If a competitor is beating your team, you can bet their sense of team urgency was more powerful than yours.  It is that simple.

If you want to keep the dream (and winning) alive, try these five secrets to building and sustaining a sense of team urgency:

1. Stake in the Ground! Rally your team and even your industry around a common goal.  Put an inspirational and visionary stake in the ground.  Yes.  Make it transparent to your competitors as well!  Note:  If competing leaders can’t/won’t impart a public vision (stake in the ground), watch the treasure-trove of their top talent beat down your door to join you. People want, need, and LOVE to be challenged in a public and big way.
2. Deadlines and Consequences – Habitual misses and lack of delivery must be accompanied by consequences up to and including walking people out the door.   Most leaders fail miserably here because it’s painful and hard.  So is losing.
3. Respectful (Always), But Not Too Polite – Create a culture where everyone owns the right to challenge (respectfully, but not too politely) their teammates at every level, including the President and CEO.   Place your rewards on results and outcomes rather than on obsequious politeness and watch your team fly.
4. Inspection (We Get What We Inspect, Not Always What We Expect) – We get what we inspect and not always what we expect.  It takes a village to succeed.  Therefore, do not mistake inspection for lack of trust.  I have a boss, too, and I assure you he inspects my progress regularly. Winning is in the details.  It always has been and always will be.
5. Strategic Theater – There are moments every year that call for a little theater, an opportunity to deliver a message in an unexpected way. For example, I had a star team drop the proverbial ball recently (no sense of urgency!) in a material, yet recoverable way.  I organized a conference call with the team, said eight words (this-can’t-happen-again-thanks-for-calling-in).  No lectures, no debrief, no bruise punching, just a simple message and a little theater.  Much more powerful, I think.   Use this method very sparingly lest it lose its impact.

A heightened and sustained sense of urgency is a key to winning and it’s starts and ends with you, the leader.

If not now, when?

 

When we lose our butterflies as leaders, it’s often the first sign of decline… that perhaps we’re losing our edge or just “phoning it in.”  Note:  If you lose your butterflies as a leader, you will ultimately lose your team, organization, or business.

Leaders, here are some thoughts on how to keep the butterflies flying—

1. Make Sales Calls –You’re never too big or important as a leader to make sales calls and there’s nothing like it to keep the butterflies flying! Yet, many senior leaders can’t remember the last time they made one.  Don’t let that be you!
2. Unscripted Town Halls – Hold frequent unscripted town halls (virtual and otherwise).  Anything can happen in a town hall environment.  There’s an energy and transparency to it.  Butterflies!
3. Leadership or Team Meetings – Don’t play it safe (safe agenda, safe message, safe timing, safe everything).   Your job is to challenge your team and to be provocative at every opportunity. You are being evaluated as much (or more) by your team as you are by your boss.  Mix it up!  Every meeting is a call to action (ideas, goals, investments).  Butterflies!
4. Write! – Open yourself to different and often conflicting points of view and do it in a public forum.  Write a blog, op-ed piece, article, or engage the Twitter universe. Create opportunities for dialogue, debate, and growth.  It gets the butterflies going!
5. Tell Stories – Many leaders miss opportunities to tell stories, despite evidence throughout human history of their effectiveness.  Why?  Fear.  Telling a story poorly is like telling a joke that falls flat.  It’s painful. However, the benefits of telling and mastering your stories far outweigh the risks.  Butterflies! Story Telling Tip:Make sure you have your beginning and ending down cold.The audience will give you the nod (via facial expressions) as to whether you should cut to the ending or not.Listen to your audience and you’ll be just fine.
6. Ask the Right (hard) Questions – Two of my favorite questions in one-on-ones are, “tell me at least one thing that I should stop doing,” and, “tell me at least one thing that you would do differently if you were in my shoes.”  Don’t accept a polite answer, press for candor and then reward it!  It gets the butterflies going!

Embrace the butterflies.

If not now, when?

Trash talking requires very little thinking.

Every year is an election year somewhere in this country.  This year happens to be a big one. Perhaps “going negative” or “trash-talking” is a political tradition that dates back to our founding fathers.  However, that doesn’t make it right.

In world-class organizations, talking trash about a competing co-worker who might be up for the same promotion is more likely to lead to a walk out of the door than a step-up on the success ladder. My son, Charlie, holds a master’s degree in trash talking. Charlie, however, is five and the only promotion or election he’s ready for is kindergarten.

Character assassination is for the weak.  It is not for leaders.

You are what your record says you are. Great companies, countries, states, and municipalities should promote/elect their best leaders based upon merit, achievements, platform, strategy, and character. If you are proud of your record and ideas for building the future, sing it from the highest mountain and defend it as necessary as well.  Character assassination, however, should not be a part of your promotion strategy. It is weak. Some may get away with it, but it doesn’t make it right and it doesn’t set a strong example for the next generation.

Rita Kibby

My mom is probably a lot like yours.  She would be ashamed if any of her four kids accepted a promotion or were elected to office by climbing over the backs of others through trash talking and character assassination.  Frankly, she’d knock our blocks off (moms from the 70’s could do that).

Real leaders talk about innovation and ideas (and making them happen!). As Eleanor Roosevelt once said—“great minds talk about ideas. Average minds talk about events. Small minds talk about people.”

As a leader, what do you invest your precious time talking about?

If not now, when?

Redefining “Possible”

Today, as a result of Mr. Bannister’s vision, leadership, and talents, nearly every world-class runner who competes in the classic fifteen hundred meter event has the ability to run a sub-four minute mile.  He redefined what was possible.

A Tragic Leadership Fact

Far too many leaders and organizations set goals for themselves and their teams that are remarkably achievable—where is the fun and inspiration in that!?

This is especially true around the budgeting and goal setting cycle each year.

It goes something like this, don’t ask for too much (a return is expected) and don’t promise too much (pain avoidance for under-achievement).  If this is happening within your team or organization and you’re the leader, shame on you!

The leader is responsible for redefining what is possible and then rallying your team, enterprise, and even your customers around executing on a plan that redefines the definition of possible within your space.

The Holy Grail of Leadership

The holy grail of leadership is the ability to eliminate doubt, to create a world where possibilities are converted into reality— Banister did that and it is our responsibility as leaders to do the same for our teams.

You may find the following four tips helpful as you redefine what’s possible for your own team.

1) Talent – Hire exclusively A-players.  If you think that a proper balance of A and B players is okay in your organization, change your thinking or give your job to someone else.  Never forget that A’s hire other A’s and B’s hire other C players. Talent is the only thing that truly scales and in order to accomplish the extraordinary, you must hire for it.

2) Change the conversation – In my industry (higher education), building world-class and thought-leading content was king. Today, it remains vitally important.  However, we have changed the conversation to include building technologies and services that improve student, faculty, and enterprise performance.  If we can help improve student performance (globally) by at least one letter grade in every course, how might that change/impact the world?

3) Points of leverage (or, pick your shots!) – Once you’ve set a transformational goal for your team, analyze the one or two areas where an intense focus of resources offers the best chance at achieving extraordinary success.

4) Courage – By choosing a leadership path with a focus on redefining possibilities, you open yourself to the naysayers and at times even ridicule.  Never forget that mediocre people focused on mediocre outcomes never make the history books.

If not now, when?

It’s the craziest thing

Despite endless stories of lives destroyed, excellent law enforcement campaigns, and increased penalties, people still do it (DUI) regularly.  To make matters worse, most offenders appear to have very well functioning brains, fully capable of making good decisions.

Leadership and zero tolerance

After a recent evening of celebrating with customers, I looked outside the window of the restaurant where we were having dinner and noticed a couple of company stars standing outside negotiating.  I did not have to hear what was being said.  We have all seen this dance before.  They were debating who was “good enough” to drive.   How much time between the last drink—who weighs more—who has the furthest to drive—etc.

I walked out of the restaurant, confirmed the nature of the conversation and then not too politely explained to them that if either of them got behind the wheel, their careers would come to an end.  They made the right choice and called a cab.  Yet, a poor decision that night could have resulted in tragic consequences far beyond the impact on their careers.

It’s just not that complicated

If alcohol even touches your lips, protect yourself, your family, and the lives of others by following three simple steps.

Step 1: No game playing – No, “am I under the legal limit guessing games.”  Get a cab, car service, ride with a friend, or walk home even if you have ONE drink.   Adopt this as a personal policy and you will never have to contemplate the tragic consequences of DUI.

Step 2: Plan to make good decisions – If you know that you will be out with friends, colleagues, or customers and you intend to consume alcohol, make arrangements to get home in advance or simply stay the night in a hotel.  Simple.

Step 3:  No hassles – Never (ever) give anyone grief for making the choice not to risk driving under the influence.  If it presents an inconvenience the next day, so be it.  Asking to be driven to work or to your car is a lot more convenient than asking someone to pick you up from the police station (or worse).

Note: At most good companies, a DUI conviction, especially if you are in a leadership position, is a likely career-ender.  As it is said, it takes years to build a great reputation and only minutes to ruin it.

Leaders promote and build organizations where making smart choices is the cultural norm, especially around things as dangerous as alcohol. Frankly, as members of a global community, we have a collective responsibility to take care of each other.   Here’s to good leadership, judgment and smart choices.

If not now, when?

Great leaders understand how to provide visible and involved leadership, while at the same time providing top talent with room to succeed (a lot of room!).

How does a leader know if they’re in the way?

1. Your team isn’t winning—Lack of success can stem from a lot of things, including and perhaps most importantly, leadership that is in the way.  Behind many struggling teams or enterprises you will find a leader who is in the way.
2. Permission Culture—You are in the way if your team is constantly asking permission for everything!   A permission culture, in the end, is not scalable and it will lead your team down a road to ruin.   Help your team understand reasonable boundaries and then set them free to fly.
3. Control—Some leaders find it hard to balance issues of trust and control.  Checks and balances are healthy for any winning team.   However, never forget that trusting relationships have the potential to lead to spectacular success; controlling relationships do not.
4. “Handling” Is Required – If pre-meeting mania (a ridiculous number of meetings necessary BEFORE presenting ideas to the boss) exists in your group, stop it, change it, or run!  It’s a true sign that your leaders either need to be “handled” or even worse that they prefer to be. Either way, it’s a recipe for disaster.   In the end, it will stifle ideas, innovation, and most importantly, prevent first mover advantage in the marketplace.
5. Smartest Person in The Room Syndrome – I have known leaders (and aspiring leaders) who insist on battling for the “smartest person in the room” award.  Ideas, candor, speed, innovation, and creativity get lost or crushed in an environment like that.
6. No Rule Breaking – If no one is breaking rules then who is doing the thinking?  I’m not talking about breaking the laws of ethics, core values, or laws of the land.  I am referring to internal policies/practices that just don’t work.  Try this:  Before your next team meeting, ask everyone to write down one rule or policy that needs to be tossed.  Have them throw their thoughts on the table.  Pick through and discuss each of them.  Then, make good decisions/changes on the spot!
7. B Players Are Everywhere! – A players demand to be around other A players.  You know the difference between A’s and B’s (we all do).  If you think you have to have a strong balance between A’s and B’s, you are wrong.  If you’re comfortable with B’s, you are in the way.
8. A Players Won’t Work For You – If you can’t attract A players, you need to leave your leadership position immediately and give someone else a chance.  Tip:  A players require a hard, demanding, and fulfilling environment – one that makes them enormously curious and gives them an opportunity to disrupt (in a good way).
9. You Haven’t Approved a New Investment Around a New Product, Service, or Technology In The Past Month – If you haven’t done this, you’re in the way.  No excuses, including “we don’t have any money.”  Leaders find a way.
10. Different Thinking Around Talent – If you’re stuck in the rut of ideal position profiles or the perfect set of experiences, you’re missing the proverbial boat.  Think differently about talented people with real aptitude or risk losing them.
11. Laughter & Joy – If laughter and joy are not fundamental core team or enterprise values, you’re in the way.  I don’t care how serious your endeavor, laughter drives innovation and helps you and yours get through difficulties.
12. The “Insiders” Trap – If you haven’t broken bread or spent time with anyone outside of your perceived “insiders” within the past couple of weeks – shame on you. You’re in the way.

I could go on, but you get the picture.  Leadership is about setting people and their talents free to do wonderful, amazing, and spectacular things on behalf of your customers and enterprise.  Real leadership represents freedom.

Get out of the way!

If not now, when?

We especially love Bethenny Frankel from the original cast of the Housewives of New York.  She is crazy-driven (in a very good way!).  Bethenny is the kind of person I LOVE to hire and work with.  When Bethenny sinks her teeth into an idea, you can bet it’s going to happen!

Come from a place of yes!

My all time favorite scene came during season two of the show.    The housewives of NY were brainstorming about a charity event.  One of the cast members was hemming and hawing about all of the reasons why she couldn’t participate.  Bethenny looked at her and said, “we understand each other, I come from a place of YES and you come from a place of NO!”

Innovation is a state of mind.

Coming from a place of yes doesn’t necessarily mean that you say yes all the time.  It means that you have the right mindset (a place of yes).  This frees your mind to be open to innovation and to the wonderful world of possibilities.

Innovation happens with an open mind and heart.  Far too many leaders think it’s their job to point out all of the reasons an idea won’t work (perhaps it makes them feel smart and experienced).   If you are this type of leader, change.  If you work with this type of leader and they won’t change, run!

Try this.

To ensure that we come from a place of “yes,” while also taking steps to hear alternate views, I often break my senior leadership team into groups of four as we evaluate big ideas or decisions.   Three of the groups work on all of the reasons to say “yes” and only one group works on reasons to say “no.”    This gives the “yes” teams overwhelming fire-power (strength in numbers), while the “no” team also receives a hearing.  It also makes for fun and competitive meetings!

Note:  Bethenny invented and developed the “Skinny Girl Margarita” brand, which she sold to Beam Incorporated for an undisclosed amount (many analysts estimate that the deal is worth north of one hundred million).  I’d say that coming from a place of “yes” (along with hard work!) pays pretty well.

As a leader, think of all of the possible ways to say “yes” to an idea before using the other word.  You and your team will find spectacular success and you’ll have a lot more fun along the way.

If not now, when?

Tales of failed leadership often do not come in the form of one poor decision or abject incompetence.   The tales usually come by way of a slow burn—a leader with his or her head-firmly-embedded-under-the-sand.  As Captain Winters, a decorated WWII Company Commander once said, he wasn’t a bad leader because he made bad decisions.  He was a bad leader because he made no decisions!”

This is not a new issue.  In time past, a leader may have been able to turn away from a changing world for months and even years.   Today the speed of change is so fast that a smart start-up can clean a decades old enterprises’ clock within a matter of weeks or months.

Perceived reasons for cautionary tales of failed leadership are also as common as baker flour.   Therefore, I’ll focus briefly on just one.

Fear.

Fear stops everything cold—innovation, strategy, accountability, investment, and most of all, decisive and intelligent ACTION!

My business environment (learning and technology services) is in many ways no different than yours.   We all need to evolve and adapt in order to create products and services that make a difference or risk becoming irrelevant.

No leader wants to become a cautionary tale to be taught at the local business school.  Consider the following as you lead your team or enterprise to spectacular success:

1. Change Your Glasses – Every threat is an opportunity. Flip the switch on your view of your environment and be disciplined about it.
2. Darwin – If it’s cold outside, it might be a good idea to grow some fur (and fast).  Adapt and do it long before you freeze to death.   You already have a good sense of what needs to be done.  Make a decision and then DO IT!
3. Fail Fast – Move fast and fail fast if necessary.  Pick your team or enterprise right back up and get back in the fight! Failure, as it is said, is the best teacher of all.
4. Think Like a Rookie – Remember your rookie year when everything was possible?  Every open door is an opportunity, so just walk right in!
5. Start-ups – Embrace and partner with them—better still, build a start-up culture within your own shop, team, or enterprise.
6. Lawyers – Don’t call them every time you believe you can’t compete.  It’s weak.  Your team, enterprise, investors, and marketplace will see it as such.  Choose your battles wisely.
7. Blow it Up – Failed legacy culture and outdated internal policies and procedures will send you and yours right down the road to ruin.  Blow them up and throw them out!  Obey the laws of the land, decency, and ethics, but outside of that, build best practices that are innovative, progressive, and intensely focused on growing your business.  Period.
8. Human Resources – HR is a valuable partner and resource, but they do not run your team or enterprise.  I have seen far too many leaders wait for HR to make decisions for them.  Change leaders (and we’re all change leaders) do not hide behind HR.  Make decisions, be accountable, be a leader.
9. Lean and Fast – Don’t acquire a lot of stuff in your personal life.  Buying stuff makes you slow and beholden to material things (and paying big bills!) rather than focused on building your team or enterprise.
10. The Mirror – You don’t want to look in the mirror when it’s all said and done and say to yourself “I was the leader; it was my responsibility; I saw it coming; I did  nothing!”

Get in the fight and lead. Let someone else become the cautionary tale.

If not now, when?

It makes no difference how “serious” an enterprise or undertaking is perceived – laughter is a test of a healthy culture.

It starts with the leader.

Does a leader have to be funny?  No.  However, creating an environment where opportunities for laughter are everywhere is up to the boss.

Why?

1. Trust – As Maya Angelou once said, “I don’t trust people who don’t laugh.”  In order for people to follow you, they must trust you and know that you have their best interests at heart.  Creating an environment where the possibilities for laughter are around every corner is a great way to build your trust capital as a leader.
2. Spectacular Success — Every world-class winning team that I have ever been a part of or known has had laughter and joy as a core cultural value.  It may not have been posted on the company website or articulated as a core value, yet it was there nonetheless.
3. Innovation and Risk –As Jim Collins and Jerry Porras wrote in Built to Last, in order to thrive, a team or enterprise must have “big-hairy-audacious goals”.   Create an environment of joy and laughter and you’ll find more people saying things like “hey, I’ve got a nutty idea that just might change everything!”
4. Recovery – The pressure for excellence is paramount on a winning team and they therefore push each other hard—really hard.  Laughter pulls everyone back together through the rough spots.
5. Customers – Happy people who like to laugh make customers happy.   I love happy customers and I know you do, too.

How?  Here are a few thoughts on how leaders can build an environment where laughter and joy can thrive:

1. Values – Talk about laughter and joy as a core company value at every opportunity.   Start a conversation around the subject and watch how it changes the dynamics of the individuals and teams around you!
2. Do The Unexpected – For example, do the unexpected with your next team or executive meeting—could be a picnic (replete with picnic baskets), a walk through the zoo (depending upon the size of your team), or think about building your meeting around an improvisation class (Second City in Chicago does a terrific job, for example).
3. Break Bread – Break bread with your team and do it often.  As Cassandra Clare once said, “you had to know a person well to make them laugh like that!”
4. Don’t Take Yourself Seriously – Take your customers, employees, and investors very seriously, but do not take yourself so.

Laughter is the ultimate culture litmus test.  Make it a part of your team’s core values and your team will be laughing with you all the way toward spectacular success.

If not now, when?

Go!

The Most Powerful Two-Letter Word!

As leaders we make decisions.  The words we use and the conviction with which we approve and make decisions matters.  It matters a lot!

Go!

There is something very different and powerful about the word “go” versus “fine,” “yes,” “approved,” “move forward,” or whatever.

Top leaders build cultures where the team believes that they are GOING in the right direction, someplace great, and that the team will get there fast and on top!

Go!

We want every decision to be a call to action, to inspire movement, speed, and even transformation.  Every decision!

“Go!” tells your team or enterprise that there is no “hemming and hawing,” that there is belief, conviction, and confidence in your decision.  A call to act!

Go!

As a leader, consider using the word “go” liberally and with conviction throughout the day.  You will find that leaders at all levels will adopt the word and pay it forward themselves. You will like the results.  I promise you that.

Go!

If not now, when?