Would you agree that all great leaders make mistakes? When leaders do not take the people side of the business seriously, the leadership mistakes are more dramatic and have bigger impact. Perhaps if leaders had a list of the biggest mistakes made, more leaders would be apt to avoid them.
We can search the great annals of history including our historic media industry to be specific. Here’s one celebrated debacle…
A few years ago in the Delaware’s Court of Chancery Walt Disney shareholders sued at the time the Walt Disney Company’s CEO, Michael Eisner (and seventeen current and former directors), for giving Michael Ovitz (then President of The Walt Disney Company) an excessively rich deal when the company hired and quickly fired him—more than $300,000 a day in severance for his allegedly incompetent 454 days as president.
Ovitz was a Disney board member when he was fired, so he is, in a fine irony, one of the eighteen co-defendants. Ovitz was paid $140 million in severance because even though the powers at be didn’t think he did a great job, he wasn’t so terrible that he could have been fired for cause.
It can be argued that in Eisner’s legacy even he himself drove away renowned executives that have risen to other ranks in our industry including Jeffrey Katzenberg, Gerry Laybourne, Susan Lyne (Desperate Housewives, Lost), the Weinsteins of the famed Miramax company, and also Pixar’s geniuses.
The carnage that is left from mistakes is of course certainly the roadmap to growth and learning. The old adage says, “there are no mistakes in life, only lessons to be learned.” That’s a lovely sentiment, however if you are part of the leadership “roadkill” it’s not so much fun.
What if there was a better, less costly way? Wouldn’t we all be interested?
As someone who consults and coaches media leaders on leadership development, I became increasingly interested in what mistakes hold media leaders back and would potentially cause great damage to the people side of the business.
I have a personal inherent belief that people are the backbones of organizations and are the ones who really make everything happen. Without taking time and care to be devoted to your workforce you are completely sunk.
Here the top three mistakes found from examining over 20 companies in the media industry. Thus far, these are the top three:
1)Leadership development not linked to development plans; little to no leadership and on-going development planning - 89%
2)Caught up in the day to day without bigger picture in mind – 89%
3)Actions, plans and priorities have little to no link to daily work – no clarity on company’s strategy and expectations (when an employee does the work, don’t know what happens to it after its done) – 84%
Let's unpack the first mistake:
1) Leadership development not linked to development plans; little to no leadership and on-going development planning - 89%
I was meeting with Joe, a senior executive several weeks ago and we were discussing the concept of development planning. I like Joe because he is focusing much of his attention and energy on refining his team and putting processes in place to ensure he has a high impact team. He’s looking for people processes to ensure the success of each individual on the team.
Joe said, “You know Esther, I think it’s a wonderful idea to have development plans for senior executives, yet who is going to take the time to do it? I don’t think my boss will and doubt his boss has asked him to do this.” Then Joe posed the question to me, “Don’t you think as senior level leaders we should know what we are doing and don’t need anything like this? It sounds like a good idea, however I don’t think it’s practical.”
Joe brings up a good point. Having an on-going development planning process isn’t easy. Having a process and a plan for focused and on-going leadership development is something that takes time and effort. And it’s true, it’s time consuming and surely high-level execs may not want to invest the time.
There’s a difference between having a plan for development and no plan for development. There’s a difference between having developmental goals and no goals. Statistics show when you have a goal, especially one written, you are more likely to achieve it. Plus, if you invest people around you into helping you achieve your goal, you are certainly more apt to achieve it.
I liken it to…Steven Redgrave. Steven Redgrave is considered to be one of the greatest rowers of all time. He is also referred to as the greatest Olympian of Britain. He has won gold medals in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games, 1988 Seoul Summer Games, 1992 Barcelona Olympics, 1996 Atlanta Summer Games and in the 2000 Sydney Summer Games at the age of 38, Redgrave won his fifth Olympic gold medal.
Just imagine if Steve would not have had roadmap for his development as an Olympic athlete? There’s no doubt Steven Redgrave was a talented rower. He won the Junior World Rowing Championships as a kid, and went onto win 27 of the highest awards in rowing. However, having a plan, and a coach or someone to work with him to create a plan for achieving gold medal status, he achieved this and so much more.
It’s no different for a media leader. When you create measured development plans with key motivators that cause action, then you know you are getting somewhere. Planned, systematic and dedicated check ins ensures accountability and serve as core indicators to demonstrate progress. What do you get when you put development planning in place? A culture of inflamed people development.
Here are some tips:
• Create development plans
• Meet regularly – every 60 days for check in, development and motivation
• Ensure the person being developed can clearly see measured progress
• Prepare for these meetings and ensure a follow-up – be ready to ask developmental questions
• Let the person being developed drive this process
Let development planning be your roadmap to your own organizational goal medal!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Collaboration Is Everything
Do you think working 20 hours per day will make you more successful? Not according to Cristóbal Conde, president and C.E.O. of SunGard, one of the world’s leading software and IT services companies, serving more than 25,000 customers in more than 70 countries.
In the article in The New York Times entitled, “The Flatter the Better”, Conde admits that working like a dog “doesn’t scale.” Collaborative leadership is key. It may not be an easy thing to do, however it’s more challenging to micromanage the organization.
When you do your best to be involved in everything you tend to squeeze your very best people and as a result they leave the organization. Then you are left with an organization you need to more tightly manage because employees were never given the ability to think on their own, to risk, to be held accountable and to stumble. And if you are the leading executive then you are most likely out meeting clients and traveling consistently. That doesn’t leave you much time to get up to speed on anything. As a result you won’t have the time to learn and know all you need to make an informed decision.
So what do you do? Foster teamwork and collaboration. At SunGard, one of the tools they use is a Twitter like system on their intranet called “Yammer.” It is designed to “allow people to see what others are doing, share information, collaborate, brag about their successes — that is what flattens the organization,” says Conde. Yammer enables Conde to share information with his staff from key meetings with clients such as - “Look, this is one of our largest clients, and the C.E.O. just told me his top three priorities are X, Y and Z. Think about them.”
Technology is great and there are other ways of fostering collaboration. Here are three tips when you are not near your Yammer:
-Encourage sharing best practices consistently. Have this as an agenda item in team meetings. Showcase one person’s successes and let them have bragging rights. If you set the context right, this will encourage other team members to be more successful and to share center stage.
-Allow healthy debate before coming to a conclusion. Let everyone know his or her opinion matters.
-Let staff pitch new ideas every month. Allow the team to pick the one great idea per month and execute. If monthly is too much then do it quarterly, it will foster innovation and show your people they are valued.
Collaboration and teamwork are great leadership buzzwords, however the execution takes a proactive and thoughtful approach. Don’t turn around at the end of the quarter and wonder why sales are low and morale has sunk. Utilize these tips to witness group unity soar.
In the article in The New York Times entitled, “The Flatter the Better”, Conde admits that working like a dog “doesn’t scale.” Collaborative leadership is key. It may not be an easy thing to do, however it’s more challenging to micromanage the organization.
When you do your best to be involved in everything you tend to squeeze your very best people and as a result they leave the organization. Then you are left with an organization you need to more tightly manage because employees were never given the ability to think on their own, to risk, to be held accountable and to stumble. And if you are the leading executive then you are most likely out meeting clients and traveling consistently. That doesn’t leave you much time to get up to speed on anything. As a result you won’t have the time to learn and know all you need to make an informed decision.
So what do you do? Foster teamwork and collaboration. At SunGard, one of the tools they use is a Twitter like system on their intranet called “Yammer.” It is designed to “allow people to see what others are doing, share information, collaborate, brag about their successes — that is what flattens the organization,” says Conde. Yammer enables Conde to share information with his staff from key meetings with clients such as - “Look, this is one of our largest clients, and the C.E.O. just told me his top three priorities are X, Y and Z. Think about them.”
Technology is great and there are other ways of fostering collaboration. Here are three tips when you are not near your Yammer:
-Encourage sharing best practices consistently. Have this as an agenda item in team meetings. Showcase one person’s successes and let them have bragging rights. If you set the context right, this will encourage other team members to be more successful and to share center stage.
-Allow healthy debate before coming to a conclusion. Let everyone know his or her opinion matters.
-Let staff pitch new ideas every month. Allow the team to pick the one great idea per month and execute. If monthly is too much then do it quarterly, it will foster innovation and show your people they are valued.
Collaboration and teamwork are great leadership buzzwords, however the execution takes a proactive and thoughtful approach. Don’t turn around at the end of the quarter and wonder why sales are low and morale has sunk. Utilize these tips to witness group unity soar.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A Decade of Non Intention
This morning I went out for my typical bout of exercise. As I was walking briskly I began reflecting on the last decade (analysis is a good thing and really, a chief attribute for any leader). I'm still baffled by writing 2010. It's as if someone put a sock in my hand as I attempt to write the numbers. I fumble as if I have too many things in my hand.
When January 1, 2010 came along for some reason it escaped me that a new decade was underfoot. Instead I looked at it as another year come around and time to set goals, make resolutions and create a more solid footing than the year before.
As I sat reading my friend Jane's blog about goal setting for 2010, she recapped where she was 10 years ago and compared it to where she is now. It hit me strongly...hey, Ms. Weinberg, you are in a new decade. Duh? Didn't I realize a new decade had come upon me? Clearly not. What was even more startling, as I began journaling this morning, was to realize how completely different life has looked over the last ten years. 1990-2000 was a much different decade than 2000-2010. It was equally startling to realize how my own leadership has morphed and evolved over the last decade - personally and professionally.
Here are some highlights and as you read them, consider your own "decade-lights":
1990-2000:
-rose through the corporate ranks to be a high powered executive at Disney
-created and expanded public relations departments at three major international companies
-launched four cable networks
-moved to California to work for Disney
-began traveling the world
-became an amateur photographer
-married and divorced
-father passed away
2000-2009:
-launched my own business (2000)
-left corporate America as an executive and became a consultant
-was trained by CoachU (one of the first accredited global coaching schools)
-evolved my career from corporate media executive to entrepreneur, consultant, executive coach and author
-traveled the world
-worked in three countries abroad
-Packed up, put all my stuff in storage and moved to live and work in Uganda
-launched a photography website which gives back to global children non profits
-became a "parent" to a young girl in Uganda and I provide for her education
-discovered love anew
-became an author
-coached thousands of executives on leadership and how to get things done
-spearheaded a global project overseeing over 1,000 volunteers
-began living a spiritual life
And surely there was more...Reflection is a beautiful thing. I would encourage you to create your own "decade-lights" and notice how far you have come, the choices you made, the strengths you developed and what you desire for the next decade.
With all these memories I thought, "did I laugh a lot? Did I have fun or was I so caught up in the stress that I didn't realize the joy in it all with so much gratitude." Without appreciation and laughter, you don't really have much.
I didn't create intentions in the past for the next decade to come. It's a practice I do at the beginning of each year and have found it invaluable to setting the course for the year ahead. In all of this analysis, I point my compass for the following intention for the next 10 years: lead, love, laugh...serve and surrender.
What is yours?
When January 1, 2010 came along for some reason it escaped me that a new decade was underfoot. Instead I looked at it as another year come around and time to set goals, make resolutions and create a more solid footing than the year before.
As I sat reading my friend Jane's blog about goal setting for 2010, she recapped where she was 10 years ago and compared it to where she is now. It hit me strongly...hey, Ms. Weinberg, you are in a new decade. Duh? Didn't I realize a new decade had come upon me? Clearly not. What was even more startling, as I began journaling this morning, was to realize how completely different life has looked over the last ten years. 1990-2000 was a much different decade than 2000-2010. It was equally startling to realize how my own leadership has morphed and evolved over the last decade - personally and professionally.
Here are some highlights and as you read them, consider your own "decade-lights":
1990-2000:
-rose through the corporate ranks to be a high powered executive at Disney
-created and expanded public relations departments at three major international companies
-launched four cable networks
-moved to California to work for Disney
-began traveling the world
-became an amateur photographer
-married and divorced
-father passed away
2000-2009:
-launched my own business (2000)
-left corporate America as an executive and became a consultant
-was trained by CoachU (one of the first accredited global coaching schools)
-evolved my career from corporate media executive to entrepreneur, consultant, executive coach and author
-traveled the world
-worked in three countries abroad
-Packed up, put all my stuff in storage and moved to live and work in Uganda
-launched a photography website which gives back to global children non profits
-became a "parent" to a young girl in Uganda and I provide for her education
-discovered love anew
-became an author
-coached thousands of executives on leadership and how to get things done
-spearheaded a global project overseeing over 1,000 volunteers
-began living a spiritual life
And surely there was more...Reflection is a beautiful thing. I would encourage you to create your own "decade-lights" and notice how far you have come, the choices you made, the strengths you developed and what you desire for the next decade.
With all these memories I thought, "did I laugh a lot? Did I have fun or was I so caught up in the stress that I didn't realize the joy in it all with so much gratitude." Without appreciation and laughter, you don't really have much.
I didn't create intentions in the past for the next decade to come. It's a practice I do at the beginning of each year and have found it invaluable to setting the course for the year ahead. In all of this analysis, I point my compass for the following intention for the next 10 years: lead, love, laugh...serve and surrender.
What is yours?
Thursday, January 7, 2010
A BlackBerry "Time Out"
Wonder what would happen if we tossed out our BlackBerry's… In this week's issue of Business Week, a scrapping entrepreneur demonstrates to all BlackBerry addicts that you can make money without the techno frills. “Miller Farm, a Pennsylvania food producer has grown the business to $1.8 million in annual sales from less than half that four years ago. The farm is so busy it's turning away orders from food cooperatives around the country,” the magazine reports.
The owner is 32-year old Amos Miller, an Amish man who lives without elecricity, a car, cell phone, email, website, Facebook page, Twitter handle, textin, CRM software, computer, electricity, fax machine, scanner or a copier. Can you imagine? Probably not. We have lived so long with our technology that few of us would know what to do without it. Me included.
As part of their religious beliefs the Amish do not use modern-day conveniences or things some of us would call essentials today (aka a cell phone).
The article reports that back in 2000 Amos and his father decided that they would promote nutrient-dense food since that market was about to grow exponentially. They heard from customers and representatives of organizations that promote these foods, nutrient-dense food was about to be the next rage. And so they focused on expanding their offerings and it’s paid off big time. They can’t meet the demand.
What is most inspiring is how Amos and his father have done it all with something pretty basic…listening to their customers and being innovative. When so many companies and organizations are investing millions in technology, I can’t help to wonder if all this money was invested in the basics – picking up the phone to speak with customers or visiting them in person, listening to what customers have to say, providing excellent service, caring for employees exponentially - and then expanding and innovating, how different companies would look and feel. I bet employees would be more productive, revenue numbers would be up and expenses would be way down…a CEO and CFO’s dream. And our BlackBerry’s may be on a temporary “time out.”
The owner is 32-year old Amos Miller, an Amish man who lives without elecricity, a car, cell phone, email, website, Facebook page, Twitter handle, textin, CRM software, computer, electricity, fax machine, scanner or a copier. Can you imagine? Probably not. We have lived so long with our technology that few of us would know what to do without it. Me included.
As part of their religious beliefs the Amish do not use modern-day conveniences or things some of us would call essentials today (aka a cell phone).
The article reports that back in 2000 Amos and his father decided that they would promote nutrient-dense food since that market was about to grow exponentially. They heard from customers and representatives of organizations that promote these foods, nutrient-dense food was about to be the next rage. And so they focused on expanding their offerings and it’s paid off big time. They can’t meet the demand.
What is most inspiring is how Amos and his father have done it all with something pretty basic…listening to their customers and being innovative. When so many companies and organizations are investing millions in technology, I can’t help to wonder if all this money was invested in the basics – picking up the phone to speak with customers or visiting them in person, listening to what customers have to say, providing excellent service, caring for employees exponentially - and then expanding and innovating, how different companies would look and feel. I bet employees would be more productive, revenue numbers would be up and expenses would be way down…a CEO and CFO’s dream. And our BlackBerry’s may be on a temporary “time out.”
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Airline Leadership is Not Just for the Skies
Must admit, I have fallen in love all over again today. Tis true and I didn't think it would be possible, especially with the former Chief Executive of Continental Airlines (1994-2004), Gordon M. Bethune. One of the main reasons is that he’s a true believer in people as a main focus and driver of the success of an organization. Mr. Bethune melds talk with action.
When I developed my eight step execution system, “Execute Like Crazy,™” you could say it was done out of careful and courageous thought about working with thousands of leaders over many years and seeing what separates great leaders and organizations from mediocre ones. This is true and really, I developed it out of a sense of passion for people.
If you don’t have “people centric leadership” you are screwed. Tis the truth. It is the people that make organizations competitive, who create innovation, who develop the resources to separate you from the pack. For all the utilitarian folks out there, it’s the people who make the money and who grow and expand the resources. With proper thinking aligned with action, your leadership can soar – that is if you do put your people first.
Don't just take it from me, consider some advice from Mr. Bethune,
• “If you treat me with respect, I’ll do more for you.”
• “I never forgot what it’s like to be down the ladder, and that being good at your job is predicated pretty much on how the people working for you feel.”
• “I’ve got 10 guys working for me, and for the last five years, every time I got any recognition, I said, “Bring them on the stage with me.”
• “I hired the best people. The sickest patients need the best doctors, so you can’t skimp on this stuff. “
• “The really good people want autonomy — you let me do it, and I’ll do it.”
• “I’m going to do is take a look at your performance. Then I’ll ask, how are we keeping you from doing your job? But you know, if it’s not the old equipment that’s to blame, and it’s you, I’ll find that out pretty quickly.”
• “You have to hire people with good judgment. That’s No. 1. If they have it, whatever they’re put in, they’ll get good at it…Somebody who knows what they’re doing, who has a good track record, they come across as very articulate, bright and looking for a challenge — that’s absolutely my kind of hire.“
• “Actually take the time to go over to somebody’s office and personally thank them. You need to take the time to show the people around you who work for you that you’re interested in them.”
And here’s a personal favorite…many organizations are undergoing vast transitions. One of the key elements that will separate successful transitions/changes from failures is the ability to communicate and to do it well with consistency and careful thought and approach. Take a note from Mr. Bethune: “I did a weekly voice mail — every week for 10 years, a three- to five-minute message. Every week I’d tell them what was going on. And we had a daily update with our stock price, our on-time performance, who did what to whom in our industry. So the employees always kind of knew what was going on. They had direct access to me, and direct access to the information.
And we never lied. You don’t lie to your own doctor. You don’t lie to your own attorney, and you don’t lie to your employees. And if you never lie, then when it hits the fan, and somebody says you’re wrong — you can say, “No, I’m not,” and they’ll believe you.
Now that is people centric leadership!
When I developed my eight step execution system, “Execute Like Crazy,™” you could say it was done out of careful and courageous thought about working with thousands of leaders over many years and seeing what separates great leaders and organizations from mediocre ones. This is true and really, I developed it out of a sense of passion for people.
If you don’t have “people centric leadership” you are screwed. Tis the truth. It is the people that make organizations competitive, who create innovation, who develop the resources to separate you from the pack. For all the utilitarian folks out there, it’s the people who make the money and who grow and expand the resources. With proper thinking aligned with action, your leadership can soar – that is if you do put your people first.
Don't just take it from me, consider some advice from Mr. Bethune,
• “If you treat me with respect, I’ll do more for you.”
• “I never forgot what it’s like to be down the ladder, and that being good at your job is predicated pretty much on how the people working for you feel.”
• “I’ve got 10 guys working for me, and for the last five years, every time I got any recognition, I said, “Bring them on the stage with me.”
• “I hired the best people. The sickest patients need the best doctors, so you can’t skimp on this stuff. “
• “The really good people want autonomy — you let me do it, and I’ll do it.”
• “I’m going to do is take a look at your performance. Then I’ll ask, how are we keeping you from doing your job? But you know, if it’s not the old equipment that’s to blame, and it’s you, I’ll find that out pretty quickly.”
• “You have to hire people with good judgment. That’s No. 1. If they have it, whatever they’re put in, they’ll get good at it…Somebody who knows what they’re doing, who has a good track record, they come across as very articulate, bright and looking for a challenge — that’s absolutely my kind of hire.“
• “Actually take the time to go over to somebody’s office and personally thank them. You need to take the time to show the people around you who work for you that you’re interested in them.”
And here’s a personal favorite…many organizations are undergoing vast transitions. One of the key elements that will separate successful transitions/changes from failures is the ability to communicate and to do it well with consistency and careful thought and approach. Take a note from Mr. Bethune: “I did a weekly voice mail — every week for 10 years, a three- to five-minute message. Every week I’d tell them what was going on. And we had a daily update with our stock price, our on-time performance, who did what to whom in our industry. So the employees always kind of knew what was going on. They had direct access to me, and direct access to the information.
And we never lied. You don’t lie to your own doctor. You don’t lie to your own attorney, and you don’t lie to your employees. And if you never lie, then when it hits the fan, and somebody says you’re wrong — you can say, “No, I’m not,” and they’ll believe you.
Now that is people centric leadership!
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