Leading Through Times of Change

“There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few we can solve by ourselves.”

- Lyndon B. Johnson

When I look back on my earliest days as a leader, the times I felt the most isolated and overwhelmed were the times that I thought I had to have all of the answers. And, as it turned out, many of those answers were not as good as they could have been, had I engaged the people around me.

I know that I am not the only leader who has felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, so why do we do this to ourselves? Is it the fault of our hierarchical organizations--ones that put us in positions where we are automatically expected to be the absolute authority figure in our domain? Or is it our fear of losing stature among our people when we admit that we do not have the infallible solution?

We are expected to be an authority, but not an absolute authority. We must be gifted in some area, but not all areas, lest we become the “Jack of all trades, master of none.” You may be brilliant in developing technology, but not strategy. You may have a gift for selling, but not for hiring. That’s okay, because you’ve got the opportunity to wield the ultimate form of authority: sharing your power with others.

“Change” is one of those words that can inspire fear in any person. If “change” is merely the result of “problem-solving,” then why do we fear it? Because most of the problem-solving is done by someone else--we are left holding the bag, trying to implement a solution (that we don’t own) to a problem that we didn’t know was a problem in the first place. Most change feels forced, as we react to new structures and try to find a new comfort zone where our actions yield predictable results.

My challenge to you: make life easier for you and your team by engaging them in solving the team’s problems. It will be a freeing experience when you admit to yourself that you don’t have the solution. And it will be a freeing experience for your team when they are helping to shape the solutions that will eventually be tomorrow’s “change.”

Before engaging your team in this process, you will need to have answered these two questions:

1. “What is the most basic definition of the problem?”

You don’t want to get too detailed in this statement. In order to ensure that you’ve hit the core of the problem, state the problem as you see it (“We need to ______”) and then go a little deeper (“so that _________”). The second blank is the more basic form of the problem at hand.
Ex: “We need to reorganize our staff so that we can sell more services.” The question to pose to your team is not, “How do we reorganize our staff?” but rather, “How can we sell more services?” Reorganization might be one way to solve that problem, but not the most effective or efficient way.
Remember: the definition you come up with must be within the scope of your authority, so that you can ensure that you and your team will be focused on actions that are in your control.

2. “What must be the end result?”

Be as specific as possible here, quantifying as many aspects of the end result as you can. Your answer to this question will help your team know your expectations, prioritize possible solutions in terms of their likelihood of success, and measure their progress when implementing their solutions.

The solutions they come up with may not be perfect, and you may need to use some of that authority of yours to shift their course. This process is not easy, but it is a simple way to open communication, build trust, and break down the barriers between “us” and “them.”

Here’s to the people who make our loads a little lighter...Cheers!

Leading Champions

“Champions are pioneers, and pioneers get shot at. The companies that get the most from champions, therefore, are those that have rich support networks so their pioneers will flourish…No support systems, no champions. No champions, no innovations.”

- Jonathan Alter

Though Alter has no military experience, he makes an interesting and valid connection between champions in business and warriors on the battlefield: if you want people to be all that they can be, then you must shore them up with unflagging support. Champions and warriors alike take substantial risks--they “get shot at,” putting their reputations, ideas, and futures at stake so that they might achieve an important mission. And they willingly do so, knowing that they’ve been trained and equipped properly and that their families at home have all that they need.

The development of a leader is a continuous transition from doer to director, from focus on self to focus on others. Already a “champion,” the leader becomes a critical part of the “rich support network” for the champions he now serves.

But does every organization need champions? Not necessarily. If you are content with maintaining the status quo, with managing and not growing, then perhaps you have no need for someone who is willing to give everything they’ve got.

If, on the other hand, you are growing, changing, or innovating, champions can propel your organization to the next level. Can you easily identify the untapped champions in your midst?

Champions might be recognized by their
- Willingness to collaborate across boundaries. They will do what it takes to accomplish a mission, even if they have to stretch outside of their traditional pool of resources.
- Resistance to pure management or implementation. Management is the realm of maintainers; innovation is the realm of leaders. They may appear to be bored, perhaps even frustrated that they are being asked to operate at less than their full capacity.
- Readiness to tackle projects outside of their traditional scope. Always seeking a challenge and an opportunity to develop, they may be the ones that jump at the chance to meet an emerging need in the organization.
- “Pushing back” or challenging demeanor. They not only want to be the best at what they do, they want you and the organization to be the best, too.

Now that you’ve found them, what do you do with them? You will find the best answers to that question by asking them what kind of support they’re looking for. They may want help in defining a career path, making connections inside or outside of your organization, access to a mentor or coach, additional training, or more challenging assignments. While you don’t have to be the only source of support, you can help them by building a rich support network of resources.

Here’s to the pioneers that keep us on our toes...Cheers!