![Great Leaders Get Off Their But]()
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Have you ever seen what kids can do with a box of crayons, a big, empty cardboard box and an afternoon to kill? They may build a rocket ship and explore Mars. They might build a pirate ship and bury treasure. Kids have boundless imagination. They also have a natural sense of partnering and affirming each other. They instinctively work together to explore ideas that defy time and space.
As we grow up, the time in our lives when afternoons stretched endlessly ahead fades. Play time gets interrupted with the structure of class time. Eventually, we lose even our summers to year round work. Today’s workdays come at dizzying speed and exponential complexity. Creativity is a fundamental requirement for survival. Yet, American workers are experiencing a creativity crisis. Ironically, the creativity that we naturally tapped into as children seems unnatural as adults. As Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
How can leaders help employees get back in touch with their inner kid? Many companies like Google, PepsiCo, and MetLife are turning to improv. As you may have seen on the popular show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the premise of improv is simple. Performers don’t know what will happen on stage until they’re given a prompt. They start with that prompt, making up the story as they go along. Improv draws on the time-honored principle of “yes, and.” Performers accept whatever their scene partners do or say as part of the reality of the scene and then build on it with their own contributions.
Think about our conversations with our own teams. Ever notice how often we say “but?” What happens afterward? The team stops contributing ideas, they physically pull back, the light goes out of their eyes. To truly create, our teams need a safe space where they can generate unique ideas, then combine those ideas into the best result. As soon as we say “but,” the creative process can no longer move forward. Simply put, “but” stops the bus.
Saying “yes, and” tells your team that you are doing two important things. First, you are affirming that you respect the thoughts and ideas of others. That’s big. Second, you are truly listening and are willing to build on the ideas of others. That’s huge.
The more we practice “yes, and,” the better we hone four powerful leadership skills:
1. Listen more respectfully
2. Pick up on subtle cues
3. Demonstrate trust
4. Value opinions
Let’s face it. Not every idea is going to be a home run. But, building creative, collaborative teams is a leadership imperative. Collaborative teams are focused and present in the moment. They affirm one another, think on their feet, and adapt quickly to unexpected demands.
Question: How often do you get off your but and draw out the best from your team?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
![Great Leaders Get Off Their But]()
People
Does your team trust each other? If not, what impact do you think that’s having on the bottom line?
This is a question that we have explored with teams ranging from publicly-traded companies to nonprofits. Regardless of the size of your team or the industry you work in, “trust is the foundation of real teamwork,” writes Patrick Lencioni in his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
In the mid-1990s, Lencioni observed a business climate that was manically focused on growth with little attention paid to the fundamentals of team alignment and organizational effectiveness. As a result, Lencioni and his colleagues developed a simple online assessment that measures team effectiveness in five key areas.
1. Trust
Think about a time when you worked with a team member who you trusted. What was that experience like? Did you freely share information with her? Did you ask her for help? Admit mistakes? Now, think about a time when you worked with a team member who you didn’t trust. What was that experience like? Did you ask him for more data? Did you question his motives? Did you try avoiding him altogether? Now multiply the results of these interactions by all of the possible team member combinations in your organization. You can quickly see how trust impacts speed, and how speed impacts results. We’re living in the age of Airbnb, Kickstarter, Etsy, and Uber – where trust is the fundamental economic driver. But, we have yet to master the ability to trust our colleagues as much as we do total strangers.
2. Conflict
Teams that do not trust one another will be reluctant to have open, constructive conflict. You’ve experienced this in the form of passive-aggressive behavior, circular conversations, veiled discussions, and guarded arguments. You’ve witnessed people nodding their head ‘yes’ in the room but shaking their head ‘no’ in the hall. Teams that trust one another freely engage in debate so that they can assess reality correctly before making a common commitment. Teams that lack trust also lack the ability to effectively uncover the root causes of issues that impact performance. Instead, they spend their time dealing with symptoms and side issues.
3. Commitment
A team that can accurately assess reality will have a better chance of making clear commitments. A note of clarity here. Team commitment is not the same as consensus. When you are encouraged and inspired to share your ideas and know that you’ve been heard, you’re more likely to agree to the final decision even if it differs from your original input. As a result, you walk away motivated and feeling valued rather than resentful. Commitment requires weigh in before buy in.
4. Accountability
If you manage a team of people, you understand that part of your role is to hold them accountable for delivering results. Holding your peers accountable, however, is harder. This is especially true when you haven’t built trust, participated in constructive debate about root causes, or felt that your opinions about what to do to move forward haven’t been heard. You’re much more likely to call your peers out when you’ve bought into the agreed upon direction to deliver results.
5. Results
“What gets measured, gets done,” is a familiar maxim. If you are measured and incentivized based on individual effort, human nature follows that you are more likely to put your individual results over collective results. High-performing teams, however, understand that if the team loses, everyone loses. When you’re held accountable for team results, you’re much more likely to make the extra effort to help team members when they need support.
Teamwork isn’t easy. But high performing teams understand that team alignment is a competitive advantage.
Question: Are you achieving results or experiencing regrets toward team goals so far this year?
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People
With the U.S. unemployment rate at the lowest point in nearly 50 years, filling open positions is becoming a serious pain point for many organizations. Talent acquisition today requires creative methods and critical thinking that goes beyond matching keywords to resumes.
Since 2013, The Honor Foundation, a San Diego-based nonprofit, has been working to help solve that problem. The 120-hour, MBA style program has helped nearly 450 Navy SEALs and members of other Special Operations forces apply their field experience to leadership positions in corporate America. These men and women enter the workforce as highly skilled problem solvers with years of experience leading teams, managing resources, and delivering results.
Thanks to The Honor Foundation, graduates of the program have the tools they need to translate their experience and enter the workforce with confidence. If your talent pipeline is running low, here are six candidates ready to join your team.
1. Mike Daley, Culturally Intelligent, Versatile, Solutions Focused Leader
What he brings to the team: Proven leader with over 20 years of experience delivering results and growing teams in Operations, Logistics, and Project Management. Meticulously driven to complete complex tasks on time and on budget while mitigating risk in situations with rapid change.
Areas of interest: To lead an Operations or Logistics team and contribute to the mentoring and development of team members. Mike wants to work with a team that is driven and fully committed to the mission and willing to put the needs of others before their own.
Education: Masters Degree, Business Administration & Management, University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
2. Andrew White, Transformational Leader, Problem Solver, Change Agent
What he brings to the team: Task and outcome oriented professional with proven ability to build trust, motivate and lead diverse teams in planning contingencies, managing risk, maintaining accountability and achieving goals.
Areas of interest: Looking for a company that has highly motivated teams that aim above the status quo. Andrew wants to be part of the projects/program management process, lead, make impactful decisions, have autonomy, and get challenged on a daily basis.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, Associates Degree in Computer Science
3. Ashley Thompson, Servant Leader, Strategic Thinker, Problem Solver, Cross-Functional Integrator
What he brings to the team: Ashley thrives in complex, ambiguous environments. He naturally cuts through the clutter to identify and implement viable solutions to difficult problems. He is multilingual and excels at bridging cultures to create the conditions in which diverse teams can thrive.
Areas of interest: Looking for an organization that is committed to improving the world by creating opportunities for its people. His ideal role would allow him to lead multi-cultural teams in an international environment, to provide creative solutions to complex issues while challenging him to learn new things every day.
Education: Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of California Los Angeles
4. Tres Smith, Complex Problem Solver, Interpersonal Dynamics, Executive Leadership
What he brings to the team: Diverse experience in strategic and operational planning and execution, organizational management, and collaborative team building achieved through risk based critical thinking and competitive analysis.
Areas of interest: Seeking the opportunity to contribute, to be challenged, to lead and to be led, to participate in collaborative environments achieving unified objectives.
Education: BS Earth Systems, Sciences, George Mason University, MS Military Studies, USMC Command and Staff College, MS National Security and Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School, National Defense University
5. David Swartz, Strong Belief System, Stable, Clarity of Conviction to the Team
What he brings to the team: Developing, leading and leveraging his experience in a team-oriented environment. David provides a servant leadership style, and is passionate about professionally developing and teaching teams to be our future leaders.
Areas of interest: Director or Senior Leader of Operations, Leadership/Training Development, Project/Program Management, Business Development or Sales.
Education: SMU Cox School of Business Executive MBA Candidate
6. Ed Williams, Strategy and Development, Organizational Leadership, Cross-Cultural Communication, Program Management
What he brings to the team: Ed has developed a versatile, self-aware style of leadership. He brings over two decades of experience in design thinking and strategy development – figuring out what needs to happen with limited direction.
Areas of interest: Senior Strategy and Business Development, Chief of Staff, Director or Program Management for teams in the tech field or active lifestyle sector that share his future focused energy philosophy.
Education: MA from The University of Kansas; BS from The United States Military Academy
If your organization could benefit from service-minded, adaptable, problem solvers like these, there is no more elite group of talent than the graduates of The Honor Foundation. Contact The Honor Foundation here to learn more about employing, mentoring, coaching and sponsorship opportunities for this world-class program.
Question: What can you do to serve people who have dedicated their lives in service to others?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
![Great Leaders Get Off Their But]()
Leadership
This is the time of the year that many of us attend the Pomp and Circumstance processional at graduation ceremonies across the country. I’ve curated six of the best commencement speeches for advice that could be applied by both freshly minted graduates and senior executives:
1. David Foster Wallace, Author
Kenyon College, Class of 2005
Read the transcript
“It is extremely difficult to stay alert and attentive, instead of getting hypnotized by the constant monologue inside your own head (may be happening right now). Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think.”
2. J. K. Rowling, Author
Harvard University, Class of 2008
Watch it here
“I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those old Romans I met when I fled down the Classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom: As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.”
3. Ellen DeGeneres, Comedian
Tulane University, Class of 2009
Watch it here
“Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that.”
4. Jim Carrey, Comedian
Maharashi University of Management, Class of 2014
Watch it here
“The decisions we make in this moment are based in either love or fear. So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect so we never ask the universe for it.”
“You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance at doing what you love.”
5. John McCain, Former United States Senator
Liberty University, Class of 2006
Watch it here
“Our country doesn’t depend on the heroism of every citizen. But all of us should be worthy of the sacrifices made on our behalf.”
6. Barack Obama, Former United States President
University of Notre Dame, Class of 2009
Watch it here
“The major threats we face in the 21st century—whether it’s a global recession or violent extremism; the spread of nuclear weapons or pandemic disease—these things do not discriminate. They do not recognize borders. They do not see color. They do not target specific ethnic groups. Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone. Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and greater understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history.”
To the graduates of the Class of 2019, I wish for you a career that positively impacts others, and a lifelong journey of lessons that enable you to gain insight before you press the elevator button back down for those who follow.
Question: What would you tell yourself on graduation day?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
Letter from the Founder
Welcome to the forty-fifth issue of CEE News!
A budding entrepreneur wanted to launch an app. She asked me to review her preliminary investor pitch deck. She had done the market research, identified the need, forecasted the ROI, and built a sound business case. She clearly knew her stuff, but something critical was missing.
As we kept chatting, she shifted from talking about the data to talking about why she wanted to build the app. Her whole demeanor changed. Her eyes sparkled. She couldn’t stop smiling. When she thought about how the app could positively impact the world, she shifted from the stats to the story – from the head to the heart.
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