Blend good parenting and leadership skills: they complement each other...

 

When I was first hired at the Golden Nugget, I was told my title would be “Daddy” – this was in reference to the company’s desire to have managers and supervisors treat employees in much the same way mommies and daddies treat their children. As in: even if you must tell them no, you never stop loving and caring for them; or when dealing with them, both parents must communicate clearly and be consistent in their what they say and how they act; or when they need help, coaching them to discover things and learn to do what’s needed rather than doing it for them; or bringing the family together regularly by getting the family together at the end of the day around the dinner table to discuss things of shared experiences and interests. In essence, being there, caring, communicating, coaching, and being fair and even tempered. The same way we should treat our employees. In both, we guard against giving them answers to remember rather than problems to solve. So, nurture a leadership mindset around practical parenting terms – since all have been children and many are now parents, this can resonate with and inform them in ways they understand. Discuss this with your managers, give them the tools (good policies, training, coaching, and support) to think and act like a parent, and the time to build relationships based on trust and respect with their teams today. 

 

Roger Lewin (born 1944): British prize-winning science writer and author of 20 books.

Do not evade the obvious...

In a listening exercise I often use in workshops, I ask attendees to “try to stand” – invariably they all stand and are chagrined when we point out the instruction was simply to “try”. Cute, but instructive when discussing the importance of listening carefully. My former company’s Interview Policy instructs hiring managers to select ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ only; in this, there isn’t a maybe option – it forces clear thinking which in turn lead to decisions. These are examples of a do, or do not mindset where we must learn to think and decide rather than waffle or prevaricate, defined as an ambiguous or evasive way to avoid committing oneself. My point here is that managers must learn to be unambiguous in their communications and able to commit to definitive actions when supervising. Employees deserve that and, in fact, members of Gen Z (18% of today’s workforce, projected to be 30% in 2030) demand it. It’s good management practice to think in yes or no terms – not in all cases, like those where negotiation and compromise are appropriate, but certainly where and when it’s appropriate. Like in policy definitions, forced-choice decisions, and those times when clarity is important. Start thinking along these lines, practice where appropriate, and discuss the concept with your peeps. When try is not an option, do or do not today.

 

Yoda: A fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is a small, green, elderly humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and typically speaks in an inverted phrase order. He first appeared in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back.

Work hard: prove why excellence wins...

For more than 40 years, I’ve seen the best jobs go to the hardest workers. The ones who put everything they’ve got into proving their abilities. Along the way, I’ve heard people complain about how others must have “juice”. In my experience that’s rarely the case, sometimes it happen, but as a former manager I know that people usually get a big job by outgrowing the small one, by showing they’re ready, and diligently proving that to be true by their subsequent performance. Hiring and promoting people isn’t a perfect science – that said, it’s enhanced by a hiring manager training, coaching, and supporting the people they select. That’s teamwork and a commitment to making your peeps successful – what you do after someone’s hired is critically important.  Know what you’re looking for – experience, education, knowledge, skills, and abilities. Ask good technical, situational, and behavioral questions. Assess for fit and attitude. Make an honest and objective decision. And support them as they get started. If you go into selecting someone with good intentions and back that up with good support, everyone wins. Put the right people into the right jobs and help them be successful today.

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882):  essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.

Don't pass things up...

Every successful person will tell you to keep trying – failure comes mostly when you quit. And a big part of their success is learning from everything they’ve done. Conversely, you learn nothing from the things you haven’t done. I haven’t had many jobs throughout my career, but I don’t regret any of them; just as importantly I probably would have regretted it if I didn’t take each of them. Same is true of the projects I tackled in those jobs – some were scary, but I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t dive in with both feet. I’ve often said that the Mirage was probably beyond my capability when I started on it, but I never regretted the hard work and all that it taught me. A lot of that learning came from listening closely to what others had to say – it was clear that without that help I probably would have failed. And I certainly would have regretted that. Life, and the work we do, is supposed to be hard – that’s what’s challenging and ultimately fulfilling. Take a chance on the opportunities that present themselves to you. You don’t want to look back and regret that you didn’t. That’s the best way to live life today.

 

Lucille "Lucy" Ball (1911 – 1989): American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive.

Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_Ball

 

Help others help themselves...

If you want to be something you must actively go out and make that happen. It’s not going to happen by itself. Sure, there are people who they say were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but unless their success is earned, nobody will respect it. No matter how hard they try to bluff it. Same is true with criticism – active, goal-oriented people may rub people the wrong way, or take stands that, while ethical and appropriate, may invite critical reactions. The easy way to avoid that is by doing or saying nothing. But not the best way. I have experience with this – HR leaders are often criticized because they must ensure compliance with policies and procedures. If they want to avoid it, they can go with the flow and let things happen, or they can adopt a business partner mentality and help others discover and learn what they must do to make those kinds of critical decisions relative to their own departments and employees. By being a coach rather than a perceived know-it-all. By making sure that others are successful. That same concept applies to all leaders – partnering rather telling, coaching rather than trying to do it themselves, listening rather than preaching. It may not always be the easiest way. But it’s the right way to lead today.

 

Aristotle (384–322 BC): Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath.[1]

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[1] His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, and the arts. As the founder of the Peripatetic school of philosophy in the Lyceum in Athens, he began the wider Aristotelian tradition that followed, which set the groundwork for the development of modern science.

 

Strive to be your best...

This is the time of year in the US when sporting events seem to take on a larger focus – with football in the midst of its annual season and the baseball championships marching towards the World Series. We love quotes from athletes because their exploits seem larger than life (thanks to television) and they become metaphors for work. As we watch them, it’s clear they demand excellence – mostly of themselves, so that it sets the tone for their teammates.  It’s much the same for employees at work – we must inspire them to pursue a continuous drive for personal excellence so that their efforts support the work of their colleagues and work teams. We do that by making sure they each have the training that allows them to strive to be their best, by providing the tools they need, by being aware their efforts, by coaching them when needed, and by giving them feedback and recognition. Great organizations achieve that status one employee at a time. Making them feel part of the overall effort. By helping them see and appreciate how their individual effort supports the whole.  To me, that was always the most exciting part of work. As I’ve often said here, I was a singer, not an athlete – but the harmonies I achieved in the bands I was in were as rewarding as the winning a sporting championship as a team. Those kinds of excellence are the result of lots of individual excellence. Demand excellence of yourself today.

 

Emmitt James Smith III (born 1969): American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. He is the league's all-time leading rusher.

Learn from everything that happens...

In his prime, Jack Welch was one of the most admired CEOs in the US – tough and successful businessman and inspiring leader. And it’s quotes like this one that made him so good. In today’s world where leaders won’t admit mistakes, this is a lesson worth listening to and learning.  Everything we do is an opportunity to learn something – when we fail to achieve our objectives, a review with colleagues makes the whole team better in the future, and when we do achieve them, that same review can confirm what’s good and keep the momentum going. And there’s no shame in that. Nothing to avoid. And everything to gain. Taking responsibility. And being a professional role model. That’s leadership. On a team, in a family, for a community, or just for yourself. Because everyone’s aware of what leaders do and watching how they react to the good and bad things that happen. Do everyone a favor and learn from everything that happens today.

 

John Francis “Jack” Welch Jr. (1935 – 2020) was an American business executive. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) between 1981 and 2001.