Be an Enabler

As many of you know, I began a new job, and a new adventure, here in Kabul last week. The first several days have been a whirlwind of presentations and introductions and a quest to understand what it is that we do here. Once I can get my arms around that (no easy task in this multi-billion dollar enterprise), I can find purpose and add value to my team.

What I'm reminding myself every day is that so much of the role of leaders is as enablers. In fact, as I learn the elements of my new position, I think the role of "Chief Enabler" is most important. I find myself using this word over and over to define what I do. I don't do construction (be thankful!) -- I enable it. I don't (and can't) do what these great people do. But I can sure enable their success. Here's how dictionary.com defines this powerful word:

1. to make able; give power, means, competence, or ability to; authorize: This document will enable him to pass through the enemy lines unmolested. The "Chief Enabler" empowers people with the competence and confidence to accomplish their mission. Again, in leadership positions, we usually can't do what our teammates are in position to do...but we can sure help make them able to do it.

2. to make possible or easy: Aeronautics enables us to overcome great distances. So much of leadership is clearing obstacles that inhibit progress. Whether it be inefficient processes, lack of clarity, or disunity among team members, leaders can certainly help make the difficult -- easy or the impossible -- possible. "Chief Enablers" find gaps and fill them, create order out of chaos, and remove anything that prevents success.

3. to make ready; equip (often used in combination): Web-enabled cell phones. So much of leadership is providing people with the skills and tools they need to do their jobs. When we've hired well (as is certainly the case on my new team), it often comes down to giving people what they require -- and getting out of the way! Providing the equipment, resources, or sometimes just the clarity of purpose, or the context of the mission, is all great people need to do great things.

I may not know much in my new position, but I'm learning fast. I want my team to do well and I want to be a part of their success. So as I learn what they do, I'm trying to find ways to help them do it. That's the role of "Chief Enabler." That's Leader Business.

Succession Planning

Opening kickoff for the NCAA football National Championship game. It doesn't get any more exciting than that. And for my daughter and I (and 94,000+ of our closest friends) it was time to get it on. The pre-game festivities, the talking heads, and the hype were all finished. It was time to play the game. #1 Alabama versus #2 Texas for all the marbles!

Who knew that 5 offensive plays into the game, the depth of Texas would be tested at the most critical position? Yes, after 5 plays Colt McCoy, the winningest quarterback in college football history, was done. Bring in the backup -- an 18 year old with almost no meaningful game experience. It would be his job to snap on his chin strap and try to lead his team to victory.

Let's talk leadership here, can we?

It was clear that this young man was not prepared for the situation he was in, on that night, on that stage. He was not familiar with the game plan. He had not been given enough repetitions to be able to step in and lead his team. He was not ready for the speed of the game nor the decisions he would have to make along the way. (Mind you, I don't think any backup freshman quarterback with limited game experience would truly be ready to step up in that situation.)

It certainly got me thinking about how well prepared my team is to lose a key leader. Similarly, I am not sure I have done all I need to do to set them up for success in my absence. Do we have depth in critical positions? Could the second-teamers step in and would they be able to maintain momentum and accomplish the mission?

Succession planning is hard! Here are 4 things to think about regarding preparing back-ups for success:

1. Backups need exposure to the game plan. Do we include 2nd and 3rd tier leaders when we establish strategic plans and set goals...or just the "inner circle" leadership team? The more we can expose others to the sessions in which we establish our plans and strategies, the more likely they will be comfortable with executing them should they be thrust into leadership roles. Things like vision, strategies, goals and objectives must be shared with the entire team so that everyone is prepared to step up when called.

2. Backups need game experience. Are we empowering our 2nd and 3rd tier team members to truly be leaders when they are in leadership position or do we just ask them to hold down the fort? Do we give people the chance to truly be in charge when we go on vacation or are out of the office or do they just keep the seat warm? Do we provide true, meaningful leadership opportunities to lower-level team members such that they can establish "muscle density" on things like calling plays (communicating orders and instructions), reading defenses (decision making under pressure), and scoring touchdowns (accomplishing the mission).

3. Simulations and contingency plans must address the loss of key leaders. Most of our "what if" drills involve things like the loss of a key customer, the failure of an important system or piece of equipment, or the interruption in the supply chain. But "what if" we lose a key leader? Are we prepared? Have we practiced under those conditions? Have we established contingency plans so that we can quickly integrate new leaders without losing momentum? Are we prepared to adjust the game plan to be able to operate under the new conditions and still accomplish the mission?

4. We need depth at every position. As leaders, we really do need to look at whether we have single points of failure within our organization. Perhaps we need to start by examining whether our teams are ready to win -- without US! Are we grooming successors and are they ready to step in right away? Similarly, do we have depth at other key positions? A team can be just as challenged with the loss of a lineman or a linebacker as with the loss of the quarterback. Succession planning needs to look across the team and ensure that the team is built to last.

It was a great game. While my team lost, my daughter and I had a blast. We both lost our voices cheering on that freshman quarterback. He did okay, getting better and gaining confidence with each snap of the ball. Who knows how prepared he was for the stage on which he was thrust? I doubt many of us could have pulled off what he did that night, almost leading his team to victory. It certainly highlighted the awesome responsibility we have as leaders to ensure our team has the depth to continue the mission -- no matter who is in charge. That's winning football. And that's -- Leader Business!

I.N.T.E.R.N.s

Last week I spoke to a large group of interns we brought into our organization this year. We made a conscious effort to deepen our bench and build from the bottom with some quality people. I view them as the future of our organization. I have put a little microchip on each of them and plan on coming back in about 20 years and see them all running the place!

And what a great group they are -- positive (OK...maybe a little naive but let's not spoil it!), ambitious, and ready to learn. I feel like a college coach looking at this year's group of recruits. They are so talented, eager to make a difference, and ready to "take the hill!"

In any case, I wanted to lay out my expectations for this group. I used the acronym -- I.N.T.E.R.N. I know, I know...but it was all I could come up with on my way into work. Here was my charge to this great group:

I -- Innovate. Our organization is counting on the new ideas that they will undoubtedly inject. I want them to take risks, to be bold, to push us, to challenge the status quo. I want this group of interns to be creative, to find new solutions to old problems. We need more innovators.

N -- Never quit. Interns need to not let their lack of understanding be an excuse for not accomplishing the mission. We cannot accept failure. I want them to ask questions, to learn, to find a way. Too many employees let the clock determine their output. I want interns to find a way to make the output meet the mission. No matter what. Whatever it takes. They are young and hungry. I want to see them put that into action where it counts. Accomplish the mission young troopers!

T -- Talk among yourselves. We brought in a large group this year. I want them to share lessons learned, to bond early, and to build relationships for a lifetime. One of the group has already responded to my challenge and is setting up a network to connect both inside the office and while off-duty. I love it. The sooner they feel like they are members of a community, that they are not alone, that they can share challenges and frustrations with peers who might help them, the more confident I am that they will fight, not just for themselves, but for each other!

E -- Energy. They have it. A lot more than most of us. Interns need to bring that energy into the workplace. Have fun, make people laugh, make mistakes and figure things out. Listen, we've all been there. But if interns cannot bring energy into an organization, then no one can! Brighten up a room, ask stupid questions, and bring that energy.

N -- (K)nowledge. OK, this is the "Ranger" in me ("N" is for "Nowledge." Ha!). Interns should be on a quest for information. Much of this is self-study and learning from your peers. All of our interns have formal and informal mentors to help further their growth. Supervisors are always watching. In a professional organization like mine, I also want them to continue to pursue growth through things like graduate school, professional registration, and other credentials. Trust me -- it gets much harder when you start to develop roots. Get those things early and keep growing -- personally and professionally.

That's it, INTERNs! You have your marching orders! I am counting on you! Don't let me down!

For the rest of us, especially those of us who might wish for a "do-over," it is never too late to be young at heart. Those young people are counting on their leaders to take them over that hill! That's Leader Business!

Image courtesy of www.chicagonow.com.

Heir Quality

The Air Force recently picked a new leader. The title of Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force now rests with a (shutter) CARGO PILOT like the ones who fly the aircraft above! Read some of the extracts from Max Boot's article in the New York Times below:

June 16, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
The Heir Up There
By MAX BOOT

THE appointment of Gen. Norton A. Schwartz as the chief of staff of the Air Force last week is a historic first, one that could serve as inspiration for people who share his underprivileged background. General Schwartz is, you see, a cargo pilot.

He started his career flying a C-130, the main transport aircraft of the Air Force, and he took part in the airlift of American personnel out of Saigon in 1975. He comes to his new job from a stint as the commander of the Pentagon’s Transportation Command, and he has also been the deputy commander of the Special Operations Command. His résumé may not raise eyebrows outside the Air Force, but among blue suits it is unique for a chief of staff. Flying fighter jets has been the formative experience of every chief of staff for the past quarter-century.

When the Air Force was created as a separate service in 1947, it was dominated by bomber pilots in the mold of the legendary Curtis LeMay. The bomber barons ruled until Gen. Charles Gabriel, a fighter pilot who had shot down two MiG-15s in the Korean War, became chief of staff in 1982. Since then, the fighter mafia has been in control.

The new chief comes from an occupation — transportation — that is as unglamorous as military jobs get. But its importance cannot be overstated. Some of the most valuable assets in the armed forces are cargo planes and aerial refueling aircraft. We have about 2,000 of them, far more than any other country, but most are getting old (the original model of the C-130 was introduced in 1956), and the Air Force has struggled to replace them.

With an officer whose background is in transportation and special operations chosen to head the entire Air Force, a cultural revolution is well under way. Fighter planes and their pilots will not loom as large in the future as they have in the recent past.

Some years down the road lies an even more radical transition. The day will surely come when the Air Force chief of staff won’t be a pilot at all. The service now operates in outer space and in cyberspace. Experts in those areas are rising through the ranks. But it will probably take many years, and another wrenching transition, before a non-pilot rises to the top.

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Picking a leader is never easy. But nothing is more discouraging to the rank and file than the belief that if they lack certain pedigree (the right university, the right jobs, they don't know the right people), they can forget about advancement. This is a natural tendency in picking new leaders -- we too often default to select people that look like us. In the military, Academy graduates tend to think more highly of fellow grads. In the Air Force, jet fighters likely think that the best leaders come out of their own ranks. In business, we look for the best schools or previous jobs at the right companies.

The reality is quite different. Great leaders come from all corners. What should matter is performance and proven leadership capabilities. When our teammates believe this, they will fight to prove themselves every day.

Think about this the next time you are picking "Heirs." Are you selecting based on the past...or are you looking ahead to the future? Which is more important...quantity of degrees or quality of the degree holder? Are you suppressing the potential of the bulk of your organization because of your bent toward a chosen few?

Sounds like the Air Force is looking ahead and selecting for "Heir Quality." That's Leader Business.

Max Boot, a senior fellow in national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, is the author of “War Made New: Weapons, Warriors and the Making of the Modern World.”

Thanks to Suzanne for sending me this article!