Author Archives: lotfi saibi

Lotfi Saibi has authored many white papers and articles in the areas of leadership, customer service, operations, and business development. Mr. Saibi’s vast management experience as a business owner, a consultant, VP sales, and more recently as CEO, coupled with his love to teach and mentor, has made him a very well respected leader among his peers, customers, and competitors.

Mr. Saibi’s management style only got better when he began coaching soccer over fifteen years ago-a career that ranged from youth soccer, to college, and eventually to the U. S. Soccer Olympic development Program. It was only natural that his passion to teach and mentor extended to his professional life in the areas of customer service, employee training, enterprise software sales training, asset management and mobile field services software, and financial services.

Prime Minister Ghannouchi insulted me!

January 22, 2011 – 11:52 pm

Long time RDC member, and Interim PM Mohamed Ghannouchi said yesterday on a television interview that he was fearful for his life, saying “ avait peur, comme tous les Tunisiens”.

As a Tunisian, I am utterly insulted. Mr. Ghannouchi, his entourage of RDC ministers, and others associated with it, continue to believe that the Tunisian citizen is simply stupid. As the ex-President’s right hand man for many years, he is no different, or may be worse. A sign of being a coward is to witness crimes against humanity, do nothing about them, or worse help hide them, in fear of calling attention to yourself. Too scared to even run away or disassociate from the criminals.

Many Tunisians are living abroad, against their will, away from their families and friends and the country they grew up to love, have lost their possessions and in some cases family members, because of Mr. Gannouchi looking the other way. They were never afraid. Crimes of all sorts had happened under his nose, and those of the same people he is asking us to trust.

I reject the notion that he is like all Tunisians. Did he ever have to whisper in his own home in fear the walls might report him? Was he ever refused a job because he was not a card carrying member of the party? Did he ever skip a meal, sometimes two, like most of us, me included, so he can feed the old and very young of us? Did he ever have to choose between medicine, school for his children, or food like real Tunisians?

Mr. Ghannouchi, you and your clan, are nothing like us. My father had his scull cracked open by the French, he was imprisoned, and exiled.  As a University student, I was imprisoned and brutally beat by the regime of the man you served as PM. You are nothing like me or my father.

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THE TRIANGLE OF TRAGEDY and EVIL

January 20, 2011 – 1:24 am

Made in the USA & France, sold to Ben Ali

Aristotle, in his studies of predisposition factors contributing to leadership failures, had discovered what I refer to here as the “triangle of tragedy and evil”. He discovered that, once combined, hubris, hamartia, and anagnosis, (classic Greek, meaning self induced intoxication of overly inflated ego, missing the mark or to err, and lack of knowledge or inability to see how different elements fit together) lead to a loss of reality and eventual destruction. Viewed in this paradigm, Ben Ali, the U.S. and France, failed to see the attribution error they committed. All three accomplices failed to realize that if people are not allowed to decide their own destiny, democratic institutions are not given the opportunity to grow and build their resilience, the outcome is generally tragic for all.

For over twenty years, the United States and France, Tunisia’s economic and political partners, have looked the other way when Ben Ali’s accusers spoke. His documented human rights abuses, corruption, and downright self enrichment were never a concern for these guardians of freedom and peddlers of democracy. Today we read how Sarkozy and Obama are encouraged by the recent events of the Tunisian revolution. And how cheerful they are to witness simple citizenry, armed with nothing more than the will for self expression, and the desire for jobs, have toppled the most ruthless dictator since Uganda’s Idi Amin. One would actually think that both countries have reprimanded, at least privately, and recommended the deposed president tone down his practice of torture, kidnappings, nepotism, and downright “quasi-mafia” practices. The U.S Government and Sarkozy went as far as publicly acknowledging in 2007 Ben Ali’s contributions to progress and stability in Tunisia, labeling him “a true partner”.

From my point of view, although they have not personally committed any direct crimes against the Tunisian people, France and the U.S. should be held accountable for looking the other way in the name of regional stability, the fight against terrorism, and geopolitical strategic interests. What leaders of these countries need to consider is, when condoning such policies, endorsing murderers, and endorsing one-sided agendas, they are in fact inviting the very elements these policies were put in place to defend against. The ends do not always justify the means, especially when the means are what you publicly stand against.

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La Tunisie de demain : Non au Dépotisme et Non au Népotisme

January 18, 2011 – 3:34 pm

(French version)

Pour tous les Tunisiens , jeunes et vieux, riche et pauvre, du nord au sud, on vit des moment extraordinaires. Et nous somme  face à un défi extraordinaire. Les leaders que nous choisirons bientôt seront  face aux décisions dures dans les mois et les années qui viennent. Leurs seule responsabilité est l’engagement de servir notre pays et tous ses citoyens. Aucun rôle dans l’histoire ne pourrait être plus important ou plus difficile. Les Tunisiens signifient la liberté, dans toutes ses des formes

Nous, les citoyens de la Tunisie, devons être unis dans notre croyance, vision et la mission de garantir la représentation de tous, de Tozeur à Tunis, Bizerte à Ben Guerdan , de Kasserine à Kelibia et de Sidi Bouzid à Sousse. Nous devons être unis contre n’importe quelle personne, groupe,  système politique, ou  nation qui sera hostile à notre liberté.

La révolution de Jasmin est l’une des plus  grandes révolutions dans l’histoire humaine. Notre jeune génération nous a menés à l’émancipation. Pour cela nous leur devons un avenir  brillant. Ils cherchent une fin à l’injustice, la tyrannie, la corruption et l’exploitation.

Plus d’une fin d’un régime, nous cherchons un nouveau départ.

Les adversaires de la liberté cherchent maintenant à récolter les fruits de cette liberté, irrigués par le sang de jeunes Tunisiens. Leur agression est souvent  insidieuse. Ils n’ont tiré aucune arme à feu. Et on les voit rarement. Ils envoient leurs agitateurs, tireurs  et des milices pour terroriser nos enfants, brûlent nos magazins et ravissent nos maisons. Pendant que nous protestons, ils assassinent,  tuent et terrorisent nos enfants , frères, pères et nos soeurs.

Les adversaires de liberté planifient de consolider le pouvoir, contrôler et détruire finalement les espoirs des jeunes les plus courageux du 21eme ciecle. Il n’y a pas une politique simple et unique qui nous guidera . Notre engagement à la liberté et  a’ des slogans  ne suffisent pas, est juste un début. Nous avons besoin de la maturité intellectuelle, d’une vision claire, et pas de la destruction de propriété. Nous avons beaucoup a discuter et a decider , et nous devons les faire immediatement .

Tout d’abord, laissez-nous choisir qui parmi nous ont le savoir-faire intellectuel et politique pour nous naviguer dans ces eaux troubles  et ce temps uncertain. Ceci ne peut être accompli  que par le vrai  dialogue , ouvert et honnête, et si nous cherchons la liberté , nous devons commencer maintenant.

 Lotfi Saibi

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La Tunisie de demain / Tunisia of tomorrow

January 18, 2011 – 3:33 am

    (French version)                                                                                            lundi 17 janvier 2011

J’exhorte tous ceux qui lisent  cet article de se réunir contre les rebelles , les actes criminels, et  ces actuels actes de grabuge  des richesse ? N’oublions pas nos compatriotes qui ont versé de leur sang pour nous, pour qu’on  se privent de 24 ans d’Enfer. Laissons nous apprendre  de l’histoire, la nôtre et celle des autres, et collaborer  pour un  objectif commun . Chacun de nous lutte pour le bonheur, la liberté et le droit au travail ; donc je vous demande de s’arrêter un moment, réfléchir et  débattre « quelle  Tunisie nous voulons pour nous et pour nos futures générations ? »

 Nous n’avons pas le choix, il fallait  décidé notre avenir qui sera un exemple pour d’autres pays arabes et musulmans. Nous le faisons d’une manière transparente et démocratique,  tout en permettant la participation de toutes les avis, les partis et  les affiliations. Nous ne voulons pas être un autre pays sub-saharien embourbé dans la guerre civile  ou la purification ethnique. Nous sommes tous des Tunisiens et nous sommes tous des Arabes, peu importe nos religions.

Je suis un grand partisan pour la séparation entre la religion et la politique. J’ai tellement vécu et tellement lis a propos de l’histoire dans le monde, pour  savoir que les plus réussites démocraties permettent les deux libertés selon une constitution. Nous pouvons être une vraie démocratie et une vraie société musulmane.

Je fais appel au prochaine leadership du pays à adopter une stratégie passive. La tolérance des autres, mêmes ceux qui paraissent extrêmes, est une alternative  mieux que la dictature et les lois de terreur. Traitez vos citoyens avec respect et dignité, ils vous suivront. Gouvernez avec la terreur et ils révolteront contre vous.

Tunisiens dans le monde entier, partout où ils  résident, n’ont aucun autre choix, que de considérer une vraie réforme démocratique. Notre pays ne peut pas se permettre une autre alternative.

Lotfi Saibi

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NO DEPOTISM & NO NEPOTISM

January 18, 2011 – 2:03 am

For all Tunisians alike, young and old, rich and poor, from the north to the south, these are extraordinary times. And we face an extraordinary challenge. The leaders we will soon choose will be faced with tough decisions in the months and years ahead. Their only responsibility is the commitment they have to serve our country and all of its citizens. No role in history could be more important or more difficult. Tunisians stand for freedom, in all its facets (forms).

We, the citizens of Tunisia, need to be united in our belief, vision, and mission of guaranteeing full representation for all. From Tozeur to Tunis, Bizerte to Bin Guirdan, Kasserine to Kelibia, Sidi Bouzid to Sousse, we need to be united against any man, group, political system, or nation that is hostile to our freedom.

The jasmine revolution equals any great revolution in human history. Our young generation led us to emancipation. For that we owe them a brighter future. They seek an end to injustice, tyranny, corruption, and exploitation. More than an end of a regime, we seek a new beginning.

Adversaries of freedom, some of whom are still in power, are now seeking to reap the fruits of freedom trees, irrigated by the blood of innocent young Tunisians. Their aggression is often more concealed than open. They have personally fired no guns. And they are seldom seen. They send their agitators, snipers, and militias to terrorize our kids, burn our businesses, and rob our homes. When we band together and march, their assassins kill and terrorize our sons, brothers, fathers, and sisters.

These adversaries of freedom plan to consolidate power, to control, and finally destroy the hopes of the bravest young men and women of the 21st century.

There is no simple single policy which will move us forward. Our commitment to freedom and street slogans are only but a beginning. What we need are intellectual maturity and wisdom, not destruction of property, in-fighting, and wealth-grabbing. There is much more we can do, and must do.

First, let us decide on who among us has the intellectual know-how to navigate us through these treacherous waters and uncertain times. This can only be accomplished through real, open, and honest dialogue. For if we are seeking a democracy, we need to begin now.

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Leadership : a personal story of transformation

February 2, 2010 – 12:00 pm

As a result of my last post, 21st Century Leadership, many of you have written me asking for examples of such necessary transformation and adaptability. I thought of many scenarios of famous, well publicized leaders. Names of people we all respect a great deal, spanning politics, business, technology, etc. Instead, I decided to share a personal story I had submitted as part of a graduate paper for a class project at Harvard while discussing Leadership mini strengths.

In the summer of 2001 I received a phone call from a recruiting company asking if I would be interested in taking over as president of a company in XXXXXXX, Canada. The company was XXX . My immediate reaction was that the caller most likely was an intern, or first year associate, who had overestimated the qualities I had listed on my online resume. I without further ado discounted the phone conversation and went back to my Chess game. A week later I had received a second call. This time it was the principal of the recruiting company asking to meet me in person. To make a long story short, within a months’ time, I had met the owners and board of directors of XXX at some inconspicuous hotel in downtown Toronto. What began to emerge from the series of meetings that followed was that XXX was looking for a candidate that had traits that were dissimilar to the candidate being replaced. They were looking for a leader, first. They were looking for someone who can easily adapt to the changes in the market place. They needed an person who easily adapted to the cultural changes brought about the many faces, religions, and ethnic backgrounds that comprised the service industry in Canada. They had realized, accidentally, that the job required a leader with emotional intelligence, and not necessarily technical or subject expertise. A good leader, through collaboration and a common cause, can put together a team of people who are experts in their own fields, and good managers who speed up the company vision, they surmised. In spite of my lack of experience in leading anything more than a $10 million operation, they had decided I was that candidate.

I had many mixed feeling and thoughts, including occasional self-doubt, in taking on such a monumental task. But, for every moment of self-doubt, there were many that were exhilarating.  I remember talking to colleagues and any one that would listen about the challenges of the position. I asked many questions, and began reading anything I can get my hands on. Most of my research focused on vision, mission, team building, buy-in, transparency, accountability, and over all leadership. I enlisted the help of the internet in researching national companies in the US, who the leaders were and their success and failure stories. I made appointments with some notable companies in the Boston area that provided similar services to XXX Corp.

I officially took the position three months to the day my chess game was interrupted by a phone call from a head hunter. And almost immediately my excitement began to wane.  On my thirty-day anniversary at the position, I woke up to CNN broadcasting the twin tower terrorist attack on NYC. That was the beginning of what, undoubtedly, will be the most difficult time in my professional career. I never complained much about it, especially when reading news clipping of what America in general, and the families of the victims of the attack, in particular, were going through.

My challenges grew exponentially, and they were not just professional. My North African- Muslim background provided much of the fodder for the fuel my detractors needed. Add to that my no non-sense and straight forward style of leadership, and you had a formula for an explosive situation. On one occasion, a young disgruntled manager placed a box cutters in the trunk of car the day I was to drive back to Boston to see my son, hoping that customs would catch it.

I realized much-needed to be done, and quickly, that required very little in spreadsheets, charts, or weekly conference calls. With the help of the ownership, and a few supporters, I began a series of “town hall” meetings that would have made Barak Obama’s campaign manager during the last presidential elections very proud. I covered every division and outlet in a matter of weeks. I spoke to every employee, as most attended. Some were there to meet this young “American maverick”, others out of curiosity about what an Arab-American Muslim looked and sounded like. The rest, I had hoped, believed in my vision of change, and were there to offer support. As I recall thinking half way through this campaign, every leader of a large organization needed a road show like this one. For, I believe, I had learned some very valuable leadership lessons, and in the meantime, stumbled upon the very core of the problems ailing the organization.

Conspicuously absent from many of these voluntary meetings were several unit mangers and non-core administrative staff. They had not drunk the cool aid, and were waiting on the sidelines for the momentum of this new style of leadership to fizzle away. Perhaps they thought I would tire and give up. They were the old guard, and they were dead wrong. I actually anticipated and was ready for this part of the turnaround. What was really surprising though, was the amount of distrust and negative- counterproductive energy that permeated in the halls, dining rooms, and employee cafeterias. For years, according to most employees, the company took and never gave back. Soon I realized my promises for change would fall on deaf ears. Just like others before me.

My plan was to build not only consensus, but also ownership and buy-in, through accountability and transparency. I was the first to volunteer for this plan. I made my compensation public and a function of the general performance of the company. Soon afterwords, I suggested, through indirect influence, that all managers do the same, each reflecting the performance of his or her unit of operation. Then I made sure all that information was available on a company intranet that all employees could access with a simple user name and password. The results were not surprising. Within a year’s time, the old guard had changed to new, invigorated, and full of energy and passion type of future leaders. Employee retention improved by nearly 200%, and same store sales realized a double-digit yearly growth rate (The last part of the plan never took place. In fact, other internal issues within the company derailed these efforts from being realized, even though there was every indication that we were on our way)

I later decided that seeing my son more than just on the weekends was more rewarding, and returned to Boston. My mission of taking on a monumental challenge, and succeeding, was accomplished.

Disclaimer: Although this is a personal account; names, dates and financial data were changed to protect against any possible breach of confidentiality.

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21st Century Leadership Challenges

December 25, 2009 – 9:10 am

The leadership world is divided in to mutually suspicious tribes – theoreticians versus practitioners, PR hogging gurus versus part time academics, supporters of the old command and control versus inspirational team builders, and finally leaders and managers themselves.

The business of running a business has always fallen prey to business school fads and consultant fraudsters, who suffer from a severe case of status anxiety. The very idea promoted by these so called experts that leadership is about anything other than people is preposterous, and has proven to be one of the great fallacies in the business world since Peter Drucker was accused of being a fantasist. The concept of re-engineering processes introduced by “experts”, in my opinion, focuses too much attention on efficiency as a goal – driven by lean, six sigma, or TQM processes- and not enough on efficiency as a means, driven by people.

In “The concept of the corporation”, published in 1946, you are struck by how similar today’s methods are to those of yesteryear. This is partly because, as technology and production methods evolve over time, what remains the same is the people, leading us to conclude that Leadership and Management is not a progressive science as some might want us to believe.

The 21st century has already spawned a sizable volcano of daunting new challenges. Deregulation, digitization, ecosystems, strategy life cycles, and competition present but a few, being tackled by leaders and managers alike. What remains unsettled is how to deal with employee issues as they change over time. Specifically worrisome are : a) broadening the scope of employee freedom, by managing less, without sacrificing focus, discipline, and order, b) creating an organization where the spirit of shared values and community dominate, not programs and policies, and c) providing for a mission that justifies extraordinary contribution.

The profile of the new century employee has certainly evolved over the years, more so in the last ten than in the fifty years prior. Traditional organizations and Human Resources Management programs taught us to look for diligence, intellect, and obedience as characters of the best employees. Today, and certainly in the future, obedience, diligence, and expertise can be bought for next to nothing; for we are living in an era where knowledge has become commoditized. The point is this: If you are to survive and successfully deal with these challenges, you need employees who are more than acquiescent, attentive, and astute – they must also be passionate, ardent, and enthusiastic. This clear shift in employee traits presents a conundrum for future leaders and managers. They are paid to oversee, control, and administer. Yet, as we move forward, the most valuable human capabilities are precisely those that are the least manageable. Current efficiency management tools cannot make employees more creative, committed, or zealous.   

Leaders of traditional organizations are very good at aggregating effort and coordinating activities based on shared competencies or objectives. They are not however good at mobilizing effort or inspiring employees to go the next step. They must face the challenge of turning bureaucracies in to communities where the work is less contractual, and more as a means of making a difference, or exercising a special talent. Employees must feel less as a factor of production, and more as a partner in a cause. They must get away from the web of rules and policies and into common values and partnerships.

Based on how effective organizations are in dealing with the above two points, employees will choose, to either give or withhold initiative, creativity, and passion. They are gifts that are passed on to organizations not by exhortation or rah-rah pep talks, but by managers and leaders asking themselves what kind of purpose would merit the best of everyone in the organization. To produce sustainable market gains, the next great innovation, or lasting financial benefits, organizations need a moral imperative that can’t be manufactured by smooth talking CEOs or hired consultants. Moral imperative must be the result of a vision, shared values, and it must be an end, not a means.

I cannot help but think of a quote I had come across a couple of years ago while working with a CEO, self proclaimed visionary who failed at leading miserably at every aspect of leading. It is from the Analects of Confucius ” The Master said, govern the people by regulations, keep order among them by chastisements, and they will flee from you, and lose all self respect. Govern them with moral force, keep order among them by ritual, and they will keep their self-respect and come to you of their own accord”

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AMBIDEXTROUS LEADERSHIP

October 23, 2009 – 6:20 am

Merriam-Webster defines ambidextrous as

1 : using both hands with equal ease
2 : unusually skillful : versatile
3 : characterized by duplicity : double-dealing

Let us compare a soccer player who is one-dimensional (either right or left footed) to one who is ambidextrous and can dribble with both feet. The latter leaves the defenders guessing as to what his next move is, or what direction he might be heading to next. The former is very predictable, and generally will lose possession of the ball very quickly. I was that player for many years, until I finally learned how to manage the ball with both feet.

I have to say that I have never driven a race car, but I can imagine an F1 driver trying to catch up with the pole leader, or one attempting to create some distance from his next follower. Such distances are not generally made up in straight-aways, but instead in turns, where you are most likely to outmaneuver the others. It is after all in tight corners where strategies and skill will shine, and where you separate the pretenders from the real winners. Tight, busy turns create opportunities for a driver to make up ground. similarly, a crisis is an opportunity for a leader of company to distinguish his company form the others. A good crisis should never go by the wayside.

What’s with the sports analogies, you might say…Think of a company CEO or division manager who can only focus on the task at hand. That is the equivalence of the one-dimensional soccer player, or the race car driver who can only pass on the straight- aways. They rarely accomplish their objectives. Instead, what is needed is a leader who can think beyond the goal at hand. Strategies have a shelf life that is determined by either a product life cycle, pricing, or competition ( supplanted by a more effective strategy). A leader who fails to recognize the difference between flexibility and firmness, cohesiveness and autonomy, and alignment and adaptability will fail in his or her duties to lead. This is the one-dimensional soccer player.

It is this juggling act that I refer to as ambidextrous leadership- the ability to manage effectively today, while planning and rehearsing the future. As my soccer carrer was short, so will yours as a one-dimensional leader.

In sports, as in the corporate world we live in, what makes good coaches great is the belief that special situations will arise in every game. And unless you anticipate these special cases and prepare for them, you will leave yourself unprepared and unable to take advantage of them, or worse, recognize them as they come about. Practicing the future is an essential duty of every leader. Run your company today as today’s customer requires, with an eye on the future. Ask Steve Jobs the CEO of Apple or any of the departed big three auto makers CEOs what they think of this. Play out the various scenarios and develop contingency plans accordingly. As anyone who has spent any time in the military will tell you – Generals who do not play war games and adopt to future technologies, will be sitting ducks when real bullets start flying.

An ambidextrous leader is the equivalent of a coach who will enter a game with more than one strategy at hand. For example, he can devise a game that features more offense than defense. Or, he can set up plays that anticipate the opposition tactics and attack their weaknesses. A company president who ventures in to new territories anticipating all kinds of obstacles ( market, culture, prices, competition, etc…) and different strategies to match (well prepared and rehearsed, for each scenario that might appear unexpectedly), will undoubtedly succeed. On a personal note, after my first visit to the MENA region and several meetings with potential customers, I realized that some of what I had learnt in the “streets” in North America, and in the class room at Harvard was of little use to me. Instead, I hurriedly, sought to devise different scenarios to accomplish my goals and overcome the many obstacles I met. Our company is more nimble today, and is in a more advantageous position to anticipate the markets and the customers’ needs. We can certainly help shape the future of our industry, instead of reacting to exogenous market conditions dictated by other factors or players.

Out of the ability to “juggle” with both feet, or hands in the case of some of my American born friends:), is born adaptability to current and future economic and market conditions.

In his new book Outrunning Change, Gary Hamel defines an adaptable company as “… one that captures more than its fair share of new opportunities”. I think of it more as, an organization that is constantly seeking new horizons. One that is always redefining its core business in ways that identifies new markets. Our company has recently ventured in to new territories in the MENA and South East Asia regions seeking such opportunities. To do this successfully, we needed leadership and management that recognize this essential need, brought about by market contraction and evaporating liquidity; forcing organizations to adjust to new price equilibriums- famous in microeconomic theories of perfect competition and zero profits.

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What kind of intelligence does a leader need to succeed?

September 22, 2009 – 1:22 am

Back in 1995 I read a book called Emotional Intelligence (Bantam), by Daniel Goleman. I have to admit that I really did not understand a heck of a lot of what he was talking about. You see, Emotional Intelligence was a new phenomenon. I had never really heard of it as a studied discipline. I was very familiar with IQ, high levels of technical knowledge, and the various descriptions associated with great leaders. Emotional Intelligence, No way I said. This past week, while finishing a project at Harvard for one of my management classes, i had come across the same book again.I will shamefully admit that i could not put it down.  

Goleman found that while the qualities traditionally associated with leadership-such as intelligence, toughness, determination, and vision-are required for success, they are insufficient.  This made me think of how Emotional Intelligence (let’s call it EI for short) operates and its relationship with effective performance. Happily, as I read the book once more, I realized we had covered several of those answers in the prior posts of this blog.  Tangible, quantifiable criteria, such as profitability, employee turnover, assessments, were used to differentiate the star performers at senior levels within their organizations from the average ones. Interviews and tests were conducted, and capabilities were compared. The results were as suspected. Intellect was a driver of outstanding performance. The top performers also possessed cognitive skills such as big picture thinking and long term vision. Equally satisfying to me, it was also concluded that, differences in technical skills among leaders, were of negligible importance.

As such, we will now continue with our series regarding the characterisitcs of great leaders, how to identify them, and work with them. This is called managing from all levels- The Stratosphere or the water cooler.

At 30,000 feet, you can see the total picture of your business, your industry, and maybe even the economy. You can detect interesting patterns that might create opportunities for your business — imperative to stay ahead of the game.

But if your thinking is always in the stratosphere, you might miss important details. You also have to be incisive, drilling to the specifics.

Otherwise your bold goals might be completely unrealistic; you won’t be able to pinpoint the priorities for your group, and you won’t know if your grand plans are being executed.

Also, those details have to be the right ones. Of all the observations you make, all the numbers your business generates, and all the sources of information available to you, you have to make a judgment about which ones really matter.

Patterns of Thinking

In business, how you think is just as important as what you think.

The ability to think at multiple altitudes, from 30,000 feet to 50 feet, is a distinct advantage in exercising your leadership know-how. But there are at least two other ways of thinking that are equally potent.

• Reframing

Reframing is being able to change your vantage point, to look at a phenomenon or problem from a very different perspective. It’s how leaders redefine their market and create new growth trajectories – MS going from competing in OS to competing in SEO.

You can use reframing to get team members to focus on a common goal rather than on their individual interests.

I once worked for a CEO of a hospitality holding company. He wanted to dig into the details of the business, so he went to work as a street cleaner. At that level, he noticed something he didn’t like: The hard-working janitorial staff viewed customers as the enemy who stood in the way of their mission to keep the parks and parking lots clean.

So he reframed their mission from cleanliness and safety to “giving customers the greatest day of their life.” Seeing their roles in a different light gave the staff a more positive attitude toward customers and paved the way for a better customer experience.

• Connecting the dots

Linear, analytic thinking is useful and important, but sometimes you have to take mental leaps in order to make sense of incomplete or seemingly unrelated pieces of information. You have to go beyond the charts and graphs and use imagination to connect the dots.

This mental process can be unconscious. If you ponder a problem for days and suddenly wake up one morning with a clear answer, your unconscious mind has done the work of connecting the dots. It appears to be intuitive.

Think how important connecting the dots is in a business meeting. As the dialogue flows among people, you as the leader should try to make connections between the ideas as they spontaneously arise. The better you get at this, the more productive the discussion will be as you synthesize the ideas rather than choosing among them

Anyone competing in the media or software development industry — or any fast-changing industry, for that matter — has to be able to make connections even as the dots themselves change.

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Leaders and their relationships with employees

September 5, 2009 – 12:45 am

The last couple of posts covered Superficial Leadership and The True Purpose of a Leader. Today we tackle the Leader’s relationship with his or her team. As a leader, do you spend as much time with your employees as you do with your business’ numbers? Is it quality time that shows sincere interest in them as human beings? And would they agree?

Or do you subconsciously believe that having an ongoing personal connection with employees is a waste of time? Maybe you rationalize your detachment by saying it’s your personal style to assign goals, provide resources, and let people loose.

An Atmosphere for Success

When I ask these simple questions of executives who want to build their organizational capability, they often become pensive. They begin to ponder what everyone knows — that most professionals want to do the best job they can, but a leader who creates the right ambiance and kindles the fire in people gets that extra something that drives organizations to new heights.

It’s a matter of attitudes, feelings and emotions that makes work enjoyable and ignites people’s energy to do more than they thought they could. Great leaders understand the numbers, but they also touch people’s hearts.

To get people fully engaged, you have to pay attention to them and make a personal connection with them. There are lots of different approaches to doing so, but here are some specific ways to improve how you lead people:

1. Spend time and listen.

There’s no substitute for personal interaction. Even the most competent, motivated professionals can lose focus, energy, and commitment when their interaction with the boss dwindles. Some people will assume others have your ear and feel less important. Others will simply feel overlooked and underappreciated.

You have to make the time to converse with people in person, by phone, through email, at lunch, or through periodic sit-downs one on one. Asking how a person’s current challenge is going and whether there’s anything you can do to help shows you care about his success.

An email following up on a formal or informal discussion reminds the person that she’s on your radar screen. Even a quick exchange in the hallway or elevator is a chance to show interest.

Listening is more important than talking. That’s how you find out what the organization is really wrestling with and therefore how execution is going. You’ll also learn how people tackle problems, and therefore how their minds work and what their talents are — all important in building a first-class organization.

But listening goes deeper. People feel different when they know they’ve been heard and that their input is making a difference. Access to you and your sincere interest are pivotal to their emotional connection with their work.

2. Help people see why their work is important.

It’s hard to feel engaged when you’re working in a vacuum. You can help people see their individual contribution as part of a bigger picture.

For example, a middle manager charged with designing an efficient flow of goods from China to a location in the middle of Texas can get totally immersed in the complexities of balancing cost, time, speed, and insurance risks.

As her boss, you can provide the broader context that shows how critical that work is to the company’s overall picture of streamlining the supply chain and conserving cash to make the company more competitive. When people see how their project, their job, and their goals fit into a higher purpose, they know their contribution matters.

3. Give people honest feedback.

It’s a human phenomenon: When someone is doing really well and you reinforce it with positive feedback, good performance becomes even better. People need to be seen and recognized — and not just once a year in a typically brief performance review. They need to hear what you think of their work often, with candor.

Maybe you think the high performers know they’re doing well, or should know because you pay them well. Don’t count on it.

When people aren’t meeting expectations, let them know that, too, so that they have a chance to improve. Don’t let your disappointments build and fester. If you talk to people regularly there’ll be no surprises.

4. Take an interest in people’s careers.

People will be all the more committed to their work when they know you’re the kind of leader who is truly interested in their success. Look for what people are naturally good at and work with them to find ways that they can leverage their talents. This applies to your underperformers as well as your superstars.

Talk about what they want to do, and what you can imagine them doing. Brainstorm possibilities, even if those possibilities are outside your span of control. And let your best people go to other jobs, other departments, even other organizations if that’s where the opportunity lies.

I’ve known many a retired leader who beams with pride at the success of leaders he helped nurture. And even decades later, those other leaders are deeply grateful to the person who helped them grow. Such emotional connections make life more meaningful.

5. Take an interest in the person beyond the job.

Not every conversation should be about work. People have lives outside of work; indeed, some people are very different outside of their jobs. People will know you care about them if you take time to learn what’s important in their lives.

The Full Measure of Leadership

Sure, you can hire a motivational speaker to fire up the troops. But the effect will last 15 minutes. If you really want to get your employees fully engaged in their work, you must be fully engaged with them. It’s you who makes the difference. It’s in your daily behavior, and it’s your energy that creates energy in others. It’s that simple.

Caring about people and wanting to draw the best out of them is something you can’t fake. If you’re self-centered and disinterested in others, leadership is not your calling. People know the difference. They’ll gravitate toward leaders whose concern is sincere.

Put your beliefs into action. Treat people like human beings with full lives, personal ambitions, and both the desire and the right to be valued and heard. Is it different from what you see around you? Maybe so, but that’s what leadership is all about.

 Disclaimer: author and source unknown.

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