Failure is an option

In the past two years as I've continued the transition from senior executive leader to executive coach/consultant I've been struck by how many of my colleagues have commented on their perception of my successful reinvention.  On many occasions I've been asked for the secret formula to help others achieve their goals and objectives.  In truth, it's hard to imagine that over two years have passed since I first left behind my 25-year career in health care.  A lot has happened since then and while there has been success there has also been failure - and fear of failure - along the way.  In fact, I believe I have learned more about myself as a result of my setbacks then I have from my moments of achievement.

Sitting down to pen this blog entry, I actually decided to focus in on an initiative that I have been actively engaged in for about a year now.  Taking stock of my current status and efforts to date in this year-long process could readily bring me to the conclusion that I am actively failing in this particular aspect of my practice.  Truth be told, it may only be a matter of time before I or someone else determines that the investment of time and effort is no longer worth it.

So what have I learned from this laborious journey?  In no particular order, here are my lessons that I hope resonate with you and that may help you appreciate that failure can be an option in establishing the basis for ultimate success:

One:  Anything worth doing will take effort, time, and sacrifice.  If it were easy then everybody would be doing it.  If I've picked up anything from the time and effort I've invested in this particular venture it is that success is by no means guaranteed and just when you think that you've turned the corner or have the commitment of others to your cause...well, don't count your chickens before they are hatched.  These setbacks have to be used to your advantage - take a hard look at whether you evaluated the situation correctly, hone your tactics, and try again.

Two:  Act Fast and Act Smart.  Somewhat contradictory, but the fear of failure and rejection held me back when I first started down the path for this particular initiative.  It pushed me out of my comfort zone where by nature I'm quite the introvert.  Templates did exist to support action and my take away from the past year is to simply face one's fears and fail faster.  By failing I've been able to adjust my methods to better suit me and my clients.

Three:  Don't become paralyzed.  As a corollary to point Two above, I've come to the conclusion that is better to move and fail then to sit in fear of movement and potential failure.  From an executive coach standpoint its interesting for me to note that this is often the perspective that I'm working with my clients on.  If you don't apply for the job you are guaranteed not to get it.  If you don't take the risk you are guaranteed not to succeed.   What is the true risk of failure versus the true risk of not trying at all?

Four:  It's not all about you.  Or your product. Just because you have something to offer which you really believe in, see as meeting a major need in your market, or simply believe can't miss still doesn't mean that you don't have a whole lot of leg work to do.  In may case, it probably took me several months at the beginning of this particular initiative to "buy-in" so why did I expect it would be any different for my prospective clients?

Five:  Be prepared to change.  Being stubborn and failing to adjust your methods or tactics in the face of setbacks is nonsensical.    As Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  If the end goal is important - and it is to me - be open to advice and your own learning to try something different that will change the quality and speed of our your outcome.

Six:  No isn't the end.  Perhaps too many of us - and certainly myself - strive to be perfectly successful all of the time.  A "NO" is often accorded weight out of all proportion to the "YES" we get.  No can mean any number of things from "not right now" to "it's the wrong fit".  And sometimes getting those No's can be quite beneficial to the quality of our initiative in the long-term.  Put your NO's in proper context.

Seven:  Work with the right supports.  In the past year I can clearly identify those that have been hugely positive and constructive supports on my journey.  These individuals have not just been cheerleaders.  On the contrary.  In many circumstances they have been a necessary catalyst to positive and forceful action on my part.  To put it less euphemistically they have kicked my ass when I needed it.  In contrast, I can just as easily identify those that have either been actively working against me or have been providing less than constructive ideas along the way.  In some cases, this is despite us ostensibly being on the same "team".  Nothing worth doing can be done alone or in the absence of the right team in your corner.

Eight:  Doing everything perfectly may not yield your desired result.  I love the Captain Picard quote in this image.  It brings us back to reality and helps us appreciate that a variety of circumstances - and even luck - may confound our best efforts and a perfectly executed plan.  Your choice at this point is to assess, analyze, learn and apply the lessons to the next opportunity.

Overall, even if I finally and officially "fail" in my particular endeavor I know that I have come away with a lot more tools at my disposal than when I started.  The experience, abilities, insights and skills obtained have already benefited me personally and professionally.  I have built up new networks, pushed myself out of my comfort zone (with more work to do), and ultimately I bring greater value to my colleagues and clients into the future.  When approached with maturity and patience with self, our failures can be far more instructive than our successes ever can be.

Failure is an option if you can learn, adapt, persist and grow.  Leadership isn't just about an unending string of successes.  Leadership is about breaking new ground.  Failing at the endeavour might be overwhelming and a bit frightening but that's what leadership is all about.
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.

Resilient Leader - Resilient Organization

In recent months I seem to be talking to a lot of people about change, how to manage change and how to keep sane while doing so.  Moreover, leaders have expressed to me the challenge of staying optimistic in the face of daunting or seemingly never-ending change in service of those they lead.  How can they "provide lift" to their staff as opposed to being one more "source of drift" in a sea of turmoil?

We are all challenged by change - even changes that we make voluntarily (e.g, marriage, becoming a parent, taking a promotion, doing an Ironman!). And there is good reason to by anxious about change.  We don't really know what the future will bring.  We don't know for certain if the skills, experiences and abilities we have acquired will be sufficient to succeed in the face of new challenges.  In many circumstances, we have invested so much time, energy and emotion into our current roles that our positions and titles have become our identities.  Having to change means abandoning who I perceive or believe that I am.

It's not just big change that brings us down either.  Even small changes - added together - can ultimately wear us down and lead to despair.  The final poke becomes the straw that breaks the camel's back - a sleepless night; a computer glitch; a client, boss or co-worker changing a work deadline.  Any one thing in and of itself may not be too daunting.  Keep adding it up and we start to fatigue.  We are no longer resilient.  No longer able to respond - and lead - effectively.

But yet there are those around us that seem to bounce back with greater vigor from truly catastrophic personal and professional setbacks.  We find ourselves amazed by these stories of triumph over tragedy.  In most cases, we also attribute success to the miraculous and singular capacity of these individuals to overcome these challenges.  We discount our own ability to be just as resilient in the face of the odds.  We diminish our ability to develop and grow our capacity to be resilient.  But there are ways and means to become more resilient as individuals and as leaders.

Ironically enough, one of the best things you can do to maintain and build your resiliency, your energy and capacity to manage change, is to first take care of yourself.  While there is some sort of perverse culture that too many of us subscribe to that turns leadership into a test of stamina, the reality is that without proper self-care our leadership capability is diminished with fatigue.  As a leader consider yourself an elite athlete.  An elite athlete may train extensively, but they also match that regimen to proper nutrition and rest.  Moreover, they prepare for their major competitive events by reducing the volume of training in advance of a big race - and also take time for recovery after a major effort.  To be an effective leader you need to follow a similar pattern.

No person is an island.  Being an effective leader also requires recognition that it can indeed be lonely "at the top" of whatever work unit you are in - from CEO to front-line manager.  You will need support on an ongoing basis to work through the various issues coming at you, a sounding board to vent or think out loud, and even somebody to celebrate your successes with.  Ensure that you stay connected with key supports in and beyond your work environment.  Maybe this takes the form of a confidential peer advisory forum (e.g., TEC Canada) or a mentor but there is no upside - and a lot of downside - in being the lone wolf leader.

Remind yourself of your strengths, capabilities and past successes.  None of us who have reached a leadership position have done so by accident.  We have successfully overcome barriers, challenges and dark times before.  There is every reason to expect that we will be similarly successful now and into the future.  We may be somewhat miffed that we have to climb another hill but we do have a track record of success that should give us confidence that we can do it again.  But we have to take the time to reflect on this history of success and build on it to address the new challenge.

Take control.  I truly believe that each of us does have the ability to prioritize our work, control the pace of what is coming at us, and even say no to various demands being placed on us.  The best way and maybe the only truly effective way to gain this kind of control is to again take the time to understand what is of greatest importance to us.  Understanding, articulating and writing down the values we want to live and work by gives us the power to prioritize.  We have the power to choose.  We need only exercise it.

Finally, and related to the last point, live and work with your fundamental purpose in mind.  Be clear about why you work.  What are your fundamental goals?  At the same time appreciate that, just like a river meandering inevitably to the sea, that there are going to be boulders, barriers, rough water and other diversions in your path.  Regardless, you will eventually reach your goal and all the more so if you keep your head up and your eyes focused on the distant horizon.  If your purpose and goal is big enough and important enough there is not much that will deter you from reaching your journey's end.  Moreover it will give you the energy to return to your true course when encountering the next barrier.  It will give you the energy, capacity and resilience to lead in the way that you want to lead.

______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.

The Power to Choose Every Day

In my last post - "What kind of Leaders are we REALLY looking for?" - I posed a few burning questions somewhat in service of getting answers for myself but also to spark some conversation amongst my readers.  To sum up, my questions really boiled down to why we continue to be plagued by less than stellar leaders when we really do see some exemplars out there and collectively yearn for an organizational culture that we could all grow and thrive in.

I got a few interesting comments back, some salient pieces of advice on how to continue my search for answers, and some thoughts that sparked even further internal debate.  At the same time that this dialogue was going on I was also working with a number of my coaching clients who are in the midst of leaving their current organizations behind.  Each has given up hope that their organizations can live up to their publicly stated values and their public organizational persona.  They feel stifled, unrecognized, frustrated and quite frankly abused.  Even if they haven't left just yet it's clear that their particular organizations have already lost their full attention and commitment.  These energetic, dynamic, innovative, creative and inspiring leaders have been lost.

That's a sad commentary on organizational culture all on its own.  What makes these stories even more astounding is that the organizations in question are either blissfully unaware of what they stand to lose or, in fact, have consciously driven out the kind of leadership they so desperately need to succeed.  In some cases they have already been presented with clear warning signs - including previous resignations, higher rates of absenteeism, greater degree of conflict, and more customer complaints.  But rather than dig deep into cause or otherwise heed the warning signs the organization has chosen to ignore reality.  They have chosen to stick with mediocre leaders and maintain a draining culture.

Another comment that came back to me was from somebody who was obviously - and sincerely - struck by the willingness and readiness of some leaders to make some pretty hard decisions in service of their staff.  More particularly, what impressed this individual was the willingness and ability of a President/CEO to voluntarily take unpaid time off, setting an example for an entire company, so that layoffs could be avoided.  My reader lamented about something similar not being in their power to effect in their own organization - that the ability to "share the pain" on a proportionate basis was impaired by structures and systems (e.g., human resources policy, finance department regulation, political directives) that actively prevented more altruistic approaches to business challenges.

The irony of the conversation was that these comments were not made by a front-line manager, or a Director or an Executive Director.  The comments and lamentation came from a C-Suite executive.  A person with senior level experience and with broad accountability and authority.  Somebody in a position of power.  I interpreted their comments to mean that they felt and believe themselves powerless in their organization to do something they felt was right and better for staff - because the "systems of the organization" wouldn't allow it.

Now I'm not going to sit here all high and mighty, feigning near sainthood for myself.  After this conversation I could immediately reflect upon more than a few instances where I shied away from some battles over "doing the right thing" gave way to either expediency or a higher power, where I allowed myself to be steamrolled or intimidated.  However, it doesn't change the reality that other leaders have chosen to use their power to the benefit of a higher good or purpose.  Those leaders could also have rationalized another less optimal choice on the basis of contrary directives or recommendations from their shareholders, board of directors, or other factors.  But they didn't.  They exercised their power of choice.  They exercised their leadership power in congruence with their personal values and perhaps of the values of their organization.

As leaders - at every level of our organizations - I believe we consistently overestimate the power of "systems" and other leaders while consistently underestimating our own ability to make decisions and make a difference.  Still don't believe me?  How often do we see examples of leaders in the news who have clearly taken advantage of systems and their power to advance their own personal well-being?   How often do we see bonuses for senior leaders in the same year that staff layoffs impact hundreds if not thousands of others in the same company?

It is clear that leaders have the power to do what they want in many circumstances.  They have the power to make the hard decisions or take the easy way out.  They can choose to lead for the benefit of themselves or for the benefit of the entire organization.

Leaders have the power to choose every single day.  So do you.  

 Every man builds his world in his own image.  He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice.

Ayn Rand  

______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.

What kind of Leaders are we REALLY looking for?

Scan the job adverts in any major newspaper or postings being supported through an executive search firm and you are liable to find one or more President, Chief Executive Officer or senior level roles up for grabs.  Most of the postings describe desirable characteristics of the leaders being sought and the values, culture, and/or history of the firm seeking its next leader.

The posting might look something like:

The Opportunity:  The successful candidate must be able to inspire others to achieve their personal goals, establish an organizational vision that ultimately ensures personal success above all else, and establishes an environment in which the team complies with direction out of fear of their jobs and careers.

  Our next leader will:

• Primarily focus on self and not waste valuable time focused on sustaining others and/or building organizational capacity;
• Not spend time coaching, mentoring or encouraging others when executive time is better spent getting business-related results that directly relate to ability to generate a personal bonus;
• Focus on relationships that will enhance their personal network thus facilitating personal advantage both in the short and long-term;
• Understands that glitzy public relations campaigns, slogans and emotional appeals can often outweigh the effort and cost of more fundamental business efforts;
• Engage with stakeholders primarily to foster an image of inclusion but otherwise manage expectations to the benefit of self;
• Have a proven track record of negotiating best possible salary, benefits, and bonuses package for self while effectively communicating need for fiscal restraint for the rest of the organization; and
• Discourages a culture of openness, inquiry, and debate. 

At this point I'm hoping you are saying "What the heck is this guy talking about?  I've never seen an executive posting like that!!"  And of course you are absolutely correct.  What I have given you is pretty much the mirror opposite of this fictitious posting.  Most of us - and the organizations we work for - would state a desire to have inspiring, visionary, inclusionary, collaborative, selfless leaders.  Yet, to my mind, many organizations, boards, and other executives have a horrible track record of not hiring the kind of leaders they say they are looking for.  I was reminded of this reality when viewing a recent Simon Sinek TED Talk entitled "Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe", the link to which is noted here:


http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe

If you have not yet seen this talk I suggest that it is 12 minutes of your time well spent.  There we so many aspects of this presentation that hit home for me.  His first point of reference was a military scenario that led him to wonder whether the leaders he had observed had just been born better people.  He rapidly corrects himself though and suggests that it's the environment that permits these leaders to be created - if you get the environment right he suggests that every one of us had the capacity to do remarkable things.  He goes on to state that the basis for this leadership incubator is an environment built on trust and cooperation.  And you can't tell somebody to trust you or to cooperate with you.  There are no valid "directions" or "speech" by which you can enforce or establish that kind of environment in an instant.  Yet over and over again in my experience I have encountered leaders who believe that by position and authority alone that they should expect the trust and cooperation of others.  Do as I say (not as I do) without question.

Sinek contrasts this command and control environment - and the fear that it engenders - with some remarkable examples of what I consider to be extraordinary leaders.  One such company that he talks about is Next Jump who's CEO, Charlie Kim, instituted a policy of LIFETIME EMPLOYMENT.  This is not in the traditional or historical sense that you and I might understand - or perhaps as our parents and grandparents might have experienced it.  Rather, Next Jump makes the commitment to each employee that they will not be fired - even if you are having performance issues!  Further, they will invest in you, with coaching, training and any other support that helps you stay a part of the Next Jump family.  How many leaders and organizations have you experienced that would go to those lengths versus terminating for cause or not and hiring the next employee?

To what lengths as employees or followers would we go - would you go - if you had a LEADER and organization that treated you as such a precious commodity that they stuck with you regardless of circumstances?  Sinek suggests, and provides other examples of, people making significant sacrifices on behalf of the organization's continued good health and the well-being of their colleagues if a trusting and collaborative environment has been built up over time - and where the leaders have walked the talk, shared the sacrifices, and gone first.  In contrast, he also recounts the visceral hatred, anger and lack of commitment to those CEOs who demonstrate their lack of commitment to the health and success of all of their people as they pursue their disproportionate salaries and bonuses, who seem more intent on establishing and maintaining their summer homes in Phoenix, being seen at their private members clubs, or acquiring this year's latest model of sports car.  Those employees know that they have been sacrificed for the leader's gain.  The sacrifices have not been shared.

So the burning question that I am left with - and I leave with you - is if we all desire to be led by people like Next Jump's Charlie Kim why do leaders like him seem to be so exceptionally rare?  To paraphrase a common saying, how do we achieve like eagles when we are led by so many turkeys?  How are we allowing less than stellar leaders to continue to rise to the top?  What are we missing?

Today I provide no clear or definitive answer - I'm asking you for your opinion and answers.

______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.