In a celebrity-driven culture and considering the hype around global startup salvation, you might start believing that founders are, indeed, some kind of superhero, different from the rest of us, and worthy of adoration.

But you would be wrong.

“Throughout history, narcissists have always emerged to inspire people and to shape the future. The ones who lead companies to greatness are those who can recognize their own limitations.” –Michael Maccoby (2000 Harvard Business Review article about the pros and cons of narcissistic leaders.)

A Fortune article, with heavy input from Zachary First, managing director of The Drucker Institute, does a good job kicking holes in the idea.

Star CEOs grow dangerous when they see their success as destiny, their place at the head of the pack as the only path possible, rendering all of their choices justified. The best leaders might enjoy the red carpet, that’s fine, as long as they understand that being the best fit for the CEO job is a relative status — relative to the needs of the rest of the people in an organization at a specific moment in time.

And fame, no matter how great it may feel, does not equal infallibility.

Steve Jobs is considered a star CEO, but it’s questionable whether he would be if he hadn’t brought in John Sculley, been dumped and then come back.

While it’s not good to believe you’re the smartest person in the room it is far worse to actually be the smartest.

There are many things you can do if you want to stay grounded; here are the basics.

• Hire people who are smarter than yourself;
• encourage feedback and don’t dismiss it;
• listen and hear what you’d rather not;
• build a culture with sans fear where the messenger is never killed; and
• don’t believe your own hype or drink your own Kool-aid.

And above all, stay aware.

Flickr image credit: Cory Doctorow

Most people who watch major media agree that 90% of the ads are bad—and that’s being generous.

Ignoring the drug ad, which I despise, they rarely inform and certainly don’t entertain.

A self-confessed Francophile, who spent much of her time in France, once told me that there are no commercial breaks during a program, but are grouped together in a block before and after, but that most people willingly watched them.

That means they had to be entertaining enough to attract a non-captive audience and excellent at selling their product.

Having watched dozens of French ads, along with ads from other countries, I can honestly say that even our Super Bowl ads rarely compare.

They are creative and often humorous.

Some would be termed to risqué for the US (our moralists and hypocrites have a loud voice).

Here’s a recent favorite that you’ll never see here.

Out of 14,580,970 viewings and counting, it has 32,042 thumbs up and 1,090 down.

If  the ad was here I guarantee that the moral cops and feminists could mount a better showing.

YouTube image credit: contrexFR

How many times have you interviewed candidates who performed superbly in multiple interviews, but not once they were hired?

Conversely, have you taken a chance and hired candidates who didn’t interview well, but turned out to be some of your most productive and innovative performers?

Have you wondered why? More importantly, have you wondered how to avoid having this happen or at least have warning that it might?

An article details new brain research that explains what may be going on even though it is focused on kids and test-taking.

It comes down to the genes and brain chemistry that regulates an individual’s response to stress.

The researchers were interested in a single gene, the COMT gene. This gene carries the assembly code for an enzyme that clears dopamine from the prefrontal cortex. That part of the brain is where we plan, make decisions, anticipate future consequences and resolve conflicts. “Dopamine changes the firing rate of neurons, speeding up the brain like a turbocharger,” says Silvia Bunge, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. Our brains work best when dopamine is maintained at an optimal level. You don’t want too much, or too little. By removing dopamine, the COMT enzyme helps regulate neural activity and maintain mental function.

Here’s the thing: There are two variants of the gene. One variant builds enzymes that slowly remove dopamine. The other variant builds enzymes that rapidly clear dopamine. We all carry the genes for one or the other, or a combination of the two.

While you can’t condition the brains of your candidates to respond well to the stress of interviewing, you can provide an environment that allows the “worriers” to perform better and gives a clearer picture of the “warriors” true skills.

To some extent you can level the field by eliminating as much stress as possible for the entire interview process. For instance

• take time to put them at ease;
• avoid two and three-on-one interviews;
• avoid interviewing actions that feel like judgments or tests;
• make the process transparent;
• inform them about the process; and
• avoid surprises.

Lowering interview stress allows the “worriers” to perform better and removes the “warrior’s” edge.

Flickr image credit: Josh Gee Photography

I admit it; as anyone who is a frequent reader I am not a Facebook devotee; for that matter, I’m not a lover of social media in general, which includes MMOG sites such as World of Warcraft.

What people who know me don’t understand is that my dislike goes beyond my personal feelings.

Gently put, I am tired of and disgusted with number of intelligent, talented people who contact me for help balancing the demands on their time.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to help people and rarely charge for one-off questions, but it’s getting ridiculous.

For years I found that the problem wasn’t so much one of time management, but one of saying yes too often.

But, as the saying goes, that was then and this is now.

Now, after a week of time tracking exercises and analysis they come back and admit to two, five, eight or even more hours spent on various forms of social media.

Most are surprised; they had no realization that the number was so high.

I suggest they cut back and use the time where they feel pinched—the reason they contacted me in the first place.

Some are sheepish, others are defiant, but most are reluctant to reduce their time.

I didn’t need to read about “FOMO addiction” (the fear of missing out on something or someone more interesting, exciting or better than what we’re currently doing), I was hearing about it directly from the addicts.

So it was with great delight that I read that there is a growing rebellion.

The main reasons for their social media sabbaticals were not having enough time to dedicate to pruning their profiles, an overall decrease in their interest in the site, and the general sentiment that Facebook was a major waste of time.
About 4 percent cited privacy and security concerns as contributing to their departure. Although those users eventually resumed their regular activity, another 20 percent of Facebook users admitted to deleting their accounts.
(…)The report found that 42 percent of Facebook users from the ages of 18 to 29 said that the average time they spent on the site in a typical day had decreased in the last year. A much smaller portion, 23 percent, of older Facebook users, those over 50, reported a drop in Facebook usage over the same period.

Perhaps people are finally kicking their FOMO addiction, facing up to their time usage and figuring out that there is more to life than what’s online.

I find it most interesting that the decrease in Facebook usage is twice as high in the young (18-29) than in the over 50 crowd.

Who’d a thunk it?

Flickr image credit: birgerking

A Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read all ‘If the Shoe Fits’ posts here

How did John Landgraf, president and general manager of FX Networks, turn the channel from an also-ran to top ratings earner?

Not the way you might think; not by his vision or impeccable taste; not by having his finger on the pulse of the public or because he can see around corners.

He did it by not doing it.

Landgraf spent time on the creative side and when pitching/producing he kept hearing the same thing.

“I always got the same dumb note from the networks. ‘Can you make the character more likable?’ ” he recalled last week in a phone interview. “Not make them more exciting, more compelling, more interesting, no, it was always make them more likable.”

When he got the FX catbird seat he didn’t ask for ‘nicer’ he asked for solid stories.

In other words, he did it by letting go of the power to make those decisions.

“We write a check to fund the production and they send us the shows. By trusting the people you work with — sharing the authority — and being willing to fail, things have gone pretty well for us.”

This is something that every entrepreneur needs to learn.

Success comes not from having the power to make decisions, but from the ability to give that power to others.

 “Power is only of value if you give it away. You have to be willing to give it away, to entrust your career, your reputation and your future to others, to make something that is remarkable.”

Image credit: HikingArtist

No post today due to technical difficulties.

In the past we’ve looked at fools and money, fools and management and Shakespeare’s idea that one should never underestimate someone “wise enough to play the fool.”

One fool thing I haven’t addressed is the idea of suffering them gladly, as in ‘he doesn’t suffer fools gladly’.

An op-ed piece defines the saying this way,

It suggests that a person is so smart he has trouble tolerating people who are far below his own high standards. It is used to describe a person who is so passionately committed to a vital cause that he doesn’t have time for social niceties toward those idiots who stand in its way. It is used to suggest a level of social courage; a person who has the guts to tell idiots what he really thinks.

(If you buy the validity of the idea behind this definition I have a great deal on an orange bridge you can buy for your backyard.)

It isn’t courage this person has, but rather a lack of empathy, an abundance of arrogance and absolutely no manners.

And make no mistake, even these days manners are important; in fact, more so than ever. As Edmund Burke said,

“Manners are of more importance than laws. Manners are what vex or soothe, corrupt or purify, exalt or debase, barbarize or refine us, by a constant, steady, uniform, insensible operation, like that of the air we breathe in.”

So before you part a fool and his money, give a fool a tool, or refuse to suffer a fool I suggest you look in the mirror, because one person’s genius is another person’s fool.

Flickr image credit: Chris Makarsky

The February 2013 Leadership Development Carnival was hosted by David Burkus at LDRLB, which “tends to see the world through: leadership, innovation, and strategy,” so that is how they sorted this month’s  submissions. The categories overlap, as David points out, but personally I’ve never found that anything breaks down so simply. But that doesn’t negate the value of the information or the skill with which it is presented by 37 skilled and savvy bloggers.

Leadership

Wally Bock at Three Star Leadership on why Questions are Our Friends. There aren’t many courses about how to ask questions, but great questions can help you become a great boss.

Jon Mertz from Thin Difference explores the increased presence of millennial in the workplace with Millennial Leaders – Building a Horizontal View.

Mark Miller from Great Leaders Serve asks Is Your Team Really a Team?

Sharlyn Lauby, also know as the HR Bartender on the importance of developing your people in Coaching Employees to the Next Level.

Dan McCarthy of Great Leadership on making talent reviews work in Why You Should Conduct Talent Review Meetings and 10 Tips for Doing Them.

Andy Uskavitch from SuperVISION Motivation on the importance of Communication and Partnerships.

Randy Conley with another gem on Leading with Trust with Five Lessons from Lance Armstrong’s Failure.

Mary Ila Ward from Horizon Point Consulting brings another Leadership How-to with How to Combine Communication with Teamwork.

Lisa Kohn offers simple steps for constructive feedback in The Zen of Giving Feedback on the Thoughtful Leader’s Blog.

Mike Henry of Lead Change Group runs a diagnostic on recognition with 5 Reasons Your Recognition is Backfiring.

Julia Winkle Giuolini’s post stretches to a new medium: video as she shares with us a Few Words on Focus from TEDx.

Joan Kofodimos at Anyone Can Lead brings some insight into coaching with Biggest Coaching Mistakes Managers Make.

Joel Garfinkle of the Career Advancement Blog offers Seven Steps to Success in Your New Management Job.

Jennifer V. Miller of The People Equation takes a team perspective on new leaders with 9 Things Team Members Want to Know About the New Boss, but Won’t Ask.

Jim Taggart from Changing Winds analyzes another changing wind, From Transactional Leadership to Reflective Leadership.

Innovation

Our own David Burkus offers this post from right here at LDRLB, Six Proven Ways to Pitch Your Idea.

Dana Theus of InPower Consulting looks at women in leadership roles with Different But Good: What We Can Learn from Women in Leadership.

Jesse Lyn Stoner of Seapoint Center explains how Collaboration is the Remedy for Polarization.

Bernd Geropp brings us another video his piece On Leadership: My Interview with Serial Entrepreneur Chris Ducker.

Anna Farmery of The Engaging Brand offers an engaging post on How To Guarantee Your Self-Improvement.

Bill Matthies gives us a Coyote Insight on change in his post If The MBAs Don’t Know How to Handle Change How Can I?

Mary Jo Asmus on the importance of staying fresh and Remaining a Beginner.

Tom Walter, the Serial Entrepreneur, explores whether ethical behavior in leadership is still given the weight necessary in Ethics in Leadership.

Susan Mazza with Random Acts of Leadership on how to Experiment Like An Expert.

Wendy Appel, master of the Enneagram Source, outlines the Essential Role of Curiosity.

Corporate culture guru S. Chris Edmonds shares an example of how a compelling purpose statement inspires staff to excellence in Clear Purpose Inspires Aligned Action.

Strategy

Puja Ghelani of Strategistas examines the career of Lucille Ball through the lens of a Blue Ocean Strategista.

Linda Fisher Thornton of Leading in Context asks and answers the question How is Ethical Leadership a Strategic Advantage?

Chris Young of the Rainmaker Group offers an insight into human capital strategies with Executive Strategies: Who is Your Executive Team Loyal To?

Jane Perdue at LeadBIG tackles crisis management with Rewarding Hat Tricks or Planning.

Karin Hurt from Let’s Grow Leaders on how urgent versus important balance gets tipped and 7 Ways to Prevent False Urgency.

Neal Burgis always offers Practical Solutions and does so again in Hard Goals Challenge Your Goal Achieving Skills.

Miki Saxon from MAPping Company Success on how we learn best with Single Loop vs Double Loop learning.

Anne Pershcel serves up another Germane Insight with Step Back to Lead Forward.

Tom Magness of Leader Business offers another battle-tested strategy for Leading in the Fog of War.

Debbie Mills-Scofield has some reassuring advice for all of us: If You’re Not Scared, You Aren’t Leading.

John Hunter from the Curious Cat Management Blog looks at how to develop leadership culture in any market condition with The Mark Discounts Proven Company Leadership Far Too Quickly.

Flickr image credit: Robert Nunnally

From the day you are promoted your professional life is measured not by your own efforts and successes, but by your team’s, whether “your” team is made up of five people or five thousand.

The best bosses are aware of what they say and put time and effort into phrasing things in ways that inspire and motivate.

Bosses frequently use words and phrases they’ve read or heard because they do a better job expressing their thoughts than they can themselves and that’s OK.

In fact, it’s better than OK, because some people have a knack for capturing a thought or meaning in unforgettable ways.

The following is one of the most powerful building blocks for life I’ve come across, so I thought I’d share it with you.

The words of Benjamin E. Mayes (it may be ‘Mays’, I found one spelling where the quote was and the other in Wikipedia, but I’m pretty sure it’s the same person) provide an unforgettable piece of inspiration/motivation that you should share with your team.

“It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture…”

Not a bad thought to share with your kids, either.

Image credit: Wikipedia

Today has good news and bad news.

The good news is that of the three startups I am part of two of them are taking off.

That means an escalation of the time I allot to them and that means less time for other things.

This brings us to the (possibly) bad news.

If I had a way to add hours to a day I’d have a product that would sell better than Love Potion Number 9, but I don’t.

That means I need to take time from something else and that something else is MAPping Company Success.

So, for now, I’m suspending weekend posts, i.e., MAPping Company Success will be published Monday through Friday.

I’m hoping this will allow me to rearrange my work sufficiently to provide the additional hours I need, at least for the short-term.

If any of you have thoughts on this please share them in comments or feel free to write me directly.

Flickr image credit: pedroelcarvalho