03.31.09
This Wednesday (April Fool’s Day!), I’ll be a guest on Zane Saftrit’s show on BlogTalkRadio.
Since Zane and I go waaaaayyyy back, I’m confident in predicting that it will be a lively exchange. He’s a wise dude who asks great questions and pulls no punches.
Please join us live, if you can, at 2:00 PM eastern, 11:00 AM pacific. Here’s the link to the show.
The call-in number is 646-915-9212.
Technorati Tags: blogtalkradio, coaching, greater than yourself, leadership, mentoring, zane safrit
03.25.09
A while back, I received a distressed email from Ken, a young manager at a high-tech company.
Ken and I had never met, but he had read my first two books and had done his best to apply the ideas and practices of Extreme Leadership to the way he’d led his team. To their culture, their work ethic, their camaraderie. When necessary, Ken told me, they would band together and work hard–10 to 20 hours a day at times–to solve a problem or meet a pressing need. Ken’s wife would cook food for everyone and bring it to the office. They felt like a family, he said, committed to doing great work and devoted to one another’s success. No one ever complained, least of all Ken.
And then something happened. A downturn, a re-org, a shift in the management structure–we all know the drill. Ken still had a job, but his position was eliminated. New management full of old ideas came in to oversee the department’s function and the emotional fibers that connected Ken’s team to each other and to their work unraveled.
“Now,” Ken wrote, “for the last 4 weeks I sat at my cubicle, web surfing for 8 hours a day at the same company where I once worked 39 hours straight with my team to make things right, never going home.
“I’m not a quitter; I don’t want to leave. But–just or unjust–I feel stripped of everything we’ve done,” he said. “So the advice I’m looking for is this:
“How do you get back up?”
Even though I’ve spent the last 20 years coaching leaders and consulting to management teams, I was still loath to respond. After all, I had only the sketchiest of details about Ken’s situation, and it was just presumptuous of me to assume I could help him with a few pithy words of advice. Nonetheless, I did have an idea for him, and I instinctively felt that it could make a huge, positive difference in Ken’s life–and in the life of those he worked with.
And it wasn’t the kind of management or leadership advice you’d expect.
It’s already become a cliche to say that we live in unprecedented, challenging times. We all know it. But the truth is, the world of work is always challenging. That’s why they call it “work.”
No matter the industry, market, or type of company you work in, you’ve had to deal with some combination of the classic workplace obstacles, issues, and barriers to a satisfying, fulfilling leadership experience.
At some time or another, for example, you’ve reported to bosses or people in positions of “greater authority,” who were self-centered at best, and idiotically egotistical at worst. They took all the credit and none of the blame and could care less whether or not you succeeded or failed. Or worse, they preferred that you’d fail, and took great pleasure in your struggles because they felt it made them look stronger.
Or perhaps you worked in a company that, even though populated by terrific human beings, was so obsessed with the bottom line and shareholder value that you were forced to make strategic decisions that compromised your own employees’ abilities to serve the customer. And as your employees grew more frustrated, the customer sat levels plunged, which made you and your employees more frustrated. And so on.
You may have been in an environment that was hyper-competitive to the point of paranoid, risk-averse to the point of stifling, or so political that it made you consider running for local office just to get some relief.
We’ve all experienced some combination of these themes with varying levels of intensity. And we’ve all spent some amount of time and energy navigating our way through the challenges that come from trying to lead in those conditions. It’s just the price we pay for being managers. And human beings.
Now, add to that the current, sucking implosion in the economy, and it’s easy to see why, with all our efforts to be positive, productive leaders, we still get knocked down from time to time. Sometimes way down.
Our knee-jerk reaction in times of crisis is to hold on tighter, to be more cautious in our actions, and more protective of our resources. We think that our way out–or up–will come by virtue of shoring up and hoarding what we have.
There is, however, a much more powerful course of action, which–though counterintuitive in these hyper-competitive times–is based on a timeless reality of true leadership:
Your own greatness as a leader (or in just about any other role you take on, for that matter) lies, paradoxically, in your ability to cause others to be greater than yourself.
Said another way, your (and my) best way out of a challenge or crisis is not to focus on your own peril or rut, but, instead, to reach out and try to boost someone else over your head.
The idea should sound familiar. It’s really just a variation on the “do unto others” sentiment of the Golden Rule, a philosophy that exists in virtually all religions, schools of thought, and philosophies on the planet. And in none of those versions–not one–will you find a footnote saying, “Does not apply Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 to 5 or any time you find yourself in a jam.”
So the solution I offered to Ken was this:
Instead of wallowing in your own despair, pick someone at work to invest in, with the intent of making that person greater than you are. Be a coach, guide, or mentor in the truest, most personal sense of the words by choosing someone to be your GTY (Greater Than Yourself) project, and see what that does to your own predicament, your own state of mind.
Maybe it was out of desperation, but as surprised as he was by the curve ball I’d thrown him, Ken took my advice and agreed to the challenge.
Two weeks later, Ken wrote to say that he’d thought deeply about our conversation and had come to realize that before he could lift someone else up by sharing his knowledge and experience, he needed to be sure that he had learned the right lessons from the recent team trauma. So he’d met with his boss, and asked for feedback on how he could have acted differently, what he may have done to contribute to the problem, and how he could be a better leader in the future. The “30 minute meeting turned into a 2 hour confessional,” said Ken, which resulted in him learning some hard, “gold lessons” about himself.
“Now,” he continued, “I’ve already started to work with a tech on my team who wants to be a manager. And I’m taking a vow,” he said, “to make the people around me better–as I continue to grow myself. I’m going to teach my children about this, too.” Ken, it seems, has gotten his energy back, and he’s well on his way to getting back up–by lifting someone else.
We’re all human, just like Ken. And just like him, we all get bashed down from time to time. So, the next time that happens to you, resist the temptation to pull yourself up by the proverbial bootstraps, and reach out to pull someone else up, instead. Go find someone to be your GTY project.
And don’t be surprised if–through your example–your whole organization, company, or team rises to establish itself as the new gold standard of leadership.
Technorati Tags: challenge, coaching, greater than yourself, leadership, mentoring, motivation
03.22.09
In response to LeadingBlog’s call for GTY stories, Chip Nuttall posted this wonderful comment in which he expands the scope of potential for the Greater Than Yourself endeavor. And he wonders if he may be carrying a GTY gene passed down from his late grandfather. Â Read on:
“In a nutshell, it’s all about ‘they’ stories. All too often, you hear ‘leaders’ tell ‘I’ stories. Or slightly better, ‘We’ stories. The single biggest game-changer for me was realizing the power of storytelling from the third person in the corporate environment. Now, I cringe when I hear myself telling ‘I’ and even ‘We’ stories as a leader. Describing your team’s accomplishments by telling stories about what they accomplished together is greatly rewarding and acknowledges the power of the group and not the individuals. It acknowledges the possibility for multiple winners in thriving ‘Highlander’ environments where the fear that ‘there can be only one.’ It feeds the GTY philosophy and encourages humility by keeping your personal ego in check.
Each day, the team, ‘they,’ inspires me in new ways. There is potential where previously there were only conclusions. There is energy generated where there was once a perception of inefficiency. The team does that; the team nurtures each member. And better yet, I see the opportunity for the GTY culture to grow into teams supporting other teams. Imagine a team, a vendor, a consulting company, a third party company of some type that charters itself to make another team, another client, another company more successful that itself. That is the stuff of true, long term relationships. That takes love. Those are the seeds of grassroots GTY evolving from individuals into teams, to communities, to cities…
My GTY project is currently [conducting] consulting work with three potential leaders involved in separate projects that all need to succeed for a single initiative to succeed. It started before Steve’s book came out. I am eternally grateful to Steve for his three books, and especially for his latest contribution. It provides the energy, the stories, the vision, and the dream I need to keep at it. After years of seeking better ways to help teams succeed, I realized it was about focusing on each team member’s strengths, not his or her weaknesses. Then, supplementing those strengths with my own. It gives me greater and greater pleasure to see all three of them succeed. Last month, I found out from my Aunt that my Grandfather lived by the following credo: ‘You can accomplish anything in this world as long as you aren’t concerned with who gets the credit.’ Look at the effect my Grandfather is having ten years after his passing! I guess there is a gene for that after all, for which I am thankful, but it takes hard work, honesty, and love to realize its potential.
Be deliberate every day. Choose to be positive. Walk the walk when it comes to knowledge transfer, and having the tough conversations, and in seeking productive conflict, and in striving for continuous improvement. Let your team know every day that you support them, all of them.
And then look what you, errrrrr, I mean ‘they,’ can accomplish.”
Thanks for that, Mr. Nuttall! I don’t know if we can prove there’s a gene for GTY, but no doubt there’s a Chip!
Now if we could just figure out how to install it in everyone…
Technorati Tags: Chip Nuttall, coaching, greater than yourself, leadership, LeadingBlog, mentoring
03.10.09
This story just came in from Jeff at Microsoft:
“My GTY story actually started a couple of years ago, but I didn’t know that’s what it was called.
I have a co-worker who is a peer of mine in another group and we work closely on various projects. For a person of her age (she is the same age as my daughter) I think she has a lot of potential and I have always felt she is capable of so much more. After reading your book and listening to the videos here, I realized that she has been and continues to be, my GTY project. It has also allowed me to put a name to some of the things we have been doing.
I realize now that the more I try to help her, the more I have to learn myself (Expand Yourself). It drives me to learn more so I can share more. I decided a couple of years ago to support her as much as I possiblly could (Give Yourself). I have never, ever thought of her as competition, although she certainly could be, but I have never held back helping her and I would love nothing more than to see her excel well beyond what I have been able to do. I certainly know she is capable.
Lately I have been trying to encourage her and make opportunities available to her to help her expand her circles of influence (Replicate Yourself). I know that she has so much potential to be a positive role model to so many other young professionals and I am encouraging her to take those steps. What I enjoy the most is that this is not just a professional relationship. It has a such a deep and personal level and I know that we will be connected for the rest of our lives. I have never been one to have really long term friendships and it is great to see this be a by-product of my GTY.
Thanks for helping me put a name and face to this relationship. Also, you have inspired me to take on many more GTYs. The fortunate part is that there are so many potential GTYs available. Choosing is the toughest part, but also the most exciting.
Thanks again!”
Terrific, Jeff! Now that you have a name for what you’ve already been doing, you’ll see how much easier it’ll be to recognize those other GTY possibilities. Now, I strongly encourage you to talk about this with your current GTY, and get her commitment to do the same thing with someone else.
Submit your story here!
Technorati Tags: coaching, greater than yourself, leadership, mentoring, microsoft
03.08.09
Over on the Greater Than Yourself website, we’re giving folks the opportunity to share their GTY experiences with the rest of us. This morning we received our first submission (which is pretty good considering the book’s been out for less than a week, and the real promotional push won’t happen until the end of the month).
Ricky, the CEO of a real estate development company in Arizona, shares his first step into the GTY endeavor:
“My story is just beginning. In our company, Champion, I have worked to instill the extreme leadership roles to all our partners and friends with some success. Two months ago I dismayed at the [lack of] acceptance by one of our senior partners and worked to try to show him why he needed to lead. He sees himself as a doer more than a leader and also sees his role as a “danger finder.” That is great, but the reason to find the danger is to take it to a solution, and that takes leadership.
In the last two weeks, with candid conversation (Patrick Lencioni’s “Conflict”), he has made great strides.
I read GTY yesterday and in a meeting we had planned for 8:00 this morning, introduced GTY to him…He saw its inherent quality immediately. He called it the engine that leads to great “extreme” or “radical” leadership.
Will he be my GTY Project? Probably. That Project will be coupled with Making a GTY Project for my son Adam (who works with us) and for Stephanie, a partner and a leader.
Maybe that’s too many projects, but I think not, as we are a small company–like no other you have seen–following Jim Collin’s principals and recognizing that as a “Tenant Friendly Development Company” we can make a difference with everyone we contact.
Thanks for the book.
This is the beginning. I hope to expand it and report on it’s success soon.”
Thanks, Ricky! We all look forward to hearing about your progress.
Now how about you? What’s your story?
03.02.09
Well…it’s finally here. The publication date for Greater Than Yourself (Tuesday).
I’m thrilled, of course, but also anxious to see how the book’s received. (Releasing a book is a major OS!M).
GreaterThanYourself.com just went live this morning, and I think we’ve built something very rich and provocative. Please go on over and spend some time watching the videos (it would take you over an hour to watch all of them, but we’ve put them in bite-sized bits). I hope you find them to be both educational and inspiring.
There’s a lot to digest over there, but once you’ve done that, please come on back to this blog and comment on your thoughts and reactions.
We’re gonna have a lot to talk about.
Technorati Tags: coaching, greater than yourself, leadership, mentoring
