Dealing with Failure

I have written often about failure. I believe it is important that we each push ourselves, take on more and more risk, and experience life (personally and professionally) out on the edge. In doing so, sometimes we will fail. But what we learn from these failures is what defines us, what propels us to even greater heights. Learning from failure is key to the growth and development of any leader.

My daughter sure learned this hard lesson this week. She put herself in the arena and ran a great campaign for her middle school's vice president. She worked hard for weeks on her campaign and gave a great speech in front of the entire school. But she lost. Heartbreaking for her, pretty rough on her campaign manager Dad.

So, we had a talk about failure. We talked about the failures of Abraham Lincoln. We pondered the implications of a man who ran for state legislature and lost; who ran for Congress and was defeated; who ran for the US Senate not once but two times. We talked about a man who lost plenty of elections before he finally won some and ultimately was elected to become the United States President in 1860.

More importantly, we talked about learning from our failures. We discussed how each time Lincoln failed, he jumped right back into the arena and found a way to keep advancing. When Lincoln was defeated for nomination for Congress in 1843, he established his own law practice and ultimately was elected in 1846. When he was defeated for US Senator in 1854, he turned around and got elected to the Illinois state legislature. Lincoln never quit, never stopped advancing, kept learning, and took two steps forward for every step backward.

My daughter (and her campaign manager Dad) are learning again that it is not what happens to you that defines who you are. Rather it is how you respond to it. As with Lincoln, I encouraged my baby to not give up. If she cannot serve as Vice President, she should still be a part of the student council. She should stay engaged and continue to be an active part of the school leadership team. She should keep her head up, congratulate her opponent, and demonstrate to the school that she is a person of character, even when things don't go her way.

We also used this as a chance to do an After Action Review (AAR). We both agreed there were things that she (we!) could have done better. Learning can be so powerful when we open ourselves to honest assessment and focused criticism. I am confident that these are lessons she can apply when she runs for office again.

This little one is not finished growing. She is a trooper who I know will find a way to turn this failure into something good. But she tried. She knew it would be difficult to defeat her opponent and yet she put herself in the arena. She reached high knowing that with great risk comes great rewards. And now, despite her failure, she is better and stronger than she would have been had she played it safe and stayed on the sidelines. I am so proud of her!!

That's my girl. And that's...Leader Business!

No Whiners!

Friends,

Had enough of whiners? Maybe this form will do the trick.

Ok...this is not an actual form (WHAT....YOU BELIEVED IT WAS?). I thought it was hilarious. I laughed at the thought of some hard core drill sergeant sitting down with one of his charges helping him fill out the form if they had gotten their feelings hurt, asking if there is "permanent feeling damage?"

While it is just a joke, wouldn't it be nice if we could hand something like this to those whiners, complainers, and malingerers who infect our organizations? We would all feel better, wouldn't we?

But feeling better is not what leadership is about. Yes, it would be great if we could deal with workplace issues with a simple form. But we know it is never that easy! Workplace emotions and attitudes are always part of the office landscape. Real leadership is not in handing out a form but in confronting problems, building bridges, and dealing with drama.

Real leadership is turning whiners into winners through the difficult tasks of performance counseling, leader development, and daily inspiration. No "Hurt Feelings Form" will make this happen. That's Leader Business!

One Marine

THE MARINE

A large group of Taliban soldiers are moving down a road when they hear a voice call from behind a sand-dune. "One Marine is better than ten Taliban." The Taliban commander quickly sends 10 of his best soldiers over the dune where upon a gun-battle breaks out and continues for a few minutes, then silence.

The voice then calls out "One Marine is better than a hundred Taliban soldiers." Furious, the Taliban commander sends his next best 100 troops over the dune and instantly a huge gun fight commences. After 10 minutes of battle, again silence. The Marine voice calls out, "One Marine is better than one thousand Taliban."

The enraged Taliban commander musters a thousand fighters and sends them over the dune. Cannon, rocket, and machine gun fire rings out as a huge battle is fought. Then silence.

Finally one wounded Taliban fighter crawls back over the dune and with his dying words tells his commander, "Don't send any more men, it's a trap. There's two of them."

Funny stuff. Thank God for those Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, and Navy warriors who keep us safe and put themselves on the line every day! Hooah! That's Leader Business.

Effective Time Management (Part 3)

In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking.
-- Sir John Lubbock

In the military, I know that leaders have the critical responsibility of acquiring and allocating resources to accomplish the mission. And I have learned that perhaps no resource is more critical than time. This is the third in a series of posts about time management. I am hopeful that together we can accomplish something that I have clearly been struggling with lately -- making good use of my time.

Battlefield lessons on time management

Examine the time management techniques of our military. Like the “1/3-2/3 rule,” they are designed to create time for leaders to focus on priorities while affording subordinates time to complete assigned missions. Our services operate at a breakneck pace yet do so in a controlled, disciplined tempo, thanks to some of these battle-tested principles:

-- Use Troop Leading Procedures to jump start your entire formation. Things like “Warning Orders” allow us to give as much advance notice as possible of future operations rather than waiting for a completed plan. Save time by initiating movement toward the objective, even before the plan is complete.

-- Develop formal decision making timelines. Leaders must understand required points of input in the planning process and allocate time accordingly. Do not miss opportunities to shape the end state, define purpose, and approve courses of action. Failure to do so will exponentially increase time requirements down the road – often undoing what has already been completed or requiring further allocations of time to fix what could have been done correctly the first time. Post timelines and share schedules that highlight mandatory leader presence at key decision points.

-- Schedule “open” time on the calendar to conduct battlefield circulation. Time spent face-to-face with subordinate leaders, confirming mission receipt and understanding, measuring progress on main and supporting efforts, assessing climate, values, and personnel issues, and anticipating and fixing small problems before they become large – is time well spent.

-- Conduct key leader huddles. Army leaders meet regularly with their closest advisors (Chief of Staff, Operations officer, and Sergeant Major) to synchronize schedules and allocate time and resources for the main and supporting efforts (with the Commander usually taking main effort responsibilities). This is generally done early, before the day begins, or late, to synchronize the next day’s activities.

-- Synchronize watches. Highlight the value of time by emphasizing the importance of precision and discipline. Start and end events on time. Give very specific suspenses for critical actions and hold subordinates accountable.

The Business of Leaders

Author Jim Collins found that “good” is the enemy of “great.” A time management corollary is “perfect” is another enemy of “great.” Here’s what needs to be “perfect:” organizational purpose, values, priorities, relationships, strategic alignment. Time spent in these areas will return dividends in empowered subordinates, capable of acting without further guidance and accomplishing the mission, even during challenging, time and resource- constrained, situations.

Recognize that time is as important to others (subordinates, customers, teammates, students) as it is to you. Value their time as much as you do your own. Be on time. Get to the point. Make yourself available to answer questions, give guidance, and keep the team moving.

To make the most of your available time – seek balance. Invest in family and physical / spiritual fitness. Get some rest. Find time for quiet solitude. Take a vacation. Think. Prepare yourself and your team for the long haul. Develop leaders of the future. Lead by example.

Leaders must manage time (not be managed by time) in a way that demonstrates this requirement for balance – long and short term, personally and professionally, individually and organizationally. Time management books, articles, and advice columns don’t usually get into these deeper, strategic issues but this truly is the business of leaders.

The higher one goes up the leadership ranks, the less one “does.” Leaders allocate time to lead the “doers” by establishing priorities, building policies, procedures and systems, and aligning the organization. This requires brain power. Apportion time to thinking - balanced with the competing demands of doing.

In the Leader Business cycle (Plan/Prepare/Execute/AAR), time management is perhaps the most critical component of preparations – for the leader and for the “troops.” Leaders prepare themselves through an appropriate distribution of time for short and long term priorities and personal and professional obligations. They remain focused on the main effort.

Perhaps more important, successful leaders set the conditions for subordinate success by allowing adequate time for the Leader Business cycle to take place within each level of the organization. Doing so will create a healthy, balanced team, built to last, with plenty of time to achieve greatness.

Time is a finite resource, to be shared and allocated accordingly. I am convinced that we all have enough time. How we use it is up to us. No more excuses! Time management is…Leader Business!

For more on this series on time management read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

It's About Time (Time Management Part 2)

If you want to make good use of your time, you've got to know what's most important and then give it all you've got.
-- Lee Iaccoca

In the military, I know that leaders have the critical responsibility of acquiring and allocating resources to accomplish the mission. And I have learned that perhaps no resource is more critical than time. This is the second in a series of posts about time management. I meant to post this mid-week but...I never got to it! Perhaps together we can accomplish something that I am clearly struggling with lately -- making good use of my time.

Time Management -- by the book

There are any number of publications that chronicle useful time management techniques. Take some time to examine each of the suggested procedures below. Determine those worthy of incorporation into your daily battle rhythm. Incorporate these procedures to work better, faster, more efficiently.

-- Use checklists and To-Do lists.
-- Come in early or stay late. Find a quiet time to get things done.
-- Have a clear purpose and agenda for each meeting.
-- Start and end meetings on time. Establish a clear suspense for each action. Identify minimum essential attendees.
-- When possible, eliminate meetings!
-- Don’t answer the phone. Call back at a time of your choosing.
-- Handle correspondence once. Use short responses and write quick notes.
-- Throw away (or file) unneeded material.
-- Maintain an accurate, shared calendar. Find a good tool – and stick with it…until it no longer serves you. Then throw it away and get something better.
-- Learn to say “No!”

While all valid, these procedures may only make you incrementally more productive, at best. These are time management “blocking and tackling” drills. What is still required is an application of the deeper, strategic leadership issues associated with time management.

Put first things first

Time management begins with the establishment of priorities and following them. When we don't do this, no little technique from the list above will help. Be disciplined enough to do what is important first. Leaders have to invest in determining what is important, personally and organizationally, and ensure that scheduled activities are consistent with these stated priorities.

A few years ago, I spent a morning with the CEO for Temple-Inland in Austin, Texas and watched as he began his morning with an examination of his company’s daily financial snapshot. Income, expenditures, specific metrics from each subordinate business unit, progress towards goals, and key events were sitting on his desk for him to scrub while he had his first cup of coffee. What better way to start each day than with his fingers on the pulse of the organization!

New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani began each day with his famous “morning meeting.” Activities and performance measures were reviewed daily to allow constant follow-through. Goals were assessed. Calendars were synchronized. Important events were reviewed and future plans were adjusted. Every work day began with a clear understanding of current status, future operations, and the priorities of the city.

How could we rearrange our schedules to put first things first – personally? What is important to us and what might our failure to prioritize be causing us to neglect? Family? Health? Spiritual fitness? How could we reorganize our activities to insure that these critical issues reflect our stated priorities?

I like to think that we change “if” to “when” by doing first things first. Get up early enough to satisfy physical and spiritual fitness needs. Do it first – no excuses! Go in later in the morning and spend some time getting the kids off to school, especially when we know we will be home late. Tackle difficult projects first, when we are fresh. Rearrange the schedule consistent with priorities. Remember, when first things are first…every thing else…is second!

Have a plan

Effective time management demands an investment in good planning. Doing so will help anticipate contingencies and minimize crisis situations. Effective planning enables leaders to provide the necessary vision, objectives, and key tasks that will facilitate subordinate planning and maximize productivity.

Military leaders use the “1/3 – 2/3 rule” in allocating sufficient time for subordinates. This battle tested formula allows no more than 1/3 of the total time available for planning to each unit, leaving 2/3 of the time for subordinates to complete their own plans and necessary preparations.

Leaders who are ruthless about the “1/3-2/3 rule” recognize that “chasing the tail” of perfection, in other words taking proportionately more time for only incremental returns, robs subordinates of any opportunity for success. There is no “perfect” plan. Time is better spent providing adequate guidance, clear vision, and purpose, while allowing teammates as much time as possible to be successful.

Delegate!

Consistent with “putting first things first” and having a plan, leaders recognize that all organizational efforts are not equal. It is critical to know, understand, and even formally designate a “main effort” within the organization. This is the task or event the accomplishment of which leads directly to mission success. Other elements of the organization (supporting efforts) must necessarily be subordinated to, and nested with, the designated top priority. Energy, resources, and time are allocated accordingly.

Leaders begin the critical time management principal of delegation by delegating tasks associated with supporting efforts. Find someone who can manage or execute tasks that are not directly linked to mission success while focusing on those that are. (For that matter, if they are not directly linked to mission success, maybe they don't need to be done at all!)

Key to this concept is this Leader Business time management corollary: Once delegated, don’t take it back. Avoid the time waster of doing what you have already asked of subordinates. Follow this three step Leader Business approach to delegation:

-- Give good, clear, consistent guidance. Ensure that subordinates understand the task (and purpose) up front. Be specific when assigning deadlines, performance measures, and desired end state. Doing so, the first time, will minimize the time required to reassign the task or reorient a misdirected effort.

-- Empower those to whom you delegate. Subordinates must clearly understand what decision authority is retained and what limitations apply to their own decision making. Adequate guidance from the leader, coupled with subordinates empowered to make decisions consistent with that guidance, will liberate both parties.

-- Hold those to whom you delegate accountable. Rather than “take it back,” turn them loose. Treat adults like adults. Providing them the freedom to succeed will bring a return on investment (time) many times over.

Now, what might you do with the time no longer spent on providing redundant guidance? What could you do with the time saved by not doing that which you have already delegated? What else might you do instead of personally managing tasks which are admittedly of lesser priority? Could you better invest in those “first things?” This is where our time is best spent. That makes it...Leader Business.

Read Part 1 in this series here and Part 3 here.

Managing Time Wisely -- What our Troops Wish we Knew

Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.

-- H. Jackson Brown

Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness.
-- Jean De La Bruyere

I don’t know about you but…it sure seems like we are getting less than 24 hours in the day. I can’t seem to keep up! Lately, I have been struggling with time management. I’m falling behind at work, in my relationships, with my chores at home. I’m spending too much time on things that are not important and neglecting activities that are critical to mission accomplishment. I have been getting home at the end of the day wondering if I am making a dent in the mountain of things I need to do. I know I could definitely improve in this area of my leadership. What better way to do so then…to blog about it!

Time Management in the military

In the military, I know that leaders have the critical responsibility of acquiring and allocating resources to accomplish the mission. And I have learned that perhaps no resource is more critical than time. There is always more to do than time will allow. In constrained environments, military leaders are tasked to insure that they and their subordinates have adequate time to plan, to prepare themselves and their own units, and to execute the mission. And they must balance competing demands, build in time for rest, reconstitution, and learning, and make the most of every available minute.

The best military leaders that I have worked with recognize that the skillful, disciplined management of their personal time increases their combat effectiveness, keeping them razor sharp and alert during extended periods of high stress and the demands of combat. More importantly, when they implement measures to enable the effective time management of the entire team, they set the conditions for sustained battlefield success.

Combat leaders who fail to manage their own time live an unbalanced life of high stress, continuous crisis, poor decisions, and personal disappointment. Just as important, those who cannot manage the time of the teams they lead see the mismanagement of this critical resource as a major source of anger and frustration with the troops and a principal cause of mission failure.

Time management in the workplace

I’m sure we can all agree -- our workplaces are loaded with those who simply cannot master time. Projects are routinely delivered late or incomplete. Short term successes are off-set by unplanned, long term mission failures. Every day is another crisis, another round of “urgent” tasks, and another series of poorly synchronized activities. Work days are painfully long and largely unproductive. (All this despite the best input and coaching money can buy from time management books, articles, gadgets, and “gurus!”). And people universally complain about not having enough time to get everything done. Gosh those quotes at the top of this post are haunting me!!!

Just as is the case in sports, the leader’s poor “clock management” has a “trickle down” effect that ultimately hinders the entire team. Those of us who work for these leaders generally lack time for strategic planning, training, inspections, synchronization, and personal and professional development – all enablers of successful mission execution. These leaders are so often characterized by a catastrophic unbalance between personal and professional obligations. Burnout is the shared pain of this group and, too often, those like us whom they lead.

Time is a finite resource. How we manage, prioritize, and allocate it – for ourselves and for our respective teams – may be the best predictor of personal and professional health and sustained organizational success. Perhaps by examining time management over the next several posts, we can – I can – quit making excuses for the shortness of our days and make better use of the time that we have. Time management is…Leader Business.

For more in this series, read Part 2 here and Part 3 here!

Image courtesy of www.startupspace.ning.com

Leadership During Challenging Times

I spoke last week to a group of managers and division chiefs at the Orange County Leadership Academy. They are a great group of leaders. I was impressed by their commitment to growth and development and their passion for those whom they serve. I felt that as public servants we had a lot in common and I believe that my thoughts resonated well with them.

The topic was leadership during challenging times. Many of the hundred or so in the audience are going through something that is common in the military: Too few people and not enough resources and time; and WAY more mission than they can handle. In the military we would say that when you are running short on everything but ENEMY...you are leading during a challenging time!

These were the key elements of "Leadership During Challenging Times:"

-- Leaders stop the bleeding and focus on the mission.

-- Leaders communicate and involve others in decision-making.

-- Leaders create synergy (the whole is made greater than the sum of its parts).

-- Leaders are comfortable being uncomfortable.

-- Leaders turn challenges into opportunities.

As I reminded the audience, and myself on a regular basis -- During times of difficulty, it is important for leaders to remind themselves...this is why they need us! Leadership during challenging times is...Leader Business.

Contact me if I can speak to you or your group about "Leadership During Challenging Times."