I was teaching at a conference with a group of colleagues a few months ago on leadership. As I perused through the surveys I saw one comment that caught my eye (I am not sure why the negative comments always “catch our eye” but they do). This comment for some reason really got me thinking. The comment was, “This was OK but it was nothing new”.

My first reaction was to think, holy cow, should we have been presenting in a different manner, was our material not relevant, what can we do different? I let that settle in my mind for a while and did not share it with anyone else.

The more I thought about it, the more I wondered; does everything have to be “new”? I think most of our challenges are not from what we do not know, but rather, what we do not do with what we know.

After many years of leadership, training and coaching I realize being accountable and following through with the knowledge we have is the greatest challenge. If we are not careful we are always looking for the newest, latest and greatest trend in leadership and not even applying what we have already learned. The wisest man on earth once said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” If we believe that to be true then the challenge is not finding a new way to lead, but to apply what we have already learned. I think we have to guard against the desire to be stimulated with something new (or at least what we perceive as new) and practice executing what we already know. How many of us go to a conference, get several great ideas, maybe try one or two when we get back to the real world, put the conference binder on the shelf and go back to our routine?

I would love to hear what you think. Is taking on new information or a new way of saying/doing something more exciting than actually doing it? If so, how does a leader bring the two closer together?

In our August 2009 newsletter (http://www.msbcoach.com/Articles.php) we addressed passion and leadership. I hope you took the time to answer the questions addressed. If you did not, here they are again:

• What am I passionate about?
• Where did I begin to lose my passion?
• Did I compromise and if so where?
• What can I do to get my passion back?
• What is the price and am I willing to pay that price?

Passion is an important part of life and is especially important in the lives of leaders; however if we are not careful our passions can be dangerous. Have you ever heard the statement, “Crimes of Passion?”

When passion is unbridled, it can become an obsession. With passion, we drive ourselves. Passion attracts others to us. An obsession, on the other hand, controls us. Leaders who are obsessed are not passionate; they are controlled and become slaves to their own compulsions thus affecting those around them.

If you lead people out of fear or control, you are working from an obsession. If you think you have passion yet look behind you and see that no one if following, you may be leading out of obsession. Obsession kills you and your team. Passion inspires you and those around you. If you find yourself in the realm of obsession rather than passion, take these steps to restore your balance:

Evaluate your obsession.

What is the root source of the obsession?

Is your obsession for personal gain or control?

List three steps you can take each day to rechannel your obsession into a passion people can follow.

Find a trusted accountability partner to hold you to these three steps.

Passion is magical. You must have it to lead. Chuck Gallozi (http://www.personal-development.com/chuck) in his article titled “Developing Passion” gave 12 steps to deepen and develop you passion. They are as follows:

1. Take responsibility. The only bad hand you have been dealt in life was dealt by you. From today, “Don’t do things half-assed,” says Hugh Young, “If a thing is worth doing at all, it’s worth doing as well as you can possibly do it. Pick out something you think is worthwhile and do it or work at it with passion. Do it with all your might.”

2. You find what you look for. Instead of looking for the bad in your job or situation, look for the good. Look for the opportunities. Search for the solutions. Look for the way.

3. Make a plan. Once you’ve found some opportunities and solutions, make a plan of action. What should you avoid doing and what should you start doing now?

4. Make a decision. Now that you have a plan, decide to act on it. Set deadlines and start following your new road map to success. Enjoy the ride.

5. Stoke the fire of passion. To keep passion’s fire burning brightly, review the day’s events in the evening. Monitor your progress. Relish your achievements and learn from your mistakes.

6. Don’t douse the flames. You want to ignite your life with passion, but be careful of burnout. Work hard, but schedule breaks, leisure, entertainment, and family time. Don’t forget to reward yourself occasionally.

7. Recharge your batteries. Make time for the gym, sports, long walks, or meditation to relieve stress, refresh you spirit, and renew your energy.

8. “Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music – the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.” (Henry Miller)

9. Take brief “awareness breaks” throughout the day to remind yourself of the joy of being alive.

10. Avoid negative people and associate with enthusiastic people.

11. Share your zest for life with others. Brighten up their day. Their warm response will reinforce your passion.

12. Take “vitamins for the mind.” That is read or listen to motivational material to keep the flames burning.

© Chuck Gallozzi

At MSBCoach, we are passionate out leadership development, coaching and building high performance teams. If you would like to talk to us about opportunities to partner with MSBCoach please contact us at: info@msbcoach.com, 804-502-4319 or visit our sites:

www.msbcoach.com or www.emergingleader.info.

We hope to hear from you!

It is an interesting and a false understanding that people leave their jobs for money. In fact, people are motivated by their passions and not money. People will spend all kinds of money on their passions. If you don’t believe me, look at people’s hobbies and recreational spending. One thing is for sure, money follows passion, and passion does not follow money. If you can tap into your people’s passions, you will find them making money for you and themselves.

Here are a few questions you can use to help you tap into people’s passion:
1. Are your employees in the right job position?
2. Do they need extra training, feedback and/or coaching?
3. Is there an opportunity for advancement or continued learning?
4. Do they feel unappreciated, devalued, or are their opinions respected?
5. Do they have poor work/life balance, and do they trust their leadership?
6. Is stress a factor (stress can sometimes stunt creativity and passion) involved?
I encourage you to meet with your team and find out what they think needs to be done. Get them involved with the recovery plan. People buy into what they create, so let them help to create the solution.

by Liisa Pursiheimo-Marcks

When you are setting a long term career vision for yourself, you first need to determine if you really want to manage people. Working through people is exhilarating for some, dreadful for others. You have to love this aspect of your work to be truly successful on the management ladder. Otherwise, you may want to choose an expert ladder, which may be more rewarding for those who aspire for high achievement in their area of expertise.

There are critical milestones of development as you climb the management ladder. The ladder starts from informal team leader position to managing direct reports. The next step is a functional leadership position leading managers of managers, leading to a group or business leader who oversees multiple functions and P&L. Few will reach the level of enterprise leader whose role is to manage investor and shareholder relations in addition to the company direction. In each milestone, the expected competencies and focus of the role change. In small businesses, these boundaries get blurred.

You may not realize that the ladder starts before you even have direct reports. Team leadership without direct authority over the team members is a great primer for future leaders. As an informal team leader, you learn the basics of goal setting, providing direction and holding people accountable without position power. If you can be successful in this role, there is a lot of promise for a formal management role.

Managers of teams tend to earn their credibility based on their technical and functional expertise. You need to understand the overall business, and manage to budget. As you progress to a functional leader level, the focus turns to processes and best practices. Here, interrelations with other functions start weighing more, and deep understanding of how your function can contribute to business results is required. You may even get P&L responsibility, depending on which function you oversee. At group/business leader level, business acumen is critical, and you must develop a good overall understanding of all the functions, as they now all report to you.

The people management side evolves as well. When you manage a team of direct reports, you will be more hands-on. You will be setting goals, communicating expectations, giving frequent informal feedback, coaching and showing how to do new tasks. As a manager of managers, you will still do this with your direct staff, but probably less hands-on. Instead, you will use teachable moments for coaching, and expect your staff to use sound performance management practices with their teams. Your focus shifts to providing direction, securing resources, removing obstacles and celebrating successes. Climbing higher to a business leader position, you now start thinking longer term about the talent in your business. Your focus should be instilling a high performance culture and the core values throughout the company. You must ensure consistent talent management processes to bring in and retain the best talent. With your staff, you start thinking about succession planning and stretch assignments.

As you ascend the ladder, you must also realize that you become an increasingly visible role model for your employees, and eventually to the external community. Everything you say or do will be perceived by the workforce and society as a reflection of the values of your organization. Part of the learning process for the leader is to embrace this responsibility.

The first step is to set the goal; the next is to start planning a way to get there. How will you accumulate experience through assignments and projects, coaching, mentoring and training to achieve the necessary skills that will earn you enough credibility to jump to the next milestone on your ladder?
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Copyright 2010 Liisa Pursiheimo-Marcks, all rights reserved.

With fifteen years of experience in international business, training and organizational development, Liisa Pursiheimo-Marcks, the principal of Forte Consulting www.forteconsulting.biz , is passionate about creating sustainable change in behaviors, skills and performance. Liisa has led numerous organizational change initiatives and was in charge of the succession planning and professional development of a Global Sales and Marketing function of over 1000 employees worldwide.

Liisa Pursiheimo-Marcks, SPHR

Liisa Pursiheimo-Marcks’ passion is to drive sustainable change through building capabilities and establishing new behaviors. As a Talent Management and Performance Consultant, Liisa has worked in a variety of industries on talent and change management, execution of large scale training programs and developing and monitoring learning analytics.

Liisa is a skilled facilitator who engages her audience by storytelling and encouraging open discussion and interaction. She is a certified facilitator by Development Dimensions International (DDI) who has delivered multiple training sessions to all levels of leaders.

Liisa has facilitated team meetings and management meetings, such as strategic planning sessions, quarterly product portfolio reviews and change initiative kick off meetings. She works closely with the client to design and deliver a meeting that fits the purpose. She is especially skilled at helping teams see and articulate their vision in an actionable way.

Liisa has extensive experience in helping sales and marketing organizations improve productivity, grow revenue and increase profitability through skill building and process improvement. With her change leadership, Freescale Semiconductor introduced a new solution selling methodology to its global sales force which led to an 8% increase in design wins. She also built product definition skills of its marketing community. Liisa implemented a customer loyalty workshop for over 500 senior leaders, which contributed to a 50% improvement in the customer loyalty scores. She managed the succession planning for the global sales and marketing organization of over 1000 employees, and was in the key task force to re-engineer the performance management process and system for the corporation. Over the years, Liisa has built training curricula and annual training plans for various functional groups’ needs.

Liisa has a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration, with special emphasis on International Marketing. She is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Having led global teams and lived on four continents, Liisa provides deep insight on navigating national and organizational cultures. She speaks English, Finnish and Spanish, plus some Swedish and German. Liisa has continued education in consulting, learning analytics, consultative selling and organization design. Liisa is a member of Austin Human Resources Management Association, Society of Human Resources Management, Austin Society of Training and Development, and American Society of Training and Development.

You may contact Liisa at (512) 484-8263 or liisa@forteconsulting.biz.
For Liisa’s blog on talent and performance, go to www.forteconsulting.wordpress.com .
To follow her adventures on Facebook, check www.fbook.me/forteconsulting .

1. Steer clear from annual reviews, they don’t work. Historically they bring too much anxiety and take up too much valuable time. There is also too much time between reviews to measure progress or work on developing anything.
2. Do monthly or quarterly reviews depending on the size of your staff.
3. Have each team member set quarterly goals that are smaller and easily evaluated and are attainable.
4. Have team members complete their own review and bring it to the meeting. The leader will then assess the review, giving their thoughts and feedback to how to reach their goals and steer the team member towards helping the company reach it’s goals.
5. Use behavioral tools (assessments) such as EQ and DISC or Emergenetics to help you connect with your team member. Strength Finder is good too.
6. Ask team members what motivates them. Help each team member to discover their own flow and internal motivations so their work is inspiring and not drudgery.

In my experience as a coach to emerging leaders from this generation and as a parent of a Millennial, there are challenges and strengths just like any other group.  We see in this generation a creative ability to multi-task and use technology to get things done more efficiently.  They tend to see everyone as being on the same playing field.  Organizations should be flat and everyone has the right to speak and to be taken seriously and judged on their merits, not on status or position.  The challenge is that the greatest strength can become the greatest weakness.  We know that multi-tasking can actually create an inability to focus and more mistakes in the long-run.  We know everything cannot be solved via text or email, that human interaction, soft skills, the ability to read and express proper body language is imperative to business success.  We also know that even in a flat organization a leader will rise even without a title.  So I think as with any generation, this generation brings amazing skills to the table.  They will also have the challenge of the school of hard knocks, which all of us will agree is a powerful teacher.

I will share a story with you.  I have always believed in everyone pulling their weight whether in a business or a family.  When my son was 16, I was having a difficult time getting him to keep the yard up.  I was a full time, single working mom (not to mention he needed to do this anyway to be responsible) and needed his help.  I was so frustrated with “nagging”.  I then began to think a little more, How can I motivate this kid, what inspires him?  Well, he likes to be in control, he wants to make his own decisions, he likes positive feedback and he likes to spend money.  I made him the yard director for the summer, gave him a budget and told him to spend it however he chose but the outcome was to be a great looking yard.  This feed all his needs.  I could not believe the pride he took in our yard.  What this means is that if you are leading a Millennial, you are going to have to think deeper than “just do this because I said so”.  “That dog don’t hunt!”  I don’t know if this is any different than it was with any other generational cohort.  The difference is this cohort is not afraid to ask why.  They want to attach meaning to their work – purpose.  Truth is, there is nothing wrong with that.  Everyone does not get the trophy at work but you can build a relationship (which is very important to Millennials) and mentor them to greatness.  This may be the next great generation.  Our ceiling should be their floor!  I think they can make amazing entrepreneurs.  They have funding money, technology, relationship support but they need to develop their interpersonal, leadership development and long term thinking skills and they can create success.  I believe all funding organizations should require a year of leadership/business coaching to be included in their funding to help ensure their success rather than handing over money from a good business plan to make better widgets.

This is a question entire books are written on. I believe the major reason new managers fail is due to lack of training. New managers go into a position with “sugar plums dancing in their heads” and wide-eyed wonder of how fantastic it is to be a leader. It is wonderful to be a leader, but it is also a challenge.

We have to look at why people get promoted to leadership. It is usually because they were great individual performers. We then take them out of the role in which they have: excelled, built identity, and earned autonomy. We then we put them in a role where they are the “new kid on the block”, have not managed people before, and are trying to figure out who they are in this new realm. That seems to be a recipe for disaster and yet it happens every day. Instead of being responsible for themselves and for personal results, they are now responsible for a team of people, motivating and managing different personalities, and let’s not forget still having someone above them telling them what to do.

I think there are a several challenges that a new leader faces in this new opportunity. I will list them below with a few suggestions as to why this happens:

1. Micromanaging – there are several reasons for this. The first was discussed above. New managers often know how to do the technical aspects of the job well so they continue to go back to that by default because they have not been trained to manage people.
New managers often think they can do it better than their team. This may be true and why got promoted in the first place, they need to realize it is not about being “the best” as an individual performer, it is about inspiring and training the team to be the best. A high-performance team will reflect better on them in their new role as a manager in the long-run.
Another reason for micromanagement is they want to look good in their new role so they are afraid to let someone else do it when they know how well they can perform – again this may be true but they have to understand they are now training people to be as good as they are, even better! The new manager has to work on trusting their people – it is amazing what a new manager’s team will accomplish when they feel valued and trusted. My advice to new managers who are micromanaging is, let it go – give your team some margin for error, the opportunity to learn and then coach them to improvement.
2. Insecurity – a new manager is going to feel insecure in their new role initially, even if they never tell anyone. It is normal to feel this way anytime we do something new. This can be another factor in micromanaging. A new manager needs to give themselves some time to develop and grow. I highly recommend a mentor or coach to partner with you in this new journey.
3. They don’t know what else to do – New managers are often only comfortable performing the task rather than managing the task because they have not been trained what the role of the manager is – try delegating – ask your team members what they want to do, observe what they are good at. Your job is to manage them to their own greatness.
4. Need to be in control – this is usually tied into insecurity or fear. A leader does not need to control others to be in control.
5. A need for things to be perfect – people cannot grow under this pressure. New managers should learn to strive and train for excellence but remember where they started. Train, mentor, and partner people up for better performance.
6. Not running effective meetings – again this goes back to the lack of new manager training. If there is nothing to talk about, there is no need for a meeting just to “have it”. Meetings should have purpose, a schedule, an opportunity to connect and people should leave with a feeling of accomplishment. Meetings do not have to take a long time. Time does not equate importance.
7. Thinking that because they are the “boss” they have all the answers – This is a misconception that can be due to past experience with managers who thought they knew everything or from the misconception that as the boss they have to know everything. New managers need to recognize that they are not going to have all the answers and that is OK, normal and the way it is suppose to be – this is why they have a team!
8. Trying to be everyone’s buddy – this often happens when a new manager is promoted from within. They are not sure how to make the shift and do not know how to lead and still be connected. They may be afraid of being seen a “bossy” or just taking over and telling everyone what to do. They want to be liked… that is the way it was before… new leaders may not know how to transition into the realm of leadership. A new leader has to recognize that things are different now. When they have “buddies” on the team, the rest of the team will assume favorites even if they are not playing favorites. It’s better to keep the “buddy” friendships and “private jokes” about the night before out of the office.
9. Avoid the “maverick” syndrome – whether hired from the outside or promoted from within, coming in as a “maverick” with all the answers or going to show this place “how it is done” does not usually work. It is better to get to know the culture and the people, earn respect and then begin to make changes. This will play in their favor in the long run.
10. Not understanding the importance of managing up – Managing up is a skill that takes time to develop; however, when done properly can really help a new manager learn and excel. The foundation of managing up is relationship building and strong emotional intelligence
11. Not self-aware enough to know how they want to lead or be known – it is important for a new leader to process through how they want to lead, what do they want to be known for, what their personal/professional values are, and how are they reflected in their leadership style. This takes time and self-reflection for any leader including the new manager.
12. Inability to balance new responsibilities with the rest of their life – going back to self-awareness, what do they value? What do they want their life to look like? Set a plan of action according to that – and don’t expect everyone on the team to have the same priorities or work-life balance.
13. Managing everyone the same way – people are different, they are motivated differently, and respond differently in situations. New managers should get to know individuals on their team and manage them the way that they will be most successful for them individually.
14. Being a suck up – this never works, the best idea is to learn how to manage up, not suck up.
15. Not valuing the importance of a safe network of support – a support team is important to bounce ideas off of, share frustrations with and concerns – self-aware leaders know that as humans we need support. All leaders need that support to give feedback, encourage and hold accountable to your own value system.
16. Having favorites – see the notes above on “buddies” at work. People know when you have favorites and will not be able to be loyal and dedicated if they know you have “favorites.”
17. Relying on or hiding behind email – some situations require personal contact, especially if something can be misunderstood and/or if conflict is involved. If an email has gone back and forth more than 3 times, it is time to pick up the phone or set a meeting. If it can cause or has the potential to cause conflict, have the conversation in person, body language and non-verbal messages are important for a leader to read and they cannot do this over email.
18. Not showing respect for people that have been there a long time – new managers should listen to the feedback of those with seniority, even if they disagree. They will be surprised what they may learn. New managers should find a way to create win-win scenarios and always show respect. “If you want it you have to give it.”

I think many of the hurdles that new managers face can be overcome from having a coach and or mentor to work with – this coupled with good leadership training workshops will help to bring success. We should not fail to recognize the value of “the school of hard knocks”.

I have found as a former executive and now executive coach the following steps help to keep executives at the top of their game:

Re-discovering authenticity through the following steps:

• Re-visit why you do what you do
• Are you still passionate – if so, about what, if not, what needs to be done
• What are your intrinsic and extrinsic motivations
• Who really knows you and you have given permission to speak into your life
• Are you taking care of your self holistically, body, soul and spirit – what does this look like for you
• Where to you give back and expect nothing in return
• What are your own personal values – does everything you are currently doing line up with this
• How and why do you invest in others
• What are you doing to develop future leaders
• What is your leadership legacy

I have personally found there are many executives still investing in personal and organizational leadership.  I believe leaders who have a vision for the future see leadership development as a necessity, not an option.  I have even seen many come to the realization, I need to invest in the leaders I have left now more that ever.  There is a lot of reorganization and restructuring going on.  This is a perfect time to invest in yourself and your team of leaders.

We are offering the first annual Authentic Leadership Summit 2010, Oct. 14 – 15.  We have strategically focused on “authenticity” and keeping the price low so executives from many different organizations can benefit.  Check it out at:  www.authenticleadershipsummit.com.  Below are some excellent comments to this question from three of our conference speakers:

“Executives are at their best when they are able to fully claim their role as leaders through leveraging their strengths, identifying self-defeating behaviors, and truly knowing themselves.”

“Learning resilience is the most important skill for executives in this economy.  When leaders are resilient they are able to carry their vision forward even in the hardest of times and inspire others to follow.”

Michelle Prosser, President – Energy Focus

“The educational needs of executives has changed a great deal since the economy imploded. There is a greater need to be with your peers to both network and learn. The extraordinary circumstances we face as executives today carry a heavy leadership burden. We need to be connected with other executives to help us understand that we are not alone in these tough times. The best source of education right now is to hear what my peers are doing to address the common challenges we face.”

David R. Phillips, CAE, RCE  Chief Executive Officer

“Because of the costs associated with travel, room and board, I believe that it makes more imminent the need for “digital” or online learning. I learned recently from a local company of a solution that would readily allow for virtual classrooms. People from all over the country perhaps even the world could share a classroom experience from their home locations.”

Bill Cooper, UVA Director of Diversity

It is amazing how many books have been written on leadership. I bet I own most of them! I love to read about leadership, however, one of the things I have realized is that if I am not careful, I am trying to act out everything I am reading. I am grateful for inspiring books and role models to look up to, but the truth for all of us is that we have to know ourselves and create our own personal leadership style.

I once heard a quote that has stuck with me, “All of us are born originals, but most of us will die carbon copies”. I want to be a leader who is authentic to myself and those I lead. I love this definition of cookie-cutter from wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn, “having the same appearance, as if mass-produced”.

I don’t think any of us want to live up to that definition as a leader. I encourage you to review who you are as a leader. It is important to allow others to shape and influence you, but it is more important that you know how to apply that to who you are and who you are not.

An authentic leader is not a cookie-cutter leader, no matter how good the cook-cutter is. An authentic leader knows their personal values, where those values came from and how they apply them in their leadership. You are the only one who can determine this. No one can decide it for you. You are the only you and you are not a cookie-cutter! Each of us are one of a kind, no one else has your story.

What do you think about cookie-cutter leadership? How do you stay above the line to be authentic?