Hanging Out With Twenty Somethings: A Leadership Fitness Check Up

When you are outnumbered by three to one for several days with the twenty something generation, it’s a Margaret Mead anthropological experience. Demographers are on a hot streak again educating baby boom leaders in the art and science of welcoming the Gen Xers to the workplace. When theory and practice come together, it’s an eye opener.

Picture this. We’re on our way to dinner heading to the parking lot. One young man is holding a large garbage bag in his right hand, a cell in his left wandering around looking for the dumpster while having an animated phone conversation. The other young man is on his cell. The young woman is checking her text messages. I’m the only one determinedly working on my “slow” philosophy simply enjoying the surroundings.

The car is no different. Text messaging and cell phone talk. No good conversation here.

At the restaurant, things improve. Talk meanders to hot women and men among the patrons. I do my “be interested” not “interesting” approach by asking a few questions of each. What do they think of the water shortage problem? How are things going? The young people get engaged and put forth some fascinating views. I’m now more in my element!

I am beginning to tune in. I am in a different culture. Just soak it up and enjoy it. Let go of my own “way”. So, I decide to sit back and just “be”. Isn’t that what anthropologists really do?

I remember when I was in my twenties. Very keen. Full of new ideas. So happy to be out in the work place earning money, being independent. But, the work environment was not entirely welcoming and that feeling of being out of place persisted for many years. It is waning somewhat now because more of us in the baby boomer crowd are in leadership positions. Yet, with each successive wave of the generations, the culture divide is never far away. It’s a reality even more so with increasing diversity of ethnic backgrounds.

Technology adds to the complexity. The younger generation of workers has been raised on Web-based tools---chat rooms, wikis, blogs, personal broadcasting, peer-to-peer networks and the ubiquity of the cell phone. Their brains are hard wired differently. I watch them with amazement as they update their websites taking advantage of free ware to make picture collages, add new friends, alter the graphics. I’m counting on “Web Tools” for Dummies to being me up to speed.

The advent of the Web has added an element of pace and a new means of conversation for leaders to grasp and work with. The Net Generation moves fast and takes no prisoners. As demographers keep reminding us, young workers want feedback now. They want action asap. Yet, like in my younger days, they face a generation ahead of them that seems slower off the mark and resistant. In our defense, we value process and some reflective check points (call it managing risk).

There’s an upside. I can imagine that NetGen group is developing a new adaptive strength---tolerance. In turn, it is fostering, at an early age, the development of valuable skills in mentoring and coaching upward. Maybe that’s a good thing as during my twenty something days, the communication was decidedly one way.

For the baby boomers, let’s take some tips from the anthropologists: seek out the Net Gen’s views. Immerse and listen. Learn.

In his poem Experience, Ralph Waldo Emerson celebrated and encouraged differences:

Life is a train of moods like a string of beads, and as we pass through them, they prove to be many colored lenses which paint the world their own hue and each shows only what lies in its focus...[we] need the whole society to give the symmetry we seek.

When solving a problem, diversity almost always trumps individual ability. When making a prediction, diversity matters just as much as ability. Scott Page explains this in considerable detail in his book, The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies. The challenge is to work with not against it, especially regarding Gen X. For baby boomers, it’s a tall order and one that is no different than that which confronted those that came before us. We have no time to waste though if we want the best and the brightest to be on our teams.

Arnie, the Unexpected Anti-Terminator

He was nicknamed “The Austrian Oak” in his body building days. Now, he’s “The Governator” who has big dreams and is getting big things done. As a political leader Arnold Schwarzenegger appears to be living up to his oak tree legacy which symbolizes strength and endurance. Who could have imagined his apparent future success back in October 2003 when he defeated the then-Governor of California Gray Davis?

At first glance, his “rags to riches” immigrant story suggests that he’s no slouch, certainly a necessary prerequisite for any effective leader. But, many entrepreneurs who are typically fiercely independent fail miserably in the complex, multiple interest public sector arena. “Arnie”, as he is affectionately called, has stumbled here and there. However, despite the faux pas and some questionable past personal behaviour, he has managed to steer through the choppy waters and propel California into international prominence for tackling many tough issues.

His track record is enviable: leading edge legislation on intransient issues such as protecting the environment, emergency preparedness, quality pre-schooling for children, financial sustainability for the state and, more recently, proposed anti-gang initiatives directed towards intervention, suppression and prevention. Having a capable and strategically smart team around him has likely helped a great deal. There must also be something else at work though to move Arnie to act.

After reading an array of press on Governor Schwarzenegger, here’s one “take” on where he’s coming from. He’s a fast learner, open to new ideas and astutely tuned in to the interests and needs of the people of California. In that spirit, he champions innovations that make sense for the long-term.

At this distance from California, it’s not easy to evaluate whether and why he is an effective leader. Cynics might suspect he’s feathering his own ego needs for a lasting legacy. Expert critics might not like any or some aspects of the legislation he has enabled. Yet others might on balance applaud his leadership as courageous and practical. They might argue he is doing what leaders should in the presence of compelling data: taking the obstacles out of the way of the momentum of progress.

On balance, the unfolding story points to Governor Schwarzenegger showing leadership that makes a difference in a positive way. He is not only working the “Vision” side of leadership, he’s getting things done. It raises the question: what really makes Arnie tick?

His press coverage suggests a combination of factors:
1.He has a huge determination to prove himself. Mediocrity is not in his vocabulary;
2. He’s an inveterate goal-setter—big goals only
3. He abhors being a follower. He has been quoted as saying he “wanted to be part of the small percentage of people who were leaders, not the large mass of followers.” He is impressed with “leaders who use 100% of their potential.”
4. He doesn’t take no for an answer. He has had to overcome a lack of support especially in his early years where many people thought he would never succeed. It may be that helping others deal with large hurdles is built into his “DNA” as a matter of proving the naysayers wrong
5. He has had strong role models, such as Eunice and Sargent Shriver, who demonstrated that good public policy can make a big difference in building strong communities.

Arnie’s rise as a leader illustrates that leadership can come from anywhere and in the most unlikely of places. Given our increasing cultural diversity, his story is a reminder to us all to remain open to the talents of those around us.

One last word from “The Governator” to other leaders, as told to Linda Frum of the National Post for her May 26th article: concentrate only on the things you are able to do.

The White Light of Cognition

We’re all creative and innovative even if we think we’re not. Some of us get a thrill out of re-designing an existing process, program or product to make it a little better. Others find continuous improvement not enough and go for the home run---inventing something entirely new. Both are equally important ways of trying to change the world. Both are fundamental to the mind set of a strong leader. The status quo is not an option. But the status quo wins out more often than not because it’s hard to let in the “white light of cognition”.

It’s the “aha” moment when you see a problem in a new light. Sometimes, that moment arrives serendipitously, in a flash without warning. Other times, it has to be coaxed by being deliberate in the pursuit of the new and better. It is at this nexus of puzzlement and will to dig deeper that leaders have an opportunity to move the situation forward.

Simple stories I read in the newspaper remind me of this creative power that we exploit too little. Take the example of a young woman suffering from what appears to be anorexia, as described in How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman. Despite multiple attempts by the health care providers to help her, they failed and concluded repeatedly that she was “mentally unstable”. However, a Boston gastroenterologist solved the mystery. He took a different tact. First, he suspended his judgment. That is, he decided to believe her when she emphatically said that she was eating. Then, he asked her lots of questions. That led to the diagnosis of celiac disease, an inability of her body to digest wheat gluten. In comes the white light overriding the “errors of cognition” of all who had treated her beforehand.

Leaders anywhere are faced with similar dilemmas. Accept the prevailing “wisdom” (group think) or push more because some facts, opinions or experiences don’t quite fit?

Here’s another example. Imagine the umbrella and a windy, rainy day. We’re in for many of those days over the few months. By the time the snow flakes fly, many thousands of umbrellas will have “bitten the dust”. Turned inside out and never to return to their former symmetrical shapes. But, what if the umbrella was shaped like an airplane wing and re-directed itself to the best position to fit the wind? Yes, there is one---“The Senz”---designed by a young Dutchman who got tired of throwing out umbrellas. When this innovative umbrella comes to North America, I’ll be one of the first ones in line.

Innovation is top of mind in all organizations. In a recent survey we undertook for a client on leadership development practices, that was the most desired and the weakest capability. It can be learned, as we know from creativity experts such as Edward de Bono and others. It can also be as simple as each of us committing to letting the “white light of cognition” in. That means not putting up with the status quo when it’s not working, suspending judgment, being interested rather than interesting (asking lots of questions) and accepting that what you know might be wrong.

It’s a tall order when the obstacles to change are many and the time to sit back and think is in short supply. The reward, however, will be the satisfaction of creating and inventing a better way. The excitement and joy are worth the flak necessary to get beyond the “errors of cognition”. The obstacles and the time constraints will seem a little less onerous in the midst of such an accomplishment!

From "Sick Man" to "Rich Man" in a Generation: Collaboration's Magic Potion

With a fair amount of Irish in me, I have had more than a passing interest in Ireland’s rise from the ashes. In one generation, Ireland’s leaders have stunned the pundits, nay-sayers and anyone else who thinks “it just can’t be done”. By deciding to work together (read, “collaborate”), the various stakeholders have aptly demonstrated that a shared “game plan” really works to the advantage of many not just the few. The idea applies to organizations as much as countries.

My ancestors were dirt poor when they arrived on Halifax’s shoreline in the early part of the 20th century. They barely rose above poverty most of their lives here. Nevertheless, they did leave a rich legacy. Over three generations, we finally worked our way “up”. Post-secondary education provided the main ticket to greater prosperity. Good government policy helped too: national health care, student loans, labour laws, private and public pensions, land-use planning, flood control, the assurance (more or less) of clean water and electrical power and more dependable services such as telephone, legal, police, fire, garbage, conservation and flood control. These gains for the greater good came about through private-public partnerships and sensible creative thinking.

While Ireland has taken cross-sectoral partnering to new heights, in comparison, it feels as if we’re in a funk and a slump. We are reminded by Stats Canada and a number of think tanks in our country and around the world that in comparison to other developed countries, we’ve got some significant problems: our standard of living is declining relatively speaking, we’re dead last among developed nations in our spending on early childhood education, our cities are suffering from many afflictions including lack of sustainable infrastructure funding, universities are under-funded and Canada’s poorest are no better off than they were 25 years ago.

Yet, Ireland, which has had some very bad times, is proving that overcoming adversity can be done in record time if the right “parties” agree and put their shoulders to the wheel. Poverty is one example. In 1997, Ireland developed a National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS) wherein poverty issues were placed at the heart of government decision making. The 10-year plan targeted all aspects of the problem: income, education, employment, health and housing. It took minimum wage-earners off the income tax roll and put more money into training, especially for immigrants and transient workers. It raised welfare payments, boosted child care and built more affordable housing. Poor neighbourhoods were provided with government investment if local partnerships of business leaders, activists and the poor themselves were formed to develop solutions.

The results speak to the effectiveness of Ireland’s collaborative, multi-faceted strategy: Ireland’s poverty rate has been slashed from 15 percent to 6.8 per cent. The Canadian rate has been stuck at 16 per cent for decades.

The seeds for change date back to the 1960s and continue unabated to this day. It’s a story of helping the “middle class” to get stronger and not lose ground in an increasingly interconnected global economy. The signal that better things were to come began with education. The Irish government created the policy structure for secondary education to be free (an issue we tackled long ago in Canada to our benefit). This enabled many more working class kids to get a high school or a technical degree. Joining the EU in 1973 widened the educated workforce upon which Ireland could draw. EU membership brought subsidies to build better infrastructure. As well, trade unionists, government, farmers and business people agreed on a plan of fiscal austerity, slashing corporate taxes to 12.6 per cent, moderating wages and prices and aggressively courting foreign investment. The icing on the cake occurred in 1996 when the government made college education free. Imagine what that would be like here!

By all accounts, the Irish “Way” is yielding benefits for many. According to Thomas Friedman (author of The World is Flat), nine out of ten of the top pharmaceutical companies, sixteen of the top twenty medical device companies and seven of the top software designers have operations in Ireland. Kick-started in one generation, this kind of synergy has no where to go but up. It’s not without warts and wrinkles, no doubt. However, the trend line looks good.

In Canada, there are ample examples of collaboration past and present within and across all sectors. These efforts continue despite a culture that is tentative in its support for balancing courageous, anticipatory decision making (tackling perceptible problems before they reach crisis proportions) with “90-day thinking” (focusing on those issues likely to blow up in a crisis in the next 90 days).

The lesson in the Irish “miracle” for me is this: collaboration in an organization or in a country will not happen without the endorsement and attention from the leaders at the top. Furthermore, those leaders must be willing to step out of their comfort zones and “let go” to experience the magic of many minds inventing a better way. Finally, they must act to pave the way for reform. Otherwise, we’re left to “work around”.

Customer Service Blooms

Spring must be in our collective psyche despite the persistently cool weather. For reasons inexplicable to me, I have been subject to unusually pleasant customer service. In that I am generally jaded about what I will encounter on the phone or face-to-face, these encounters came as a surprise. So low are my expectations that I barely recognized the good service I was receiving. Only when I basked in the benefits in my home environment did I realize that something special had happened.

Take the simple act of buying flowers. As my friends and family know very well, the ambience of a place either cheers me up or makes me grumpy. For example, candles in a restaurant are a must! Flowers are in the same category. The difference is they can cheer us up all day. But, I’ve been depriving myself of fresh cut flowers and small blooming plants for the house. I put myself on a flower budget over the past year because I realized that my “habit” was getting costly. I have not, therefore, frequented the flower kiosks in the grocery stores.

With the coming of Spring, I justified that my disciplined behaviour over the last several months warranted a reward---some flowers! Instead of avoiding the flower area in my local Dominion store, it became a magnet for my attention. My two visits have “exceeded my expectations”. With the benefit of my reflections on the first one, I asked a few questions of the woman who had taken care of me on both occasions.

This was her approach on my first visit. When completing the transaction, she took the opportunity to tell me how to take care of my new “Heather” plants. I did not know that cold, strong tea was the best source of water for them. I have dutifully followed her instructions with good results. I also purchased some roses; however, she mentioned nothing about them. Once home with the roses, I had some trouble with one drooping almost immediately. “No problem”, I said to myself. “That’s the norm and the price of working with fresh cut flowers.”

On my second visit, I repeated my pattern: roses and another flowering plant (lilies). This time, she met me while I was choosing the lily and provided advice on care and after care so I could re-use for next year. At the counter, she told me how to avoid drooping roses (very hot water). I would have walked away and repeated the same mistake and it certainly had not occurred to me to report my drooping problem. I had not one sad-looking rose upon following her advice. They were all still straight up even in the compost pile! The irony is that I have been advised of this “trick” in the past. I had simply forgotten it in the rush of life.

At the end of my second visit, I asked the employee how she gained her knowledge and why she was so helpful. She was essentially self-taught through books, the HGTV channel and experience over time. Her helpfulness was driven by a desire to send every single customer away with one tip. I don’t know whether management has made this a requirement (a positive attitude and an informed staff member) as I didn’t get that far in my questioning. I do know that my own attitude towards the store in general has gone up.

Some very successful organizations stress the importance of “attitude” in their recruiting strategy combined with a supportive working environment. Southwest Airlines is a prime example. I believe West Jet is the same---confirmed by a recent experience. Blockbuster tries by having a staff member say “Hello” to each entering customer. Home Depot is on the road to recovery with a new CEO who is stressing customer service for all, not just some. The previous one dropped the ball by focusing on the construction trades and making life miserable for staff (as different from the founders). Home Depot’s business suffered accordingly. Thus, the best attitudes can be spoiled in an environment that fails to enable an employee to shine and messes with customer relationships.

Yes, I know. This is old news. But, maybe, things are getting better. That is, leaders are becoming more determined to get customer service right as the hard evidence piles up. Dollar signs are not easily ignored in a world where great success can become great failure with unhappy, poorly prepared employees.

It’s not as simple as it seems. My experience evolved from the employee caring (a great attitude) and knowing something worthwhile (providing quality information). A reduction in quality of the service or the product would have compromised my satisfaction. For example, our own Issy Sharp has parlayed the Four Seasons Hotels over more than 40 years into a worldwide luxury brand. His deep regard for satisfied and well-selected and trained employees and attention to every detail of the customer experience are the prime sources of his success as a leader.

Another that comes to mind is the founder of Dyson vacuum cleaners. He has tapped into a disgruntled world wide customer base with a vacuum cleaner that really does the job. His passion for making something better and then providing the service and support to reach customers has made him a billionaire. At the same time, he’s contributing to making a “cleaner”, healthier world.

This Spring I’ve been on a roll. Better customer service at every turn as I go about my errands and business. I’m blowing my flower budget with my new found faith in service. I relented and bought a Dyson because I became more aware of how much I’ve been putting up with when I did not need to do so. The good experience of quality and customer service is stoking the fires of “ambience”, a feeling I cannot ignore.

Resisting the Flow of Success

Jane Austen’s sentiments about life and its challenges are in the air again. Two hundred years later, her “brand” is still going strong with two movies to be released this year. Her astute observations about life between and among the classes and the masses resonate.

Stories encompassing moral dilemmas, the great divides of class and money, and spunky women asserting their rightful places in society have enduring messages. One is the capacity not to get swept away by success and corrupt our character as a result.

This myopia of the mind is most obvious when someone becomes famous suddenly or was handed fame and fortune at birth. Some deal with it well. Others succumb to the hypnotism of adulation and the feeling of power that goes with it. We witness the “problem” with the steady stream of Hollywood lives gone awry. The spotlight is seductive and mesmerizing.

This is every leader’s call to character. Canada’s very own Conrad Black who is facing serious charges in the United States for fraud reminds us of the monumental challenge of sustaining leadership success. Put another way, how does a leader avoid crashing and burning?

Having a good dream, a vision, and getting people to rally around it is insufficient. Working hard is not enough. The mania of success, as we’ve witnessed too often in the last few years with various corporate scandals, cannot withstand an avoidance of looking inward to what matters.

We have serious moral obligations to each other and most importantly to ourselves. With the swirling events around us in our workplaces, it’s easy to forget who we are and who others are.

I remember watching and reading about Martha Stewart during her tough times with the legal system in the US. Her “crime” seemed small in relation to the punishment meted out. On closer examination, the stories about her leadership revealed a woman who put business goals above all else, with scant attention to the emotional and other needs of the people around her. Greek hubris visited her. When in need, there were few who came to her support.

It appears that Conrad Black may be suffering the same fate. His partner and long time business associate, David Radler, has abandoned him for higher ground. Historians will no doubt enlighten us in the years to come about the reasons for the unraveling of the relationship. Character, in my opinion, will be central to the analysis.

Another leadership story, with Jane Austen’s underlying character themes, is brewing on the Canadian Federal political scene. Prime Minister Stephen Harper appears to be “in charge” managing deftly to win the hearts and minds of some voters. His firmness and control of the decision making in his caucus are appealing. His ability as a “chess player” outfoxing the opposition and making their issues, his party’s issues is to be admired. On the other hand, Stephane Dion, the Liberal leader of the opposition, has a softer, less defined persona. Lack of charisma coupled with integrity are his personality markers. He is working on his “firmness” and presentation style. But, who in the long run who has what it takes to last no matter what battle is being waged and fought?

The Globe and Mail’s Lawrence Martin warns of a danger for Stephen Harper. He contends that “while his shrewd and purposeful style of government has earned him respect, he has not built up a lot of loyalty. His remote, his all-controlling nature, his keeping everyone on a tight leash, has won few friends.” Lurking for Harper or anyone in his position is the anesthetic of success and power in the absence of a reality check on his social and emotional universe. Will he come to terms with and “resist the flow of success”?

I wonder what advice Jane Austen would offer? The word for experience comes from the Latin words ex pericolo, which mean “from danger”. She might suggest this: “pay attention” because there’s more to success as a leader than being smart. In today’s complex environment power is earned not enforced. Compliance does not equal commitment. The respect by the group for its leader happens because he builds a culture allowing the group to fulfill its potential. The paradox of having control is letting go. It seems high risk but the alternative is really so.

Baird's Progress on the Environment Watch

Since the Tories named John Baird as their new Environment Minister, the environment issue has taken off. In two short months, we’ve been visited in a flourish by Al Gore and Sir Nicholas Stern, former chief economist of the World Bank. Both are passionate, as is David Suzuki and many other scientists, about the dangers of global warming. They have ignited a firestorm of interest.

In the midst of this whirlwind, how has Baird held up as a “newbie” leader and manager? I’ll use the three most important early actions of new managers described by Linda Hill of Harvard University (see my January 7, 2007 blog).

First, how has John Baird demonstrated character, that is, the intention to do the right thing?

He has kept a really low profile and deferred to his boss, Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But worse, he made a faux pas by implying that Al Gore had praised the Tory government about its environment actions. During the Question Period of the House of Commons in early February, Baird said:

“I can quote someone speaking about Canada’s environmental role in the world, ‘Canada is once again providing leadership in the world, fighting above its weight class and showing moral authority to the rest of the world. That’s what Canada is known for.’ Do you know who said that yesterday, Mr. Speaker? Al Gore.”

Whoops! It was taken out of context (Gore was referring more to general support across parties and regions in Canada, not the Tories’ policies, per se). It earned a quick rebuke from Gore. For a newbie, it’s dangerous to get a swelled head too fast. Humility works better when you are tentatively a new member of the global warming issue team.


How has Baird demonstrated competence, knowing how to do the right thing?

The only message I’ve noticed from both Baird and Harper is that it’s impossible for Canada to meet the Kyoto Accord agreements for carbon dioxide emissions. While that appears to be true, they speak little of making an effort nevertheless. Instead, they worry about the cost to the economy in the short term with no underlying data rationale and fail to raise the moral consequences of inaction. They choose also to make light of a serious agreement that, in principle, has merit at the least to focus attention on a global priority.

The scientist in me says that the right thing is to accept we’ve got a problem and to get on with showing leadership through action. No excuses or foot dragging.

How has Baird demonstrated influence or the ability to deliver and execute the right thing?

Baird is nowhere to be seen. Rather than build on all the hard work to date by many people from multiple disciplines and governments, Baird and company are intent on their own “homegrown” plan. It’s not smart to not leverage others’ smart thinking. It’s not smart not to balance the long term with the short term. It’s not smart to be slow and have no or few quick wins.

Put another way, John Baird has been drowned out by the chorus of concerns from people with more credibility. His boss has garnered more attention by deftly insinuating the Conservatives into the “green” agenda. However, he and his party are still on the defensive and in catch up mode. Ordinary Canadians are much farther along the action curve than the Federal Tories.

In summary, John Baird has had a tough couple of months as a new leader and manager. Coming out of the starting gate, he has either stumbled or kept himself at arm’s length from the action. He tried to hitch a ride with Gore and others who long ago earned respect for their role in raising awareness on the environment. He wasn’t allowed on the horse. His boss has largely been the face of the environment. Baird has been in the background.

John might do better by asking his boss for a revised mentoring plan that included him.