Life Needs To Expand

“What we fear in the world is not the evil in it, nor even the evil in ourselves; far more fearful is the good in ourselves, that good being so demanding that we are scared to dare our full capacity. We are afraid of our potential vulnerability. We very often forget that if our being is right, our doing will take care of itself. It is always easier to pull in our horns; to play it safe. In other words, not to climb out on a limb. It is always easier to stay where we are, to bury ourselves in our ongoing lives. We know better, but we forget to remember that life needs to expand over and over.” - Elaine Brown, Alumni Lecture, May 13, 1988, Westminster Choir College

During the coming year, there will be challenges. We will be stretched and we will be overwhelmed. We will struggle around how to proceed.

And during this coming year, we also will witness the good in people. They will surprise and delight us. They will go out on a limb and support others in marvelous ways.

Each new year is an opportunity to focus on the good in ourselves and others. If we take care of our being, then our doing will come from a clear and centered place. 

This coming year is a time for all of us to expand and embrace the good and potential in all things around us. We can transform the world by transforming ourselves and our relationships with others.

I look forward to the coming new year and the opportunities we will have to make our families, our communities and our workplaces better places.

Be well, be safe, and be strong. Better days are ahead.

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

Seek Joy In All You Do

“You don’t have to wait for something ‘meaningful’ to come into your life so that you can finally enjoy what you do,” writes Eckhart Tolle. “There is more meaning in joy than you will ever need.” 

May the joy of this season fill your heart with gratitude.

May the joy of being together with your family give you hope for the future.

May the joy of discovering new blessings make each day meaningful.

From my family to yours, we wish you great joy, hope and a healthy holiday season. 

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

The World Begins to Change When We Change

Last Monday, I wrote about the importance of finding safe space, i.e. sanctuary, and safe people. I want to build on that today and focus more on finding safe people. 

In life, we all need allies and confidants. We need to be with people who can be 100% present, listen well, and see us as whole people. These are the people who do not want to fix us as much as support us.

These special people understand that the only way to recovery is through recovery. As the Spanish poet Antonio Machado wrote: “Wanderer, there is no road, the road is made by walking.” 

Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze in their book, Walk Out Walk On: A Learning Journey Into Communities Daring to Live the Future Now (Berrett-Koehler, 2011) expanded on this understanding when they wrote: “It isn’t that there is no road; it’s that we won’t recognize it until we’re on it - it reveals itself step by uncertain step.” As they continued: “We make our path by walking it.”

From experience of walking this path, I have learned that there will be more questions than immediate answers. There will be grief. The journey will not be linear. It will be messy. And all of this is normal.

Still, I find hope in the midst of it all because of what Margaret Wheatley, wrote in her excellent book, Turning To One Another: simple conversations to restore hope to the future (Berret-Koehler, 2001). As she explained, “I also have learned that when we begin listening to each other, and when we talk about things that matter to us, the world begins to change.” This is a powerful insight and an important lesson learned.

This week, seek out your allies and confidants. Create space to share deeply and listen thoughtfully. When we do this, we are making a better world for our loved ones and our community. And this will change us and the world around us.

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

Find Safe Places and Safe People

Given what we have experienced the last two years, we all recognize that the recovery process from a global pandemic is not a linear journey. It has it’s ups, and it’s down. Some days, we feel stuck in a never ending trough of chaos. Still, there are moments of clarity and connection in the midst of it that give us hope for a new and better future.

When I think about those special moments, I am reminded of something Ron Heifetz, Alexander Glasgow, and Marty Linsky wrote in their excellent article called “Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis” from the July-August 2009 issue of the the Harvard Business Review. As they explain, “find sanctuaries where you can reflect on events and regain perspective.” I like this short statement because they recognize that recovery revolves around two things, finding safe space and finding safe people. I particularly like the use of the word “sanctuary.”

The dictionary defines sanctuary as a place of refuge, safety or rest, a holy or sacred place, a building or room for religious worship, or a place that provides safety or protection. The holistic nature of this definition is uplifting and helpful. 

The two big questions this week are the following: 

Do you remember places you have visited in your life journey that have felt sacred?

Are you in touch with similar places in your life journey now?

In my life journey, I have found sanctuary in a clearing in the woods, a monastery in Vermont, a stone overhang in the southwest desert when hiking with our oldest son and his wife, and in numerous churches, cathedrals and Quaker meeting houses. Each of these places had a special spirit to them. It was not just the words that were spoken in these place as much as the gathered feeling to the space and the people who came together within it. 

And when that gathered feeling happened within these sanctuaries, we sat in silence. We, individually and collectively, reflected and regained perspective. This happened because we practiced being still, not doing still. It began by “taking our foot off the accelerator” and giving ourselves permission to rest, reflect and recover. We unplugged and sought mental stillness.

This week, answer the above questions. Then, give yourself permission to find safe spaces and safe people.

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

Reclaim What Matters The Most

We met at the Post Office, which is a very common thing in small town life. After catching up about the weather and how our families were all doing, he shared that he and his wife had recently gone out to dinner with a colleague and his wife. After 2 hours, he reported to me “we were done. It was so loud in the restaurant where they met and we worried whether or not this was a good choice given the Delta variant. On the way home, we realized that we had to relearn how to re-socialize with people in public settings.” I think this is more common than we care to admit and an issue many people are experiencing on a regular basis.

So, how do we recover from all we have been through these last two years?

As I have pondered this question, I am reminded of a question I often ask people in the From Vision to Action Leadership Training, namely what do you do as a leader that matters the most? I don’t think we really think deeply about this question. Often, our answers are just knee jerk reactions rather than thoughtful responses. I believe this happens because we have been scripted to meet unrealistic expectations. Some of these expectations have been thrust upon us by others and some we have set upon ourselves.

In life’s journey, I have learned that we can not be all things to all people. We need to be clear about what it is that only we can do. And we need to be clear about what adds meaning to our life. In short, during this recovery, we need to ask ourselves two important questions:

- What do I do in my life that really matters the most?

- What makes my life more meaningful?

Ron Heifetz, Alexander Glasgow, and Marty Linsky in their excellent article called  “Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis” in the July-August 2009 issue of the the Harvard Business Review write: “Don’t lose yourself in your role. Defining life through a single endeavor, no matter how important your work is to you and to others, makes you vulnerable when the environment shifts. It also denies you other opportunities for fulfillment.”

This week, I encourage you to answer the above two questions. It will help you be well prepared for the upcoming holidays and the new year.

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

From A Younger Perspective

In the early 90’s, I was walking through an elementary school on my way to a meeting when I came upon a wonderful bulletin board display created by a third grade teacher. Across the top was the following question: “Is this the way you remember these proverbs?”

And here were the answers from her students:

“Behind every cloud, there are either people or leprechauns.”

“Give them an inch and a pinch.”

“If it’s not broken, it’s all in one piece.”

“Never underestimate the power of goodness.”

“Nothing ventured; nothing moves.”

“Behind every successful person, there is love.”

“Every good thing must be here.”

“Love makes the world good for God.”

“Don’t send a child to day care.”

“If you can’t stand the heat, get on some shorts.”

“Time heals good people.”

Twenty-nine years later, I am still smiling. I hope today you are, too. 

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

Find Your Voice & Tell Your Story

The late Stephen Covey in his book, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (Free Press, 2004) says that the 8th habit is to find your voice and to inspire others to find theirs. As he writes, your “voice is of unique personal significance … it is the nexus of talent, passion, need and conscience (that still small voice within that assures you of what is right and that prompts you to actually do it).”

With this being the week of Thanksgiving and the time when families gather,  I hope you will find your voice, and then tell your story. There are many lessons learned over the last two years and many important stories to share. We all have so much to learn, unlearn and relearn.

May the gathering of your family and dear friends this week be filled with many blessings, great food, and lots of time to share. Finding your voice and sharing your story is an important part of your journey and our collective journey. 

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

Now Is The Time For Respectful Conversations

If we want people to be engaged and empowered during the next two years, then we must build clarity and understanding. This can only happen if we have the courage to discuss difficult topics and complex problems.

Many leaders shy from this level of work because it makes them feel uncomfortable and the outcome is unpredictable. They instead prefer control and order over interdependence and alignment.

If we also seek resiliency in the midst of sustained uncertainty, then we must remember the following insights captured in Margaret Wheatley’s book called Turning To One Another: simple conversations to restore hope to the future (Berret-Koehler, 2001).

First, “In conversation, we are remembering as much as we are learning…. Language gives us the means to know each other better. That’s why we invented it.”

Second, “Because conversation is the natural way that humans think together, it is, like all life, messy…. Meaningful conversations depend on our willingness to forget about neat thoughts, clear categories, narrow roles. Messiness has its place. We need it anytime we want better thinking or richer relationships.”

Third, “Change always starts with confusion; cherished interpretations must dissolve to make way for the new.”

This week, share the above three insights with your team. Explore with them how to create more safe and respectful conversations. Navigating the complexities of this recovery are going to require all of us to do a better job of listening and sharing.

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

Standing At A Crossroad

It feels like we are standing at a crossroad as we move through this fall and look forward to 2022 and 2023. It is a critical juncture for leaders and companies where many important decisions need to be made.

In particular, now is the time period for excellent strategic leadership. We have to build resilience and adaptability into the very fabric of the company. And now is the time period for excellent operational leadership. We will continue tackling a myriad of current, day to day problems and challenges. Both of these levels of leadership will require tremendous planning, execution, and empowerment.

But before we rush out to make it all happen, we must not forget that no strategic plan ever survives contact with reality. There will always be unknown unknowns, and periods of complexity and volatility. 

Furthermore, most people do not feel very empowered once they make contact with reality. Some will say the problem is a lack of alignment between strategy, goals and actions. Others will say the problem is a lack of coordination and/or collaboration across different business units. And finally some will say the problem is related to communication. 

I think the problem in many organizations who are standing at the cross roads is that they believe communication equals understanding. As Donald Sull, Rebecca Homkes, and Charles Sull write in their article called “Why Strategy Execution Unravels - and What to Do About It” in the March 2015 issue of the Harvard Business Review, “Part of the problem is that executives measure communication in terms of inputs (the number of e-mails sent or town halls hosted) rather than by the only metric that actually counts - how well key leaders understand what’s communicated.”

This week, focus less on inputs and more on how well people understand what has been communicated. It will make a world of difference during the next two years of planning, execution and empowerment.

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

Home-Grown Leaders

“One responsibility [we] considered paramount is seeing to the continuity of capable senior leadership. We have always striven to have proven backup candidates available, employed transition training programs to best prepare the prime candidates, and been very open about [succession planning]. . . . We believe that continuity is immensely valuable.” - Robert W. Galvin, former team member of the Chief Executive Office, Motorola Corporation, 1991.

Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in their seminal work called Built To Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (HarperBusiness, 1994) write that “visionary companies develop, promote, and carefully select managerial talent grown from inside the company to a greater degree than the comparison companies.” This conscious strategic choice preserves the core of the company and creates continuity within operations. It also reduces management turmoil and improves retention of key personnel. 

Given current events like The Great Resignation, any company who chooses to develop and promote highly talented internal staff are building the capacity to improve planning and execution over time. They also are building the capacity to sustain healthy change and progress over time.

With the above in mind, now is the time to sign people up for the 2022 From Vision to Action Leadership Training. Through a challenging and interactive curriculum which blends lectures, selected readings, small and large group discussions, and how to skill-building exercises, participants in this four part leadership and organizational change training gain critical knowledge and skills which improve their ability to create and communicate strategy, define and solve problems, build and maintain teams, coach people and teams plus learn how to delegate effectively. 

For more information about this unique training experience, please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html

The goal of visionary companies is to do well right now but also to be well positioned for the future. One step in this process is to create a pool of home-grown leaders who can lead the organization through multiple change cycles while maintaining the mission and core values. If you are seeking more continuity and better capacity, then now is the time to sign up your people for the 2022 From Vision to Action Leadership Training. I look forward to hearing from you.

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

Where Does The Future Come From?

“It often feels these days as if the future arrives from nowhere,” writes Margaret Wheatley in her thought-provoking book, Turning To One Another: simple conversations to restore hope to the future (Berrett-Koehlers, 2001). “Suddenly things feel unfamiliar, we’re behaving differently, the world doesn’t work the way it used to.”

As she continues, “The future doesn’t take form irrationally, even if it feels that way. The future comes from where we are now. It materializes from the actions, values and beliefs we are practicing now. We’re creating the future everyday, by what we choose to do. If we want a different future, we have to take responsibility for what we are doing in the present.”

For people in leadership positions, this is a powerful insight. If we seek to create a new and better future, we have to take responsibility for what we are doing now and take responsibility for what our organizations are choosing to do and focus upon at this time period. The future reflects our big and our small choices. How we live our values and express our beliefs today creates the foundation for tomorrow.

This week, I encourage you to reflect on the above quote and to reflect on your role in creating the future. The future starts now. 

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

The Fragmentary Present

During a recent phone consultation, she told me she was feeling overwhelmed by too much change. Some of it was happening at the management team level and other parts were happening at the front line staff level. From her perspective, everyone was wanting to change everything. The outcome was that everywhere there were messes to clean up and she just felt lost in it all.

As I listened, I was reminded of the following quote by sociologist John Berger in Margaret Wheatley’s book,  Turning To One Another: simple conversations to restore hope to the future (Berret-Koehler, 2001): “There is no continuity between actions, there are no pauses, no paths, no pattern, no past and no future. There is only the clamor of the… fragmentary present. Everywhere there are surprises and sensations, yet nowhere is there any outcome. Nothing flows through; everything interrupts.”

More and more people are having this experience and struggling deeply with it. They do not know where to begin, where to focus or where to invest their limited time and energy.

My answer to her that day may sound simple but it is not easy. In situations of this nature, we need to lead with strategic thinking, not just reactive, operational problem solving. According to Aaron Olson and and B. Keith Simerson in their book, Leading With Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results (Wiley, 2015), strategic thinking comprises three activities: assessing situations, recognizing patterns, and making decisions.

From my vantage point, we talk a lot about decision-making in the world of leadership. We also talk some about recognizing patterns. Clearly, we do a lot of assessing of situations, i.e. technical, adaptive or crisis. And yet, we continue to struggle.

I think the solution comes down to being able to switch back and forth between two different mindsets, namely reflexive, cause-oriented thinking and proactive, response-oriented thinking. In the former, we seek to understand whether or not the problems could have been prevented. We also want to know if the impact is only internal to the organization or was it being driven by external factors. 

On the other hand, response-oriented thinking focuses on what can we improve given what is happening. We look for the positive impact and how to contain the negative impact. 

For those of you who are intrigued by this line of thought, I encourage you to read the following article: Margolis, Joshua D., and Paul G. Stoltz, “How to Bounce Back From Adversity”, Harvard Business Review, January-February 2010.

The fragmentary present is not going away. Interruptions will happen. Lack of continuity is becoming normal. Our first choice is to be clear about which mindset we will utilize to deal with what is happening around us.

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

Endings and New Beginnings

As we prepare for the next two years and the continued recovery from a global pandemic, we as leaders must not embrace growth and profitability strategies that frame up our organizations as machines. Over and over during strategic planning consultations, I am hearing people use machine based language such as “we just need to swap out the old parts for new and improved ones” or “we need to install new people like we do new software.” This kind of language and the resulting scaling up can often create a monoculture that relies on replication, standardization, and compliance. It does not support scaling across, i.e. networks of relationships across the organization through which ideas and beliefs could travel, adapt, evolve, and grow. 

On the other hand, as I pointed out last week, scaling across invites teams to learn from one another and to solve their own problems in their own particular way. As Margaret Wheatley reminds us, “People don’t support things that are forced on them. We don’t act responsibly on behalf of plans and programs created without us. We resist being changed, not change itself.”

In order to be successful between 2022 - 2024, we must differentiate between change management and transition management. To review, change management is situational and outcome focused. Transition management is the internal, psychological and emotional process of dealing with endings. As the late William Bridges noted, “The starting point for a transition is not the outcome but the ending that you will have to make to leave the old situation behind.” Thus, a transition starts with an ending and finishes with a new beginning. This ending begins with the letting go of the old ways of working and dealing with the resulting losses.

For us here today, we need to recognize that “new beginnings involve new understandings, new values, new attitudes and - most of all - new identities”, again referencing the work of William Bridges. As he notes, in a new beginning, people want it to happen and are relieved. And at the exact same moment, they fear it because they will be required to make a commitment to a new way of thinking and doing things.

Therefore, people resist new beginnings because they reactivate old anxieties that were triggered by “the ending”, e.g. the ending of work as we knew it back in March 2020. This may also include the risk that the “new beginning” may end again, i.e. we go back to hybrid or all remote work due to another wave of COVID-19 based on a new variant.

This week, be mindful of endings and new beginning. Be consistent in your messaging and your actions. Remember people are trying out new behaviors and new perspectives. Therefore, create planned quick successes or short term wins, and celebrate these moments of achievement.

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

Finding Meaning In The Midst of Loss

So many people have passed away during this global pandemic. So much has been lost. It has impacted each of us in many different ways. And it will continue to impact us for generations to come.

What we as leaders need to understand this fall is that we are experiencing grief and mourning at the same time. Grief is about what we think and feel on the inside when some one we know or love dies. On the other hand, mourning is the outward expression of our internal grief. It is a process of adapting to the changes created by this loss. It involves deep reflection and introspection at the individual and collective levels. And this becomes a catalyst for personal development and growth.

Yet, when I think about the grief and losses so many have experienced, both personally, professionally, and organizationally, I do not see leaders creating time or space for the collective mourning of our losses. I also do not see us creating a celebration of life for those who have made it this far.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler defined The Grieving Cycle as having the following stages:

The first stage is denial which begins with the shock, pain and guilt related to the passing of a loved one. This helps us survive the loss. It recognizes that on one level the world has become meaningless and overwhelming.

The second stage is anger. This is an indication of the intensity of our loss and our love.

The third stage is bargaining. Here, we engage in a temporary truce with what is happening. It is a way not to deal with the pain of the loss.

The fourth stage is depression. Here, our attention moves into the present rather than the loss of the past. This is a normal and appropriate response

The fifth stage is acceptance. As we accept the reality of what has happened, we learn to live with the loss. We also begin making new connections and new relationships.

David Kessler recently wrote there is a sixth stage to The Grieving Cycle, namely finding meaning.

When I visit with leaders who want to get to this stage, most of them are focused on doing an organizational review of the global pandemic response and the experiences that took place within it. Here, they want to determine the impact that the global pandemic has had on the organization, departments, teams and the people. In essence, they are engaged a in massive After Action Report.

So far, two interesting things have surfaced during these in-depth reviews. First, successfully scaling across the organization was the precursor to scaling up pandemic solutions. Within the adaptive response to the global pandemic, those who fostered networks of relationships across the organization had the capacity to get ideas and beliefs to travel, adapt, evolve, and grow faster than others. Second, those who were successful did not reduce those relationships to transactional interactions. Those who were successful also focused on maintaining the relationships while getting the tasks done.

If we seek to find meaning in the midst of loss, we must create time and space for people to grieve, mourn and reflect. It is the sum of these three things that will give us the ability to learn, grow and be resilient during the coming months and years.

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

The Greatest Threat

“The greatest threat to our planet,” writes Robert Swan, a polar explorer, “is the belief that someone else will save it.” 

The minute I read this powerful statement I realized that the greatest threat to an organization is the assumption that someone else will change it and make it better. The common assumption is that someone else can “save” the company.

However, we must not succumb to this mindset. We need to be the ones who step up and make positive and effective changes within our circle of influence irregardless of whether or not we are the positional leader. We can create healthier teams, better local customer service, and stronger interpersonal relationships. We may not be the leader as defined by a positional title but we can be a leader. 

I agree with Margaret Wheatley when she wrote: “A leader is anyone willing to help, anyone who sees something that needs to change and takes the first steps to influence that situation.”

Every day, we can choose to be a person who is helpful. We can take the first steps to influence a situation. 

Every day, we can notice a problem, own a problem, and solve a problem. The greatest threat is the belief that someone else will do it.

Every day, this moment of choice is happening all around us. People are stepping up and helping out. We need to notice their effort and support them.

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. 

The greatest threat to our companies is the belief that making it better is someone else’s job.

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

Focus on Psychological Safety and Accountability

During the first 6 - 9 months of the global pandemic, we focused on execution-as-learning rather than execution-as-efficiency. There was so much that was new and unknown. We just took it day by day, problem by problem.

Now that things are sightly more stable, many leaders want to rush back to an execution-as-efficiency form of work during this recovery period. This is a dangerous choice. 

First, during the execution-as-learning phase, we used the best knowledge available to create new systems and processes. We knew the information we were using would be constantly changing. We also knew that it was going to be hard to measure employee productivity or individual performance given how much change was moving through the organization.

So, in order to create psychological safety for continued execution-as-learning, we made sure no one was penalized for asking for help or admitting a mistake. We were in a whole new world.

Yet, supporting psychological safety can make holding people accountable more difficult. The key to doing both is to have clear performance expectations while acknowledging that uncertainty will require continued debate and dialogue. When we do both of these things, we make it possible to give tough feedback, have difficult conversations, and confront the brutal facts with respect and trust.

What senior leaders need to remember is that this level of work often falls on the shoulders of middle managers. They are the ones who have to learn faster given the operational challenges that surface every day. They are the ones who have to figure out what is and what is not working.

One way to support middle managers is to hold safe, face-to-face meetings. During these gatherings, we have to share lessons learned, unlearned and relearned. This creates disciplined reflection and sharing.

Now, I understand that these meetings will takes time and people away from production. But it is not lost productivity. It is the building of capacity to meet the complex and changing needs of the current and future markets and the customers. When we create space for learning, we make learning happen faster and scaling up the lessons learned better.

For more information on execution-as-learning vs execution-as-efficiency, I suggest you read the following article: “The Competitive Imperative of Learning” by Amy C. Edmondson in the July-August 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

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

The Big Question

We were gathered in a very large conference room to start strategic planning for the next 3 years. The people in the room were appropriately spaced. Others could be seen on a massive screen from different locations around the country. The room had numerous mics so all could be heard and there was a screen just for sharing related documents.

As the process began, there was active engagement and dialogue by all involved. At times, I  felt like a traffic cop facilitating a rush hour discussion. Subjects and issues were popping up all over the place.

Finally, the CEO paused the discussion and said, “What is the problem or problems we are trying to solve here?” 

There was total silence as everyone paused to reflect. I just smiled because it was one of the best questions I had heard in 2021.

From my vantage point, the main strategic question for the next 3 years is a simple but very challenging one: How do we recover from a global pandemic? When we can answer this question, we can chart a path to the future.

To begin finding the answer, we have to understand that there are 3 stages of recovery when facing adversity. According to Judith Herman, a psychiatrist and a professor of clinical psychiatry at the Harvard University Medical School, the 3 stages of recovery are: 

- Safety and Stabilization

- Remembrance and Mourning

- Reconnection and Integration

This week, pause and reflect on the above question. Then, figure out where you and your organization is within the 3 stages. It is time to think deeply and holistically before we plan for the future.

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

The Miracles That Make Life Meaningful

“Remember “garbage in, garbage out”, writes Austin Kleon in his book, Steal Like an Artist: 10 things Nobody Told You About Being Creative (Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 2012). “You’re only going to be as good as the people you surround yourself with.”

I think we get so busy these days that we forget these two important truths about life. First, if we consume a diet of limited or incomplete information, we create a world view that is limited and incomplete. Instead, we need to read, listen and learn from a diversity of information sources so we are constantly expanding our depth of understanding and clarity.

Second, we need to continue to expand the circle of people who surround us. New friends, new colleagues and new teachers and mentors help us to have a more holistic world view and understanding.

And finally, we need to remember the words of Edward Tufte as we head further and further into this fall: “I have stared long enough at the glowing flat rectangles of computer screens. Let us give more time for doing things in the real world . . . plant a plant, walk the dogs, read a real book, go to the opera.” 

I have yet to meet someone during the later stages of their career or their life who has talked to me about trying to get more e-mail done or finish up a couple of more reports. Most of the time, these important conversations focus on people, lessons learned, and new adventures to be taken.

This week, step away from the glowing flat computer screens at work, and go outside. Marvel at the changes of the season. Celebrate the gift of being alive. Connect with those you love. Count the blessings in your life. These are the miracles that make life meaningful.

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

Choose Your Destiny

“For individuals, character is destiny. For organizations, culture is destiny”, writes the late Tony Hsieh in his book, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose (Business Plus, 2010). As he continues, “Over time, as we focused more and more on our culture, we ultimately came to the realization that a company’s culture and a company’s brand are really two sides of the same coin. The brand is just a lagging indicator of a company’s culture.”

We don’t read or write much about character and destiny these days. It seems like these terms are from long ago. Nevertheless, they still matter and they are still important. 

When we choose to hire someone for a position, we always want to know more about their character, not just their skill sets. Who they are is more important that what they can do. The necessary skills for a position will change over time but character transcends all.

The same goes with organizational culture, which is nothing more than the sum of agreed to behavioral norms. When a healthy culture is the constant through organizational change, people make appropriate choices and rise to their individual and collective challenges.

So, my two, big questions to you this week are direct and simple:

- What are you doing to improve your character?

- What are you doing to improve your organization’s culture?

Your destiny reflects your choices. Choose wisely. 

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

Answer The Big Questions

“All organizing efforts begin with an intent, a belief that something more is possible now that the group is together,” writes Margaret Wheatley in her book, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time. (Berrett-Koehler, 2005). As she explains, this intent is connected to identity, information, and relationships. She writes that “communities are webs of relationships”. 

With the global pandemic being so dynamic, we understand now that our world is interconnected on so many different levels. For example, my health and your health are connected. My choices and your choices impact our ability to choose and/or respond to the challenges before us.

When we grasp the magnitude of this perspective and reflect on all that has transpired during the last eighteen months, then we need to sit down and answer two big questions which comes from the aforementioned book by Margaret Wheatley:

- Who are we?

- What matters?

While our answers may change over time, the questions remain before us. No matter our age, we must at some point in life address these two questions. This may be difficult but it is still important.

This week, I encourage you to carve out some time and write out an answer to each question. The effort and the process are worth the time and the energy.  

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

Dealing With Status Quo

“More than anything,” wrote the late Warren Bennis in his book, Managing People is Like Herding Cats (Executive Excellence Publishing, 1997), “the difference between a leader and a manager rests on the status quo: Managers are willing to live with it, and leaders are not.” Truer words have not been written in quite some time.

Bennis in the same book builds on this insight. As he wrote, “Almost all organizations are presently caught between two paradigms in how they organize themselves and how they are led.” I think the challenge this coming fall is to determine if we have the courage to deal with status quo and then to change it. 

During the last three months, I have visited with many leaders and nearly all of them are fed up with the current status quo. They understand that “good is the enemy of great”, referencing an old Jim Collins phrase. They do not want to slip into a false sense of security and end up with mediocrity as being just fine.

Instead, they are eager to move themselves and their organization to the next level. The big question is “How do we do this?” In the aforementioned book, Bennis offers a unique first step. As he writes, “express the unspoken dreams of people.”

We know these unspoken dreams. People want to work at a company that respects and trusts them to do the right things for the right reasons at the right time. People want to do work that is meaningful and is making a difference in the world. People want a supervisor who knows them as a person rather than a position being filled. Finally, people want to be a part of a team that trusts each and works together.

These may seem like simplistic answers but they are not. Sometimes that which appears simple actually takes great effort, focus and attention over time. Simple is never easy. Quite a few of us have learned this from experience.

This week, as we all prepare for final quarter of 2021, reflect on whether or not you are willing to deal with status quo. If you are, then start figuring out what are the unspoken dreams of your people and how to turn them into reality.

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

The Person In The Mirror

“Success or failure in this job [as a leader] is essentially a matter of human relationships,” writes Robert Woodruff, former CEO of Coca- Cola Company.

John Maxwell builds on this idea in his book, Winning With People: Discover The People Principles That Work For You Every Time, (Nelson Books, 2004). As he writes, “All of life’s successes come from initiating relationships with the right people and then strengthening those relationships by using good people skills.”

“The most useful person in the world today,” writes Stanley C. Allyn, “is the man or woman who knows how to get along with other people. Human relations is the most important science in living.”

Maxwell notes that the first step to building, maintaining and strengthening relationships is to understand “The Mirror Principle”, namely “The first person we must examine is ourselves.” As he explains: “The first person I must know is myself - self-awareness. The first person I must get along with is myself - self-image. The first person to cause me problems is myself - self-honesty. The first person I must change is myself - self-improvement. The first person that can make a difference is myself - self-responsibility.”

I agree 100% with Maxwell and urge all of us this week to take stock of the person in the mirror. This is the pathway to becoming better people and better leaders.

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

Preparing For Transformation

“The challenge for leaders in every field is to emerge from turbulent times with closer connections to their customers, with more energy and creativity from their people, and with greater distance between them and their rivals”, writes William Taylor in his book, Practically Radical: Not-so-crazy ways to transform your company, shake up your industry, and challenge yourself (William Morrow, 2011). And I agree 100% with him.

As we move through this stage of the global pandemic, many senior leaders and their teams are deep into strategic level thought and planning. Most want to emerge strong, prepared and primed for more growth and profitability. Some are even using the word “transformation” as they prepare for the future.

When I participate in these strategic level dialogues, I am remind of the “Five Truths of Corporate Transformation” that William Taylor wrote about in the aforementioned book. As he explained:

- “Most organizations in most fields suffer from a kind of tunnel vision, which makes it hard to envision a more positive future.

- Most leaders see things the same way everyone else sees them because they look for ideas in the same places everyone else looks for them.

- In troubled organizations rich with tradition and success, history can be a curse - and a blessing. The challenge is to break from the past without disavowing it.

- The job of the change agent is not just to surface high-minded ideas. It is to summon a sense of urgency inside and outside the organization, and to turn that urgency into action.

- In a business environment that never stops changing, change agents can never stop learning.”

At this point, we know there is a lot of pent up demand in the market place and there will be a lot of competition to meet the needs of the market place. We also know there are high expectations for companies to offer outstanding customer service. High performance expectations are part of returning to normalcy.

With this in mind, all managers and leaders need to remember one other key point that Taylor made: “Forget the question, What keeps you up at night? The bigger question is What gets you up in the morning?  What keeps your people more committed than ever, even as the environment gets more demanding than ever?”

This week answer the above two questions for yourself, and then meet with your team to discuss your answers. Invite them to answer these questions, too. If we seek to be transformational in a post global pandemic world, we need all involved to be moving in the same direction and for the same reasons.

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

Timeless Insights

As someone who loves to read, I am always on the hunt for a good book. Recently, I have been rereading some books on leadership to glean new insights or to relearn some core concepts at a deeper level. One such book I have re-explored was written by Max De Pree and is called Leadership is an Art (Dell Publishing, 1990).

Inside this short book are three timeless insights that have gotten me thinking. The first insight is that leadership is the art of "abandoning oneself to the strengths of others”. Long before the Gallup Organization did their research on strengths based leadership, De Pree grasped the concept from his own experience. I love his use of the word “abandoning”. It makes the whole concept deeper and richer.

The second timeless insight is “The signs of outstanding leadership are found among the followers.” I have seen this numerous times and it is amazing. When followers are engaged, thoughtful, committed and collaborative, it is a reflection of a special working environment. And it points out that all involved have experienced some exceptional leadership.

The third timeless insight is the following: “the art of leadership: liberating people to do what is required of them in the most effective and humane way possible.” I love how De Pree frames up this definition as liberating people to do what is required. And at the exact same time, he defines the parameters for this action by the words “effective and humane.” Over the course of 35+ years, I have learned and relearned how powerful the action of liberation is for leaders and followers.

This is a wonderful book to read and I hope you touch base with it as we recover from this global pandemic. In the midst of our busy days, it is good to pause, reflect, and understand that there is the science of leadership, and that there is the art of leadership, too.

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

Leadership Requires Courage

Many years ago, I read a book by James Autry called The Servant Leader: How to Build a Creative Team, Develop Great Morale, and Improve Bottom-Line Performance (Prima Publishing, 2001). In it, he states that “Leadership in service of others requires a great deal of courage.” I have reflected on this many times because it is too easy to think of leadership as a reward for hard work rather than a responsibility. Patrick Lencioni wrote a whole book on the subject of leadership as a reward vs. a responsibility called The Motive: Why So Many Leaders Abdicate their Most Important Responsibilities (Wiley, 2020). It is nice to see two thoughtful individuals arrive at the same place.

Autry’s focus on service to others is defined by some very important characteristics of leadership. As he writes:

“Leadership is not about controlling people; it’s about caring for people and being a useful resource for people.

Leadership is not about being boss; it’s about being present for people and building a community at work.

Leadership is not about holding on to territory; it’s about letting go of ego, bring your spirit to work, being your best and most authentic self.

Leadership is less concerned with pep talks and more concerned with creating a place in which people can do good work, can find meaning in their work, and can bring their spirits to work.

Leadership, like life, is largely a matter of paying attention.”

As we enter the later part of this summer, I believe we need to sit down with young leaders who are new to the position of manager or leader and review step by step the above five sentences. We need to unpack them and explore what is the key idea within each sentence. We also need to discuss what are the core behaviors that make the idea a reality over time. This level of dialogue is vital if we expect this group to help position their teams and the company for a positive 2022 and 2023.

P.S. Now is the time to sign-up for the upcoming Fall 2021 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable on September 22 - 23, 2021. We will be meeting in-person at the Brown Deer Golf Club & Conference Center in Coralville, Iowa. 

Here is the agenda for your review:

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

8:30 am - Arrival & Visiting Time

9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do we recover organizationally from a global pandemic?

10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - How do we lead with strategic thinking rather than reactive operational problem solving?

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Lunch and Networking 

1:30 pm - 2:45 pm - How do we plan for the future when the future is still so unpredictable?

2:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Break

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - How do we empower others to move forward during this recovery period?

4:30 pm - Adjourn

Thursday, September 23, 2021

9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do I recover personally and professionally from a global pandemic?

10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break 

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Integration and Application

12:00 pm - Adjourn

The price for the full Fall Roundtable is $ 295.00.

The price for the one day Fall Roundtable attendance is $ 200.00.

Here is the link to the registration form:

https://chartyourpath.com/VTA-RT-Details.html

I hope you and your team are coming!

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