward ideas, even ones that don’t pan out, and that they feel they work in a place that values fresh thinking.

The innovation culture has produced several notable products, he said. One is a water purification system that costs just $20 and produces enough water to keep a family of four supplied for more than a year.

nano-launch-2Not only that, but in 6 short years, from the time its CEO publicly mentioned the idea in 2003, Tata Motors nano-launch-3produced a $2500 car for sale in developing worlds; it’s a small, two-cylinder car that gets 55 miles per gallon and meets all of India’s vehicle emissions and regulatory requirements.

Done in spite of all the global pundits who said it couldn’t be done.

I speak with managers all the time who talk about their desire to enable a culture of innovation and when it doesn’t happen, whether through laziness, benign neglect, or more active negativity, take no responsibility and place the blame squarely on their people.

A culture of innovation starts not in talk or even actions, but in MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophy™) and its willingness to change.

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zedbee/103147140/ and Tata Motors

There is NO “I” in Leader

Monday, October 18th, 2010

 Mario Gomez, 59, is the oldest and the ninth of thirty-three miners The whole world followed the 69 day struggle to rescue the Chilean miners and what they accomplished underground prior to and during the rescue. They are safe now, but their team attitude is just as strong.

The daughter of one of them says the men have agreed to share all their earnings from interviews media appearances movies or books. A fellow miner close to many of the men says they’ve hired an accountant to keep track of their income, and to distribute it equally. He says they’re going to be very close to the chest, and “will speak together as a group.”

The media presents it as one leader and 32 followers, but it doesn’t seem that the miners see it that way.

People love to quote the adage “there is no “I” in team” when somebody’s ego gets out of hand; perhaps a new adage is needed that states “there is no “I” in leader.”

Of course, someone will argue that there is an ‘i’ in leadership, which is true, but when ‘i’ becomes ‘I’ it changes leadership to leadershit.

Flickr image credit: Hugo Infante/Government Of Chile

mY generation: Pretty Picture

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

See all mY generation posts here.

prettypicture

Quotable Quotes: John Kenneth Galbraith

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

JohnKennethGalbraithOWIMost people recognize the name of John Kenneth Galbraith, the economist; some know he taught at Harvard, was politically active and a prolific author, but few are aware that he was six-foot-seven.

He was also a master of one-liners—the kind that bite.

Regarding the proficiencies of his own profession Galbraith said, “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.”

This is definitely one of my favorites, “The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.”

It leads inexorably to the next, “Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.” Of course, these days people just make it up and post it on the Net.

Galbraith said, “Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding.” If true perhaps it explains why the general population of the richest country in the world has so little understanding (or interest) in what goes on in that same world.

He had many comments on politics, but this one best sums up the last several decades across the board, “Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.”

As you may guess from this comment Galbraith was a liberal, but these days it applies to both sides, “The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.”

He also had a knack for gentler, more philosophical thoughts, such as this one about everybody’s favorite office pastime, “Meetings are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything.”

Finally, two shining pearls to add to your personal necklace.

“It is almost as important to know what is not serious as to know what is.”

“If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.”

Image credit: Wiki Commons

Expand Your Mind: Of Learning and Leaders

Saturday, October 16th, 2010

expand-your-mindIt’s something we all know, although we tend to forget, leadership and positional leadership are not the same thing. Because anyone/everyone can lead, within the framework of their own lives, much of the information available about and for positional leaders can be absorbed and used by all.

Of course, there are always those in positions of leadership that don’t lead, while some lead backwards and some even ass backwards but, sadly, it doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to their paychecks.

Not that all positional leaders should be tarred by the same brush; there is still a lot for everyman to learn from leadership teaching from sources such as these.

Over the past six years, starting as a project focused on women that now includes men, McKinsey has developed a vision they call “centered leadership” that includes five specific dimensions. You may find it useful in putting more meaning and balance in your own life. (Free registration required.)

This concept has five dimensions: meaning, or finding your strengths and putting them to work in the service of a purpose that inspires you; positive framing, or adopting a more constructive way to view your world and convert even difficult situations into opportunities; connecting, or building a stronger sense of community and belonging; engaging, or pursuing opportunities disguised by risk; and energizing, or practicing ways to sustain your energy on a long leadership journey.

Do (did) you love or hate Shakespeare? Besides being one of humanity’s most accomplished writers, Shakespeare, like Lao Tzu, offers brilliant insights for all those who want to excel. Check out how Carol and Ken Adelman, founders of Movers & Shakespeares, use Henry V to teach leadership and let Shakespeare’s ideas guide you.

Henry V’s leadership skills and his ability to innovate in ways that would turn significant disadvantages into game-winning advantages.

What can you learn about leading a ‘culture of innovation’ on your iPod? And learn it not from a podcast, but through music from a guy who has constantly reinvented himself and his music to stay relevant in the current world.

Even if there is “darkness on the edge of town” today, when it comes to leading your company’s growth efforts with innovation expertise, there is no reason for your organization to be a casualty when you could instead “walk in the sun” (Born to Run).

And that’s not the only musical source from which you can draw lessons in leading, innovation, extending, inventing and reinventing yourself.

From business to fashion, Lady Gaga is an innovator, and she also makes a strong case as a leader.

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedroelcarvalho/2812091311/

Blog Action Day: Leading Ways with Water

Friday, October 15th, 2010

no-grassToday is Blog Action Day where each year bloggers unite globally to write about a single problem. The theme is chosen from a list of possibilities by blogger vote—this year it is water.

I’ve been waiting for water to become a topic of concern for everyday Americans and it finally seems that its profile is rising quickly.

As critical as water is—in 2008 Business Week’s cover story was T. Boon Pickens thinks water is the new oil—and he’s betting $100 million that he’s right” (Pickens is no slouch when it comes to assessing opportunities); the drought in the southwest is 11 years old, with no end in sight—I’m constantly surprised when the acts of everyday people indicate that water isn’t a major concern.

I live in the Washington State, right by the Columbia River, where, in spite of what seem like long, rainy winters, we have drought warnings and tinder dry forests every summer, as does the rest of the Pacific Northwest. (Click to learn about your home area)

Nobody will argue that serious water problems require intelligent leadership across a broad swath of organizations, but to some extent that’s a cop out, because it makes it someone else’s problem—not yours.

If you want to live a meaningful life, let alone aspire to be a leader, you must start by leading yourself. That means having initiative, taking responsibility for your actions, holding yourself accountable, and recognizing the consequences, both good and bad, of your actions.

Unfortunately, the NIMBY mindset comes in many flavors and the greater the personal inconvenience the less people are willing to personally act.

So I thought I would share some simple, no-to-low-cost things I do that make a substantial water difference.

  • Grass is a giant water-waster; the first thing I do with any home I’ve owned is get rid of the grass; currently I have English turfing daisy, which is perennial, doesn’t need watering, blooms much of the year and I can step on it (see picture). If you insist on having a lawn then plant one that is drought resistant. But if you live in an area where a lawn is an offence against nature (think LA, San Diego, Texas, Arizona, etc.) don’t even think about it—think xeriscaping instead.
  • Turn the water off while brushing your teeth. (Duh!)
  • Low flow fixtures are a given.
  • My shower is around 10 minutes or less; after all, they are meant to wash our bodies and hair; they are not the place to shave or other lengthy procedures. Believe it or not, 20-30 minute showers do not make you cleaner, but they can damage your skin.
  • If you are a bit more radical, like me, take the time to catch the water you run while waiting for it to warm up and use it to water houseplants, flush toilets, etc.
  • I adore my latest find. It’s an $18 gadget called HydroRight that anyone can install (no tools). It turns your normal toilet into a two-level flush toilet that lowers your water bill by saving around 15,000 gallons of water a year. And it really works! It’s great even if you rent, because you can take it with you when you move.

Those are my main water savers; I’m always looking for new ones, so please share yours below.

Image credit: Miki Saxon

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