Improvisation

There are more people in the world than you can ever work with; each one with their own unique personality.  That personality and their unique life experiences shape these individuals, creating the potential for an effectively infinite number of human interactions.  No leadership course or school can teach you the algorithm for dealing with each personality and each problem, it simply can't be done.

What can be done is for leaders to learn tools and strategies to help them lead.  They can create a toolbox to draw from but that is all... beyond that, leaders need to improvise.

Leadership is not a static art that has been constant throughout the ages.  There are certain facets and concepts that seem timeless, but as people change, so does leadership.  With that in mind, leaders need to not only be free to improvise, but they need to be encouraged to do so.  This goes back to that "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again," and Einstein's "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

So, try new things, again, and again, using all of the tools in your toolbox, until you find the one that works, then add it to your toolbox.  When that stops working, try and try again.  We need to improvise not just to lead, but also to become better leaders so we can keep leading.

Do the leaders in your organization have room to improvise, or are they caught up in policies, procedures, and standardized leadership training?

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

-Image Source: http://quotesta.com/albert-einstein-quotes-insanity-3/

Nature and Nurture

Nature.  It's a thing.  I have seen compelling evidence that there are core behaviours that are almost, if not impossible, to eradicate (or even change).  At the same time, I have seen people learn and make changes to those behaviours to make themselves better.

So which is it, nature or nurture?

The truth is, it's both.  Just imagine, there is you as a completely clean slate.  The you that you would have become without any external interaction.  Then there is the you as you were raised, being nurtured by those around you.  And finally, there is the you that you have cultivated through hard work and discipline.  There are the layers of yourself, and they are all you - creating a new layer does not eliminate the previous one.

This is from my experience, and how I have seen it work.  Comment below if you have seen differently.

In the workplace, we do our best to collaborate with others and do the greatest good.  Normally we do this with our cultivated selves, but as stress rises, we revert to deeper, more ingrained versions of ourselves, bringing out our nurtured side.  If things get worse, we can be stripped away of that nurture, and revert to nature, where our flight and fight instincts take over.

As an example, you have a co-worker who is treating people poorly at work.  You address the situation directly, explaining why their behaviours are unacceptable.  Over the next several months you see they have improved, as they have taken your feedback to cultivate themselves.  Then, a stressful situation arises, putting a project of theirs into jeopardy, and at once, they seem to revert to their old selves.  People don't react well to this, so this person's career is put into jeopardy, and they fall into a state of fight or flight, relying on their nature, further compromising the situation.

As a leader, if you begin to see this kind of behaviour, what can you do?  The employee would prefer to be their cultivated selves, but they've slipped.  Can you stop the descent?  Can you forgive actions that you know were caused by stress, bringing out potentially unwanted behaviours, or would you try to remove them from the situation?

There is no right answer.  Sometimes people can be helped, and sometimes not, but we need to remember that we are all human, and with the right trigger, we too can be stripped down to nature.

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

p.s. Nature is not a bad thing, depending on their nurture and cultivation, a person's nature may be their best and truest self, or their very worst.

Image Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/06/20/onion-health-benefits_n_10572060.html

Let's talk fans... and blame...

You know, sometimes **** hits the fan.  It happens, and once it has happened it can't be undone, so the fact that the fan has been excrementated becomes less important, and what becomes more important, is what you are going to do about it.

As leaders (or humans in general), we suffer from knee-jerk reactions.  We see a fire, and we jump into firefighting mode, often in a state similar to flight or fight, and often operating more on instinct than logic.  Crisis or not, we need to learn to control that instinct, because sometimes when the crisis is over, that instinct follows.

I was recently involved in a situation where the metaphorical fan was... you get the point... and a crisis ensued, then the crisis was resolved, then it immediately jumped into the blame game.  Emotions were still high and the knee-jerk was strong.

Someone made a mistake and set this whole thing into motion.  What do you do about that?

Think about it.

It is easy to jump to the fast conclusion that this person made the mistake, they were at fault, and they need to be punished, but I'd like to put a few more things into play.

Does it make a difference:

• if the mistake was honest and unintentional?
• If the mistake was malicious and intentional?
• If the person even knew they were doing something wrong?
• If the person was capable of avoiding the mistake?

In these different situations, the blame could fall on the person who made the mistake, or the trainer who didn't teach them how to do it properly, or even the leader who shouldn't have put them in that situation in the first place.  It isn't so clear cut.

In those moments of high emotion, try to remember that piece of logic, and that the situation you see immediately before you might not be the truth, and that we may be more culpable than we know.

What other factors come into play when passing the blame?

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Why Communication is Important for Building Trust

Our standard Check Ride assessment focuses on two critical aspects of leadership: Building Trust, and Building Confidence.  Without these two things, you can manage a team, but you will have immense difficulty leading a team.

The first criteria we look at in Building Trust is to "Communicate openly, transparently, and clearly with focus and conviction."  So, why is this important?

I would be shocked if at this exact moment you didn't have a number of reasons why this is important popping up in your head but let's look at a few anyway.  

In my experience, I have found it very difficult to trust someone I couldn't see through.  What I mean by that, is that if I cannot see your role in the team, your motivations, and your actions that back those up, I begin to wonder, what hidden agenda are you pushing?  That isn't me trusting you, that is just the opposite.

In line with that, it isn't just that communication is open and transparent, it needs to be clear, comprehensive, and confident.  Leaders know where they are going, and demonstrating to your followers not only that you have a clear vision, but that you believe in it, boosts that trust.

What other reasons have you seen that demonstrate why communication is important for building trust?

-Alexander Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Image Source: https://www.xremo.com/blogs/7

Three Easy Steps to Improve your Leadership Skills Today

Becoming a better leader, the leader you know you can be, is a lifelong pursuit, so if you haven't started yet, why not start today?  You don't need to sit at the top of an organization, or even formally within one; you simply need to interact with people.

We don't have unlimited time or resources, so instead of trying to make your leadership style perfect overnight, just try these three things.  Try it tomorrow, try it over the next week, make it a habit, make it you; you might be amazed at how much improvement a little intentionality can add to your leadership skills.

1. Vision - This doesn't have to be about curing cancer or feeding the world, it just has to be about you (and your team) and where you would like to go.  The shortest distance somewhere is a straight line, so whether you are trying to get to the store for groceries, or lead your team in developing the next greatest thing, keep your eye on the prize.  Get excited, get inspired, and make that vision a reality!
2. Communication - Have you ever gone bowling, with two carloads of friends following you to the alley, when you make it through a yellow light and they are stuck at the red?  Having a vision isn't enough.  That vision needs to be communicated to those around you so they can navigate through any challenges along the way.  It isn't just you raining down your vision on others, it's a two-way street.  By being transparent in your vision, and your decisions, the people around you can add in their expertise, and together you can come up with a  better, smoother, plan than you could have ever come up with on your own.
3. Be Human - Trust is the foundation of relationships, and relationships are the foundation of teams.  You can't buy trust; you earn it.  You earn it through empathy and compassion, and just being human.  People need to be able to come to you with anything and know that you won't freak out, but that you'll see the situation from their eyes, and you'll help them right the ship.  Sometimes bad things happen, but that doesn't mean we have to throw them to the wolves, it means that is when they need our help most.  If you support your team in the best of times, and the worst of times, they'll do the same to you.

So, three simple things.  Think about it.  Try it.  Try it today, and over the next few days.  Become a better leader.

Make a difference.

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Image Source: http://www.okclipart.com/Clip-Art-Self-Improvement30lcivpnqc/

Taking Stock

With all of the negative economic and business news cascading over each and every business leader who is tuned in, I see two frequent scenarios: big negative impacts on the business translating into personnel & budget cuts for the short to medium term; or new short term opportunities for growth translating into large surge periods but uncertainty around how long they will last. In both scenarios the increased pressure on existing staff is rising significantly for more production efficiency without sacrificing quality.

To quote a client in this situation: "Just because we've made cuts; people haven't stopped doing stupid things!" In fact my instincts tell me the opposite is more likely true. So what are you doing to improve  your workforce capacity to cater to these imminent, likely already existing, pressures for producing more with your existing or fewer staff? How has your Leadership style adapted to this new reality? How has your Leadership Team changed their approach?

Is it time for you to take stock of your Leadership skills and how well they work in these and inevitable changes to your workplace? Have you taken the time to really evaluate the Leadership skill-set in your Team? What is stopping you from investing in yourself and your Leadership Team to uncover the capacity of Teams that are well-led? If all we have is now, when is the right time?

-Ron Guidinger BEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

What to Look for in a Coach

Coaching is very loosely defined in business.  What this means is that really anyone can call themselves a Coach, or maybe they'll spice it up with "Executive Coach," but that anyone could be some rando off the street, or the most experienced "Executive Coach" of them all.

How do you tell which one is the right one for you?

I've read a slough of articles on the Internet, looking for some kind of consensus on what makes a spectacular business coach, but the truth is, there doesn't seem to be consensus, because it comes down to individuals.  Individual coaches.  Individual coachees.  If we take the slough of articles, plus my own experience with teaching and being taught (I teach martial arts 1-2 times a week) I can whittle it down to these three points.

Experience/Expertise - Don't have a sculptor teach you how to be a CEO, and conversely, don't let a CEO teach you how to be a sculptor.  Recognized coaching credentials or not, make sure that their experiences are relevant to your needs, and if possible get references!  Different combinations of experience yield different results, so what you need might be very specific... just make sure that you feel that "click" when comparing their abilities and your specific challenges.

Compassion/Connection - A great coach will back you, not just during your successes, but also during your failures.  You need someone who can work with you through the tough times, and who can motivate you, instead of just listing the ways you're a failure.  That kind of support can get you back on the horse, and with close ties to your coach they can act as a confidante, and help you sort out all facets of your life, not just work.

Accountability/Responsibility - It's nice to have someone around to pat you on the back with a bunch of "attaboys," and who says "You'll get it next time!" when you didn't get it this time.  That can be nice, but you want a coach who can push your limits, and who can help you to be the best you can be.  Sure, you want them to say "You'll get it next time," but then you want them to say, "but you're responsible for your success, so let's work together so that next time you're ready.".

What other key attributes do you think are critical when selecting a coach, be it a life coach, or business coach?  Morality?  Ethics?  Light vs Dark side?

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Image source: https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/yoda-and-darth-vader-vs-bruce-almighty.345218/

Businesses, Same Same but Different: The Most Transferable Leadership Skills

I think we would all be surprised to learn just how transferable our skillets are.  I've said in this blog before, that leadership is about people.  Well, it turns out that people are everywhere, and if you have the skills to lead in one organization, you can probably transfer those skills over to another, or even another industry entirely.

Leadership skills are some of the easiest to transfer between roles, instead of, for example, extremely technical knowledge applicable to only a few specific scenarios.  Given leadership is our topic of choice, here are a few skills that should come first and foremost when you are looking to make a move, or branch out your professional portfolio.  Please note, these are not all possible transferable skills, just some that are very applicable to leadership.

1. Communication - Verbal, written, body language, expressing ideas, negotiating, interviewing, etc.
2. Problem Solving - Identifying challenges, suggesting alternatives, defining needs, setting goals, executing, etc.
3. Workability - Ability to cooperate, collaborate, support peers, handle stressful situations, learning, time management, flourish within organizations, etc.
4. People Skills - Influencing, relationship building, listening, compassion, empathy, connecting, etc.
5. Management - Managing people, driving change, coordinating tasks, decision-making, managing conflict, managing organizations, etc.
6. Leadership - Inspiring, leading by example, improving others, teaching, mentoring, getting people to do what you want because they want to, etc.

This is obviously not an exclusive list, but just a few to get you thinking about it.  If you were going to make a change, a new role, a new company, even a new industry, which of your leadership skills would you market as transferable?

-Alexander Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Image Source: http://www.argentus.com/transferrable-skills-and-hiring-a-supply-chain-directors-perspective/

Great Leadership is Not Just for the Workplace

“I am endlessly fascinated that playing football is considered a training ground for leadership, but raising children isn’t.” —Dee Dee Myers

There's a thought, especially given our culturally stereotypical use of football as a business metaphor.  Leadership is about growth, no, not our growth, but the growth of those we lead.  Certainly, we have a tendency to grow at the same time, but there are quotes upon quotes from great leaders expressing this point... “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.  When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” —Jack Welch

That's the truth of it, you aren't a leader if you are just leading yourself... that's just walking around.  You are a leader if you are helping others do it.  Sure, that means mentoring junior colleagues, and helping guide teams through difficult situations, but that also means bandaging up skinned knees, and giving that final push to get back into the seat and to ride off into the distance.

We need to get back to the idea that leadership isn't about where you do it, it's about who you do it for.  It's about people.  A core attribute of a leader is the ability to inspire and motivate those to do not necessarily what they want to do, but what they need to do.  Have you ever convinced a judgy fourteen-year-old to do their homework instead of going out with their friends, or a four-year-old to go to bed instead of watch Paw Patrol?  That's leadership.

When dealing with your employees think about your kids, and when dealing with your kids, think about your employees, or friends, or extended family, or peers at the local place where you do that thing you do.  We're all people, and what you learn in one arena of leadership usually works in the others.

To really tie this into who we are at Leading in the Fast Lane, that is, people who believe that leadership belongs everywhere and that great leaders aren't isolated to the workplace, and aren't just leaders at work, I wanted to borrow a few quotes I found from Karen Caitlin's "The Best Quotes for Leadership AND Parenting."

Leadership Version: “Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing.” — Tom Peters

Parenting Version: “Household management is about arranging and telling. Parenting is about nurturing and enhancing.”

Parenting Version: "Don’t yell at your kids. Lean in real close and whisper, it’s much scarier." — Unknown

Leadership Version: "Don’t yell at your employees. Lean in real close and whisper, it’s much more effective."

Leadership isn't about where you lead.  It's about people.  Little people.  Big people.  People.

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” —John Lennon

For the crowds.  Have you ever had one of those leadership epiphanies when you realized you just told your colleague at the work the same thing you told your six-year-old the night before, or vice versa?  Feel free to share.

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Are Women Better Leaders than Men?

The short answer is yes.

The next question is, Are Men Better Leaders than Women?

Any guesses here?  The short answer is also yes, because leadership depends on people, not sex, not race, religion, etc.  Leadership depends on people.  I think we often forget that leadership is a soft skill.  People confuse hierarchical authority with leadership and forget about leadership skills, such as influencing, motivation and building relationships.  Leadership is about relationships, and both men and women can forge powerful relationships, and motivate people to achieve new heights.

Let's be quite clear, this doesn't mean that all women and men are great leaders, on the contrary, there are probably more shoddy leaders than good ones.  What this means, is that all women and men have the potential to be great leaders.

In honour of International Women's Day, I wanted to try and find some insight from some excellent female leaders, as prime examples of women who can be better leaders than men; or other women for that matter.

1. "In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders."                       —Sheryl Sandberg
2. “Good leaders organize and align people around what the team needs to do. Great leaders motivate and inspire people with why they’re doing it. That’s purpose. And that’s the key to achieving something truly transformational.”                                            — Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin
3. "A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be."                                                            — Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady
4. “As a leader, it’s a major responsibility on your shoulders to practice the behavior you want others to follow.”                                                                                                    — Himanshu Bhatia, Rose International Inc.
5. “Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want.”    — Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator
6. “Presenting leadership as a list of carefully defined qualities (like strategic, analytical and performance-oriented) no longer holds. Instead, true leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed… Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.”                                                                                — Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook
7. “True leaders understand that leadership is not about them but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up.”                              — Sheri L. Dew, author
8. “You have to look at leadership through the eyes of the followers and you have to live the message. What I have learned is that people become motivated when you guide them to the source of their own power and when you make heroes out of employees who personify what you want to see in the organization.”                              — Anita Roddick, Businesswoman
9. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”                                                                                — Sheryl Sandberg
10. “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”                                                                          — Mary Anne Radmacher
11. “I am endlessly fascinated that playing football is considered a training ground for leadership, but raising children isn’t.”                                                                                    — Dee Dee Myers, former White House Press Secretary
12. “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”                          — Ayn Rand
13. “Do not wait on a leader...look in the mirror, its you!”                                                          — Katherine Miracle

Question for the crowds: Do you have a favourite leadership quote from a female leader?  Feel free to share in the comments.

-Alexander C. Cook MEng, MBA, PEng, PMP

Image Source: http://www.halogensoftware.com/blog/more-women-in-leadership-making-it-a-priority