Monday, January 8, 2018

Living In Interesting Times

“May you live in interesting times.” I’ve been told this is a Chinese curse. Whether or not this is true may be in question. However, after spending many hours with leaders at different levels of many different organizations, a general consensus has surfaced that we do live in interesting times. 

Some leaders see this as the best of times and revel in the progress that is being made. Others find it an extremely challenging time and believe many key problems are surfacing that have long term implications for their organization and for those they serve. Nevertheless, all of them agree that it is quite an interesting and unique time.

When visiting with all of these different leaders, many whom I have know for quite some time, a common phrase and subject surfaces in our conversation. “These sure are interesting times, Geery. It feels like we are going to be working through an extended trough of chaos.” 

I agree with their analysis. There is quite a bit of work ahead. So, starting today through to the Spring Roundtable in early April, I will be sharing my thoughts weekly with all of you about how to work through an extended trough of chaos during interesting times. 

First, let’s remember that some of the concepts and ideas I will share may seem simple if not simplistic. But experience and research tells us that simple is not always easy. True leadership needs to happen not just during happy times. It needs to happen daily through all sorts of technical problems and adaptive challenges. 

Second, we as leaders need to do our own homework just as much as we need to help others do their homework. A personal review is just as powerful as a company or senior team strategic review. The key is to do this because you understand the importance of it rather than do it just because you read it on a blog or in a book.

Third, during interesting times and when working through an extended trough of chaos, integrity is not negotiable. What you say as a leader and what you don’t say as a leader is always noticed in times like this. How you engage with others and how you work with teams is magnified and examined in great detail. So, the best place to start working and living with integrity is to remember the Grandparent Rule: “Would my grandparents be proud of how I treat others, my team and my family during these interesting and challenging times?” If not, change your behavior. If so, continue on.

I bring up the Grandparent Rule here today because over the course of the last six to nine months I have been visiting with people about integrity. What does it mean? What does it look like? How would you know it if you worked with someone with integrity? 

Over and over again, people have talked to me about their grandparents. Some have said, “My grandfather was a kind man who listened carefully and always treated people with respect.” Others explain to me that “My grandmother was always helping people rather than judging them. She knew that hard times happen even to the best of folks.” And more recently, “My grandparents built a relationship based on love and respect. They role modeled that life can be challenging but it does not have to define who some is on the inside.”

While not all our grandparents lived and worked at this level, there is a large percentage who did and many who currently continue to be people of integrity. What I have realized after much reflection is that these people are people of integrity because they took the time to build and maintain relationships with others. Investing time to make connections made face to face rather than with connectivity, i.e. social media, FaceBook, Instagram, texting, etc., is the foundation of their integrity. They got to know you for you and then showed interest and curiosity as you changed and evolved over time.

This week, remember that simple does not always mean easy. Do your own homework in life’s journey. Think about the Grandparent Rule and spend more time building relationships face to face. We live in interesting times and the trough of chaos will be long, but working and living with the utmost integrity is critical to being the kind of leader who helps people and the organization move forward in a successful manner.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

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