Archive for October, 2008

A recent Fortune article on “Why Talent is Overrated” really got me going.

We live in a world of expecting quick fixes and instantaneous change. Information is available at a moment’s notice. Yet we’re trying to apply the instantaneous responses that work with our Blackberries to human behavior. This article makes the case that there is no quick fix for greatness.

Apparently, specific (targetted) natural gifts don’t exist. Tiger Woods wasn’t born to be a champion golfer and Jack Welch wasn’t born to be a CEO. But take heart. Natural talent doesn’t really matter. What does? Good old fashioned hard work (perhaps with a dose of passion tossed in).

Apparently there is something called the “Ten Year Rule” – well established by researchers as the time it takes to do the hard work to become world-class at whatever. Research has proven this in a variety of fields.

This “Ten Year Rule” is supported by research done by Benjamin Bloom (who died in 1999) at the University of Chicago. Dr.Bloom found that at least ten years of hard work (a minimum) was required for atheletes, performers, artists, biochemists and mathematicians to reach their peak.

Apparently, something called “deliberate practice” is also necessary during these ten years for the best people in any field to excel. This is a specific practice that stretches an individual beyond their level of competence, provides feedback on the experience, requires adjustment based on the feedback and is repeated until mastered. Lots of deliberate practice equals mastery.

Even if you are skeptical about the ten year rule, the necessity for deliberate practice and hard work seem to make sense. So why wouldn’t this apply to great leadership? High potentials are thrown into workshops and expected to excel to the level of great leadership. The research refutes that this will work. It’s time for us to recognize that developing leaders takes time and hard work. And lots of practice.

My husband and I went to see the new Oliver Stone movie, “W” last evening.

Whether or not you approve of George Bush is irrelevant if you look at the character as fictional. I was looking for leadership lessons that could be gleaned from the movie.

What struck me most about “W” the fictional leader were:

• His motives had nothing to do with serving the country, but everything to do with his beliefs that God was on his side, and with trumping his brother Jeb for the affection of his father;
• His inability to see his true motivation left him vulnerable to those with less than honorable intent;
• His dogged clinging to his beliefs and their rightousness kept him from learning from his mistakes.

The Leadership Lesson: A leader who lacks self-knowledge has the potential to do a huge amount of harm to those who are served. Such lack also prevents learning from mistakes with the net effect that they will be repeated.

Someone asked me the other day if I ever coached clients who were (for lack of a better term) “bad bosses”. I told her that I occasionally worked with people that others may consider a “bad boss”. The person who asked, remembering all the “bad bosses” she’d had, wondered how I could possibly work with these people. An interesting question, that I’ve thought about over the years of doing this work.

These are the clients who don’t call a coach on their own – their manager calls. These are the clients who have developed bad habits around the way they treat others. Generally, I only take those clients on who will be given a chance to succeed. Their manager feels that they can and will make changes. When I interview the potential client, I hear them taking responsibility for their behavior (rather than blaming everyone else).

Sometimes, these clients have anger issues. Sometimes they micromanage. But in the end, if I take on a client like this, it is because I’ve had a glimpse of their humanity. When the door is closed, and it is just the two of us, they are not a “bad boss”. I can see that what has worked for them in the past is not longer working for them , and that the workplace is a tough place for them to make the changes on their own. Sometimes, I see their pain (and the workplace, lets face it, can be quite painful. A leader is often exposed and on display in such an environment, making it even harder to change behavior).

I open myself to seeing them as a person who wants to change but needs some support to do so. So in the end, they are just like you and I – they see a need to change and are willing to work hard to make it happen.

The lesson I’ve learned from this is (and you can too) is that leaders are human. Many “bad bosses” aren’t evil – they are simply human. They want to change just like you and I. My mother used to say, “they put their pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else”, reminding me that someone I’d just complained about was human, too. What might be different if we could all recognize the humanity in each other in this way?

One of the things we hear about “the best leaders” is that they don’t take all the credit for accomplishment – they acknowledge the contributions of others. I agree that this is important, but only under certain circumstances.

I’ve been honored to know a few of “the best leaders” who do just that, and do so with hearfelt sincerity and authenticity. Giving credit to others is important and wonderful – but only if it is genuinely felt by the person expressing it. Anything less, and people will distrust the praise.

Leaders who practice “Seagull Acknowledgment” (swooping in and dropping praise when trusting and respectful relationships are absent) will find that their tributes are met with skepticism.

We can’t underestimate the importance of consistency of intent and action when acknowledging the contributions of others. If there is any doubt in your mind about the sincerity of your praise, ask yourself:

What is the intent of the praise or acknowledgment? Dig deep here. Is the intent to make me look like a good leader by doing what I’m supposed to, or do I really believe that the praise and acknowledgment of others is deserved?

How do I treat others “behind closed doors”? Do I acknowledge their efforts privately? Do I hold criticisms to a minimum? Am I consistently kind and respectful in thought, words, and actions (this may be stretching the point a bit, but anything less can lead to distrust of your praise)?

Do I coach others on an ongoing and consistent basis with a heartfelt desire for them to improve and learn from their experiences? Note that coaching is NOT about pointing out what is wrong, but IS about suspending judgment and guiding.

If the questions above lead you to a point where you find that your acknowledgment is less than sincere, consider holding off. It may be better to withold praise than to provide praise with intent that is less than authentic.

The Great Leadership Carnival #4 is up and announced! One of our blog posts, “Hit the Pause Button” was featured this time. Wooo Hooo!

Be sure to check out the Great Leadership blog site. The Carnival is a great place to find links to some of the best blogging on Leadership Development, thanks to Dan McCarthy. Consider subscribing to Dan’s blog – one of my own favorites. Dan’s site is full of great and innovative ideas.

Thanks, Dan.