Leadership Autopilot
Michelle Braden, CEO MSBCoach
It is interesting the lessons we can learn in our day to day activities if we are watching for them. Last month, I had one of these learning opportunities.
Three years ago I moved to a new city. It was not until four weeks ago I realized that I don’t know my way around my city very well. The reason is simple and a little embarrassing. It is all due to my good friend named Garmin. For directionally challenged people (such as me) Garmin is a lifesaver; however, it can also create great challenges: mentally checking out while you are driving for one. You’re driving along and Garmin says, “turn right here,” then “turn left there,” and before you know it… “arriving at destination”. You have no idea where you even are or how you go there, but voila!, Garmin says, ”you have arrived”.
Read the full blog post at http://leadchangegroup.com/leadership-autopilot/
Is There A Downside To 360s?
JoAnn Auger, MSBCoach Executive Coach and Facilitator
As an Executive Coach and Leadership Development Advisor, one of the tools that I use and that is often requested by leaders is a 360. I believe a 360 survey can provide good information for a leader who is trying to gauge his/her leadership style and impact on others. I do have my concerns and reservations about using the 360 as a routine assessment or feedback tool.
Before I recommend and/or agree that a 360 is an appropriate tool, I try to assess what is prompting the request. What kind of feedback is desired? Who is requesting the 360? Are all the stakeholders on board? Will the 360 support and achieve the desired outcomes? Here are some things that should be considered:
1. Does the culture/environment that surrounds the leader support this kind of assessment/feedback? Is this a culture that gives and receives feedback as part of routine development? In other words, is this a culture norm? Have people received training in the art of giving and receiving feedback?
2. In assessing the reason for the 360, I want to ensure that the tool isn’t being used to “get a message across”. There are instances where the 360 is used as a substitute for having needed tough conversations. Is there an avoidance of confrontation? If so, let’s address that first.
3. What is the leader looking for in the feedback? Does the 360 ask the appropriate questions to get the desired information? Is the leader trying to build a case for a personal agenda or “stacking the deck” in their favor? Are they willing to seek feedback from folks that may not have the best view of that leader? Are they willing to seek information in relationships that may be strained?
4. How will the feedback be used? It is important for the leader and respondents to believe that feedback is treated as well-intentioned information to support the growth of the leader. Backlash from asking and/or giving feedback will nullify any potential growth or change.
5. Will there be accountability for using the feedback? Sometimes leaders want to discount what they have “heard” from respondents, so I encourage leaders to take responsibility for the feedback. To build a culture of giving and receiving feedback, the participants in the process need to be able to point to a specific action that states, “I heard you and I’m acting on it.” A way to achieve accountability is through debriefing with a coach/consultant to have objective insight and devise a plan.
The 360 can be a great tool if used correctly. It also can be rendered useless and damaging when used to avoid a needed leadership conversation, to build a personal agenda, and/or as a form of retaliation. So when considering the 360 tool, make sure that it is the right tool for the right reasons.
JoAnn Auger
Executive Coach and Trainer, MSBCoach
JoAnn Auger serves as a coach/consultant/educator with MSBCoach. JoAnn’s experience was developed through for the largest auto insurer in the US. JoAnn incorporates more than 30 years of business and personal experience to help organizations and individuals identify and close gaps in performance and needed results. She does that by helping leaders maximize their own potential and then teaches that leader how to tap into and leverage the potential of their employees.
JoAnn is certified and trained in the following areas:
- Myers Briggs Type Indicator(MBTI)
- Human Performance Improvement(HPI)
- Coaching Core Essentials Program(CEP) and Essential
- Conversations for Developing Others(Corporate Coach)
- Essential Facilitation
- Criterion-Reference Instructional Design(CRI)
- DiSC
- FIRO-B
Meeting All Brains
Michelle Braden, President MSBCoach
www.msbcoach.com
I remember early in my leadership career, I hated meetings. I had to attend so many of them that I could hardly get my job done. I remember thinking, “what a wasteful use of everyone’s time and the company’s money”.
One of the many reasons the meetings were so dreadful was because they (more often than not) lasted way to long and whoever was leading them only spoke one language… “theirs”. When you are a leader, it is valuable to know your own language (this is self-awareness), but you also need to know how to speak the language of others. Each brain (person) is unique in the way they think, and behave, even how people gain or lose energy is different. At MSBCoach we primarily use a tool called Emergenetics Human Behavior Assessment to help leaders learn this important information. Emergenetics is a brain/science based tool to help individuals better understand how their brain works, what gives them energy and what drains their energy. It also helps them understand the brains (thinking, behaviors and energy patterns) of others. This is important if you want to be an effective leader and lead meaningful (not wasteful or boring) meetings that engage every brain.
We do not all think or behave alike. This is not rocket science to you I am sure, yet it is amazing how many leaders lead their people and run their meetings all the same way. Running effective meetings is brain science and Emergenetics can help leaders to be successful. Unfortunately, most leaders don’t understand the science behind effective meetings and and they do what they know as the “best way”… which is the way “they” prefer to think and behave. This may be effective with people who are just like them, but, the opposite happens with people who have different preferences from them. Take for example, Erica is the boss, and is structural/left brained. Her meetings always start and end on time, they are by the book, expected and predictable. People always know what to expect. But what happens when Steven who is social/right brained wants some time to connect with people and he never gets it? or Tom who is analytical/left brained and wants to discuss the research and data but tends to get shut down because his topic is not on the agenda? Anthony who is conceptual/right brained and wants to share his ideas and possibilities for the future, and he is told to, “focus”. What happens is brain science, these team members disengage and Erica with the best of intentions has lost them, and is not leading effective meetings with her team.
Emergenetics divides the brain into four thinking preferences and three behavioral preferences:
Thinking Preferences:
Green – structural – prefer consistency, procedures, tradition, practical, predictable, learns by doing
Blue – Analytical – prefer credible data, logical, clear thinker, rational, learns by analysis
Yellow – Conceptual – prefer ideas, brainstorming, imaginative, visionary, learns by doing
Red – Social – prefer people, connecting, working together, socially aware, empathetic, learns from people
Behavioral Preferences:
Expressive – may prefer to get energy from being quiet, alone or in small groups or the other end of the spectrum prefer getting energy from being a gregarious and a performer
Assertive – may prefer to get their energy from being quiet, maintaining peaceful energy or the other end of the spectrum and prefer to get their energy from driving hard and fast to get things done
Flexible – may prefer to get their energy through sticking to decisions once they are made or may prefer to get their energy to being open to what others want
The thing to remember as a leader is that there is not a right or wrong, it is just different. Each one of the behavioral and thinking preferences brings strength to the team.
Here are four tips to help leaders bring brain science into their meetings and make them more effective:
- Be self-aware of your own thinking and behavioral preferences when leading meetings – you will have a bias to lead out of them because they are familiar and comfortable to you
- Recognize there are several other combinations of thinking and behavioral preferences and their preferences need to be met in order to keep good energy, ideas, information, structure and connection in the meeting room and to the team
- Leveraging and valuing all seven of the preferences will greatly benefit you and the team
- Be sure your meetings tap into all seven aspects of the brain:
- Have an agenda and send it out in advance
- Be sure to include time for the following:
- People to connect
- Sharing of ideas
- Giving credible research and being practical
- Pace the meetings so they are not too fast, nor to slow
- Be sure to have energy with expression but not over the top
- Be open to new possibilities and ideas even if a decision has been made
If you put these tips into practice, I guarantee you more effective meetings. Do you have any effective meeting tips you have discovered that work? If so, please share them with us, we would like to learn from you.
If you would like to learn more about Emergenetics for yourself personally or for your team, please contact us at info@msbcoach.com or give us a call at 804-502-4319.
Michelle Braden
Michelle Braden is the CEO of MSBCoach, an ICF certified business. Through her leadership MSBCoach partners with leaders and their organizations to identify challenges that are holding them back and create a plan of action to reach potential they did not think was possible. Michelle is the founder of The Emerging Executive Leadership Program and The Authentic Leadership Summit.
For over 18 years, Michelle has coached and trained teams, leaders, executives and business owners. She has worked with notables from Morgan Keegan, Capital One, UVA, General Dynamics, LexisNexis, and The City of Charolttesville, just to name a few. Michelle has taught elementary school, juvenile rehab and worked in school administration. In Michelle’s first year teaching she received the Teacher of Excellence Award in Bedford, PA. Michelle has also served leadership, coaching and training for corporations such as Robert Half International, Retirement Unlimited Incorporated as well as written two training manuals for The Church of God International. Michelle is a certified coach and received her Advanced Human Behavior Certification and her Wellness coaching certification from Leadership Institute of America. Michelle is an advance certified associate of Emergenetics International.
Do Leaders Have Needs
By Joe Ruff
In my first real job, I worked with children who had physical limitations, intellectual challenges or both. Even though classes were small and led by four dedicated teachers (not to mention intermittent help from occupational, physical and speech therapists), we were unable to meet all the children’s needs. Especially the need to be held, loved and talked to.
Within walking distance of the children’s center was a nursing home. Even today, I view the elderly as greatly neglected and underutilized by society. They often possess great knowledge and wisdom not to mention the need to hold, love and be heard.
I’m sure you already see where I am going. We took “our” children to the nursing home. It was a powerful experience; one that I still remember more than thirty years later. Watching so many needs being met was exciting and brought tears to my eyes. Perhaps because of that experience, I continue seeking ways that people can help one another meet their own and others’ needs.
Do leaders have needs?
RHR International, a consulting company specializing in management psychology, recently polled 83 heads of publicly traded companies. They reported two interesting statistics. One is that approximately half of the leaders admitted to feeling significant pressure to more quickly deliver better financial results. Fifty percent also stated that their jobs contribute to a sense of isolation.
Perhaps you have a similar reaction to mine. Which is, “Boy, if the people who are responsible for running the show, setting strategy, picking up the pace, delivering improved results, navigating change and leading through the constantly shifting economic environment – if these people are feeling isolated – they (and perhaps all of us) are in trouble. Successful solutions to these issues will require exactly the opposite of isolation.
I would like to propose that leaders attempt the following:
- Do whatever it takes to connect with the people where you work. Make the extra effort (perhaps even over compensate) for the tendency to feel and even be secluded or isolated. As simple as it sounds, walk around and talk with your employees. Perhaps even ask what they are seeing and thinking about the business.
- Overcome any thoughts you have that because you are in charge that you have to know everything. This is certainly not possible in today’s world (if it ever were).
- Reach out to other leaders (within and outside your company). Form a support group. Harvard Business School professor Robert Kaplan says “It’s when you are isolated that you make poor decisions. If I’ve got nobody to talk to and am under a lot of pressure and I have to make a tough decision … I am probably more likely to make a poor one.”
You don’t have to do this alone. Look for those who can help you as well as individuals you can help. They may be the same people.
About Joe Ruff
Executive Coach, MSBCoach
Joe Ruff is a teacher, coach and performance improvement specialist. Joe sincerely believes in and advocates for life-long learning. He has been employed by both academia and the business world and aside from the United States, has lived and worked in Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Joe has a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Communications from Rochester Institute of Technology and master’s degrees in Instructional Design and Linguistics from and Indiana University.
To demonstrate his commitment to life-long learning, at the age of 49, Joe returned to school and completed a master’s in Educational Administration from Harvard University. Joe was employed by Arthur Andersen and a clinical research organization. For the last five years, he has worked in the insurance industry where he coaches vice-presidents and managers. He has also coached faculty and students at several universities. Joe uses a variety of techniques he learned in graduate level psychology classes as well as business courses and certifications which include: Performance Management Basics, Human Performance Improvement and Essential Facilitation.
Can you keep a secret?
Based on Gallup Poll findings, 24 percent of New Year’s Resolutions are broken in the very first week. And 53 percent are broken within six months! By year’s end, 92 percent are broken. So how are you doing with your resolutions? Or, have you adopted the “I’m not making any resolutions” response?
I have a suggestion: Make those resolutions, but keep them a secret! Why do that? I recently watched a video on TED talks by Derek Sivers, stating that research shows if we share our goals/resolutions with someone, we are less likely to accomplish them than if we had just kept them to ourselves. Psychologists call this phenomenon a “social reality” that kinda tricks our brain into thinking that we have already accomplished something. The act of sharing and people responding positively gives the similar kind of pleasure that we receive from actually achieving our goals. Therefore, we state the goal, get a positive response and we feel good about ourselves – which translates to a feeling of accomplishment. What’s missing? The actual doing. Another year goes by and we’ve failed at achieving our goals. What will help us move from just sharing to the doing? Handwrite the goals and the needed steps (for your eyes only) and review them daily. Spend 15 minutes each day working on the next step. At the end of each week ask yourself these questions:
· What did I accomplish this week toward my goal?
· What got in my way?
· What am I doing right?
· What do I need to do differently?
Make any necessary adjustments and repeat the process.
Can I make another suggestion about your resolutions? Since most leaders want to be better leaders, here are a couple of goals that you may want to consider:
· Commit to your personal development. Find a coach who will challenge you. Read one article a week about leadership. Pick one competency you want to be stronger in, and work at it every day.
· Connect with those you lead on a deeper level. Make it a point to speak to them on a regular basis just to say hello. Find out what’s important to them. Send a handwritten note thanking them for a specific contribution. Smile more often.
And one last suggestion: Do not overcommit. You are also less likely to attain any of your goals if you create too many. Pick 3-4 goals. You can add more (no one is going to know) later if you need additional ones.
Ok, once you have committed yourself to the goals, do not tell anyone. It is your secret. Let me know what happens. I’m betting this will be your best year!
JoAnn Auger
Executive Coach and Trainer, MSBCoach
JoAnn Auger serves as a coach/consultant/educator with MSBCoach. JoAnn’s experience was developed through for the largest auto insurer in the US. JoAnn incorporates more than 30 years of business and personal experience to help organizations and individuals identify and close gaps in performance and needed results. She does that by helping leaders maximize their own potential and then teaches that leader how to tap into and leverage the potential of their employees.
JoAnn is certified and trained in the following areas:
- Myers Briggs Type Indicator(MBTI)
- Human Performance Improvement(HPI)
- Coaching Core Essentials Program(CEP) and Essential
- Conversations for Developing Others(Corporate Coach)
- Essential Facilitation
- Criterion-Reference Instructional Design(CRI)
- DiSC
- FIRO-B
Back to reality!
My wife and I are just back to reality after visiting my sister, her children, and her children’s children in Australia. It was the best vacation ever. My sister, the Energizer Bunny of Australia (or should I say Energizer Roo) kept us so busy that, in three weeks, we visited and saw what most people would need (and I’m not exaggerating much) a year to see; Sydney, Hervey Bay, Cairns and the ocean, forests, islands, great barrier reef, and on and on. We took nearly 1000 pictures (aren’t digital cameras great?) … c’mon over.
Now back to reality. In all that, I’m sure we encountered hundreds of small businesses. Land tours, sea tours, trains, cable cars and trams, dozens of shops, diving tours, restaurants, entertainment, and on and on. A lot of people run successful small businesses and many are successful … I’ll bet you’ve thought of it, if you’re not running a small business already. Well, watch out … it can be a wonderful and fulfilling life … it can be something you regret forever.
What makes the difference? If you’re starting a small business so you can “work for yourself,” be careful! Many with a passion for fixing computers, repairing cars, baking pies and go into business for themselves find that they have “an idiot for a boss” (read about Sarah in Michael Gerber’s “The E-Myth Revisited”). Most small businesses fail within just a few years and those who start for the wrong reasons are almost sure to fail. The difference is that running a business, is not running a job (fixing computers, baking pies). It is much, much more.
More to come. Please join us next week at the Charlottesville Authentic Leadership Summit. We’ll expand on this theme and provide some very practical advice. There are “must dos” for every business, big or small, to have a chance at success.
by Kenneth Karr Executive Coach and Trainer
Ken Karr is Director, Nuclear Performance Improvement, Dominion Resources Services, Inc., leading initiatives to improve practices in nuclear electrical generation. He is a coach, mentor, advisor and leadership development facilitator. He has also served with Virginia Power, Carolina Power & Light, Commonwealth Edison and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). He was President of consulting firm KRK Inc. and Vice President of the Advanced Reactor Corporation. His work with utility CEO’s, Senior Executives, and Plant Management also included plant evaluations and advanced nuclear plant development. Ken served in the US Navy as Captain of two nuclear submarines and as the Senior Member of the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board, U. S. Atlantic Fleet. Ken received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Engineering (Chemical) from the James Breckenridge Speed Scientific School, University of Louisville, M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering and M.S. degree in Oceanography from the University of Washington.
Three Aspects Of Great Leadership
By Johanna Rude, Intern, MSBCoach
As an intern with MSBCoach, I was tasked with writing an article, “What Makes A Great Leader” for our Fall Leading Edge Newsletter.
In order to find out the answer to this question, I thought it best to ask the leaders themselves. I chose to talk with leaders who have worked with MSBCoach. I had the pleasure of talking to three impressive leaders in our community: Charles “Chic” Thompson, the author of “What a great Idea!”, (a book translated into six languages and reprinted 21 times), Linda Coogle, President and COO of Clinical Care Options and Gary O’Connell, Executive Director of Albemarle County Service Authority.
After interviewing these three powerful leaders, I found a strong connection of values among them. For Chic Thompson those values are innovation, freedom and creativity; for Linda Coogle, those values are integrity, humility, knowledge and competence; and for Gary O’Connell it is trust, integrity and making a difference in the community. Being aware of your own values and fostering those values is a great strength when it comes to learning your path and understanding your motivation as a leader.
Another factor that emerged as important from my interview with these leaders is their inherited strengths that were developed from years of experience in their field as well as having an inspiring role model. Chic Thompson’s role model was Bill Gore, the founder of Gore-Tex who gave him his first creative job when he was only 20 years old. Thompson was given the challenge to generate new ideas each week.
Linda Coogle’s role model was her father, who was in the military and taught her the concepts of integrity, achievement and discipline. Gary O’Connell’s role model was his father’s best friend, who was also a city manager. Through this relationship, O’Connell was inspired and discovered his future life path in community leadership. Leaders find role models and mentors in order to better understand who they are and who they want to be. Role models show us the opportunities and challenges paired with the wisdom of years of experiences.
I asked Linda Coogle for the best advice she could give young people who aspire to be a great leader some day. Her answer was: “It is ok to fail.” The important thing is to fail, but learn from the experience. Learning about failure in theory is not nearly as effective. Without going through a difficult situation, there will not be growth.”
Another challenge a leader may find themselves in is needing to change the culture of their organization. Gary O’Connell has worked hard to build a leadership team that focuses on trust and a visionary perspective. O’Connell said this approach takes time, but is more sustainable in the long run. He has always been a visionary. When O’Connell was City Manager, he would walk the streets of Charlottesville and meet people at their houses to talk about their personal challenges and ambitions. I was inspired by this story – to find a new way to listen to people, discover their needs and gain their trust.
Linda Coogle makes it her responsibility to build a high performance team. She calls her people “rock stars”. Coogle understands that her responsibility is to have a team of leaders who achieve greatness. Coogle says, “It’s all about my team and when they shine, I have done my job”.
These interviews gave me three aspects of great leadership:
- Leaders don’t always have to be in the spotlight to achieve great successes. On the contrary, finding the right people to support you and push them to greatness is true success.
- If you are aspiring to be a great leader, it is crucial to find your path trough understanding your personal values, finding role models and empowering your people.
- Last but not least, failure is an important part of success and what you learn through failure will strengthen you to be a great leader.
Thank you to Linda, Chic and Gary for their insight. Be sure to check out our Winter Newsletter for more thoughts from other leaders. If you have thoughts or feedback on what it takes to be a great leader please share it with us… you may be my next interview!
How To Be More Purposeful In Your Leadership
Are leaders made or are leaders born? This is an ongoing question that often triggers interesting conversations and debate. One thing is for sure, leadership is a journey and something that is continuous process.
I personally believe leaders are “made” through learning, experiences, successes, failures and choices. You are not just “born” a leader, although personalities, temperaments, upbringing, and cultural norms all play a part in what makes you who you are.
For more from Michelle Braden’s article, click here.
The Joy of Teamwork
“All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten” says Robert Fulghum, author of the book by the same title. I find this to certainly be true in my life but it is also good to know that the learning continues.
I live in Charlottesville, VA and locally we have a summer camp for kids called “Spectrum”. The camp is sponsored by the Tandem Friends School and they have a hoot (kids and leaders)! Irish dancing, story telling, African drumming, acting, film making, singing, juggling, baking, fencing, organic food production, box city, and more! The tough part for the kids is choosing what to do … and the best part for parents (and grandparents) is the show they put on their last day. It is hard to believe that kids can team together in such a short time and put on such fantastic performances! You feel their joy radiating as they perform … and what a delight for those of us who get to watch.
I personally discovered a moral to being able to be a part of these activities. The campers spent two weeks together being highly productive in a wide variety of activities. They loved it and they want to do it again. Why? The answer is the enjoyment and fulfillment of working with their teams as well as the meaningful leadership. The leaders are very good at what they do and they coach the campers (teams) how to have fun learning new things. It was also enlightening to watch the leaders of each session light up with pride as their teams of campers performed … often, it seemed the results exceeded their own expectations.
Now think of your last two weeks at work. What is so different? Did you participate in a wide variety of activities, work with all kinds of people, learn/teach/coach with joy and enthusiasm, work as a team, produce meaningful results? If you did, I’ll bet you’re enjoying your work. If not, maybe it’s time to be a kid again and have some fun (and call it work).
Written by:
Ken Karr
Executive Coach and Trainer
Ken Karr is Director, Nuclear Performance Improvement, Dominion Resources Services, Inc., leading initiatives to improve practices in nuclear electrical generation. He is a coach, mentor, advisor and leadership development facilitator. He has also served with Virginia Power, Carolina Power & Light, Commonwealth Edison and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). He was President of consulting firm KRK Inc. and Vice President of the Advanced Reactor Corporation. His work with utility CEO’s, Senior Executives, and Plant Management also included plant evaluations and advanced nuclear plant development. Ken served in the US Navy as Captain of two nuclear submarines and as the Senior Member of the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board, U. S. Atlantic Fleet. Ken received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Engineering (Chemical) from the James Breckenridge Speed Scientific School, University of Louisville, M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering and M.S. degree in Oceanography from the University of Washington.
