Saturday, October 10, 2009
10 Metaphors to Use for Overcoming Success TRAPS
People everywhere now days are in search for the best ways to have a happier life. With all of the stress, burdens and tug-of-wars that come along with job loss, downsizing and a lack of support from the doom and gloom economy, people are wondering what they must do to get through each day. If you are one of these people, or know someone who might be dealing with some of these same pains, take a look at the “10 Metaphors to Use for Overcoming Success TRAPS” – and, how these 10 strategies can help you to save the remains of your sanity to renew your focus on succeeding at all you setout to accomplish by visiting: http://skippersbiz.wordpress.com/
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Success TRAPS: Awaken Your Realized Potential for Lasting Fulfillment
Release Date: 11.11.09
My new book, Sucess TRAPS, taps into the riches of human motivation by stimulating the use of a new mindset. This landmark publication provides an inspiring outlook, collective wisdoms, tips, tactics and quotes to ponder that compels people to reach significantly higher levels in life and win on life’s battlefield. It offers a practical perspective that should serve as a foundation on the study of “self,” “people,” “management and leadership.” It is grounded on a simple, yet fundamental principle: First learn to lead yourself and then lead others to find their voice. It is both relevant and practical. I provide the essentials for anyone to keep striving for excellence no matter where they are or what they are doing. The advice benefits anyone in a work or non-work situation that is pressure-laden, but ultimately lacking in real personal satisfaction. Basically, it teaches what to do when you find yourself out at sea and in the water alone – “you put your head down and swim through the rough waves!”
Get ready for an exciting ride, but be prepared for a little emotional turbulence if you’re honest with yourself to create the needed opportunities that question your intentions in life. Each chapter gleans valuable insight that when put into practice helps you to develop the essential life skills used to change current and future circumstances.
My new book, Sucess TRAPS, taps into the riches of human motivation by stimulating the use of a new mindset. This landmark publication provides an inspiring outlook, collective wisdoms, tips, tactics and quotes to ponder that compels people to reach significantly higher levels in life and win on life’s battlefield. It offers a practical perspective that should serve as a foundation on the study of “self,” “people,” “management and leadership.” It is grounded on a simple, yet fundamental principle: First learn to lead yourself and then lead others to find their voice. It is both relevant and practical. I provide the essentials for anyone to keep striving for excellence no matter where they are or what they are doing. The advice benefits anyone in a work or non-work situation that is pressure-laden, but ultimately lacking in real personal satisfaction. Basically, it teaches what to do when you find yourself out at sea and in the water alone – “you put your head down and swim through the rough waves!”
Get ready for an exciting ride, but be prepared for a little emotional turbulence if you’re honest with yourself to create the needed opportunities that question your intentions in life. Each chapter gleans valuable insight that when put into practice helps you to develop the essential life skills used to change current and future circumstances.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
What Ever It Takes!
11.11.09
What Ever It Takes
On November 11, 2009, the Bison Group Corporation will debut a new advertising campaign titled “Winning the Battles.”
“Winning the Battles” is the prequel to the “Success TRAPS” project and campaign that launched on Veterans Day, November 11, 2008. America is reminded of the battles by honoring veterans who served and fought on behalf of world peace and protected the freedoms of America. Veterans reminded America of the purpose of service – to defend our nation’s freedom and the American way of life.
“Winning the Battles” is an authentic portrayal of what it really takes for Americans to stand-up to a higher purpose and overcome the enemies threatening their way of life on life’s battlefields. Developed by a team who have earned their place in a line of U.S. Marines that stretches back over 233 years, the new campaign explains the reasons why people across all corners of the nation must answering the call to excellence. Everyone who responds must start their journey to prove themselves, and uplift others to do the same, and take the steps to awaken their realized potential for lasting fulfillment in our nation’s most demanding test of mind, body, and character – Leadership. Only after they successfully complete the journey will they earn the title.
Watch the video, share it with friends and family, and come be a part of the journey that will take you down a long walk on a short path. It begins on 11.11.09 so be there to be one of the people who establish their vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there with the official premiere of “Winning the Battles.”
http://www.212movie.com/
What Ever It Takes
On November 11, 2009, the Bison Group Corporation will debut a new advertising campaign titled “Winning the Battles.”
“Winning the Battles” is the prequel to the “Success TRAPS” project and campaign that launched on Veterans Day, November 11, 2008. America is reminded of the battles by honoring veterans who served and fought on behalf of world peace and protected the freedoms of America. Veterans reminded America of the purpose of service – to defend our nation’s freedom and the American way of life.
“Winning the Battles” is an authentic portrayal of what it really takes for Americans to stand-up to a higher purpose and overcome the enemies threatening their way of life on life’s battlefields. Developed by a team who have earned their place in a line of U.S. Marines that stretches back over 233 years, the new campaign explains the reasons why people across all corners of the nation must answering the call to excellence. Everyone who responds must start their journey to prove themselves, and uplift others to do the same, and take the steps to awaken their realized potential for lasting fulfillment in our nation’s most demanding test of mind, body, and character – Leadership. Only after they successfully complete the journey will they earn the title.
Watch the video, share it with friends and family, and come be a part of the journey that will take you down a long walk on a short path. It begins on 11.11.09 so be there to be one of the people who establish their vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there with the official premiere of “Winning the Battles.”
http://www.212movie.com/
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A Consultant’s Economic Outlook using the Art of War
Respected Colleagues, I need your help.
As a training consultancy operating within the business sphere over the last eighteen months, the economic state across the corporate sector signals a major shift in doctrinal thinking. With this in mind, a huge consensus suggests the sector is starring down the barrel of a massively destabilizing short range future outlook.
In the aftermath of our financial meltdown and in the words of President John F. Kennedy, “there’s something immoral about abandoning your own judgment.” This being said, there are two questions that consultants must consider today: “if the economic state has degraded (limited) our retaliatory options, for consultancy firms, how must we step-up our customer over flights (intelligence and understanding our clients), while determining best-fit organizations for individual service offerings?” And, “how can we help the organizations and the economy respond in the future by understanding ‘what’ to do before our leaders engage the ‘how-to’ do as a first strike policy?”
Your response is highly respected and welcomed with the highest regard. I will be using your answers, with your permission, in my upcoming book “Success TRAPS: Awaken your Realized Potential for Lasting Fulfillment.”
Ref. “The Devil’s Paint Brush within Organizational Leadership”
Thank you; please respond to Dpitts@thebisongroup.com.
Kindest regards.
As a training consultancy operating within the business sphere over the last eighteen months, the economic state across the corporate sector signals a major shift in doctrinal thinking. With this in mind, a huge consensus suggests the sector is starring down the barrel of a massively destabilizing short range future outlook.
In the aftermath of our financial meltdown and in the words of President John F. Kennedy, “there’s something immoral about abandoning your own judgment.” This being said, there are two questions that consultants must consider today: “if the economic state has degraded (limited) our retaliatory options, for consultancy firms, how must we step-up our customer over flights (intelligence and understanding our clients), while determining best-fit organizations for individual service offerings?” And, “how can we help the organizations and the economy respond in the future by understanding ‘what’ to do before our leaders engage the ‘how-to’ do as a first strike policy?”
Your response is highly respected and welcomed with the highest regard. I will be using your answers, with your permission, in my upcoming book “Success TRAPS: Awaken your Realized Potential for Lasting Fulfillment.”
Ref. “The Devil’s Paint Brush within Organizational Leadership”
Thank you; please respond to Dpitts@thebisongroup.com.
Kindest regards.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Devil’s Paint Brush within Organizational Leadership
The article, “The Devil’s Paint Brush,” raises important questions about organizational leadership, provides information that will be new to some, yet revealing to others, and the answers provided are extremely exhilarating, yet troubling. Organizational leadership articles mostly present a single-sided view point of an issue and thus often fail to persuade the reader. This article’s approach, because enveloped as a case study with candor, revelations and an opportunity to overcome a leader’s self-doubt, is profound for anyone in a leadership, management or entrepreneurial position. The words of the outlined ten lessons are simple, but they need further unpacking to be understood – but the unpacked is hardly simplistic.
The article turns out to be neither triumphant nor liberating; it does not leave the reader feeling thrilled or especially enlightened. Its design raises as many questions as it resolves (transformational thinking). If I had to characterize my own reaction to the article, I myself would walk away feeling firmly stunned, or at best mightily puzzled about my own leadership style, ability and errors. Even as the author, I find myself metaphorically, scratching my head as I completed each lesson and “cared to think” about them later during my day.
But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, the article offers a sterling achievement for a proposed book. The operative phrase, however, is “cared to think,” and I fear that may be too great a task for the leaders across our small business sector. Although the content possess the potential to stir spirited and healthy debate, I expect my subtly disturbing article, to some, will most probably wind up preaching mostly to the choir and not widening the public debate about the lessons of Organizational leadership, let alone transformational thinking and decision making.
For that, I am sorry. Enjoy the article:
The Philosophy of LeaderShaping, the off-spring of the “Six Levels of Leadership,” depends heavily on “Communications” and “Intelligence” to be successful. When one or both of these elements becomes compromised, the result is known as the Fog of War. In military terms, this phenomenon encompasses all of the confusions and miscalculations, which can occur during an actual combat situation. In the case of unsuccessful organizational behavioral influences within the business sphere, it is defined as swaying public opinion across popular culture due to misinformation or ambiguous reporting of the facts. The Fog of War offers a clear definition for the “Devil’s Paint Brush:” a description of the actions across any organizational body that causes immanent death over a period of time.
An organization dealing with uncertainties within its master plan, internally and externally, can relate to the Fog of War through a common event known as “Murphy’s Law” (that whatever can go wrong, will): the natural result of organizations and their leaders rushing headlong into situations of negligible visibility. Further, this is explained as the influences of externally induced obstacles, which disrupt internal goal-oriented/directed behavior and process. The results of this common event could be catastrophic, as leaders in an organization fail to recognize the intentions of their cohorts, or target competitive positions thought to be clear of the organization’s interests. A collapse in process can be attributed to the Fog of War.
When Napoleon still ruled most of Europe, a Prussian general named Carl von Clausewitz wrote a book entitled “On War” – one of the all-time, classic books on warfare and strategy, still studied in military academies worldwide. In it, he coined the term “friction” to mean all the things that fail in the chaos of battle conditions. It’s better known in business as Murphy’s Law: that whatever can go wrong, probably will.
In another chapter of the same book, “Intelligence in War,” he discussed the problems of getting accurate information in the middle of a military engagement (for business purposes, this is known as “Intelligence of Process”): the effects of occupational hassles on negative mood and effort exertion.
Communication failures can also occur as a result of the Fog of War. By not closely examining operations, leaders cannot relay vital and timely course corrections or competitive positions to their Centers of Gravity in real time. This action can place the organization in harm’s way. Such delays and miscommunications are typically blamed on the Fog of War, since competitors and foes (in some cases, these people reside internally) may have to improvise a new strategy or retreat without sufficient time to relay their actions to their own operations. The Fog of War can also be blamed (in some cases) when vital orders from leaders are unsuccessful in reaching the strategic and execution teams in time.
The concept of a Fog of War has come under considerable criticism over the years. But, in the last eighteen months, it has been pronounced due to economic instability and poor planning by leaders across industry. Political leaders, elected officials and public and private leader’s response to these allegations often includes an allusion to Fog of War, meaning that some failures were due to real-time confusions, miscalculations and non-effective response to injury – not poor planning.
Some critics charge that the military depends too heavily on the Fog of War defense to excuse their own actions or missteps. This same defense can also be argued in the business sectors, but either sector being considered, military or business, the defense “should” not be accepted on a frequent basis – as a defense to failure (excuse) or missteps – for it goes against the very reason that “leadership” was birthed. Here’s an example of the Fog of War at work in business.
Fog and Friction: Why Organizations Suffer from the Devil’s Paint Brush
In 2008, I had the pleasure of training a new client on leadership, execution and team building. For the sake of eliminating any instance of embarrassment, I’ll change the client’s name to ABC & Company. Their dilemma at the time was two-fold; first, they wanted to become a stronger, more cohesive working team. Second, they wanted to learn a better way to execute by improving the leadership culture across the organization. During the four months of their training, an interesting occurrence continued to show itself – an example for demonstrated “Intelligence of Process.”
While outlining the Six Levels of Leadership, the client quickly realized that their business (and its future), like warfare, was messy and uncertain. They also learned that what von Clausewitz wrote holds true on both the battlefield and in the boardroom. As soon as people move from the calm of planning meetings to the messiness of action, fog obscures the vision and friction confounds preparation. While actions fail to work as planned (friction), accurate information is missed, lost, or mangled (fog). Regardless of how things are expected to turn-out, “all best laid plans change upon first contact with the enemy.” Amazingly, and with all of their training, the client quickly learned that regardless of any amount of training and learning, behaviors not changed brings calamity to any well run organization or military unit.
Fast forward a year to mid 2009, the client found themselves dealing with the Fog of War in the most profound way. A senior official responsible for running one of the organization’s successful profit centers decided to leave for a new opportunity. In doing so, the senior official offered a resignation, effective thirty days from the date of submission. In this specific situation, the executive leadership’s actions fell fault to Murphy’s Law and the Fog of War all in one swoop. Because their culture was one that demonstrated a “hierarchal leadership” approach, one that was actually disconnected from the day-to-day operations of the specific revenue center, the resignation caused confusion, tension, adrenaline, and anxiety to govern the more important pre-events of the transition process.
If you create “battle” pressures within an organization – by a lack of leadership and timely communications, competitiveness, low employee moral, fear of dismissal, pressure to win no matter what, and tyrannical management – you’ll get what real battles bring: chaos, confusion, constant breakdowns, frantic levels of anxiety, and many unnecessary losses. By the last week of the resignation and leading up to the last day as a member of the organization, the senior official was faced with employee infighting, a lack of trust from the consumer markets, insubordination, rebellious attitudes, and disobedience. The culture across the organization along with the stresses, competition, anxieties and pressures increased fog and friction a thousand-fold. This is a clear example of the effects of occupational hassles on negative mood and effort exertion. Simply, this is the potential for the beginning of the end – and, if this is not a wakeup call for the hierarchal leadership culture across ABC & Company, it could be the end of the organization as a whole. Little do they realize, but the Devil’s Paint Brush is designing a masterpiece on the very canvas of the client’s organization and culture.
Ten Lessons to Overcome the Devil’s Paint Brush
Every business activity has to generate a benefit to the business; if it does not I suggest you change it or stop doing it; hence, the concept of the Fog of War. The implication is that you need to measure the productivity of a number of activities so that you can measure and improve their profit contribution. This is why it is important to outline a series of lessons to overcome the Devil’s Paint Brush. These are your levers of productivity for your business – “a common architecture, a common application and a seamless approach” by all stakeholders to combat Murphy’s Law. This segment explains the principles of execution to increase/overcome barriers to productivity. Simply setting goals will not achieve your objectives; managing the activity that produces the result is what really counts. As we begin to look at how-to overcome this fog phenomenon, it’s important to comprehend the words of Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, influential thinker and the founder of analytical psychology (known as Jungian psychology): “The pendulum of the mind oscillates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong.” – Memories, Dreams, Reflections, 1962.
The lessons to overcome the Devil’s Paint Brush show you where to start:
1. Empathize with your Enemy,
2. Understand “Rationality” as the No-Safe-Zone,
3. Maximize Efficiency, Decrease Ineffectiveness,
4. Proportionality is an Absolute Guideline that Fails – within Reason!
5. Achieve the Data – Optimize its Resource,
6. Belief/Seeing are both often WRONG,
7. Prepare to Re-Examine your Reasoning,
8. Learn to Win Good by Engaging the Devil,
9. Never say Never – Never say I Can’t!
10. You Can’t Beat a Man at his Own Game – Human Nature.
Empathize with your Enemy. In order to limit opportunities for conflict, yet experience potential for peace, empathy must reside in all situations. However tough business and organizational needs might be, communicating with the enemy, empathically, creates an opening for successful outcomes. Empathy is the corrective action that overcomes all forms of misrepresentation and misunderstanding. Leaders using this strategy can remove themselves from their current emotional state, look at a situation through the lens of the opposing force and understand the thoughts that drive the decisions being made. The key to winning this strategy lie in your ability to know the enemy and how their culture responds to differing circumstances. In a military context, during the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese Government saw the United States as wanting to replace the French Government to preserve colonial power. The United States saw the Vietnamese as another potential cold war power, similar to the Russian Government. In the end, both countries were wrong. Neither imposed the strategy of “empathy” to learn what the other actually wanted (strategic intent was never understood). In the end, hundreds of thousands died on both sides and life for both cultures changed forever.
In the business context, leaders can only win this strategy by remaining connected to the day-to-day operations. Keeping a finger on the pulse of the business, internally and externally, including the actions, behaviors and thoughts of all stakeholders, allows leadership to remain ahead of the curve. But, at times of uncertainty as when essential staff moves away from the organization to pursue greater opportunities, the incident cannot cause for alarm as in the case of calling the fire “out-of-control.” This is the time that the leaders are able to spread their wings and demonstrate the true strength and foundation of excellence – the true substance of the organization must prevail beyond the parties being removed.
To be successful, leaders must empathize with the situation from all aspects (good and bad), understanding what is needed to use the situation as a growth opportunity, and get their hands dirty to realize how-to maximize the talents of the remaining human capital. People are the greatest asset to any organization, so this means that the leadership must be able to understand the thoughts and feelings of others – their internal and external customer. This cannot be done if the leaders are disconnected from the daily functioning of the organization or department being effected.
Understand “Rationality” as the No-Safe-Zone. I remember watching a fantastic movie titled, “Thirteen Days,” staring Bruce Greenwood and Kevin Costner. The film is set during the two-week Cuban missile crisis (Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba) in October of 1962 and it centers on how President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy and others handled the explosive situation.
In October, 1962, U-2 surveillance photos revealed that the Soviet Union was in the process of placing nuclear weapons in Cuba. These weapons had the capability of wiping out most of the Eastern and Southern United States in minutes if they became operational. President John F. Kennedy and his advisors had to devise a plan of action against the Soviets. Kennedy was determined to show that he was strong enough to stand up to the threat, and the Pentagon advised U.S. military strikes against Cuba, which could have led the way to another U.S. invasion of the island. However, Kennedy was reluctant to follow through because a U.S. invasion would have cause the Soviets to retaliate in Europe. A nuclear showdown appeared inevitable and the question to ask now, some forty-seven years later is this: “how was it prevented?”
This story offers one of the greatest lesson for leaders to truly understand how-to win the strategy here. I encourage you, the reader, to rent the film from your local video rental for a lesson in leadership, patience, communications, strategy and the Fog of War. Having a true understanding of the actions from both presidents, Kennedy and Khrushchev, during this tense stand-off teaches just how fragile “rationality” actually is in times of uncertainty. It was later found out in a meeting in 1992 that the Soviets had parked 162 nuclear warheads, including 90 tactical warheads in Cuba during this critical moment in the crisis.
In the business context, leaders must have a proven process by which individuals are selected to be leaders, given they possess the required attributes and style that best fits the organization. Leaders responsible to the selection process must be equipped to make the best decisions to maximize the greatest payoff distributions. They must select the abilities after removing the noise inferred ex post from the immediate observed outcomes.
The framework design to follow must offer a model, which leaders’ judge relative to three different outcomes: First, risk must be considered at all levels of the organization. Behaviors and personalities coming together as ineffective ingredients can have a greater cost to the organization than any newly appointed incoming/ineffective leader. Second, “overconfidence” must be considered to ensure the actual needs of the organization are not being underestimated. This can cause a potential appointment decision to be based on “rationality” rather than “best practices” to meet current and future needs. Third, numerous implications for the analysis of real-world leadership and organizational behavior, new product development, relation of risk-taking to an organization’s situation and culture (past, present and future) must be discussed (i.e. one who underestimates project risk, has a higher probability of being chosen as the leader than an otherwise identical rational manager). Rationality can in fact cause a “No-Safe-Zone.”
Maximize Efficiency, Decrease Ineffectiveness. Time is critical and has a value that is mostly misunderstood. Efficiency must be a major consideration when faced with serious issues. Maximizing efficiency requires both “incremental change of process” in the way things are being done today, and “fundamental change” that brings on greater gains in efficiency for the future. Another aspect for consideration on this topic is “acceleration.” As we venture into the new world after the down sizing of the global business sphere, we’ll begin to see the need to do more with less – less cost, less time, less risk and less redundancy. To win this strategy, leaders must learn to increase efficiency across all aspects of their information infrastructure, deploy the most energy-efficient common application platforms for best practices, simplify their processes of compliance with regulations and policies, utilize the benefits of the digital age (automate IT management platforms and archetypes), secure accurate and trustworthy information at every level to execute strategically and flawlessly, and aim to be a strategic partner that enables the success of the people and organization simultaneously. Experiencing high levels of success in this area not only maximizes efficiencies, but also leverages expertise to help the organization emerge from areas of uncertainty stronger than ever into the future. All of these actions (and some not listed) decrease ineffectiveness across an organization and offer, to a leader, the many opportunities to be more effective within their operations.
Proportionality is an Absolute Guideline that Fails – within Reason! Some people seem to pursue an intuitive definition of proportionality in warfare: that the civilian casualties in war on either side should not be significantly higher than the civilian casualties on the opposing side. But, the actual definition, from international law, does not define it that way: the incidental or unintended harm caused to civilians or civilian property must be proportional and not excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated by an attack on a military objective. The question now is this: which definition makes more sense, the intuitive one or the legal one? One problem with the intuitive definition is that civilian casualties on one side could be used to justify deliberate civilian casualties on the other side. But, the official version is also problematic because it seems to justify any number of civilian casualties if the military advantage is judged great enough. Neither formulation, however you examine them, offer a quantitative comparison, which means that in any war, people holding different biases are unlikely to agree on whether or not proportionality was actually observed. Simply stated, “proportionality” in the military context is all about the rights and wrongs of killing civilians.
Proportionality in the business sense also has parallels to the definitions above, only it is outlined as a strategy to win. How, you might be asking yourself. Earlier, we outlined the definition for the Fog of War as the “actions across any organizational body that causes immanent death over a period of time.” One of the actions that leaders fail at is taking care of their organization’s greatest asset – the people. The principal fundamental asset of an organization is its people. They are the engines that drive performance and make things run. Without people, nothing can be achieved.
If leaders fail to inspire greatness from their people, they’ll quickly establish a guideline of perception that things such as profit and process has a greater value. This action is one that promises to cause immanent death to an organization. The key is to establish “Success Traps” that help individuals achieve Personal Proficiency to increase Professional Mastery. Leaders must be able to get people to answer a few questions:
- How do “I” respond to problems and challenges?
- How do “I” influence others to my point of view?
- How do “I” respond to the changing pace of the environment?
- How do “I” respond to rules and regulations set by others?
And, they too must be able to get their people to answer the following questions, as it relates to the overall state – and the future state – of the organization as well:
- Do “I” know where the organization wants to be in the future?
- Do “I” know what the organization will apply its resources against to achieve its Future Picture?
- How will the organization apply those resources? And, how might “I” contribute in the process?
- When and under what conditions will the organization exit from its current strategic plan? And, what influences will “I” contribute to ensure greater success to its outcomes?
It basically comes down to a single issue: “does leadership help everyone in the organization lead upwards? And if so, do they reveal the secrets of Service Performance Management to everyone?” In the current economy, facing the challenges of a deepening global recession with limited financial resources; many organizations are charting a new course. As business leaders navigate this evolving terrain, it is important that they satisfy the demands of customers, employees, and vendor relationships – and develop new strategies that address the economic, social, and environmental impact of their business processes and practices.
This is where service performance management adds value: Strategies to create business and societal value to provide the strategic clarity needed to align performance and service oriented management to business and organizational strategy, and hold individuals accountable while managing successfully through the downturn.
When leaders take care of their people, “proportionality” becomes a non-issue. But, when they do not value their people as their greatest asset or forget, immanent death over a period of time (shorter rather than later) is realized.
Achieve the Data – Optimize its Resource. Machines that run at high speed demand constant and abundant lubrication to prevent friction between the moving parts. Slower-speed machines need less. Running a machine, or a business organization, faster than it is designed to perform is the perfect recipe for provoking the maximum number of breakdowns. This is even more true when an organization is being forced to operate efficiently and effectively on a daily basis. Although its design requires peak performance, without the proper data to optimize its resources, things will go wrong and the leaders will experience the Fog of War.
Speaking about the need for data quality helps organizations generate the right form of business intelligence and assist leaders with making the right business decisions that becomes the game changer for the people and organization. The key to maximizing the data relies on a simple acronym that is all too familiar: GIGO – “Garbage in, Garbage out.” Data integrity is essential to an organization’s success and the leader’s ability to make great decisions.
Belief/Seeing are both often WRONG. “We see only what we want to see, and in most cases, our judgment in the face of chaos, causes us to be wrong – and right – when we only see half the picture.” Tom Petruno’s Money & Co. Blog back in April, 2008 talked about Wachovia Bank’s shareholders wishing that they could have a “do over” of the bank’s major foray into California. What he was referring to at the time was Wachovia’s 2006 purchase of Golden West Financial, the California lender that specialized in so-called option ARMs. As mortgage loan losses soared in 2008, Wachovia was forced to slash its quarterly dividend payment by 41%, from $.64 a share to $.375. At a time that the business world, more specifically, the financial markets were imploding, Wachovia was stated as saying “California really is bad and the acquisition of Golden West Financial was riskier than we initially thought” (Source: Goldman Sachs & Co. report).
The Golden West Financial organization didn’t just specialize in option ARMS, it lived, ate, and breathed them. According to Bloomberg News, “99% of Golden West’s mortgage loans were option ARMs.” You wonder, then, how it’s possible that Wall Street didn’t recognize how risky these loans were until, um, today (April 2008). Leaders must learn to take heed in the lesson that others have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The key to winning this strategy lies in a keen ability to “achieve the data and optimize its resource –and, understanding that there’s more than what meets the eye!”
Prepare to Re-Examine your Reasoning. Robert S. McNamara, the Eighth Secretary of Defense for the United States serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, is quoted as saying: “Were those who issued the approval to use Agent Orange criminals? Were they committing a crime against humanity? Let’s look at the law. Now what kind of law do we have that says these chemicals are acceptable for use in war and these chemicals are not. We don’t have clear definitions of that kind. I never in the world would have authorized an illegal action. I’m not really sure I authorized Agent Orange. I don’t remember it, but it certainly occurred, the use of it occurred while I was Secretary.” He is also quoted as saying: “What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? We are the strongest nation in the world today. I do not believe that we should ever apply economic, political, and military power unilaterally. If we had followed that rule in Vietnam, we wouldn’t have been there. None of our allies supported us. Not Japan, not Germany, not Britain or France. If we can’t persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we’d better reexamine our reasoning.”
What an amazing leadership lesson for us to learn from. These words are profound in a way that stipulates the reason to develop GREAT teams across an organization – and, hold them accountable for their actions and their leaders for the decisions being made when executing strategy. The greatest mistake that leaders can make is not reexamining their reasoning for moving forward with a decision. Responsible leaders develop a framework, or adopt a proven model that provides their people with a toolkit to think strategically, assess financial implications of their decisions, mobilize change within the organization and communicate with other business leaders. These actions help their managers and team leaders to chart the future of their departments, as well as manage for bottom-line performance in real-time. When a leader is able to perform in this manner, he/she provides engaging opportunities for others to specialize in a specific area of career interest. Having the confidence to remove yourself from popular culture, the “Art of Detachment,” and reexamine your reasoning, eliminates opportunities for mistakes to be repeated – by ALL parties.
Learn to Win Good by Engaging the Devil. Again, quoting Robert S. McNamara, he stated: “How much evil must we do in order to do good? We have certain ideals, certain responsibilities. Recognize that at times you will have to engage in evil, but minimize it.” This statement is in relation to the many awful things that took place in Vietnam. But, it still rings true today for the battles that are engaged by leaders in the business battle space. Sometimes, doing the right things means “not” doing what is right. Small business owners are faced with this dilemma day after day. However you look at it, it comes down to a decision having to be made. What do you do when you have to make a decision to speak an untruth because the circumstances are not right and the outcomes from the truth will do more harm? Here’s a way to deal with this dilemma.
In most cases, the Fog of War in business are the prime causes of loss and wastage in organizational settings – waste of money, time, effort, manpower, and resources of every kind. They turn opportunities into fiascos and cause excellent plans to fail. The world is already a turbulent place; there’s not much that you can do to change that. It makes no sense to add to your problems through self-inflicted and unnecessary pressure. So, the best way to avoid the effects of the Fog of War and ineffectiveness within the organization is this: slow down and operate from a clear Memorandum of Understanding that provides a common architecture, a common set of applications and a requirement of teams to complete the necessary tasks to win.
It is important that you, as a leader, have the necessary time to be proactive in order to limit any risk while moving forward (the difference between making a “compromise” vs. being “compromised”). When things go wrong, as they often do, do not switch into a panic mode, yet operate as if all is OK. The only way to pull this off is to learn how to remove yourself emotionally from the scenario you found yourself in, get reliable feedback from your peers, ensure the information (data) is accurate and uncompromised, make decisions with the future picture in mind (don’t win the small battles ONLY to lose the big war), and flawlessly execute to win.
And, if you’re wise, you’ll have expected failures along the way, prepared your contingency script and continue with non-missteps and limited surprises. Take time to let the fog clear and the dust settle. Most situations are less pressing and critical than you think. Success in business rarely depends on split-second decisions; but, in some cases, success may require you to come into the devil’s living room. When this happens and you are faced with asking yourself the question posed earlier in the segment, or a question that is unfavorable, keep the future picture and mission within sight. Engaging the devil may have to occur; when you must, do so with stunning insight and perspective. The cleanup when it’s all over must be as limited with work as possible and its cause cannot be revisited by you.
Never say Never – Never say I Can’t! Winning this strategy is simple: one of the lessons I learned early on during my service as a United States Marine is this: Never say never – never say I can’t! Never, never, never, never… say never or I can’t. And more importantly, never answer a question that is asked of you. Answer the question that you wish had been asked of you and do it honestly. Quite frankly, it is my opinion that if leaders follow these two rules, they’ll find themselves in a pretty successful position and be able to sleep at night with a clear conscience. These rules offer a simple approach. These rules are very easy to follow.
You Can’t Beat a Man at his Own Game – Human Nature. Here’s one last quote from Robert S. McNamara: “We all make mistakes. We know we make mistakes. I don't know any military commander, who is honest, who would say he has not made a mistake. There's a wonderful phrase: 'the Fog of War.' What 'the fog of war' means is: war is so complex it's beyond the ability of the human mind to comprehend all the variables. Our judgment, our understanding, is not adequate. And we kill people unnecessarily.” There’s an old adage that says “everything that’s gold don’t shine and people waiting in a long line do not constitute that they are waiting for something that is good.” Any military commander or business leader who is honest with him/herself, or with those they are speaking, will admit that he/she has made mistakes in the application of military power or in making sound business decisions. In order for leaders to win this strategy, human nature must be paid attention to at all times.
Here are a few things that can be achieved if to win the man at his own game:
Self-Serving Bias: We consistently think that we are better than we actually are. This can lead us into all kinds of traps that we will not be able to escape from. The key to avoiding this pitfall is to increase personal and situational awareness of strengths and weaknesses. Undergoing a behavioral assessment offers insight into your behavioral language and influences and provides an unfiltered view of the things that need improving overcoming the many things that hold up back from reaching our full potential.
Reliance on “Centers of Gravity:” The influence of others may not be as great as you think. Generally a “society” (family, employees, etc) changes more in response to how appealing the change is, rather than to the persuasiveness of a select few. Learn what motivates the people you’re concerned about and base your case on their interests. Most people will not champion an unfair system. If people believe they are being asked to do something they consider unfair, they will go to great lengths to avoid doing it. Pay close attention to what others believe is “fair” and you will keep people engaged and committed to the direction you want to take.
Behavior and PIAV Adds Up! Many people believe that behavior, personality, interests, attitude and value system are learned, most other people believe they are inbred. There’s probably a formula in there somewhere that combines all elements. What’s important is that people can learn new behaviors, gain a healthier attitude and adjust their values, which means they can change when and if they choose to do so. People operate in comfort zones. Sometimes those zones become “ruts” and we define ruts as “graves with the ends kicked out.” That means some people may figuratively die long before they’re ever buried. Because new behaviors, attitudes and value system adjustments can be learned, most people will give up an old way of doing something or take on a new, different belief, as long as there is some reward associated with an increase in pride, pleasure, peace of mind, or profit. Profit, in terms of money, is the most expensive way to work for change. Remember that the stake in the game doesn’t always have to be financial. Money may motivate, but it usually doesn’t satisfy for long and the effects are often short lived.
So, if you want to beat the man at his own game, use a compelling story to create inspiration for yourself and others. Let the people who are influenced by your leadership and actions have some say in how the story is going to be told and how the legacy is going to be lived after you are gone. Give them tools to work with. Give them feedback on how they’re doing. And, finally, pay attention to human nature. “We need more understanding of human nature; because the only real danger that exists is man himself...We know nothing of man, far too little. His psyche should be studied because we are the origin of all coming evil.” – Carl Jung, BBC interview, 1959.
Summation
The final lesson as we close this article is that leaders don’t just become prisoners of their perceived success. They also become prisoners of their errors. This article uses a strong military theme to outline the effects of unsuccessful organizational behavioral influences within the business sphere known as the Fog of War; swaying public opinion across popular culture due to misinformation or ambiguous reporting of the facts. The Fog of War also presents the phenomena as a tragedy for the best, talented and the brightest. These individuals simply follow as logic and common sense are both compromised. And, however independent they may have started off, soon these leaders fall victim as owners of an error they cannot admit to – the image starring at them in their reflection in mirror, who by the way is speaking the truth (mirrors don’t lie). This is by no means to suggest that leaders are not capable of being truthful about their mistakes and errors. It does suggest that the Devil’s Paint Brush makes it hard to do so. It is actually quite impressive that McNamara ever did, even years later and in a fairly limited way (admit his errors). But, although late, his account offers a learning tool for the rest of us.
Enhancing leadership decisions with independent executive judgment is a worthy aim. The life of so many leaders suggests that it is easier wished for than achieved. Avoid the Devil’s Paint Brush: the actions across any organizational body that causes immanent death over a period of time – and, a concept of battlefield or business uncertainty during a potential conflict – even when you refuse to see one headed in your direction.
The article turns out to be neither triumphant nor liberating; it does not leave the reader feeling thrilled or especially enlightened. Its design raises as many questions as it resolves (transformational thinking). If I had to characterize my own reaction to the article, I myself would walk away feeling firmly stunned, or at best mightily puzzled about my own leadership style, ability and errors. Even as the author, I find myself metaphorically, scratching my head as I completed each lesson and “cared to think” about them later during my day.
But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, the article offers a sterling achievement for a proposed book. The operative phrase, however, is “cared to think,” and I fear that may be too great a task for the leaders across our small business sector. Although the content possess the potential to stir spirited and healthy debate, I expect my subtly disturbing article, to some, will most probably wind up preaching mostly to the choir and not widening the public debate about the lessons of Organizational leadership, let alone transformational thinking and decision making.
For that, I am sorry. Enjoy the article:
The Philosophy of LeaderShaping, the off-spring of the “Six Levels of Leadership,” depends heavily on “Communications” and “Intelligence” to be successful. When one or both of these elements becomes compromised, the result is known as the Fog of War. In military terms, this phenomenon encompasses all of the confusions and miscalculations, which can occur during an actual combat situation. In the case of unsuccessful organizational behavioral influences within the business sphere, it is defined as swaying public opinion across popular culture due to misinformation or ambiguous reporting of the facts. The Fog of War offers a clear definition for the “Devil’s Paint Brush:” a description of the actions across any organizational body that causes immanent death over a period of time.
An organization dealing with uncertainties within its master plan, internally and externally, can relate to the Fog of War through a common event known as “Murphy’s Law” (that whatever can go wrong, will): the natural result of organizations and their leaders rushing headlong into situations of negligible visibility. Further, this is explained as the influences of externally induced obstacles, which disrupt internal goal-oriented/directed behavior and process. The results of this common event could be catastrophic, as leaders in an organization fail to recognize the intentions of their cohorts, or target competitive positions thought to be clear of the organization’s interests. A collapse in process can be attributed to the Fog of War.
When Napoleon still ruled most of Europe, a Prussian general named Carl von Clausewitz wrote a book entitled “On War” – one of the all-time, classic books on warfare and strategy, still studied in military academies worldwide. In it, he coined the term “friction” to mean all the things that fail in the chaos of battle conditions. It’s better known in business as Murphy’s Law: that whatever can go wrong, probably will.
In another chapter of the same book, “Intelligence in War,” he discussed the problems of getting accurate information in the middle of a military engagement (for business purposes, this is known as “Intelligence of Process”): the effects of occupational hassles on negative mood and effort exertion.
Communication failures can also occur as a result of the Fog of War. By not closely examining operations, leaders cannot relay vital and timely course corrections or competitive positions to their Centers of Gravity in real time. This action can place the organization in harm’s way. Such delays and miscommunications are typically blamed on the Fog of War, since competitors and foes (in some cases, these people reside internally) may have to improvise a new strategy or retreat without sufficient time to relay their actions to their own operations. The Fog of War can also be blamed (in some cases) when vital orders from leaders are unsuccessful in reaching the strategic and execution teams in time.
The concept of a Fog of War has come under considerable criticism over the years. But, in the last eighteen months, it has been pronounced due to economic instability and poor planning by leaders across industry. Political leaders, elected officials and public and private leader’s response to these allegations often includes an allusion to Fog of War, meaning that some failures were due to real-time confusions, miscalculations and non-effective response to injury – not poor planning.
Some critics charge that the military depends too heavily on the Fog of War defense to excuse their own actions or missteps. This same defense can also be argued in the business sectors, but either sector being considered, military or business, the defense “should” not be accepted on a frequent basis – as a defense to failure (excuse) or missteps – for it goes against the very reason that “leadership” was birthed. Here’s an example of the Fog of War at work in business.
Fog and Friction: Why Organizations Suffer from the Devil’s Paint Brush
In 2008, I had the pleasure of training a new client on leadership, execution and team building. For the sake of eliminating any instance of embarrassment, I’ll change the client’s name to ABC & Company. Their dilemma at the time was two-fold; first, they wanted to become a stronger, more cohesive working team. Second, they wanted to learn a better way to execute by improving the leadership culture across the organization. During the four months of their training, an interesting occurrence continued to show itself – an example for demonstrated “Intelligence of Process.”
While outlining the Six Levels of Leadership, the client quickly realized that their business (and its future), like warfare, was messy and uncertain. They also learned that what von Clausewitz wrote holds true on both the battlefield and in the boardroom. As soon as people move from the calm of planning meetings to the messiness of action, fog obscures the vision and friction confounds preparation. While actions fail to work as planned (friction), accurate information is missed, lost, or mangled (fog). Regardless of how things are expected to turn-out, “all best laid plans change upon first contact with the enemy.” Amazingly, and with all of their training, the client quickly learned that regardless of any amount of training and learning, behaviors not changed brings calamity to any well run organization or military unit.
Fast forward a year to mid 2009, the client found themselves dealing with the Fog of War in the most profound way. A senior official responsible for running one of the organization’s successful profit centers decided to leave for a new opportunity. In doing so, the senior official offered a resignation, effective thirty days from the date of submission. In this specific situation, the executive leadership’s actions fell fault to Murphy’s Law and the Fog of War all in one swoop. Because their culture was one that demonstrated a “hierarchal leadership” approach, one that was actually disconnected from the day-to-day operations of the specific revenue center, the resignation caused confusion, tension, adrenaline, and anxiety to govern the more important pre-events of the transition process.
If you create “battle” pressures within an organization – by a lack of leadership and timely communications, competitiveness, low employee moral, fear of dismissal, pressure to win no matter what, and tyrannical management – you’ll get what real battles bring: chaos, confusion, constant breakdowns, frantic levels of anxiety, and many unnecessary losses. By the last week of the resignation and leading up to the last day as a member of the organization, the senior official was faced with employee infighting, a lack of trust from the consumer markets, insubordination, rebellious attitudes, and disobedience. The culture across the organization along with the stresses, competition, anxieties and pressures increased fog and friction a thousand-fold. This is a clear example of the effects of occupational hassles on negative mood and effort exertion. Simply, this is the potential for the beginning of the end – and, if this is not a wakeup call for the hierarchal leadership culture across ABC & Company, it could be the end of the organization as a whole. Little do they realize, but the Devil’s Paint Brush is designing a masterpiece on the very canvas of the client’s organization and culture.
Ten Lessons to Overcome the Devil’s Paint Brush
Every business activity has to generate a benefit to the business; if it does not I suggest you change it or stop doing it; hence, the concept of the Fog of War. The implication is that you need to measure the productivity of a number of activities so that you can measure and improve their profit contribution. This is why it is important to outline a series of lessons to overcome the Devil’s Paint Brush. These are your levers of productivity for your business – “a common architecture, a common application and a seamless approach” by all stakeholders to combat Murphy’s Law. This segment explains the principles of execution to increase/overcome barriers to productivity. Simply setting goals will not achieve your objectives; managing the activity that produces the result is what really counts. As we begin to look at how-to overcome this fog phenomenon, it’s important to comprehend the words of Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, influential thinker and the founder of analytical psychology (known as Jungian psychology): “The pendulum of the mind oscillates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong.” – Memories, Dreams, Reflections, 1962.
The lessons to overcome the Devil’s Paint Brush show you where to start:
1. Empathize with your Enemy,
2. Understand “Rationality” as the No-Safe-Zone,
3. Maximize Efficiency, Decrease Ineffectiveness,
4. Proportionality is an Absolute Guideline that Fails – within Reason!
5. Achieve the Data – Optimize its Resource,
6. Belief/Seeing are both often WRONG,
7. Prepare to Re-Examine your Reasoning,
8. Learn to Win Good by Engaging the Devil,
9. Never say Never – Never say I Can’t!
10. You Can’t Beat a Man at his Own Game – Human Nature.
Empathize with your Enemy. In order to limit opportunities for conflict, yet experience potential for peace, empathy must reside in all situations. However tough business and organizational needs might be, communicating with the enemy, empathically, creates an opening for successful outcomes. Empathy is the corrective action that overcomes all forms of misrepresentation and misunderstanding. Leaders using this strategy can remove themselves from their current emotional state, look at a situation through the lens of the opposing force and understand the thoughts that drive the decisions being made. The key to winning this strategy lie in your ability to know the enemy and how their culture responds to differing circumstances. In a military context, during the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese Government saw the United States as wanting to replace the French Government to preserve colonial power. The United States saw the Vietnamese as another potential cold war power, similar to the Russian Government. In the end, both countries were wrong. Neither imposed the strategy of “empathy” to learn what the other actually wanted (strategic intent was never understood). In the end, hundreds of thousands died on both sides and life for both cultures changed forever.
In the business context, leaders can only win this strategy by remaining connected to the day-to-day operations. Keeping a finger on the pulse of the business, internally and externally, including the actions, behaviors and thoughts of all stakeholders, allows leadership to remain ahead of the curve. But, at times of uncertainty as when essential staff moves away from the organization to pursue greater opportunities, the incident cannot cause for alarm as in the case of calling the fire “out-of-control.” This is the time that the leaders are able to spread their wings and demonstrate the true strength and foundation of excellence – the true substance of the organization must prevail beyond the parties being removed.
To be successful, leaders must empathize with the situation from all aspects (good and bad), understanding what is needed to use the situation as a growth opportunity, and get their hands dirty to realize how-to maximize the talents of the remaining human capital. People are the greatest asset to any organization, so this means that the leadership must be able to understand the thoughts and feelings of others – their internal and external customer. This cannot be done if the leaders are disconnected from the daily functioning of the organization or department being effected.
Understand “Rationality” as the No-Safe-Zone. I remember watching a fantastic movie titled, “Thirteen Days,” staring Bruce Greenwood and Kevin Costner. The film is set during the two-week Cuban missile crisis (Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba) in October of 1962 and it centers on how President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy and others handled the explosive situation.
In October, 1962, U-2 surveillance photos revealed that the Soviet Union was in the process of placing nuclear weapons in Cuba. These weapons had the capability of wiping out most of the Eastern and Southern United States in minutes if they became operational. President John F. Kennedy and his advisors had to devise a plan of action against the Soviets. Kennedy was determined to show that he was strong enough to stand up to the threat, and the Pentagon advised U.S. military strikes against Cuba, which could have led the way to another U.S. invasion of the island. However, Kennedy was reluctant to follow through because a U.S. invasion would have cause the Soviets to retaliate in Europe. A nuclear showdown appeared inevitable and the question to ask now, some forty-seven years later is this: “how was it prevented?”
This story offers one of the greatest lesson for leaders to truly understand how-to win the strategy here. I encourage you, the reader, to rent the film from your local video rental for a lesson in leadership, patience, communications, strategy and the Fog of War. Having a true understanding of the actions from both presidents, Kennedy and Khrushchev, during this tense stand-off teaches just how fragile “rationality” actually is in times of uncertainty. It was later found out in a meeting in 1992 that the Soviets had parked 162 nuclear warheads, including 90 tactical warheads in Cuba during this critical moment in the crisis.
In the business context, leaders must have a proven process by which individuals are selected to be leaders, given they possess the required attributes and style that best fits the organization. Leaders responsible to the selection process must be equipped to make the best decisions to maximize the greatest payoff distributions. They must select the abilities after removing the noise inferred ex post from the immediate observed outcomes.
The framework design to follow must offer a model, which leaders’ judge relative to three different outcomes: First, risk must be considered at all levels of the organization. Behaviors and personalities coming together as ineffective ingredients can have a greater cost to the organization than any newly appointed incoming/ineffective leader. Second, “overconfidence” must be considered to ensure the actual needs of the organization are not being underestimated. This can cause a potential appointment decision to be based on “rationality” rather than “best practices” to meet current and future needs. Third, numerous implications for the analysis of real-world leadership and organizational behavior, new product development, relation of risk-taking to an organization’s situation and culture (past, present and future) must be discussed (i.e. one who underestimates project risk, has a higher probability of being chosen as the leader than an otherwise identical rational manager). Rationality can in fact cause a “No-Safe-Zone.”
Maximize Efficiency, Decrease Ineffectiveness. Time is critical and has a value that is mostly misunderstood. Efficiency must be a major consideration when faced with serious issues. Maximizing efficiency requires both “incremental change of process” in the way things are being done today, and “fundamental change” that brings on greater gains in efficiency for the future. Another aspect for consideration on this topic is “acceleration.” As we venture into the new world after the down sizing of the global business sphere, we’ll begin to see the need to do more with less – less cost, less time, less risk and less redundancy. To win this strategy, leaders must learn to increase efficiency across all aspects of their information infrastructure, deploy the most energy-efficient common application platforms for best practices, simplify their processes of compliance with regulations and policies, utilize the benefits of the digital age (automate IT management platforms and archetypes), secure accurate and trustworthy information at every level to execute strategically and flawlessly, and aim to be a strategic partner that enables the success of the people and organization simultaneously. Experiencing high levels of success in this area not only maximizes efficiencies, but also leverages expertise to help the organization emerge from areas of uncertainty stronger than ever into the future. All of these actions (and some not listed) decrease ineffectiveness across an organization and offer, to a leader, the many opportunities to be more effective within their operations.
Proportionality is an Absolute Guideline that Fails – within Reason! Some people seem to pursue an intuitive definition of proportionality in warfare: that the civilian casualties in war on either side should not be significantly higher than the civilian casualties on the opposing side. But, the actual definition, from international law, does not define it that way: the incidental or unintended harm caused to civilians or civilian property must be proportional and not excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated by an attack on a military objective. The question now is this: which definition makes more sense, the intuitive one or the legal one? One problem with the intuitive definition is that civilian casualties on one side could be used to justify deliberate civilian casualties on the other side. But, the official version is also problematic because it seems to justify any number of civilian casualties if the military advantage is judged great enough. Neither formulation, however you examine them, offer a quantitative comparison, which means that in any war, people holding different biases are unlikely to agree on whether or not proportionality was actually observed. Simply stated, “proportionality” in the military context is all about the rights and wrongs of killing civilians.
Proportionality in the business sense also has parallels to the definitions above, only it is outlined as a strategy to win. How, you might be asking yourself. Earlier, we outlined the definition for the Fog of War as the “actions across any organizational body that causes immanent death over a period of time.” One of the actions that leaders fail at is taking care of their organization’s greatest asset – the people. The principal fundamental asset of an organization is its people. They are the engines that drive performance and make things run. Without people, nothing can be achieved.
If leaders fail to inspire greatness from their people, they’ll quickly establish a guideline of perception that things such as profit and process has a greater value. This action is one that promises to cause immanent death to an organization. The key is to establish “Success Traps” that help individuals achieve Personal Proficiency to increase Professional Mastery. Leaders must be able to get people to answer a few questions:
- How do “I” respond to problems and challenges?
- How do “I” influence others to my point of view?
- How do “I” respond to the changing pace of the environment?
- How do “I” respond to rules and regulations set by others?
And, they too must be able to get their people to answer the following questions, as it relates to the overall state – and the future state – of the organization as well:
- Do “I” know where the organization wants to be in the future?
- Do “I” know what the organization will apply its resources against to achieve its Future Picture?
- How will the organization apply those resources? And, how might “I” contribute in the process?
- When and under what conditions will the organization exit from its current strategic plan? And, what influences will “I” contribute to ensure greater success to its outcomes?
It basically comes down to a single issue: “does leadership help everyone in the organization lead upwards? And if so, do they reveal the secrets of Service Performance Management to everyone?” In the current economy, facing the challenges of a deepening global recession with limited financial resources; many organizations are charting a new course. As business leaders navigate this evolving terrain, it is important that they satisfy the demands of customers, employees, and vendor relationships – and develop new strategies that address the economic, social, and environmental impact of their business processes and practices.
This is where service performance management adds value: Strategies to create business and societal value to provide the strategic clarity needed to align performance and service oriented management to business and organizational strategy, and hold individuals accountable while managing successfully through the downturn.
When leaders take care of their people, “proportionality” becomes a non-issue. But, when they do not value their people as their greatest asset or forget, immanent death over a period of time (shorter rather than later) is realized.
Achieve the Data – Optimize its Resource. Machines that run at high speed demand constant and abundant lubrication to prevent friction between the moving parts. Slower-speed machines need less. Running a machine, or a business organization, faster than it is designed to perform is the perfect recipe for provoking the maximum number of breakdowns. This is even more true when an organization is being forced to operate efficiently and effectively on a daily basis. Although its design requires peak performance, without the proper data to optimize its resources, things will go wrong and the leaders will experience the Fog of War.
Speaking about the need for data quality helps organizations generate the right form of business intelligence and assist leaders with making the right business decisions that becomes the game changer for the people and organization. The key to maximizing the data relies on a simple acronym that is all too familiar: GIGO – “Garbage in, Garbage out.” Data integrity is essential to an organization’s success and the leader’s ability to make great decisions.
Belief/Seeing are both often WRONG. “We see only what we want to see, and in most cases, our judgment in the face of chaos, causes us to be wrong – and right – when we only see half the picture.” Tom Petruno’s Money & Co. Blog back in April, 2008 talked about Wachovia Bank’s shareholders wishing that they could have a “do over” of the bank’s major foray into California. What he was referring to at the time was Wachovia’s 2006 purchase of Golden West Financial, the California lender that specialized in so-called option ARMs. As mortgage loan losses soared in 2008, Wachovia was forced to slash its quarterly dividend payment by 41%, from $.64 a share to $.375. At a time that the business world, more specifically, the financial markets were imploding, Wachovia was stated as saying “California really is bad and the acquisition of Golden West Financial was riskier than we initially thought” (Source: Goldman Sachs & Co. report).
The Golden West Financial organization didn’t just specialize in option ARMS, it lived, ate, and breathed them. According to Bloomberg News, “99% of Golden West’s mortgage loans were option ARMs.” You wonder, then, how it’s possible that Wall Street didn’t recognize how risky these loans were until, um, today (April 2008). Leaders must learn to take heed in the lesson that others have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The key to winning this strategy lies in a keen ability to “achieve the data and optimize its resource –and, understanding that there’s more than what meets the eye!”
Prepare to Re-Examine your Reasoning. Robert S. McNamara, the Eighth Secretary of Defense for the United States serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, is quoted as saying: “Were those who issued the approval to use Agent Orange criminals? Were they committing a crime against humanity? Let’s look at the law. Now what kind of law do we have that says these chemicals are acceptable for use in war and these chemicals are not. We don’t have clear definitions of that kind. I never in the world would have authorized an illegal action. I’m not really sure I authorized Agent Orange. I don’t remember it, but it certainly occurred, the use of it occurred while I was Secretary.” He is also quoted as saying: “What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? We are the strongest nation in the world today. I do not believe that we should ever apply economic, political, and military power unilaterally. If we had followed that rule in Vietnam, we wouldn’t have been there. None of our allies supported us. Not Japan, not Germany, not Britain or France. If we can’t persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we’d better reexamine our reasoning.”
What an amazing leadership lesson for us to learn from. These words are profound in a way that stipulates the reason to develop GREAT teams across an organization – and, hold them accountable for their actions and their leaders for the decisions being made when executing strategy. The greatest mistake that leaders can make is not reexamining their reasoning for moving forward with a decision. Responsible leaders develop a framework, or adopt a proven model that provides their people with a toolkit to think strategically, assess financial implications of their decisions, mobilize change within the organization and communicate with other business leaders. These actions help their managers and team leaders to chart the future of their departments, as well as manage for bottom-line performance in real-time. When a leader is able to perform in this manner, he/she provides engaging opportunities for others to specialize in a specific area of career interest. Having the confidence to remove yourself from popular culture, the “Art of Detachment,” and reexamine your reasoning, eliminates opportunities for mistakes to be repeated – by ALL parties.
Learn to Win Good by Engaging the Devil. Again, quoting Robert S. McNamara, he stated: “How much evil must we do in order to do good? We have certain ideals, certain responsibilities. Recognize that at times you will have to engage in evil, but minimize it.” This statement is in relation to the many awful things that took place in Vietnam. But, it still rings true today for the battles that are engaged by leaders in the business battle space. Sometimes, doing the right things means “not” doing what is right. Small business owners are faced with this dilemma day after day. However you look at it, it comes down to a decision having to be made. What do you do when you have to make a decision to speak an untruth because the circumstances are not right and the outcomes from the truth will do more harm? Here’s a way to deal with this dilemma.
In most cases, the Fog of War in business are the prime causes of loss and wastage in organizational settings – waste of money, time, effort, manpower, and resources of every kind. They turn opportunities into fiascos and cause excellent plans to fail. The world is already a turbulent place; there’s not much that you can do to change that. It makes no sense to add to your problems through self-inflicted and unnecessary pressure. So, the best way to avoid the effects of the Fog of War and ineffectiveness within the organization is this: slow down and operate from a clear Memorandum of Understanding that provides a common architecture, a common set of applications and a requirement of teams to complete the necessary tasks to win.
It is important that you, as a leader, have the necessary time to be proactive in order to limit any risk while moving forward (the difference between making a “compromise” vs. being “compromised”). When things go wrong, as they often do, do not switch into a panic mode, yet operate as if all is OK. The only way to pull this off is to learn how to remove yourself emotionally from the scenario you found yourself in, get reliable feedback from your peers, ensure the information (data) is accurate and uncompromised, make decisions with the future picture in mind (don’t win the small battles ONLY to lose the big war), and flawlessly execute to win.
And, if you’re wise, you’ll have expected failures along the way, prepared your contingency script and continue with non-missteps and limited surprises. Take time to let the fog clear and the dust settle. Most situations are less pressing and critical than you think. Success in business rarely depends on split-second decisions; but, in some cases, success may require you to come into the devil’s living room. When this happens and you are faced with asking yourself the question posed earlier in the segment, or a question that is unfavorable, keep the future picture and mission within sight. Engaging the devil may have to occur; when you must, do so with stunning insight and perspective. The cleanup when it’s all over must be as limited with work as possible and its cause cannot be revisited by you.
Never say Never – Never say I Can’t! Winning this strategy is simple: one of the lessons I learned early on during my service as a United States Marine is this: Never say never – never say I can’t! Never, never, never, never… say never or I can’t. And more importantly, never answer a question that is asked of you. Answer the question that you wish had been asked of you and do it honestly. Quite frankly, it is my opinion that if leaders follow these two rules, they’ll find themselves in a pretty successful position and be able to sleep at night with a clear conscience. These rules offer a simple approach. These rules are very easy to follow.
You Can’t Beat a Man at his Own Game – Human Nature. Here’s one last quote from Robert S. McNamara: “We all make mistakes. We know we make mistakes. I don't know any military commander, who is honest, who would say he has not made a mistake. There's a wonderful phrase: 'the Fog of War.' What 'the fog of war' means is: war is so complex it's beyond the ability of the human mind to comprehend all the variables. Our judgment, our understanding, is not adequate. And we kill people unnecessarily.” There’s an old adage that says “everything that’s gold don’t shine and people waiting in a long line do not constitute that they are waiting for something that is good.” Any military commander or business leader who is honest with him/herself, or with those they are speaking, will admit that he/she has made mistakes in the application of military power or in making sound business decisions. In order for leaders to win this strategy, human nature must be paid attention to at all times.
Here are a few things that can be achieved if to win the man at his own game:
Self-Serving Bias: We consistently think that we are better than we actually are. This can lead us into all kinds of traps that we will not be able to escape from. The key to avoiding this pitfall is to increase personal and situational awareness of strengths and weaknesses. Undergoing a behavioral assessment offers insight into your behavioral language and influences and provides an unfiltered view of the things that need improving overcoming the many things that hold up back from reaching our full potential.
Reliance on “Centers of Gravity:” The influence of others may not be as great as you think. Generally a “society” (family, employees, etc) changes more in response to how appealing the change is, rather than to the persuasiveness of a select few. Learn what motivates the people you’re concerned about and base your case on their interests. Most people will not champion an unfair system. If people believe they are being asked to do something they consider unfair, they will go to great lengths to avoid doing it. Pay close attention to what others believe is “fair” and you will keep people engaged and committed to the direction you want to take.
Behavior and PIAV Adds Up! Many people believe that behavior, personality, interests, attitude and value system are learned, most other people believe they are inbred. There’s probably a formula in there somewhere that combines all elements. What’s important is that people can learn new behaviors, gain a healthier attitude and adjust their values, which means they can change when and if they choose to do so. People operate in comfort zones. Sometimes those zones become “ruts” and we define ruts as “graves with the ends kicked out.” That means some people may figuratively die long before they’re ever buried. Because new behaviors, attitudes and value system adjustments can be learned, most people will give up an old way of doing something or take on a new, different belief, as long as there is some reward associated with an increase in pride, pleasure, peace of mind, or profit. Profit, in terms of money, is the most expensive way to work for change. Remember that the stake in the game doesn’t always have to be financial. Money may motivate, but it usually doesn’t satisfy for long and the effects are often short lived.
So, if you want to beat the man at his own game, use a compelling story to create inspiration for yourself and others. Let the people who are influenced by your leadership and actions have some say in how the story is going to be told and how the legacy is going to be lived after you are gone. Give them tools to work with. Give them feedback on how they’re doing. And, finally, pay attention to human nature. “We need more understanding of human nature; because the only real danger that exists is man himself...We know nothing of man, far too little. His psyche should be studied because we are the origin of all coming evil.” – Carl Jung, BBC interview, 1959.
Summation
The final lesson as we close this article is that leaders don’t just become prisoners of their perceived success. They also become prisoners of their errors. This article uses a strong military theme to outline the effects of unsuccessful organizational behavioral influences within the business sphere known as the Fog of War; swaying public opinion across popular culture due to misinformation or ambiguous reporting of the facts. The Fog of War also presents the phenomena as a tragedy for the best, talented and the brightest. These individuals simply follow as logic and common sense are both compromised. And, however independent they may have started off, soon these leaders fall victim as owners of an error they cannot admit to – the image starring at them in their reflection in mirror, who by the way is speaking the truth (mirrors don’t lie). This is by no means to suggest that leaders are not capable of being truthful about their mistakes and errors. It does suggest that the Devil’s Paint Brush makes it hard to do so. It is actually quite impressive that McNamara ever did, even years later and in a fairly limited way (admit his errors). But, although late, his account offers a learning tool for the rest of us.
Enhancing leadership decisions with independent executive judgment is a worthy aim. The life of so many leaders suggests that it is easier wished for than achieved. Avoid the Devil’s Paint Brush: the actions across any organizational body that causes immanent death over a period of time – and, a concept of battlefield or business uncertainty during a potential conflict – even when you refuse to see one headed in your direction.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Racism that Resides within us causes the “F” Bomb!
Even in 2009, the beginning of the 21ST century, racism is still prevalent because of a lack of understanding and moral blindness; it has birthed many of society’s ills and significantly fails to appreciate the many differences in the biological and physical characteristics of individuals. It is a cause for wonder.
“Racism is conditioned by economic imperatives, but negotiated through culture: religion, literature, art, science and the media… Once, they demonized the blacks to justify slavery. Then they demonized the “colored” to justify colonialism. Today, they demonize asylum seekers to justify the ways of globalism. And, in the age of the media… demonization sets out the parameters of popular culture within which such exclusion finds its own rationale — usually under the guise of xenophobia, the fear of strangers.” – A Sivanandan, Extracted from Race & Class (Vol. 43, no. 2, October–December 2001).
Racism causes us to speak the four letter “F” word found in our daily language. It is the birthplace of discrimination, separation and segregation, byproducts of a racist mentality due to ignorance. It is a mechanism that allows a roaring emotional state due to remembrance and the verbal expression that commonly articulates surprise, shock and anger when it shows its ugly face. It doesn’t matter the lens that racism is looked through, how it’s filtered to shed reason for its cause or who is right because of circumstance, racism, or its perceived behavioral influence and re-action causes behaviors that are against the values that humanity is designed. And, the convicted parties on all sides demonstrate that all too familiar four letter “F” word that expresses the emotion that everyone has experienced at one time or another in their life – FEAR!
Racism and fear are synonymous of one another, both causing people to feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation, circumstance or event. They are used to introduce unpleasant statements or emotions experienced in anticipation of some specific pain, danger and uneasy or apprehensive concern (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight). The fear is due to the conviction that the members of one specific group are inherently superior to the members of other groups. This conviction is often manifested by discriminatory behaviors and practices towards the members of the supposed inferior groups.
Now that the lessons for racism have been defined, let’s talk of ways to overcome the fears that ultimately lead to the sword of demise. Yes, the word sword is used because it is often seen as an instrument of death and destruction. But, since we are focusing on bringing a resolution to the forefront of the issues that stem from racism and fear, we can learn from one of the greatest swords in the world, carried by men and women of one of the very best organizations that produces the top leaders on the globe – a premium grade Mameluke Sword and the United States Marine Corps.
Just like our U.S. Marines who always seek improvement, the Mameluke Sword is symbolic of excellence. The blade is already beautifully prepared; the craftsmanship is refined and etched to perfection. When presented to a U.S. Marine Corps officer, the sword consists of absolutely superb castings (the drag on scabbard and the acorns on the hilt) and carries with it a tradition that lives on almost as a mythical legend. The sword represents a certified metaphor of performance, now enlisted to the men and women who are “expected” to perform as the best the world has to offer. To some, the U.S. Marine Corps offers imagery of an organization led by old military commanders seeking to wage battle. This remains largely dubious, especially in today’s increasingly complex, networked world. Rather, they are leaders – men and women, young and old – of all races and endeavors who seek to better themselves and others each day of their life. They love to win, yet they think beyond themselves. They love to compete, yet they show compassion for their fellow human beings. And, they see no race, yet each individual is seen as crossing the right of passage – the rigors, disciplines, decisions, pains and defeats – of becoming the leader who has earned the title “United States Marine.”
A Marine and his/her sword regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted and they are in awe of their own will to win through the efforts of others. They marvel at genius, a feeling of profound respect for someone or the mission they are assigned to accomplish. They too fear that which is not understood, but they carry with them a culture of honor, respect, tradition, resilience, excellence and perfection in performance that overcomes the actual fear that they face. This form of reverence overcomes the destruction that opposes harmony or community, the enslaved misunderstood mindsets that keeps division.
So, why do we fear what is not understood? One wonders. You may recall that as a very young child, you were usually free from fear. You may be swinging at the playground, racing your buddy to see who could go the highest and ready to jump, or about to fuse a firecracker – you aren’t scared and the unknown for the immediate future is also not understood. Can we call it something other than fear, such as bravery? Absolutely not; being unaware of the misunderstood is a means to grasp the opportunity for further education – one that is freed from fear. So, at this very early stage in life, children are guided by their parents, guardians and well-wishers in ways that teaches them to conqueror their fears, only in some cases, fears are placed within them that they do not own – racism. It is at this early stage and time that adults must carry the Mameluke Sword and teach the perfections that will etch the superb castings of our future – the children. And, prepare them through teachings of the Lord: “to love thy neighbor as you would want them to love you.”
We must get back to the basics and principles that have been afforded us by the men and women who have laid the foundations of a great race – humanity – which is unique. Each individual regardless of race or gender is special in a way that teaches others to become a better quality and quantity to life. Most importantly, we must teach our children (and adults who act as children even when they are greatly respected) that humans actually have more in common than not. Even science agrees to this point and it is supported by the Bible. Acts 17:26 (King James Version) declares, “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” This makes us know that all mankind has the same origin, indeed we are one race of human beings. The diversity and uniqueness of both people and nations are manifestations of God’s awesome creativity and power.
But, the battle wages on in us all, regardless of how one feels. The moral blindness of racism fails to appreciate that the differences that we all offer to one another. Do we ever spare a thought about how a child would cope with the unknown or misunderstood? At a time where the United States of America has come together, in the majority – all races and both genders – to elect the first African American President, we still have stories in the media that instructs to our children that we have not grown up to lead by example. It is here that we forget that the child (and again, the adult who acts and speaks as a child) must be taught to deal with and overcome the bullies of life – racism and fear.
We must teach them to carry their own swords as a metaphor of performance. To become the leaders – men and women, young and old – of all races and endeavors, who seek to better themselves and others each day of their life. They must be taught to love to win, yet they think beyond themselves. They must be taught to love to compete, yet show compassion for their fellow human beings. And, they must be taught to see no race, yet “understand” that each individual is seen as special with something to teach and offer to the world.
This my friends is the only way to journey the right of passage – the rigors, disciplines, decisions, pains and defeats – of becoming the people who have truly earned the right to wear the title, a “LEADER.”
“Racism is conditioned by economic imperatives, but negotiated through culture: religion, literature, art, science and the media… Once, they demonized the blacks to justify slavery. Then they demonized the “colored” to justify colonialism. Today, they demonize asylum seekers to justify the ways of globalism. And, in the age of the media… demonization sets out the parameters of popular culture within which such exclusion finds its own rationale — usually under the guise of xenophobia, the fear of strangers.” – A Sivanandan, Extracted from Race & Class (Vol. 43, no. 2, October–December 2001).
Racism causes us to speak the four letter “F” word found in our daily language. It is the birthplace of discrimination, separation and segregation, byproducts of a racist mentality due to ignorance. It is a mechanism that allows a roaring emotional state due to remembrance and the verbal expression that commonly articulates surprise, shock and anger when it shows its ugly face. It doesn’t matter the lens that racism is looked through, how it’s filtered to shed reason for its cause or who is right because of circumstance, racism, or its perceived behavioral influence and re-action causes behaviors that are against the values that humanity is designed. And, the convicted parties on all sides demonstrate that all too familiar four letter “F” word that expresses the emotion that everyone has experienced at one time or another in their life – FEAR!
Racism and fear are synonymous of one another, both causing people to feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation, circumstance or event. They are used to introduce unpleasant statements or emotions experienced in anticipation of some specific pain, danger and uneasy or apprehensive concern (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight). The fear is due to the conviction that the members of one specific group are inherently superior to the members of other groups. This conviction is often manifested by discriminatory behaviors and practices towards the members of the supposed inferior groups.
Now that the lessons for racism have been defined, let’s talk of ways to overcome the fears that ultimately lead to the sword of demise. Yes, the word sword is used because it is often seen as an instrument of death and destruction. But, since we are focusing on bringing a resolution to the forefront of the issues that stem from racism and fear, we can learn from one of the greatest swords in the world, carried by men and women of one of the very best organizations that produces the top leaders on the globe – a premium grade Mameluke Sword and the United States Marine Corps.
Just like our U.S. Marines who always seek improvement, the Mameluke Sword is symbolic of excellence. The blade is already beautifully prepared; the craftsmanship is refined and etched to perfection. When presented to a U.S. Marine Corps officer, the sword consists of absolutely superb castings (the drag on scabbard and the acorns on the hilt) and carries with it a tradition that lives on almost as a mythical legend. The sword represents a certified metaphor of performance, now enlisted to the men and women who are “expected” to perform as the best the world has to offer. To some, the U.S. Marine Corps offers imagery of an organization led by old military commanders seeking to wage battle. This remains largely dubious, especially in today’s increasingly complex, networked world. Rather, they are leaders – men and women, young and old – of all races and endeavors who seek to better themselves and others each day of their life. They love to win, yet they think beyond themselves. They love to compete, yet they show compassion for their fellow human beings. And, they see no race, yet each individual is seen as crossing the right of passage – the rigors, disciplines, decisions, pains and defeats – of becoming the leader who has earned the title “United States Marine.”
A Marine and his/her sword regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted and they are in awe of their own will to win through the efforts of others. They marvel at genius, a feeling of profound respect for someone or the mission they are assigned to accomplish. They too fear that which is not understood, but they carry with them a culture of honor, respect, tradition, resilience, excellence and perfection in performance that overcomes the actual fear that they face. This form of reverence overcomes the destruction that opposes harmony or community, the enslaved misunderstood mindsets that keeps division.
So, why do we fear what is not understood? One wonders. You may recall that as a very young child, you were usually free from fear. You may be swinging at the playground, racing your buddy to see who could go the highest and ready to jump, or about to fuse a firecracker – you aren’t scared and the unknown for the immediate future is also not understood. Can we call it something other than fear, such as bravery? Absolutely not; being unaware of the misunderstood is a means to grasp the opportunity for further education – one that is freed from fear. So, at this very early stage in life, children are guided by their parents, guardians and well-wishers in ways that teaches them to conqueror their fears, only in some cases, fears are placed within them that they do not own – racism. It is at this early stage and time that adults must carry the Mameluke Sword and teach the perfections that will etch the superb castings of our future – the children. And, prepare them through teachings of the Lord: “to love thy neighbor as you would want them to love you.”
We must get back to the basics and principles that have been afforded us by the men and women who have laid the foundations of a great race – humanity – which is unique. Each individual regardless of race or gender is special in a way that teaches others to become a better quality and quantity to life. Most importantly, we must teach our children (and adults who act as children even when they are greatly respected) that humans actually have more in common than not. Even science agrees to this point and it is supported by the Bible. Acts 17:26 (King James Version) declares, “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” This makes us know that all mankind has the same origin, indeed we are one race of human beings. The diversity and uniqueness of both people and nations are manifestations of God’s awesome creativity and power.
But, the battle wages on in us all, regardless of how one feels. The moral blindness of racism fails to appreciate that the differences that we all offer to one another. Do we ever spare a thought about how a child would cope with the unknown or misunderstood? At a time where the United States of America has come together, in the majority – all races and both genders – to elect the first African American President, we still have stories in the media that instructs to our children that we have not grown up to lead by example. It is here that we forget that the child (and again, the adult who acts and speaks as a child) must be taught to deal with and overcome the bullies of life – racism and fear.
We must teach them to carry their own swords as a metaphor of performance. To become the leaders – men and women, young and old – of all races and endeavors, who seek to better themselves and others each day of their life. They must be taught to love to win, yet they think beyond themselves. They must be taught to love to compete, yet show compassion for their fellow human beings. And, they must be taught to see no race, yet “understand” that each individual is seen as special with something to teach and offer to the world.
This my friends is the only way to journey the right of passage – the rigors, disciplines, decisions, pains and defeats – of becoming the people who have truly earned the right to wear the title, a “LEADER.”
Monday, July 27, 2009
Leadership 2.0
I have been following a discussion on LinkedIn about Leadership 2.0 where Janet Monk, IT Executive, ITIL Service Manager hit the nail on the head when she posed her question; “how do we get back to the original design that leadership was meant for?” I believe that in doing so, just as times have changed so must the outlook for the very fabric and defined meaning of leadership itself. I don’t believe that we have to develop Leadership 2.0, but execute a significant “behavioral rewiring” that instills an “us” vs. “I and me” perspective to life and through people. As a U.S. Marine turned business educator, I have always believed that leadership is too one dimensional (probably looked at as Leadership 1.0).
My team and I are currently facing this new paradigm by instructing others on the influences that military stratagem has on the effects of leadership and team building. What we think people need to realize is that leadership is tested in the military/leadership laboratories to define the effects it has on strategic thinking (decision-making) and the ability to execute flawlessly. This perspective and their outcomes offer significant findings and are often overlooked for the absolute wrong reasons – if there is a civilian who has not begun to think of war from a different perspective than war itself, then this current global economic crisis has to make them aware of the effects the current war we are all facing, economically, has on ALL people, everywhere (i.e. The Tragedy of Competition).
Teaching what we have come to realize is only a single step forward in rewiring behaviors, using military stratagem, we’ve come to understand leadership as a multi-dimensional set of influences that achieves a state of Personal Proficiency and Professional Mastery; “The Six Levels of Leadership: Military Stratagem meets the New World Order – of Business!”
Examining the Six Levels of Leadership: Pinpoint the effects of applying an “adaptive” leadership style through an interactive session with lessons learned from yesterday to create a better tomorrow.
Charting-off: Leadership Levels 1 & 2: Establish your Leadership Signature and increase your level of Emotional Intelligence – clarify and critique the attributes of emerging leadership.
Plotting the Course: Leadership Levels 3 & 4: Understand how-to experience a “Breakthrough” to begin your “Break-with” and increase your level of leadership, performance and execution.
Raising the Sails: Leadership Level 5: Learn to lead teams into qualitative team building maneuvers that prevails over the challenge of change at a time that change is definitely required in most organizations – explore expansive influence, leadership multiplication and cohesiveness.
Into the Wind: Leadership Level 6: Learn to employ organizational strategic execution tactics (The OrgSx Paradigm) to permeate enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will – and the disciplines of “strategic agility and flawless execution (debriefing) with a modest approach and an unwavering commitment to higher standards, and NOT forgetting how we got here in the first place…
Success TRAPS: Understanding How-to Answer the Four Questions to Heal the Pains and Strengthen your Future Picture. This discussion works to help participants understand “accountability:” Why am I hurting? What is it about “me” that influences the hurt? How do I prevent re-injury – although I know that it will be re-visited? And, how do I change my circumstances, current and future?
Basically, looking at the last 18 months have been the most trying in decades for business leaders. The conditions that normally make running an organization of any type – a business unit or a team rewarding is market expansion, revenue growth, rising pay, and incentives – have been absent for most, replaced by the unrelenting tasks of survival, retrenchment, and cost cutting. So, it comes down to a single question: “what must leaders do in this depressed environment and what must they do not to return?”
We argue that the first task of leadership is to identify the default future, discuss it, and analyze it, and then go about re-imagining – and, in effect, rewriting the future. It has to be about Flawless and Strategic execution by teams!
Leaders must learn to overcome the daunting task of facing the future alone by teaching them to rewrite the future that leads to real business transformation with profitable growth for everyone, while eliminating the domino effects of failure.
And the lessons must be just as applicable to individuals. Here’s my bottom line, people and organizations have been leading, both poorly and with great outcomes, for centuries. Nothing new and surely nothing unique can be developed to change leadership. Leadership 2.0; why not get back to the original design that leadership was meant for, but look at it through a different lens using the lessons learned from yesterday? Leadership 2.0 does not warrant the time and effort to develop – stay with what works, only with a few tweaks!
My team and I are currently facing this new paradigm by instructing others on the influences that military stratagem has on the effects of leadership and team building. What we think people need to realize is that leadership is tested in the military/leadership laboratories to define the effects it has on strategic thinking (decision-making) and the ability to execute flawlessly. This perspective and their outcomes offer significant findings and are often overlooked for the absolute wrong reasons – if there is a civilian who has not begun to think of war from a different perspective than war itself, then this current global economic crisis has to make them aware of the effects the current war we are all facing, economically, has on ALL people, everywhere (i.e. The Tragedy of Competition).
Teaching what we have come to realize is only a single step forward in rewiring behaviors, using military stratagem, we’ve come to understand leadership as a multi-dimensional set of influences that achieves a state of Personal Proficiency and Professional Mastery; “The Six Levels of Leadership: Military Stratagem meets the New World Order – of Business!”
Examining the Six Levels of Leadership: Pinpoint the effects of applying an “adaptive” leadership style through an interactive session with lessons learned from yesterday to create a better tomorrow.
Charting-off: Leadership Levels 1 & 2: Establish your Leadership Signature and increase your level of Emotional Intelligence – clarify and critique the attributes of emerging leadership.
Plotting the Course: Leadership Levels 3 & 4: Understand how-to experience a “Breakthrough” to begin your “Break-with” and increase your level of leadership, performance and execution.
Raising the Sails: Leadership Level 5: Learn to lead teams into qualitative team building maneuvers that prevails over the challenge of change at a time that change is definitely required in most organizations – explore expansive influence, leadership multiplication and cohesiveness.
Into the Wind: Leadership Level 6: Learn to employ organizational strategic execution tactics (The OrgSx Paradigm) to permeate enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will – and the disciplines of “strategic agility and flawless execution (debriefing) with a modest approach and an unwavering commitment to higher standards, and NOT forgetting how we got here in the first place…
Success TRAPS: Understanding How-to Answer the Four Questions to Heal the Pains and Strengthen your Future Picture. This discussion works to help participants understand “accountability:” Why am I hurting? What is it about “me” that influences the hurt? How do I prevent re-injury – although I know that it will be re-visited? And, how do I change my circumstances, current and future?
Basically, looking at the last 18 months have been the most trying in decades for business leaders. The conditions that normally make running an organization of any type – a business unit or a team rewarding is market expansion, revenue growth, rising pay, and incentives – have been absent for most, replaced by the unrelenting tasks of survival, retrenchment, and cost cutting. So, it comes down to a single question: “what must leaders do in this depressed environment and what must they do not to return?”
We argue that the first task of leadership is to identify the default future, discuss it, and analyze it, and then go about re-imagining – and, in effect, rewriting the future. It has to be about Flawless and Strategic execution by teams!
Leaders must learn to overcome the daunting task of facing the future alone by teaching them to rewrite the future that leads to real business transformation with profitable growth for everyone, while eliminating the domino effects of failure.
And the lessons must be just as applicable to individuals. Here’s my bottom line, people and organizations have been leading, both poorly and with great outcomes, for centuries. Nothing new and surely nothing unique can be developed to change leadership. Leadership 2.0; why not get back to the original design that leadership was meant for, but look at it through a different lens using the lessons learned from yesterday? Leadership 2.0 does not warrant the time and effort to develop – stay with what works, only with a few tweaks!
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