We have become so accustomed to leaders possessing a handful of culturally lauded qualities that we have forgotten some of the most critical aspects of remarkable leadership. Good looks, affability, charisma, confidence, easy talking, boldness and even height figure largely these days. Much of the appraisal is based on the visual—do they look the part. Then, do they sound the part. And, finally, do they act the part. Of course, content plays a role in our evaluation, though at times that can be difficult to assess. Now, I tend to look upon leadership less from the context side and more from the content side. I believe leadership, whether it be to one or many, is a pretty big deal. Whether it’s the guy who owns and runs a small service station or a person in political office or the CEO of a financial behemoth—if you inhabit the role of leading people, you have stepped into a place that requires more. It is not about being the ‘top dog,’ it’s about being the kind of person that earns the respect, loyalty, trust and support of those that follow. Our current culture has placed an enormous amount of ‘cred’ on the concept and trappings of celebrity. Interestingly, the Latin root of celebrity is celeber, which means honored. As a culture we seem hungry to honor someone and something. Or, to be honored ourselves. When it comes to leadership, this hunger may be fierce enough that we anoint too quickly. That in our haste to receive or offer this homage or honor we are asking too little from ourselves as leader or too little from others as followers. It’s time to appraise leadership from a deeper place. As a leader, it’s time to develop from a deeper place, regardless of the container in which one leads. Character, integrity, honesty, service, vision, compassion are the stuff of real leaders. They are the core qualities that create and animate the kind of leaders that are needed today. There are more than enough surface-level posers out there playing the role of leader and too few being a leader of real substance. Being a leader of substance requires a commitment to development and growth. Titles and letters, degrees and accreditation are mostly accouterment and not that which matters most. Beyond the surface lies the real truth of genuine leadership. It’s woven into the core and substance of the individual, who they are today and who they are actively becoming. We are all served by those who are able to demonstrate our potential as human beings, who live and act in accordance with a higher truth. That is the stuff of true leadership. The rest is...

  Over the years, business has been fervently looking for ways to control and reduce costs. There’s BPR, JIT, TQM, BPM, BPMN, BMM and more. All essentially systems designed to monitor, maintain, or reduce costs. Here’s what I find fascinating: amidst all of this focus on reduction there is little focus placed on amplifying and expanding the value of the company’s number one asset—the people that work there. The paradigm of ‘cost containment and reduction’ largely captures most of the attention. Here’s the thing, the number one asset of most organizations—the people—lies largely untapped. There’s that asset, showing up everyday, running at levels oftentimes well below potential. If a piece of equipment demonstrated similar efficiencies, the mechanics would be swarming. Yet, with people, it seems leadership is confounded as to how to enhance this vital asset. Simply stumped. In many ways, it’s not surprising. When it comes to working with people, the modus operandi has largely been ‘management’ oriented. A process which is in need of a significant refresh and quite possibly, a total replacement. It is simply an outdated tool. When you review what has occurred in the process improvement realm over the years, it’s replete with new ideas and innovation. When you review what has occurred in the people improvement realm…mostly different versions and varieties of ho-hum management. Let’s face it, many business leaders are unsure of how to legitimately increase the commitment, engagement, performance and productivity of the people in their company. The legacy of command/control and carrot/stick management practices, even in their more palatable forms, continue to be instituted. As such, they will continue to maintain what they have always maintained—most people doing just enough to not get fired. That is a waste of a remarkable resource. Without question, it makes sense to manage costs and reduce them where appropriate. But, it makes equal or more sense to expand upon the value of an asset that’s in place and showing up everyday. Getting out of the ‘reduction’ mindset with regard to people is essential. The name of the game on the people front is personal/professional expansion. Not from the old paradigm of “get more out of them,” but rather by increasing their connection, allegiance and willingness to do the job well. That’s the 180—people performing not because they are afraid of the repercussions if they don’t, but rather because it matters to them that they do. Is your company or management in need of a 180? How about your people? Give us 30 minutes. We’ll get you moving in the right direction. Schedule a Needs Discovery...

  Recently, I watched and shared a video featuring Life is Good cofounder, Bert Jacobs. If you’re not familiar with the company, he and his brother created this impressive business based primarily on selling tee shirts with simple messages and artwork. From the very first moment I saw their tee shirts hanging in a sports store I was smitten. The message “Life is Good” felt like a welcome reminder and healthy balancing agent. Their slogan got me thinking about the idea of not only “life” being good, but also of “work” being good. These two guys had obviously found a way to create a revenue-generating enterprise based on passion, fun, heart and contribution. A company that seemed to be about work and not struggle. They were clear about what they wanted, aware of their abilities, open to receiving input and guidance from others and intent on enjoying the ride. In addition, they had a larger goal than personal gain alone—the company’s gain was to be shared and extended outward. Now, there are business folks out there that may regard such thinking as Pollyanna or do-gooder. Many of us have become so inured to the idea of personal gain being the prominent objective of work and business that the idea of a broader perspective can seem irrational or suspect. More likely, that’s more of a conditioned perspective than an examined consideration. When you look closely and lay the two paradigms side by side, a legitimate argument is formed for the “Life is Good” guys. Their model unites and aligns energy for the good of the company and its numerous benefactors. The traditional model oftentimes has people pulling away from one another and towards themselves. That translates into energy that is un-harnessed, chaotic and in opposition. In essence, those people are likely working for another company altogether, one called Me and Mine, Inc. Life is good. Work is good. If not now, it can be. It’s all in what you see and make it. Life is Good decided to make their company and the way they do business good for all concerned. Rather than remaining in their van selling tee shirts, their philosophy magnified their business into a tee shirt empire. Now, some may call their philosophy Pollyanna, but not I. I would call it nothing short of head-based, heart-based genius. Make work good. Discover “5 Tips” to get good going. 5 Straightforward Tips to Become a Better Leader...

  In business as in life, we tend to look upon frustrating issues in isolation of their original source. When a problem or issue is experienced, once or repeatedly, it is oftentimes dealt with independent of that which has actually caused it to occur. This process likely ensures the problem will have a nice long run of creating havoc over and over again. It may show up wearing a new set of clothes, but trust me, it’ll be connected to the same root cause. That type of thinking and (re)acting are versions of really old thought and behavior processes. What began as a great way to respond to and hopefully survive saber-toothed tigers in the wild…”Tiger!!! Run!!!”…can often hamstring us in our more modern world. Add to that the parade of distractions technology has unleashed, and you have the perfect storm. A storm seeming to produce a need for the quick, the immediate and the impulsive. Our finely crafted ability to sort and compartmentalize has over time become a liability. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great skill to have in certain situations…just not all situations. In fact, it’s a skill that could use a wise, new colleague. This new colleague would quickly assess whether compartmentalizing and immediacy make good sense, as with the tiger, or whether a broader, deeper overview is warranted. The good news is that four-legged ‘lions and tigers and bears’ are not allowed into most workplaces. However, some two-legged forms do occasionally find their way in. That said, we rarely experience life-threatening, emergency situations at work. Yes, computer’s crash and manufacturing lines gum up, but most of the time there is an opportunity to cultivate a deeper understanding of the issue, as well as identifying a remedy more mindful of the root cause. In essence, to step into a more whole-system approach to the dilemma. Whole system, source-oriented thinking is a more evolved way of thinking. It introduces a different type of lens and focus to the process. It initiates a deeper exploration and allows for the additional time required. Like many aspects of business, which prove difficult to accurately calculate from a cost standpoint—the effects of disengagement, diminished productivity, lack of commitment, reduced workplace appeal—there are real costs associated with compartmentalized fixes. Making the choice to examine existing problems more wholly and with an eye to cause may take more time initially, but the gain will be found in the sustainability of the solution. Start seeing your company from a ‘whole’ new perspective. Become aware of how the parts impact the bottom line. Need some help sorting it out? Schedule your own complimentary Needs Discovery Conversation here...

  One of the casualties of our time is the reduction of…well, time. By that I mean the steady erosion of what may be considered “available” time—time free of electronic distractions, scheduled events/activities, unscheduled events/activities and the myriad other “things” that eat up a day. I refer to this as a casualty, because this perceived loss of time can also seem to remove opportunities for generating deeper awareness. When I refer to “generating deeper awareness” I am not suggesting spending untold hours in contemplative quiet. This is not about sitting Zen or living in hermitages or reciting mantra’s, although, all are good and fine if they resonate. What I am referring to is becoming present to and aware of the brisk current of modern-day life, which has the seductive power to yank us into a default trance-like state. Being present is a state of deeper awareness, by its very nature. The fruits of deeper awareness are infinite. Cultivating a deeper awareness helps us to know who we are, what we value, what is truly meaningful to us, how we want to live our life. We are better able to move away from a lifetime of conditioning and default behavior to one of conscious choice. We can begin to see patterns that may be self-limiting, that minimize our opportunities to experience deeper joy and fulfillment. Without deeper awareness we are likely to operate on auto-pilot…handy if you’re a Boeing 777, not so handy (or fulfilling) if you’re a human being. Professionally, deeper awareness can help us recognize where and when we are in (or out) of alignment with both work and/or our work environment. Many people complain about the suitability of their work experience, but do not take the time to recognize and understand why. Why does it feel off? Why does that matter? What is missing? What do you want instead? Beyond the general emotional or mental frustration, deeper awareness can bring clarity and relevant insight. Just feeling lousy changes nothing and gets us nowhere. Regardless of how busy your day and your life may feel, consider doing yourself the great honor of dedicating time and attention to deepening your awareness. We are more than herd animals. We are more than programmed workers/consumers. We are more than Pavlov-ian dogs. Take the time to get clear about the “more.” You begin, by sincerely asking yourself, who do you think you are? Create a calm moment to help cultivate awareness. These “6 Ways” can help you create that moment at work. 6 Ways to Create a Calming Moment…at...

  We’ve all heard the line “too big to fail,” but what about the lesser known, “too small (or insignificant) to succeed.” Although, that’s not a statement articulated in the news, I hear business people refer to it frequently. It’s heard in things like “they don’t care about this department,” “we’re not considered the profitable part of this company” or “we’ve mentioned these issues ‘til we’re blue in the face, let’s get real, nobody cares.” Now, it could be that such comments represent idle belly-aching or a passing-of-the-buck. But, it’s also possible that they are very real business issues, both troublesome and persistent, generating frustration for people on an ongoing basis. Either way, any recurring claims of perceived obstacles are best explored and addressed. If it’s simply a case of whining, address the person or persons. If it’s a legitimate problem or issue, address that. Repeated roadblocks to one’s personal performance and ability to be successful have a corrosive affect. Over time they kill motivation. Not simply because they’re a pain in the neck to deal with, but because unaddressed, they can send a message of organizational indifference or worse, neglect. Anyone in business knows there are obstacles and weak spots—technology gaps, process holes, outdated procedures, disengaged/underperforming personnel and limited resources. In fact, much of business activity is conducted in response to such issues. That’s not what I’m referring to here. What I am referring to are the recurring issues perceived as unacknowledged and/or unaddressed by leadership. These are often the issues that can cause a team, group, department or division to question their importance and value to the organization as a whole. This is where communication is key. The act of acknowledging perceived obstacles or issues and letting people know what’s going on in response to them is critical. Even if no solution is available, the acknowledgment has ballast. In essence, simply communicating what is being experienced and how, if at all, it is being addressed. For problems without definitive solutions, the same holds true. Acknowledging the situation, expressing appreciation for people doing their best in light of the circumstances and communicating updates regularly. These relatively simple acts of communication make a tremendous difference. For the people within the company, it says “we hear you and we’re paying attention.” The more leadership expresses sincere “we hear you, we’re paying attention” messages, the better. For you hardliners, this is not about mollycoddling. This is about listening and reducing the opportunities for people to fill in the blank with hypothesis, generally unsubstantiated and often negative. Listening, addressing and communicating are the elements of leadership. Being aware of what’s going on and speaking directly to it, are the elements of conscious...