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the leadership challenge

The Leadership Challenge: Motivating Stakeholders

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The Point: We all want to get ahead. But how can you get ahead if you don’t get noticed? If recognition eludes you, Ben Parr of DominateFund in his new book “Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention” outlines 7 ways in which you can capture someone’s attention. Here in is a summary of that work… Enjoy!

Attention is Currency (Very Valuable Currency!)

What if you never got noticed for the work you did? What if you walked around your office not as the leader you are, but as a ghost that no one could see/hear/touch? I’m guessing that if you weren’t noticed for even the most trivial of tasks completed, there would be no recognition. No recognition would lead to no job promotion. No job promotion means no leadership assignment. No leadership assignment would make getting out of bed optional!

If you think of attention as currency, then you can quickly surmise that the value of attention holds more than any money, any possession, or just about any thing that you could think of. In Ben Parr’s new book, he culminates 1,000+ studies on how one can captivate attention in others. These studies spanned psychology, neurology, economics, and social studies. Furthermore, he interviewed leading thought leaders in those fields, and even other far-flung fields such as Magic’s David Copperfield. Herein are Ben’s identified 7 triggers which captivate attention from others:

Attention Trigger #1: Automaticity

Think of the actions that automatically cause you to respond by directing your attention. While this used to be someone calling out for “Help!” Today, these automaticity moments are actions that not only draw attention, but cause a lowering of the “defense shields” like extending a warm cup of coffee/tea on a cold day.

Attention Trigger #2: Framing

We are a product of the world around us. What might otherwise be considered the social conditions or proof typically have a way of biasing our behaviors. Calling these moments out are what’s at the heart of framing.

Attention Trigger #3: Disruption

A violation of what we come to know as our expectations or norms is the trigger of disruption. The Expectancy Violations Theory from academia spells this out, and anything out of the norm (or what we expect to be the norm) calls for our attention.

Attention Trigger #4: Reward

There is an old saying that men will kill in order to be rewarded with badges (or buttons, or something like that). The self-satisfaction of receiving awards actually has a deep-rooted physiological base with the neurotransmitter dopamine causing us to feel pleasure. This pleasure pursuit will cause attention to be in the self-satisfaction direction.

Attention Trigger #5: Reputation

Spokespeople that have a high Q score are the ones that typically are chosen to represent products/services in media. Why? People perceive them to be more trustworthy. Similar to the Authority principle whereby we believe those with high (real/perceived) credentials.

Attention Trigger #6: Mystery

I love a good mystery… Ok, truth be told I despise them. As do the majority of my friends (like attracting like, right?) But there is a certain amount of suspense that goes into the not “knowing” what will occur next. This not knowing is exactly what’s behind the mystery trigger.

Attention Trigger #7: Acknowledgement

Our need for validation and empathy from others is cited as one of our most basic human needs. Apart from the rest of the animal kingdom, where this need is not present, we will pay more attention to those that complement than those that do not for example.

SUMMARY

So how can you best motivate stakeholders? In leadership development and executive coaching sessions I would have to agree with Ben’s findings (It would be a shame if we didn’t, after all he spent countless hours researching and writing on the recognition topic! By the way, in case you didn’t notice that was an example of Trigger #7: Acknowledgement). By seeking to implement one or all of the seven triggers identified your stakeholders should soon report off the chart levels of engagement, 360* reviews where you are operating at expert levels as a leader, and the business operation should be spinning like a top.

 

Sam Palazzolo

The Leadership Challenge: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

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The Point: I see a lot of different types of leaders at Tip of the Spear (Yes, not all leaders come in one size/form/fashion!) However the one character trait of a leader that I’ve recently I encountered is The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). FOMO can cause you as a leader to head outside of your comfort zone. FOMO can also be the leading cause of crippling you/your organization. So in this post, whether you are leading the charge at a startup, a turnaround organization, or simply looking to lead better we take a look at the Fear of Missing Out… Enjoy!

The Leadership Challenge: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

The FOMO Curse: Often Wrong… Never in Doubt!

I recently interviewed a leader for one of our Centered Executive Coaching programs. By all outward appearances, this leader could be seen as extremely smart, driven, and in the right business place at the right time to succeed. They had taken a startup idea through the creation, formation, launch pad through lift-off phases with success. Granted, there had been a few tree tops clipped at time of departure, but the organization appeared to be flying steady and heading to an apparently great destination.

However the leader sensed a difference. Perhaps she sensed a difference not in the organization that they built, but a difference in themselves. Gone were the days where all-nighters fueled the belly of the business beast. Gone were the days where all-hands were on deck to solve whatever problems arose. Gone was the common thread mentality that we might be “often wrong… but never in doubt!” The leader self-diagnosed themselves with the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).

FOMO + Technology: A Deadly Combination

A few behavior “layers of the onion” lower the reasons for her FOMO were more evident. “I feel like I have to be everywhere all the time!” she said. Throw on top of that spread-thin moment her fear that the organization would not be able to capitalize on the latest/greatest innovations or business trends.

“What if we’re building the next generation offerings and no one wants them?” was a fear that kept her up at night. These fears were fueled by her continual checking of technology. We barely made it through an hour and a half together without her checking her iPhone, answering a text, responding to a phone call, looking at the latest KPIs on her organizations dashboard, responding to Facebook or Twitter, etc. It was maddening to witness, let alone be the person these moments were directed at.

Let’s Be Honest About FOMO

In researching the FOMO topic, one thing became abundantly clear to me: Technology might be fueling the fire of FOMO (For a great article on the topic and how Social Media adds to the FOMO plight, view this article from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/business/10ping.html). However, the tip of the spear pierces directly at a leader’s fears of disconnection and dissatisfaction. Such fears drive leaders to make decisions they often wouldn’t make or ones entered into blindly. While there certainly can be a tabulation of how such poor decisions impact individuals and organizations, the leaders responsible for them furthermore fear the acts necessary to stop making them.

FOMO is the new/improved version that your mother always warned you about, that being keeping up with the Joneses. You remember the good old days where if the Jones got a new television or car, those that chose to race with them would soon follow suit and make similar purchases (Typically of a bigger/better variety!) There is good news though… If you’re a leader who is aware of what you are doing, you can curtail the tendency. Illuminating the decision to be made, considering potential directions to take with it (as well as contingency planning for what may go wrong), and then determine if the course of action is really worth pursuing at all can help break the FOMO-curse.

SUMMARY

In this post we took a look at the Fear of Missing Out. FOMO can cause you/your organization to stray off course from what made you great. FOMO when coupled with technology can gain a deadly stranglehold. Knowing that a FOMO-moment is at hand and acting appropriately can cure you of the ailment. Perhaps your mother was right (again!)

 

Sam Palazzolo

Maximum Impact Leadership: Step 7 of 7

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The Point: I’ve seen a lot of leaders come, and I’m certain I’ll see a lot go in the future. But what is it about the “best” leaders that we can share with you? The “Best” Leaders one way or the other always have maximum impact on their organizations, their industries, and the world! The following seven (7) part series was developed from coaching conversations at Tip of the Spear and plays an integral part in our Business Advisory Services (Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, and Communication Skills Training for Leaders Series). In Step 1 of 7 for Maximum Impact Leadership we looked at your ability to ask questions. In Step 2 of 7 we looked at your ability to secure feedback from those questions by listening. In Step 3 of 7 we looked at your ability to think of what is being said. In Step 4 of 7 we examined your ability to thank others for their feedback. In Step 5 the opportunity arises for you to respond (but do so at your own peril!) In Step 6 we look out how you can best engage your stakeholders and take action! I hope that you’re able to implement these seven (7) “best” practices for maximum impact leadership… Enjoy!

Maximum Impact Leadership- Step 7 of 7

Refresh of Maximum Impact Leadership Step 1 Ask | Step 2 Listen | Step 3 Think | Step 4 Thank | Step 5 Respond | Step 6 Engage & Act

Recall that in Step 1 of 7 of developing your maximum impact leadership, you are asking stakeholders to provide you with feedback on how you can be the “best” leader possible. You’ve asked several key questions that drive towards that destination. In Step 2 of 7 you needed to do the easy part of listening (or difficult part, depending on if you read the post!) In Step 3 of 7 we took a look at ways in which you could “think” differently (or at least this should have been different from your current thinking habits. In step 4 of 7 we realized that thanking is as much a part of the leadership equation as doing. In Step 5 of 7 we looked at how you should respond in a short, positive, targeted, and to the point manner. In Step 6 of 7 we summed up how you can engage your stakeholders and position yourself for action.

Follow Up / Follow Through

Step 7 of 7 in our Maximum Impact Leadership formula is to follow up and follow through. If the secret to real estate is location, location location.. Then the secret to Maximum Impact Leadership is follow up, follow up, follow up, and follow through! Similar to responding to a stakeholder with “Thank You” was short, positive, targeted, and to the point, so then is follow up and follow through.

Stakeholder Centered Coaching

In our Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching initiatives, part of the program is for leaders and stakeholders to meet on a monthly basis to share progress on behavioral actions identified for improvement.

Their conversations, sometimes held formally during one-to-one (1:1) meetings or less formally at the coffee pot during a business break typically always sound the same and go something like “You know Ms. Stakeholder, thank you again for providing feedback on my 360-degree assessment a few months back. Recall how I stated a few behavioral changes I was looking to make based on such feedback and asked for your assistance periodically in keeping me on-time/on-target. I was wondering if in the last 30-days you saw any behavior change in those areas as well as how I can further change for the better moving forward?”

Results Matter

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve conducted well over 500+ Executive Coaching initiatives with leaders all around the world. I’ve noticed something encourage for us all during those conversations… While I might have been the apparatus for change, the conduit was the leader and their stakeholders. In other words, I provided the structure and established with these leaders the criteria for change. However, it was up to the leaders and their stakeholders to actually create the results.

So if results are what you seek, and maximum impact leadership is a destination you believe you should be heading for, you now have the recipe (or 7 steps) to take you there.

A Word to the Wise… Get a Coach!

I’m a DIY’er (A “Do It Yourself’er”). I was fully engaged in my youth devouring everything I could get my hands on to read on topics of leadership, management, success, etc. Here’s what I found, and perhaps this is where you are to: There is more information available and no “one size fits all” recipe that’s applicable to you as an individual. I won’t say that it wasn’t without much effort/energy expended on my behalf (Read that as I not only tried really hard, but took action). Unfortunately, my efforts/energy were ultimately not rewarded until I got smart.

My Father always used to compel me to work “smart” and not “hard” when I was younger (Yours too?!?) I was certain that he was imploring some Protestant Work Ethic mind-trick on me (even though we were Catholic). In the end, with quite a few dollars spent and somewhat no closer to my goals I grabbed yet one more book. The message resonated with me, and so I reached out to the author to see if they were available for a quick call. To my surprise, he called back and suggested that I work with him in an upcoming class he was teaching on how to grow a business. So now you know the “rest of the story” (Thanks Paul Harvey) and you won’t have the pain/suffering involved in attempting to find your own way. Bottom Line: Get an Executive Coach to help you!

SUMMARY

Ask, listen, think, thank, respond, engage/act and follow up/follow through with the stakeholders around you for maximum impact leadership. I hope you enjoyed the many leadership development lessons and executive coaching moments shared during this Maximum Impact Leadership series. While it might seem intuitive to most, the actual step-by-step process can be daunting to accomplish. So what will you do now in your leadership development journey?

 

Sam Palazzolo

 

 

Maximum Impact Leadership: Step 6 of 7

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The Point: I’ve seen a lot of leaders come, and I’m certain I’ll see a lot go in the future. But what is it about the “best” leaders that we can share with you? The “Best” Leaders one way or the other always have maximum impact on their organizations, their industries, and the world! The following seven (7) part series was developed from coaching conversations at Tip of the Spear and plays an integral part in our Business Advisory Services (Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, and Communication Skills Training for Leaders Series). In Step 1 of 7 for Maximum Impact Leadership we looked at your ability to ask questions. In Step 2 of 7 we looked at your ability to secure feedback from those questions by listening. In Step 3 of 7 we looked at your ability to think of what is being said. In Step 4 of 7 we examined your ability to thank others for their feedback. In Step 5 the opportunity arises for you to respond (but do so at your own peril!) Here in Step 6 we look out how you can best engage your stakeholders and take action! I hope that you’re able to implement these seven (7) “best” practices for maximum impact leadership… Enjoy!

Maximum Impact Leadership- Step 6 of 7

Refresh of Maximum Impact Leadership Step 1 Ask | Step 2 Listen | Step 3 Think | Step 4 Thank | Step 5 Respond

Recall that in Step 1 of 7 of developing your maximum impact leadership, you are asking stakeholders to provide you with feedback on how you can be the “best” leader possible. You’ve asked several key questions that drive towards that destination. In Step 2 of 7 you needed to do the easy part of listening (or difficult part, depending on if you read the post!) In Step 3 of 7 we took a look at ways in which you could “think” differently (or at least this should have been different from your current thinking habits. In step 4 of 7 we realized that thanking is as much a part of the leadership equation as doing. In Step 5 of 7 we looked at how you should respond in a short, positive, targeted, and to the point manner.

Engage & Act

Step 6 of 7 is actually a two-parter… In order to be an effective Maximum Impact Leader you’re going to have to engage the stakeholders around you and take action. Let’s break it down…

Engage My Stakeholders?

My research over the years has been on leadership behavior, and why we as leaders do what we do. I’ve noticed the good, the bad, and the ugly behaviors that leaders exhibit in a variety of settings. One thing that I am crystal clear on is that in order for a leader to take feedback from their stakeholders and implement it into their “game” they need to engage those same stakeholders. The story could go something like the following:

“You know folks, I’ve been thinking about the feedback that you provided me in my 360-degree assessment. As a result of that feedback, these are the behaviors that I’m going to ask you to look out for. These are the behaviors that I’m going to ask you to keep me honest regarding. In our weekly one-to-one (1:1) meetings, I’m going to remind you that I’m working on them and please provide me with any examples where you saw me exhibiting them. Thank you!”

Take Action… Charge!

I also can share this little bit of a secret with you when it comes to setting goals… You’re going to have to align the troops (sometimes only yourself) and take action. Putting one step in front of the other is one method, but can be an awful slow haul. Enlisting others to keep you on track (engaged) and looking for you to take action is the best methodology.

How Do You…?

In one of the leadership development programs I’m engaged with, one of the leaders was asked for their perspective on how they have excelled at performing their job function recently (especially in light of how others might be struggling). His response was rather direct… “You need to just do it!”

You need to just do it rings true on several fronts, especially when it comes to change and taking action. No one ever got to the other shore by having the other shore come to them. If you want to get to there (Wherever “there” might be), your going to have to devise a plan to get their and then take action.

SUMMARY

Ask, listen, think, thank, respond, and engage/act with the stakeholders around you for maximum impact leadership. There are many leadership development lessons and/or executive coaching moments you can explore for further assistance. Know this much, “Engaging” is not optional and “Action” can never be replaced with procrastination.

 

Sam Palazzolo

 

 

The Leadership Challenge: Leading the Shit Show – 5 Tips!

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The Point: Leading a finely-tuned team is the stuff of Harvard Business Review Case Study dreams. Unfortunately, the high-functioning, smooth-running, and operationally efficient leadership moments at times seem like a far-off distant place perpetually out of sight, definitely out of reach, but within smell! So what happens if you lead a shit show at the office? What then HBR? In this post, we’ll take a look at five (5) leadership tips to go from porta-potty leadership struggles to indoor plumbing leadership nirvana… Enjoy!

The Leadership Challenge- Leading the Shit Show – 5 Tips

Let the Shit Show Begin!

Sometimes I wonder as an executive coach and leadership development expert if my clients are putting on a “show” during one of my visits just to see if I lost any of my leadership sharpness? While it’s been nearly three (3) years since I lead a tech-startup, I’ve continued to have leadership “hands on the wheel” leading the venture at Tip of the Spear. However, this doesn’t seem to deter my clients from either flexing their funny bones, or having me show up to visit them on a Monday (or pick your least favorite FUBAR moment).

This past month contained yet again one of those moments, captured perfectly by these three (3) vignettes:

  • Customers Everywhere (with checkbooks/wallets/purses open ready to spend $$$)
  • Employees Nowhere
  • Leadership Running Around a la Chickens

Was it just for show, or was it for Sam? Regardless of who it was for I know for certain who it was not for and that was the customer’s experience (CXI for short). Customers (yes, one and all) hate these moments where disorganization rules and the proverbial fan has ceased due to feces pelting it repeatedly. So what’s a poor leader to do in moments such as these? The following five (5) leadership tips were compiled from various leadership development and executive coaching sessions to allow you to go from porta-potty struggles to indoor plumbing nirvana.

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Tip #5 – Personnel

Whether you’d like to believe it or not, or how many technology barricades you might have erected, if your business is like most it still relies on the people you employ to pull off/execute the many tasks deemed necessary in daily efforts. Hire wisely (a la “Top Grading”) and you will be rewarded. Fail at hiring effectively and you will know the purgatory of Hell on Earth (all the while not being deceased yet!)

Tip #4 – Pay Plans

All things being equal, your employees will do what they get paid to do. While it’s a grandiose thought that your employees will conduct actions based on the company culture or your mission/vision/values statement created at a company retreat 10+ years ago, know that they will instead do what they most topically get paid to do. If your system of bonuses/spiffs/commission schedules don’t include metrics that are near/dear to your business livelihood, you might want to reconsider how you pay your people.

NOTE: Two funny stories:

  • Story #1: A business owner one time tried telling me that it’s a requirement of employment that employees pay attention to a key performance indicator – KPI (in this case, customer satisfaction). The store metrics reflected that they were in the bottom 10th percentile in this KPI, which begged the question “When will everyone be getting fired… Today or Tomorrow?”
  • Story #2: A leader at an organizational headquarter requested a meeting with me to identify why I kept on reporting on how people during a change initiative were getting paid. This KPI appeared to be “out of the normal” for reporting purposes and furthermore “clouded” the situation with unnecessary detail. Again, not certain what leadership development school they attended or executive coaching methodology they employ, but the boat had clearly left the dock (and Elvis had left the building!)

Tip #3 – Processes

You must have processes that reflect your desired end state of business. Efficiently identified for 90+ percent of the typical business happenings, they should be designed/implemented within the team and contingency plans should be drafted for the additional 10 percent of the times (aka, When things don’t run the way they should, either due to personnel, technology, or customer experiences).

Processes should be developed, tested, and more importantly reviewed on a daily/weekly/monthly schedule. One of the biggest mistakes I see is when a company enacts a new process, only to have questions arise a month later regarding “Where did it all go wrong?” Remember, just because you explain a process to a stakeholder one time does not mean that it will be encased in the stone memory vaults for all to recall each and every time. Instead, review the processes at periodic intervals to ensure accuracy in execution and appropriateness for the current day/month/time of year.

Tip #2 – Metrics

You run your business based on key metrics (See KPI discussion earlier in Tip #4). Ensure the accuracy of the data you collect and report out said data frequently.

Tip #1 – Accountability

This is the role of a leader (besides leading). You must hold those around you accountable for what we all agreed to. If processes are executed accordingly and metrics reflect the effort/energy expended then review that… If/when they don’t review that too! It’s often a fine-line between praising in public and reviewing poor results with a group. While not casting blame, keeping solution-focused, and seeking process modification ideas you can/will get things turned around.

SUMMARY

Let’s face it, we’ve all been “there” where “there” consists of a show relegated to the higher numbers on your cable television package. It’s a place that reeks of poor personnel, pay plans, processes, metric results and lack of accountability. I hope that this trip down stinky-lane will allow you to pursue more pleasant odoriferous paths in the future.

 

Sam Palazzolo