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Leadership in the New Reality

Leadership in the New Reality

 

 

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Lt. General Russel L. Honore U.S. Army Retired. He talked specifically about “Leadership in the New Normal” and “Don’t Get Stuck on Stupid.” Both of those subjects triggered thoughts and memories. (You can get both subjects as books)

After the disaster of 911 in the United States I gave talks at associations and dealer meetings around North America and Europe on what I called “The New Reality.” These talks were met with mixed reviews, some positive and others not so much. Let me take a deeper dive into why we had different views with a quote from George Friedman. “The mortal enemies of intelligence are time and wishful thinking.”

The New Normal the General is asking us to consider consists of some of the amazing changes we have seen in our world over the past twenty years; the nearly instantaneous transmission of information, the extreme population densities we are experiencing in cities, the extraordinary interconnectedness and mutual dependence of business; the rise of terrorism, and the growing ranks of the poor.

I ask often, with the trillions of dollars spent on technology over the past two decades, how much has been spent on sociology to understand what people will be going through with Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and Autonomous Vehicles.

The New Reality from my perspective involves our ability to attract and retain talented employees from an ever-declining working population and the generational differences between the “Baby Boomers” and “Millennials.”

This is where I ask people to consider what we call “Sacred Cows.”

At the start of every classroom training session I have conducted over the past fifty years I have asked for three definitions.

  • What is the definition if Ignorance?
  • What is the definition of Stupidity?
  • What is the definition of Insanity?
  • Ignorance is not knowing what to do.
  • Stupidity is knowing what to do but not doing it.
  • Insanity is continuing to do what you have always done and expecting different results.

This takes me to the core of my work today. Everyone needs to be constantly investing their time in improving themselves professionally and personally. If you don’t continue to adapt to this new reality you will become irrelevant. Is that something that you aspire to?

The Time is Now.

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Attracting and Retaining Employees

Attracting and Retaining Employees

 

On January 25th 2016 we published the first blog called Memorable Moments. It dealt with my early years and life. It stopped with the line “That was the beginning of the end.” And it was also the end of the beginning of my life.

Hewitt Equipment provided me with a tremendous opportunity. I was hired on a twelve-month contract. My mission was to find and fix what they felt was a problem with the computer system application in use to manage parts inventories. When I found the fix and got it implemented my job was completed unless we both agreed that I should stay.

This was the point at which I was given a gift of learning. A senior partner from Urwick Currie, his name was David Steele, was tasked with teaching me everything I needed to know about inventory management and business systems to manage parts inventories. He spent one day a week, all day, with me and only me. How many people are given that type of opportunity? I received this opportunity because of my university programs majoring in Mathematics and Physics, with minors in Statistics and Computer Science. In the early days of computer applications mathematics was heavily involved. For instance, there was no square root operator in the computer systems at that time. In using Machine Language, COBOL or FORTRAN programming languages, you had to develop a mathematical model to calculate a square root. Without totally boring you there was an error in the formulas used. The number “10” was put into the program instead of “1.” This meant that the Order Quantity for each part put on a stock order was too high by a factor of about 3.17.

I also was given an opportunity to go to Caterpillar in Peoria and meet with the Parts Management (Bob Kirk) and some of the founders of Dealer Data Processing (Larry Noe). We were going to build an interactive model to simulate our parts business under variable order point and order quantity conditions. Both of these men were extremely talented in their fields and took the time to deal with me even though I was only 22. I am told by coworkers at the time that I was a very impatient pushy person. That clearly is a description with which I will disagree. I mention this because of the view that the leadership and team members have about millennials and the younger workers in the Industry. I don’t think they are any different than I was at the same age.

That first six months left me with a hunger for more. I was a new hire. I was given a specific mission, a project if you will. It had clarity, a very clear objective and time line. I was given specialized training, by the consulting firm and Caterpillar experts. I was given a free hand. I had to make a presentation to the executive and make my case and get the changes I wanted to get made approved. I felt that I had a purpose and an important task.

How do we go about attracting and retaining these new employees? These younger workers? They are our future. I think we better figure out what we are going to do and how to get this plan implemented. Don’t you?

The Time is NOW.

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Reflections

Reflections

We have written over the past three or four weeks about coaching and leadership. Perhaps it is time to reflect a bit on this.

It all starts with each of us wanting to do a good job. That comes from active and passive participation in the work that we do and the life that we live. Perhaps the work portion of our lives is the easier one. The life we live can be either very challenging or you become a victim of circumstances and you let those circumstances dominate your life. In other words, you give up on yourself. That goes to the Nike tag line “Just Do It.” Jimmy Valvano, when he was in the latter stages of his fight with cancer, gives us a better approach. “Never Give Up.” No matter what you face you can overcome it if you give it a good and honest fight. Learn more, train more, practice more, listen more, dream more, care more.

Eleanor Roosevelt is famous for her quote of “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” It always intrigues me as to why some people let that happen to them. Why is that?

Curiosity is another attribute that I believe is critical to our beings. We can learn through asking “why,” and children spend more than a year of their early lives doing nothing but ask that question. Quoting Ted Kennedy at the funeral of his brother Robert, “Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.” This is something I believe we should take more to heart. Why do we do what we do? Why do we do things this way? How long have we done things this way? I came to an epiphany when I started studying change in a serious way. We are taught to resist change in every manner possible. From how we are parented with specific rules – don’t do that – to our schooling – this is how you do that – to our jobs – how we are taught to do our jobs. All of those lead us to be somewhat resistant to or suspicious of change. Japanese culture introduced me to Kaizen. Change everything you do, make it better or easier or more efficient, every day, if even just a tiny bit. That to me is a more reasonable approach to life.

Another aspect of leadership and coaching is that we must create followers before anything else will happen. That seems to be quite obvious but many of us fail at this when we start issuing mandates and “orders.” How many people will follow you because they want to if you are all about giving orders? Simon Sinek in his book “Leaders Eat Last” uses in the foreword a Lt General from the Marine Corps who describes meal time in the Marines. The enlisted men and served first and they eat first. Keep them happy and healthy and things will be alright.

I have a reading list on my consulting web site, www.rjslee.com, I call it the reading list for interested people. There are many wonderful books with incredibly meaningful suggestions and ideas to think about. Patrick Lenioni comes to mind with his books – The Three Signs of a Miserable Job and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Easy to read parables with incredibly helpful advice. There are many more books there to enjoy and learn from for interested people. There are also over twenty years of monthly columns, from Industry publications, on the parts and service and product support sales and marketing subjects.

However, in each of my classroom sessions I always ask how many have read a business book that will help them with their jobs. In the last month or quarter. Sadly, not many hands go up.
Another thing that I like to do at each class is to ask some questions. That is the Socratic method to teaching.

 What is the definition of Ignorance?
 What is the definition of Stupidity?
 What is the definition of Insanity?

This causes some difficulty for the room. Ignorance is not knowing what to do. Stupidity is knowing what to do and not doing it. Insanity is continuing to do with you have always done expecting different results. I then tell them that at the end of the class they will no long be ignorant because they will know what to do. I leave them with the last two choices – Stupidity or Insanity. No one in the room is insane so in truth I am challenging them to take advantage of what they have learned and do something with it. If they don’t, well, that is plain stupid, isn’t it?

The Time is NOW.

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Branding #MondayBlogs

In our Industry, we can identify a brand with a logo, a color, a certain type of visible air filter on a piece of equipment.

But how often do we stop to realize that we are our own brand?  Who we are and what we do, the ways in which we do our work, reflect our individual brand.

Your brand matters.  It matters to your customers, to your team, and to your store.

For this week’s Socrates Says, we are sharing some words of wisdom on your own brand in the video below.

The time is now.

 

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Friday Filosophy #2016-20

Every now and then a little humility is a good thing. Not the artificial, superficial kind, but the real heartfelt humility.  For our Friday Filosophy #2016-20 on a loose schedule, we are taking a look at humility.

 Humility is the true key to success. Successful people lose their way at times. They often embrace and overindulge from the fruits of success. Humility halts this arrogance and self-indulging trap. Humble people share the credit and wealth, remaining focused and hungry to continue the journey of success.

Rick Pitino

 

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.

C.S. Lewis

 

It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.

Saint Augustine

 

It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.

Yogi Berra

 

Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.

Jane Austen

 

I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility.

John Rushkin

 

True humility is contentment.

Henri Frederic Amiel

 

Humility is a great quality of leadership which derives respect and not just fear and hatred.

Yousef Munayyer

 

The time is now.

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Friday Filosophy #2015-27 A Midsummer’s Blog

I’m not trying to be Shakespeare with that title, but Friday Filosophy #2015-27 is A Midsummer’s Blog on all of the joys of the season we’re in.

The middle of summer is upon us and I am pleased to bring back a mid-summer’s blog for your consideration. One of the things I truly enjoyed growing up were my summers in the Laurentians north of Montreal. My mother was able to find and purchase an old house, built in 1908, for the family to spend school holidays at every year. My father commuted on Wednesday and the weekends from his “city” job.

As a result of that I grew up on a lake. The country club was a very basic offering. We had swimming, tennis and diving lessons for $5.00/month. The golf course was $16.00 a season for youth under 16 years of age. It was a fantastic opportunity.

So I had two lives: the summer place which was for fun, the city place which was for work.

Here are some thoughts for you on summertime.

 

Summer means happy times and good sunshine. It means going to the beach, going to Disneyland, having fun.

Brian Wilson

 

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching clouds float across the sky is by no means a waste of time.

John Lubbock

 

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.

Russell Baker

 

Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds.

Regina Brett

 

In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.

Albert Camus

 

Tears are the summer showers to the soul.

Albert Austin

 

Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.

Langston Hughes

 

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.

Sam Keen

 

Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the most beautiful words in the English language.

Henry James

 

People take pictures of the summer, just in case something thought they had missed it, and to prove that it really existed.

Ray Davies

 

Oh, summer night,

Has a smile of light,

And she sits on a sapphire throne.

Bryan Procter

 

I hope you each have taken time this summer to slow down and enjoy. I remember having blood shot eyes most of the time from playing underwater tag with my friend Cliff and seeing rainbows around the sun all the time.

See you in September.

The time is now.

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Friday Filosophy #2015-17

When I check the tally of these posts, the year seems to be going quickly.  This is #2015-17 of our Friday Filosophy.

 

The beginning is the most important part of the work.

Plato

 

Choice, not circumstances, determines your success.

Author Unknown

 

The great artist and thinker are the simplifiers

Henry Frederic Amiel

 

The time is now.

Words of Wisdom 2015-1

Over the years, I have used various expressions to make a point or get the attention of a group.  I have taken to calling these words of wisdom “Sleeisms.”  Here is a short list of them.  Enjoy.

 

  1. Always assume the other person is twice as smart as you are and work twice as hard to prove otherwise
  2. Be happy in your work or work and be happy because you have no choice……… you have to work.
  3. Never forget
    1. People want to do a good job…..
    2. People can always do more than they think they can…..
    3. People are fundamentally lazy….
  4. What you do when no one is looking? That is morality…..that is ethics…. That is character.
  5. What’s it’s all about.
    1. We must all feel some sense of value, we are here for a reason.
    2. We all must leave a mark.
    3. That requires us to be able to measure our own progress or accomplishment each day
    4. We must feel relevant, important no matter in what manner.
  6. We must always remember Rudyard Kipling
    1. If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you…you’ll be a man my son
  7. It is always too early to start losing and NEVER too early to start winning
  8. It is hard to soar with the eagles if you stay up with the turkeys at night
  9. Man is like the turtle…..you have to stick your neck out in order to get ahead
  10. Nine men impregnating the same woman cannot deliver a baby in one month or to quote Warren Buffet “you can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.”
  11. Give More Stress… than you receive
  12. Depression is nothing more than anger turned inward
  13. The basics of teaching and learning
    1. Ignorance is not knowing what to do.
    2. Stupidity is knowing what to do and not doing it.
    3. Insanity is continuing to do what you have always done expecting different results.
  14. Before you can be of any value to anyone else…you have to be of value to yourself.
  15. Life is simple – it is people that screw it up.

 

The time is now…

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Friday Filosophy #2015-1

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.

Aristotle

 

When a man feels throbbing in him the power to do what he undertakes as well as it can possibly be done, this is happiness, this is success.
Orison Swett Marden

 

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.

Henry Ellis

 

The time is now…

 

This month I want to highlight Orison Marden

 

  1. Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.

 

  1. Believe with all your heart that you will do what you were made to do.

 

  1. Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them.

 

  1. All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers.

 

  1. We cannot rise higher than our thought of ourselves.

 

  1. If you do not feel yourself growing in your work and your life broadening and deepening, if your task is not a perpetual tonic to you, you have not found your place.

 

  1. There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.

 

  1. Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.

 

  1. The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others, it is in yourself alone.

 

  1. What keeps so many people back is simply the unwillingness to pay the price, to make the exertion, the effort to sacrifice their ease and comfort.

 

 

May 2015 be everything that each of you desires and deserves.

Happy New Year…

 

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Friday Filosophy #2014-49

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Albert Einstein

 

Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.
Samuel Johnson

 

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
William Arthur Ward

 

The time is now…