This is how the phone call went:
“The leaders of this organization seem to have an appetite for chaos,” a friend stated. “Perhaps it’s with the hope that those conditions will bring the best out of people. You know, only the strong will survive.”
“How’s that working?” I asked.
“The ripple effect through the organization is killing us. Because it’s survival of the fittest for each leader, their respective departments are now pitted against each other. There’s a lot of demarcation going on.”
“If my boss doesn’t like your boss, I’d better be careful what I do for you,” I added. “In fact, I may spend more of my time thinking about what I can do to you. Talk about creating indigestion.”
Even though we know it, we fall into the trap ourselves. (Survival instincts are difficult to suppress.) Top teams don’t realize how their approach magnifies (and morphs) exponentially through the organization. It kills creativity, productivity – everything.
“It’s crazy,” he finished. “As bad as the economy and market is, the most difficult challenges we face are internal. So, I keep telling my team, despite what is being modeled to us, we have a unique opportunity to do something different. What we want to accomplish is under our control.”
The leader on the other end of the phone reminds me Rachel in our upcoming book, Degrees of Strength [Jan 23, 2012]. Calm and focus in the chaos. In control of what can be controlled.
Want to focus your team to be even more capable, agile, and perform better than they’ve ever done? Here’s our free PDF that shows you how to do just that in 2012 (and long after.) For a limited time, and as a special member of our A-Team, the Degrees of Strength manifesto is free to you, highlighting tools from the book and focus questions to get you and your team going and increasing accountability in 2012. Sign up for free to be part of our A-team and you’ll get the manifesto delivered straight to your inbox. Instant access for instant value. Click Here for access. (If you’re already on the A-Team, no need to sign up again, we’ll send it directly to your inbox).
“My nephew is starting his career and asked me to recommend a few books as he starts his journey. I recommended The One Minute Manager, and after reading the book Degrees of Strength, I will recommend another.”
– Ron Klump COO/CFO, Impact Confections
“Our responsibility as people is to inspire the greatness in others – and the potential they bring to the world. This book celebrates the leaders who are making a difference in business, communities, and families. Leaders who live and lead in Degrees of Strength are the real change-makers.”
– John Paul DeJoria, Co-Founder John Paul Mitchell Systems, Patrón Spirits Co. and John Paul Pet
What is the focus that will serve your team the best this week?
These bullets about leadership are truly amazing. I’m not a top leader or so, and I’m not sure if I want to be one, because that I can see in the real life is the opposite to your nice statements. Money transfor all, the fight is for money no matter anything else…that’s our sad reality.
However, I believe and I’m going to put my part to create human leaders instead money leaders…
Jose – thank you for your words. And I certainly appreciate your perspective. The relentless pursuit of money has a dark side. And, I’d like to encourage us to consider that rather than identifying “this person only fights for money,” and “this person creates human leaders,” but instead know that there is a bit of both of these characteristics in all of us. And that’s why your vision and work is so important, Jose. Because the more leaders like you can build the awareness that we can make MORE money by being human leaders, the greater the reality that such conditions for this approach will become a reality. Thank you, Jose –
Better performance always requires good communication. Everyone has to be on the same page to insure good teamwork and performance.
Mark’s comment really resonates. It takes a good leader to focus on building and developing people – even when the going gets tough.
As Mark says, when we do have that focus, teamwork, quality, safety, and high productivity become even more achievable.
We are in a brand new year, and I was clear with my team that this year will be a challenging one. This can be heard like a bad news, or as a chance to improve ; because even if we are all full loaded with a lot of topics to work on, I shared with them that since we created in the past 3 years a real trustable relationship, we are fully supportive of each other and commited in our actions. This great news will help us to beat the rythm and to be successfull.
Thank you for the important example, Jean-Claude. You remind us of what Shakespeare said, “Nothing is good or bad – but thinking makes it so.” What a crime it would be if we believed the coming year was going to be bad! All we have is now, today, and the endless opportunities to lead forward inherent in every moment. All the best to your team, Jean-Claude.
This topic gets my blood boiling! Chaos drives endless opportunities for great leadership and fuels my passion to serve. Allow me to restate what I think your friend said; “It’s knowing that those condition will bring the best and worst out of people. You know, only those that see in degrees of strength will thrive.”
Chaos should drive the best leadership in all of us. Lead upward. Lead downward. Lead across boundaries. Be the example! For the last 11 years I have been a department of one in a Global company. In the last 7 years I have had 12 different bosses in 2 different divisions. Would you consider this chaos? Don’t get me wrong, it took 8 bosses before the leadership light came on for me!
Rise above. Swim upstream. Get upset about low leadership strength. Then take a breath. Quiet your mind. Help them build that strength as you would want some one to help you. Drive “group think” in a new direction, one person at a time. Human failure is inevitable. Our response to it is a very personal decision.
I applaud your friend’s response. It takes courage to drive change. It takes tool cards to do it effectively.
You’re so right, Thad! “Our response is a very personal decision,” as you say, is well said – and important. You, the leader we spoke of in the post, and so many others who have responded are modeling the courage necessary for success. And the Degrees of Strength technique makes it easier and sustainable. Thanks for your consistent and amazing passion, my friend!