Archive for category: Leadership

Surviving and Thriving in the Face of Failure – Post #1

Even legends fail (most times, it’s a right of passage)

The sad passage of Apple CEO Steve Jobs has gotten me thinking about failure. Sure, Jobs was a widely successful entrepreneur and technology visionary, but he also was let go from the top spot at Apple when he was 30. Jobs credited that event (in retrospect) with transforming him into the leader of Apple that he ultimately became. In the years between getting fired and returning to the helm of Apple, Jobs developed his vision and his passion for technical and design excellence at a little known company called Pixar. (Pixar was no longer obscure, of course, after Jobs’ tenure and the debut of the delightful movie “Toy Story.”)

What is it about failure that helps propel some people forward and leaves others behind in a bitter heap? Steve Jobs had every right to be bitter after getting bounced from Apple, a company that he co-founded at the tender age of 20. Instead, though, he picked himself and his bruised ego up and moved forward. He realized that he still loved technology and finding ways to make it matter to people. He took on a new challenge and helped pioneer pixel animation technology, creating an entirely new industry in the process.

I think the key can be found in how Jobs decided to accept the blame for what happened. While it certainly must have stung, he obviously didn’t get stuck in blaming others or himself. He accepted the situation, assessed his options and moved on!

That’s resilience and it appears to be a key attribute of most successful people. Harvard Business Review dedicated its entire April issue to the “f” word. I’m going to take a figurative page from HBR and devote my next several posts to failure and what it means in a business context (and even in the U.S. Army). And I’ll share a few of my own less-than-stellar moments and what I’ve learned in the process.

How to Cultivate Engaged Employees – 6th in a series of 6 related Posts

Just because it’s fast, doesn’t mean it’s best!

Guideline #6– Don’t insist that a decision must be made

“Conventional management wisdom holds that a flawed decision is better than no decision,” writes HBR author Charalambos Vlachoutsicos. He goes on to advise that leaders should reject conventional wisdom: “If you can’t get agreement on a decision, don’t rush to impose one. Think instead about putting in place a process that yields decisions, even slowly made ones, that everyone can accept even if agreement is not unanimous.”

As I noted in previous posts, we have a clear process in place for working through issues and coming to agreement at Intertech. Having a process takes time and, more critically, discipline. I do believe, however, that decisions should be made when it is possible to do so without further discussion. “Analysis paralysis” can result when leaders do not feel empowered to make decisions, no matter how small they might be.

In situations where more discussion truly is required, it helps to send out all the information related to the decision in advance. Prepping in advance means people can arrive informed and ready to discuss, versus wasting precious meeting time waiting for everyone to read through long documents. For more on meetings, check out chapter 65 of my book, “Make Meetings Matter.”

How to Cultivate Engaged Employees – 5th in a series of 6 related Posts

No one, including superheros, has all the answers.

Guideline #5 – Don’t try to have all the answers

HBR author Charalambos Vlachoutsicos writes that “Problem solving is central to the manager’s sense of self, and feelings of inadequacy can surface when a solution is elusive.”

This guideline dovetails with his first guideline, “be modest.” If we can take our egos out of the equation, we are free to get input from others and to encourage them to be their best thinking. Think of the process as team building, particularly if you’re grooming someone to be the “go to” person when you’re not around. Continually ask,  “What do you think?”

If you pay attention, you will find someone (or several people) who consistently come up with ideas that are as good or better than your own. Essentially, you want to identify those people who put the good of the firm ahead of their own personal agenda, as well as those who can control their emotions and make solid decisions. Of course, you’ll never find these people if you spend all your time in your office trying to solve all the problems your self.

If you’ve read my book, Building a Winning Business, you might think I’m contradicting myself. After all, chapter 55 is called “Leaders Solve Problems.” But if you read it carefully, you’ll recall that my advice is to involve others in brainstorming solutions – as well as holding others accountable for making sure solutions are implemented.

As my team frequently says, “One team, One dream!”