One of My Favorite Words

If I were asked to pick my favorite leadership word, it would not be purpose or mission although I do love these two words. It would have to be the word capacity. To me, it is a word with tremendous depth and complexity. I use it often and I am around many different leaders from many different industries who use it regularly.

When I teach the From Vision to Action Leadership Training, I point out that the dictionary definition of the word capacity has two different meanings. The first states that capacity is “the potential or suitability for holding, storing, or accommodating” something. The other definition for the word is “the facility or power to produce, perform, or deploy.” And, for me, each definition holds a clue to understanding this very interesting word.

In the first definition of the word capacity, there is a recognition that leaders who have capacity can hold, store and accommodate key information as they go about their daily or strategic work. They have the ability to zoom out to see the bigger picture and zoom in to focus on elements within a system or process to make sure it is functioning properly. In essence, capacity is a mindset of working through the intricate levels of strategic and operational thinking.

The second definition of the word capacity, for me, is all about execution. It focuses on making things happen on either a strategic or operational basis. It generates the desired outcomes, results or short term wins that have been planned out in advance.

Now, as leaders, our challenge is to help people to become better in their ability to think through technical or adaptive problems. We are to assist people in the creation of a mental framework by which all involved know what can and can not be changed or improved as they move forward through their days. Then, we are to assist them in choosing the right actions so they can be successful on an on-going basis.

This week, focus on building the capacity to plan better and to execute better. Help people think more clearly and work more clearly and you will have created a powerful flywheel at the core of your business.

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

Creating A Mission Driven, Core Value Led Culture

 To create a mission driven, core value led culture, leaders at all levels of the organization must prepare everyone to lead. This starts by making sure we have the “right people” in place to create the culture. They must be people who have a high degree of integrity and respect so others are willing to follow. They must be people who can lead change, and who can communicate a new vision. They also must be people who can create a sense of urgency, not panic for the changes to take place. Finally, they must be people who have the ability to maintain healthy interpersonal interactions at the team level.

Leaders also must win peoples’ hearts and minds in this process. They do this by connecting all we do back to the mission and the core values. This will require persistent instruction about what is most important, and continual reminders about how current success connects back to the mission, the core values, and the chosen strategy. 

We must also develop within people in leadership positions the capacity to correct all misalignments. This means teaching people how to recognize a misalignment and to know what options they have to correct it. As we know, leaders get what they exhibit and what they tolerate. Too many leaders right now are tolerating misalignments and sending consciously or unconsciously the wrong message about how to deal with them.

I hope this week you will make sure you have the right people with capacity on your team and that they are willing to help others co-create with you a mission driven, core values led culture.

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

Growing Capacity All Year Round

When it comes to the subject of how to grow capacity, the standard answer and the one we have explored in great detail during past From Vision to Action Executive Roundtables and in the From Vision to Action Leadership Training is that leaders grow capacity through growing clarity. Given the pace and speed of change in so many organizations this fall, a more in-depth answer is now needed.

As we all know, awareness turns into understanding when someone has a picture inside their head of optimal performance or what the goal looks like once achieved. Next, collaboration, which is critical to growing capacity, begins with the relationship someone has with others and their boss. Finally, commitment  starts when people understand how their job makes a difference and they feel a part of something that is purposeful.

My two recent insights about growing capacity come from rereading James  Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner’s book called A Leader’s Legacy. Jossey-Bass, 2006. As they note, the “single best predictor of career success [for an individual] is the relationship they had with their very first supervisor.” They also note that “... the most important leader is any organization is not the CEO or the head honcho; its the leader we see most often, the one we turn to when we need guidance and support.” As Kouzes and Posner remind us, the foundation for growing capacity start with healthy work relationships. 

This week, pause and evaluate your key relationships at work. It may be time to move them to a new level and depth of interaction.

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

Alignment vs. Control

As strategic leaders think and act, they understand something that is critical to their short and long term success, namely the difference between control based leadership and alignment based leadership.

Control based leadership focuses on, for the most part, maintaing status quo. These leaders want to get something done and then get things back to “normal.”  Through fear, intimidation and positional dominance, they can generate forward momentum, but it does not result in people being resilient, adaptable or creative.

On the other hand, alignment based strategic leaders understand that organizational change, people and the future are dynamic. Rather than controlling people, these leaders want all involved to stay true to the mission and the core values of the organization. This is the focus of all they do because they recognize that people will fundamentally support and co-create the future when they have a voice and ownership in the process. Alignment based leadership is a solutions and clarity based approach to all that is going on. 

While I value order and predictability in daily operations, strategic leaders focus on constant alignment within the strategic nexus, i.e. the sum of the mission, vision and core values plus the strategic plan. They know this will create long term commitment to building on new opportunities and being adaptable to change. They recognize that culture and strategy are inter-connected.

This week, talk with your team about the importance of alignment. It has the capacity to generate greater clarity, commitment and connection to what is most important in the work that they do.

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

The Organization of the Future

With the end of 2012 just over the horizon and the awareness of 2013 on the rise, everyone is starting to create special task forces and committees to envision the future. Furthermore, most senior executives are waking up to the need for their company to be more customer centric and more innovative. They know they need to compete better externally and collaborate better internally. The result of all this work is the development of many in-depth concept papers which will redesign the entire business from the supply chain straight through to the product and service delivery. 

Whenever one of my clients comes to me and talks about creating a future oriented team which will completely redesign the business, I always recommend we have a good long visit to review some key points.

First, I point out that the desire to change has to be matched by the capacity to change. Improving current execution and transforming the business are not the same thing. They require completely different skill sets and different time frames.

Second, I explain that everything begins and ends with the customer. Many businesses do not know their current customers, e.g. are they a one time buyer, repeat buyer, or loyal user? Furthermore, some companies assume that their customers are not making the right choices. Some do not even know if the relationship with the customer is healthy and whether or not it creates value in the eyes of the customer. 

Third, I remind them of something that A.G. Lafley and Ram Charan wrote about in their book, The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth With Innovation (Crown Business, 2008). As they note, “...doing innovation right means developing a repeatable, scalable, and consistent way of converting ideas into results. It requires a degree of standardization so that others can imitate the model and improve on it.” As I have learned over time, most new models for the future are neither scalable or consistent.  Many do not have a degree of standardization.

Building a committee to envision the future is very exciting and noteworthy. And now is a good time to begin. The key this week is to design the process in such a manner that it is successful over time and will result in sustainable organic growth.  This is not easy but it is important.

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