LivingLeadership

 Translation for those of you who didn’t have to suffer through four years of high school Latin - I came. I saw. I conquered.  These words were originally uttered by Roman leader Julius Caesar in a message sent to the Roman Senate on declaring victory in a battle in Asia. Brief and to the point - yet packed with power! 

This came to mind when I discovered Robert Hruzak’s Blog, Middle Zone Musings. He ran a contest (something bloggers often do to increase traffic, build their network, spark creativity, etc.) to see who could write the best six-word story. The link will take you to his post with all the collected entries. He wound up with 400-plus possibilities from 70 different bloggers.

But, I think that Caesar’s  three-word story, “Veni. Vidi. Vici.” beats out all of them for brevity, impact and action. The English translation even meets the six-word limit.

The message is pertinent to a key leadership trait- followthrough. So many times business or community leaders will show up (I came) and tour a site. They’ll meet ‘n greet informally, and maybe even participate (I saw) in some of the daily routines. But, once they leave the scene the status quo remains. Of course, this isn’t always a negative. But, when subordinates expect some help and hope for change, they need leaders who will followthrough (I conquered) with  courage and conviction.

Without the followthrough, there is no story. There’s little or no impact. Showing up (I came) and observing (I saw) are only two thirds of the formula.  Action (I conquered) is required to complete the equation.  

Personally, I rarely feel cranky or would ever admit to it. That’s pretty much an old folks descriptor isn’t it? Well, it’s no secret that more and more of us are living longer and better, and will one day be a part of those old folks.

If you’re a baby boomer (born from 1946 - 1964) chances are you’re taking a part in redifining both of the terms “old folks” and “cranky”. Senior Citizens doesn’t seem to cut it for even the first line of baby boomers, who turned sixty last year. They are healthier, better educated, and harder to peg than any senior generation - ever.  

These soon to be sixty-one year olds are the ripple of a huge tide (almost 80 million) that will continue washing over the economy for some time.  Market leaders like Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com are paying close attention to these potential cranksters. He has developed Eons.com , a kind of combination My Space/iWon type social networking site for those age 50-plus. 

Last week, Taylor added a search engine feature titled, cRANKY.com , calling it. “the world’s first age-relevant search engine.” It ranks  Eons’ member searches and the rankings should be reflective of baby boomer trends, in general, making this a valuable marketing tool.

This quote from a CNNMoney.com article explains Taylor’s rationale for cRANKY:
Why the name Cranky? Because I get ‘cranky’ when I get lost in the search quagmire, too,” said Taylor, who is 46, in the statement. “I know it’s tongue-in-cheek, but you’ll never forget the name. And, when I discovered the word ‘rank’ nestled in the middle of ‘cranky’, I knew it was the right name.”

But, I wonder how valuable it will be to the broad-based demographic of baby boomers, who may be more inclined to look for more more inclusive results found at already popular search engines like Yahoo and Google. Do they want to be separated out from the rest of the population? Or is Jeff Taylor taking the lead in defining the path of Internet exploration for this still enigmatic generation?

There’s a saying in New England about the weather, “Don’t like the weather? Wait a minute, it’ll change!” That has been the case for sure this season ranging from a few extremely warm days, some rain, very little snow and finally a typical January freeze of 15 - 20 degrees forecast for midweek. Other areas of the country have seen unpredictable weather this winter also, as described in this MSNBC article.

In New England, hardware stores have yet to deplete their supply of snow shovels and ice melt. Ski areas and their local symbiotic merchants are suffering. Some business groups are even talking about asking for federal relief due to the economic hardship caused by the winter’s poor performance. On the flip side, consumers dealing with lower heating and snow removal expenses than usual  have more money to spend on other things or in paying down debt - either of which will help strengthen the overall economy. There’s a  lesson here for some business and government leaders - past performance does not necessarily guarantee future performance.

All types of industries from agricultural to tourism depend on a certain range of anticipated weather conditions in order to prosper. They plan everything from their marketing strategies to capital budgets based on past climatic performance.  Only problem is, even with all the meteorological advances, there’s no accounting for Mother Nature!

Well, they can’t fire winter for its disappointing performance. Can’t demote it or offer it a buy-out. Like it or not, the weather (winter season especially) is a major partner in most endeavors. It’s the wild card that promises plenty, but can cost even more. Smart leaders learn to have some flexibility and contingency plans in place, since they know there’s no guarantee when it comes to the weather. In the meantime, winter is less than halfway over. Whether or not the economy in general will weather it remains to be seen

I got a new cell phone for Christmas.  It’s plugged in and recharging, so it’ll be all ready for me to download or upload to my heart’s content. Would that it were so easy to recharge our human components.

A leader needs to stay on guard against losing their charge. Yes, that can be taken two ways - charge of internal energy and insights, or charge of externally staying the course and leading the troops. Whether you’re a single parent trying to keep up with work and family or a high level executive trying to keep a busines on track; being in the lead can be a strain.  

Burn-out is a serious concern for any leader. Even while taking preventive measures (like regular exercise, good nutrition, etc) there are times when our charges run low. Obviously, we’re a little more complex than the electronic gadgets most of us love to use. If you feel like you’re in need of some quick recharging, here are some simple suggestions:

Physical - Take a Walk
 (preferably away from your charges, be sure to return)
Emotional - Meditate or Talk to a Confidant
Mental - Read
(for relaxation or education - both work)

All of these are as simple (or maybe simpler) than a quick electronic plug-in, and at least as important. What are your favorite recharging methods - for the human component?

tend to go hand-in-hand with the blame game. Leaders often need to act quickly when making decisions. But making a snap judgement rarely pays off. This sort of decision is usually made on the spot and without benefit of all the details. It is usually based on emotional reaction rather than an intellectual or logical one.

Would there were such a thing as logical emotions this might not be a problem. As William Tully explains in his Blog, which is aptly named LOGICal eMOTIONS , “Typically we have an emotional experience (significant or not), and we apply logic afterwards.” Ahh….there’s the problem. Taking it personal, not being objective. Even the best leaders can get caught up in an emotional whirlwind before logic has a chance to come to the rescue.

What can leaders do to avoid making questionable snap judgements? Well,  effective leaders stay well informed and aware of their best resources. This helps to prevent some situations from reaching the boiling point, or if they do to enable the leader to think on their feet, as they say. But, another action thoughtful leaders can take is to do nothing - at least for the moment. Often taking some time to pause and think things through will help in making a better judgement call.

Like a lot of behavioral advice, that sounds almost too simple. But, it takes practice to keep your cool and derail those risky snap judgements. Lora at Success Connections has a great post called Use Your Pause Button that applies to really anyone who might need to chase their emotions with a little logic. She details the usual suggestions of taking a deep breath and thinking it over. Her final advice is to “respond intentionally rather than react to raw emotion.”

As is often the case, that leads me to another thought, The Power of Intention. I believe Wayne Dyer wrote a book about that. Have to look it up for future reference. Until then, hit the Pause Button…

First rule of leadership - don’t play the blame game! As a leader you need to be able to take responsibility, and accept full credit or blame for whatever occurs within your organization. Yes, sometimes you need to assess a situation, and make changes according to the actions that were taken by others. And, sometimes others may share in the credit or blame, but it all comes back to the leader, ultimately.

This brings me to mention those popular, but questionable role models, Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump. It seems the feud persists.  Now, Trump’s daughter, Ivanka has joined in the frey. In an effort to support her father, she is blaming Rosie for starting it first. Headlines blaring, “Trump’s Daughter Says Rosie Started Feud” are not really the best publicity for Trump’s organization. No matter who started it, a smart leader would deflect the immature “He/she started it!” and find a way to end it.

Of course, celebrity leaders like headlines and air time, even if the press is negative. Good business leaders and community leaders should know otherwise. When you encounter a problem between two individuals or differing factions it usually doesn’t matter who started it. More importantly who is going to resolve things - and how.

It’s that time of year - Happy Holidays, Happy New Year. Happy Happy all around!  In this vein, I recently  discovered Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project. It’s filled with helpful hints and quotes like the following:
“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.” Robert Louis Stevenson

That makes me realize how important happiness is as a tangible and renewable resource. It’s more than a casual wish bandied about or a reminder tossed over your shoulder as you rush out the door. Leaders who understand this will make sure to encourage others to fulfill their happiness needs.

Many of us raised with the old Puritanical style work ethic might have trouble accepting this concept. No one promised happiness. That was an after-reward for completing your chores or achieved by excelling beyond expectations.  Even the above quote from Stevenson claims happiness is a duty - underrated, but still a duty or obligation to be fulfilled.

Fast forward to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (some may recall from psych or marketing 101) where different levels of achievement, from basic survival all the way up to self-actualization bring differing levels of satisfaction. A leader can’t guarantee everyone will climb that ladder or reach the top of the pyramid. But, they can help to set the stage for happiness.

 Author and historian, James  MacGregor Burns goes into detail about this sort of evolution of happiness in society and leadership in his book Transforming  Leadership: The Pursuit of Happiness. I recently found this review on LeaderShop. Definitely putting it on my reading list.

In the meantime - Be Happy! It’s our duty, our responsibility and our need.

What did you learn  in 2006?  The Instigator wants to know.

Well, starting right here, I can say I learned I am behind the curve when it comes to blogging. There were already almost 60 million blogs out there when I joined the club this month. And, they say blogging will reach its peak in 2007. But, I still come across a lot of people in everyday life who aren’t even sure what a blog is. I think there’s plenty of room for growth. A new electronic acquaintance, Starbucker shares some good insight on the value of blogging. 

I learned that as much as I know from raising two sons, earning a masters degree, being a business leader and a voracious reader; there’s so much more that I don’t know. But, this is the age of instant communication. There’s updated information available and people at the ready to help me with just about any question 24/7 (in-person and/or on-line). I love it!

In an ongoing lesson, I learned that I need to stop for a little fun, just for the fun of it, once in a while. So, in its fifth season, I finally found out what all the hype was about and discovered American Idol. With only a slight blush, I admit that I took notice of one certain performer and became fully involved with that karaoke-type talent show that has captured the attention of millions. Yep, eighth place finalist, Bucky Covington all but enthralled me with his southern country rock and gentle manner. I even voted for him, and continue to follow his emerging career. Finalist Taylor Hicks and sweet Kellie Pickler are fun too. Who knew?!? 

I also learned the importance of networking in building relationships - no agenda, no expectations. Yes, it calls for some discretion, whether in real life activities or virtual forums.  I have to admit that my marketing background, at first, got in the way of networking  just for the sake of meeting and greeting, with no ulterior motive.  A good marketer has a plan, a strategy and certain goals in mind when they set out to make connections. Now the evolving world of social media (which I’m still learning) calls for much broader parameters - allowing for a certain randomness and personal inclination in building a network.  I like it!

That’s why I ‘m sharing this little bit with someone in Canada (and his whole network) that I would never have known about or dreamed of approaching in the past.

Oh my! There’s no question that Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump are accomplished leaders. I don’t think I have to list their endeavors, but suffice to say they each have given a lot of their time, drive and money in efforts that have benefited society. Both are known for being somewhat bold and maybe even brazen, which can be positive traits in leadership. But, now they have engaged in a public outburst of insults and innuendos about each other that greatly detracts from their leadership status.

Rosie seemed to think it necessary to “call out” The Donald when he forgave the current Miss USA her public indiscretions. To paraphrase, Rosie said who is Donald to think he is a moral compass. She also suggested that the fact that he inherited his initial wealth made his accomplishments less worthy. And, she likened him to a snake-oil salesman in Little House on The Prarie. Very strong stuff there, no matter what you think of Donald Trump!

 In turn, Donald said that Rosie is a loser, very unattractive and talks like a truck driver. He seemed to gloat over the fact that she had experienced failure with her magazine. And, he said if he were running The View , he’d fire Rosie. Or, in other words, “NaNa  NaNa  Na!”

Is this an appropriate manner for two leading public figures to conduct themselves? I think not.  Rosie might have some merit in some of her comments. But, I think she took them too far and became overly involved personally. Understandably, Donald wanted to defend himself, but again he too went overboard.

A good leader admonishes another with respect and grace. Barbara Walters, who confesses to being an old friend to Trump and employer of O’Donnell is perhaps the only one exercising true leadership in this whole disturbance. In an official announcement Walters displayed diplomacy in asking for “calm and peace”. Perhaps she can instruct them to attend charm school, and then to work together on a community leadership project. Now, that would make for some good viewing!

As a child, I loved to read the encyclopedia. As an adult, I often defer to my favorite electronic version, Wikipedia. There, the term “know-it-all” is actually listed as an apt reference for that very source.  It also lists the fictional character,  Alex Keaton from Family Ties as an example. So, unless you’re a walking encyclopedia, you’re probably not a know-it-all.

Smart leaders realize this and depend on others to help them find information and the means to implement their ideas. That’s one reason that good managers are important. Managers know how to organize and direct the operation of those ideas. (This doesn’t mean that managers can’t be leaders, too - but that’s another post.)

Once a leader focuses on a new direction, they need to find the best way to accomplish their goals. From there it takes a combination of luck, talent and hard work by all who are involved for any project to be successful.  

Success, of course is defined on many levels.  I recently found Thom Singer’s Blog, Some Assembly Required where he profiles a variety of successful leaders in his Praise Others Project . There’s good content there on well-knowns like Stephen Covey and soon-to-be-knowns like Jason Alba, founder of networking site, Jibber Jobber. I was especially excited to see the profile of one of my favorite thought leaders, Malcolm Gladwell of Tipping Point fame.  

Thankfully,  there’s always someone (or somewhere) else  I can turn to for more information in my pursuit of becoming a better leader.  And, although I won’t often publicize it, I can freely admit that I don’t know it all.