by Jane Perdue | Power
Got power? Want power? Want to be powerful?
I’m sure hoping your answer was “yes” to all three questions!
Despite some commonly held notions, everyone can have power—lots of it—without being a high-ranking pooh-bah!
Power typically comes in two forms, personal and positional. Each one of us has personal power—”you power.” Most of us have some measure of positional power—”job power”—based on what we do.
Combining the best of these two sources is the secret sauce for individual success.
Job power is what we do, and personal power is how we do it.
How each one of us chooses to use our skills is up to us: we can use them for personal gain or for the greater good.
Making good use of our power
Want to exercise your efforts and make a positive difference, not a negative one?
If so, here’s three things for you to do to be at the top of your game and help others do the same. (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Character
Wow, what a stunning comment to make!
In explaining a recent rash of dismissals of military leaders, Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army’s highest ranking officer, said
“Sometimes in the past we’ve overlooked character issues because of competence and commitment.”
Too bad more corporation CEO’s don’t have the awareness, courage, and moral center to admit the same of how their organizations operate. Honoring profits has sadly pushed honoring principles and people off the radar screen. As long as you grow the bottom line and increase the stock price, we don’t care how many rules you break or people you crush. (more…)
by Jane Perdue | DEI
A Department of Labor report on the glass ceiling noted that “what’s important [in organizations] is comfort, chemistry, and collaboration.”
Chris Argyris, business theorist and professor, says there’s a universal human tendency to organize our lives around remaining in control and winning.
Might these hidden needs be the reason most companies have failed at incorporating diversity as a normal business practice despite all the research that demonstrates its positive impacts on the bottom line? (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Kindness
Looking back on all the places I’ve worked, the ones that were the most enjoyable—and productive—were those where there was love. Not the mushy candy heart kind, but rather the holding people in high regard kind.
Not to say those organizations weren’t results-driven or action-oriented. They were. Metrics were vigorously scrutinized, and low performers strongly urged to up their game.
But what made those workplaces different from others was that people cared.
Bosses didn’t rip into employees. They didn’t shred people’s self-respect and self-esteem.
Bosses in those companies “got” it.
They understood employees weren’t the enemy to be vanquished but rather the ones through whom all work got done.
They knew that motivating by kindness—not by fear—made things happen.
They knew engaged teams who bonded together defied gravity in the pursuit of making goals happen.
Today is Valentine’s Day, so it’s the perfect day to give yourself, and those around you, a leadership gift of love, empathy and kindness.
3 ways to add some love to your leadership
1. It’s OK to care.
Treating employees and colleagues with respect and compassion may not be on your company’s leadership competency model or give you any points at bonus time, but be a well-mannered maverick and do it anyway.
The essence of love is to affectively affirm as well as unselfishly delight in the well-being of others, and to engage in acts of care and service on their behalf, without exception, in an enduring and constant way. ~Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, Case Western Reserve University
2. Let’em know they matter.
Saying “thanks” increases the likelihood your employee will not only help you, but help someone else. ~Mark Goulston
3. Be kind.
Being kind isn’t synonymous with being weak. Kind bosses tell people how they can be better and inspire them to do so. Kind bosses tactfully point out mistakes and ask about the lessons learned. Kind bosses see the potential we don’t see in ourselves and push us to grow into it.
Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others. ~William J.H. Boetcker
Do you think there’s room for love in leadership?
Image credit before quote added: morgueFile
by Jane Perdue | Leadership
I sit on the board of directors for a nonprofit that’s in the process of fine-tuning its mission and strategy.
Over the last few months, the organization has done its due diligence about how it runs itself—conducting focus groups and surveys; studying program participation; reviewing revenue, expenses, and donor history; checking out its competitors and assessing its differentiators; doing a SWOT analysis; gauging available resources, etc.
Not bad for a small organization working within the confines of a very limited budget.
So that all board members could fully participate in the strategy working session, the organization hired a meeting facilitator. An orientation session with the facilitator, staff and board was scheduled so the facilitator could be brought up-to-speed on both the research and the desired deliverables so she could design the flow of the meeting.
After listening to the readout, the facilitator’s first response was to ask for a copy of the organization’s balanced scorecard for the last ten years. She also inquired if the organization had worked with an outside consultant firm to create a PESTEL* analysis.
Her questions were greeted with silence and a few averted gazes, then a few audible sighs followed. Those from the corporate world understood her ask; those from smaller businesses or other nonprofits didn’t.
“In an ideal world, especially a for-profit one with deep pockets, having those data points in a highly organized way would be helpful,” responded a meeting participant. “Truth is, most of the needed information for the incremental changes being proposed is already here. We just have to dig a little.”
“But still, having all the information in a single, organized report would be much better,” countered the facilitator with some emphasis in her voice. “And besides, the six-month timeframe being discussed for the work can’t be done. It’s too short. Strategy work should span three to five years to be done properly.”
More deafening silence.
Sometimes good enough is all you need
Are you a stickler for data, lots of it and all beautifully organized? Are you a genius at pointing out the reasons things can’t be done? Do you assume simplicity equates to stupidity? Do you like using words that people don’t understand?
If “yes,” has anyone ever called you a buzzkill?
Effort and ideas can be as fragile as grandma’s porcelain tea cup. Be gentle with them.
Sometimes you have to meet people where they are and start from there. That starting place may not be ideal according to your standards, but at least it’s a beginning.
Sometimes good enough is enough. Most work is beautiful alchemy—part art, part science.
Go with it.
Securing every last piece of researchable information takes valuable time and may not yield a better solution. The days of working with three to five year time horizons for creating strategy are gone, and so are most of the companies that embraced those notions.
Seize the moment, the momentum and make some leadership magic!
Ever worked with a facilitator like this one? How did you handle it?
*an external analysis reflecting the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal components of an organization’s macroeconomic environment
Image source before quote: morgueFile | A version this post first appeared on Lead Change Group
