Lessons in Leadership - Through Triathlon!

Many posts ago I wrote about the leadership lessons I gleaned from Ironman triathlon competitions (http://itsaboutleadership.blogspot.ca/2012/08/ironman-as-metaphor-for-leadership.html).  The lack of references to triathlon since is testament to the fact that I have largely been absent from this personal athletic endeavor for five years now.

I have any number of reasons as to why the hiatus between major events - most notably adding in two more children to my parenting responsibilities - but after a failed attempt to reengage in a significant tri event last year my wife and I were back out on a course on July 3, 2016!  And as before, lessons were learned and reinforced.

First, there has to be some motivation or goal in mind to undertake a triathlon event.  For my wife and I, given how our lives have changed since 2011 we were realistic enough to know that personal bests were not in the cards.  Finishing was going to be the goal.  More important to us at this stage was in fact reengaging and recommitting to a healthy lifestyle.  Having a race to compete in (The Great White North Triathlon) functioned as a milestone and deadline to which we could aspire.   As "they" say, without a goal any direction will do! This was not an Ironman distance but still daunting as we got back into things - 2 km swim, followed by 90 km on the bike, followed by a 21 km run.

Second, luck or success (in leadership and triathlon) favors the prepared.  Speaking for myself, there is no doubt that greater effort had gone into getting physically prepared for 2016 than in previous years.  I had lost some weight and in fact was less than what I had competed at in 2011 and 2012.  Unfortunately, I did not get in workouts on a consistent basis (e.g., daily) from January to June.  Further to that point, I had not donned my wetsuit since my last Ironman, had not had an open water swim since 2011, and did not have a bike ride of more than 45 km at any time leading up to the Great White North.  Not a recipe for high performance.  The clear lesson here for athletics and leadership is you can't ride on past success or performance in the belief that it will carry you to success on an ongoing basis.  Your mind might remember past glories but your body will give you great and almost immediate feedback to the contrary!  There must be recognition that success comes from daily investment.

Third, success is rarely based on a single skill.  Triathlon is a multi-discipline sport.  So is leadership.  However, if we think of triathlon as swimming, cycling and running we would miss out on other equally important components.  In my recent race this was again made clear in terms of needing to put all of the elements together - including nutrition and hydration - to succeed.  You really can't just excel at one discipline and expect to have success.  In leadership if you expect to rely on only one skill and/or never change or develop those skills you'll be quickly outpaced by your competition.  Our business environments are changing too rapidly - maybe even daily or hourly - to stand pat.  Our workforce and customers are becoming increasingly diverse along with their expectations and demands.  Leaders have to continuously evaluate, learn and evolve.

I can't do justice to the comparison between triathlon and Leadership if I don't discuss mental toughness and resilience.  You can have everything in place - training in several disciplines, fueling plan nailed, equipment ready - but if you are not mentally prepared for race day all of the prep work might be for naught.  In this particular event what hit us on the course - literally - was a torrential downpour accompanied by hail!  We were fortunate enough to be able to take shelter just off the course but what we lost many minutes waiting for the deluge to pass.  We also discovered that many of our other competitors were spared this particular challenge.  Fair doesn't have to be part of the race equation, nor does it play into the business world.  Regardless, you have to have experienced adversity (through trying and taking risks) if you are to develop the mental toughness and resilience to overcome and continue.  Quitters don't get far in life.   The best leaders have faced their share of adversity on their way up to their current roles; they've experienced conflict, they've had to make tough choices, they've had to balance multiple priorities and tasks, and they have sometimes failed.  However, that's what has (hopefully) molded them into better leaders.

Triathlon is often a lonely venture.  So too leadership.  But they don't have to be.  In this particular case there is no doubt in my mind that it would have been relatively easy to call it a day after having been drenched with rain, pelted with hail and lost time waiting by the roadside.  Wet, cold and frustrated.  Time to go home and have a hot shower.  What certainly helped me continue was the mutual commitment I had made with my wife to complete the race.  Throughout our periods of adversity and frustration with the day we could draw upon each other - and dark humor - to get us to the finish line.  In the same way, leaders do not have to walk their path alone.  There are many opportunities and options to build and sustain networks and partnerships that will inevitably support your leadership success.  Too often what gets in the way of developing those partnerships are things like ego and fear.  Put aside pride and build the relationships that you will need to succeed in the face of the challenges and setbacks that will come.

Finally,  one of the best lessons to be reinforced through this particular triathlon event was that there were still opportunities for me to give back and support others.  As my wife and I were closing out the race we were encouraged by other competitors with similar goals to ours - achieve a personal best, finish the race, catch the next person in front of you.  Despite the nature of the competition there was still a recognition that we were all in it together.  That same spirit allowed my wife and I to run the final kilometres with a fellow athlete who was completing her first half-Ironman.  And at the end of the race we stepped back to allow her first moment in the sun as a half-Ironman finisher.  In business and leadership I believe the same lesson is available to be applied.  Yes, we are in competition, but we can also have success by not just beating down the other.  In addition, most of us have had experiences that others have not.  Even if we don't feel particularly successful in the moment we need to recognize that we still have something of value to offer.  Leadership doesn't just have to be about our individual or personal success.  If we can keep our eyes up a bit more we might just be able to impart some wisdom and inspiration to others who are trying to follow in a similar path to our own.  

Triathlon and Leadership - more than a few lessons to be learned.  Keep learning and enjoy your leadership race!
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
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.

On being strategic - part deux!

In my last post I talked about some of the qualities or characteristics of what I suggested made a leader a strategic leader - being visionary or anticipatory, being able to critically evaluate options and information, being comfortable with ambiguity, and being able to take action with imperfect information.  The next logical question is, of course, is how does an aspiring leader develop these qualities?  How does one go from being a manager or a good leader to a strategic leader?  Noted below are some the tactics that I believe can help you become more strategic in your leadership outlook.

First, while it may border on the more than slightly obvious, there is no doubt that experience plays into one's ability to become a better strategic thinker.  You have to have had the opportunity - or sought out opportunity - to get a better feel for a variety of circumstances you will likely face in the future.  Experience can be a great teacher.

Raw experience is certainly not enough.  It's somewhat akin to only perfect practice supporting achievement of perfect results.  There must be mindful consideration at play as it relates to experience.  All too often managers or leaders are merely along for the proverbial ride.   They don't truly appreciate or take the time to understand the forces at play inside and outside their organization. They are being given free lessons in leadership but are not at all taking advantage of the opportunity.  Unfortunately, this often directly relates back to the concept of being busy versus being productive and giving into the tyranny of the urgent.  Leaders must have the strength to step back long enough to see the big picture at play and understand how the forces at play are impacting their efforts and objectives.

Directly related to my first point, I believe to be a strategic leader one must take blinders off and be intentional about seeking new knowledge and experiences outside of our business or industry.  New strategic insights are far less likely to come from merely observing your competitors or others in your particular sector or industry.  If we are to challenge ourselves as leaders we have to really own a key requirement or expectation to be scanners of the broad environment in which we find ourselves, we have to stretch and grow our own capacity, and appreciate that breakthrough thinking is more likely to come from seeing challenges and opportunities through a completely different lens.  While it seems that every business sector thinks they are unique, I am constantly reinforcing with my clients the value of broad-based learning and networking to enhance their peripheral leadership vision.

Similar to the point above, while I suggest leaders seek out information beyond their particular business sector I also recommend that they appreciate and leverage the diversity of their team - direct reports, peers, etc.  As individuals we have one set of eyes and ears which we then filter through our own internal filters.  Leaders must first appreciate that they can't be in all places at once to capture all relevant data.  Secondly they must come to realize that they may not even be capable - because of their filters and biases - of really seeing, appreciating and interpreting the data streaming towards them.  This is where they have to develop trust and confidence in others to help in the broad-based environmental scanning that is required to succeed in today's dynamic business environment.

These requirements also require an ability to cultivate personal humility and a commitment to lifelong learning.  A leader should think of their skills, ability and knowledge much like the newest laptop or tablet - almost obsolete the day you buy it.  Leaders must be open to new learning appreciating the speed of change and the need to constantly develop and hone their leadership and business skills.  What you know today is not going to be enough to be successful tomorrow.  Even the act of learning itself will help to continue to develop your personal capacity, ability to be comfortable with change, and even a desire to initiate change.

Being a strategic leader also often implies that you may be the only one with clarity on the vision forward.  This implies a requirement to spend time and invest in one's ability to understand others and to communicate a strategic vision in a way that others can understand and commit to.  This implies time spent with key stakeholders ensuring open lines of communication, development of trust, and an appreciation of different perspectives on risks and benefits for individual stakeholders and stakeholder groups.  A leader has to develop this level of understanding and appreciation of others in order to communicate or tailor a message and the vision in a way that others can understand and commit to.  One size will not fit all.

Ultimately, all of the above elements lead to a requirement for a leader to make decisions in the face of imperfect information.  Experience and information are only as good as the decisions that are actually taken.  Leaders have to gain some level of comfort in actually making decisions and taking action.  We have to pull the trigger, weighing as best we can the costs and benefits, evaluate results, learn and adjust as necessary.  Appreciate the fact that mistakes will be made but develop the resiliency to bounce back from less than optimal results.  Being a strategic leader requires courage.

Strategic leadership can be developed through planned and thoughtful effort.  Seek out experiences, be mindful to draw the right lessons from those experiences, scan the environment broadly, leverage the diversity of your team and network, commit to your ongoing learning, enhance your ability to communicate and influence, and ultimately take action.  It's About (Strategic) Leadership!
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE(R), CEC, PCC
President & Co-Founder
BreakPoint Solutions
gregh@breakpoint.solutions

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.

On being strategic...

One of the hallmarks of an accomplished leader is being strategic.  And that perspective is certainly reinforced with a number of leaders that I have engaged with whether they be a CEO with a long track record or a leader who is aspiring to advance up the corporate ladder.  Regardless of circumstance there is a desire, sometimes even bordering on a sense of urgency, to develop one's strategic outlook, capacity and skills.  There is a perceived risk that one's leadership career will stall for lack of developing strategic skills and outlook. While that may be true - and I believe one could argue that too many leaders are in significant positions without strategic skills - the first question to address is what does it mean to be strategic.

So what does it mean to be strategic?  I believe there a few key components or factors that define what it means to be strategic.  First, there is certainly some element of being visionary or anticipatory.  Strategic leaders are not just focused on what's directly in front of them.  Rather there is a willingness and an ability to look forward many years and consider a number of variables that might impact the business.  Make no mistake, the ability and willingness to look far beyond the horizon does not all equate to clarity of vision.  However, by keeping "eyes up" a leader permits themselves to see challenges and opportunities long before they become evident to everyone else.

Because the future view is cloudy being a strategic thinker requires another essential skill - the ability to critically evaluate all of the information coming at you.  Very often the varied sources of information can also be contradictory.  A strategic leaders has to be able to critically evaluate this disparate data stream to ensure that decisions taken in the short-term are a combination of reasoned and assertive.  Competitive advantage is not gained by being timid but nor is an organization successful if it responds to every twitch in the marketplace.

Both of the above factors also imply an ability of a strategic leader to be comfortable with ambiguity. Rarely - if ever - is the information available to a leader 100% accurate or complete.  I have often tried to get this message across to leaders through a weather analogy.  If there is a 60% chance of rain how do you prepare?  How is that different if there is a 10% chance versus an 80% chance?  When do you have enough information to act?  Waiting until you have 100% certainty is not strategic nor is likely to support development or maintenance of competitive advantage.

Ultimately, a vision is only worthwhile or a leader is only recognized as being visionary if action is attached to that vision.  Action without vision is a nightmare.  Vision without action is a dream.  Those leaders ultimately recognized as being strategic have the courage and the determination to see their vision through to conclusion.  Being strategic implies a necessary degree of courage (in the face of imperfect information noted above) and the fact that most of the people you have to work with as a leader may have a different view of the world than you do and/or are content with the world and their place in it as things currently are.  This latter point is particularly important if a business is in fact enjoying great success in the moment.  Why fix what isn't broken?  Why break something that has been working well? 

I've identified only a few elements of what I believe characterizes a strategic leader.  I could certainly add in more elements such as humility, ability to influence or communicate, and a commitment to continuous learning.  More importantly at this point what needs to be addressed - in my next post - is how does one develop those traits that distinguish a strategic leader from others.  What steps and actions can one undertake and engage in to develop one's strategic acumen?  I don't believe it's luck of the draw or "natural born" leadership.  

Strategic leadership also requires strategic planning and action on a personal level.   Concrete, intentional planning and action can help any leader further hone their skill in service of their career and business.  It's about leadership for self and others.
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE(R), CEC, PCC
President & Co-Founder
BreakPoint Solutions
www.breakpoint.solutions
gregh@breakpoint.solutions




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 Physics of Leadership

In the past month I made a significant change in where I will devote my time and energy.  The particular decision represented the end of several years of effort - and emotional investment.  It was not a decision taken lightly.  Like many challenging decisions it was something that should have happened earlier. 

Being very much a wanna be science geek - as attested to by my love of astronomy, Star Trek and the Big Bang Theory - I started to see a relation between leadership and the physics around work, time and power.  More particularly, the relationship between these factors started to bring my own personal time management challenges into perspective.  What's also been apparent over the past several months is that many of my contacts and clients have been similarly challenged by issues that present as issues of time management.

Now I'm not going to profess to being an expert in the field of physics.  I successfully avoided the subject through high school and university!  I have just enough awareness of the concepts to be dangerous and think I can draw some comparisons to leadership and work challenges.  One formulation in physics that struck me was the relationship between Power, Work and Time.

My translation of the concept of Power as it relates to leadership and business is that Power represents our ability to achieve and to get things done.  Power is certainly a time-based concept and quantity as all of us know too well.  The level of Power that we are able to achieve directly relates to two key factors - the amount of Work effort we bring to bear on any one task and the amount of Time it takes to complete a task and/or the amount of Time we are prepared to give to a task.  Simple enough on the face of it.  I hope.

As I worked through my decision it's become abundantly clear that Work and Time exist in limited quantities.  At a certain point there is no more Work to be applied or Time to be had in relation to the quality of Power (or quality of accomplishment) that we expect or can achieve.  Most of us in leadership roles are not content to merely check off the items on our list of to do's.  We want high quality results in everything we do.

Often we undertake pieces of work, investment in initiatives, and even in other people and relationships for all the right reasons.  We believe we see some current or future value in this investment of our time and energy.  Sometimes we have really done our homework while other times we become enamored with the idea of what has been presented to us or is before us. 

However, in service of Power (or quality of that Power), we need to make appropriate commitments of Work and Time.  Nothing good comes for free.

Now if you google "time management" you'll get a host of tips for getting more Work done in a given Time period in service of results/Power.  This list often includes - delegation, forensic audit of your last week's or last month's calendar, block off time with yourself, schedule time for inevitable interruptions, take the first 30 minutes of your day to plan, and turn off your technology.  If you are like me - and most of my clients - you've done most of these and are still feeling challenged.

A breakthrough for me came when I started to think "How would I coach one of my clients through this type of scenario?"   So I started to ask myself some hard questions.  What was I prepared to continue to do to make this particular task successful?  How long was I prepared to continue to make the investment of Time and Work into the venture?  How did that investment of Time and Work relate to other things that were giving me more Power?

The proverbial light bulb came on when I recognized that rather than trying to find more Time, or give more Work, I needed to really think in terms of efficiency in service of my personal Power (or ultimate goals).  Once that equation came into sharper focus and I really owned my personal priorities the decision became clear (although not necessarily easier).  The hardest decision I had to come to terms with were ones of key priorities and personal choice.  Ultimately the same struggle that any one of my clients deal with - being clear on priorities and making hard choices.  And that's what leadership is often all about whether it be leadership of self or a business.

One additional side note.  The achievement of Power (accomplishment) is, for better or worse, just a simple matter of your own Work and Time.  Rather we have to deal with the concept of Friction and a potential to lose impact from your own Work.  There are other forces in the environment that can confound your efforts.  I needed to take that into account as well when considering my decision.  In my particular circumstance it was clear that there were too many other points of Friction at play that were not allowing me to make the best use of my personal Work and Time to achieve my full Power.

Long story short - Time and Work are bounded for all of us.  We have to be wise enough and strong enough to make the right choices in service of our Power.

Leadership is about setting priorities and having the courage to act upon those priorities.  Nobody ever said it was going to be easy but that is leadership.
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE(R), CEC, PCC
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.

Be Inspired By Others - A Revisit of the Lessons

In just over a dozen hours from this posting my family and I will return to the happiest place on earth.  The last time we were all there (the youngest still developing within my wife) we not only vacationed but undertook a family-based athletic endeavor.  The experience taught me a lot not only as it related to athletics but also suggested some thoughts about leadership.

So here is a replay of what went through my mind over three years ago as I/we took on a goofy challenge...

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Just over two weeks ago my family and I did something goofy.  Over a period of two days we experienced the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend in Orlando.  Our soon to be 3 year old daughter competed in the 100 metre dash, our 12 year old daughter competed in the Mickey Mile, and my wife and I completed the Goofy Challenge - a half marathon on Saturday followed by a full marathon on Sunday.  What does any of this have to do with leadership?  Well perhaps it is a bit of a stretch, but I saw more than a little similarity between how my three girls raced and how we as leaders can be energized by those around us. 

Right off the top I have to say the performance of my three girls inspired me!  Each of them overcame their own personal challenges to finish their races.  My wife completed the two day athletic event while 18 weeks pregnant.  My 12 year old overcame her self doubts and disability to finish in a personal best time.  My youngest completed her race while still dancing to the beat of her own drummer.  Like myself, none of them won their race or finished on the podium.  However, they demonstrated tremendous character, spirit and a love of simply being in the day that reminded me of how I need to view my athletic pursuits - be glad for the ability to run (or bike or swim), to learn about myself, and to continuously improve. 



As leaders in small or large organizations we are often expected to be THE source of inspiration and direction for the rest of our staff.  That's what everyone expects of us and it is what we expect of ourselves.  Most dedicated and committed leaders have this need to be "on" all the time, establishing the strategic directions for the organization, planning initiatives to realize the directions, and motivating others to achieve the ends the organization has set.  Frequently, however, our staff can serve to inspire or reinvigorate our leadership.  As leaders we can often get caught up in grand strategies or crisis management.  We can be pulled in many directions.  We can easily lose sight of the real reason we are "in the race".  The distance between our management offices and the frontline can often make it harder to focus on making the experience of our clients the best that it possibly can be.  Yet each day many of our staff are making their very best efforts towards this very end despite the challenges they face.  Like my girls competing in their races, our staff don't have the luxury of dictating the ideal terms under which they will do their jobs.  They come to work anyway.  And the very best of our staff "compete" to the best of their ability and "cross the finish line" with a smile on their face.  They have kept their promise to their clients and to their profession to do the best they can on that day - and they will be back tomorrow for the next race.

I'm sure that most people are familiar with the concept of Management by Walking Around.  The concept is usually associated with making sure leadership is visible, informed, and can otherwise serve to motivate staff and keep everyone on track.  The leader is watching.  However, there is even more value from the MBWA exercise - keeping the leader in touch with the core work of the organization.  In the field of health care this can be critically important when considering the impact of major decisions on frontline staff and services.  Just as important, it can be challenging to keep a leader's energy at peak level with the challenges facing health care these days.  An opportunity to connect with the frontline can provide a regular boost of energy and inspiration to keep a leader motivated.  There are many inspiring people in our organizations who can continue to show us why we choose health care as our calling.  It's an opportunity too great to be missed.

Take the time to be inspired by those around you.
______________________________

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.

Leadership - It's A Team Sport!

Nearly a month ago I had the privilege of presenting on the topic of my blog to the Edmonton Chapter of Emerging Health Leaders.  The message I conveyed related to how no truly accomplished leader develops their capabilities nor ensures their success by walking their leadership path alone.  It takes a team of people - in various capacities - to develop one's leadership.

I believe this concept of a "team" helping you to succeed stands in sharp contrast to what many of us have traditionally seen as the image of the successful leader - strong, dominant, incredibly self-disciplined and motivated, a pioneer, charting their own leadership path, standing apart and above all others.  Any sense of relying on a team for support and development smacks of weakness and vulnerability.  Reaching out to others might actually be seen as an embarrassing admission that the Great and Powerful Oz is a mere sham hiding behind the proverbial curtain. Some leaders might dress this image up for modern times but there is still a too prevalent belief that one must find their own path and struggle through to the top on one's own merits and efforts.

However, if that model were so outstanding why do we still have widespread issues in both the public and private sector relating to workforce productivity, employee engagement, and turnover (both voluntary and involuntary)?  Perhaps worse than turnover in our workforce is the consequence of those employees who have "quit on the job".  By some estimates this can equate to as much as 20% of our workforce!

Like health and lifestyle choices (e.g., smoking, overeating, exercise) it's not that we lack for knowledge about what good leadership should look like.  Consider Jim Collins and Level 5 Leadership, Kouzes and Posner and Leadership Best Practices, Patrick Lencioni and the Five Dysfunctions of a Team.  Leadership demands of us a full range of skills and behaviors - IQ, EQ, change management skill, ability to vision and strategize, flexibility, adaptability, humility, and a willingness to continue to learn.

So you can continue to try and go it alone as a leader, or drag your staff behind you kicking and screaming on a journey they don't want to take (or aren't convinced you are qualified to lead) or you can get among your team, being willing to learn from them and do more than you could ever accomplish on your own.

I suggest that the starting point on this journey is self-awareness and not just that acquired from an unguided or unstructured process of self-reflection.  Rather, seek out input from a variety of sources to as objectively as possible critique your leadership capabilities and potential.  The key here is broad input - not just from your "friends" - that allows you to identify your strengths, your opportunities and your blind spots.  Start with courage and humility by asking your team for their views on you.

Seek out information and learning at all times.  Continuous learning must be your mantra and your philosophy.  In today's world, leadership requires flexibility, adaptability and resilience.  If information is power appreciate that information also goes out-of-date rapidly in today's world.  Experts are created anew every day.  Stay connected.  Hear, listen, evaluate and adjust.  Engage and expand your team of experts.

The strength of the information and advice you get is directly proportional  to the quality of the relationships you build. If there is no mutually beneficial relationship the information flow to you may be limited, non-existent or perhaps just coming in the form of "what the leader wants to hear".  So if you crave and value information for its ability to help you set direction and evaluate progress you need to foster high quality relationships with your team.  And quality of relationships is a direct result of quantity of time spent with your team, quality of that time spent, and how you show up.  Build relationships and you build your information database and enhance your leadership capacity.

Don't be afraid to follow others including your own direct reports.  Hopefully you've hired them for their particular skills, expertise, and intelligence.  If you have the courage to acknowledge their expertise and capabilities - and admit that in some circumstances their skill exceeds your own - you may learn much and gain more by becoming a follower.  Facilitate their growth, leverage their capacity, and you could quite well accelerate achievement of your goals.

Look to and analyze the leadership strengths of your icons and role models.  Maybe these are people that you have actually worked with or been led by.  Maybe they are historical figures.  Regardless, take the time to assess the characteristics and qualities you admire about them.  Critically evaluate what has allowed them to be successful (by your definition).  Learn from these role models, adapt their tactics to your circumstances, and put this learning to use.

Your role models and icons do have much to teach you.  So too do your detractors, nemeses and arch-enemies.  Think of those who constantly confound you.  Think of those who have challenged you by their leadership of you.  Thank them for the opportunity to have worked with them - maybe under your breath, but thank them nevertheless.  I expect that if you are conscious of and open to the learning that has gone on that they have helped you identify and reinforce your key leadership values, made you think about how you wanted to show up differently as a leader, and confirmed things you would never do as a leader.

Network, network, network.  In the context of my presentation to EHL, I commended them on establishing their own network and connecting with a variety of others in the healthcare sector.  Connect with others in your organization and in your sector on a regular basis.  You never know when these relationships - or these new team members - might be critical to future opportunities.  Beyond that I also challenged my budding healthcare colleagues to reach out beyond their immediate circle and industry.  Going beyond "the norm" is going to broaden your horizons, open up your eyes to other possibilities that you might not otherwise have dreamed of.

Get a mentor and be a mentor!  I say both because I believe that every one of us has something to offer as a mentor and not just as a mentee.  We all have unique experiences and insights that, if shared, could benefit others.  On the other side of the equation, I have always found being a mentor a great challenge to what I think I know and how I can convey my knowledge and experience in a way that has impact.  The questions from a mentee can challenge me and help me clarify my own understanding on a subject.  Regardless of which side of the relationship you find yourself on take the mentorship opportunity seriously! Your partner deserves your commitment.

Write, write and write.  And in this case write for others, contribute through blog posts, work with on-line forums, maybe even contribute an article to a local paper or journal.  It can feel a bit intimidating but the opportunity to get your thoughts out on paper, to potentially receive some feedback, and the ability to engage with others - sometimes on a worldwide basis - can be quite eye-opening and revealing.  I have gained much from my own blog experience, growing my network of colleagues, hearing reinforcing and alternate perspectives.  All of it has helped me to grow as a leader.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't get up on my own personal soapbox and suggest that as a leader you should engage an Executive Coach on your leadership journey.  Stealing a phrase from a coach colleague of mine, "Your mind is a dangerous neighborhood to go into alone."  As a leader don't underestimate the value of an external, objective and committed resource that can challenge your assumptions and self-limiting beliefs to get you to your leadership destination.  More importantly recognize that engaging a coach is not a demonstration of weakness - world class athletes don't get to the podium without the benefit of a coach or multiple coaches.  They, like you, are looking to take their performance to the next level.  If you are passionate about your leadership craft you'll do whatever it takes to succeed - including engaging an executive coach.

It's up to you to write your personal leadership story.  Just remember that it takes more than one author with a great story to produce a best seller.  It takes an editor, a publisher, and various contributors to make the story come together and find its audience.  Who are going to be your contributors?  Who is going to help you write your leadership story?

It takes a team to craft a leader.  Who's on your team?
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
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.

Anti-Bullying Day and Your Leadership

Yesterday was anti-bullying day and to honor that effort we were tasked with wearing something pink.  I did what I could fashion-wise in wearing a pink-like dress shirt.  More importantly as I reflected on the real meaning and effort behind the day I considered my own experience of bullying - both as a child and in the workforce.  I suspect in more ways than one bullying has in a perverse way helped me define my concepts of right and wrong.  In addition, I believe it has helped establish for me this somewhat quixotic predilection to champion the cause of the underdog.

But what possible application could this day have to our workplaces or our leadership?

No doubt we are all aware of a multitude of tragic scenarios that have played out with increasing regularity in our local communities and across our respective nations - children and youth subjected to intense and sustained harassment that only gains attention or action after they have taken their own lives in a desperate attempt at escape.  Invariably as a community, as parents, as human beings we individually and collectively express shock and dismay that such a tragedy could take place.  Invariably we ask how and why could this happen, what should have been done to identify and stop the bullying, and what we should do now.  We seem particularly shocked that children could perpetrate such abuse.

I'm not sure why we are so surprised.  Judging by my own experience and that of others an undercurrent of bullying exists within our broader society and in our workplaces.  Our youth are unfortunately just modeling our own "adult" and "professional" behaviors.

I want to first point out that by starting this entry in the way I have that I in no way intend to diminish the very real tragedies that have taken place.  I do, however, believe it is useful as a starting point in highlighting the fact that we unfortunately do not leave that reality behind once we move on from elementary school.  Inadvertently or not, our leadership styles and our work cultures also tolerate, sustain, and even foster bullying.  Just as there are not, and should not be, bystanders in dealing with bullying of our youth a similar sentiment must hold true in our organizations.

There may be more than a few questions rattling around your head at this point, not least of which may be "Does bullying really exist in my organization?"  and "What does bullying even look like?"  Or perhaps like me, and others who have reached out to me, you know all too well the face of bullying from your past or current work.  My personal experiences have run the gamut - leaders abusing their secretaries and subordinates, physicians intimidating their colleagues/nursing staff/ managers, union presidents running roughshod over their members, peers targeting peers, and on and on.  The list is endless.  Perhaps we have become a little bit less tolerant of such behavior and a bit more sophisticated in our response than when I first started my career but such behavior is still far too frequent for my liking.

What does this have to do with leadership?  Everything.  First, as leaders we have to be conscious of our own potential (or reality) for being the bully.  In our roles we yield great power and with great power comes great responsibility and accountability.  By the very nature of our roles we can intimidate and by using our positional authority - throwing our weight around - we can cow others into doing what we want them to do.  As leaders we can feel fully justified in doing so - we have been given the authority, we have earned the leadership role, we have been given a mandate, my staff don't/can't see the reality like I do, I have a professional designation (e.g., MBA, MD) that gives me even more credibility, and so on and so forth.  But is this roughshod approach real leadership?  It's not many subordinates who have the courage or temerity to hold fast in a point of view that is counter to what their boss is proposing.  Even less so if the track record for being contrary includes personal criticism, opinions being denigrated, being undermined on other projects or opportunities at a later date (i.e., payback), being overlooked for promotions or raises, or even being threatened with - or experiencing - job loss.  Even less so if the bullying behavior has proceeded with impunity before. 

If we are not the bullying leader we have a role in supporting and creating a culture that doesn't tolerate such behavior.  Leaving aside the moral obligation we have as leaders to prevent and eliminate bullying in the workplace, there are some very practical and self-serving reasons to deal with bullies.  The implications to individual and organizational performance are not to be underestimated.  Many authors and researchers approach this subject matter as a workplace health and safety issue.  As it should be.  And as with a variety of workplace health and safety issues the ripple effect of a bully's actions - especially if in a leadership role - equates to any or all of lower staff productivity and effectiveness, poor customer service, increased absenteeism, lower morale, poor team work, higher employee turnover, and very real (and costly) health issues. 

Morally and ethically we are also called to act as leaders and deal with bullying behavior.  Vested with our own positional and moral authority we are called to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves and uphold the stated values of our organizations or professions.  I'm fairly confident that no organization on record nor any professional association has as one of its tenets a commitment to fostering a culture of bullying. 

All this being said we could still likely describe recent and ongoing examples of bullying in our organizations.  So what needs to happen to really make a change? As already noted, I'm not aware of any organization or professional association that promotes bullying or abuse or harassment in any form.  Quite the contrary.  So I don't believe that we need more written codes of conduct, regulations, policies, procedures or similar written statements on the matter.  What we need is more courage and action, not more paper.  We need to be leaders and carry through with the obligations we have signed on to.  We need to not dismiss bullying behavior as an aberration or one-time event.  We need to not condone such behavior because our boss, or peer, or subordinate or member of our staff "gets results".  And our response has to be far more than providing counseling to those experiencing workplace bullying, or shifting them to other duties, or giving them paid leave to recover.  Most of these types of actions really do nothing more than blame the victim - whether that is intended or not. 

Harken back to your days in elementary school.  Think about the kids being harassed and bullied today.  The options for response can seem limited.  Often a bully will threaten further - and harsher - retribution if the victim rats them out.  Amazingly enough the victim can experience more isolation from coming forward - they will appear weak and a whiner in the eyes of the rest of their peers.  If somehow the victim does find the courage to bring the issue to an authority figure there is no guarantee that the cycle of abuse will stop. 

From what I've seen in organizations, the behaviors we adopted in school to get through are the same ones that many use to get through similar situations at work - silence, tolerance, gritting of our teeth, turn the other cheek, just trying to make it through another day of work, hoping that we won't have to encounter that leader, that peer, that professional who seems to go out of their way to bully and intimidate.  If they do get the courage to stand up to the bully, the processes we use seem to further draw out the pain and the opportunity for further abuse and retribution.  The bully gets to continue their work, they may have more "behind closed doors" opportunities to threaten, they have polished responses that amount to "he said/she said", and they may even pull out their own claims to now being themselves abused/harassed by these allegations.  The victims often despair of having raised their voice.  Their experience seems to send them a message - don't speak up, lay low, the cost is too high.  And that message is brought home not only to them but to all staff.

As leaders we must be the ones to stand up to the bullies just as we may have once done in school - head on.  There must be zero tolerance for such unprofessional behaviors.  There must be the courage to take action on the code of conducts that we have all either helped create or signed on to.  Are such efforts easy or pleasant?  Decidedly not!  But that is what our role as leaders entails.  And I speak from experience - I have been threatened by and stood up to so-called leaders, to members of my own Board of Directors, and to abusive physicians.  In too many of those cases I often stood alone.  In many of those cases I too became a subject of abuse and harassment - late night calls at home, threats of legal action, public vilification, and in-your-face "discussions".  My role as leader called me to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, who often just wanted to come to work do a good job and to have the opportunity to enjoy that work. 

Leadership is hard work and it takes courage.  As a leader you set the tone by your every action (or inaction) each day.  Do you have the courage to stand up and call out the bully that is in your work unit, that is your professional colleague, that is your peer - that is your boss?  Or are you content to let someone else pay the price for your inaction?

______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
President & CEO, BreakPoint Solutions
gregh@breakpoint.solutions

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.

Focus, Discipline...and some Metrics

This past couple of weeks have seen me recommit (again) to getting back into triathlon race shape.  In consideration of a very different lifestyle from 5 years ago - 2 more kids, building a business, completing an MBA - my wife and I hadn't done any significant racing or training since January of 2013.  There was an aborted attempt last year to reengage our bodies and souls but timing, motivation and other reasoned excuses got in the way. This time appears to be shaping up differently so far - losing 2 pounds per week for the last three weeks and the weigh scale is starting to make me smile (rather than grimace).

I started to wonder what has allowed me to enjoy a better level of success than the preceding couple of years.  At the same time, I started to hear some parallel experiences in my coaching practice.  I'd been hearing a lot about recommitting to professional and business goals.  A variety of circumstances that caused executives to look back on the year that was and wonder how they had missed on key objectives.  Or perhaps recognizing that they hadn't really been focused at all.  Sometimes this equated to having less than expected performance while in other cases it meant staying the course on a path that clearly wasn't yielding satisfactory results - neither from a revenue nor a personal satisfaction standpoint.  In all cases, mine included, the common theme seemed to come back to regaining focus and then having the discipline to carry forward with a plan.

This line of thinking also brought me back to Jim Collins' thoughts in "Good to Great" and in particular the concept of disciplined people, disciplined thought and disciplined action.  Based on an understanding and extrapolation of his work and my own recent fitness experience I started to wonder how that could inform other types of situations with a view to helping overcome misses.

It became clear to me that a number of factors start to make a difference in success when considering business, professional or personal endeavors.  Each by themselves is insufficient to have success or certainly impact and sustained success.  Success may not be guaranteed when putting it all together but I certainly believe we can give ourselves a fighting chance by integrating all of the following efforts.

First, set a meaningful and achievable long-term goal to shoot for.  In other words create a tangible vision of the desired state of affairs.  For some this may equate to a certain profit margin, sales target, expanded market share, or perhaps all of that.  One of the key variables is to make sure that the vision is grounded in some sort of reality.  Relating back to my personal athletic goal, I've signed up for a half-Ironman set for July of this year and targeted a finish time below 6.5 hours.  To put some further specificity to that goal - and also make it more feasible - I've set a goal of losing 20 pounds prior to that race.  These goals are grounded in my own past historical reality of having completed past triathlons and of being below my currently targeted weight before.

Specific, achievable, realistic and measurable targets to work towards. 

Second, while a visionary goal is laudable it is not enough and didn't prove to be enough to ensure success when I set a similar goal last year.  So this year I've added more structure and a partnership to the process.  Much like the rest of my business life I've been scheduling my workout commitments into my daily calendar - swims scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings; bikes and runs scheduled on alternate days.  My wife has also been enlisted in the effort and I now have a partner to help us support each other in getting our workouts in.  With three kids this means fewer joint workouts but we are getting things done.  So in relation to work and professional endeavors consider how a partner - executive coach, mastermind group, your executive assistant - might help you keep focused on your goals.  Also schedule time for yourself to review your effort, commitment and results on a regular basis.

Structure and partnerships.

Third, technology and other tools can sometimes be useful to your cause.  Often times in my coaching practice I'm working with my clients to help them use what is already at hand for them.  Using a calendaring function on your personal electronic device to set milestones and check in points for yourself.  Use your whiteboard if you are more old school.  Whatever is going to help you stay on track make use of those tools.  In my current fitness and athletic endeavor my new Fitbit has become an extraordinarily useful tool.  I love seeing my progress (or lack thereof) and the ability to track my steps, calories consumed and burned, and weight loss on a daily (or even hourly) basis has had a tremendous impact on my daily behaviors.  I am now taking time out of my day to get in a 20-30 minute walk.  I hold back on that next piece of food if I'm concerned about the caloric goal I've set.  I'm more motivated to get in that workout at the end of the day.  The metrics and the feedback being given to me through the Fitbit is changing my behavior.  And it's stoking my competitive ego - with myself and in relation to my wife's performance!

Metrics and feedback.

To date these factors seem to have become a rediscovered recipe for getting back into shape and being prepared to put myself through 6+ hours of racing in July.  I see these same factors as having relevance to how we can successfully recommit to our professional and business goals.  There are likely other factors that could be added to this brief list within the context of "Disciplined People, Disciplined Thought, Disciplined Action" and I'd like to hear how you are or intend to achieve your goals in 2016.

Take on your leadership challenge and make it a success.

______________________________

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 Passionate Pursuit

Over the most recent Christmas season I presented a book to each member of my TEC Canada CEO Forum.  Really just a small token of my appreciation for having had the opportunity to work with each of them in this past year and a commitment to continue working with them on their leadership and business journey in the year to come.

Historically, whether as CEO or senior leader within my past organizations, I have used the gift of books to reward, recognize and/or inspire those I work with.  I have often gravitated to the true life stories of individuals who have achieved against great odds or have shown an amazing determination to succeed.  This year was very much along that lines.  The book I choose to pass on as a gift was "Alone Against the North" and chronicles one Canadian explorer's years' long obsession and journey into the remote and forbidding wilderness of the Hudson Bay Lowlands.

As I read explorer Adam Shoalts' story about his many journeys into the Hudson Bay area it was clear that this obsession was in fact his passion.  He endured many trials and tribulations including lack of companionship, inadequate equipment, storms, isolation, injury, wildlife encounters (polar bears most notably), and hoards of mosquitoes and black flies.  There was little else to be gained by such venture in terms of fame or fortune.  Rather the desire to explore the unknown, to contribute to knowledge of a vast wilderness, to see and experience something no one else had - these were the things that kept Shoalts motivated and enduring when others gave up.  It also inspired and motivated Shoalts to begin a journey that few others are even inspired to undertake.

The story of Shoalts reminded me of other similar inspirational stories that I had read before.  Very man of these are in the same exploration vein.  The story of Ernest Shackleton immediately comes to mind.  In many ways this could be called a spectacular and courageous failure.  To a potentially a greater degree than Shoalts, Shackleton might have been motivated by fame and fortune in trying to lead the first expedition to traverse the Antarctic continent in 1914.  But this grand vision gradually gave way to an imperative of mere survival as his ship, the Endurance, was crushed by the overpowering grip of polar ice leaving his 28 man crew stranded on a polar ice floe.  At several points after their stranding, a man of less commitment and passion could have given up the ghost.  Just as clearly, a man of lessor integrity and passion for his men could have saved himself.  But Shackleton did neither of these things.  He persevered against all odds - which were decidedly stacked against him - and rescued every single one of his men.

The underlying theme it seems to me in these stories and in stories of similar explorers, adventurers and even athletes, is that what drives them to withstand pain, suffering, failure, and even the risk of death is their passionate pursuit of something bigger than themselves.  In the case of Shoalts it is clear to me that he would have pursued his exploration goal regardless of achievement or recognition.  He felt a stronger pull and a commitment to a grander purpose.  Likewise Shackleton might not have been castigated for losing his ship and men in such dire circumstances.  He might have been easily forgiven for not going to the lengths he did to save his men.  But it was not in his makeup to give up.  He was passionately committed to his men and to something bigger than financial or reputational reward.

These and other stories speak to the kind of passionate leader I aspire to be and I hope that I can work with in my career.  These stories beg the question of my leadership as to what am I prepared to endure to hold true to my passion and values as a leader.  Could I ever sustain and be as passionately committed to a goal in the same way as Shoalts and Shackelton?  Would I be prepared to sacrifice as much as they were prepared to in order to have "success" on their own terms.

So I put to you - what animates your passionate pursuit of leadership?  Are you motivated by fame, fortune, glory and accolades?  Or is there something bigger that keeps your leadership flame alight even in the darkest hour?  Can you demonstrate your passionate pursuit of leadership in a way that truly inspires your followers?  Can you hold to your true north even when no one else is looking or expecting that level of excellence?
______________________________

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.

Of Faith, Courage and Humility

There are many qualities and characteristics posited by various thought leaders on what makes a great leader.  Kouzes and Posner have written extensively on leadership being founded on credibility which itself is a function of a number of qualities including courage, vision, honesty, and ability to inspire.  Jim Collins talks about Level 5 Leaders being self-effacing, quiet, reserved and presenting a paradoxical blend of personal humility and ambition for the greater good (versus self).  Stephen Covey identifies a complementary set of characteristics for what he calls principle-centered leaders which includes continuous learners, service-orientation, positive attitude, belief in others, and being able to offer/create synergistic solutions.

My view of leadership has been influenced by all of these authors - and more.  So what I will add to your thought process today may be an echo of what we have both already read or heard.  However, as I suspect is the case with your own experience, my views of leadership have also been shaped by how these guidelines, parameters, and musings of thought leaders have or have not shown up in the "real" world.  In the case of each author - and certainly in my own experience - there is a recognition that there are real contrasts in how leadership success is defined by various organizations at various points in time of their evolution.  And without a doubt we have people in leadership positions who I would not call leaders by my own definition nor by what people like Kouzes & Posner, Collins and Covey would define as great leadership.

Based on a few of my experiences, I choose to expand on a few key leadership qualities that I believe would be required to succeed as a leader.  First on my list is Faith in Others.  Leadership by its very definition requires that you work with others.  For me this means much more than having followers.  The emphasis I place within this context is in fact having people who work WITH you and not FOR you.  Do you have faith and trust in what they can bring to the table?  Can you step back from leadership in some circumstances and let your team take charge?  Are you allowing them to succeed even without you?  For me it also means hearing them as they bring forward their perspectives on the health of the organization and the quality of your leadership.  This is where having Faith in Others really hits home.  Do you trust that the information that they are giving you is based in (their) reality or do you dismiss such feedback because it doesn't accord with your view of the world?


Related to my concept of Faith in Others, is the Courage required to be a leader.  This relates to the concept laid out by Jim Collins of confronting the brutal facts.  As leaders we are certainly called upon to create a vision and inspire others to greatness.  What we have to be careful of, however, or balance against this inspiring vision is recognizing what real barriers might be getting in the way of success.  Failing that honest assessment we are likely no better than the proverbial ostrich sticking its head in the sand.  By way of example, I was recently told a story of a leader who choose to challenge a perspective of the collective leadership team of the organization at a regular leadership forum.  In essence the leader had been hearing rumblings from mid-level and senior leaders about a changing - and deteriorating - organizational culture.  Rather than using the forum to delve into the reasons behind this perception or reality, the leader chose not only to dismiss this perspective out-of-hand but also suggested that if there was any problem it was with those bringing up the issue.  Needless to say a climate of truth and collaboration was not fostered that day.  Having the courage to face up to perceptions and realities - no matter how challenging - takes some leadership courage.

Finally, and directly related to Faith in Others and Courage, is personal Humility.  To be successful - particularly on a long-term basis - a leader requires an ability to self assess, to self-manage and continuously learn. In my personal view, a leader has to be in a continuous process of self assessment.  They must be prepared to accept contrary facts about where they are, where they would like to be, what gaps exist between current and desired leadership acumen, and what work is required to move their personal performance.  This not only means taking time out from general leadership

duties for targeted and guided self-reflection but also being open to constructive feedback from others.  This presumes a recognition that no individual or leader ever achieves perfection.  A truly self-aware leader actively seeks out honest perspectives on their leadership even if that assessment doesn't always paint them in the the most desirable light.  Never expect to get a 10 out of 10 on a performance evaluation or other form of assessment.  On the contrary, let me suggest that if those are the results you have been getting as a leader than your stakeholders are no longer prepared to give you honest and useful feedback.

Those are my thoughts on key leadership characteristics informed by my own leadership journey, continuous learning, and evaluation of personal experience.  Work on your equation of Faith, Courage and Humility.  I believe by this effort you will continuously strengthen your leadership acumen and achievements.
______________________________

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.


  

Resolve to do Better

It's at this time of year that many of us set new goals or, just as likely, resurrect old goals for the year ahead.  Unfortunately the success rate of these resolutions or sustaining the motivation or effort to have success is alarmingly low for most of us.  So what might make 2016 any different than previous years?  What does it take to be successful then?  A quick and not unbiased view would be to engage an external, unbiased and objective support in the form of a coach, mentor or similar sounding board.  I will reinforce that perspective again but put it within the context of a broader set of tools and techniques that can help you be the better leader you want to be.

Fundamentally, I believe that to be successful you need to treat your leadership development plan or resolutions no different than you would any major project or change management initiative.  Any successful organizational initiative adheres to a certain core set of steps to move from vision to successful conclusion.  Success in reaching your leadership development goals can be achieved from taking a page or two from this experience.

First, how have you arrived at your particular conclusions that the leadership goals that you have set for yourself in the coming year are in fact the correct or best ones?  What process or assessment have you utilized to evaluate your leadership success and opportunities for growth on a go-forward basis?  How objective and comprehensive has this evaluation been?  As with any large-scale organizational initiative, it is to be hoped and expected that the plans for the coming year have been based on some concrete evidence that the efforts planned are the best use of your available resources.  Just as with an organization-wide effort, your time and money are limited resources and you want to leverage them to best effect. 

Second, how compelling are your leadership development goals?  How compelling is your vision for change?  Without having a compelling vision for your personal development, for how you want to be different as a leader, you are unlikely to make the kind of commitment it will take to succeed.  This of course presumes that your goals are a bit more ambitious than merely getting into work 30 minutes earlier than past practice.  If you are setting ambitious or stretch goals for yourself what are you prepared to sacrifice to be successful?  What kind of personal change are prepared to endure to take your leadership to the next level?  If your leadership vision is not compelling enough you are likely to falter upon hitting that first significant barrier.

Next you need to document your plan of attack, break down your goals into smaller objectives, set milestones, and start working the plan.  You have to move from evaluation and vision to action.  Like any good strategic or project plan, you have to move your personal leadership plan out of your head and off the shelf to be of any true value.  It's at this point that you move from the grand vision to SMART statements - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-limited.  This can be a challenging piece of personal work and perhaps more so in the realm of leadership behaviors and skills.  This is why I also caution leaders not to get caught up in trying to create the perfect plan before they take action.  This is tantamount to paralysis by analysis.  Your plan should continue to evolve and be flexible enough to respond to changing circumstances while keeping your grand vision in mind.

In this plan key milestones, short-term objectives and evaluation measures must also be identified and adhered to.  It is for this reason that a well-developed written plan as identified above should be created AND POSTED IN YOUR LINE OF SIGHT to review on a regular basis.  Again, like any organizational plan, what gets measured/evaluated gets managed.  You need to provide yourself with dedicated time on a periodic basis to check in with your plan.  What goals or objectives need to be adjusted based on circumstances?  What additional effort or compensating strategies do you need to put in place to continue on track with hitting your targets?  Without setting aside dedicated time to do this you will find yourself off track - and demoralized - in no time.

Put in place the necessary supports to ensure your success.  Too often individuals (and organizations) fail to leverage all the potential resources they have at their disposal to ensure the success of their development effort.  We often - and mistakenly - assume that achieving our personal goals is merely or solely an act of will.  Conversely, we then often identify failure in achieving our goals as a reflection on our personal strength or character.  In reality, what we have failed to do is to take all the necessary steps to ensure success.  As noted above, one of they key supports you can put in place for yourself is a written plan.  The very act of committing your goals and strategies to paper increases your chances of success.  Sharing your plan with others - publicly declaring your intentions - further cements your commitments to yourself and may enlist others in supporting your efforts.

At any and all points in this process you may choose to get the support of a confidential, objective resource like an executive coach, peer advisory group or similar individuals or entities.  Such a resource can help you objectively evaluate your leadership development opportunities, support development of a robust plan, and help hold you accountable to your plan. 

Finally, make sure you build in the ability and opportunity to celebrate your achievements along the way.  This is where establishing a series of incremental steps towards your ultimate goal becomes an essential element of your leadership development plan.  You can't eat the elephant whole!  Make sure that you can experience success one small step at a time.  Otherwise you can be daunted by the enormity of the task you have set for yourself or be discouraged if you are unable to see tangible results for the efforts or sacrifices you are making.  Don't be shy about rewarding yourself in some tangible way.

Treat the achievement of your leadership goals as you would any other large scale project.  Give it the same care and attention.  You are worthy of the effort and you will benefit yourself and those you work with as a result. 
______________________________

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.