Brief Moments

      On a daily basis this spring of 2014 I far too often see a spirit of fear driving the attitudes and behavior in customers, co-workers and organizational leadership.  It's often not the larger global awareness causing concern regarding Putin's dubious expansion into Ukraine, the new outbreaks of Ebola, Al Qaeda threats, the Syrian war, Afghanistan or any other ongoing/emerging crisis far from home.  Most are too unaware of what's happening globally because our lives are too busy trying to survive. Paying attention requires too much additional learning and understanding which might require doing something.      Some of this fear stems from a completely dysfunctional U.S. government bent on opposing anything the other party desires or focusing so tightly on extremely uneducated philosophies that at no level can they be trusted to do what's in the best interest of citizens.  The perception that our government only works for large cor...

     A case study I was asked to analyze recently points to the over utilization of testing, the lack of common sense and the value society has placed on numbers (from tests) over face to face engagement.  The scenario is this: Lydia, 58 years old, is a 12 year employee of a 250 member small business and highly successful as the assistant to the personnel director.  She integrates all new employees into the culture, solves HR issues for all staff, and negotiates on their behalf with management, often working after hours and weekends. She is well liked and respected within the organization. A widow with a large insurance settlement, her children are grown and onto their own lives. The CEO decides to give Lydia a promotion/raise to payroll manager with brief training where she has a team of five accountants.  Within weeks the unit is dysfunctional and missing deadlines while Lydia is often late to work and having migraines.  What tests would you...

     Compared to some, I'm old.  Compared to others, I'm young (and occasionally act like it).  That will be a status for all of us the remainder of our days. I'm not prepared to say how many times I sincerely apologize this week, nor how many times folks have called or emailed me beginning with apologies.  Admitting we were wrong when we are is the beginning of leadership and integrity, as equally as granting grace to those who should ask forgiveness.      In either transaction though the diamond is sincerity.  Too often I have folks apologizing to me that really shouldn't.  Whatever occurred wasn't their fault; was a result of their training; or came about due to external or internal forces neither they nor I had control over.  So while I appreciate sincere apologies if owed,  and I will gladly accept blame to reduce another's stress and cognitive overload; it is the solution I'm really interested in. ...

      Funny some days how our mind associates words with songs.  As I was typing "engagement" as a title I heard David Lee Roth semi screaming "Ain't Talkin' bout Love. . . .".        Actually it's a reference to the way we lead our teams and organizations, or should be. I still run into too many managers (not leaders) who believe " because I said so " is a reason that enhances individual and organizational performance.  In our constantly changing business and community environments, engaging team members in not only the how, but the what, when and most importantly the WHY of process, procedure, objectives, vision and execution that is crucial to innovation and adaptability. Plenty of previous posts I've shared earlier with more specifics if you want to run the sidebar of titles.  I particularly notice it in the 20-35 year olds I work with who've grown up in ...

Transformational Servant Leadership Innovation Cycle (Wallace)      I was asked this week to post some thoughts on transformational leadership relating to community development and innovation in a forum on Facebook.  That format is a little more limiting and doesn't quite give the opportunity for graphics.  Thus this morning's thoughts for your review and feedback here.      The graphic on the left is a model of my own making describing one path to individual and organizational change. Although they follow slightly different tracks for academics and consultants/practitioners, Transformational Leadership and Servant Leadership are closely intertwined with similar meanings. One must certainly say that Servant Leadership is transformational in scope and outcomes.   Both theories and practices are discussed in detail and endorsed (if you will) by such organizational and individual change experts as the late Stephen Covey , P...

     In preparing the curriculum and content for the ten week graduate class in Negotiation that starts tonight there's been little time for blogging and lot of other writing recently.  At the same time the presentation I've been preparing for another professor speaking at a conference in Berlin later this week ties into some of my more passionate themes though. Her topic is Generational Differences in Motivational and Organizational Commitment with some accompanying research examples and discussions of Daniel Pink's Drive and the Rodd Wagner and Dr. James K. Harter Gallup book 12: The Elements of Great Managing .       Both lead right into Jim Clifton's The Coming Jobs War .   Given the recent economic data on U.S. employment, the ongoing financial crisis in Europe, and the slowing of growth in many parts of the developed world, waiting for something to happen is a major mistake.  In trying to pay attention to Brain Ru...

     Often these past couple of years organizational leaders have said to me "I believe in Jim Collins and getting the right people on the bus."  In most cases these individuals are highly respected and very successful.  A number of them not coincidentally, moved back into the private sector after serving in the military. For those who haven't read Good to Great , Collins himself has a great synopsis at his website , but I'd encourage you to read the book.      While the myths of what drives change that Collins' research busts ( platforms, bonuses, programs, fear, mergers and acquisitions, technology and revolution ), the importance of putting people first doesn't stop when we get the right individuals on the bus.  Assuming from the analogy that we're the driver implies constantly scanning the road ahead, steering the organization, and controlling the speed. Consider though, if you remember your last bus ride, drivers also have...

     One can find in small moments of many movies a level of absolute truth.  There's a thirty-second sequence below in City Slickers (1991) with Bill Crystal and Jack Palance that fits as one example.      We all need to find that one thing in ourselves, as well as those with similar passions who we can collaborate and innovate with.  When it comes to leadership though and the thousands of studies, published research and books on the subject, the one thing is trust.            If you're not familiar with the full range of leadership model(Avolio, 1999; Bass & Riggio, 2006) this graphic from my presentation last year at the Midwest Academy of Management in Omaha gives the basic concept.  These are basic definitions only.     Laissez Faire is simply hands off managers who pretty much ignore the team.     Management by exception (MBE) in either its' passive or ag...

   That's not a reference to the cartoon or a fairly recent movie that you won't find me watching.   I've come to believe that rooting for the underdog in a sports contest is something genetic within me.  I know my father was that way while I was growing up and he still watched sports.   He doesn't any more for a variety of reasons irrelevant here.     The reason I feel that it's at the core of who I as created to be has much more do with my desire to see those in entry levels of employment rise to higher levels of performance.   Which doesn't mean leave their jobs if they enjoy what they're doing.  For me, it means more often helping leaders and managers in the organization understand that every level of employee engagement is required to achieve profitability.  Too often I have found managers or owners that have no empathy, minimal respect or even disdain for those in their employ that don't share in ownership. ...

     Choosing a word that begins with the letter x in the blogging challenge took less than two minutes thanks to the speed of search engines and this internet connection.   I will confess that xenagogue isn't in my daily vocabulary, though the definition certainly is by activity.        "From Greek, to lead, leading; bring, take; plus a “guest” or stranger. A reference to someone who  conducts strangers or foreigners; a tour guide."        In fact, even knowing the definition I still wouldn't use it.  It does however describe part of my life philosophy. I wonder how often in the unending list of tasks we have to accomplish we miss opportunities to have a positive impact on someone's life through simple gestures.  The internal nature of our thinking leaves us mostly oblivious to the external conditions and needs of those we pass on the sidewalk, in the halls of our organizations, o...