RESPECTING DIVERSITYNG DOESN'T MEAN BLAND

Thinking about  organizations during holiday times is what made me think of diversity. I spent many years helping to create organizational cultures that were healthfully diverse. Diversity equals health whether in your leaky gut or of the heart of your company. Differences are not the final touches or the window dressing of health. They are the embedded potential for change and adaptation and possibilities for the future.

OK! That's my stance and I just did my lecture. Now the practicality issues.
There seems to me to be only two choices that carry the least risk during these times of hair trigger sensitivity and litigation.  One is to mute all differences, to write policy that tries to smooth out differences and which comes terribly close to denial. 

OR to allow and promote all the wild differences that exist. Give it all expression of some kind. Write a policy of inclusion not exclusion in the name of fairness.
Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Festival of lights of India, The Water
 Festival of Thailand and any and all others.  

As a top leader, protect the right of differences to be expressed. Do it explicitly.
Moderate it. Of course, it is not the primary focus of your business. But people feeling safe to be who they are and seen as they are is fundamental to your work. It is in the stew, the melting pot, the mess of differences that the richness of talent, the surprise of skills and the x factor of commitment and engagement become real assets.

Don't settle for bland. Be bold. Stand for differences. Teach that expressions of difference are fundamentally valuable.

Happy Holiday---whatever that may be for you.

ASSUME GOODWILL

Assuming goodwill at work is a discipline, not a "good people approach" and not a test of your big heart.  It is a stance, an intention, an emotional discipline.  And it can work miracles. I've experienced it.

No organization is without its ugly moments and political alliances. We have structures of power and status in most companies. We haven't found the alternative yet. And so there is often both real and perceived threat to our own positions and influence and resources. 

I was involved in a quagmire that was going south fast. And I received lots of irate, insulting voice mail. (Always a bad way to communicate but a great way to dump anger).  I was dying to pick up the phone and retaliate either with  anger or the superiority of proving others wrong with facts.

I'm not sure what made me do it, but here's what I did. I called back and left a message saying, "Let's assume goodwill and talk when we have some which may not be today."  "Assume goodwill" became a phrase that was used often and sincerely and even with humor and undisguised difficulty. My reaction to hating organizational craziness and was a reset moment so the phrase caught on.  It saved face and bought time and allowed real reflection to occur.  

So in the spirit of the holidays and of the need for peace everywhere one looks, I offer the discipline of ASSUMING GOODWILL first. Talk second.

THOSE BEST SELLING BUSINESS BOOKS? MOST CEO'S DON'T READ THEM

Many of the best CEO's will tell you that they don't read much.
It's not just a matter of time.
It's more that they know that business books are the new business card.
It's like every candidate for the President in the US has to write a book for validity and gravitas.

The other issue is that there is usually only a concept or two in any book that are worth it and the gleaning takes time that could be used for action, for getting stuff done, for making money. 

But here's how and when a CEO should read:
(How)
—Scan books around a theme or issue you want to explore. Use the chapter summaries.  That's what they are for.  Only dig in where you are grabbed by you own curiosity
—Rarely sit down and read the book cover to cover because you feel you should 
—If you find a gem, test it with a colleague for usability
—Don't swallow a book whole. Integrate it with others and create your own language and point of view about what's valuable in it.  

(When)
—when you have a nagging problem 
—when you are about to spend a fortune on a consultant when if you read the book and shared it you could take action on your own
—when three colleagues say the book is worth reading
—when you have a six hour flight and no good mystery at hand

ONE OF THE HARDEST JOBS YOU'LL EVER HAVE TO DO

One of the reasons this job is one of the toughest for a CEO is because she or he will only do it once.  It makes it hard to get right or to learn from a mistake.
And it has huge ramifications for your organization. What is it?  Leaving!

Many CEO's don't get to choose when they leave a company. There is a sudden move on the Board's part or deterioration of power or a distancing from the ranks of the organization.  The choice is made for the CEO and the shift in power happens quickly and the organization adapts.  

Managing your own demise is a whole different animal. It demands the utmost
professional maturity and gracefulness.  I've seen it done seamlessly well and I've seen it done awkwardly awful. 

FACTORS?

—The organization senses when there is leadership change in the air. People talk and betray confidences, people observe,  people talk and surmise, the gossip  level picks up. Energy focuses inward rather than out to the consumer.

—Usually the CEO has given indicators of possible successors. They know it and everyone else knows it.  It's good to create a little competition and give challenges to see who steps up. It's bad to allow a 3-4 person slate last too long. People begin to align behind "candidates" to align their future career of in honest support. It becomes a silent but powerful campaign atmosphere not good for the business.

—Candidates get goofy when they smell the possibility of the top job. The get overly nice and politic.  They spend more time in private conversation with colleagues "plotting" strategy.  The two worst thing are that the possible successors get inauthentic and lose support or they become incredibly cautious and conservative in all arenas.  They are "on hold". Bad for the business.

—The CEO also gets goofy and deserves the right to be so. She or he has
been in a deep relationship with the organization for years. They are headed for a kind of free-fall of power. And so a CEO can get crabby and picky OR back off the role too soon and become a kind of good-will ambassador. Not great for the organization.

—Strategy can get stalled. Who owns it?  Who should create it?  The leaving CEO won't be there to support it and the 'candidates' won't seize the moment for fear of over-stepping.  Not great for the business.

—Timing is tricky. When to announce the CEO retirement or leaving?  How close to tie it to announcing a successor?  When is the change the easiest on the organization?  When does one know the choice is right?

—Who else will leave and what does that mean for the business? Planning for who you might lose is as important as choosing the successor.

See what I mean----the hardest job CEO's ever have to do and only one chance to do it right.

I'M JUST A CEO— WHAT CAN I DO?

Just a CEO!!!  Most of the people who work for you would be surprised to hear that sentence.  In fact, I wish they knew how powerless you sometimes feel and how very human you are.

Still, all of us need to be as powerful as we can be in the ability to influence people—in a good way.

I think work matters tremendously to people. Not just jobs or roles, but using personal energy to do something that matters.

You, as a top leader have the ability/ power to:
—Create jobs
—Model fairness in power for people who may not ever have experienced it
—Give people voice 
—Allow people influence over decisions that impact them
—Make work meaningful by including everyone in every way
—Create a system where people know how to work with and respect differences
—Inspire people to be the best self they can be

Yes, I'm thinking of Paris.  JUST a CEO?

HOW TO SPOT A FUTURE CEO

I've been involved with finding and growing talent for more than 25 years.
I'm seen quite a few of people I've helped hire and develop grow into the CEO position.  By quite a few, I mean twelve or so.
(Not everyone gets to be CEO)

Here's what I saw in them when they were still very much only on their way.
No scientific research.  Just--for what it's worth.

All "my" CEO's had this in common:

-- They all assumed they could do the job as well or better than anyone else.
It was a kind of "Why not me?" attitude. Not arrogant, but excited by the idea of leading from the top role.  

--They had a presence that stood out in a room of people from the time they were interviewed and along the path to the CEO role.  Some were charismatic.
Some were quite quiet. But what they said or didn't say weighed more than others.

--They connected with all levels in the company from their first day on the job.
There was an ability to adjust the nuances of interaction so that they could connect with everyone.  They were not putting on an act--just adjusting their communication to be effective

--How to describe this?  There was a brightness that was part being smart and quick and part just high vitality. To me, CEO talent, shone in some way.  I could 
see it and smell it, but maybe not describe it to you. But I would have bet on it.

--There was a restlessness in future CEO's to get things going, create movement, make 'it' happen. It was a kind of nervous energy waiting to be fully used. (With some future CEO's, this impatience caused them trouble and they had to learn to modulate) 

--I'd say the CEO's that I helped develop were stubborn. In a good way.  They would fight for an idea, take action without permission, and be sure they were right (even if they were not).  Maybe they were tenacious, not stubborn.  

--They were likable. Fun to go to dinner with, good company. Maybe there are effective CEO's that are not likable and use a lot of fear and distance as their power base.  Not my experience. 

--They seized the moment, grabbed the opportunity, took  the microphone and dominated center stage in meetings or whatever moment presented itself. They were opportunistic without being self-centered or selfish. They liked the limelight in order to get done what they wanted to get done.

Just a few thoughts for you to use when looking at the new talent in your company.  These are not the formal assessment traits, but they helped me choose the right person!

THE POWER OF JOY IN YOUR JOB

Living in the United States, I can't help but be aware of the presidential candidates. I'm not thrilled with any of them. But, I have noticed that I have a positive reaction to one characteristic regardless of politics. I like to see someone enjoy what they are doing. I like to see real smiles and pleasure in the process of those who are enjoying their campaign. 

I hope, that as a top executive or CEO, that you love your job and that you let people know it. It is contagious and models exactly what you want--people who enjoy their work. It creates confidence even during very tough times. "If we have to struggle, then let's enjoy a good fight".  

Joy does not mean foolishly happy.  I 'enjoyed' many tough moments that gave me pride and joy such as running a high integrity, highly supportive elimination of jobs (and the people in them--you never eliminate just jobs) or a fair and square fight about strategic direction.  I loved my job as EVP of Organizational Development and it showed.  

Joy in a job is a magnet for all kinds of good things--energy, talent, resilience in down times, optimism and more enjoyment for others in their roles.  If your joy in your job as a top executive is low, do something about it.  Joylessness in the workplace is lethal