My friend was distraught, growing more anxious with every turn. He was grateful for the ride from the airport, but concerned about the gas gauge indicator, which looked as if it had passed “E” sometime last week.  It didn’t help that the surroundings were unfamiliar and that the driver appeared unconcerned (or unaware) of their predicament.

When the driver pulled off the freeway and started taking side streets in the opposite direction, my friend reached his limit.  Armed with the finest GPS system, he identified the most direct route to their destination and located several gas stations along the way. Still, he was unable to persuade the driver to follow his lead.

Only after allowing my friend to stew awhile longer did the driver admit to the prank: The gas gauge was broken!  Instead of fixing it, the driver would simply note the mileage each time he filled the tank, and knew he could drive 350 miles before needing to refuel. It was a practical, inexpensive solution that also provided some good laughs (at the expense of my friend!).

What Do We See?

As leaders, we often can be so sure of ourselves. From where we sit, we see the situation clearly and know exactly how to address the problem.

• Sometimes we think the leaders above us don’t understand reality or are headed in the wrong direction.
• Perhaps we think the leaders who report to us are concerned about too many details and can’t see the big picture.

Funny how things are not always as they seem!

 Unless we know all the facts with full transparency, our judgment is skewed.

What Indicators Do We Use?

Even the best indicators are useless if they are broken or measure the wrong thing. My friend was certain the tank was nearly empty because his experience taught him when the gas gauge approached “E” it was time to fill up.  But in this new environment, the odometer, not the fuel gauge, provided that information.  The GPS didn’t help either.  Despite being precise and accurate, the information wasn’t relevant and so gathering it was a waste of time.

• Churches and nonprofit organizations often measure their success by financial results or by the number of people served. 
• Nonprofits, however, are mission-based.  Sure, it’s important to be fiscally responsible and to track the number of people served.  But if an organization is not accomplishing its mission, those indicators are meaningless.

 The best indicators of success measure how well the mission is being accomplished.

Usually, these are less about budgets and more about changed hearts and lives.

What About You?

• Have you found yourself certain to have the right solution, only later to discover additional information or perspectives that changed your mind?
• What are the key performance indicators of your organization? Do they align with your mission? If not, what indicators would better signal success?

Leave a Reply and share your experience.

At ENTERCHANGE we help creative leaders develop the healthy organizations needed to accomplish their vision.  Contact Us to see how we might work together.

Copyright © 2011 ENTERCHANGE 

If good things come in small packages, then I understand why the French story The Little Prince is so good. This brief classic is rich with deep truths spoken by an innocent youngster.

The book and its protagonist are both very small. This childlike ruler is the only inhabitant of an equally small planet.  The little prince sets off on a journey to other planets and ultimately encounters the narrator on Earth. Through their brief dialog, the narrator rediscovers some of the childhood wisdom he lost while growing up – and learns some new insights from this young sage.

The lesson of the baobabs is particularly poignant.

The narrator knows baobabs only as monster trees 50-100 feet tall with cork-like trunks 25-35 feet in diameter found in the savannahs of Africa and India. But as the little prince observes, “Before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little.”

You see, the prince’s planet is about the size of a house. Each morning he would carefully search the whole surface of his planet for newly sprouted baobab seedlings. The narrator understood the seriousness of this daily chore:

“A baobab is something you will never, never be able to get rid of if you attend to it too late. It spreads over the entire planet.

It bores clear through with its roots.

And if the planet is too small, and the baobabs are too many, they split it in pieces.”

How true this can be in our own organizations; if we allow the small evils to persist – soon we find it impossible to get rid of them. They bore their roots deeply into the organization, and eventually split it into pieces.

There is a personal application too, of course. New Year’s resolutions are fine, but as the narrator warns, “Watch out for the baobabs!”

What About You?

• Are there “baobabs” in your organization? What are they and how can you get rid of them?
• How can you introduce a regular discipline to identify and attend to the “baobabs” in your life or your organization?

Leave a Reply below to share your response.

At ENTERCHANGE we help leaders understand themselves and their organizations. We foster healthy cultures that help the leader and the organization thrive.  

Contact Us to see how we can help you build a stronger organization.

Copyright © 2010 ENTERCHANGE

“Stop going for the easy buck and produce something with your life.

Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of others.”

So ends the 1987 Oliver Stone film “Wall Street.”  The sequel, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” (also directed by Stone), opens on Friday.

This quote captures an important but often overlooked theme in the original film. Carl Fox (played by Martin Sheen) is mentoring his son Buddy Fox (played by real-life son Charlie Sheen) even as he drives his son to the trial where he will likely be convicted of a series of white-collar crimes (insider trading, money laundering, etc.).

Carl Fox knows there are basically two ways to make money:

Create value

or take it from others.

How is value created?

Usually it occurs when things of lesser independent value are combined in such a way that they create something worth more.

• An IPod is worth much more than the metal and plastic of its component parts;
• A chef combines ingredients to create a more valuable meal;
• The artist makes something of beauty from canvass and paint or clay;
• Retail merchandise is purchased in bulk and distributed to the consumer in a more usable manner;

How is value destroyed?

Things of greater value can be dismantled or ruined, sometimes intentionally, but more often through ignorance or neglect.

• Produce rots before it is sold;
• Political capital earned through years of public service disappears overnight due to unethical behavior;
• An experienced team loses a crucial player with critical skills or knowledge;
• Relationships with customers, suppliers or strategic partners die when not nurtured;

In the original movie, Buddy Fox works for his idol, Gordon Gekko (played by Michael Douglas), who teaches him the fine art of taking value from others. Buddy doesn’t realize how destructive this is until he discovers that Gekko plans to dismantle Blue Star Airlines, where his father built his career. Buddy has a change of heart and turns his teacher’s tactics against him, enlisting the help of Gekko’s nemesis to scrub the deal and ultimately land Gekko in prison. The new film picks up when Gekko is released from prison 25 years later.

Real-life examples of this win-lose approach to gaining wealth are easy to find. It seems like a zero sum game, but when greed is in charge, more often total value is destroyed.

In this period of economic recovery, people are making a buck any way they can. Some appear to foster economic growth but are actually destroying value even as they line their pockets. The difference is a matter of perspective. As individuals (or individual organizations), we can choose to be indifferent about how our actions impact others. Yet, in the end, we all swim in the same economic pond.

I don’t know what themes will emerge in the latest Wall Street film. I trust that Oliver Stone heeded the advice of his character Carl Fox and created something of great value.

 What About You?

• How has your business or organization created value?
• Does the broader perspective of the whole economy influence your decisions?
• Are you leading in a way that creates value or destroys it?

 Leave a Reply below to share your story.

 Copyright © 2010 ENTERCHANGE

At ENTERCHANGE we help organizations find win-win solutions and partnerships that benefit everyone. Contact Us to see how we can help you created a more valuable future.

(For those rolling your eyes, hang with me. You can enjoy some leadership insights without watching a single show.)

SPOILER ALERT: This post draws on some of the big surprises, especially in Season 6.

Some natural leaders emerge from among the LOST characters, but shortcomings limit their impact:

1. Jack is an expert spinal surgeon and thinks therefore he is expert in all things. His pathological addiction to fix things interferes with his ability to delegate and to see his own limitations.
2. Sawyer’s “every man for himself” style uses power and intimidation to extract what he wants from others.
3. Then there’s Ben, whose deeply rooted need for affirmation drives his manipulation of others.

 My leadership hero is Hurley.

Surprised? Consider some of his unique qualities:

• Initiative – It is Hurley who comes up with the census idea which ultimately reveals Ethan as an intruder. Just the first of many times he makes a valuable contribution by inserting himself into a situation.
• Persistence – Despite repeatedly being told that he is of no use and will just get in the way, Hurley continues to find a way to contribute.
• Ingenuity – Who would think that a fat guy in a VW bus could save his five unarmed friends on the beach. And the golf course idea was a brilliant breakthrough!
• Strong Moral Convictions – I lost count of the times I heard the line, “Dude, that’s not right.”
• Humility – His unassuming manner (almost a reluctance to lead) is one of Hurley’s best leadership qualities – perhaps the reason Jacob ultimately entrusts the island to him. Hurley leads with pure motives.

Does your leadership selection process take into consideration such important qualities?  Or does it highlight only the attractive “natural” leaders like Jack, Sawyer and Ben.  

I believe the most valuable leaders with staying power have character qualities like Hurley.

 What About You?

• Have you ever been surprised when an “unlikely leader” has turned out to make a significant leadership contribution?
• Have you ever been recognized (or stepped over) because your leadership qualities didn’t match the typical leadership model?

Leave a Reply below and tell us your story.

Copyright © 2010 ENTERCHANGE

Developing the leadership potential in every person creates the strongest, most robust organizations. Want some fresh ideas? Contact Us

Even if you don’t follow baseball, you probably heard the story. Last week, after three hours on the mound and seconds away from becoming the 21^st player in baseball history to pitch a perfect game, Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Armando Galarraga lost that title because of an error – the umpire’s!

A “No-Hitter” is every pitcher’s dream. But a Perfect Game – when no player even gets on base – that’s for fairytales.  So when the 27^th batter hit a simple ground ball to the First Baseman who easily tossed the ball to Galarraga covering first base, you can imagine Galarrega’s elation.  Foot on the bag – ball in his glove – YES!  He did it!

But wait, the runner is safe?

Even umpire Jim Joyce later conceded that he made the wrong call.  He was devastated.  How could such a skilled expert make such a bad call on such an important play? 

Galarraga’s reaction? Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated captured it best:

As soon as Joyce made the call, the camera cut to Galarraga.  And he smiled.  That’s all.

No argument.  No theater.  No wild waving of arms.

No, he just smiled, a smile that seemed to say: “Are you sure? I really hope you are sure.”

There are two important lessons here:

1. Team players can be leaders.

Sure, the pitcher is a leader. But at that point, Galarraga was just another player. Yet, his reaction set the tone for his teammates, the coaching staff and the fans.  Think about it: Galarraga had the most at stake. The team still won the game, but his name would not be among the elite 21 players in over a century of baseball.  Despite all he lost in that instant – the fame, the glory, the satisfaction, the endorsements! – Galarraga’s reaction showed he is a true winner.

2. Grace has healing power.

Jim Joyce understood the gravity of his mistake, and it was eating him up. The next day, he was to be the lead umpire for the same teams. As the game started, it was Galarraga who handed the starting lineup to Joyce – an intentional public gesture of the same grace he showed privately.  And the fans joined in, many applauding.

Jim Joyce arrived at work an emotional wreck, but left significantly healed.

What About You?

• When did you lead without being the designated leader?
• Have you ever experienced the healing power of grace from a co-worker?

 Leave a Reply below and tell us your story.

 Copyright © 2010 ENTERCHANGE

 Contact Us to help build a team of leaders.

A great illustration of this principle is the orange story.  I think I first heard this through a Stephen Covey seminar based on his classic book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  Of course, looking for the “win-win” is one of Covey’s fundamental principles.  The orange story goes something like this:

Two people; one orange.  An apparent impasse until one asked the other why they wanted the orange.  The first person wanted the orange to eat. But the second person only wanted the peel; they needed orange zest for a recipe.

Once they took the time to listen and understand the other’s objectives they found one orange could meet both of their needs.

Notice this isn’t a compromise.  That would be 1 – ½ = ½. In the orange story, nobody gave anything up!  Both received 100% of what they wanted.  The key is, they needed to discover what the other wanted and be willing to consider a new way of thinking.

Leaders often use others to get what they want. But people usually follow leaders whom they trust and who act according to their best interests. I believe that the most effective leaders learn how to pursue their own agendas mindful of the interests of others, always looking for the win-win.

What About You?

1. Can you think of an example of a leader who considered your well-being?  How did that impact your motivation?
2. When have you been a more effective leader by looking for the win-win?

Leave a reply and tell your story.

 Copyright © 2009 ENTERCHANGE

Contact Us for more ways to expand your business using win-win strategies.

Then I started to recount the day: Up at 5:30, catch the 6:15 into downtown, then the skyway, the coffee shop, the guard’s desk, the elevator, three meetings, countless trips to the print room, reception area, etc. I must have encountered hundreds of people – some of whom I consider good friends.

WHY DIDN’T ANYBODY TELL ME?

Can you relate? Maybe for you it was a forgotten earring, mismatched shoes or something unzipped. If not (liar), surely you’ve seen one of us. Why are we so afraid to speak up? I know, to save the person embarrassment, right? At that moment, I wished someone had “embarrassed” me a few hundred people earlier!

I think there is a less benevolent reason: we fear the negative consequences for ourselves. Who wants their boss to remember them as the one who pointed out the spinach dip between their teeth?

But as leaders, we need to dig deeper. If my colleague won’t tell me my shirt is undone, she probably won’t tell me when my idea stinks.

How do we create an environment where people are willing to take a risk to save us embarrassment?

Or more importantly: to contribute wholly to the success of this organization.

I think fostering an atmosphere of grace is a good place to start. By reducing the negative consequences of speaking up, we encourage more candid contributions.

And who knows, maybe the entire organization will become more “buttoned up.”

-Jeffrey Lundberg

What About You?

1. Do you have an “unbuttoned” experience you’d be willing to share?
2. How have you seen good leaders create an atmosphere of grace?