w sumb25 - Fierce Leadership - A Bold Alternative to the Worst 'Best' Practices of Business Today, Książki IT

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
//-->August 2011SOUNDVIEWExecutiveBook Summarieswww.summary.comLeadership®Fierce LeadershipA Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best”Practices of Business TodayTHE SUMMARY IN BRIEFProvide anonymous feedback. Hire smart people. Hold people accountable.These are all sound business practices, right? Not so fast, warns corporate trainingexpert Susan Scott. In fact, these mantras — despite being long-accepted andadopted by business leaders everywhere — are completely wrongheaded. Worse,they are costing companies billions of dollars, driving away valuable employees andprofitable customers, limiting performance and stalling careers. Yet they are sodeeply ingrained in organizational cultures that no one has questioned them.Until now.InFierce Leadership,Susan Scott explains how to spot the worst “best” practicesin our organizations using a technique she calls “squid eye” — the ability tospot the disastrous behaviors to which we have fallen prey — so we can applythe antidote.With fierce new approaches to everything from employee feedback to corpo-rate diversity to customer relations,Fierce Leadershipoffers fresh and surprisingalternatives to six of the so-called best practices permeating today’s businesses.Fierce Leadershipwill help any leader at any level who is ready to take a long, hardlook at what trouble might be lurking in his or her organization — and do some-thing about it.by Susan ScottCONTENTSIntroductionPage 2The Idea of FiercePage 3Fierce Practice #1: From360-Degree AnonymousFeedback to ‘365’ Face-to-Face FeedbackPage 4IN THIS SUMMARY, YOU WILL LEARN:•••••How to positively influence situations and organizations.How to marry how you are with who you are.How to answer some of the most compelling questions in business today.How to re-energize leaders, employees and managers alike.Why “received wisdom” is wrong and how to get it right.Fierce Practice #3: FromHolding PeopleAccountable toModeling Accountabilityand Holding People AblePage 5Fierce Practice #4: FromEmployee EngagementPrograms to ActuallyEngaging EmployeesPage 6Published by Soundview Executive Book Summaries,® 500 Old Forge Lane, Suite 501, Kennett Square, PA 19348 USA© 2011 Soundview Executive Book Summaries® • All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited.Concentrated Knowledge™ for the Busy Executive • www.summary.comVol. 33, No. 8 (3 parts), Part 3, August 2011 • Order #33BS-08THE COMPLETE SUMMARY:FIERCE LEADERSHIPby Susan ScottThe author:Susan Scott is the founder of Fierce, Inc., a global training company whose clients include Yahoo!, Starbucks,Cisco, New York Life, Coca-Cola, Best Buy and LEGO. She is the author ofFierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work & inLife, One Conversation at a Time.From the bookFierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Todayby Susan Scott.Copyright © 2009 Susan Scott. 318 pages. Summarized by arrangement with Broadway Business, an imprint of The CrownPublishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., $25.00, ISBN 978-0-385-52900-6, www.bn.com in the USA, and by arrange-ment with Piatkus, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, £14.99, ISBN 978-07499-5252-5, www.littlebrown.co.uk and www.ama-zon.co.uk in the United Kingdom.Summary copyright © 2010 by Soundview Executive Book Summaries®, www.summary.com, 1-800-SUMMARY, 1-610-558-9495. For additional information on the author, go to www.summary.com.IntroductionLeaders are usually highly intelligent people withinvaluable experience on the firing line, a decentamount of humility, a wicked sense of humor and astrong desire to grow their companies and championchange. They are usually on the right track, and muchof what they do works. Yet so many pour considerabletime, intelligence and cash into significant sinkholes —practices— with no good outcomes and, in fact, costlyimplications.It’s not that we’re trying to deliberately sabotageour companies; it’s just that we don’t always recognizethe implications of our practices, because most of thetime, those on the receiving end of our questionableideas don’t bellow, “Are you nuts?!” Instead, mostflinch, then shrug it off as life in aDilbertworld, to beexpected, what can I do, I’ll lay low until this latest hellblows over.What we need is “squid eye.”Squid EyePaul Lindbergh, an advanced aikido practitioner andkiller jazz musician, moved to Hawaii as a teenager andsoon began diving with native Hawaiians for squid, ahighly prized catch that could be sold for a tidy sum ortaken home and served for dinner. But after weeks ofdiving, despite the fact that the local guys always caughtplenty, he had caught only one squid.When he expressed his frustration — “How come youguys catch squid and I don’t?” — the Hawaiians laughedand said, “You gotta have ‘squid eye.’”“What is squid eye?”1-800-SUMMARYThey explained.“It’s the ability to see the squid while he is blendinginto his natural environment. It’s the ability to see himjust being himself. It is the ability to see him even whenhe doesn’t want you to see him, to see him even whenhe is hiding. Be advised, he is very skilled. You mustunderstand, he is there.”The Hawaiians began to tell Lindbergh many thingsabout the squid. For example, one might see a few smallstones lying on the bottom of the ocean and understandthat the squid put them there. When he saw thosestones and maybe some shells, they told him to look fora small hole at the base.It was tough to spot the first mound of stones, likelooking for morel mushrooms. You can’t find any andthen suddenly stumble across one. Once you know whatyou’re looking for, you realize you’re standing in apatch of them.Once Lindbergh learned the tells, like that mound ofstones, he had no difficulty finding squid ever again.And then he learned the tells for lobster, kumu, papioand other Hawaiian fish and thereafter began to eatextremely well.Spotting the TellsFor Lindbergh, tells signaled the presence of a poten-tial feast, famine, even danger.Even some of the most successful organizations fail tooutlast a few generations of management because theyare unable to see the threats they face and the imperativeto change. And while there are threats we can do littleabout — a competitor’s new gizmo, the price of oil, aPublished by Soundview Executive Book Summaries®(ISSN 0747-2196), 500 Old Forge Lane, Suite 501, Kennett Square,PA 19348 USA, a division of Concentrated Knowledge Corp. Published monthly. Subscriptions starting at $99 per year.service@summary.comCopyright © 2010 by Soundview Executive Book Summaries.®Available formats:Summaries are available in several digital formats. To subscribe, call us at 1-800-SUMMARY (240-912-7513 outside the United States), or order onlineat www.summary.com. Multiple-subscription discounts and corporate site licenses are also available.Rebecca S. Clement,Publisher;Sarah T. Dayton,Editor in Chief;Andrew Clancy,Senior Editor;Edward O’Neill,Graphic Designer;Chris Lauer,Contributing Editor2 Soundview Executive Book Summaries®www.summary.comSummary:FIERCE LEADERSHIPhousing-market crash, an economic downturn, MotherNature, etc. — there’s plenty going on right now underour noses that wecando something about. But we don’tbecause we can’t see thetellssignaling that somethingwe’re doing is not working, perhaps never did work, isin no danger of working and that, indeed, something isvery, very wrong.GPracticing Squid EyeWhat might you notice if you were practicingsquid eye that would suggest you and/or your orga-nization are not “seeing” your customers andclients as individual human beings? Check any ofthe following tells that apply toyourorganization:• You have an initiative called “client centricity.”The fact that there is an initiative on the subjectin the first place is a tell to your customers (andto everyone else) that you arenotclient centric,you are the exact opposite; otherwise, youwouldn’t need an initiative in that area.• You use the termcustomer facing.This impliesthat you have a special face that you pull out ofa drawer and slap on when you’re about to talkwith a customer. What happened to you beingyou,consistently, no matter whom you’re with?• You confuse “presentation training” with salestraining.Your employees are rarely taught howto have conversations — two-wayexchangesof ideas and sentiments — with your cus-tomers.change. Yet too often, we, the results-smitten, speakonly of measurable goals, key business indicators, actionplans, cash-flow projections, economic indicators,process and procedure. All are worthy come-ons, yettrue success requires conversations that exert a deepermagnetism, a pull as powerful as the tides. Conversationsthat are intelligent and impassioned. Personal and uni-versal. Meaningful, authentic conversations duringwhich we wouldn’t willingly trade places with anyone.Conversations that feel like they could be taking place ina concert hall or a sanctuary ––fierceconversations.The Idea of FierceThe idea offierceis simple, yet not simplistic.A culture — whether global, national, corporate orfamilial — is shaped by our daily practices, and the mostpowerful practice of all is conversation. Our careers, ourcompanies, our personal relationships and our very livessucceed or fail, gradually then suddenly — one conver-sation at a time.The conversationisthe relationship, and while no sin-gle conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectoryof a career, a company, a relationship or a life, any singleconversation can.This is true if your company has five employees or 50or 50,000; if you’re in retail, banking, graphic arts ormoviemaking; if you’re a teacher, a professor, aresearcher or a rabbi; or if your expertise is in architec-ture, manufacturing, dog training or software.No matter what you do, business — small or global,simple or complex — is fundamentally an extended con-versation with colleagues, customers and the unknownfuture emerging around us. While meetings pile up, addup, the real work is being done by someone offering anourishing drink to others — one conversation at atime. What gets talked about in a company and how itgets talked about determine what will happen –– orwon’t happen.Why Fierce?The simplest definition of a fierce conversation is onein which we come out from behind ourselves, into theconversation, and make it real. While most people areuncomfortable withreal,it is theunrealconversations thatshould scare us to death. Why? Because they are incredi-bly expensive, for organizations and for individuals.Most organizations want to feel they are having a realconversation with their employees, their customers andtheir evolving marketplace. And most individuals wantto feel they are having conversations that build theirworld of meaning.Quality MattersBut simply having the conversation isn’t enough. It’sthequalityof the conversation that matters.Conversations provide clarity or confusion. Theyinvite cross-boundary collaboration and cooperation oradd concertina wire to the walls between well-defendedfiefdoms. Conversations inspire us to tackle our toughestchallenges or stop us dead in our tracks, wondering whywe bothered to get out of bed this morning. A conver-sation can be deadly boring or a profound experience ofhumanity, of intimacy.A leader’s job is to engineer the types of conversationsthat produce epiphanies: conversations that reveal we arecapable of original thought; intelligent, spirited conver-sations that provide clarity and impetus for action, forWhat Is ‘Fierce’ Leadership?There’s a bold, compelling line between “leadership”andfierceleadership. It’s OK to cross the line.www.summary.comSoundview Executive Book Summaries®3Summary:FIERCE LEADERSHIPHere is the short definition offierce leadership(noun, verb):1. A fast-acting anti-venom to the business-as-usualmode of high task/low relationship, self-servingagendas, directing and telling, anonymous feedback,holding people accountable, excessive use of jargonand mandating initiatives that cause people to weepon too many fine days.2. Acquiring your most valuable currency: emotionalcapital.3. The acquisition of squid eye and the demise oftruth-telling squeamishness and ethical squishiness.You will begin to cross the line, dropping into a dif-ferent kind of serious, a different way of being, a differ-ent quality of relationship, once you understand and acton the central premise at the heart of everything fierce:If you want to become a great leader, gain the capacity toconnect with your colleagues and customers at a deep level …or lower your aim.Your most valuable currency is relationship, emotionalcapital. This is far from a naïve, feel-good notion. It’sgood business sense.Gpeople central to your success and happiness. Give it andreceive it.Praising With Courage and SkillFeedback is all too often associated with the wordneg-ative.But in fact, positive feedback — praise, recognitionand acknowledgment — is the most powerful feedbackof all. Fierce leaders express appreciation and gratitudeup close and personal, in the moment. Their commentsare authentic, specific, heartfelt. Consequently, the mes-sage is received and people glow.Does praising people require courage, compassion andskill? Yes. As crazy as it sounds, we’re just as lousy atpraise as we are at confrontation. Maybe worse. Toooften, our meager attempts fail to truly reach the peoplewe acknowledge, and that’s a shame! What to do?Ken Blanchard got it right years ago with a simplestatement inThe One Minute Manager:“Catch people inthe act of doing things right.” Praise doesn’t have tocome in a group exercise; it’s wonderful one on one,face to face, in the moment. Or pick up the phone,write a note, send an e-mail. And don’t wait for perfec-tion; acknowledge behavior that is heading in a positivedirection. Fierce leaders practice this.Fierce Practice #1: From 360-Degree Anonymous Feedback to‘365’ Face-to-Face FeedbackAnonymous feedback doesn’t tell us what we reallyneed to know because it is ANONYMOUS, and mostpeople don’t provide specific examples to support theirevaluations because more specifics might help the recipi-ent guess who wrote them! So we avoid specifics andinstead use sanitized phrases and a “score” of some sort,all of which tells the recipient very little about how toimprove his or her performance.Whole AgainOur most valuable, enduring relationships require thatwe stay current with one another at work and at home— face to face. While most leaders fulfill their basic jobdescriptions, including conducting performance reviews,filling out surveys and listening politely (with grittedteeth) to anonymous feedback, fierce leaders do some-thing more interesting, more real. They engage inmeaningful conversations that truly connect.When our achievements, talents and positive resultsare noticed and acknowledged and our missteps areaddressed and resolved, we deepen our commitment tobringing the best of ourselves to our work and to ourfamilies every day. And this, in turn, translates tostronger relationships and better performance, whichtranslates to success and happiness.Who deserves your praise? Who deserves an apology?Whose behavior or attitude is causing serious problems?What are you waiting for?GThe Fierce Practice: ‘365’ Face-to-FaceFeedbackHere are the simple rules of 365 face-to-face feedback:• Stay current by exchanging feedback 365 days a year.• Do it face to face whenever possible (and never viae-mail).• Give it as soon as possible after something occurs.• Praise is as important as criticism.Actually, it’s moreimportant.So don’t just give feedback when it’s negative.• Always own your comments. Feedback is invaluable.It’s anonymity that is the problem.The goal of the fierce practice is to have open, honest,face-to-face conversations, 365 days a year, with theFierce Practice #2: From Hiring forSmarts to Hiring for Smart+HeartIn 2003, Howell Raines was fired from his post asmanaging editor ofThe New York Times.Raines hadevery managerial advantage and a brilliant strategy, but4 Soundview Executive Book Summaries®www.summary.comSummary:FIERCE LEADERSHIPhe “lost the newsroom.” He failed to win the hearts andminds of his staff, without which he could not hope toimplement his change strategy.In 2007, Bob Nardelli was dismissed from his positionas CEO of Home Depot. He had arrived with impecca-ble credentials and achieved dazzling financials, but hefailed to connect with the shareholders, deal makers,legislators, regulators and nongovernmental organizationswho wanted to have a say in how the company wasrun and on whom the company’s continued successdepended.The problem for Raines and Nardelli and so manyother brilliant individuals was that reason did not prevail.Raines and Nardelli alienated people, so their reasonedarguments fell on deaf ears.Yet despite all the evidence pointing to the fact that itis the deeply feeling, emotionally intelligent people whoare best equipped to deliver these results, many leaderscontinue to focus on hiring and promoting people withpedigrees, graduates of the best business colleges, who,talented though they are, do not view human connec-tivity as relevant to their success. Why? Becausenowhere in their education have they been taught tofocus on the human side of their subjects.school. It’s just that this isn’t enough. In fact, feweryoung people are interested in attaining an MBA,because they recognize that the emerging right-braineconomy requires a set of skills and characteristics nottaught in most business schools. Many Gen Xers andYers say they see value in forging more meaningful rela-tionships at work, while struggling to get beyond theusual, superficial agenda they can’t quite put their fingerson. These are the people — the ones who are bothsmart and engaged, who value human connection —who we are choosing for leadership roles today, globally.They understand that, while no single conversation isguaranteed to change the trajectory of a career, a compa-ny, a relationship or a life, any single conversation can.GFierce Practice #3:From Holding People Accountableto Modeling Accountability andHolding People AbleInitially, for most people, the notion of “fierceaccountability” sounds frightening, aggressive, full ofconflict, smacks of a heavy workload. Yet if you thinkof fierce in the most positive light, like fierce loyalty,fierce resolve or fierce friendship, you might associatefierce accountability with a bias toward action and pas-sionate commitment to exceptional results, even in theface of obstacles.Here’s the official definition of fierce accountability:A desire to take responsibility for results; a bias toward solu-tion, action. An attitude; a personal, private non-negotiablechoice about how to live one’s life.The question is, given my goals, how will I achievethem? Given the barriers to my progress and the currentresults on my plate, some of which are troubling, whatam I going to do?Complicated times call for simple answers. Simply put,“if it’s to be, it’s up to me.”Accountability is not a process or a tool. It’s whathelps a process or tool become effective. Can you thinkof a very good structure or process in your companythat sings in the hands of some people and weeps in thehands of others? Most processes, procedures or structuresare not inherently good or bad. It’s who’s got theirhands on it.What if, instead of holding others accountable, weheld ourselves accountable and others able — able totake charge, take action and effect change? What if,instead of pointing fingers and laying blame, we mod-Good DoctorsInBlink,Malcolm Gladwell points to Dr. WendyLevinson, an international expert in the field of thephysician-patient relationship. Dr. Levinson looked atwhy some doctors who make mistakes that put theirpatients’ lives in jeopardy get sued, and others don’t. Dr.Levinson found that patients sued doctors they didn’tlike and didn’t sue doctors they did like, even if thedoctors they like made mistakes.And why do patients like or dislike their doctors? Thedecision was not rational. Physicians who don’t get suedtake a little more time — three minutes more thanphysicians who do get sued. And it was the quality ofthe physician-patient conversation,howthe doctorstalked with their patients — noticewith,nottotheirpatients — that made the difference. Patients like doc-tors who really listen, draw their patients out (tellmemore about that)and answer their questions fully. Thosethree extra minutes and how they were used were thedifferentiator. In the blink of three minutes, the patientfelt seen, heard, understood, valued and respected. Youdon’t get that in every doctor’s office –– or in everyexecutive’s office.Book smarts don’t guarantee good teachers, good doc-tors or good leaders, because these aren’t cognitive skills.No one’s knocking an excellent education from a goodwww.summary.comSoundview Executive Book Summaries®5 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]