Quick Tips for New Leaders

Project Management

You need well executed projects to accomplish your goals. Clearly define and delegate.

• Define the elements of the project and assign responsibility to those best able to manage and execute those elements.
• Once assigning a task to someone – let them handle it. They should be accountable to you, but you should not rush in to micro-manage or to give others pieces of the project.
• Respect the chain of command you have established.
• Allow project leaders to pick your own team (committee) and manage them
• Clarify team (committee) goals and deadlines – hold people accountable.
• Always give positive recognition.

Meeting Management

Your time and everyone else’s is of incredible value. Invest it wisely.

• Set and keep a time schedule.
• As meeting manager (CEO or facilitator) be on time.
• Have an agenda – and publish it – also have paper copies.
• No surprises – everyone involved should know the purpose of the meeting.
• If guests are invited, advise them in advance that they are guests and will be given the opportunity to speak when it is appropriate to the reason they are in attendance.
• Nurture a climate that encourages people to express their own views – and to offer constructive disagreements and/or criticism.
• Share the responsibility of the meeting with attendees by having them responsible for different aspects of the agenda.
• Have a living agenda rather than a static one and allow others to input into the agenda before it is published.
• Start and end on time – that shows respect for others

Capture Your Audience

Have you seen the movie “The King’s Speech”? The would-be King had trouble speaking and sought coaching. He was given many exercises. What was the reason for the exercises given to the King? To relax him, get him away from his fears (his father’s messages), go from stiff and awkward to comfortable. All of the above.

Being a good public speaker takes practice and presence to capture the attention of your audience. 

How do you capture an audience? The following are some tips that will make your public speaking more effective – whether on stage, in a meeting, or even at home.

Tip 1: First give them the bucket into which they can put the information.

• If you tell them what you are trying to convince them of, they then can put context to your information. Without the bucket it could be just random information.
• Think of the mind as a filing cabinet – which drawer – which folder to put the information in – so that it can be retrieved later. The same is true if you are storing files in a computer.
• The bucket is the label.
• This is also the time to engage your audience and get them interested.

Tip 2: Speaking is not the same as writing – or lecturing in class 

• Less is more when you speak – make a few points and 
• Be sure to repeat them often
• Be careful not to be too dry, too “lecturee”, or they will fall asleep.
• When you are writing an article, or book your audience can go back and re-read what they have read before.  When you are speaking to them publicly they have to capture what you are saying while you are saying it.

The most powerful way to connect with other people is through face-to-face interaction.

• Public speaking lets you share experiences, teach, motivate others, and sell yourself, your product, service or idea.
• Stage actors feel differently than actors performing only in front of a camera. There is feedback from the audience and an emotional connection that can only happen when people are there in front of you.
• So, connect with your audience, not with your notes, computer or power-point.
• As a matter of fact, when I teach, not only don’t I use my computer, but I don’t let my students use it either.

Tip 3:  Be Real – Be Authentic

I once got my money back after watching a so-called famous public speaker do all sorts of phony and rehearsed gestures. He gestured in a rehearsed manner; he got down on one knee and seemingly beseeched his audience. I was turned off. True, there were some people in the audience that were enthralled with him, but I doubt any intelligent, sophisticated people were fooled.

• Nothing turns your audience off more than if they think you are being phony.
• You need to be relaxed, warm, and engaging – but in your own style
• Lady Gaga and Barbra Streisand are not the same
• Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra were not the same
• A symphony orchestra is different from a jazz band.
• Be sure of your topic – do your research and your rehearsal, so that when you get up to speak, your audience feels comfortable that you are the expert and you are confident in what you are saying.
• Referring to your notes is OK – reading a lecture is boring, boring, boring.

Tip 4: Stories Sell

• Personalize it – give them stories that enable them to “SEE” what you are saying
• Anecdotes – vignettes – all help
• Great quotations from others are really good
• Know your audience before picking your stories – you want to be sure that what you tell them relates to who they are and what they want to learn.

Tip 5: Be humorous – but don’t tell jokes or use jargon.

• A slight amount of self-deprecating humor builds rapport – don’t overdo it
• If one or more of your stories is humorous, good.
• Unless you are a professional at joke-telling, you will probably not tell your joke well and might offend members of your audience. You are much better off not telling jokes.
  
  “Feed the kitty” – I once shocked an audience because when teaching them about the importance of understanding other cultures, I told them the story about a group of design engineers who met often but couldn’t get one of their members to speak at those meetings.
  
  This man was intelligent, creative, interesting and had good ideas when writing or in a one-on-one, but because of the social expectations of the culture in which he was raised, he could not speak in a manner that might disagree with others in a meeting. Instead of understanding his culture, they created a penalty for those who didn’t speak in meetings.  They mandated that $1.00 be placed “in the kitty” for every 15 minutes of silence.
  
  Members of my audience, from other countries, really thought I was saying to put money into a live kitten.

Tip 6: Power point is not your crutch

• Don’t use it unless you truly have visuals to offer (pictures/graphs)
• Less is more – don’t overdo it
• Never talk to your power-point – you will lose your audience.
  
  How many times have you seen someone either read their power point from their computer, and/or actually turn their back on their audience to read from the screen itself?
  
  The only exception – when you have an audience where most of the members do not speak the same language as you – and you are offering this as a way of them actually understanding your words. I once gave a speech to a group of Taiwanese Engineers.  As I looked out at my audience, I realized that my language and theirs was so vastly different that I should have used a power point to make it easier for them to understand me.
• Don’t let your Power Point be your Crutch.
  I remember being at a conference where a CEO was scheduled to speak. He had difficulties with his computer and wasted 15 minutes trying to get it to work.  In the end, he adlibbed and was much more interesting than if he had used the power point prepared for him by his staff.

Tip 7: Image and Body Language Count

• Only Steve Jobs can get away with jeans
• Dress professionally – look at news & weather reports for ideas
• Be clean, neat, comfortable – and able to forget what you are wearing.
• Be your most professional self – not your most stiff and don’t wear something that you will later be embarrassed or uncomfortable about.
• Be fluid and flexible in your movements; be careful not to appear jerky. Stiff and awkward hand gestures – just because someone told you to use hand gestures don’t work. Again, that’s why it is so important to be relaxed and natural.
• This means lots of practice in situations that are less important to you – so that when you do have the opportunity to get before an audience, you are comfortable with public speaking.
• Don’t get in the way of your power point or slides if you are using them. You don’t want your audience to have to move to the side in order to see around you.
• Better to stand than to sit – unless the audience is small or you are injured.
  I was speaking publicly shortly after having been in an automobile accident.  I was using the podium as a crutch, leaning against it because I was in too much pain to stand freely. The speech was taped and was part of a series submitted to a Speaker’s Bureau.  I was dinged because instead of being out in front with my audience, I was “hiding” behind the podium.

Never forget why you are there to speak

My messages to you today is to help you “Capture Your Audience” and  give you a series of tips to make your public speaking on stage, in meetings, and at home more effective.

What were those tips?

• First give them a bucket into which they hear and save the information.
• Speaking is not the same as writing. When speaking less is more and you need to repeat your message in different ways.
• Be real – be yourself – but your relaxed and confident self.
• Stories sell – but they need to be relevant to your topic and to your audience.
• Don’t tell jokes (unless you are a professional comedian) or use jargon
• Don’t use Power Point unless there is real value in graphics or when talking with an audience whose language is different from your own.
• Finally, image and body language count. Be your best self, not your laziest one.

Leadership in the 21st Century: What Makes it Different?

I recently spoke to about 120 college students – the leaders of tomorrow. My topic was “Leadership in the 21st Century”. I tried to give them a sense of how times have changed and what they needed to consider as they moved forward in their careers. I want to share some of my talk’s highlights with you.

Today, we are leading and managing in a global economy: In the past, we worked with people who lived near us, went to the same schools and houses of worship, and shared the same culture. It was relatively easy to understand the people with whom we interacted. If we hadn’t known them personally before, we probably knew their siblings. People from all parts of the world are now working side by side. They come from different cultures and speak different languages.

Their beliefs and values differ, as do the ways they’ve been managed. Thus, we need to learn new styles of management. We also are now a workplace of men and women, whereas in the past, genders largely operated separately. So our challenge today is to work with, and lead and manage, people who are different from us.

Today, the way we interact with others at work is changing, too: In the past, we communicated with people face-to-face. They were members of the same team, located in the same room. If they worked in other departments, we could walk from where we were to where they were and see them in person. This gave us valuable information and enabled us to develop positive working relationships.

Yesterday, we could “manage by walking around”, actually seeing and talking with the people we managed. Today, people work from home, or are located across the country or in other parts of the world.

Yet we are expected to work with them in teams, and to manage and lead them effectively. So we use e-mail, social media, Skype, and other technical tools. The advantage to this, of course, is that we can communicate with people all over the world without getting on planes. The disadvantage is that under these circumstances, it is much more difficult to create positive workplace relationships, to build trust, understanding, and rapport.

Today, technology and how we use it change almost minute by minute: I may be showing my age here, but I grew up before desktop computers even existed. I acquired my first while finishing my doctoral dissertation. It was a large computer that ran on a DOS operating system and performed mainly word processing. But over the years we’ve gone from desktops to laptops to minis to tablets. Soon we will just have chips implanted in our bodies. Phones have evolved, too, from dial-ups plugged into the wall to push-button, to cordless, and to cell phones that are getting smaller and smaller and becoming capable of doing more and more.

This is exciting, but it’s also chaotic. Too frequently, we must learn new ways of working. Instead of increasing our efficiency, these innovations often reduce it during the training phase. Then, once we’ve learned how to use a new software program or technical tool, something new comes along and we’re forced to adapt again.

Today, businesses creating products that cause such “disruptions” are considered exciting: Why? Because the technologies they offer are so different and imaginative they change the way we work, think, and interact. My Nook is a good example. I can now purchase and upload hundreds of books onto a small tablet that allows me to increase and decrease the font size to suit my comfort. I’ve considered donating some books in my personal collection to a public library – a thought I wouldn’t have entertained even a year ago. Businesses getting funded today are primarily those that create disruptive technologies.

But what is happening to stable and continuing ideas, services, and products? I fear our quest for newness often leads us to adopting fads – especially in my field of consulting. Most of us don’t offer anything new, exciting, different, or disruptive. We provide clear, concise, practical solutions to workplace problems. How boring to those wanting the newest fad!

Today, we are leading and managing an educated workforce: Few jobs (especially here in California) involve simple task accomplishment. Thus, managers must hire well, paying attention during interviews to how candidates answer questions, because that’s a clue to their intelligence (as well as that of the interviewers, I hasten to add). Moreover, we need to be sure there’s a company-culture (as differentiated from a country-culture) fit, because we rely on people to work in teams. In addition, we must manage today’s educated employees differently. Whips and bullying won’t work. A “funnel theory” of management is at play where you start with tight control, and as you get to know the employees and they get to know you, you may loosen control.

Also today, we must delegate and share the decision-making process. For many people this isn’t easy, and it’s especially difficult for leaders who started and nurtured their company themselves. It’s hard to let go and let others do it their way, which may differ from yours. Because of the complicated nature of work these days, the annual performance appraisal is worthless (although in my opinion it always has been).

Employees require frequent feedback; that is, they need to know in a timely manner that they are hitting the dartboard. Because of the aforementioned complex work, and the place in which we are doing it (home, office, another country), creating standards of accountability, and managing for them, are more difficult.

Today, creating and managing a positive emotional environment are harder too: Time and again, studies have shown that the emotional relationship people have with their teammates and supervisors plays a huge role in whether they stay or change jobs even during a recession. Yes, there will always be people who remain in a horrible job because they desperately need the money but, generally speaking, people stay where they feel good. Many organizations are developing software and Internet-related technologies that their employees may or may not see as helping humanity.

If you work for a hospital, a pharmaceutical company, or an outfit that’s developing better and safer ways to deliver food, you probably feel good about what you’re doing. But as a whole, it’s becoming more difficult for people to feel the job they perform is important. One development that’s enabling both organizations and their employees to feel better about themselves is companies’ growing awareness of their responsibility to the community.

Thus, they’re allowing – indeed encouraging – employees to give time as well as money to community service. Walks for organizations like the Red Cross and heart, diabetes, and cancer associations have become company activities. Allowing employees this avenue of service improves the bottom line – rather than reducing it – by enhancing the company’s image, increasing employees’ motivation and productivity, and advancing team development.

Today, we work primarily in teams, leading to increased conflict: When you work autonomously, or even as part of a group on an assembly line, your job is clearly defined and separate from the person next to you. So there’s little need for compatibility and understanding. However, the complex work we do these days requires teamwork, or at least frequent interaction with others. But since people are different, getting along is complicated. Team facilitators often make “storming” the first step in the team development process.

The term means disagreeing and allowing conflict to arise. Disagreements are natural and should be permitted. But all too often people are forced to quell their opinions in the interest of getting along. It is important to allow disagreement because dangerously bad decisions may be made if people are unwilling to speak up when they disagree. Team members from all cultures and parts of the world, no matter their gender or age, not only must learn to understand one another, but develop a common working culture while remaining creative and unique. Not easy!

Today, we tend to reject older people, failing to realize they have wisdom to offer:  especially here in Silicon Valley, we are so youth-oriented we assume that those over thirty have nothing new to provide. Yesterday, we revered the wisdom of our elders, both here and more obviously in many other cultures. When you looked at the upper echelon of a corporation, you saw many gray hairs. I’m hoping tomorrow will bring recognition that we older folk have a great deal to offer. There’s reason to hope. I recently heard the twenty-something CEO of a successful “green” software firm mention that her team recognized the importance of employing executives with leadership and managerial history. She called this having “adult supervision”.

Charismatic Leadership

When you ask people what the most important qualities are for leadership, almost all will list charisma at the top of their list. What is charisma and why is it important?

Max Weber (quoted in Wikipedia) offers that it is the "exceptional sanctity, heroism, or exemplary character of an individual person." I read this and think of Hitler, Jim Jones, and others who lead for evil. So, I don't buy the description as being the whole story.

To me, charismatic leadership is the quality to appear bigger, better wiser, and more compassionate than others - with the drive and energy that compels people to follow.

Whether in politics, war, or corporate governance, the qualities of leadership become important to motive others to get on your team and do what you need and want them to do. Without this quality, one needs to bribe, beg, bully, or pay heavily in order to get the tasks completed.

The Los Angeles Times (March 27, 2016) posted an article called "A dark side of charismatic leaders" (Joyce E.A. Russell) in it they mention that some leaders lead people down a path of self-destruction. And, of course that leads us back to memories of Hitler and Jim Jones among others. So, there is difference between ethical and unethical leaders.

I'd go so far as to suggest that the evil leaders are megalomaniacs and think so highly of themselves, they rarely if ever listen to the advice of others. The better leaders - the good guys if you will - have positive goals and a willingness to communicate with others and listen and learn from others.

Let's apply this to the workplace - and of course make some generalizations.

Evil leaders have personal goals that lead to their own aggrandizement - and often end up destroying the organizations they build. The people they lead ultimately become their victims. Positive charismatic leaders set goals that are for the betterment of the organization as a whole. They encourage ideas from others (no yes men for them) and are delighted at the growth and success of those around them.

Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Andy Grove, John Chambers, Mark Zuckerberg, and many others can be described as charismatic leaders - some more self-serving than others. It is the power of their leadership that led their respective companies to the level of greatness we admire.

But, in some of these organizations (and I'm not going to mention which ones) the preferred style of management is by status and intimidation. People are forced to work exceptionally long hours (even for Silicon Valley) and since they all work at will, if they aren't available 24/7 they run the risk of being fired. It is high salaries and status that keeps them in line.

As I am writing this, I am thinking about the Prison guards and some of the inmates in the series Orange is the New Black.  If you've been watching it - and I've become addicted - you'll remember that the Assistant Warden got so caught up in her own power that she embezzled and denied the prisoners some basic comfort and health care needs. Some of the guards became vicious, controlling bullies because they had the power - and ruled by fear. A few of the inmates fell into this category as well - ruling by intimidation and violence.

In today's workplace, we rarely see this same level of managers who rule by threats of physical violence - although in years past they still existed. Instead, the bully boss controls by performance appraisals, promises of promotions, the better (or worse) projects and of course salary increases and the ultimate threat - firing.

So unfortunately, as much as I wish I could, I can't say that only positive charismatic leaders lead to success. Some of the bad guys do too. Too bad.

Participatory Management

We think of charismatic leadership to be authoritarian in style - but that's not necessarily true. Some of our great charismatic leaders led by what is called Participatory Management. One, if not more of our American Presidents was known for this style of leadership. In Participatory Management, the leader takes ultimate responsibility for the decisions - it is not a democracy - but the leader encourages all executives, team players, stakeholders, etc., to offer their ideas - to openly disagree with each other - and this type of leader listens and learns and ultimately makes the decision him/herself. The person of self-esteem is never afraid to learn from others - indeed, delights in having others from whom to learn. This is what ultimately creates an extraordinary leader.

A set up for failure

I was reading a book on Leadership and Persuasion today, in preparation for some workshops I will be conducting when I had an epiphany.  I was brought in to consult for a company that had been sold to another company - and was set up for failure.  Let me tell you the story.

The Vice-President of HR hired me to work with the conflict and emotional turmoil that was occurring because of what felt like a hostile takeover.  In fact, the merger was really an acquisition.  So, many people were being fired when I arrived.

Rather than introducing me to the rest of the executive staff, I was left to my own devices.  Rather than clearly articulate my role, I was left to define it myself.  Rather than being available to me as I needed him, this VP was always "too busy."

In talking with other executives, I learned that they asked him many months previously to hire me (or someone like me) to help with the turmoil of the acquisition.  He stalled.  Presumably the reason was because he thought his regular HR team could handle the fallout.  His team was weak.

Many members of the executive staff told me that they no longer needed me.  The damage had been done.  They needed me months previously to help them explain what was happening to their teams, counsel members who were being fired to help them with their resumes, interviews for new jobs, etc., and to work with the guilt and anger those remaining were experiencing.

The HR VP was seen by the other executives as ineffective - and as working hard to protect his own job and his own turf.

Since I knew his wife socially, I later learned that he claimed that "I didn't understand the power politics" and was unable to ingratiate myself into the company.

At first I thought the failure had been my fault.  My epiphany today was the realization that he made a series of errors that made me look bad.

Consultants are often in vulnerable positions.  They absolutely need the support of the senior executives who hire them.  Without that, they are wandering in the wilderness.

Leading for Creativit

Last month I tempted you by offering the opening remarks I made in my speech about managing for creativity.  Let me add, that this talk – and the work I do in this area – comes partially from the research I did with 50 C level executives asking them how they managed for creativity. 

We create processes to allow for experimentation and new ideas.  We reward innovation in processes, interpersonal relationships, and product development.  We create freedom and trust enabling people to try without fear of ridicule.

All too often our systems demand conformity “this is the way we do it because this is the way we’ve always done it” or “it’s tradition” and preclude new ideas.  We work together to stretch the box (as in “thinking outside the box”.)

Leadership

Over the past 30+ years, I’ve worked with individuals on the fast track for promotion, C-level executives, professionals wanting growth and politicians wanting to improve their “style”.  My most recent book:  Leading and Managing a Global Workforce contains many examples of the work I’ve done with individuals and groups (management training groups.) 

Some clients have called me their “secret weapon” because with my counseling them, they have solved significant problems at work, have shined during meetings, and have been promoted because of the changes they’ve made in their approach to others in the workplace.

I’ve taught managers to manage – supervisors to supervise – and potential leaders to lead well.  Of course I also taught the MBA course:  Leadership and Organizational Behavior.

Non Profit Leadership

Non-Profit Leadership

Sadly, many small non-profit associations cannot afford hired help and must rely on volunteers to fill all their needs.  In cases where the new CEO of a non-profit believes that he/she should be the sole-decision maker in all things, volunteers feel demeaned – they are not slaves – they should be decision-making partners in areas in which they are involved.

Recently, I watched the meltdown of a young CEO who could have made her organization a huge local success had she not alienated the people who did the most work and were most supportive to her.  Because they dared to disagree with one of her decisions she actually fired them.

I wonder how this will impact those other volunteers in her organization?  Can she recover from her meltdown?  Can she re-unite with the volunteers she chased away?  Can she resume the friendships she had with these women after insulting them so badly?

Leaders – good leaders – know the importance of valuing others.  They say “we” when there are good results and “I” (as in the buck stops here) when something negative occurs.

Leaders – good leaders – get their personal egos and agenda out of the way in the interest of making others look good, give more (become more productive), and feel motivated and loyal to the team.

Leaders – good leaders – are credible, authentic, reliable, and reasonable.

Coming together is a beginning
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is the goal.
Henry Ford

The danger of Yes men/women

I recently witnessed a new CEO have a meltdown because two of her key people disagreed with something she was doing.  They asked for a private meeting with her - wanting to discuss their concerns - and she not only denied them the meeting, but she fired them.

This woman could only keep up a relationship with those who thought she walked on water - and kissed up to her.  Sycophants  are not really useful in the long run.

Leaders create their executive team

I know a wonderful new CEO who doesn't trust any of her team members and controls everything - or at least tries to - and in so doing has insulted and pissed off those who would serve her well.

Every leader needs to find complimentary executives that she can rely on so she can let go having to handle everything.    If the leader is someone who excels at the externals as does this woman - she is a great connector and communicator, well liked by all.  But, she is scattered, disorganized, and forget to whom she's made assignments.

Leaders typically balance strengths and weaknesses by having VPs of Administration, Operations, P)roject Management, Fund-Raising, Marketing, Sales, etc......

But  you need to pick them well, make sure they are loyal to you, and trust them.

Leading and Managing a Global Workforce

I love my fourth book - and it is selling well and getting great reviews. Leading and Managing a Global Workforce is an easy read with lots of tips on how to improve your leadership and management style. Priced right (only $20.00) it is the perfect gift to give all of those in your organization that you are grooming for professional success.

It can be purchased in all the places you ordinarily purchase books.

Leading and Managing a Global Workforce

The book is getting some great reviews. Here are some I'd like to share:


1: A wonderful gem of a read, Dr. ArLyne Diamond shares her compelling life experiences and wise insights about leadership, life and business in her work with businesses globally. Written with spirited energy and her signature maverick candour, Dr. Diamond’s anecdotes - drawn from her wealth of knowledge and personal trials and tribulations over decades – are amongst the most fun, personal and memorable that you would find in any business book! - Rebecca Quah, MBA student at Keller Graduate School & Senior Director, CBRE/Asia Client Development.

2: ArLyne Diamond is to be admired for her insight into management and leadership. She has created a comprehensive guide that provides a clear direction on how to lead in the changing Global Economy. For executives this book is required reading. – Stephen Miller, CEO Eclipse Identity Recognition Technologies, Inc.

3: ArLyne brings to the vast sea of management/leadership books a very personal perspective from her many years of consulting and teaching. Avoiding the prescriptive “How to do it”, but rather putting things in an historical and geographic format demonstrates her knowledge of the reality we experience in trying to adapt to the global business world of today. I thoroughly enjoyed relating my own past missteps to ArLyne’s views and recognizing what I can learn and incorporate into my daily management life. – Michael J. Cubbin, President Bay Area Metro, DeVry University.

4: ArLyne Diamond’s book: Leading and Managing a Global Workforce has the rare quality of blending work experience, psychological insight and business know-how. The result is a powerful guide and treatise on how leaders cannot just manage but inspire their workers throughout the world. - Fred Foldvary, Director, Civil Society Institute at Santa Clara University.

5: Leading and managing A Global Workforce is a practical, easy read for anyone in leadership or management. Once again, Dr. ArLyne Diamond gives her audience food for thought in a compelling and unusual manner with timely insights for a rapidly changing global economy. - Dr. Lydia Ortega, Chair and Professor of Economics, Dept. of Economics, San Jose State University.

6: No company nowadays can afford to do business only in their domestic market. The minute a company has a website, they are global! Having grown up in initially in Germany and having lived and worked besides the USA also in the UK, Japan and South Korea, I applaud ArLyne’s capturing of the importance of doing business internationally. Only a true leader understands the importance of respecting and working with other cultures and nationalities. This understanding and global knowhow however is of essence for todays’ global leaders in order to themselves be respected and lead global teams. Well done ArLyne! - EJ Dieterle, President & CEO, YES Partners – Global Executive Search.

7: Intensifying global competition and staff from diverse cultures are driving the need for dynamic workforce management in today’s companies. Managing a global workforce is about managing diversity as cultures can vary from one location to the next with the same company. As such, the leadership must be astute to be able to relate to their employees’ needs in order to maximise their contribution to the organization.

Dr. ArLyne Diamond’s book will prove to be a guiding light for probing mangers who must take the lead to find answers to this ever-evolving subject. In her own words, she summarizes: “Great leaders are confident. If you don’t believe in yourself and your ideas, others will feel your self-doubt and fear following you.” Well said, indeed. - Sritharan Vellasamy, Founder of Outsourcing Magazine, an international publication on global services industry.

In addition, the book will be serialized in Outsourcing Magazine next year (2012)

Leadership Extraordinaire

Leadership Extra-Ordinaire

We make distinctions between leading and managing and often say leaders can manage and managers should also learn how to be leaders. But, what do we really mean by those words? What is great leadership? In my unfinished book, Leading and Managing a Global Workforce I am trying to answer that question.

In my courses on Leadership and Organizational Behavior, my MBA students struggle with these terms, often describing leaders as “visionaries” and managers as “making sure the tasks get done.”

I recently read a definition of workplace leadership as “the ability to build a team that achieves sustained, long-term performance.” (WJM Associates, Inc. – from their website)

I like this definition because it reminds me of the incredibly effective and cooperative team one of my CEOs built. Let me describe it for you.
Coming from India, working together in the same company, the more risk taking and visionary of the group decided to form a company and he invited some of his friends and colleagues to join him and become his executive team. They did. Together they formed a boutique high-tech company here in Silicon Valley. Since I didn’t obtain permission to write about them, I am going to disguise some information and the names of the executives.

Having consulted in many other companies, I am always interested in observing how executive staff meetings are conducted. Most of the time I find that the executives have had their staff create sexy power-point presentations and that they talk at each other, rather than with each other during those meetings. Typically they don’t interfere with each other’s “sandboxes” or “silos” – except if they are back-stabbing of course.

Not so at this little boutique company – which I will name Milpitas Tech just for this article. When I attended the first staff meeting – and many others after that I observed six men (no women, I’m embarrassed to report) come into the room as equals with a common goal of doing what was best for the entire company. Under the leadership of their warm, personable and friendly CEO, who I am naming Joe for convenience, this group actually talked with each other, problem solved together, helped each other make departmental decisions, and although they were careful not to step on each other’s toes, they never hesitated to make suggestions for improvement. Indeed, one of my tasks with them was to collaborate with some of their executives to improve processes.

As they grew they looked for an infusion of money. The Venture Capital Community made offers – but these offers included wanting to replace some of the executives, especially Joe, the CEO with “professional management.” Because of how powerfully positive the team was under Joe’s leadership, I advised him to hold out and not leave the team. He agreed.

Sometime later they received an offer to sell they couldn’t refuse – the money was great, integration with another company had marvelous potential and best of all the team was respected as a team and left in place.

Another CEO with whom I worked turned a company around from being mediocre with each division building its empire, into a cohesive and cooperative well-run organization. He walked his talk. He cared about people and their personal/professional development. He wasn’t quick to fire anyone – rather he had me mentor and coach many of his managers. He sometimes had to transfer people from one area of responsibility to another into which they were a better fit. BUT, he held people accountable while at the same time caring about them. His management grew under his tutelage.

I really believe that great leadership includes the ability to create trust and safety among those you lead so that they can talk freely with each other without posturing and showing off. The executive team members should not be in competition – or conflict – with each other, although disagreement due to different needs and points of view should be encouraged. (See my chapter, The Tyranny of Pleasantness in my book Conflict Resolution: Causes and Cures.)

Leaders Extra-Ordinaire encourage the disagreement – don’t allow attack – and bring out the best from all their team members. They lead, they learn, they synthesize. Great leaders know they must listen to their other executives, but ultimately make their own decisions. Ronald Reagan was this sort of leader and Harry Truman gave us the phrase, “The buck stops here.”

When I work with CEOs, Executive Directors of Boards and Associations, and managers at all levels, I stress the importance of developing a relationship that encourages mutual support, respect, honesty and cooperation. Hiring well, developing teams that really respect each other and don’t get defensive or on the attack, and leading those teams through example are significant contributors to the company’s reputation, value and of course, bottom line.

Leaders Extra-Ordinaire are men and women who deeply care about other people as well as their visions and desire for success within their companies. Are you one?

Are people checkers or chess people?

Are People Like Checkers or Chess Pieces?
I recently had an unusual experience with a client and learned that people were not regarded by the CEO for their uniqueness, but rather were pushed around as though they were checkers on the board. In writing my recommendations for him, here is some of what I said (disguised where necessary to protect him and his company):
In some areas of your organization, people are being used like checkers pieces as though they were easily interchangeable. People, however, are more like chess pieces. Whereas pawns can be interchanged, you cannot substitute a rook for a knight. There is only one queen – and the king’s power is limited. His role (and the winning of the game) must be protected and preserved by the executive management team, of Queen, Knights, Rooks, and Bishops, each of whom has a different role.
Each piece moves in a different way. (from Wikipedia)
 The rook moves any number of vacant squares along rows or columns (forward, backward, left or right). It also is involved (with the king) in the special move called castling.
 The bishop moves any number of vacant squares diagonally. Consequently a bishop stays on squares of the same color throughout a game. The two bishops each player starts with move on squares of opposite colors.
 The queen moves any number of vacant squares in any direction along a row, column, or diagonal.
 The king moves only one vacant square in any direction. It can also castle in conjunction with a rook.
 The knight moves to a vacant square in an "L"-shape (two spaces forward, backward, left, or right and one space perpendicular to it). The knight can jump over other pieces when moving.
 The pawn can only move forward one space, or optionally two spaces when on its starting square, in a straight line away from the player. When there is an enemy piece one square diagonally ahead from the pawn (either left or right), then the pawn may capture that piece. A pawn can perform a special type of capture of an enemy pawn called en passant. If the pawn reaches a back rank of the opposite player, it undergoes promotion to the player's choice of a rook, bishop, queen or knight

In checkers pieces are promoted as they reach the other side of the board. Pieces are interchangeable and any piece has the potential to be promoted. In chess, only the pawn has promotional power and there is an intense amount of work he/she has to do to get to the other side. The other pieces maintain their positions rigidly.
Unfortunately, this rigid need to stay fixed in place is very true in your organization. Not only do you not have a clear succession plan, you have long term employees who do not want management or even supervisory responsibility.
On the other hand, people are rotated around – put into positions into which they do not fit, just to fill needed spaces. You have people who rather do paper work serving clients and people who loathe paperwork and prefer client interaction, stuck in routine paperwork tasks.
I’m sharing that with you because I find that all too often the uniqueness of people is disregarded when making selections. Yes, of course, if an organization has someone with a specific technical skill that person is usually placed in a job requiring use of that skill. However, technical people, who have little or no people management skills are often promoted into positions requiring them to manage others. Bad fit.
In non-profits, too often people are considered like chess pieces assigned volunteer responsibilities based on the need of the organization, without due regard for the preferences of the individual. Thus, the commonly hear complaint that volunteers do not fulfill their obligations.

Leading and Managing a Global Workforce

Leading and Managing a Global Workforce
My wonderful editor, Bernie Silver made this book so much better than it would have been without him. It is currently at the publisher waiting for a marketing plan and printing. It should be released for sale before the end of the year. To tempt you to not only buy a copy for yourself, but to also purchase copies for your staff, here is the Table of Contents from the manuscript. Page numbers will change when it is printed in book form:
Leading and Managing A Global Workforce
by ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D.
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 2
Introduction 3
Chapter
I: Leadership In The 21st Century: What Makes It Different? 6
II: Past, Present, And Future 10
III: Management Through The Ages 14
IV: Change Is Inevitable In Today’s World 21
V: Education Needs To Catch Up 28
VI: Leadership In A Globally Competitive World 32
VII: Leadership Extraordinaire 37
VIII: Additional Traits of Great Leaders 44
IX: Managers Are In The Middle 49
X: The Funnel Theory Of Management 55
XI: Teamwork 60
XII: Career And Professional Development 64
XIII: Tomorrow’s Challenges And Opportunities 69
XIV: Chaos In The Clouds 71
Endnotes

Leadership for a Global Workforce

Yesterday, in 3 sessions, I met with 120 San Jose State University students who were actively involved in community service. A delightful group our workshops were lively and highly interactive. i thought it might be helpful to anyone else interested if I shared my outline:


Leadership in the 21st Century
San Jose State University
Saturday, October 1, 2011

Who are You? What would you like to get out of this workshop?
• Quickly – name, major, work experience
• Write down three things you want to learn today
• Take responsibility for participating and making sure you learn them.
• Highlight of topics we will cover today
What makes Leadership in the 21st Century Different?
Today – we are Leading and Managing in a Global Economy
• What does that mean? How is it different from 20-30 years ago?
o What countries – cultures are represented in this room?
o How well do we understand people of other cultures?
• If we can’t really understand them – how can we lead and manage them?
• Changes are happening all over the world – look for example at China today.
Today – we are changing the way we interact with others at work
• Yesterday we dealt with people face-to-face.
o Yesterday we managed by walking around and really seeing what others were doing.
o Yesterday teams all worked together side by side.
• Today, our teams are all over the world
o Today, we contact them by e-mail and social media
o Today, we sometimes never get to see the people with whom we work
• What does that mean to the development of trust? To management skill?
Today – technology and how we use it changes almost minute by minute
• Phones – I-phones, Tablets – laptops, Chips in our brain?
• Every day we must learn how to use another tool
o Exciting – chaotic
o Causes us to have to stop and re-learn, slowing work down
Today – only businesses that create ‘Disruption” are considered exciting
• What does that mean?
• What about good solid stable ideas?

How do these changes matter to those of us wishing to lead tomorrow?
What is your definition of leadership?
• How does leadership compare to management?
• How does one become a leader?
• Name some leaders that are/were famous (good or bad)
• What does a leader have to do in order to acquire followers?
o Give them what they want
o Inspire them to want to do what you are advocating
o Be trustworthy – walk your talk
Leading and Managing an educated workforce
• Hiring well
• Funnel theory of management
• Delegating
• Decision-making – shared
• Performance appraisals – timely – dartboard
• Accountability
Emotional Involvement
• People stay or go based on their relationship with those closest to them, including team mates and management.
• If the product/service of the company is helping humanity people feel better about what they are doing.
• If the company is involved in the community – showing how it helps others (charity, donations of time, etc.), employees feel proud to be part of it.
o Sometimes this requires proving to the shareholders how it enhances their profits.
o Community involvement can include role-modeling acceptance and celebration of the differences between people.
• What works for you? What are your examples?
Team Interaction – and Conflict Management
• Building trust – especially in distant teams
• Dealing with “storming” – disagreements
• OK – to disagree – “Tyranny of Pleasantness”
• What’s ok – and what crosses the line
 
What do you need to do to become a successful leader tomorrow?
• Personality
• Image
• Knowledge and experience
• Surrounding yourself with those smarter than you.
• Presentation style
• Self-confidence
• Health
• Risk-taking
• Charisma – what does that mean?

Learn how to Resolve Conflict in Your Workplace

Hi:
By some lucky coincidence, I will be teaching Negotiation Skills at Keller University, and Conflict in the Workplace at Stanford University – Continuing Education this summer. Stanford is letting me use my new book Conflict in the Workplace Causes and Cures as the text for the course. My Academic Dean at Keller has contacted the main office in Chicago to learn the process for my submitting the book for future courses there.

Is you are a leader, manager, HR professional or consultant – this summer session of five weeks starting Thursday evening June 23rd should be enormously useful to you. It will involve lots of interaction and lots of practice. SO, sign up now. Stanford has both minimum and maximum requirements.

All you need to do is go to: Continuingstudies@stanford.edu and look for Bus 220.

I am now working on my book: Leading and Managing in a Global Economy.

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.Albert Einstein – quoted by Lawrence Reed

Working with or working at?

Management styles are fascinating. I work with two individuals who stylistically are so different. The first, we'll call him Nick works with you. By that I mean he sits down with you and shares his thinking, asks for your opinion and together you work out a plan of attack that works for him, the organization and me. The second, who I'll nickname Marvin does the opposite. He makes decisions that involve your time and other commitments and tries to force them on you. His way or the highway is how it feels to me.

In another organization, I am faced with a woman manager who thinks she is Queen Bee. She doesn't bother to communicate with us peasants, merely issues edicts. Since I am a volunteer in this organization, I might just quit - unless something changes. I've talked with her boss and am playing a waiting game.

Leadership and management to be successful over the long haul needs to include respect, courtesy, and cooperation. The old authoritarian style just pisses people off and causes a lack of trust. People quit. they don't respond well to being talked at or ignored. They want to be talked with....