BroadPeak Executive Forum

Good To Great - What Kind of Executive Are You?

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, recently gave a speech to at the launch of Bridgestar in New York. He is quoted as saying that:

“Greatness,” Collins explained, “is not a function of circumstances. It is a function, first and foremost, of conscious choice and discipline…It doesn’t matter if you’re a hospital, school district, church, professional sports team, or squadron of fighter jets: everyone has constraints, difficulties, irrationalities, and yet some still do better than others in those same circumstances.”

In his speech, Collins focused most of his attention on the importance of leadership in “good to great” organizations. He said one factor that makes a big difference between a great organization and a merely good one is people.

Collins describes the different levels of executives in his book.  What level are you? (click on the photo above to enlarge for easier viewing) If you haven't read Good to Great you should pick up a copy and check it out. It's an excellent book that will help you structure your thinking about how your team members are allocated within your organization.

Never Eat Alone - Book Recommendation from Liz Handlin

I am currently reading a book which I had heard a lot about but had never read. One of the reasons that I hadn't made time to read it before now is that I had heard that it is a book about building relationships and networking which are two things that I tend to do quite well. To describe this book as being "about networking" is like saying that Pope is a guy who goes to church a lot. That is to say that a description as simplistic as "networking" sells this book short. The book is called Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and it is really worth your time to read it even if you are an extrovert or a skilled networker.

I won't summarize the entire book here but I will tell you about one chapter that I found particularly insightful. Chapter 18 is entitled Health, Wealth, and Children. Mr. Ferrazzi posits that health, building and maintaining wealth, and family are the three things that are universally important to every person you will meet. Those issues are common denominators that define each of us.

The chapter details some personal examples of times that Mr. Ferrazzi has turned simple business relationships into loyal friendships by supporting someone else's health, wealth, or family issues. Helping the child of a business associate to get a coveted internship, referring a person whose child has cancer to a world renowned doctor, or referring a job seeker to a personal contact in the field of his/her dreams. These are all things that Mr. Ferrazzi has done that have helped him to build lifelong friends and colleagues.

As I was reading the book I thought of times when I have taken the opportunity to help someone simply because I could and about the relationships those acts of kindness have helped me to build. In the 1990's I spent about a year and a half as the Director of Recruiting for a Big 4 (it was the "Big 6" at that time) Accounting Firm's Illinois practice. I recall a young man whom I met when we were recruiting at a Big 10 school. He was a finance and accounting double major with a 4.0, good extracurriculars, and wonderful interpersonal skills. I really enjoyed meeting him and, of course, he was one of our top picks to join the firm.

I developed a good rapport with this candidate and he told me that his dream job was Investment Banking rather than Public Accounting. We had more than enough top tier candidates to fill all of our job openings so attracting this particular candidate to the firm wasn't going to make or break our recruiting season. Furthermore, if this candidate was dreaming of a career other than the one we were offering I figured that there was a better than average chance that he wouldn't stay the firm very long.

I could have done the easy thing which was to make him an offer and see if he took it. Or, I could have simply not offered him the job because he had told me that his career aspirations lay elsewhere. I didn't do either of those things. Instead I picked up the phone and called a friend of mine at an elite, privately held investment bank in Chicago and told him about this wonderful candidate. Long story short this candidate wound up getting an offer (which he accepted) from the investment bank. I helped two people by making that phone call and I solidified two friendships.

Make acts of consideration and kindness part of your life. I have found that when I am having a bad day if I can do a favor for someone, cheer someone else up, or bestow a random act of kindness it makes me feel better. What can you do to help someone in your network with health, wealth or family issues? If you think about that question whenever you meet someone new or the next time you talk to a colleague you may find there are some great opportunities for you to help someone with an issue of great importance to him or her. Make this a way of life and great things are sure to happen for you.

Oh, and don't forget to read Never Eat Alone...it's uplifting, insightful, and completely worth your  time.

To find out more about Keith Ferrazzi and his consulting firm Ferrazzi Greenlight go to www.ferrazzigreenlight.com

Be Authentic - Clyde Lowstuter Tip of the Day

Today I had a fascinating conversation with Clyde Lowstuter, President & CEO, of Robertson Lowstuter, a highly regarded executive development firm. Clyde is also the author of three books, one of which I am currently reading. So far the book, In Search of the Perfect Job, has been interesting and enlightening.  I plan to review the book on this blog at a later date.

Clyde and I had a great conversation during which Clyde shared a number of strategies that executives can use to develop a long and fulfilling career. As I started to review my notes about our conversation I realized that there is more information here than I can do justice to in just one blog. Therefore this is the first in a several part series to discuss some things that we all can do to improve our working relationships and our career prospects.

Clyde's Insight #1:

Authenticity is the single most important determinant of leadership and personal success.

Clyde defines an authentic person as, "an individual who is natural, open, straightforward, transparent, fully expressed while taking responsibility for the unintended impact on others".  Authentic people don't intentionally take advantage of others. Authentic people speak carefully and never strive to hurt other's feelings with their words or actions. An authentic person  understands that everyone intends to perform well and that there might be any number of reasons that a colleague or subordinate might be stalled or derailing in his/her career. 

Authentic leaders know that it is their responsibility to look beneath the surface of challenging situations. Authentic leaders can assess whether an employee possesses the technical skills and/or adaptive skills necessary to shift their performance, behavior, or attitude in such a way that they can become successful in their job.  In other words, authentic people are patient, kind, and willing to share and accept constructive feedback. 

Authentic leaders are not pushovers. They simply speak the truth and communicate diplomatically and effectively about what is working well organizationally and what needs improvement.  Telling the truth is about addressing performance in a constructive way that doesn't blame or label others as incompetent, lazy, or unintelligent.  Authentic communication enables individuals to identify strategies and pragmatic solutions.

When dealing with co-workers who may not meet your expectations it is critical to verify your assumptions about expectations and gain role clarity.  It can be helpful to ask penetrating questions in a non-threatening manner.  Such questions could include the following:

"Do you think we are working together as well as we could be?"

"What are your expectations?"

"What do you need from me to help you be even more successful?"

"May I share my expectations of your role and what I need from you?"

Such questions will enable you and your colleague to have a meaningful conversation that will hopefully lead to improved performance and/or an improved working relationship.

You have heard the saying, "You will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar". That saying is especially true in the workplace when you are developing a subordinate's performance, managing relationships with colleagues, or communicating with your boss.

Soon, I will highlight another of Clyde's tips for better performance...stay tuned for more great information!