by Karla Robertson, PCC

"If I can see farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants."                    - Sir Isaac Newton

Are you providing the opportunity for emerging leaders to see farther and learn from other successful leaders?

A topic that is top of mind for many CEO's and other senior executives is succession planning. Who is going to take the reins and keep the momentum moving forward? Who can lead the executive team to the next level, making sure everyone is focused on  emerging trends as well as current deliverables to customers and shareholders while providing a culture that engages and retains the best talent?

A neurologist, VS Ramachandran, gave a very compelling TEDtalk in 2009 regarding "mirror neurons". It's fascinating and the reason I bring it up in this context is this: The brain has this subset of neurons that fire when we observe someone else doing something or touching something. Ramachandran asserts that this plays into the way cultures have evolved and people have learned, advanced civilization and passed down ways of doing things. We emulate what we see others do. This is why it's so important as a leader to realize that how you show up teaches others how to be as leaders as well. 

What are you teaching others as you engage during your day? Is it what you want to teach others about leadership? Listen to his 7:44 min talk. 

For a long time, leadership equaled command and control. Telling, directing, solely deciding and handing down orders to be carried out by the rest of the organization's employees. Today, and for some time now, there has been a shift to what is becoming known as "servant leadership". The key aspect of this kind of leadership is knowing when not to lead, not to speak louder, not to tell or direct. While great leaders tend to stand taller than others, the key is not to cast too long and dark of a shadow that snuffs out the light of others. Servant leaders offer a view to a higher line of sight to those under them by inviting them up to stand on their shoulders to see the landscape from that perspective and help them become better thinkers for themselves. 

This is not to say that today's leaders don't take command or make final decisions when needed. Direction and providing a compass for the company is critical for members of the C-suite to provide. If you want to ensure sustainability, growth and relevancy in your organization, raising up other leaders is key. Identifying and grooming emerging leaders will develop their executive thinking. This, in turn, will build their competency to drive results, progress, innovation and the continual evolution of an organization's growth and financial strength while holding everyone and themselves to a strong code of ethics.

For some current leaders this will be a challenge. There is a saying though, "The thinking that got you where you are may not be the thinking that will get you where you need to go."  If you are a leader who wants change, the first place to focus is not on how can you do things better or differently but how can you think better (or differently) about the things that need doing. Albert Einstein said, "The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking." This is so true. When we see the competition is gaining on us or when our stock is down, when expectations are up, when our budgets are squeezed we tend to want to take action..."We must DO something!" Instead of scrambling to take some action, try to step back and ask yourself, "How can we think about this differently?" "Is there another way to see this issue, challenge or opportunity?"

Remember that sometimes we get stuck in loops of thinking and get hemmed in by our deeply held beliefs and "sacred cows". It's good to revisit them and be aware of how the stories we tell ourselves and the assumptions that form the basis for our thinking influence our decisions and therefore our outcomes. Ask yourself if the basis for your thinking is still relevant? When was the last time you really dug deep and challenged your thinking in a particular area, like, say, your leadership? You may ask the same of your team as well. 

Have you invited others to stand on your shoulders? And on whose shoulders have you stood lately? Have you sought out others to whom you ascribe credibility and high achievement and from whom you could learn? Current leaders as well as emerging ones need to do this. Find your "wise one" on the mountain and go visit once in a while to see the view from there and listen to a different perspective. You may find you're on the right track or you may experience a spark of insight that tweaks your thinking in a way that makes a huge difference.

The shifting sands of today's world dynamics require us to regularly check in with our thinking to make sure the way we connect the dots is aligned with getting us where we need to go.

"It's not what you intend to do but what you actually do that counts."

That's something I came up with when I was with a group of folks and one person was trying to explain why he hadn't done what he promised to do for the other. The other person had that plastered-on smile that was trying to say "It's okay." when really the impact was, "Wow, I was counting on you and you let me down."

What's that other saying? "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

The reason I bring this up is because, we have "good intentions" as we begin a new year and then somehow they get sidetracked, derailed, lost in the shuffle, back-burnered, reprioritized...you get the drift. I've been thinking that maybe it's because that word -intentions - is plural. Perhaps we should start out in the singular...intention . Just one. Make it happen. Not just part of the way; all the way. Then, move onto a new intention. Do that one. Repeat. People don't really want or need to hear about what you intended to do...they care about what you actually did.  Can you imagine talking about your intentions in an interview? "Yes, well, I intended to be the #1 producer however I ended up 15th." or "I intended to lead the company in an ethical way however..." So to avoid that, here are 4 tips as we face the first year of a new decade:
 
   1. (psst! It's Task Switching not Multitasking) We've gotten bitten by the multitasker bug and really folks, brain science tells us we are kidding ourselves and shortchanging those we serve and the results we are supposed to deliver not to mention the quality of our communications and relationships. We delude ourselves into thinking we can do this and do it well when in fact our brains just aren't built to function that way. Oh yes, we can do one task after another and switch between 2 or more but we really cannot and do not do more than one at a time. When we divide our attention, I spoke about this a bit in last month's newsletter, we tax our limited working memory and prefrontal cortex. We are capable of the mere act of task swtiching. However, this kind of cerebral acrobatics costs us and eventually accumulates and backs up on us. Something's gotta give and it is the quality of our performance and results...you know, (ahem) the thing by which others will judge each of us.

   2. How to choose what to focus on. One word. Prioritize. Ask yourself what would produce the biggest lift if you were to focus on it and get it done? What's the cost of not focusing on that thing? What action that you have yet to take has the most riding on it? What will only get worse the more you delay closure? This is not to say that you silo yourself and not work on or think about anything else in your life. "I'm sorry boss, I can't fly to D.C. and make a presentation to the board since I'm focused right now on creating my business plan." This also doesn't mean you can't delegate to others or renegotiate deadlines when you have multiple competing priorities. What it does mean is that when you decide you are going to tackle a priority, you must become deliberate in the steps and actions you take and fierce about protecting your time to get your chosen task done.  Ask yourself: Who else or what else could help you get this done sooner than later and in a way that will bring it to successful closure? Look, there will always be interruptions that cannot be avoided however you can move the ball on this one and get higher quality output and closure on more of your to-do list if you focus.

   3. Remove distractions. This means physical and mental. Physical: noise, phone, IM pings and pings associated with incoming email, kids, dogs, your hunger or other bodily demands, shall we say. Mental: Intruding thoughts about having to shop for your spouse's birthday gift, the sale going on at the mall, the fight you had last night with your friend, sibling, parent or spouse, or your upcoming review, speach, etc. You must develop a discipline around your mental focusing ability. create an environment in which you will not be disturbed either until a certain amount of time passes, you get to a certain point (milestone), you run into a roadblock that you can't get through, whatever. But you do have to set a timeframe to complete the entire task. Invest in getting this down and it will pay you dividends.

Let me say one thing about focus: it does not exclude being able to be creative, innovative or spontaneous. Let me tell you why from a personal standpoint and share something I learned as it relates to my operating style: I can be easily distracted by my thoughts. Oh, can I idea-generate and imagine...at any time during the day while at my desk or on a plane, etc. People always wonder, "How do you come up with this stuff, Karla?" Well this is how. There can be a price though. There are always hundreds of thoughts coursing through the superhighway of my mind and that is not unique to me. All humans have thousands of synapses firing all the time. The difference is that people like me, give them air time when they pop up and get noisy, insisting on getting some attention. If it's a cool idea or information I've run across while surfing, I'm doomed...or I should say whatever I was working on is.

However, here's what's happened over the last several years. I realized that by focusing and bringing in a more disciplined approach to the way I operate, it actually allows me to be spontaneous, organic, innovative and creative and not lose my focus or my point. By preparing and being thorough in my research and staying on track, I end up with more free time to do the things I like to do like hang out at TED.com and imagine how I can use what I'm learning there to serve my clients and my network. It's deliberative on my part. I actually will catch myself disengaging from a task because something either came into my head or I saw something that interested me and I will say out loud, "Nope. Focus, Karla." and that will bring me back. I always have many things going on at any given moment like most people. By developing a discipline of mind I can finish more of them and free up  more time as well as deliver the quality I want to be known for. Like I've said in the past about the hardwiring in our brain...we can't erase the hardwiring that's there but we can build new wiring that will allow our thinking to disrupt the pathways that don't work for us. We can catch ourselves and redirect our thinking and therefore our actions that lead us in a better direction. It won't happen overnight but stick with it and it will become a new habit of mind.

   4. Learn how to say No. I can hear you now. "How can I say no to my boss?" and about 30 other How can I's. You have trouble saying no to the important requests because little by little we said Yes to requests that you really didn't have to and it filled up your available time. Now you're stuck. There are people who do this and have a very rough time distinguishing what to take on and what to defer or turn down. You can say, "I'd love to do that for you if you're willing to give me until...(name the date that gives you time...more than you need.)"  If the person can't wait that long, refer them to someone else who may have capacity. Or ask them to work on the task further and then come back so you don't have as much to do on it. (Note: By doing this you may find they end up doing the whole thing! While you may say that this is a bit sneaky,  I encourage you to think of it as helping them become better thinkers and able to solve their own challenges. Oftentimes, that is the actual outcome of saying No.) There's a quote: "No one has enough time; but everyone has all the time they're going to get." Think about what you say Yes to.

So I know all of you will say you have your process for getting things done and my response is to ask you, "How's it working for you?" More importantly, how is it working for the people you serve? The people who matter to you? And how would you know if it was? Really, this is about making highest and best use of what being disciplined and focused as well as what being open and go with the flow can do for us when we blend them or use them at the right times. Last month I spoke about what happens when we flip out on the extreme of one side or another of a given behavior. We are out of the action. So, yes, sometimes, the way to re-establish a fresh focus is to leave it and do something else. When you get back to whatever "it" is for you, though, focus and finish. This way, more often than not, you won't find yourself explaining why you didn't get something done ...even though you intended to.


When I step back and close my eyes and think about all that has transpired this year in my personal and professional life, there is a theme that emerges like a neon sign shining through the density of neural activity in my brain: I was constantly managing and finding my way through the tension between what is (reality) and what could be/should be (potential/ideal). I saw that I was not alone in this. Everyone I speak to is, and has been, trying to make the best of where they are with what they have and still trying to move the ball in the direction of their ideal state of being for themselves, their business, their relationships, etc.  What can happen, though, if we're not adept at managing in the gap between Reality and Possibility/Ideal? What does taking either one of those to the extreme look like?

When you take Realism to the next level it morphs into a deteriorative cynicism that masquerades as "I'm just being real". Cynicism is a dark and sneaky sort. It seeks to make others feel stupid and inept for believing that things could be or should be better. Cynics (we all know some) are easy to spot. They are the ones sitting usually in the back of the room with their cohorts whispering to each other and shaking their heads when some poor sole has the guts (or in their mind naivite) to stand up and talk about possibilities, new ideas, hope, and enthusiasm. "Poor guy", they say, "he just doesn't get it." Cynics don't want it to work out. They want to see you fail so they can feel secure in their cynicism and don't have to take a risk and step out of that mood that is driven by their chosen mindset. Mind you they are not to be confused with skeptics, their distant cousin.

Skeptics you need and want. They differ from cynics in that they truly want it to work out. They are your eyes and ears and objective minds who see the potential pitfalls and what ifs. They are vital to good, whole-brained decision-making. They tend to get a bad rap though because the minute they open their mouths to draw attention to how things could go wrong they are branded as "downers, cynics, raining on the parade, etc.". Lest the enthusiasts run away with the show, skeptics should have a rightful and valued place in any team. Talk to them and see where their thoughts are. If they are excited and believe in the direction and want to see the idea, project, etc. work and are just airing their views so nothing
gets in its way, then you've probably got a skeptic, not a cynic on board. Their views and warnings may slow things down so you can check them out or rework them but it will be worth it in the end if you want sustainable results. Keep the skeptics. Cynics, get rid of them.

On the other side is Possibility/Ideal. If you flip out on that side you end up in a "lost in space" realm with no direction or connection to what is relevant. Way too much time is wasted talking about extraneous possibilities. These are people who just put stuff out there because it's cool (to them) and are not focused enough on the relevant aspects of the discussion, needs, direction and vision. The raging idealists are also people you must be aware of if they are on your team. Yes, they can do a massive brain dump of ideas which at some point may be useful however, they can steamroll a team in the wrong and useless direction if not managed well.

So, what we need to be skillful at is operating in the gap between Reality and Possiblity/Idealism; What is and what could or should be. This is where the action is and dialog should be. Being in the gap does not mean you cannot innovate. On the contrary. You can think out of the box and still be in this gap. So make the most of the diversity of thinking that you have around you. Who are those folks who seem to always cut right through everything and ask the right questions that almost everyone else misses? Who is that person who keeps their eye on the financial ball? Who is that person who can take everyone's idea and create a new concept or approach that no one else sees? Who is that person who is great at facilitating this kind of discourse so that you can come to closure and yet not cut off good dialog prematurely?

Learn to dance in this gap without getting trigger happy so that you flip out on either side. It is when we take an integrated approach to our challenges that the best solutions emerge.

What could this approach do for you in 2010?

Cool Links

If you're into Twitter for your business or are still wondering what it's all about and what value it could serve, read this article from this month's Inc. and ponder. http://www.inc.com/twitter/index.html

Staying connected - even if you're not an entrepreneur with your own business, this article is relevant seeing as we're all juggling so much and can be immersed in world's of "getting by" and "making it happen". Sometimes we forget to touch the hands and hearts of those who mean the most to us...our spouses and partners.  http://tinyurl.com/ylauwy3

And this site is only for those minds who enjoy twisted humor. http://www.despair.com .  Just go there and it will become clear to you what they're all about.  You know those posters you see in offices that have a think black matting around a picture with the word TEAMWORK under it and then some inspirational saying underneath the word TEAMWORK? Well think of this site as anti-inspirational but in a very sarcastic funny way. As 7-Up billed themselves as the un-cola, these people are the un-inspirational...with a smirk.

In Case You Missed It Last Month

Some folks told me they couldn't open this link in my newsletter last month. This has to do with sound and how powerful it is. Check out this 5-minute TED video to understand how it impacts business more than you think. http://tinyurl.com/ygkvbqv

Great Reads

Leadership and Self-Deception - also get the self-study guide which is sold separately on the same page where this link takes you. http://tinyurl.com/63m56h .  It's a great investment for you and your team, family, board of directors, etc. I have taken the course and it is very powerful and transformational and the learning sticks as much as you put into it.

Need a laugh? Okay I know this sounds "out there" but this book had me laughing out loud in the store. Cake Wrecks by Jen Yates. She is a very clever writer with a sarcastic wit and also very giving. She and her husband have made Cake Wrecks their business now and are donating $200/day for the next 14 days to a different charity each day. Check out their site at  http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/


Sound...it's all around us. We even hear it when we're still in the womb. In utero, our brains begin to pick up frequencies that are in close proximity. We actually begin to be affected by those waves of music, voices, as well as natural and unnatural sounds of the environment that are in close proximity to our internal, temporary "home".

As it turns out, music has the most powerful impact on us. Listen to this very brief TED video on Sound by Julian Treasure on "How Sound Affects Us." http://tinyurl.com/ygkvbqv

In a sense all of it is some kind of "music" to our brain. As Julian Treasure says, it does affect us in 4 key ways. He speaks quite a bit about this in the context of businesses, retail in particular. So let's take this science into the context of leadership and interpersonal exchanges. What music are you making in the minds of others? What impact is the way you say things having on the people you love, work with, want action and buy-in from? There is much talk, study, classes and theory about what to say and I think equal if not more learning needs to be engrained in terms of how one says things. Because just like music, our voices - tone - speed - inflection- can either create a cacaphony that people's minds will want to shut out or a melody that is calming, relaxing, energizing, and inviting that entices their minds to stay open, be present, engaged, and curious. (Note: if you're in the presence of the other person, your facial expression and body language will also help or hurt the impact your wish to have.)

So think about and pay attention to the impact you are having on others when you speak to them in person or on the phone. Watch for signs of the urge to flee or the urge to stay as you speak. What reactions are you noticing? Are they wincing? Does a crease appear between their eyebrows?  Are they looking away or down? Do they Increase the physical distance between you and them? Do they try to cut you off or truncate the conversation? or  Do you experience them smiling, asking more questions, offering to sit and continue the conversation, moving closer, brows are relaxed? Nodding their head? (Not nodding off...oh no, not that!)

As a leader, you will have to engage many constituencies and deliver all manner of news. If you've been wondering why your message isn't being heard or worse bought into, it could be due to several reasons and one of them could be the music of your voice.  Your thinking could be right on the money and your strategy and execution sound. However, if your delivery of that message is discordant with what you want your audience to feel, results can be astonishingly contrary to what you expect or desire. Your voice is your instrument to carry your message on the waves of sound to those who need to hear it. How that message lands in their brains and what it triggers will be determined by how well tuned your delivery is. So pay attention and fine-tune your delivery so that you may create in your listeners a symphony of confidence, connectivity, energy, thoughtfulness, positivity and desire to hear more.

Cool Link

Mental sharpness getting a bit dull? Is it taking you longer to recall information? Do you find yourself searching for words in the middle of a conversation? Do you tend to forget people's names after you just met them? I found a great site that can help you with that by challenging your brain with different games that focus on specific aspects of your brain's thinking compartments! Check it out.  www.lumosity.com