THE COMPETENCE DILEMMA

 I just spent quite a bit of time with a three year old. And I had work to do (from email response to weeding to cooking to shopping to writing)
So, she had to do the work with me. She used her own computer to find letters. She managed the wheel barrow. She cut veggies. She watered plants.  Of course, she did the work at her own level of capacity, but that level got better and better over a week's time. She got prouder and prouder and wanted to 'work' more everyday.

Made me think. It is so rare that people at work feel the kind of competence that makes them want to work harder and do more. One of the key consequences of transitions of any kind is a sense of incompetence. And our companies are in perpetual transition. Never having a sense of finished accomplishment kills the pleasure of competence as well. Not 'knowing' that one's particular contribution created a fine result kills the competence productivity cycle. Slogging through hard work knowing that it won't be good enough can bring a sense of competence to a dead halt or slow entropy.

Think about it. What can you do in your company that reminds people of their competence, that gives them a breather to enjoy accomplishment, that lets their skill grow and grow, that gives them a chance for solid achievement even if the goals keep changing or are truly ridiculous. How do you grow a sense of competence in your company so that it is intrinsic and grows organizational capacity?

DON'T LEAD WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS

This may be heresy for me to say but--focusing on leadership skills is not your most important priority. If you are doing what is most important, then your lack of leadership skills will be forgiven, laughed at lovingly and become part of the company narrative.

Most important?
--Loving and enjoying and digging deep into the business even when it is a
   tough tough time. People like to work with and for people who love their work.

--Being nice matters intensely. People have a good bull shit buzzer for nice. 
  They smell quickly if the niceness  is real. Nice means kind, friendly, aware of       
   the contributions of others, accessible and tolerant.

--Being trustworthy may be the most important. We are so cynical and so 
   hungry to find someone worthy of our trust. Do you keep your word? Do you 
   honor confidences? Are you willing to lose some power or perk in order to
   maintain your values? I can't tell you how ungrounded most companies are 
   due to trying to do difficult work in an atmosphere of smoke and mirrors.

--Being unrelenting about fairness. The question of fairness is always in play
  for top leaders---compensation, opportunity, access, communication, being
  heard, parking spaces, office space, and on and on. You are the fairness 
  keeper.

--And lastly being optimistic but not foolish or spinning a false story. 
  The ability to create a positive atmosphere for hard work in tough times is
  essential. Failing out loud and in public and then shrugging and putting it all 
  in perspective makes the whole enterprise ring true and creates energy.

So you don't delegate well. You run a lousy meeting. You don't always follow-up.
You talk too much or too little. You are late with performance conversations.
On and on. You can make lots of mistakes with leadership skills and be forgiven.
But betray any one of the above qualities and no skill will make up for the
inner good heartedness that great leaders carry in them.

THIS TOPIC DESERVES A BOOK

It is Independence Day in the United States. This led me to think about what a radical experiment was initiated with the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Self government of the non-elite. Everybody entitled to search for their own happiness.

I happen to think these same principles create the best work environment in companies. I've worked in several. It takes a particular type of leader.
The writers of the US Constitution wrestled heartily about whether the average person could have useful options and power. It was an exciting dilemma to manage.

And still is inside your companies. You do lose some control. You do have more mistakes. You do have to have a high tolerance and trust of people working without overly close supervision. You do have to be committed and not waver with every period results.  You have to have checks and balances like budget and values and clear, clear strategy and goals and good mile stone management. Other than that, let your people go— to learn and be excited and accountable for themselves and their commitments. Let consequences teach. Don't invent punishment or reward. This radical experiment of self determination and involvement is where an extraordinary "lift" comes from.
Takes a revolutionary courage.

CEO AS PARENT

CEO as parent. Sounds kind of awful and wrong in a way.
And then it doesn't.

Of course it used to be paternalistic (which weakens self-motivation) and punitive (which kills independent action) and strict (which stifles creativity).
Great combo, huh? Sounds kind of 'command and control' doesn't it?
Frightened parents and leaders still use it.

Here is what healthy parenting looks like and how it pertains to leaders:

--Firm about the few rules and values necessary for the family to function

--Nurturing of talent and interests and willing to invest in them

--Intolerant of behaviour that doesn't help the child become capable in the world

--Teaching the 'why' behind the 'what' constantly

--Coaching in the moment when a shift in attitude or behavior is needed

--Reminding that the good of the whole is the goal

--Being respectful with words that can bury deep if they are derogatory

--Introducing new experiences and points of view

--Allowing free time for exploration without guidance

Happy Mother's Day and Father's Day to you top leaders.

THOUGHTS FROM VACATION

I am visiting my three West Coast kids (mid-forties old kids) who live in Seattle, Portland, Oregon and Santa Cruz, California.  They are right smack dab in the middle of their work lives and we talk about it quite a bit. All the ups and downs, career choices, bosses, leaders, stress, are all grist for the mill.

I was reminded of how much leaders matter ---and of a leadership paradox.
I offer it as food for thought:

Leaders who feel lazy and wonder what good they are doing and if they are having any impact are often the best leaders. Leaders who overwork and and never question their impact and never question their right to intervene and KNOW how much they are needed, are not the best leaders.  

Just saying. Something to think about.

Now back to vacation.

CEO REPORT CARD

It can be difficult for CEO's to get helpful feedback about their performance and their needed development.  And they need it just as much as any other associate does. Boards get oddly negligent about doing it with any depth and 
direct reports just don't tell the emperor that he or she is wearing no clothes.

Here is a CEO REPORT card that I developed to be used with a Board of Directors:

—Strategy Development
   Is there a clear and winning strategy for the entire company?

—Board Relationships
   Are there professional, productive relationships with Board memebers that are 
   both collaborative and challenging?

—Talent Depth and Development
   Are succession plans in place?
   Is there a talent planning and development process in place?

—Future Growth and Innovation
   Is there exploration and experimentation for future growth and are they 
   supported with resources and accountability?

—Pulse
  Does the CEO have an accurate view of results, challenges and culture
  across the company and a method to validate what is sensed?

—Resilience
   Does the CEO have the emotional intelligence and self-awareness to support  
   good judgment and perspective 

—Change
   Is there appropriate urgency for needed change balanced by the correct scope and ability of the organization to manage the changes?

—Making Meaning
   Does the CEO create a narrative to support strategy and growth that creates
   enthusiasm and common direction among all associates

Take a pause for thought and evaluate yourself or ask a trusted colleague to do this with you.

SIZE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

I have been catching up on my business magazine reading and I'm a little
schizophrenic from it.

The reading tends to go from the staid sleep inducing sloooooow introduction of researche concepts that don't matter much to a hyper hyper hyper creativity
adrenalin driven frenzy that may or may not make a company that will last. 
(I'll let you guess the magazines from your own reading!)

I've been up close to both large weighty organizations in mature if not ancient industries to very small anything is possible wild idea start-ups. My fantasy is to bring together a group of CEO's of companies of varying sizes and ages and industries to learn from one another. (I hope you do know companies are lousy at learning. Too busy, too into action, too scared, too arrogant, too fast, too uninterested, too not curious.) 

Large companies would relearn:
--the exhilaration of new
--the courage of having no option but bold
--the passion for creating
--optimism that makes no sense
--fun of fear of failure

Start-ups would learn:
--a little prudence goes a long way
--structure does not kill the joy
--how to get feet under an idea
--that growth alone doesn't work the magic
--to respect lessons already learned

Wonder what a middle size company would say???