The "Buzz" About Leadership

At a recent presentation I made in Orange County, a woman asked about the importance of charisma in leadership.  She thought I had sort of an automatic advantage because of my height and size (6'4" and 240 lbs).  To some extent, she's onto something.  Research suggests that when it comes to communication, words only account for 7% of the conveyed message, while 38% is manner, tone, and voice, and the remaining 55% are the accompanying non-verbals, body language, etc. 

So yes, we inspire and motivate people to action through the power of ideas, i.e. what we say, but apparently even more so with how we say it and how we connect with others.  What can we take away from this? 

1.  If email is your preferred communication style, then be sure that much of the message can be / will be lost.  Even if you use ALL CAPS for voice and tone, the lack of non-verbals makes it difficult to ensure that the message is received the way you intended.  Face to face is always best.

2.  If you have a strong message and are frustrated with why it doesn't seem to resonate with others, perhaps you need to work on the other 93%!  Take a communication class or join a group like Toastmasters to improve how you say what you say.

3.  Consistency matters.  To me, charisma is not just smooth talk, but rather alignment between what you say, what you do, and how you say it.  In other words, try saying a positive message, with strong tone and voice, but your hands in your pockets and head down, staring at your shoes.  The message will still be lost.  Charisma is gained by those who can leverage words, tone, and body language together.  Charisma in leadership is leveraged by those whose actions align with their words, compelling people to action.  You want a positive, inspirational message?  Be positive and inspirational!  You want people to be motivated to bold, aggressive action?  Be motivated, bold, and aggressive!  In other words, make sure people see your words...in action.

So now, an insider secret.  Take a look at the little blue guy at the top of this article, inspiring and rallying his troops.  He is leveraging a scientific formula that I read about this month.  It seems that the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business found that there was something we (okay...mostly men) can do to appear more dominant, confident and masculine -- as well as appear 4 years older, 1 inch taller, and 13% stronger.  All good things.  What is it?



Yep.  Just like the blue guy!  A shaved head apparently communicates the non-verbal communication of confidence.  You see, I'm really only 5'9" and 160 pounds.  I just look bigger now that I have given up fighting my cursed genetics.  Thanks Mom!  Interestingly, the same study also found that men with shaved heads were thought to be considerably less attractive.  I choose to ignore that part and attribute it to bad data.  Haha!

Okay, so this particular technique may only help half our readership here!  But for all of us, the importance of aligning what we say with how we say it and how we live it is absolutely vital.  If we want those we lead to have confidence in us, we need to have confidence in ourselves.  Speak with passion.  Look people in the eye.  Be strong.  Apparently it is not the fancy words that inspire people to follow.  It's conviction about purpose and communicating that from every pore!  It's just that for some of us, like the bald blue man...those pores are a little less...encumbered!

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Communication with purpose is one of the elements of the "Leadership Excellence Course & Executive Coaching" programs that I lead through Academy Leadership.  These programs in Southern California are highly impactful, action-oriented, small-group sessions targeting leaders and project managers.  PMPs receive 36 PDUs for completion.

Upcoming sessions in Southern California for 2013 include:

12-14 March        San Diego
2-4 April              Orange County (Irvine)
7-9 May               Los Angeles
11-13 June           San Diego
25-27 June           Orange County (Irvine)
9-11 September    Los Angeles
7-9 October          San Diego
4-6 November      San Diego
9-11 December    Orange County (Irvine)

To get a brochure for this program, go here.  Contact me for any questions, group rates, or discount codes!  I'd love to see you in these programs.

I'll bring the clippers!

That's Leader Business!

Leading in the Fog of War

Can you imagine anything more disconcerting than driving at 100 mph in a thick fog – with the radio blaring, cell phone ringing, and the kids in the back seat asking, “Are we there yet?” Yet, isn’t that what it is like operating in business today? The fog is thick, the pace is rapid, and the distractions are constant. Where can business leaders find solutions to be able to navigate through this chaos and produce results in this very uncomfortable environment?

Perhaps our military leaders can offer some ideas. If there is anything that today’s military leaders are comfortable with it is in being…uncomfortable. In places like Afghanistan (and Iraq before it), spans of control are so broad, geographic distances are so immense, and challenges so diverse that leaders cannot possibly be everywhere or know everything that is happening. The fog of war is an almost constant companion to our military heroes. VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity – is the new normal.

Much of what we thought about organizational management is grounded in the “Command & Control” world, a paradigm that just doesn’t fit in today’s VUCA scenario. Places like Afghanistan are causing us to think differently about some aspects of leadership. Decision cycles are too compressed to fit within the top-down Military Decision Making Process (MDMP). Things that were accepted norms like, “No more than 5-7 direct reports” are not necessarily true. Even leadership teachings about things like planning, risk, or scope of responsibility are being re-thought in light of what we are learning downrange.

Places like Afghanistan and Iraq have been humbling to those leaders who were fixated on the “good old days” and could not function in this uncomfortable environment. Those who have succeeded have been those who recognize the things that are changing and, more importantly, those that remain constant. It is the latter that creates the beacon for those who may be lost in the fog, the solid foundation for those for whom chaos is a constant companion.

So, with battlefields as confusing as they are, with leadership as we thought we knew it in evolution, how do leaders provide clarity of purpose and thought and drive appropriate actions? What follows are some of the enduring responsibilities for leaders, in any setting, to help make sense of the chaos and to enable the success of those they lead. These are the bedrock elements that give today’s leaders comfort, despite how uncomfortable the situation may be. They give a leader presence, even though not physically present, and drive the behaviors, decisions, and actions of the team – aligned in task and purpose.

-- Values. What is important to us and why? Leaders must ensure that the organization’s values are clear and reinforced at every opportunity. More than just a poster in the hallway, the values must truly motivate behavior and help define black versus white in a world full of gray.

-- Vision. Where are we going? What is our shared view of the end state, purpose, and key tasks that will keep us on track? Vision inspires people to want to do more, especially when times are tough, because they believe in the purpose and have bought into the organizational direction.

-- Strategy. How do all of our actions align to get us out of this chaos and into calmer waters? Strategy adds specificity to the vision and connects short-, intermediate-, and long-term goals and objectives. Strategy looks not just at how to execute the mission but also how to improve the organization (people, systems, processes, etc.) for sustainable success.

-- Intent. Intent conveys to teammates guidance and direction, without actually being there. It communicates the desires of the leader, such that people can answer – for themselves – what would my boss want me to do if he/she was here? The leader’s intent is the pathway through which people exercise initiative and take action, without being told, because they know what is required and why. The how is up to them.

-- Information. What are the big picture and the context in which we execute? Nothing enables execution and the exercise of judgment, consistent with the leader’s intent, like being informed. Leaders over-communicate to ensure that the vision sounds like a “drumbeat” in people’s heads, keeping them in step and marching toward victory. No more stovepipe communication that filters out all but what subordinate leaders think people need to know. Experienced leaders ensure that everyone has the full story and can take advantage of opportunities, learn from the challenges of others, and make decisions that align with the big picture.

-- Alignment. How do we ensure consistency with regard to our actions, priorities, and resources? Leaders spend much of their time – in meetings or just walking around (we call it battlefield circulation) -- checking and adjusting the alignment of the organization, ensuring the connection of individual actions with the overall team goals. The role of the leader as “Chief Alignment Officer” is among the most significant of the leader’s many responsibilities.

Be sure, the chaos that defines our overseas operations can be just as prevalent and equally challenging to business leaders. Change is constant, decisions are made much closer to the problem, organizations are flatter, and people are empowered to measure and manage risks and take bold action like never before. Twenty-first century business leaders, like their counterparts in the military, either learn to similarly operate in this VUCA environment by putting their time and energy into the elements above, or risk becoming bureaucratic, over budget, locked in the past, and teetering on irrelevancy! They do this by learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable, turning on the “beacon” for their “troops” as they navigate through the “fog.”

I originally wrote and published this article on the Thayer Leader Development website. 
“Leading in Chaos” is one of many hot seminar topics I do through the Thayer Leader Development Group. Contact TLDG to see how we can use these principles to help steer your company through the “fog of war.”  That's Leader Business!

The Town Hall

"Maintaining our culture and sensibilities means spending time with everyone who joins.  It means bringing the team together every week to talk about our projects, progress, and vision.  It means focus."  David Karp, CEO, Tumblr

Let's hear it for the Town Hall meeting.  In the increasingly flat corporate world, I think this is a critical communication tool; one that should be part of how we align our team and magnify our drumbeat.  It is a way for our teammates to hear directly from the boss -- without the filters that can often water down the message.

In the "good old days" of top-down, command and control, bureaucracy, we might have shied away from these sorts of things.  Information went from the leader, to her 5-7 direct reports, and so on down to the "troops."  Who knows what message they ultimately receive?  Undoubtedly, it will often lack the context and the focus that might have been intended by the time it reaches the "doers."  But, in the interest of not jumping the chain of command, that is how we communicated.  Still do, in many cases.

There is another way.  It's the Town Hall!  As the quote from the Tumblr CEO above suggests, it is important to let people hear from their boss, to feel the vision, and to understand the big picture.  This is the sort of communication paradigm that enables initiative -- employees who hear and embrace the direction of the company and the intent of their leader.  It fosters engagement, with teammates who can directly talk to their boss.  And, when people hear directly from their leader and are able to discuss issues in the open, it encourages dialogue and cultivates empowerment.

At my last assignment in Afghanistan, I held a weekly town hall.  I really thought it important for everyone to hear of our successes, know of our challenges, and be reminded of where we were headed overall.  It was also the forum in which we welcomed new team members and introduced them to the rest of the team.  Powerful stuff.  Growing up, we would have the same sort of sessions in troop units at the "battalion" level, with monthly "formations" to recognize excellence and to hear from the Commander.

However these are done, I'd recommend probably a few considerations:

-- Be consistent.  Don't start doing these and then stop.  Cynicism will take hold and the intentions, while good, will be lost in the rumbling.  Pick a day/time and frequency and stay with it.

-- Recognize excellence.  Consistent with the adage of, "praise in public and criticize in private," use these forums to amplify those actions that align with the organization's vision and values.  Highlight those who take initiative if that is important to you.  Showcase those who go the extra mile.

-- Don't shy from discussing challenges but...keep it generic.  Personal criticism is best done behind closed doors.  On the other hand, teammates need to know of issues and where they can help.  They need to be able to learn from setbacks.  Use these sessions as mini-After Action Reviews (AARs) and see how to turn losses into future victories by engaging the full team.

-- Make time for listening.  Open the floor to see what is on people's minds.  Don't miss the chance to hear what is important to others.  While there may not be time to solve everyone's problem, take a note and follow up!  Don't hesitate to pass the problem to the person's supervisor if that is where it should reside.  Show empathy while using, not bypassing, the chain of command as part of the solution.

-- Have an agenda.  Don't wing it.  Time is money.  Don't waste it by being unprepared.  Have a few key bullets to discuss.  Get in, get out, and stay on schedule.  30 minutes -- max.

-- Have fun.  Town Halls can certainly help break down barriers.  People can see and understand the sort of culture that their leader seeks when that person is out in front -- no shields, no inner circle.  Demonstrate a good balance of mission focus, pride in people, and genuine enjoyment in talking about both!

So, take a look at the town hall as a way to ensure full penetration of your message.  If information is power, then the town hall is a sure jolt to your leadership efforts.  That makes it...Leader Business. 

Our Calendars Don't Lie

Calendars don't lie. They tell us in a snapshot what our top priorities are. We can say that something else is important to us. But if we look at our calendars...and don't see any time and energy against those top priorities...well, I'm not sure they are truly priorities.

I try to review this issue regularly with my secretary and executive staff. I ask these questions:

-- What are my priorities and where are they reflected on my calendar?

-- Am I focused on what is important...or sidetracked by something else?

-- Are we aligning our time, energy, resources, and leadership against those things that truly enable the success of our team?

So what is important to you?

-- People? Where have you allocated time for counseling, leader development, hiring, or recruiting?
-- Communication? Where is your investment in time to listen to subordinates...or to let them know what is happening across the organization?
-- Execution? What are your top money-makers...and does your calendar validate this?

This is the secret to time management and effective strategic leadership: Determine what is important...and put first things first. Check out how you are using your time and ensure you are focused like a laser beam on what really matters. Our calendars don't lie! That's Leader Business.