IT'S ALL ABOUT LEADERSHEEP!

2/18/11

So it’s that time of year again.  Yes – for those fortunate enough to be included, it’s “Bonus” time.  The yearly results are in; the measures of success have been taken; and it’s time to spend (or save) what you’ve been counting on.  But……I have noticed a disturbing trend over the last few years and this year is no different.

 

Several of my friends have spoken to me about being surprised, in a negative way, by their final bonus results.  How can this happen?  What’s going on?  On one level, the answer is really easy – the goal posts are moving.  The year starts with clear and measurable objectives, but over the course of the year, or sometimes even after the year is done, they get changed.  And they get changed arbitrarily, often without any communication.  (Now there are times that objectives should change – for example, if a salesperson is given a new account mid-year, their objectives should be revised to reflect that.  But the process should be transparent and inclusive).

 

Notwithstanding the moving goal posts, what is really going on, at a deeper level, is a lack of integrity and leadership.  And please understand, this isn’t happening in all businesses, or even in most, but it is happening in too many, and in businesses you would never expect to operate that way.

 

You see, in most organizations, bonus plans are controlled by a relatively small group of very senior people.  And occasionally, because of the blind pursuit of results, or an inherent bias – a senior leader makes an arbitrary and unplanned adjustment.  And that is precisely when their colleagues, whether alongside or working directly for them in their unit, stop practicing leadership.  Leadership, in this situation, is reminding the decision maker that a commitment has been made based on good faith, that the results are the results, and that this is about integrity.  Leadership isn’t about saluting a flawed decision and spinning it to your people – that’s what I call leadersheep. 

 

A leader’s job isn’t to make an absence of integrity palatable; or to simply be a conduit for stress or unreasonable demands placed upon them by higher-ups.  A leader who truly demonstrates leadership eliminates barriers their people encounter in trying to meet their objectives; they insulate their team from unreasonable stress and demands; they influence or even intervene in decisions that are flawed or just plain wrong.  And if they are unsuccessful in accomplishing this, well - real leaders have an honest discussion with their people and they take steps to ensure it won’t happen again.

 

It’s a sad thing to say – but I think we have too many leaders, in too many organizations, demonstrating leadersheep rather than leadership.  So if you are a leader, be vigilant to ensure that leadersheep doesn’t creep in to your behavior; and if you are not a leader, find a way to remind your leader what real leadership is.

 (see “A Million and One Ways to be One-in-a-Million”; Chapter 2 – The Gift and Chapter 3 – Luke…Use the Force)

ON A HOT SUMMER NIGHT.....

2/1/11

In the category of little known facts – there were many hot summer nights in these newly formed United States of America leading up to 1791.  And in such a puritanical society, without the benefit of polyester blends and moisture wicking fabrics, it really could be quite uncomfortable.  And that’s exactly when the minor mistake that created a maelstrom was made.  Yep – you guessed it.  William Lambert, the Engrosser (or penman) of the Bill of Rights had a dyslexic moment – and the “right to bare arms” became the “right to bear arms”.  The rest, as they say, is history.

This is, of course, ludicrous, and a fabrication of my imagination.  But – I’m thinking that I should establish some special interest group to legitimize this fable.  After all, it appears that is the only way to be heard by anyone.  And what a sad state of affairs this is.  It is completely perplexing that two fundamental tenets of America - freedom of speech and the right to bear arms - are so influenced by extremes, and operationalized to levels as ludicrous as the example above.  It is also completely perplexing that our leaders, and indeed we as a society, neither have the sophistication, nor the passion, to hold to a tenet, yet make appropriate adjustments based on context and environment.

Now don’t get me wrong – I really believe those who crafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights got it right.  And fundamentally, citizens should have a right to free speech and to bear arms.  But think, for a moment, about the state of world when these tenets were constructed.  At best, the right to bear arms meant you could have a musket.  The right to free speech meant you could say what you think to as many people as you could convince to stand around and listen to you.  And in that context, the widest and broadest possible interpretation of these rights works very well indeed.  But in today’s world – where the state of weapons development means that anyone can wage a “one person war”, and where one can spread the word of hate, anarchy, and incite action against their would-be target to millions of people in what amounts to the blink of an eye – well, I submit the broadest interpretation doesn’t work anymore.  You know – if a business, any business, ignored such drastic changes in the context and environment of their marketplace – well that business would cease to exist (and you know there are many many examples of this). 

And now we have live, real-time examples of this radically new world in which we live:  Tunisia and Egypt.  Notwithstanding the rule of tyranny, the lack of basic and fundamental rights; and the existence of what amounts to a police state – the new context and environment has enabled a revolution.  The internet, social networking, and the media have galvanized the pent up sentiment of the masses into action.  And make no mistake – when the masses motivate, and unite, change will occur.

So what is our problem?  We have all of these “rights”, and the power to choose our officials – yet no one listens.  How can that be?  Well, to me, it seems as though passion is inversely related to the moderation of one’s viewpoint: The more moderate your view, the less your passion; the more extreme your view, the greater your passion.  And therein is the genesis of special interest groups – groups that represent an extreme or a minority view.  Somehow, we need to galvanize moderates – those with the popular viewpoint. It’s funny -- there is so much attention paid to "middle" America.  And when our politicians refer to “middle” America, I believe they are confusing many elements (for example geography, economic strata, etc.), and ultimately use that euphemism to pander to special interest groups.  We need to get our leaders and representatives to take heed of "middle of the road" America.  By definition – it is the majority!  But the majority of people are not collectively flexing their muscles to influence their elected representatives.  And I really believe this phenomenon exists in most developed countries around the world.  So wake up “middle of the road” America, Canada, England, Australia – and get your leaders and representatives to pay at least as much attention to you as they give special interest groups.  And if they don’t – then vote them out, and elect those who do listen to the majority.

(see “A Million and One Ways to be One-in-a-Million”; Chapter 2 – The Gift and Chapter 3 – Luke…Use the Force)