Leadership Challenge

Take It Outside: An Outdoor Leadership Challenge Experience

 

"An experience I will have for the rest of my life.  The workshop took me to places mentally and physically that I never thought I could reach, but they never broke me…just made be stronger."

 

"You will do things you never did before with people you never met.  But it’s an experience you will never forget."

 

"It was the best training that I have ever been to.  It will challenge you and you will grow."

 

"I have been trying to get to this training for the past two years.  I wish that I would have made it here earlier.  This training will make you look deep into your past, present, and future.  It will challenge you.  It will give you the wings to soar with the eagles.  Come and bring everyone you know.  Be prepared to grow."

 

"This seminar helped me to focus on the most important part of my leadership equation – me.  To realize my values and to begin establishing a way to create my own leadership style based on my passions, and communicate them to those I am surrounded by."

Certified facilitators of The Leadership Challenge have likely received comments such as these from participants in their workshops. What makes these comments different is that these participants literally climbed, swung, stepped, and leaped beyond their comfort zone. And so did I. 

As part of my certified master facilitator development plan, I chose to challenge myself in the same way we ask participants to challenge themselves – mentally, emotionally, and physically. A co-facilitator with my Certified Master Mentor Steve Houchin of International Leadership Associates, I spent four days at Camp Joy Outdoor Education Center in Ohio co-facilitating The Leadership Challenge Workshop for leaders from Kroger Manufacturing – four days I will never forget. 

I was going to push myself to the “edge of my comfort zone,” as Steve put it. I had finished six marathons so how big of a deal could the physical challenges be… a mistaken assumption on my part. 

My first “incident report” came from an unexpected body slam during the “Nitro Crossing” while I was photographing the experience -- no harm done. I wasn’t deterred from my ultimate goals – the high ropes course and the pamper pole. I had something to prove to myself, and nothing was going to keep me from those experiences. We’ve all seen our share of obstacles, and these activities were tangible proof that we are stronger than the limitations in our minds. 

On to the high ropes course. Steve helped me determine which ones would be appropriate, given the fact that I was having a lower back procedure in two weeks. I completed three elements on the course, among my greatest achievements. My second “incident report”:  I experienced “cable burn” with an abrasion and bone bruise ... battle scars I'm proud to say stay with me today. I hold the dubious honor of being the only facilitator to “earn” two incident reports during the same stay – my claim to fame at Camp Joy.

The culmination of our four days together is the Pamper Pole. A telephone pole that one can climb to the height of their choosing, and decide how to make the leap of faith. Prior to the Pamper Pole, participants make a commitment statement that answers the questions: What fear or doubt will they leave behind? What strength will replace that fear or doubt? How can the rest of the group support us in our climb to the top of the Pamper Pole?

This activity reminded me of one of my favorite quotes: “Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them and they flew.” - Guillaume Apollinaire

Each of us shared what held us back, what will move us forward, and what support we needed. As leaders, many of us (myself included) are reluctant to tap into our personal support systems, for various reasons. I made my commitment statement, climbed to the top of the pole, sat on the edge, and “flew.” I held back my tears, at least until no one was around to see them.

The comments from the participants sum up the experience better than I can. No matter what the environment of The Leadership Challenge Workshop – inside or outside – the outcomes speak for themselves. The Leadership Challenge is not just a “flavor of the month” training that one takes and puts on the shelf, never to be reviewed again. The experience changes lives for the better -- for facilitators and participants. 

- Angie Chaplin, The Leadership Challenge certified master facilitator candidate

Credibility: It Still Matters

"You cannot follow someone who isn't credible, who doesn't truly believe in what they're doing -- and how they're doing it." - Gayle Hamilton, chief of staff for the senior vice president at Pacific Gas & Electric

Indulge us as we go back to one of our fundamental beliefs about leadership: leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. As we took a deeper dive into the research we've conducted over the past 30 
years, we found the same crucial attributes year after year that people seek in leaders whom they would willingly follow: honest, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent. And these results hold true around the world. 

As we examine these characteristics one by one, each is a realistic attribute for a leader to possess. When viewed through a broader lens, the four descriptors combine to create a richer meaning as the foundation for leadership. 

Credit and credibility come from the same root word: credo, meaning "I trust or believe." In whom do you trust or believe? Who has earned credibility in your perspective, and why?

Credibility is not universally inherent; it must be earned over time. Some leaders earn it sooner than others based upon the quality of their relationships. Others must prove their worthiness to be deemed credible, perhaps based on previously broken promises or a lack of honesty, inspiration, or competence. Ultimately, credibility is determined by those who surround a leader. A leader who lacks the aforementioned crucial ingredients is one people are less likely to follow.

Credible leaders possess the ability to leave a long-lasting, postive impact on people's lives. Consider your answers to the questions above. Did the person who came to mind as a credible leader make an imprint on you? Have you made an imprint on others?

We cannot address credibility without referring to what we heard from Irwin Federman, venture capitalist and former CFO and CEO, when speaking to students at Santa Clara University:

"You don't love someone because of who they are, you love them because of the way they make you feel. This axiom applies equally to a company setting. It may seem inappropriate to use words such as love and affection in relation to business. Conventional wisdom has it that management is not a popularity contest... I contend, however, that all things being equal, we will work harder and more effectively for people we like. And we will like them in direct proportion to how they make us feel."

And just how do credible leaders make people feel? Our research of over a thousand case studies shows 10 descriptors used most often:

• Valued
• Motivated
• Enthusiastic
• Challenged
• Inspired
• Capable
• Supported
• Powerful
• Respected
• Proud

We leave you with this final thought: put yourself in the shoes of those you lead. How many of them would use these descriptors when sharing how you make them feel? What can you do to increase the frequency of leaving people feeling this way as a result of your leadership?

We'll have more to share about Credibility at The Leadership Challenge Forum, July 28-29 in Chicago. Hope to see you there. 

Until then, love 'em and lead 'em. 

Show Me the Money

In one of the most popular scenes from contemporary film, Jerry Maguire, played by Tom Cruise, is on the phone with football player Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr., begging to remain Tidwell's agent. Tidwell tells Maguire that he'll keep him on, but then says, "That's what I'm gonna do for you: God bless you, Jerry.  But this is what you gonna do for me." Tidwell then insists Maguire repeat after him, "Show me the money." Maguire's first several attempts to please his client are half-hearted and feeble, but Tidwell continues to egg and cheer his agent on until Maguire is screaming into the phone, "Show me the money!" at the top of his lungs.  Here's the clip; take a look and listen.

No doubt a few of you have gleefully used that line a time or two as I have, but right now I'm not finding it very funny. This entertaining and silly scene seems an apt portrayal of what's happening at AIG and in many of our other financial institutions and major corporations.  It's all about the money, even though the money happens to have come from someone else's pockets. And when it becomes all about the money, people lose sight of other important values—little things like fairness, justice, personal responsibility, and the welfare of their fellow citizens. 

Stanford Professor, Jeff Pfeffer, one of the best business professors in the country and perhaps the most grounded in hard research on soft subjects, recently wrote a brilliant commentary on the AIG mess in Washington Post's On Leadership online blog. In it he cited research by Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota, reporting that "In  a large number of experiments, Vohs and her colleagues show that participants primed with the idea of money—for instance, by seeing a dollar bill on a screen saver or constructing sentences with money-related concepts as one of the words—are less likely to ask for help with a task, less likely to offer help to others, and to sit farther away from compatriots in the study. Money, simply put, makes people behave more independently and, of course, engages their competitive spirit. Meanwhile, numerous others studies show that people with economics training are more likely to defect in prisoner's dilemma games, to take more resources for themselves, in ultimatum games, to give less to charity—you get the picture."

What we learn from Pfeffer and Vohs is that by focusing on money we become blind to other important considerations. We are less likely to want to be part of a team, less likely to collaborate, less likely to help others, and less likely to be good to our neighbors. This may make for more intense and entertaining sports competitions—yes, show him the money, Jerry—but when it comes to restoring our economy, getting people back into their homes, putting people back to work, and restoring consumer confidence it's exactly the wrong thing to do.

While in the short run it may be necessary, and we may be able, to do something to bail out financial institutions and auto companies, there won't be any long-term fixes to the more pervasive and pernicious threat a "show me the money" culture presents to our way of life until we engage in a serious reexamination of the values that are promoted and reinforced in business schools, consulting groups, Wall Street firms, professional sports, and entertainment media. And while we're at it, let's also reflect on the values we stress at home with our kids. As long as "show me the money" is the mantra of the day, we'll be reading about a lot more AIG-like scandals in the future.

Posted by Jim Kouzes

Credibility Is the Foundation

The current issue of Harvard Management Update arrived in my inbox today, and the lead piece was an interview with well-known business guru Ram Charan, whose new book, Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty, was released in December 2008. Interviewer Christina Bielaszka-DuVernay, editor of Harvard Business.org editor, asked him this first question: "What's most important for leaders—not just CEOs and senior executives but leaders throughout the ranks—to fous on right now?

Charan's response: "In these times more than other times, first and foremost is demonstrating personal integrity and maintaining your personal credibility. They are so important in tough times, yet many leaders lose their integrity and destroy their credibility by giving into the temptation to cut corners when they have to do unpleasant tasks like downsizing."  This should come as no surprise to anyone who has read our books, The Leadership Challenge and Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It.  Barry and I have written about this for over 25 years. Our research continues to demonstrate that credibility is the foundation of leadership. If people don’t believe in the messenger, they won't believe the message. It's one of the enduring leadership truths, in good times and in bad times.

And Ram Charan is absolutely correct in saying that in tough times credibility and integrity are crucial. When you have to act quickly and decisively under very adverse circumstances, and at the same time maintain the highest levels of commitment, you had better have lots of credit stored up with your constituents. The dilemma is that if leaders don't earn it over the years, then why all of a sudden should someone want to believe them when times are tough? Credibility isn't something leaders can turn on and turn off. It's got to be on 24/7/365.

The tragedy now is that there are so many egregious examples of excess and greed in business that it's tough for even the most saintly leaders to be seen as having high integrity. The Maddoffs, Stanfords, and AIGs of the world have caused a torrent of outrage, and they're just making it exceedingly tough for the rest of us to lead. 

But there is some reason to be optimistic that things can change. Confidence in major institutions was at a ten-year low in 2008, but surprisingly, according to the Harris Poll the overall confidence rating of major institutions actually went up 10% in February 2009 compared to a year ago, with confidence in the White House surging 21%! Other organizations that gained significant ground are educational institutions (up 8%), the military (up 7%), medicine and television (up 6%), and organized religion and organized labor (up 5%). 

However, the very institutions in which we need greater confidence saw their numbers decline. Only 11% of the public express a great deal of confidence in major corporations (down 3%) and a minuscule 4% express a great confidence in Wall Street  (down 7%). A similar pattern can be seen among the honesty ratings of bankers as measured by Gallup. The positive honesty ratings of bankers fell from 35% to 23%, making it a record low since Gallup has been gathering the data.  Thirty-five percent is not exactly anything to brag about, but at 23% they've got serious credibility problems.  It's no wonder that people are fumingly furious about bonuses and bailouts.

It's time for leaders in major corporations, especially financial institutions, to do a little soul searching. Having worked with many leaders in these firms, I know they aren't evil people out to steal from their customers or the American people. Still, they can't just huddle amongst themselves telling themselves that they really are decent folks. These issues have to be addressed out in the open, in the full light of the day if these leaders ever want to see faith and confidence restored.

Credibility takes a lot of time to build, but it can be lost in an instant. In order to regain it, leaders in these organizations are going to have to address the issues directly.  They need to begin an internal dialog, as well as a national conversation, about how we got into this mess in the first place, and how we can prevent it from happening again. It's time to tell the truth, and that begins by first being honest with ourselves. 

Posted by Jim Kouzes

Gold Medals and Role Models

Along with millions of others, I followed Michael Phelps' golden moments at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. His individual quests and the United States men's team efforts were inspirational. It's just a joy to watch people accomplish something that no one has previously achieved. In fact, the 1982 Winter Olympic games inspired the central methodology for collecting the cases that informed the development of our Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership model. Prior to the 1982 games, I was listening to a radio talk show discussion of athletes' "personal bests," and the conversation caused me to wonder what it would be like if we studied Personal Best Leadership Experiences. That insight eventually led to Barry Posner's and my first book, The Leadership Challenge. Needless to say, I have been an Olympics' fan ever since. But I digress. Back to Michael Phelps.

After the 4x100 medley relay, Bob Costas interviewed Phelps, and near the end Costas pointed out to Phelps that he now had more fans on facebook than Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and Michael Jordan. (I checked. Costas is correct. Right now as I write this Phelps has 1,173,231 fans compared to Cyrus' 217,018. If you check, you will find there will be more.) Phelps replied that he had heard that he had around 33,000 posts on The Wall, and that he wasn't sure how he was going to respond to them all. (There are 54,516 as I write.)

This interview peaked my curiosity, so I went to Phelps' page and read a few of the posts. There was a collection of the usual fan stuff – 'u are freaking awesome,' 'I am a Phelpsaholic!!,' 'You rock to the Max!' – but there were others that reinforced a very important leadership lesson. One high school student wrote, "Michael man, you are the greatest role model. I don't swim, but you inspire me to go harder and do better…" Another mom said that her young son was afraid to go into the water, but after watching Phelps win those gold medals her son was begging her to take him to swimming lessons.

The Phelps' phenomenon illustrates how someone's extraordinary performance is often more than just entertainment for the fans. It can also be a model of excellence that others want to emulate. Exemplary performance very often inspires others to take a shot at greatness. While you and I are not Michael Phelps, and we may never win Olympic gold, the same principle applies to each of us. We, too, can be role models. Our extraordinary achievements can set a positive example for our constituents.

Does setting a good example really makes that much of a difference? You bet it does. Barry Posner, has just finished an analysis of over 950,000 Leadership Practices Inventories—our leadership assessment survey—and he did a separate impact study involving 25% of the total sample. In presenting the data at The Leadership Challenge Forum 2008 in Denver, Barry revealed that of all The Five Practices in The Leadership Challenge framework, the practice of Model the Way accounts for the most variance in a leader's impact on the engagement and performance of constituents. Model the Way—defined as clarifying your values and aligning actions with shared values—contributes more to getting extraordinary things done than anything else a leader does.

Your example matters. You matter. Next time you begin to wonder if it's really worth it to be the best you can be, just remember what that young mom and that high school student said about Michael Phelps. Just remember that you can make a difference by your positive example.

Posted by Jim Kouzes

Post holiday blues, or is it green?

On the heels of a wonderful holiday season I've been struggling with getting rid of all the remnants of the season. It seems as though every time I turn around there is another plastic cup or ornament or ribbon left over from the festivities. So much stuff. Each year I say we are going to cut back; cut back on "buying" and shift to "making", cut back on paper and stamps and go to e-greetings. If I want to Model the Way for my children and the way is consuming less, then I am doing only a mediocre job. We are so bound to our traditions and I find my daughter, who has been away at college, is more attached to them, not less. This post holiday season I was fortunate enough to see The Story of Stuff. I was blown away. It is simple, engaging, and impressive. We asked our kids to watch it with us and what followed was some great conversation and I detect, the first real shift in our understanding of the far reaching implications of our consuming. It remains to be seen whether we will be able to shift gears next year, but I am more hopeful, more committed, and inspired to do what we can. Please enjoy the story and spread it around.

Posted by

Beth High

Making space in the new year.

During the two days of New Years celebration the acronym DWYSYWD (Do What You Say You Will Do) rings especially true. We are prone to reviewing the past year and acknowledging commitments dropped, expectations unmet and best intentions unfulfilled. We vow all to often to do things differently in the year to come. We establish New Year’s resolutions to test our resolve to do more-of-this or less-of-that with re-energized commitment to change and follow through. In other words, we add to our “to-do” or “should” lists.

I made a commitment to end the old year and begin the new one practicing the behaviors I want to fill my life. These included time with my family and friends, time reading and reflecting, and time on my yoga mat. It was during a yoga practice that I gained a useful insight I hope will help with DWYSYWD consistency. The person leading my yoga practice on New Year’s Eve challenged us to focus on what we might be able to let go of to make more space in our lives for the commitments and changes we desired. She made an analogy to our attics; limited spaces that we tend to cram full of things with the intention of dealing with them later. Eventually, we run out of space.
There is no room for anything new and limited access to what me might find useful.

Despite our earnest commitment to change at years end, we make it REALLY difficult to honor that commitment. We just keep piling on the “shoulds”. Wouldn’t it be easier if we could first make room for change by letting some things go?  Instead of plunging into the new year with newfound determination to drive change in our lives, wouldn’t it be great if there was a natural place, newfound space for that new behavior? It’s been interesting and fun looking at the blank page of the new year this way. By letting things go and clearing some space in my heart and mind, “doing what I say I will do” feels like a natural step, not a potential misstep to worry about.

Happy New Year everyone. Happy house cleaning.   
Posted by.
Beth High

We are living in exponential times.

There is a wonderful film by Karl Fisch that I first saw during a college orientation for my daughter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHWTLA8WecI

I congratulate the person who had the insight to present it in this forum where the minds in the room were focused on change, potential, and opportunity. I have viewed it many times since and it never fails to spark my brain. There is an updated version that is equally stunning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U

Here's the latest quote that got me thinking.

"The amount of new technical information is doubling every two years. For students starting a 4 year technical or college, this means that...half of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study."

If this is true, what are the bedrocks we can reinforce for these students? If all is changing around them, what stays the same? Two things come to mind. First, our values. If we can be sure of our values and have them well articulated in our hearts and heads, wouldn't this provide a steady filter through which to observe and engage with change? Second, if we can strengthen our commitment to be learners, we have the opportunity to gracefully move with the changes, pulling what we need from the exponential increase in information to address they challenges and opportunities we will always face. Does this mean we will not be at times overwhelmed and certianly impacted by the staggering amount of information there is to deal with? My guess is no, but it may help us take one step at time with curiosity and courage.
Posted by Beth High

A 360-Degree Life?

While Jim has his treadmill excuse (see October 23 post below), I have my bum knee defense.  After a 8-hour conference call (couldn't attend a crucial meeting because of the knee), I turned on Oprah yesterday to give my mind a short break before turning to the email that had stacked up during the day.  The guest of honor was Cathie Black author of Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life).  Ms. Black is president of Hearst Magazines, and no doubt a very powerful, successful leader.  While the Oprah piece was a bit over the top for my taste (it ended with a fashion show), I did find the main point of Ms. Black's book interesting.  She refers to her life lesson as a "360-Degree Life" - that is a "blend of professional accomplishments and personal contentment."  It's clear that 360-degrees has hit the mainstream...it's not just about circles or feedback anymore! 

We all know that work/life balance is tougher today than it has every been.  With our always- on-cell-phone-or-BlackBerry corporate culture that prevails today, most leaders continuously struggle with competing expectections and demands on their time.  And as Jim and Barry have written, "How you spend your time is the single clearest indicator, especially to other people, about what's important to you."

How did you spend your time today?

Posted by Lisa Shannon

Getting Started with Model the Way

In the the 4th edition ofThe Leadership Challenge Jim and Barry write, "Titles are granted, but it's your behavior that wins you respect."  For me, its all about DWYSYWD (Do What You Say You Will Do).  One of our Leadership Challenge Affiliates, Meridian Leadership Center (Jo Bell and Renee Harness) just created DWYSYWD bracelets, and they gave me one at our Master Facilitators meeting in August.  I like wearing it because it's a constant reminder not to make promises that I can't keep.