Respect

I find it a little bit odd blogging about this topic... I sort of was under the impression that parents should be instilling into their children what respect is and how all individuals deserve a level of respect (the same that you would want for yourself). [This would be the Golden Rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".]

However, the more I read in books on leadership, to topics on diversity, and even to business news in the Wall Street Journal... I think many people are missing (or deficient) in respecting others. (I can tell that this will be a rambling post so bear with me).

So what am I talking about... well first of all I have been reading The No Asshole Rule, and it seems to me that many of the problems that people face in the workplace are caused by what he calls "assholes". To break this down even further... I would say workplace politics and strife (which lead to reduced productivity and employee dissatisfaction) have their root cause in lack of respect by people of one another.

Sutton cites statistics of how the average CEO makes upwards of 500 times more than the average worker in his or her company. Because of this, many CEO's (and others in higher levels of management) will see themselves as being "superior" to the people working for them. This leads to a mindset of "I am more important than yours... Your ideas are less valid than mine... Your feelings matter less than mine..."

We've already seen how Toyota, through their constant sharpening of the saw (what they call kai-zen) took input from the bottom layers of their production lines in order to become (for a few months) the #1 car maker in the world. Do you think this could have happened of the CEO in Japan said something like "I don't care what you think... just do it like I've told you" to the factory workers actually building their cars and trucks in Texas? Obviously not!

OK, so respect we know it's important... but I thought the professional world would be full of strict rules of respect and propriety... that this should be a non-issue, right???

Well, unfortunately not. See this... Diversity Inc Noose Watch... You may or may not have been following this in the news (diversity activism is another one of my passions), but DiversityInc.com has been tracking reported incidents of nooses being hung threateningly at workplaces across the country. What's more shocking is that within a few months scores of incidents have reported. Furthermore, regardless of the specific reasons behind these incidents, using such a powerful symbol, is a blatant disrespect for other people's rights to feel safe and secure at the workplace.

So what can we do as Young Leaders to help inject respect back into the workplace. Here are a few tips... and be sure that more will come in the future:

• Listen - Yes I probably talked about this before... not that half-assed listening that most people do when they are thinking about what to say next... but really listen, because almost always will have something of value to say.
• Realize that people are people - Yeah, Jason here we go again with the Zen riddles... Let me explain. We often hide our emotions putting up a front to protect ourselves from the outside. You know that deep down you want to be understood, you want to be appreciated, you want to be respected... realize that others are exactly the same way. Once you realize this, you can move beyond the masks that we hide behind and create those true and personal connections with others. You'll be more productive (and much happier) because of it.
• Stand up for what's right - Yes, easier said than done, but how about the next time you see someone being taken advantage of or unfairly berated... why not be the bigger person, step in, and tell the offender what they are doing is wrong? It's hard, yes! It might get that other person pissed at you. But you know what? 9 times out of 10, you will gain that other person's respect, and maybe just maybe get them to change their ways.
  

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend, and as always comments are requested and appreciated.

Thanks,
-Jason

Flash of Enlightenment Think "Why" before "What"

So I've talked about SMART Goal setting and also on the importance of WHY also in terms of Goals. But now I've think I've come to an epiphany type of realization.

In every action that you do as a Young Leader your first question to yourself needs to be "Why am I doing this?"... "For what purpose am I doing this?"...

I know I had talked about this before, but before the why to me was more of an afterthought.... something to keep me motivated. But it's not. It should actually be the first thing!

OK, so I'll give two examples. One narrow in scope and one huge:

1. Meetings - Previous posts about meetings stuck to technical details without peeling one layer below. But I feel even if you follow those hints, tips, and tricks to a T... things will still be hit or miss. After all if I'm coming up with the agenda... and I say to myself "So what do we need to talk about talk about at this meeting?"Then I might come up with a list of things and I would like to talk about.
   
   But what if I really needed a decision to be made (not the topic just talked about). Or what if half of the attendees don't necessarily need to listen or participate in the conversation? Then, I haven't run an effective meeting, because I accomplish what needed to be done and I have wasted people's time.
   
   However, what if I went one step deeper and had thought about "Why do I want to have this meeting?"... "Why would my team members want to attend and participate in the meeting?" This way, now I am focused and will have an effective agenda and meeting... not just run an efficient meeting.
   
   
2. Goals - So we can extend the above to goals and goal setting. I would say the SMART Goals and strong Time Management would be very efficient. No doubt about that.
   
   However, to truly have effective goals.. you need to answer the "Why?" questions. "Why do I want an action?"... "Why do I do I want to do this specific action?"... "Why would anyone want to follow me in my vision?" (See Tony Robbins for further explanation on how the emotional connection to 'things' tangible and intangible are so important.)
   
   So lets narrow this down... Lets say you want to Write a Book. A SMART Goal might be to go to the library and check out 100 books on the topics that you might want to talk about in your book and outline your main ideas with a specific detail level that you can accomplish by next year.... (At little daunting, but reasonable).
   
   However, what if we ask the Why questions... "Why do I want to write a book?"... Maybe it's because, "I want to share my ideas to help people all over the world." "Why do I have to write a book instead of using any other media?" "I might not have to, because the internet allows people to share ideas throughout the world in all sorts of different ways". "Why couldn't I create a web Blog about my ideas and along with continuing research refine my ideas while still being able to share my ideas and help people all over the world?"... "Why not?!"
   

And that's it! Ask the Why questions.... go deeper.... be more effective!

As always comments are requested and appreciated!

Thanks,
-Jason

Good Communication that Blocks Learning

Looking through my notes, I found another Harvard Business Review article that I think dovetails well into the posts that I had on Toyota and Quality earlier.

This one was called Good Communication that Blocks Learning by Chris Argyris. So first of all... I have a problem with his sensational title. It might be better titled "Don't Just Fix the Problem"... or "Double Loop Learning".

So essentially, Argyris scares people by saying that "Managing by Walking Around" aka having the managers actually go onto the factor floors or out into the field to see what can be improved... they should actually spend their time finding out why such problems existed and stayed around for so long.

This actually does make a lot of sense. I think it's exactly what Toyota has been doing in order to remain on top in terms of quality. Instead of just turning on the heat when the temperature goes below a set level, it would be more important to close the window to keep the house from getting so cold.

You need to be always challenging the process of processes. So instead of always having "the leadership" push improvement "initiatives" down the throats of their underlings, you need to have the process of "constant improvement" to be part of the corporate culture. Without this, the indivitual executive's pet initiatives will not be effective and only end up with finger pointing.

Spend some time and think about this. I'll try to write more about it later.

Again, comments are welcome and appreciated.

-Jason

The Dirty Dozen: Common Actions that Assholes Use

So I've been reading this new book The No Asshole Rule by Dr. Robert I. Sutton. I've not finished the book, but I am looking forward to learning how to create a working environment that is "free from assholes".

Sutton lists what he calls The Dirty Dozen

1. Personal insults
2. Invading one's "personal territory"
3. Uninvited physical contact
4. Threats and intimidation
5. "Sarcastic jokes" and "teasing"
6. Withering email flames
7. Status slaps intended to humiliate
8. Public shaming or "status degradation" rituals
9. Rude interruptions
10. Two-faced attacks
11. Dirty looks
12. Treating people as if they are invisible

I'm sure we've all seen this type of behavior in the workplace (or at school). In my opinion, much of this passive-aggressive behavior in the workforce is caused by the idea of "professionalism". OK, lets stop for a second... I'm not trying to say that people should not act in a professional manner... if we drop all aspects of decency and professionalism... we'll end up with an animal house (though that would get me to another great book Monkey Business, but thats a different story).

So I had a project manager who once gave me a piece of advice that "In this business perception is the reality". He explained that it almost didn't matter how hard you were working or how good of a job you were really doing... it mattered if the people who mattered (the ones in charge) perceived you as working hard and doing a good job. Time and again I have found this to be true.

First thing... he is one of the nicest people I've met through work so far. Sometimes a little too much of a pushover though. So taken in that context, I would see his advice not as much as coming from a person who was trying to game the system by sucking up to the big bosses, but more so from someone who probably got burned along the way because he spent too much time working hard and not enough time tooting his own horn.

Assholes are the complete opposite. They spend so much effort in playing passive-aggressive games to put others down (and an equal amount of effort in making themselves look good to the big bosses), but much less time actually solving problems and doing their "work". The problem is... the culture of most of corporate America encourages these assholes.

So looping back to the concept of "professionalism", what exactly does this mean? Well one would hope it would mean something along the lines of having some sort of expertise for solving problems for the client or the company and doing so in a respectful and thoughtful manner. Unfortunately, because of "perception = reality" this is not the case. Instead "professionalism" has been bastardized into... "train yourself to act in an affected manner as if you were an expert" (why bother in actually having the skills or knowledge) and "become an expert in playing politics breathing fire onto those who (even accidentally) have stepped out of line".

This post might sound bitter... I don't mean it to be. In fact the majority of the time people act like people (playing nicely and respecting each other). However, when things get tough, the uglyness does come out... I can't help but think there must be a better way.

Anyway, as always comments are requested and appreciated. Thanks for Reading!

-Jason

Generation Y

OK, for those of you who hadn't noticed, I am a member of Generation Y. We are the so-called "internet generation". Our parents were the "Baby-Boomers" and since we were constantly told how we "were the future" we know we have to clean up many of our parent's messes, e.g., the medical care system, social security, nuclear proliferation, peace in the middle east... It's definitely a tall order.

However, the point of this post is mostly a response to an article I read in Fortune Magazine. I would have to say, it did paint a very flattering stereotype of Generation Y... though sadly, I believe most of it is hype. First of all... the iPod/hipster/Starbucks/Yoga picture that the author, Nadia Hira, paints can be summed up in one word... "poser".

OK, I agree that her point was to show how Gen-Yers think outside of the box, by being "counter culture" while at the same time supercharging their productivity with coffee and a "Crackberry". However, I believe this is a matter of image vs. reality. The last I heard, Gen-Y was the generation that invented ADD and ADHD and childhood obesity. Gen-Y is also the generation where you have "internet addiction", "World of Warcraft Addiction" (you've heard the stories of kids dying because they've spent 48 hours straight in front of the computer, only to have the police come in and find the body in a room littered with pizza boxes and chicken wings on the floor), and the use of the iPod to avoid social interaction. Yes, dressing hipster is very cool... but I think too many of Gen-Y are obsessed with projecting the image of being the kind of Steve Jobs (you know I love you Steve) who can get away with wearing sneakers to board meetings, sipping lattes, and sometimes being a total dick (cuz that's cool).

Hira continues with some very interesting anecdotes of some high performing Gen-Yers. Nothing wrong with that... but nothing special either. There will always be the cream that rises to the top.

So what's my point? I think Hira tries way too hard to deflect the truism of many Gen-Yers feeling a sense of entitlement. This is due to an upbringing that many had where parents constantly coddled their children... telling them that they were special "no matter what". So I hope I am not the first to realize that yes, while each and everyone one of us is special and unique, that alone does not mean we are entitled to get any special treatment... especially if we are getting it at the expense of someone else (who should also be someone who is special and unique).

Example #1 - Grade inflation: I went to a good school and earned top grades. I earned they by working hard and also due to my own natural talents. That is why I don't understand the reasoning for students who never went to class and maybe partied the night before a major exam should be given B's because they whined to the professor or their parents are "paying good money for them to do well". This ends up cheapening my education. My 3.98 GPA was great, but if the average GPA for the entire college was a 3.90 how would future employers be able to differentiate students? Secondly all of this hassle forces educators to lower academic standards until learning isn't much of a challenge.

I often tell this story to friends as a lesson in "learning through osmosis", but I think it is illustrative... One day in a high level math class I was dozing off for most of the class (the night before had been pretty late... and the professor's monotone voice didn't help much either). She was in the middle of deriving a complex proof and then stopped and asked the class what was the next step. I didn't immediately raise my hand, but then 30 seconds and then maybe a minute of silence later I couldn't stand the silence any longer and I gave my answer. This seemed to crack the professor up (she hardly ever before had shown any emotion). Not only had I answered correctly... but also was essentially out of commission the entire class period.

Good for me right? Well yes... but the take-away I want to emphasize here is that there was an entire room of 20-30 other iPod toting, Wall Street Journal reading, Starbucks-sipping students who either were clueless (which would be extremely sad for the Penn State Math Department) and/or who totally didn't care about their educations... and could have sat their until the end of the hour if the professor had not offered up the solution.

Now fast forward to the working world. (Granted not all people will go straight into corporate America, but that is what I'm most familiar with and what the Fortune article was trying to depict). These same students who couldn't or refused to participate in class are now given real-life responsibilities. Hira cites how many Gen-Yers will refuse to work 60 hour weeks insinuating that somehow their computer skills allow them to be much more efficient than their more experienced (though less tech savvy) coworkers. This may be true in jobs that require lower skill levels, e.g., administrative / clerical roles. However, in the highly technical areas of science, engineering, or technology, knowing how to navigate through Microsoft Windows won't get you anywhere... especially when the competition is fluent in 12 programming languages (including assembler), actually knows the difference between an alkene and an alkane, and is able to recreate formulas by hand instead of relying on the [Function] key on his calculator.

OK, this is getting to be a long post, so I will conclude with this. Yes, the future does look bright for us Gen-Yers... but still as always we can only get there with a strong guiding vision and through hard work, not because by "dressing hipster" or "acting cool".

And as always please use the comments section for all questions, comments, and hatemail.

Thanks,
-Jason

Narcissistic Leaders

I'm going on some sort of kick with the Harvard Business Review article reviews. This next article that I read Narcissistic Leaders: The Incredible Pros, the Inevitable Cons by psychoanalyst Michael Maccoby, shows the progression of the research started by Zaleznik mentioned in the previous post.

Maccoby describes what we might call "Rock Star Leaders" or the "twice-born" leaders mentioned previously. I hate to pick on one person so much... but with the recent release of the Jesus-Phone... I mean iPhone... I'm going to pick on Steve Jobs.

I give him credit though; he is a genius. He is also extremely driven to mold the world into his image (something Freud would call narcissistic). And to a certain extent he has succeeded. A generation ago, people would feel naked if they left home without their watches... now people can't seem to get through the day without popping those little white ear-buds into their ears and plugging them into an iPod.

I would say narcissism is almost a logical offshoot of our capitalist society. (We all work hard in order to reap the benefits for ourselves. Nothing is wrong with this. This is what keeps the world turning.) However, at a certain point, narcissism can turn pathological, which will usually lead to the decline of the organization that the "Rock Star Leader" is running.

Narcissistic leaders have great many strengths:

• Great vision - This one is obvious. Usually their vision includes they being worshiped like a god, hence Jesus Phone....
• Charisma - The strength of their personalities attracts followers.
  

Maccoby explains that narcissistic leaders often have the personal charisma and drive that give them enormous strength during times of chaos. (Think Winston Churchill and Mao). However, during the times of peace things don't usually go so well. You need at least some managerial abilities in order to keep all of the boring but important things going as they should.

Their downfall is usually caused by the archetypal weakness of narcissistic leaders:

• Overly Domineering - "My way or no way!" Thats how Jobs was fired from the company he started.
• Thin Skinned / Poor Listeners - Any criticism is seen as a personal attack on their personal "perfection". Consequently, they have selective listening and can't learn from mistakes, eventually making one that they cannot recover from.
  
• Lack of Empathy - Because they are so wrapped up in themselves, they cannot understand why other people may think differently or have different needs from them. They may be masters of politics, but they tend to see people as tools to exploit. In the end, people we become sick of it. (Winston Churchill was voted out of the Prime Minister's office right after he won WWII).
  
• Poor Mentors / Mentees - Well if you're a poor listener and lack empathy, you probably won't do well with mentoring.
  
• Overly Competitive - Having a competitive spirit is great, until you compromise your morals or your team members because of it.
  

How to survive if you are a Narcissistic leader:

• Get a sidekick - No really, a strong, competent, and thick skinned "manager" can help bring balance. (Kinda like the Yin to your Yang).
• Indoctrinate your team - (Use sparingly) If everyone agrees with you and trusts your decisions 100%, you can avoid conflict.
  
• Know yourself - Try to understand your narcissistic personality. Often that may be enough to stop a rant with "Is this really that important to chew out one of my most loyal team members, or am I just being psycho?"

Sorry Steve, but the Lisa, Newton, NeXT, puck mouse, and Apple TV should be good indicators of your narcissism. Get over it and you'll be the better for it. Now how about sending me one of those nice 80GB Video iPods :-).

The One Minute Repirmand

OK, so you can see that I'm on a One Minute Manager kick, but this will be a brief article about the "One Minute Reprimand".

So far I have never gotten a "One Minute Reprimand". I actually have never gotten a reprimand that hasn't turned into a "One hour or two hour reprimand"... though parents have the habit of lecturing their kids a little bit too much.

In the work environment though, I have felt that negative feedback often is vague... and almost always not very constructive. I think the problem is with people using "feedback" as a code word for "tearing someone a new one in a politically correct manner". Shouldn't feedback be about correcting or reinforcing particular behavior?

Maybe that is why so many people are afraid of getting feedback and why so many new managers are very uncomfortable with giving good and useful feedback. Maybe they have forgotten that feedback should be about catching people doing good more so than catching people doing wrong.

At least in the places that I have worked, I see that most "managers" are too "busy" to actually do much managing. It's kind of ironic. Managers are too busy doing their subordinates work (micromanaging) and don't give good feedback for fear of being "micro-managers".

The One Minute Reprimand (in a nutshell)

• Immediate - Give the reprimand immediately. Don't you hate those, "Remember two weeks when you were doing that thing... yeah that wasn't really good." Why couldn't the manager tell me this two weeks ago so that I could have fixed it immediately and not have wasted my time and effort on something she didn't like?
• Specific - Be specific about what the offending behavior is so that the person receiving the reprimand will know what to fix.
• Share your feelings - Let them know how you feel about the offending behavior. Let them know the reason why it is wrong... not just that what they did was "bad" in some vague way.
  
• Reaffirm - Even after using the first three rules, people still won't be happy with any reprimand, so take a second to reaffirm to them that you value their contribution to the team and that they are better than the offending behavior.
  

You don't have to leave these rules at the work place. Try them at home... your friends and family will thank me for it.

Until next time,
-Jason

Making Your Team Happy

I just read this great post at The Happiness Project. It's titled "How employers can boost the happiness of their employees". She gives a number of common sense (but not commonly practiced) tips of how employers can help make their employees happy. Here are some highlights, see the entire post here.

• People need control over their lives to feel happy - It's always much better to have a say in what YOU are doing than to have to do something just because your boss says you "have to"
• Reduce time commuting - I commute over an hour each way everyday. In the past year I have put almost 25,000 miles onto my car. As much as I like driving... I know this is definitely a stressor for me.
  
• Don't waste people's time - You know when you got that thing that you "have to" do by the end of the day, but then you pulled into hours of pointless meetings. Yeah... more stress. (Potential solution - see post on Running Meetings Like Google)
• Allow people to participate in social interaction - ummm... you know that guy whose office was moved into the supply closet.... yeah that's why he looks pissed all of the time
• Take Care of People's Health - healthy team members are happy team members
• Everyone Loves Surprises - OK, not all surprises, but little things to break the monotony of the workday can work wonders to improve morale. Maybe thats why college was so much fun. There was always something wild and crazy going on just down the hall / on campus / downtown.
  

So I'm thinking at least someone out there is thinking, "But all I need out of my people is for them to get the work done. If I'm efficient and effective, everything will be fine."

Not exactly... Human beings are incredibly emotional creatures. We are dramatically swayed by our moods and feelings. Think about it. Can you remember a time when you were extremely motivated. Can you feel the emotion and energy that pulsed through your body? You were going a mile a minute and loving it!

Now think about another time when you were stressed, maybe a little bit upset, or angry. Did you really feel like doing anything that you "had" to do? Most likely not.

In the end this is something like the carrot and the stick. All too often people just reach for the stick to "make" people do what they want. Sometimes this is necessary, but I think we'd all be better if we could reach for more carrots.

Please let me know what you think. As always comments are requested and appreciated.

Until next time,
-Jason

Charisma and Leadership

I originally wanted to title this post "Charisma versus Leadership" but... on second thought, I don't believe the relationship between charisma and leadership to be adversarial... though often times people confuse one with the other.

For example, I will use the archetypal example of Hitler being someone with great charisma, but I would argue that he was not a "leader" but merely a demagogue. He gave rousing speeches that played off of the base emotions and prejudices of a downtrodden German public. However, he never really thought about what the people really wanted. He was selfish and thought about what he wanted (to be the "emperor" of a 1000 year German empire).

But wait, you might ask, "But didn't he say things like wanting to bring prosperity to the country?" To that I would answer, "Yes, of course he said those things." But did he really bring about what he promised? Wouldn't the logical thing for a leader during those times be to encourage the people to continue along a path to revitalization, even though the road ahead may look tough and the rewards far away? I would think so.

Today we can see similar things in our everyday lives. We might point to the CEO's and CFO's of the Enron's, the Worldcom's, Tyco's, and the Global Crossing's of the world, who broke the rules to "make more money for investors", but in the end were grabbing as much cash as they could to line their own pockets. The more political among us may even point to our current administration and the war in Iraq as another example of demagogues taking on the guise of leadership.

OK, so before you go off screaming "Ahhhh! charisma is bad!" hold on for one minute. First of all I never said that. Secondly, charisma is actually a very good and useful tool in leadership. This is because people are by nature social and emotional creatures. (See MySpace and Facebook as examples of humanity's thirst for social interaction). We like to see what our friends / peers / acquaintances are doing... and more often than not monkey see monkey do. Our emotions also play a big part of our lives. Have you ever tried to convince someone about an emotionally charged topic, oh I dunno like stem cell research, using pure logic? It's not gonna happen. But if you for example used a story about about a child stricken by some terrible disease that could possibly be cured through stem cell research... I'd expect you to be at least some-what more successful.

This is charisma, that ability to connect with people and eventually to influence and persuade them to take up your vision and follow your plan. Leadership, though would use charisma to influence people stick to the team's plan to make the vision happen.

Goals (II)

So we've talked about setting "SMART" goals in a previous post. And this is a very important concept, in order to set goals that you can and will actually achieve. However, another think to keep in mind is the why we set these goals.

What I'm getting at is somewhat related to my previous post You Can't "Motivate" Anyone and also an idea that I read about in Good to Great. In Good to Great, Jim Collins puts forth the idea that great organizations view their (current) products or services to be merely a vehicle for the growth and development of the organization. He goes on to describe how some companies have done the opposite, holding on to their traditional products, while their market fills with more efficient competitors and profit margins wither away.

They weren't remembering their mission. For example, Mickey Mouse cartoons used to be one of the big money makers for Disney, but how many of you have ever even seen a Mickey Mouse cartoon. I don't think I have. Instead, Disney has stuck to their mission to "Make people happy", and this can be achieved through all sorts of different avenues.

Now, I believe everyone should spend the time to write for themselves a personal mission statement (though this post would be for another time). Using your personal mission statement as a guide you will be able to answer the why of your own personal goal setting.
What I'm getting at, is that I look around, and I see many people are unhappy. Specifically many people are unhappy with what they do, their jobs.

I think much of the reason for this is that people have a similar notion that the failed organizations that were mentioned in Good to Great had. Like how those organizations feel that had to keep their traditional products, many people feel that they have to stay in a job because of their major, or because of they need the money, or just because "responsible people have 9-to-5 jobs".

Now, I'm not saying that you should run out and quit you job right away. But I think, first of all you need to start thinking of your job, or whatever your occupation, as a vehicle to promote you and your goals and also aligning with your personal mission statement.

You don't need to stay in a job "just because" it was your major field of study. There's a whole world of opportunities that you can take, and for the most part, it matters more that you are a fast learner, team player, and/or have strong people skills than if you had studied something in school.

You don't need to stay in a job "just because" you need the money. OK, lets face, it we all need some money to live. But I believe the reason for money is to allow us to live and pursue the our dreams. The reason for life definitely is not money. Furthermore, if you're spending all of your time minding the pennies, you'll probably let the dollars pass you by (bigger and better opportunities).

Lastly you don't need to stay in a jog "just because" thats what responsible people do. There are plenty of opportunities outside the normal 9-to-5 work world. As long as those opportunities align with your personal mission, you will be happier and more successful, following your dreams.

As always comments are requested and appreciated.

-Jason

The Secret

OK, so Oprah might have beat me to the punch with this one. And so maybe I'm usually not a big fan of anything Oprah.... but she didn't do half bad with recommending The Secret (well sort of).

So "What is the secret???" Well.... first of all don't believe the hype. There is no "secret". Essentially, the main idea behind this DVD (and accompanying book, audiobook, and etc...) is "The Law of Attraction" or "thoughts become things". Throw in a whole bunch of New Age magic:

1. Desire - Wish for what you want hard enough
2. Deliver - The universe will provide
3. Align - Align yourself with the universe and all your wishes come true.
   

And don't worry about working for your goals, because the Universe will provide. Ehhhh... no. I don't really agree with their idea of the Universe being your genie (and don't even get me started with how they are totally off with the original story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp).

What this DVD does is bring together is a bunch of sound bites, a lot of hype, but then... for the discerning viewer a few gems of truth. Here's a few that I found.

1. Understand and respect the power of the mind. This reminds me a lot of the Tony Robbins that I have been listening to. The first part "desire" (or whatever they call it) is simple and universal. You need to know what you want before you can get it. And furthermore, if you concentrate on the things you don't want, you'll probably get those too (kind of a "keep your eyes on the road, not on the wall" type of deal).
   
2. (Related to the above). Visualize reaching your goal and live your goal - before you reach it. This brings to mind anecdotes of patients who had "terminal cancer" and were able to cure themselves with the power of visualization and the strength of their own mind. But this about this on a day-to-day life basis. What do they always tell you at your job? No, not "No Internet for personal use", but "To get promoted to a higher position, you need to start taking on the responsibilities of that position.
   
3. Be thankful and show gratitude for everything good in your life. This is another important concept. You will be much happier if you are thankful for what you have. Also, I believe you can't grow beyond your current situation until you appreciate where you are now, as the foundation for where you want to go or become.
   
4. You need to align yourself properly in order to receive the "gifts from the Universe". OK, let me explain this one. They mostly glossed over it, and I think that is a shame. But think about it. Suppose you want something. Suppose you want to become a better leader. You know deep down in yourself and you are constantly thinking about it, but you don't "align yourself with the Universe". Nothing happens. However, if you were "aligned correctly with the Universe" you would realize that there is a world of teachers, books, and experiences out there for you to learn from. Then you would be able to make use of those opportunities and make progress towards your goal.
   

Overall, it's an entertaining video. A little bit wonky, and probably not for beginners to personal development / self help.

Anyway, so if you've watched this DVD or the other associated profit making stuff. Let me know what you think about it in the comments. Thanks!

Until next time,
-Jason

Move Away from the "Genius with a Thousand Helpers" Mentality

Alright, so this one might be a little bit similar to the last post, but it is something that needs to be reiterated.

Actually the term "Genius with a Thousand Helpers" is a Termed that I found to be particularly telling from Good To Great. I've also briefly touched on this subject before, but lets get a little more in depth with it.

What is a "Genius with a Thousand Helpers"? Well... lets see... how about we think of someone like Steve Jobs, the famed founder and current CEO of Apple Computers. He definitely is a technological, marketing, and business genius. He envisioned the golden age of personal computers, turned a shiny white little box into the IT-gadget of the past decade, and turned a small computer company that should have been blown out of the water years ago, into a money making machine.

OK, so now you might be asking... "Why is this bad... it all ended up well?"

I would answer, that it's not as simple as this. Jobs has also been labeled as one of Silicon Valley's leading egomaniacs by Fortune magazine, and it was probably this "genius bordering on insanity" that got him fired from Apple computer in the mid 1990's.

Sure, you can be domineering, bark orders, and not take any advice from others... but how long do you think that will last? How long do you think people will follow you no matter how much money you try to coerce them with?

Jobs lasted about 15 years before he was fired from the company that he founded. It seems almost luck that he has been able to come back to the company as it's CEO. But think how limited the company is. It can only grow as far as Job's vision, because he will not tolerate differing ideas. (Arguments from critics are often quickly dismissed as "bullshit"). Also, I'm generalizing here, but to him, the other senior management in the company, are merely "helpers". People who "make the company work" but do not determine the grand strategies of the company.

The most obvious problem with this is that, treating employees as "peons" doesn't do much to keep them happy, motivated, and productive. Secondly, not allowing team members to make decisions on their own, stunts their own development as leaders. Who will be able to take over the company if this "genius" leaves/retires/dies? No one will have the proper skills to properly take the reigns. Finally, two heads are better than one --> a whole team of heads is definitely better than one (that is if everyone is communicating in an effective and respectful manner).

To me, I think these "Genius's with a Thousand Helpers" or "Rockstar Leaders" just like feeding their egos. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by people who always acquiesce to your "superior intellect / leadership abilities / whatever". But for me, I think I would rather be surrounded by people who were smarter and better than I am, so that I can maybe learn something from them.

What do you think? As always comments are appreciated.

-Jason

Leaders Don't Go It Alone

Have you ever seen one of those motivational posters? You know, the ones with something like a rainbow or a lion and a nice one liner of sage advice. Yes I know you've seen them, at work, at school, or heck even at the doctor's office.

Anyway, a little while ago I saw one of these posters that had an eagle and said something like "Leaders Go It Alone". I can't disagree with this sentiment more. Granted, sometimes leaders need to make the tough decisions which may be unpopular, or sometimes the leader will have to "remove someone from the team". However, leaders never go it alone!

Lets think about it. Assuming that a leader has to make a tough decision, that she knows will not go over well with the rest of the team. What should she do?

1. Well the first thing I would do is to do what leaders do best, use your influence to explain to the team why this is the right thing to do.
2. Next, listen! The team will probably have some very good reasons for doing things a different way. Maybe they have thought of things that you hadn't realized. Maybe, it would be best after all to do things their way.
   
3. Discuss both sides of the argument. Make sure everyone understands all of the costs and benefits.
   

OK, so lets say our leader has done her best to convince us and we (the team) have done our best to convince her but to no avail. Should she now storm out of the room, say "Damn it all, I am the boss, we'll do what I say, and I don't care what you think!"

Probably not the best idea right? Right. I would say a good leader should check her ego at the door and go with the team. I think it is such a problem these days that we glorify those people who act like loose canon's not caring about anybody else but themselves. While the selfish part of ourselves might want to run off, do things our way, and hope that everything works out in our favor just to come back and say "I told you so!"... most likely, if you have built a competent team they will be the ones who will be right.

So what do you think? No, I don't want to hear stories about "the one time I went it alone and was right". What these stories inevitably leave out is how this act strained the relationship between team and leader. But still, comments are much appreciated!

-Jason

"Scientific" Analysis of Leadership = Boring

-_-' alright, I'll probably get hate mail for this. But maybe someone can help straighten me out, and help me find this more useful. So a while ago I read through three or four books that explained some "scientific" studies on leadership.

Going through my notes, I'll pick on the "Multiple Linkage Model". I'll make this as brief as possible. A leader's effectiveness is driven by the leader's behavior, however there are many situational variables, such as corporate culture, that will influence the effectiveness of a leader's behavior. (Yelling and swearing at subordinates might work in the military, but will probably get you fired at your job). Similarly, intervening variables, such as subordinate's level of ability, available resources, natural disasters... can also influence results and effectiveness.

OK, my response to this "Duh!". Ok maybe I have a prejudice against this because it took the better part of a book to explain this in its original form (I see in my notebook where I drifted off to sleep with my handwriting becoming unrecognizable). I also just completed a Computer Based Training course on leadership where I sat through almost three hours of early 90's computer graphics that described four or five more theories of leadership.

I can't help but think, "How does this make me a better Young Leader?" Does anyone have any opinions about this? Is it better to think of leadership in the scientific (almost psychological) manner that you might read about in musty books? Or is it more reasonable to think about leadership from the basis of a few very basic principles and build up from there?

I would think that people are so incredible complex that it would be more effective to think about leadership from the ground up. Comments welcome and appreciated! Thank You!!

-Jason

Followership

So why am I writing an article on followership? Aren't we all supposed to be Young Leaders here? Well yes, but the one thing that is often forgotten in discussions about leadership is the importance of good folllowership.

Lets face it, 80% of the time when you are in a group setting, at work or maybe in your community organizations, you will not be "THE leader". Of course you will have a manager or supervisor who you report to at work. In your outside organizations, you simply can't have the time or the interest to head up every single project. So if you're not "THE leader", you're a follower, but this is NOT a bad thing!

If there is anything that I can impart on you it is this: A Young Leader can demonstrate just as much leadership while being a follower as while being "THE Leader". This is because you can demonstrate leadership by working towards the shared vision and goals.

How to be a good follower:

• Be proactive - Don't wait for your boss to tell you to do something, if you see something that needs to be fixed, go fix it!
• Be a fact finder - If you don't know how to do something, try to figure it out. Expand your sphere of influence by learning more.
  
• Be an advice seeker - Be a mentee. There will always be people who have more knowledge or experience than you do. Seek out their advice.
• Be persuasive - Even if you don't have formal authority, you can still weild considerable influence.
  
• Be courageous - Do the right thing and convince others to as well.
• Be a collective follower, or plan well to stand on your own - Sometimes you have to put your own goals behind the goals of the team as a whole. However, when the time comes up that you need to go it on your own, keep things are good terms. It doesn't help anyone to storm away from a disagreement in a huff.
  

All leaders, especially Young Leaders, will have to take the roll as a follower. But learning to demonstrate leadership as a follower can be one of the most powerful lessons in being a true leader.

-Jason

Leadership Styles

I recently read an article in the Harvard Business Review (no I'm not a subscriber, someone made me a copy) by Daniel Goleman the acclaimed writer of the original book Emotional Intelligence. In this article he describes six different leadership styles and according to his research, the impact that each of these styles had on the working environment.

Let's go over the six commonly seen styles of leadership:

• Coercive: Demands immediate compliance. "Do what I tell you!" These types of leaders are your "military drill sergeant" types. According to Goleman's research these kinds of leaders typically have a negative impact. However, they can be quite effective during times of crisis when tough decisions need to be made and unconditional compliance is necessary.
  
• Authoritative: Mobilizes people towards a vision. "Come with me" Goleman found that the authoritative leadership styles seemed to have the most positive impact overall. No wonder it tends to be the leadership style that we think of first when we think about what is a leader. (Though the name 'authoritative' is probably a misnomer).
  
• Affiliative: Creates harmony and builds emotional bonds. "People come first" Affiliative leaders also make a strong positive impact, though some of the standards of work quality and worker responsibility may fall as compared to with the authoritative leadership style.
  
• Democratic: Forges consensus through participation. "What do you think?" We know this one... Typically positive though less than either the authoritative or the affiliative. With this style, work quality and worker commitment tend to suffer. (So maybe what they say about government work and workers... is founded in some truth?)
  
• Pacesetting: Sets high standards for performance. "Do as I do, now" The pacesetting leadership style was found to also have a negative impact. I would typically call this person the "micromanager". They might be high performers, but they probably also have a strict idea of the "right way" of doing things. This obviously, decreases employee/team morale.
  
• Coaching: Develops people for the future. "Try this." The coaching leadership style also has a positive impact however, however like the affiliative leadership style, worker responsibility is reduced, because responsibility falls upon the coach to constantly remind and motivate the worker / team member.
  

OK, so one thing to remember is that neither Goleman or I am trying to say that one leadership style is "the best". In fact, Young Leaders need to use all of these styles, just in different circumstances. How to choose when to use each style usually comes down to experience, but if you are observant and perhaps learn about psychology or strategy, you might be able to make a wise decision. More on this later.

-Jason

Leadership in Organizations: Influence Attempts

This will be the first in a series of notes and thoughts I had from reading Leadership in Organizations by Gary A. Yukl.

Yukl discusses three different outcomes created by an attempt of one person to influence another: Compliance, Resistance, or Commitment.

• Compliance - We all know this one. Lawmakers, bosses, parents, teachers... make rules that we "have" to follow... sometimes we don't want to, but the consequences are not nice, so we comply.
  
• Resistance - Someone wants you to do something, but you don't want to... so you don't. Too bad for them!!
  
• Commitment - Now this is what we all are aiming for. When you attempt to influence someone else, the best result is commitment from that person to do exactly what you wanted them to do.
  

But Commitment is hard to get out of people. How do you do it? One way would be to use the Golden Rules from Dale Carnegie's Win Friends and Influence People.

I've heard over and over again of people pointing to how militaristic "leadership" styles can be highly effective. I would disagree. The military proper, forces strict compliance through a rigid system of rules and harsh punishments. However, the military doesn't aim for compliance. Instead they get commitment in one way by using Dale Carnegie's Golden Rule #19 "Appeal to the nobler motives", i.e., They reinforce the idea that soldiers fight to Defend Freedom or that they are true Patriots or Heroes by serving. Similarly, members of the military form extremely tight bonds of camaraderie.

The strong emotions tied to military services, which create the high levels of commitment, cannot be built overnight. Furthermore, most organizations simply not meant to have the dualism of coercive compliance coupled with emotional commitment. For this reason, I often think of leadership as having much more to do with empowering the followers, not to achieve YOUR goals, but rather to achieve OUR shared goals. It is much easier to get commitment from people when you keep their interests in mind. Think about this the next time you are trying to influence someone else. It might come in handy!

Until next time,
-Jason

Be a Mentor

Just go and do it. Be a mentor. It's that simple!...

Ok, ok, maybe it's not that simple, but being a mentor is one of the best leadership building activities EVER. Think about it for a second. You're a Young leader with tons of ambition, ready to take on the world... But you want a little direction; you want to see some of the pitfalls that lie ahead; you want to know the best ways to achieve your goals quickly. How do you get this information?

The short answer is, it's not Google or the internet (those these can help... some). No the best answer is from a mentor, someone who has already gone through what you're going through. Now, now, don't go about conjuring up images of wizened old men with long white beards. Mentors come in all shapes and sizes, and there are plenty of mentoring opportunities for Young Leaders.

Supposed you're in college. Then, you probably know tons of high school students who want advice on what classes to take, colleges to look at, good after school jobs, and etc... But then maybe you're still in high school. Well there are plenty of middle and elementary school kids who could use a "big brother" or "big sister" to show them the value of education or help them resist negative peer pressure. To put it simply, no matter what stage of life you are in, there is always someone who would like to learn about your experiences, and I'm sure there are times in your life where you felt the same way.

Being a mentor is also an amazing feeling. Not only will you feel good because you are helping someone else along in their careers or lives, you will never forget the appreciation and respect that your mentees will show you.

Even more, as a Young Leader and a mentor, you will also be able to practice your leadership skills, by listening to what they want and helping them to shape their own personal vision and setting the goals that they need to achieve it.

So the take away is to go and be a mentor! Just remember not to just go up to a school and tell a teacher, "I want to mentor some of your kids for a few hours." People will think you're some kind of weirdo. :-) Start simple. There are probably younger people in your own family that already look up to you for advice and guidance. If not, reach out to your network of extended family and friends. Finally, remember that being a mentor isn't about "being older" or "wiser" it just means sharing your experiences with those who want to listen.

Comments are well appreciated. Leave your stories about being a mentor / having a mentor!

-Jason

Integrity

We've all heard about "integrity". I actually, think we probably hear "too much" about integrity. We are told to "live with integrity". Many schools (especially in business in the wake of the Enron scandal) require students to promise that they will "hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity". Students are left to the conclusion that this probably means "don't do bad stuff" (cheating, plagiarism, and etc...)

Quite often though, in a display of extremely poor leadership, some smart-ass will point out that integrity is the property of "oneness", and that as long as you believe it is morally acceptable to lie, cheat and steal, you can still have rock solid integrity.

This kind of thinking is not only immature, but also potentially dangerous. Can you imagine the world that we might live in? Leaders claiming to be examples of integrity truly believing that as long as their actions aligned with their own twisted moral code (and that they wouldn't get caught), that they could get away with anything? It's not exactly the kind of place I want to live in either.

Though I do agree that integrity does in fact mean the property of "oneness", I take this in a much broader, and I believe 'truer' sense. I take integrity to mean something more like "the oneness of expectations and behaviors". This leads to something more along the lines of the "Golden Rule". No, not "the ones who have the gold make the rules", but "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

This is a simple yet powerful message that Young Leaders need to take to heart. If you have the reputation of having integrity of expectations and behavior, others will take notice. People will want to work for you, knowing that you will treat them fairly, and others will learn to treat you fairly, knowing that you expect to be treated as such.

So when was the last time you aligned yourself to your moral compass? Maybe it's about time to think about what you value in a leader (and in just a person) and to try to live up to that standard. And as always thanks for reading!

-Jason

Servant Leadership

High school principals seem to love extolling the qualities of servant leadership that their favorite student council members have demonstrated. While I truly believe servant leadership to be an excellent paradigm for young leaders to follow, I don't always believe that these people know very much of what they are talking about when they speak of "servant leadership".

However, if they had read The Servant the original book about "servant leadership" they would probably understand this topic a little more. In the simplest terms, servant leadership reveals the difference between Power and Authority. As we've mentioned before, dictators, drill sergeants, and pure “managers” wield power, while true leaders wield authority. The difference between Power and Authority is that with pure power, you coerce followers (underlings) to do your bidding, however with authority you get people to willingly do what you want through influence.

In the beginning of The Servant, a businessman is nearing a breakdown in his professional and personal lives. He ends up attending a week-long retreat at a Benedictine monastery. There he learns that even though he had been very successful in many areas of his life, it had come at a great human cost. This cost slowly took its toll on his coworkers and family as he ruthlessly disregarded their needs in order to pursue his own goals.

Throughout the book, the author takes the main character through a paradigm shifting journey. He realizes that often times managers spend most of their time enjoying their rights as leaders instead of their responsibilities as leaders. He learns that the true servant leader is committed to fulfill the needs (not the wants) of his or her followers. And in the end, followers work more effectively under a leader who actually cares about how they are doing versus under an authoritative taskmaster who “leads” with a bullwhip.

Servant leadership is again something that is best learned through experience than just through books. It also comes in time as a person matures and learns selflessness versus selfishness. Not something the average high school student council member displays. But anyway, this is only an introduction to servant leadership. For a great overview check out The Servant.

-Jason