Phillip Van Hooser - Transformational Leadership

In this video post, I debunk the “leadership lie” that says leaders shouldn’t get close to their people. I also clarify the difference between “managing” vs. “leading” people and explain what “getting close to” followers should really mean for leaders.

The Leadership Lie: Leaders, Don’t Get Close to Your People

Phillip Van Hooser
Leadership Expert, Author & Keynote Speaker
phil@vanhooser.com

As I write this, the Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching.  Soon Thanksgiving will have passed and our focus will shift to the traditional year-end holidays and related festivities.

But before we rush through the holiday, let’s remember that Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time when we stop to take inventory of the many things for which are thankful.  Our grateful spirit should extend past the obvious - roast turkey, pecan pie and football.  Instead, we should seriously consider the opportunities and blessings that we have received and then acknowledge them for what they truly are.

But do we really?  Past experience has taught that we can be “busy” (a good state for most of us) and then we can be “too busy.”  When we get too busy, often we thoughtlessly ignore the more important things (or people) that deserve recognition for what they are and for what they are worth to us.

Case in point. A few years ago I found myself in one of our western U.S. cities preparing to present a full day leadership program.  I arrived early for the session which was being held in that city’s convention center.  So early, in fact, the entire facility seemed to be deserted.

After familiarizing myself with the room in which I would be working, I took the opportunity to make a quick trip to the men’s room.  As I stepped through the restroom door, the smell hit me.  It was immediately noticeable.  But, it was not the type of smell that many of us have come to expect from public restrooms.  No, instead this aroma could be described as being remarkably “fresh and clean.”

I continued in, only to find that the smell was a positive indicator of more good things to come.  The room was spotless!  Now, don’t misunderstand.  It was not adorned with the expensive marble and tile floor and wall coverings that are often found in some of the showplace hotels.  No, this was a public facility.  Its basic construction was of concrete blocks covered with enamel paint.  Nevertheless, the sinks, counter tops, urinals, toilets, floors and walls were so clean it was impossible not to notice.

As I stood admiring this unexpected phenomenon, I sensed someone’s presence.  In a far corner of the room, I noticed a middle aged man with mop in hand.  Now, I am not the smartest guy around, but I quickly surmised that this gentleman might have something to do with this amazing restroom.  I decided to find out.

“Excuse me, but are you responsibility for cleaning this restroom?”

The man slowly raised his head, while continuing to lean forward on the mop handle.  He looked at me suspiciously.

“Yeah, why?” he responded, with an obvious note of defensiveness in his voice.

“I figured you were.  I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate the clean bathroom.”

The man stared at me in silence for a few seconds, obviously trying to determine my level of sincerity.

“For real?” he finally asked.

“For real” I responded.  “I travel several days a week and end up using other people’s restrooms more than my own.  Too often, they are simply disgusting.  I couldn’t help but notice what a great job you’ve done with this one.  I just wanted you to know that I appreciate it.”

By now, convinced of my sincerity, the man responded by saying something that I will not soon forget.  Looking directly into my eyes, he said, “Thanks, I really appreciate that you noticed.”  Then he added, “Nobody has ever told me that before.”

Once again, I was amazed, but this time for a different reason.  My immediate thought was, “Where is this man’s leader?”

Me, a total stranger, recognizing this man for a job well done was one thing.  But, can you imagine the impact that a similar sentiment would have coming from the lips of his leader?

I encourage you as leaders, during this time of the year when the words “thanks” and “giving” are so commonly heard, to not be so busy that you don’t make the time to publicly acknowledge those followers who, in your heart, you know you are thankful for.

Praise and recognition are two gifts that keep on giving.

Phillip Van Hooser
Leadership Expert, Author & Keynote Speaker
phil@vanhooser.com

In this video post, I share a lesson from Ft. Bragg Special Forces on the impact and significance of leaders who commit to support and serve their followers.

Leadership Lesson from Ft. Bragg

Phillip Van Hooser
Leadership Expert, Author & Keynote Speaker
phil@vanhooser.com

Leaders, we’re busy people. We have lots of responsibilities and objectives to accomplish every day. Here’s one thing we can do that will exponentially improve our relationships with employees and provide us with valuable information and insights for doing our jobs.

Learn to listen. Actively listen. Stop what you’re doing when people start to communicate with you and look at them, look them right in the eye. I know the challenges, many of us pride ourselves on being multi-taskers, we can use electronic equipment, we can walk, we can talk, we can fill out paperwork, we can do any number of things all while supposedly listening to the people speaking to us. I’m not even going to challenge the fact that you might be able to do that well, because there are good multi-taskers out there. But it really makes very little difference if you’re good at it or not. The message that we send to the person speaking to us—that we’re hopefully listening to, as we go about these multi-tasking activities—the message that we send to them is that they don’t have our attention and we’re not fully focused on them and from a leader/follower relationship that can be. . .well, that can be very bad.

What I’m encouraging you to do is that the next person that walks up to you and begins talking to you, you stop. You stop whatever you’re doing. You square yourself up and you look right at the person and you continue to look at them for the duration of whatever they’re communicating. You listen to them for the next twenty seconds, the next two minutes, the next twenty minutes, as the case might be, by looking squarely at them.

When you do this, people are going to respond to you differently because they know you’re now listening and listening with effectiveness. And from a leader/follower relationship that can be. . .well, that can be very, very good!

Phillip Van Hooser
Leadership Expert, Author & Keynote Speaker
phil@vanhooser.com

For more tips on communicating for leaders, check out this video segment.

In the “Quick Vote” poll on CNN.com yesterday, the question posed was this: “Do You Trust Your Boss?” The poll is admittedly not scientific. But so far, 171,000 plus people have responded and the results say a lot about trust in leadership. 42% of those responding say they trust their boss. 41% say they don’t. 16% indicate they don’t have a boss — possibly trust issues play into this number as well.

For those in leadership positions, most recognize that one of the key elements of the leadership equation is the issue of trust. We also recognize that trust, like respect, does not automatically come with the leadership positions we occupy. Trust must be earned. We earn it from those we desire to lead. But how? I believe there are at least three basic steps involved in establishing and earning trust.

Step 1: Take responsibility! Without question this is the most important aspect in earning trust, and yet, it is often the most overlooked. We are personally impressed by leaders who, in practice, take a little bit more than their share of the blame and a little bit less than their share of the credit. Too often though, human nature leads us to do just the opposite — to take a little bit more than our share of the credit and a little bit less than our share of the blame. Remember, the buck stops where? With the leader, that’s where!

Step 2: Level with your followers. To be a trusted leader requires us to “fess up” regularly. I have a theory about such things. It can be stated this way: We tend to forgive that which we can imagine ourselves having done. We have difficulty forgiving that which we can’t imagine ourselves doing. In other words, followers will accept the fact that you occasionally make mistakes — we all do. On the other hand, they cannot or will not forgive mistakes that their leader is unwilling to admit and take responsibility for. Why? Because they can’t imagine (or stomach) an unwillingness to admit mistakes that are already obvious to everyone.

Step 3: Share your feelings. If we are going to take responsibility and level with our followers, the next obvious step is honest, open communications with them. But please be careful. I encourage you to share your emotions, don’t show them! Don’t assume that your followers can read your mind as to what you are thinking and feeling. They can’t and they shouldn’t be expected to. You are their leader — lead! Step out of your comfort zones and tell your people about the emotions you are experiencing - positive and negative.

These three steps will quickly earn you the reputation as someone that can be trusted. After all, what better poll is there for leaders than that?

Phillip Van Hooser
Leadership Expert, Author & Keynote Speaker
phil@vanhooser.com

Building the leadership bench strength of your organization requires a steady supply of leadership talent. Looking within the organization, managers and supervisors should consider opportunities to prepare those around them for ever more challenging leadership roles. That said how do you take these high potential candidates and move them forward to leadership success?

Consider the following progression for empowering employees. The assumption here is that the supervisor is continuously testing and evaluating each individual employee to determine what level of empowerment he or she is capable of assuming successfully on behalf of the organization. The supervisor or manage will ultimately decide the actual readiness of the individual for further empowerment and at what specific level.

Level 1:
You (the employee) research an assigned activity; you report what you have learned or discovered; but I (the supervisor) will decide what action is to be taken.

This is the most basic level of empowerment. It is used to determine a baseline for how an individual thinks, prepares, works and communicates. It is most commonly used in evaluating the actual skills of new employees or newly transferred employees. If specific flaws or shortcomings are identified, specific plans for further training and development should be undertaken. If it is determined that the individual meets and exceeds expectations in this area, then the next level of empowerment should be considered. Because of the supervisor’s stated intent to make the final decision, there is no relevant risk assumed by the employee at this stage.

Level 2:
You research an assigned activity; you report the alternative actions/options that are available; you suggest one for implementation; but I will decide what action is to be taken.

Here you are evaluating the mental dexterity and awareness of various decision making options and how relevant or irrelevant they might be for the organization’s specific purposes and intents. As before, there continues to be no relevant risk to the employee since the supervisor has reserved the right to make the decision. If the employee is determined to be ready, the next step in the process is assigned.

Level 3:
You research an assigned activity; you report what you intend to do; but don’t act without my approval.

Notice there is a marked increase in the expectation of performance on the part of the employee. This is the first level at which the employee assumes some specific level of risk. However, the supervisor has continued to maintain some level of “institutional control” by making sure s/he is comfortable with the communicated actions. In each of these first three levels of empowerment, continuing one-on-one, face-to-face communication and the conversations that need to take place are absolutely critical. If the employee is determined to be ready, the next step in the process is assigned.

Level 4:
You research an assigned activity; you report what you intend to do; go ahead and do it unless I say “no.”

By this point in the process, the trust level has clearly increased between both parties. The subordinate has earned the right to move to this level of empowerment based on an understanding of the goals and objectives of the organization and his or her proven performance and identified ability to meet those goals and objectives. Communication is still important at this level, but the reins of decision making responsibility are now being passed from the supervisor to the subordinate.

Level 5:
You research an assigned activity; you take the action you deem appropriate; report what you did.

Subordinates are working independently of their supervisor, with the supervisor’s full knowledge and confidence based on the subordinate’s past proven ability and successes. The unencumbered performance of the subordinate, in turn, frees the supervisor to attend to other pressing issues.

Level 6:
You research an assigned activity; you take the action you deem appropriate; no further communication is required.

This is the highest level of empowerment. It is rarely earned and rarely granted–and then only to the best, most tested and most trusted subordinates. With this level, both supervisor and subordinate share the risk of the empowered actions taken.

A few important observations to remember:

This is not an overnight process. It requires vigilant communication, observation, evaluation and training. As previously discussed, empowerment is preceded and supported by significant and on-going coaching and counseling activities. This is not a “one-size-fits-all” process. It requires customized activities for individual employees who may or may not accept empowerment in the same way or at the same rate as another employee. Appropriate empowerment levels are also dependent on individual jobs. In other words, a single employee may be at a Level 5 empowerment level for one task and the same employee at a Level 2 empowerment level for a different task.

Creating a continuous flow of leadership talent from within our organizations can happen and happen effectively when those of us in leadership positions are willing to share our power with those individuals who demonstrate they are worthy of the challenge.

Phillip Van Hooser
Leadership Expert, Author & Keynote Speaker
phil@vanhooser.com

Principle 3: Tell the Truth (This is the third in a six part series on becoming a great communicator.)

It seems like telling the truth ought to be a whole lot easier than it actually is. Of course, if all we ever did was share good news with others, then telling the truth would always be fun and easy. But as evidenced by the conversation between the doctor and my son, sometimes it falls to us to share news truthfully that may not be readily welcomed or appreciated by others. That doesn’t change the fact that truth telling is necessary.

The good doctor won the trust of a young patient, in large part, by simply telling the truth. My son had never had stitches before this encounter and as a result, really had no idea what to expect. Had his doctor said, “Joe, this won’t hurt a bit,” Joe would have had no practical, experiential reason not to believe him. In fact, I suspect Joe would have believed that statement and everything else the doctor told him right up until the very instant when the cold steel of the needle pierced the raw flesh of his chin. At that split second, when those nerve endings came alive, conveying to the brain the undeniable message that pain was, in fact, being experienced-from that moment on Joe would have believed nothing-absolutely nothing-that the doctor had or would tell him. All credibility would have been lost and rightfully so.

And so it is with each of us and the way people react and respond to us. Playing fast and loose with the truth is a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, learning to share the truth-even uncomfortable truths-in a masterful way can strengthen the foundation on which a relationship is built in a way that nothing else can.

You may be wondering how you can become known far and wide as a “truth teller” without exception. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

When Telling the Truth…Fess Up When You Screw Up

In establishing your believability quotient as a communicator there is simply nothing more important than telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But, if mistakes have been made, if the untruths have already been told-how does one go about reestablishing believability?

My advice-fess up.

Try as we might, we can never retract the words we’ve spoken or the deeds we’ve done. And excuses won’t help (e.g., “I didn’t know the microphone was on…,” “My boss should have told me…,” or “I was afraid of what she might think…”). Plausible explanations are poor substitutes for taking personal responsibility.

Far and away, the most important action we can take in rebuilding a fractured reputation is to take responsibility publicly and quickly for the mistakes we’ve made and the lies we’ve told. Begin by fessing up to the people who were impacted most directly by your untruths. Here are three steps that can be taken to begin making things right.

1. Be totally honest about your dishonesty. Don’t complicate the problem by continuing to lie about your lying. Just swallow hard and get the truth out there.

2. Be contrite. Once the truth is out there, take your medicine, in whatever form it might come…discipline, public ridicule, humiliation, diminished status, severed relationships, financial loss, and so on. Don’t try to blame or implicate others for your actions. You will never look good by trying to make someone else look bad. Accept the fact that you screwed up and then go ahead and take your licks.

3. Recognize that most people have short memories and a desire to forgive. What was done or said during a thoughtless moment may take months, even years to undo. However, if mistakes are handled honestly and tactfully, the old axiom, “Time heals all wounds,” generally proves to be true. Be patient - it may take time. It may take time for others to forget and time for you to remember just how valuable the truth is to one’s reputation.

Principle 4 next time - Work for Understanding.

Phillip Van Hooser
Cultivating Great Leaders to Create Competitive Advantage
phil@vanhooser.com

Leader Transformation Tip 9: Respect is earned through consistent behavior. Your people will know what to expect. http://www.vanhooser.com

Phillip Van Hooser
Cultivating Great Leaders to Create Competitive Advantage
phil@vanhooser.com

Leader Transformation Tip 8: Recognize followers’ contributions constantly. Don’t let them feel taken for granted. Http://www.vanhooser.com

Phillip Van Hooser
Cultivating Great Leaders to Create Competitive Advantage
phil@vanhooser.com

Leader Transformation Tip 6: Know your followers’ service anniversary date and call attention to it every year. http://www.vanhooser.com

Phillip Van Hooser
Cultivating Great Leaders to Create Competitive Advantage
phil@vanhooser.com