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Posted by Christopher Stowell as achievement, leadership
For those who are not football fans, January 1, 2012 was the date of a big game between the Cowboys and the Giants. The Cowboys and Giants have been big rivals for many years and the winner of this particular game would make the playoffs and have a chance to continue their journey to the Super Bowl while the losing team would be done for the year.
I am sure both the Giants and the Cowboys spent many days, even weeks, preparing for the game. They may not have known the playoff implications that would be involved, but being the last game of the regular season, they knew it would be an important game.
Preparation
What do you think went into preparing for the game? I would imagine, both teams watched a lot of film of the opposing team to try to gather some intelligence about their offensive and defensive plays and line-ups. Both teams practiced plays over and over and over until they neared perfection. They prepared for all kinds of positive and negative scenarios that could arise during the game. In short, I am sure we can all agree that both the Giants and Cowboys started the game with an in-depth strategy for how to win.
Be Adaptable
 What happens when Eli Manning, quarterback for the Giants, gets the play call from the offensive coach, relays the play to the team in the huddle, comes up to the line to hike the ball and sees that the Cowboys are set, defending the play perfectly? Does he go ahead and run the play because that is the strategy and the play that was called in? Sometimes he will, but many times he calls an audible. For those who don’t know, an audible is when the quarterback changes the play just before hiking the ball. You will see Eli Manning many times pointing to the defense and screaming numbers and words to his team mates. In many cases, these numbers and words are keys to a new play. He does this because the defense is prepared to stop the play that was called. He knows that now is the time to call an audible.
The Take Away
In executing a business or personal strategy, sometimes it is necessary to be like Eli, identifying when it’s time to be flexible and adaptable and call an audible. We can never be 100% sure of the obstacles, challenges, and opportunities that will come our way, but you cannot discount the importance of the preparation. Just like the Giants and Cowboys spent time preparing for the game looking at different scenarios the opposing team may throw at them, we can look at scenarios that may occur as we are on our journey of winning our own game. The more we can define those scenarios and be willing to call an audible when they occur, the better chance we’ll have of succeeding.
Tags: adaptation, adapting to change, individual strategy, preparation
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Posted by Mark Peacock as character, leadership
Tim Tebow, leading the Denver Broncos to a mid-season turnaround, is one of the amazing stories from the National Football League this year. He has defied all odds and effectively ran a style of offense that most assumed could not work in the NFL. The NFL is a pass oriented league, with teams on average throwing the ball around 60% of the time. Tim Tebow is not known for his passing ability. His unorthodox throwing motion, combined with his inaccuracy, made most analysts believe that he could not be a successful quarterback. Tebow has the lowest completion percentage in the league, and the Denver Broncos run the ball more than any other team. How did this formula become a success? The Broncos have turned a 1-4 season start with Kyle Orton as starting quarterback into a 9-7 playoff bound team, with Tim Tebow at the helm. Tim Tebow is a dynamic, influential leader and that is what makes him successful. There are not any metrics that can measure ones leadership ability, but here are the qualities that make him great.
Faith in Himself
 Tim Tebow has a strong conviction in himself and is not concerned with all of the things that people are saying he can’t do. He is humble and even though the spotlight is on him, he gives credit to everyone on the team. In the press conference after the Chicago Bears game, in which the Broncos pulled out a come from behind win, Tim said, “I just want to thank Coach Fox and the coaches for giving me the opportunity and believing in me for the entire game and for the defense for keeping us in it and our receivers and our offensive line, who at the end of the game made me look a lot better than I really am.” He has integrity and the team knows that he is going to work hard at every practice and give his best effort on game day. Overall, Tim Tebow is a courageous leader. He works hard at improving the things that are within his control and is able to ignore aspects that are out of his control. He is willing to act for the good of the organization in spite of the risks, dangers, or fears of failure. He believes in himself and this thinking inspires his teammates to believe in him as well.
Unique People Skills
Tim Tebow genuinely cares for other people. He is willing to invest time in relationships and is respectful of people’s differences. He is a good communicator that shares and receives feedback in constructive ways. He was able to capture each individual team member’s talent by recognizing their value and rewarding their contributions. By utilizing his people skills, Tim Tebow developed the unique talents of the team. He provided support that encouraged continuous improvement and motivated teammates to give a 100% effort, every day, all season long.
Ability to Execute
Tim Tebow was able to unite and drive his teammates to achieve a common goal. He clearly described and clarified the team’s mission, vision, and strategy. His ability to help people understand their role on the team has helped break down the barrier of individual statistics and accomplishment focus. Tim Tebow created a culture change within the Denver Bronco locker room. He ushered a new way of thinking that revolved around the good of the team. His words and actions always supported team unity. In a post-game interview, he said, “I don’t think it’s ‘Tebow Time’; I just think it’s ‘Bronco Time,’ and the team steps up as a team. We play for one another and continue to trust one another, and I think that makes all the difference in the world.” Even though he had the team aligned and on the same page, he was able to remain accountable when something went wrong. He took responsibility for his mistakes and took the necessary actions to develop areas of the game that he was weak in.
The Denver Broncos 2011 NFL season will not be soon forgotten. By changing their leader 5 games into the season, they went from losers to winners. Tim Tebow was able to foster a change in the team. Analysts from around the country pointed out that his football skill set was not good enough to lead his team to continued victories. Yet, week after week he led the Broncos to come from behind wins. Connie Diekens, a subject matter expert on leadership communication and influence, recently put out her Top Ten Influencers of 2011 list and Tim Tebow is ranked #1. Diekens said, “His unwavering faith and never-say-never resolve have captivated the nation.” Tim Tebow’s strong leadership skills, more than compensated for his underdeveloped football skills. His ability to gain trust, encourage effort and align team goals created a high performance culture that led the Denver Broncos from a losing season, straight to the NFL Playoffs.
Tags: ability to execute, influence others, leadership skills, unique people skills
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Posted by Cherissa Newton as Strategic Thinking, strategy
 While standing in the Home Depot (a home improvement store) check-out line, with a pile of supplies in my cart, I heard a repeated announcement over the speaker system informing the store associates that “Power Hour” was beginning. This message was given three or so times in the space of five minutes that I spent checking out, and so my curiosity was piqued by the seemingly importance of this broadcast.
Later that day, I conducted some research into what “Power Hour” was all about. I came to learn that the concept of “Power Hour” was initiated by Marvin Ellison, a division president at Home Depot. Ellison’s key objective for his division is to win back customers during a time when many people don’t want to spend. He believes this is so vital to Home Depot’s long-term success, and ultimately survival, that he asks team members to dedicate a specific time period during the day, and their complete focus, to customer service. For Ellison’s Home Depot stores, “Power Hour” is initiated during the hours of 10 am and 2 pm on weekdays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. But for you, “Power Hour” could be at any time, any day, and with any focus.
I believe that the concept of “Power Hour” can also make a difference for you and your organization. While customer service may not be your focus during your own “Power Hour,” use this time as an opportunity to step away from short-term demands and making a strategic shift into a forward thinking mode. For most people, “Power Hour” is most effective if you start early in the day when your mind is fresh. Set aside a specific time; make an appointment with yourself. Consider changing your environment by moving away from your regular work situation. Lastly, be spontaneous as you think about the future. Remember, strategic opportunity is where innovation and forward thinking meet.
Tags: strategic opportunity, strategic shift
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Posted by Richard Williams, Ph.D. as leadership
 Previously, I discussed the ten dimensions of fairness, Trust, Consistency, Truthfulness, Integrity, Expectations, Equity, Influence, Justice, Respect, and Procedures. The following is the study from which these were determined.
The Research
After Dr. Sashkin and I explored the meaning of perceived fairness in the workplace, we tested whether fairness in management made any actual difference in the retail industry. We identified 20 retail stores (all part of a large chain), ten each in two different regions of the United States. We selected ten stores (five in each region) because of their exceptionally high employee sickness/accident compensation costs (compared with the company average) and ten of the stores because of their unusually low costs. We then looked more closely at the ten high-cost and the ten low-cost in order to identify two sets of five that were roughly matched in terms of size, sales volume, urban or rural location, and workforce composition. These ten stores, five high on our bottom-line cost measure and five low, then became the test sample.
All ten store managers filled out a questionnaire base on the ten dimensions in reference to themselves and their own practices. About 60 percent of the department managers completed the questionnaire about themselves and also the employee version, describing their store managers. Hourly employees were asked to complete the questionnaire in reference to their department managers. The proportion of hourly employees mailing back questionnaires averaged twenty-five percent.
Does Fairness Make a Difference?
First we compared of self-reports of the five high-cost store managers with the self-reports of the five low-cost managers. There were no differences whatsoever. All of the store managers saw their own behavior in a positive light. Next we examine the self-reports from the department managers. Again, the outcome was exactly the same. All managers in the ten stores viewed themselves favorably.
When, however, we compared the way high-cost managers and low-cost managers viewed their store managers, the results were more interesting. Scores in low-cost stores were better on all their ten dimensions of fairness. In summary, there were differences on all ten scales favoring the low-cost stores, and on five of the ten dimensions those differences were statistically significant and sizable.
For example, the average score on the Integrity dimension for the low-cost store managers (as rated by the department managers) was 18.0: for high-cost store managers, the average score was 13.4, a difference of almost five scale points. Scores on each scale ranged from a low of 5 points to a high of 25 points-for a possible difference of 20 points. Thus a five-point average difference would have represented a difference of 25 percent.
When we examined the responses of the hourly employees in the high-cost and low-cost stores, the difference became truly dramatic. There were differences on every one of the ten dimensions, all favoring the low-cost stores. Five of the differences had high levels of statistical significance, and four of these were so high as to be expected by chance in less than a thousand cases. Clearly, hourly employees at the low-cost stores viewed the fairness climate in a dramatically different way than did their counterparts at the high-cost stores.
The hourly employees considered certain “soft” issues most in their interpretation of what is fair in the workplace. The scores were most dramatic in Trust, Truthfulness, Integrity, and Justice. Hard-nosed managers often view these warm-fuzzy things as optional or unnecessary managerial attributes. In reality, as the research indicates, the soft attributes have high economic relevant to organizational effectiveness and profit.
The data are strikingly clear, and every manager ought to pay close attention to what it indicates. In the retail industry specifically, as noted by the research quoted, and in other industries most likely, fairness while managing others does indeed make a critical difference in organizational performance. Old style, hard-nosed managers who ignore the importance of “soft” attributes such as Trust, Consistency, Truthfulness, Integrity, Communicating, Expectations, Equity, sharing Influenced, Justice, Respect, and Following Procedures will suffer for high costs associated with employee sickness and accidents. With the staggering cost of doing business today, no manager can afford to ignore what was learned from the research
Tags: business ethics, fairness definitions, Fairness in business
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Posted by Josh Nuttall as Strategic Thinking, strategic leadership, strategy
 Too many organizations use poor strategic methods during their planning meetings and come away from them having essentially wasted valuable time, effort, and other resources only to leave the process with a weak “strategic plan.” Many strategic plans are actually little more than goals infused with a lot of fluff. This happens because companies are unable to make timely, definitive choices, and because they subscribe to template-style strategic planning.
Making Strategic Choices
Creating a strategic plan requires time, effort and decisions. Also, numerous trade-offs are required in order to make progress. Companies large and small have goals to meet. Different areas within an organization often have competing goals, and executive management is ultimately responsible for deciding which goals have priority.
In order to avoid stepping on toes, top-level executives may push the responsibility of deciding which goals to focus on onto department heads. In situations like this, nothing gets done. No strategic alignments are made. More precious time is wasted, and in the meantime, competitors are probably sharpening their strategic plans.
A French philosopher named Nicolas de Condorcet determined that if too many groups fight for majority consensus, chances are very high that a consensus will never be met. Later, economist Kenneth Arrow proved that the “Condorcet Paradox” cannot be solved using majority voting schemes. Someone else has to step in and make a decision. No matter who that person is, the decision must be made in order for true strategy to emerge.
Template-Style Strategic Plans
Templates are useful in a number of business applications, except strategy. However, so many companies use template-style strategic planning that the practice can be easily pointed out and may look something like the following:
Vision Start with the vision of what the organization looks or feels like at some future point in time. Be sure to use high-minded words like “best,” “leading,” “best known,” “successful,” or “well-known.”
Mission Add another high-minded and politically correct statement or two about the purpose of the organization. Be sure to add words like, “progress,” “sustainable,” and “innovative.”
Core Values Sprinkle in a few statements filled with generic value words, like “integrity,” “customer service,” “compassion,” and “ingenuity.”
Strategies Only use aspirations and goals and call them strategies.
By looking at template strategies from this angle, it is easier to see how far they are from the mark of a true strategy. A true strategy is more than empty words and lofty language. A lot more. A true strategy is more than a politically correct mission statement, and more than a vision of the future. Later on, I will get into what creating a good strategic plan looks like.
Until then, what do you think it takes to create strategy?
Tags: create strategy, creating a strategic plan, creating strategy, strategic alignment, true strategy
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Posted by Cherissa Newton as achievement, qualities of leadership
Subway Art has become a popular way to showcase a series of words, phrases, or inspirational thoughts in a way that mimics the look of posters found in old subway cars in a simple and stylish way. CMOE has released 5 tasteful designs geared towards office atmosphere and working professional.
We encourage you to use these images as desktop screen savers or wall hangings in your work place to help inspire, remind, or motivate you to be the best team, coach, strategist, and leader that you can be. These signs are complimentary, and we encourage you to share them with other professionals on your favorite social network site.
Tags: motivation in the workplace, motivational art, subway art
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Posted by Steven J. Stowell, Ph.D. as Strategic Thinking, strategic leadership, strategy
 Today, many of us face incredible pressures to deliver immediate results, to do more with less, and to manage an ever-increasing workload. The pace and urgency of daily demands can make it difficult to look even one step ahead. Successful leaders are different; they learn to look ahead and not just think about today, but also tomorrow. Thinking and acting like a strategist is nothing more than the capacity to anticipate, and the discipline to evaluate, prepare, and position yourself for the future.
As humans, we have the capacity to think broadly, if we choose. Being a strategist means having the courage to think deliberately and deeply about what you want to create and achieve. Strategic thinking is about creativity, intuition and planning to help you reach your business and personal goals. In essence, strategic people think and act before they are forced to take up a reactive position. We must realize that everyone is the leader of his or her own job, projects, assignments, and customers. Effective leadership means being prepared for what happens in the future, as well as being responsible for what happens today.
The problem we face in becoming more strategic in our thinking and planning is our tendency to be addicted to “short term” thinking and the routine activity trap. As a consequence, we continue to do what we’ve always done, though changing conditions may make old solutions irrelevant to today’s problems. We simply overlook options or opportunities to see our situation from a strategic perspective.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons to pay attention to the daily operational issues. We are frequently rewarded for it and job security often depends upon it. But, we must learn to look to the horizon and identify the signals that indicate coming changes in our own area of responsibility that will lead to effective solutions and impact tomorrow’s success. You have to shift gears and focus your mind with discipline and skill so you satisfy both the tactical and strategic demands of your job. When you develop the discipline to set aside the urgencies of the day and concentrate on the horizon, you create enormous advantages for yourself and the business.
Your contribution will increase if you master the principles and skills of personal strategic thinking. You will have to develop patience and balance operational issues as you give your mind a chance to think, reflect, and contemplate. You will have to resist constant pressure for instant results, quick fixes, and fast solutions to every challenge or dilemma. In short, you will have to be courageous and bold as you try to bring more balance and a strategic perspective into your life.
You can be more successful strategist if you think ahead, determine what it will take to make a difference, and make a greater contribution. When you adopt an innovative and proactive mindset, you will be more prepared for the tough decisions, realities, and opportunities that come your way.
Tags: strategic perspective, strategist
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Posted by CMOE as Leadership Development, management
As a result of globalization, technology, work-life balance, and outsourcing, virtual teams are becoming more common. Leaders of virtual teams rarely have the chance to connect with their direct-reports face-to-face. Therefore, in addition to the typical challenges a leader faces when his/her team is all in one location, virtual leaders must communicate, build trust, and instill accountability via technological means. Click on image to expand.
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Tags: infographic, virtual leadership
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Posted by Christopher Stowell as change management, organizational change, strategy
Do you recall the classic nursery rhyme The Itsy, Bitsy Spider?
The itsy, bitsy spider went up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain and the spider went up the spout again.
The spider adapted to its changing environment and whether we realize it or not, we too are constantly adapting in an ever changing environment. At times the change may be simple and we won’t give it a second thought. Other times, it can seem like an unattainable feat, even painful causing us to resist with all we have. However, if we learn to see the big picture, strategically adjust and adapt to our environment, the change may benefit us more than we know.
In September 2011, extreme flooding in Pakistan destroyed or damaged 1.2 million houses and covered 4.5 million acres (1.8 million hectares) leaving 300,000 people homeless. This flood coupled with one of Pakistan’s worst flooding disasters in 2010 left 800,000 Pakistani families without permanent shelter. These floods not only displaced people but forced other creatures to look for safety elsewhere.
When the ground dwelling spiders could no longer survive in the ground, they moved above the flood waters into the neighboring trees. By adapting to and subsisting in trees, the anthropoid not only saved its own species but improved the environment for other inhabitants as well. Because of the excessive stagnant water, there were concerns about Malaria-carrying mosquitoes. However, many of these Malaria-carrying mosquitoes were caught in the spider webs that covered the trees, reducing the number of expected cases of illness.
What can we learn from these spiders and the trees they cocooned? As I see it, at least three things.
1. It is a given that our world will change, sometimes drastically. Prepare for change by being strategically aware of the changing environments and conditions around you. You never know where or when you will need to find another course of action.
2. Don’t resist and become a victim of change. Everyone has the ability to change and adapt. The spiders simply moved up into the trees and began building.
3. Finally, look for the benefits to change. If we move past the stage of denial and resistance, we can begin see the silver lining and positive sign of change.
As Charles Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
Pictures courtesy of Department of International Development:
 
Tags: adapting to change, change management, dealing with change
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Posted by Christopher Stowell as Leadership Development, achievement, innovation, leadership, qualities of leadership
Each of us has the potential to be individuals of great worth and experience success in our life. I am a firm believer in the concept that a leader is made, not born. Just like anything, it takes significant time and investment to develop a leader to their full capacity. We each have the capability to reach our full potential as leaders if we are willing to put forth the investment. As we aspire to be the best leader we can be, and invoke greatness in others, we must be the ones with conviction, vision, and drive to make great things happen.
I was recently in the classroom of my son (7 years old) and noticed the poem written below at the front of the class. As a parent and professional familiar with the qualities of great leaders, I was excited to see this being instilled into his character.
 It Can Be Done
The man who misses all the fun
Is he who says, “It can’t be done.”
In solemn pride he stands aloof
And greets each venture with reproof.
Had he the power he’d efface
The history of the human race.
We’d have no radio or motor cars
No streets lit by electric stars.
No telegraph nor telephone
We’d linger in the age of stone.
The world would sleep if things were run
By men who say, “It can’t be done.”
-William J. Bennett
This poem caught my attention because I am constantly helping my children to become great leaders and learn the skills necessary to be successful in their own lives. While there are many qualities of leadership, the conviction to enjoy the journey and press forward is a great quality to develop and poses.
Tags: developing leaders, enjoy the journey, qualities of leadership
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