He spoke to me, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

The nobility imbued into changing the world cannot be something done outside ourselves. No. Changing the world is noble because it begins with each of us drawing a line in the sand. That line represents our choice to act to make things better for others. On one side is a way that no longer works. The opposite side is a way that redefines.

Tolstoy’s wisdom pulls it back to us. To redefine he accurately noted that we can change the world by shifting how we, individually and collectively, look within to assess what we’re doing that’s not working for the greater good. You define the greater good based on your circumstances. Perhaps it’s your team. Or your family.

Changing the world is an outcome of changing how we each respond to and connect with people. It’s an outcome based on our choice of the other side that redefines.

We change the world by softening our hearts to see how we can become more compassionate. Or more humble. Or more understanding of others. We change the world by a changed heart and actions that help, that make a difference.

We don’t need to change the world. The world is what we’ve created through our choices. What we change is our hearts, our minds, our actions for the sole purpose of improving the spaces in which we live.

Photo used courtesy of NASA Goddard Photo and Video

People are more connected than ever before.  They want to be heard.  They want to make a difference.  This is a powerful influence on leadership.  The observant leader will find new ways to invite people to make a difference.  In the context of business, 21^st Century Leaders know how to invite people to contribute at work.

Transparent intentions. We’ve grown disgusted by CEOs, other executives, and politicians’ inability to speak the truth. We all want to hear the scandalized speak the truth, to fess up to and own their mistakes.  We want to see what they’ve learned.  Until then, we’re skeptical of their intentions, of their words. 

For 21^st Century Leaders, they know to “own” the outcomes of their decisions.  And they speak openly, in public with their people, about difficult decisions and about their potential impacts.  People can handle the truth. It’s time to start talking about how company’s can move forward from the tough decisions made over the past three years.

Embrace the virtual workplace. 21^st Century Leaders are learning from the influence of social technology and the way it unites people, regardless of geography. And with the cloud growing in importance, and mobile technology abundantly available, leaders will allow work to occur anywhere. Work and personal life will be better integrated to bring greater satisfaction in both worlds.  The 21^st Century Leader embraces the virtual workplace because successes aren’t achieved only between 9-5. 

Employees are first. The axiom “customers are always right” is turned on its head by leaders of the 21^st Century.  It’s about employees first.  Such leaders get that when employees are heard, encouraged to “leave their fingerprint” on the organization’s offerings, and invited to transform the company, customers are taken care of.  It’s an outcome of focusing on employees.  There’s no relevance for the old saying about customers coming first. It’s a moot point.     

Create meaning at work. It’s human nature to want to make a difference.  Leaders understand that human need and find ways to maximize it.  21^st Century Leaders mobilize their people to invent/improve better services and products. They encourage cross-collaboration in the organization.  They allow employees to interact with customers to improve the company’s products and services.  This new’ish leadership approach weaves the company’s values, mission, and vision in interactions with others.  This type of leader wants to help employees succeed.   When meaning is present at work, conversations about profitability become easier.   

These four rules are merely the tip of the iceberg for 21^st Century leaders. The social, technical, economical, and political changes are in hyper-drive and changing how people relate to one another.  Since leadership is about relating and helping people, your style of leadership must, too, change.  Inspired leaders take their cues from the surrounding environment.  They know they cannot lead in a vacuum.  Today and future leaders see how their leadership and the environment are interconnected, evolving together. This is the 21^st Century Leader.

Photo courtesy of P0RG

]]> http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/4-new%e2%80%99ish-rules-for-21st-century-leaders/feed/ 8 http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/4-ways-to-manage-personal-transitions/ http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/4-ways-to-manage-personal-transitions/#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:35:05 +0000 Shawn Murphy http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/?p=2801 If your circle of friends and colleagues are anything like mine, there are many people going through personal and professional transitions.  And the scale is from significant to minor.  Seemingly, though, more on the side of significant.

In the mix of all this change, I, too, find myself going through significant transitions that are redefining both my business and me.

To hold at bay the ambiguous, clichéd advice like, “Just keep your head up.” Or “Make sure you have a plan,” I want to share four ways I’m managing this time of major transition.

Plan for time to be social. Depending on how you emotionally, mentally, and spiritually navigate major changes in your life, some of us desire to turn inwards.  On the whole there is nothing wrong with this. Human beings are hard-wired to be social. If at work, interaction with others during meetings, at lunch, even at break get us out of our heads, even if for a little while.  Perspective on how to work through the changes tend to break lose when I plan time to be social.  This is a choice – to leverage social interaction as a break away from the preoccupation often associated with transition.

Talk about it. Times of transition are fueled by many types of emotions. When I talk about what I’m experiencing and thinking with trusted friends and peers, I establish a support structure. I’m reminded that I’m not alone.  I’ve even gained new insights from my trusted sources.  And my friendships grow deeper.  I value this tremendously.

Photo by ptitmousse

Plan for the near future. For me I find imagining what the near future will look like once I’m through the season of change to be a release.  It reminds me of my purpose.  It keeps me focused on what I value. It’s also great conversation for those social interactions.

Reflection time. This year I’ve deepened my practice of meditation and journaling.  Both help me see when I’m believing a story I’ve made up that’s untrue. They help me see connections that move me forward as I work through my own life changes.  Reflection time also helps me laugh at myself.

When I take time to push the pause button, I can see more clearly the pieces the details, the actions needed to keep moving forward.  There are different insights in the stillness not obvious in the business of transition.

“Pause” photo courtesy of Maravillla

The simplicity of Lincoln’s statement makes it easy to dismiss.  Yet, too many leaders back away from the truth when they need to announce a change that will disrupt employees’ work lives.

At Least 10 Reasons Why Leaders Back Away from the Truth

• Concern that the truth will distract your employees from their work
• Belief that it’s too early to share information about the changes
• Don’t want to alarm your employees
• Want to be liked by your employees
• Uncomfortable with the details of the changes
• Unwilling to handle conflict
• Corporate politics
• Impacted schedules prevent time to thoroughly process information
• Belief that no one can know about you discomfort with sharing difficult information
• Sense of loneliness

Mental exhaustion is an undeniable outcome from any of the 10 reasons listed.  The irony is that the exhaustion can be mitigated from one simple truth: open up and share with your employees what’s going on, no matter the circumstances.

Leaders, we are over thinking how employees will respond, and underestimating employees’ ability to handle the truth!

The instant any of the 10 reasons, or any other that disconnect you from your team, underlie your actions or inaction, your bullshit detector should be clanging in your ears.

Change is difficult for all of us.  Ease the sting of change by speaking the truth no matter the circumstance.  For most it seems counter-intuitive. To employees it’s what they want.

Despite the advancement in our understanding of people and change, there are managers who think they can simply say “it’s your job, so get on board,” or “I’m the boss, do what I say.” And the truth is some employees respond to these commands.

Most, however, simply shut up and shut down.

What’s sacrificed is a greater number of employees inspired by change. Fewer customers delighted by employees excited by their company’s future, excited by the work they do. What are lost are the creative ideas so critical to making change work. A slowly dismal and toxic work environment becomes a greater possibility when managers fail to partner with employees to cause change.

The insidious part is that employees leave and rarely share what management does that made it unbearable to stay.  The problem remains.

Sure change is hard.  Leading change quickly separates the good managers from the great managers.  A great manager can lead people by recognizing it takes dissenting ideas, crazy ideas, safe ideas, simple ideas, and a lot of energy.

Partnering with employees helps to keep change momentum and their energy levels up. Great managers get that leading through partnership has a lasting, positive impact on change, the business and those who work there.

If you invite people into your inner circle are they similar in mindset as you? Or do they hold opposing views from your own?

If you invite people into your inner circle, do you listen to their input or do you defend and argue your opinions, conclusions?

Does your behavior invite people in your inner circle to give you feedback? How do you know?

It is human nature to be drawn to people who think and see the world in the same way we do. In business, however, a room full of yes-men is a slow death. Agility in management and leadership is born from the process of creation, destruction, and re-creation.

The more comfortable we become with the impermanence of business administration and leadership practices, the more relevant our management and leadership actions become.

We live in a world of constant flux. Business leaders of tomorrow are becoming more comfortable with this reality.  Let into your inner circle a diverse mix of thinkers who keep you on your toes.

And in the workplace it’s worse.  I’ve had countless conversations with managers about communicating change that is anticipated to be difficult. Those who resist sharing the truth end up saying to me, “I know my people. It’s too much. They can’t handle it right now.”  The outcome: a watered down message that is laden with subtext that is fuel for the rumor-mill.

There is an assumption at the heart of all this “safe-talk” that needs to be challenged.  It’s this: we assume people can’t handle the truth.  We are avoiding difficult conversations.  We are discounting employees’ capacity to handle difficult news.

We’ve seen “safe talk” damage a leader’s credibility, and trust is weakened.  In severe cases it’s destroyed.

The truth may sting, but it provides facts.  Facts give employees the necessary information to process their feelings and inform their opinions. Without the truth, employees are left to fill in the gaps of information. And it’s usually not what a leader would want.

Leaders must learn how to deliver difficult information sensitively, truthfully.

How? Well, here are a few ways.

• Remember when sharing difficult information, your goal is to help them accept and understand your message. Your audience doesn’t have to like it, but they need enough information to help them get to acceptance and/or understanding.

• You can help them get to acceptance and/or understanding by showing that you get the difficulty that employees are experiencing.  But only do this after talking with employees. Don’t assume you know. Show that you know. “I’ve talked with quite a few of our employees to understand how this change will impact them…”

• Use “I” statements. “What I need from everyone is…”  “From what I’ve learned, there is concern…”

What we consistently hear from employees is that they wish for management to just let them know what’s going on.  The neutered communications that blare from microphones in meeting rooms or emblazon the latest intranet story merely keep employees apathetic about change and about leadership’s ability to connect with their employees.

What are your suggestions for sharing the truth? List them below.