Executive Presence- Fact or Fantasy?

The issue of executive presence or image has been debated for decades. In our "virtual" world where we interact with people electronically does it still matter? What are the elements that make up presence? Can they be taught or coached? Do they benefit the organizations or just the individual?
I got to watch Senator Obama's speech in Berlin. I have to tell you I thought he was pretty compelling, apparently so did the thousands of Germans who stood out there to listen to him. When I compare him to our current president, W just doesn't show well. I know that there are many who feel that Obama is long on rhetoric and short on answers, but you got to give the guy credit- he draws crowds like a rock star.
Bill Clinton may have a very flexible moral compass, but he too has presence.
So I wonder, does presence still play a critical role in leadership and how to we pass that along to a generation who communicates electronically and seems to reject a lot of the "image" stuff that was very important when I was climbing the corporate ladder.
Do tell!

MH

Which Method Would You Choose?

A colleague of mine shared a great story with me that I thought would be worthwhile to share with others about the difference between compliance and commitment. The root of the word "manage" is apparently from an Italian word meaning to train a horse. Traditionally we have heard this refered to as "breaking" the horse or teaching it to submit to its master's will. You use a number of techniques to accomplish this:

• - saddling the horse and riding it until you wear it out and break its will
• -tying the saddled horse to a tree or post until it tires itself out
• -drowning the horse or similar techniques

A new process has emerged called gentling or "starting" the horse. This technique uses very different methodologies:

• - observing the horse carefully
• - familiarizing the horse gradually to the weight, smells,etc of the new experience
• -gaining the horses trust and willing agreement

Sometimes in a turbulent atmosphere we act like the first trainer. We see chaos and reluctance as rebellion and we seek to "break" the behavior. It may appear to be effective in the short term, but underneath is an attitude of fear and resentment.

I think that the first method is outdated and will not get you the results that you are looking for on a sustained basis. That's why Darby and I created New Paradigms. If you are interested in the "new" process, check out our case study at Compliance to Commitment.

MH

Managing a Succesful Culture Change

Is commitment really optional? If you are going to execute a meaningful culture change that sustains itself can you allow people to comply rather than commit over the long term? I don't think so.
In this era of individual freedom and "expression" I think we get carried away with our discomfort in saying these are our core values or how we do things and they are simply not optional, period. If you are a long term employee we will provide you with the resources you need to make a transition; such as our reasoning, training, coaching, and a reasonable transition period. I see a reasonable transition period assuming the other resources are in place as 3 to 6 months.
If you are a new employee I expect our recruitment and selection process to be clear enough that you understand and are prepared to embrace the culture day one.
I want to give employees a place where they can "join up" rather than just come to work, but in return I want and expect their commitment and engagement.
MH

Leadership is different!

I have been seeing and responding to a number of posts on LinkedIn and other places all talking about the difference between leadership and management. I have seen things going all the way from describing the differences in great detail to saying they are the same- it is just a matter of semantics. I even saw a post recently sating do companies with a clear vision need leaders- or will good management that can implement the vision suffice.

I would argue passionately that they are different. I am not saying that one is better than the other, but we need them both.

Leadership is all about creating new paradigms or a paradigm shift- seeing a "disturbance in the force" and responding to it and helping others respond as well.

I saw an interesting editorial the other day about gun control and the right of each of us to "bear arms". The writer pointed out appropriately that at the time the Bill of Rights was written "arms" consisted of muskets. Kind of hard to conceal one under your coat or blast a bunch of people like you can with today's weaponry. That's a paradigm shift.

A little over 100 years ago we decided it wasn't ok to own other people. In 1964 for really the first time under law it became illegal to discriminate against someone because of their gender, their race, their color, their religion, or their national origin. Those were paradigms shifts. Those paradigm shifts came from leaders, not managers!

Achieving Success through Congruence

The fact is that the strategic plans of most companies don’t work. A key reason is that little time, if any, is spent harmonizing the facts of the external environment, the financial targets that are set and the internal capabilities of the business so that these discrete activities work together.

The successful company practices congruence through out the organization from inspiration to implementation to evaluation. Leaders at all levels scan the external environment for trends and anomalies that inspire new ideas. They engage diverse participants in defining the new ideas, assessing the significance the ideas have for the company, describing the goals and benchmarks and determining the probabilities for success. Lining up vision, goals and objectives, internal processes, and expected behaviors through systematic and continuous analysis and evaluation creates a congruence of decision making and effort that translates to maximum return on the investment.

How congruent is your vision with current and projected business environments?
How congruent are the behaviors of your company and employees with your vision statement?

See article summary, Systems Analysis, for questions to ask yourself.

-Darby Giannone, PhD

How To Shift The Paradigm

A paradigm is the frame or lens though which you view the world. It is based on your belief system, encompasses your values, dictates acceptable behavior, helps you solve problems and generates your ideas of future possibilities. In a “standard operating” situation, your paradigm allows you to make quick decisions in a consistent manner with reliable results. In a complex and fast paced situation, your paradigm acts as a filter that helps you choose the factors you deal with in the problem solving and decision making process.

Here-in lies the rub! People who experience success believe their way is the best way even in the face of evidence to the contrary. They adopt the trappings of change without making the fundamental changes in their paradigm that new problems require. Some people, in fact, do not recognize the problems that new situations pose because the problems are outside of their experience and cognitive thought patterns.

A paradigm shift occurs when a person admits to the discrepancy between the problems occurring and the number of problems solved successfully using current methods and seeks new information, skills and ways of operating outside of current practice. These new ways of identifying, posing and solving problems generally come from “fringe” theorists, industries and leaders.

As summarized by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan, “This era will require a new breed of no-nonsense leader whom we call the complete businessperson. The personality traits that traditionally get people onto the fast track, such as presence and communication skills, forcefulness, and the ability to motivate, aren’t enough. Confronting reality requires business savvy and an unquenchable thirst to know, including the willingness to seek out diverse viewpoints and unorthodox ideas.” What viewpoints and ideas make you uncomfortable? What viewpoints and ideas do you consider ridiculous?

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-Darby Giannone, PhD

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