Remember The Stockdale Paradox

In the midst of all that is going on right now, let us pause and remember that we are not the first people to face a significant challenge in the history of the world. Previous generations have experienced world wars, epidemics and even a depression which included a drought in the midwest called the dust bowl. While the numbers of people who can remember this are quite elderly, we must remember that there have been survivors of these past difficulties. Now, it is our time to stand up to these complex, adaptive challenges and to survive as well.

And over the course of time and history, there have been many companies who also have had to face major crisis events. There are numerous books filled with the fascinating stories about how they did this.

One book that is helping me to maintain perspective was written by Jim Collins and is called Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap. . . and Others Don't (HarperBusiness, 2001). In it, Collins writes about how good companies became great companies even in the midst of challenging circumstances. As he explains, “In every case, the management team responded with a powerful psychological duality. On the one hand, they stoically accepted the brutal facts of reality. On the other hand, they maintained an unwavering faith in the endgame, and a commitment to prevail as a great company despite the brutal facts.” He called this capacity to embrace a psychological duality the “Stockdale Paradox”.

As he explains, “The name refers to Admiral Jim Stockdale, who was the highest-ranking United States military officer in the “Hanoi Hilton” prisoner-of-war camp during the height of the Vietnam War. Tortured over twenty times during his eight -year imprisonment from 1965 to 1973, Stockdale lived out the war without any prisoner’s rights, no set release date, and no certainty as to whether he would even survive to see his family again.” 

When asked how he survived, Stockdale replied, “I never lost faith in the end of the story…. I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade…. This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end - which you can never afford to lose - with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”

Recognizing the psychological duality, Jim Collins writes, “The Stockdale Paradox is a signature of all those who create greatness, be it in leading their own lives or in leading others. Churchill had it during the Second World War. Admiral Stockdale, like Viktor Frankl before him, lived it in a prison camp. And while our good-to-great companies cannot claim to have experienced either the grandeur of saving the free world or the depth of personal experience of living in a POW camp, they all embrace the Stockdale Paradox. It didn’t matter how bleak the situation or stultifying their mediocrity, they all maintained unwavering faith that they would not just survive, but prevail as a great company. And yet, at the same time, they became relentlessly disciplined at confronting the most brutal facts of their current reality.”

When we as leaders embrace the Stockdale Paradox, we will lead with questions rather than answers, engage in strategic dialogue rather operational blaming, and we will own our decisions rather than finding fault with others’ decisions and actions.

Reading Jim Collin’s writing about the Stockdale Paradox, reminds me of the work by Ryan Holiday in his book, The Obstacle Is The Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, Penguin, 2014. As he explains, “Every obstacle is unique to each of us. But our responses they elect are the same: Fear. Frustration. Confusion. Helplessness. Depression. Anger.” And all of us have been experiencing fear, frustration, confusion, helplessness, depression and anger during the last couple of weeks of social distancing and sheltering in place. COVID-19 feels like one massive obstacle that is impeding our actions and our choices on a daily basis.

At times like these, we as leaders need to remember something Andy Grove, former CEO of INTEL wrote: “Bad companies are destroyed by crisis. Good companies survive them. Great Companies are improved by them.” We need to think of COVID-19 not just as a problem or obstacle to our success as much as an opportunity to improve. We can improve how we work, communicate, collaborate and problem solve. We can improve how we serve our customers and our communities. We also can improve ourselves. This is not easy work but it is, nevertheless, important work.

First, now is the time to check your perspective on all that is happening around you and within you. You may not be able to control the big picture or all the elements within your company, your division, your department or even your team. But you can control your mind and your emotions. Now is not the time to panic as a leader. As Ryan Holiday wrote: “It’s a huge step forward to realize that the worst thing to happen is never the event, but the event and losing your head.”

Second, now is the time for right actions rather than just action. We need to remember that leaders get what they exhibit and what they tolerate. We need to be consciously role modeling clarity, thoughtfulness, compassion, and persistence. We should not tolerate disrespect, shaming, or blaming. We are all in this together and we need to stand together in it. As Ryan Holiday reminds us: “We forget: In life, it doesn’t matter what happens to you or where you came from. It matters what you do with what happens and what you’ve been given.”

Third, now is the time to focus on progress over perfection. Operational excellence happens on a day to day basis. We move forward step by step. It requires disciplined thought and disciplined action. And leaders have to be extremely disciplined right now. As Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao write in their book, Scaling Up Excellence: Getting To More Without Settling For Less (Crown Business, 2014): “Scaling requires grinding it out, and pressing each person, team, group, division, or organization to make one small change after another in what they believe, feel, or do…. When big organizations scale well, they focus on moving a thousand people forward a foot at a time, rather than moving one person forward by a thousand feet.” Now is the time to move a thousand people forward one step at a time.

This week, let us remember the words of Marcus Aurelius: “Our actions may be impeded . . . but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

As always, we need to stay strong, stay healthy, and stay safe. I look forward to seeing you on the other side.

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

How do leaders cope with prolonged uncertainty and having too much to do? - part #2

When working through prolonged uncertainty and having way to much to do given the time before you, it is important surround yourself with the right people. I wrote earlier this fall about the importance of having the right people on the right seats on the bus. To build on that line of thought, I believe it is time we stop retaining people who routinely mess things up. These individuals consistently take your time and focus away from the right things, operationally and strategically. Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great notes that having the right people in the right places reduces distractions and increases engagement.

On a parallel track, having the right people around you creates the conditions for right action. I have learned over the course of my life that action is commonplace, and right action is not. We as leaders want people to do the right thing at the right time with the right information for the right reasons. What I have learned is that the right people bring something unique to the right action equation, namely more allies who role model the core philosophy of the company, and more people who offer a collective commitment to always doing things better.

Finally, we need allies and mentors in our lives who will help us rediscover our internal strength. At the Spring 2016 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable, I talked about the importance of separating role from self. Many commented to me that this was a helpful reminder. Today, I want to go further than that.

Now, I believe we need to further develop our non-work identities, because more and more people in leadership positions are becoming solely identified by their work. As Erin Reid and Lakshmi Ramarajan write in their article “Managing The High Intensity Workplace,” Harvard Business Review, June 2016, we need to develop our “civic self, an athletic self, a family-oriented self.” With this level of wholeness, we gain greater perspective and capacity to handle life’s challenges.

This week, remember the advice of  Gary Keller with Jay Papasan in his book, The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, Bard Press, 2012: “What you build today will either empower or restrict you tomorrow.” It is time to build for a better tomorrow.

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

Two Interesting Books

Recently, two very interesting books were given to me, and I have enjoyed reading them quite a bit.

The first book was called The Obstacle Is The Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph (Penguin, 2014) by Ryan Holiday. It is, in part,based on the following quote by Marcus Aurelius: “Our actions may be impeded . . . but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” 

As the author explains, “Every obstacle is unique to each of us. But our responses they elect are the same: Fear. Frustration. Confusion. Helplessness. Depression. Anger.” Yet, he points out that within every obstacle, trial or problem is “an opportunity to improve out condition.”  

The book revolves around the notion that overcoming an obstacle is a discipline of three critical steps, namely, perception, action and will. 

Perception impacts “how we see and understand what occurs around us - and what we decide those events will mean.” As Holiday explains, there are a few things to keep in mind when faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. We must try to be objective, to control emotions and keep even keel, to choose to see the good in a situation, to steady our nerves, to ignore what disturbs or limits others, to place things in perspective, to revert to the present moment, and to focus on what can be controlled. In short, we need to learn to be objective, i.e. what happened, instead of solely being subjective, i.e. that which happened is bad.

Action, the second of the three steps, is commonplace but right action is not. As he points out, “We forget: In life, it doesn’t matter what happens to you or where you came from. It matters what you do with what happens and what you’ve been given.” Recognizing that “excellence is a matter of steps,” the author quotes the stoic Epictetus who wrote “persist and resist.” As Holiday further explains, “Persist in your efforts. Resist giving in to distraction, discouragement, or disorder.”

The third discipline is Will, which he explains as “our internal power, which can never by affected by the outside world.” As Holiday writes, “If Perception and Action were the disciples of the mind and the body, then Will is the discipline of the heart and the soul.” As he continues, “in every situation we can make the following choices:

- always prepare ourselves for more difficult times.

- always accept what we’re unable to change.

- always manage out expectations.

- always persevere.

- always learn to love our fate and what happens to us.

- always protect our inner self, retreat into ourselves.

- always submit to a greater, larger cause.

- always remind ourselves of our own mortality.”

Whatever the obstacle, Ryan Holiday encourages us to do the following: “First, see clearly. Next, act correctly. Finally, endure and accept the world as it is.”

Upon completing the book and reflecting on all that was contained in it, I believe this book can be quite helpful for leaders who are working at all different levels within an organization. In particular, I believe the book offers a sound framework for dealing with some of the current challenges that are surfacing during one to one coaching or check-in sessions. Given the number of people who are feeling overwhelmed by the pace of change and transformation plus feeling totally scattered by the volume of work that needs to get done, I believe that the book, The Obstacle Is The Way, providers the coach and the person receiving the coaching a framework to move through their challenges in a thoughtful and respectful manner. 

I also believe this book could be a good team read during the next six months. As many of you have recognized, things are not going to slow down this summer. Many have actually reported to me that today’s depth of urgency will be nothing compared to the amount of urgency that will surface between July 1 and the end of September as more and more companies realize that they must make solid progress on their strategic plans if they are going to complete them in a satisfactory manner within the allotted time frame, which currently is somewhere around 2018.  

Therefore, I recommend this book for all who are coaching people during the coming months and for those who are leading leadership teams that are struggling. I think you will find this a very helpful resource for your leadership library.

The second book was called The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change (Scribner, 2014) by Adam Braun. 

Years ago, during a From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable, we got into an interesting and in-depth discussion about realistic and effective executive stress management systems. While folks around the table shared a diversity of systems and exercises that they used to cope with executive stress, I was asked what I did. Of course, I shared about gardening, cooking and walking, but I also shared that there are days when I focus less on stress management and more on finding meaning and purpose in my life. For I have discovered over time that I can not always make my life less stressful, but I can make it more meaningful. And it is the sense of purpose and meaning in my life  that helps me make it through the rough patches.

One thing I did share that morning was that I like to read books about people who inspire me. And when I picked up the book, The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change, I discovered another resource in this category. 

Adam Braun was a young and successful person on the path to a successful Wall Street career. However, while traveling he met a young boy begging on the streets of India, who after being asked what he wanted most in the world, simply answered, “A pencil.” This small request changed Braun’s world view and eventually led him to leave his prestigious job to found Pencils of Promise which has built more than 250 schools across Africa, Asia and Latin American.  

If you are seeking fresh perspective about whether or not a single person can make a difference, then reading this book needs to be a part of your journey. If you are seeking lessons learned along that path, then, again, reading this book is a must. As Howard Thurman noted, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” This book is one place which will inspire you to become more alive.

Happy reading!

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