Recently I read Harvey Schachter’s book review of “Leaders Make The Future” by Bob Johansen in the Globe and Mail. The title was intriguing as it conveyed action, a principle I believe is key in great leaderships. Leaders are always in action. Leaders make things happen.
The book speaks to a need for leaders to learn and develop skills. I also favour the concept of leaders being continuous leaders. Johansen takes a less than traditional approach however using language that is unique and inspired deeper analysis for me.

He introduces concepts like “bio-empathy”, “smart mob organizing” and “dilemma flipping”. I found the terms curious and very thought provoking. Mr. Johansen uses a very creative approach with creative language to discuss a number of issues that are relevant in today’s business environment. The concept that was most interesting to me however was “quiet transparency”, perhaps not the most fascinating in terms of language but certainly in vogue amongst many of today’s most visible leaders..
Harvey Schachter writes, “You must be open and authentic about what matters to you. But this should be grounded in humility. Leaders should be self-effacing and not self promoting – but open.”
I found this extremely powerful. I have personally participated in a number of situations where I have taken this approach. I have personally benefited because people have suggested that it made me approachable. It is genuine and authentic for me. What I hadn’t appreciated previously was the impact of being crystal clear about what is important to a leader and communicating WHY. To be willing to expose yourself as having a personal need and desire for an outcome is refreshing. To risk taking a stand for this is courageous because if handled without the humility and openness people may just take the desire as a personal agenda. So by removing ego, by communicating with humility and openness, people can hear the message and decide if they are aligned. They will choose to follow or not on their terms but will respect the leader regardless for being sincere.

Followers know in their hearts that leaders have needs. They know there is an agenda and a desired outcome. When the communication is handled openly and honestly they will trust. They will trust that the leaders needs are also in their best interests and will therefore follow. And it starts with that humble, honest approach.

Thanks for giving this a read and I look forward to seeing your thoughts.
Have a great week.

“How can I continue to challenge my folks to grow and innovate during a time of contraction”?

We all hear and read about doing more with less. I have recently also noted some great commentary on doing less with less! The answer is probably doing the RIGHT Things With What You HAVE!

In organizations facing contraction, doing more with less is a necessity. Some innovation can be immediately obvious when we face the challenge directly for the first time. It may be necessary to do less with less for a period of time. Doing things better with less resources does call for an increased level of  creative thinking. At the same time, in organizations going through a period of great change and instability, people have a need to be valued. Good people have a great desire to be challenged. Answering this call for our staff is a great demonstration of leadership and is sure to generate great results too! It is critical for people to feel they are doing the right things, doing them well and making a difference both personally and as an organization.

So what can we do.

The first step is to keep it simple. That is, reach a decision on what is truly important and necessary for success right now! Go back and review the strategic plan. Have a look at the annual objectives and the current quarter objectives. And do this with your team if at all possible. By working together, it is much easier to ensure that everyone is on the same page. If during the review it is obvious that some things need to be delayed or drop off, take action immediately and communicate it to everyone so that there is no question on what the priorities are.

It is important to determine a set of criteria to establish what is critical and urgent. Once you have determined this and reach alignment, you can easily work through the list of activities that exist now and that will be required in the future.

The second step is to be ruthless about the cuts. There are no sacred or special projects! This is not a time to allow for individual needs to supplant the organizations needs. This may be difficult for you as leader. You must challenge yourself and model to the team that even your pet project must be impacted if it really doesn’t make the cut. You must hold yourself and the team accountable, remember, everyone is watching!

The third step is to track success. Keep track of the projects and how they are progressing. Ensure that the lessons learned can be shared both in terms of successes and where progress is not on track also. An increased level of visible accountability will ensure increased levels of focus. It is also where you can celebrate creativity and innovation. The great work contributed by employees can be tracked and shared with everyone.

Which leads me to the inevitable final thought and that is communication! Today more than ever we need to ensure that everyone knows the score. People will fill the void of communication with their own interpretations. They will communicate formally and informally on what they think is really going on if you don’t. It is critical to ensure that what really is going on is what is really being communicated. That is part of your role as leader. You are accountable and you can share the process of communication with many. Who communicates is probably less important than ensuring it gets done and gets done well. Sharing that responsibility is empowering to your staff too.

I hope that you are amongst the lucky folks that are not drastically impacted by the current economic conditions and that you are flush with resources to really make it happen.

But if you are like many others, I hope this may be of help to ensure that you continue to grow with the resources you have accepted to grow with.

Have you also wondered about this?

I believe I may be a “fixer” by personality type or at least it is a big part of my DNA. It occurs to me that my default as a leader on far too many occasions is to try and solve a problem.  As my career advanced, I assumed more responsibility for leading others to “do things” versus “doing them myself”. By that I mean leading others to accomplish something visible or tangible versus actually producing something myself.

The feedback this week caused me to reflect on why I wasn’t adding value, why I wasn’t truly helping. I reflected on the examples provided and realized that perhaps I wasn’t listening well. Perhaps I was too busy trying to formulate an answer to what I first heard and not allowing the person to really express themselves fully. Perhaps they were actually not looking for help at all!! Maybe they were just there to express their ideas and thoughts on an issue as a means of working through their own solution process.

I went back to some early training and guidance that I had received as a sales representative. I thought about how fully listening to a customer provided such great insight into the issues they were dealing with. That by asking questions, versus offering quick answers, I could get a more robust understanding. With a better understanding, I could be of greater value to them.

I believe there is a parallel lesson for a leader here. I know that when I am listening intensely to completely understand that I am also more relaxed and less intent on providing a quick fix. I know that asking the person I am speaking with to clarify THEIR intent in meeting, up front, helps me to better meet THEIR needs. When a solution is requested, I am better prepared to deliver a thoughtful response.

If the best sales people are the best listeners, than perhaps the best leaders may also have a leg up if they too are great listeners.

A good and courageous friend delivered the feedback and I am grateful for it. I am not always lucky enough to get it or perhaps HEAR it!

My goal this week is to be a better listener and with that, hopefully, a better leader!

The concept of a Leadership Toolbox has been discussed by many scholars and gurus in the field. The idea that we can collect different leadership tools with a variety of applications and “store” them in a toolbox of sorts, is popular. I personally have found this analogy to be valuable in sorting out what I want to keep and use in appropriate, tailored ways. There is no shortage of good tools available. I find that most business publications, courses, lectures or books offer at minimum ONE good idea. The secret is to learn where and when best to apply that knowledge or “tool”.

The analogy of the tool box, thinking about a collection of tools like screwdrivers, wrenches, hammers, etc. and how skilled professionals use them, makes sense to me. It is obvious that you would most often use a specific tool in a specific situation, for example, a hammer to drive in a nail. One could argue that in a pinch you could, if needed, try to pound a nail in with the handle end of a screwdriver. Perhaps you could succeed with that approach but it would take far too much effort and time.. Better to use a hammer, right?

Leadership tools to enhance our ability to effectively listening, communicate, conduct reviews, etc. are constantly being introduced and revised. There are some that stand the test of time better than others. There are tools that are more useful at different situations or stages of our professional development. It occurs to me that knowing which are the best and when to use them is the same as the situation for a skilled craftsman.

It also occurs to me that we should evaluate the tools we have. Which are still working well? Which are  losing impact? What new ones might be available to improve our leadership capability?

While I have never set about a formal process in this regard, I have taken the opportunity to analyze my performance, what I am doing and how I am doing it. I have dropped some methods that once brought me success to add in new tools and new methods to achieve results. I have enjoyed reviewing materials or participating in courses that have challenged my thinking and perspective of previous methods. They have provided me with alternative thinking or ways to evolve my leadership offering.

After musing about this over the weekend, I now plan to undertake a more formal analysis. I am going to think about my skill set and the way I approach leadership as a collection of tools in a “toolbox”. I am going to develop this renewal in the same way I look to revitalize the yard and garden each spring.

I’ll keep you updated as I proceed. Please let me know if you are doing something similar. It would be great to learn where you are succeeding.

I spent a great deal of time this week and this weekend catching up with family and friends. As I reflect this evening on the personal and professional interaction, I am amazed at the number of times I was able to say thanks or had someone express that to me. In both cases, it felt terrific!

I have made a point of focusing on saying thank you to co-workers and direct reports over the years primarily due to recalling how much I appreciated being thanked and praised for work I had done. Although there are some individuals that are driven by things more material or elaborate, I have found that most people really are motivated by expressions of thanks and praise for their work.

I take the time to make notes in my daily log of the work that has impressed me. I look for e-mail updates that inspire me to send along a thank you or to praise someone for a job well done. I have noted that the impact is greater according to the specificity of my comments too. It occurs to me that people are most satisfied when I am able to capture the essence of their accomplishment, many time relating it back to earlier conversations or agreed upon requirements. I know that when I have really stretched myself to get something done and I am acknowledged for it that I too am very motivated and feel that my superiors “really get it” about my work. It leaves me feeling valued and appreciated. I feel connected and essential to the overall success of the company, organization or team I am connected to.

I also realize that there are times when I am so busy that I forget to extend a thank you or praise another’s work. I have tried to develop a process to capture things in the moment or as close as possible to the event. When I fail to do so, I do take the time to go back, to apologize for the tardiness but to acknowledge that the performance warranted the praise and appreciation no matter how belated.

I took the opportunity this weekend to do some of that, to extend the belated thanks and saw how much it meant to those individuals. I know that my relationship with them is even stronger today and I was energized by that.

I know that many good things will occur again this week and the opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you will present itself. I look forward to also extending praise to those doing a great job. I hope these things occur for you too and that you are also energized by these opportunities.

Let’s go make it a great week.

Another week of change and change that could make us weak!

I was reviewing notes on change leadership and looking back at some references as I prepare for a lecture later this month. I was amazed with the volume of information I have accumulated over the years on this subject. I have been exposed to many periods of change or at least have perceived that things were changing and therefore been compelled to collect a sizable amount of literature on the subject.

I think I am like many people that claim to relish change. To be honest, I relish change if I am in control or if it is about “others” changing. I relish leading change for that reason I assume. I also easily admit that I have struggled on a few occasions when the change was forced upon me.

I have therefore come to the belief that if I can “control” change I can be happy with change. By control I mean take responsibility, not necessarily just for leading but also to willingly participant. I can relish change when I believe I will be impacted in a positive way . Change has become easier and more enjoyable as a result.

In looking through my old files, I also came across a book I enjoyed a few years ago, “Relax, it’s only uncertainty” by Philip Hodgson and Randall White. Someone was kind enough to give it to me in 2005 knowing I was entering a period of enormous personal and professional change. Many of the ideas have lived with me since reviewing it but I had forgotten where they came from. I am indebted to that person for presented me with this gift.

There is a great quote in the introduction. “If a man begins with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties”. Frances Bacon (1605) The Advancement of Learning. It reminds me that for many, the real fun and learning is in the journey. It is the journey and not necessarily the destination that I personally find most enjoyable.

Leading through periods of change and ambiguity requires great skill. The authors define Capability as the aggregate of Attitude + Behaviour + Practice. My experience leads me to believe that the capability to lead change certainly will be enhanced through those three areas. Maintaining a positive attitude creates an environment for others to have confidence. Confidence demonstrated through the behaviour and actions of great leaders is inspiring. Practice, in this case the art of repeating successes, breeds an environment for future successes. While we can learn a great deal from mistakes and failures, we ultimately must apply that learning to create successes. Practice makes perfect.

The authors hypothesize that there are two types of people, Enablers or Restrainers. They offer descriptions of a number of each of these types and ways to leverage or mitigate the influences of each. I have come across personal examples of all of them in my experiences. A number of the “personality types” are still alive with me today. I valued the guidance at the time I reviewed the book and see application during this period of uncertainty yet again.

I believe leaders need to be visible. I believe leaders need to be in action. Can you think back to a time of great change and successful migration through it? Were you visible and in action as the leader or did you observe this from those who were leading? There may have been other elements in play but it is hard to imagine a success without at least those two.

The next 6-12 months are sure to be as chaotic as the last. I am doing everything I can to stay prepared and ready to lead. I hope you are able to do the same. I hope we will all be inspiring as I am sure many people are counting on us!

I recently completed “Science Lessons: What the business of biotech taught me about management” by Gordon Binder, the former CEO of Amgen. The book was recommended to me by a colleague that was aware of my interest in leadership development and also knew that I had joined the wonderful world of biotechnology back in November. It is an interesting book, much of the early chapters are dedicated to telling the Amgen story but the leadership messages are woven throughout.

I find most books on leadership interesting and rarely have failed to take away at least one piece of valuable advice. I found this recent read of value and took away a few points that are of personal relevance. I am working to implement them into my leadership development process now.

Here are a few lessons from the book that I saw value in.

“Be generous with Praise, Time and Attention.”  Binder speaks to the importance of both accessibility and genuine concern for your employees. He quotes another great business author, Warren Bennis, “Good leaders make people feel that they’re at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens, people feel centered, and that gives their work meaning.” How powerful have you felt when you could honestly say you made a difference and were acknowledged for it? It certainly has worked for me when a superior has taken the time to thank me and acknowledge my work.

“Don’t be afraid to be human”. I personally found it difficult as a young leader to be comfortable just being me. Early on I was preoccupied with impressing superiors or my staff and to show everyone that I deserved to be in the leadership role. Binder relates a story where he wants to promote an employee to lead in an area of the business where the employee has no experience. The employee has grave concerns. Binder confesses during the one to one exchange that he too has experienced doubts about his capability to lead as CEO and that in doing so, relaxed the employee regarding his own insecurities. He felt confident enough in his capability overall and in his relationship with that employee to expose these thoughts. He then took the time to instill his personal confidence in the employee and motivated the employee to risk a promotion to a more challenging role. It reminded me that there are times when being human and exposing one’s true feelings can be a powerful tool in leadership.

Binder writes a number of times in the book about the power of good communication. He weaves a number of great examples to illustrate his guidance on style, process, and frequency to name a few. There were a number of helpful reminders but my favourite came from a quote by George Bernard Shaw who once said, “The greatest problem with communication is the assumption that it has taken place.” Important messages must repeated often and we must take the time to check in with the audience to ensure we are getting through. I think we can all relate to a time where we were certain we had effectively communicated a request only to find the other person was totally unaware. Taking the time to be sure can really help and save significant aggravation down the road.

I would certainly recommend the book if you have an interest in life sciences and leadership. Enjoy.

Leaders are scrutinized constantly no matter what level they operate in and in every type of organization. The higher you go, the greater the size of the audience too! A colleague once suggested to me that “Senior leadership watching is the favourite pastime in any organization”. I must admit I have felt that from time to time in my career. It can be unnerving but also motivational to ensure maximum preparedness. 

This past week we witnessed two examples where individuals demonstrated just how tenuous the credibility of leadership is.

Mr. Edward Liddy, the CEO of AIG met before the US Congress to explain the rationale for bonuses to be paid to executives. I am sure you are well aware of the issue and the fury of public opposition to these payments. He was previously selected by Congress because of his leadership capability. His track record was solid and he was considered to be the perfect person to get the job done. But that very person was now being condemned not only in the US, by Congress and all of the American people, but by millions around the world. During his presentation, he mentioned his personal distaste for the action but that his hands were tied. It was a surreal statement because as the CEO, he could choose to make the payments or withhold them. There would most assuredly be litigation but it was within his mandate to make such a decision. The legal implications and subtleties of making such a decision are not lost on me, I do understand the significance. It is difficult though to understand how this leader could make such a statement and expect to maintain credibility with ANY constituent or stakeholder including the American people. Not a shining example of great leadership.

A second example took place on the Tonight Show. A historic event where President Obama was a guest, the first ever sitting US President to do so. There have been a number of articles written following the telecast discussing a wide range of issues from whether a President should even be on the show to the most disturbing element, the now famous quip about his bowling prowess (or the lack there of). It was disturbing to read the quote and reference to the Special Olympics. It was totally uncharacteristic but nonetheless unacceptable. There would be hundreds of other analogies that would have been appropriate. It provided a great lesson that as leaders we must always be “on” and that there is NEVER an appropriate time to be inappropriate! I do believe that it would never be his intent to disparage or make fun of the courageous athletes that compete but unfortunately, that was the effect.

I do not write of this to further condemn their actions but rather to explore the learning available to us. As we move forward in whatever public environment we enter into this week, we can use these two examples to be personally prepared to be better. To be sure that we are seen and heard in exactly the light we would wish to be seen and heard.

It was a sobering week. Sometimes the best examples for learning are not the most inspiring but rather the most frightening. Hopefully the lessons learned through other’s mistakes will be of value to us. Hopefully we will not repeat them.

These are difficult times for most people and can be particularly challenging for leaders. Worrisome news continues on the economic front despite a few good days on the markets. Political unrest caused by opportunists playing on fragile social confidence. A great deal to be concerned about for most people whether that concern be for self or fellow citizens.

It is at times like this that great leaders are visible. Confident enough in themselves to be present, to be accessible. Ready to take on the tough questions and the tough challenges including keeping their employees mobilized and focused on what matters.

In times like this, it isn’t enough to do the right things, the right things must be done RIGHT! 

A recent article by Michael Sabia, the former CEO of BCE, explored this area and I found it insightful. He wrote about the actions of President Obama to form the backdrop for the piece. He proposed that good leaders must get the “what” right. They must make great decisions and that it is the decisions that create the substance of the actions.

He went further to suggest that it is “how” things get done that inspires confidence, that “connects immediately to confidence”. He further articulated that leadership style is the right combination of boldness and approachability.

As I reflected on the difficult times that I have faced as a leader or observed other leaders face, I was equally impressed with their choices of both what and how. I was impressed intellectually by the choices of “what” and inspired by the way they led or the “how”. 

I also recalled a few occasions where I had failed miserably on both accounts, bad choices as to what and even worse decisions on how. As I analyzed those occasions there was one common theme woven throughout. My decisions were made for the most part on emotion and were primarily motivated by self interest.

On the other occasions where I had lead more successfully, I drew on greater patience, included others in the analysis and decision process and was driven by searching for a solution in the best interests of the constituents affected.

This article was a humbling reminder to me that my leadership journey is unending.

There are helpful reminders out there for all leaders if we choose to look for them. As you reflect on the week ahead, will you be open to the reminders and ideas to assist you in your leadership journey? With all of the noise and confusion in the world today, it is critical to take the time to look and listen for all the help we can get.

Our people are expecting us to do the right things right after all.