Short case of leadership

I have a friend who has a position of authority in an organization.  My friend, I'll call him Jesse, is responsible for development and training.  He oversees the leadership team that develops training activities, collects data on participation and engagement, and executes continuing development.

This role may sound familiar to you--perhaps one that you fill.  The organization depends not only on the leader for direction, but also on the performance and participation of members.

I watched Jesse as he worked with different members of his team.  He was decisive, thoughtful, and kind.  However, over time, he became frustrated with members of his leadership team, and then became prescriptive in his direction, developing a reputation as somewhat of a micromanager.

Meanwhile, Jesse's leadership team members were developing patterns of behavior in response to his demands.  Where they had once approached projects with energy, they began approaching new projects with hesitancy.  When developing training events, they would frequently postpone not only important decisions, but also trivial decisions about elements of the presentations and activities.  Where plans had been innovative and bold, they became plain as the team members waited to act until they received Jesse's specific direction.  When working with outside vendors, negotiations became protracted as team members went back and forth, seeking Jesse's approval for every element of a vendor's agreement.

Jesse felt that each progressive project and training session became less effective, felt less enthusiastic about participating himself, and less confident in his leadership team.  He felt like he was losing steam.  What had gone wrong?

Jesse had effectively become a de-energizer in his organization.  After interactions with him, and in anticipating interactions with him, others felt less empowered to do their jobs, less motivated to invest creative thinking, and less important to the success of the organization.

How would you respond if Jesse asked you for some suggestions?

NFL Playoff Energizer

I really enjoy watching football, and with the NFL Playoffs nearing their climactic end, I've been struck with the results that the New York Jets have had.
     The New York Times published an article describing how the Jets, with a first-year head coach and a rookie quarterback, are making a case for the championship, and much of the talk is about the effect that the coach, Rex Ryan, has had on the culture of the organization.
     Organizational culture is difficult to change--largely because culture is made up of all of the unwritten rules.  Yet Ryan, with a colorful personality and consistent demonstrations of trust and belief in his team, is doing just that.
     Dave Anderson, the reporter on this story, says, "With never a negative thought, he has made every Jets player better."
     Ryan distributed the schedule of events for the month to his players and coaches which included the Super Bowl and a victory parade.
     "It's like a proud parent who believes in you...to do the right thing to get the job done," said All-Pro center Nick Mangold.
     Ryan backs up his words with actions--in a crucial situation during the game with San Diego, he trusted his offense to gain a single critical yard--cementing the game for the Jets.
     Energizers believe in us.  They aren't always colorful, like Coach Ryan, but they consistently make us feel trusted and capable, and we respond by first feeling motivated and empowered, and then acting on those feelings.

Big Impact, Little Footprint

My wife is involved in organizing events for our church, and in this capacity, she arranges for teachers/speakers who present on a variety of topics.

We happen to have in our area some individuals who are academic "stars." They teach at high-profile institutions, publish many books, and are highly sought-after presenters for conferences and corporations.

You guessed it...she invited a star to come speak about building mission statements for individuals and organizations. His response was surprising in this era of public and private behavior being so paradoxical. I can paraphrase the response this way: "I would be honored--when can we visit about the specific needs of your group and how I can help?"

The presentation was unpaid, and the presentation/discussion was masterful and inspiring, with a unique feature that those in attendance came away not so impressed with the presenter, but by the learning experience itself.

He demonstrated a unique ability to use his presentation to deflect attention away from himself, and towards the ideas he was teaching as well as the others in the room. Some research has suggested that there is a Self/Others ratio that is ideal for contributing to productive group work. It turns out that when we invoke others in our speech and actions more often than ourselves, we tend to contribute to positive group outcomes.

There are many things about this experience that taught me, such as the generosity of being willing to serve, the humility to ask how to best serve, and the graciousness to treat it as an honor, but the biggest impression I have right now is of the capacity to direct attention away from the leader/teacher and to the work and people at hand.

Last thought: The end of such a meeting is often a good time for a speaker to receive individual congratulations and thanks.

He ducked out the back door, having had a huge impact, but leaving almost no footprint.