Friday was the second session of #LeadersLead which is an interactive, virtual sharing of leadership ideas. I have promoted it by asking people to step inside the Leadership Arena and help foster an environment where leaders can grow together.
 
Studies indicate that a significant portion of change initiatives fail due to employee resistance. In this post, I want to share some of the key takeaways on the topic Introducing Change.
 
FEAR
Attendees were asked to describe, in one word, the biggest reason for people resisting change. Fear was by far the most used word. Other words that were offered, such as unknown, skepticism, understanding and WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) all seemed to support the role fear can have on a person.
 
In last week’s blog, 4 Steps to Create Buy-in for Change, I highlighted the impact fear can have on creating buy-in and laid out some steps to combat that. Because of the fear, the biggest challenge the attendees identified to introducing change successfully was involving employees in the change process.
 
INVOLVE EMPLOYEES IN THE CHANGE PROCESS IS A CHALLENGE
I listed out what research has highlighted as the top 5 steps to successfully introduce change. Dr. John Kotter, a change management guru, created Kotter’s 8 Steps and they have evolved away from Change Management to Change Leadership. His approach provides more details than the 5 I have listed here.
 
Research consistently highlights the following as critical initial steps:

1. 1Establish a Clear and Compelling Vision
2. Build a Strong Change Management Team
3. Communicate Effectively and Openly
4. Involve Employees in the Change Process
5. Provide Necessary Training and Support

 
When asked which step is the most difficult? The overwhelming response was #4, Involving Employees in the Change Process. This resulted in a lot of discussion about having that shared vision with a greater understanding of the WHY associated with the change. Providing clarity in Roles and Responsibilities using a RACI tool and establishing a Charter up front, were highlighted as ways to help alleviate fears and answer questions early on.
 
When looking at data regarding where you focus your change efforts, you really focus on those who are your “watch and see” employees. They are not going to simply let it happen and that could be to succeed OR to fail. The focus needs to be on keeping them from dropping into the bottom 10% that will be against change no matter what. Ideally, you help them move to the other side of the fence and provide some help in the change effort.
 
ULTIMATELY, IT’S ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION
I limit the #LeadersLead session to 30 minutes to respect participants time and the busy schedule we all face. However, for those who want to stick around and continue the discussion, I started an “After Party” to allow a deeper dive into the topic.
 
In the After Party discussion, we asked the question as to where Change Management efforts typically fail. Our poll matched up with what a survey of 300 managers concluded in that it comes down to execution. There was a great response in the chat that had everyone laughing but also nodding in agreement: “Of course management thinks their strategy is fine, they came up with it!”

The discussion culminated with a focus on Communication with has the biggest impact on execution and is fundamental to involving employees in the process. A couple of the great points about communication centered around the fallacy of what is defined as communication. An attendee highlighted that often “messaging” takes the place of communication, and your change management team can check a box saying the poster is up, the email has been sent, now let’s sit back and let the change begin.
 
Another attendee highlighted the importance of “comprehension” when talking about communication and that really hit home for me. It connects the greater why, the WIFFIM, and the shared vision. It also comes back to the previous point of messaging as well as an earlier discussion about “involving” is MUCH different than “telling.”
 
Ultimately, it was a great experience with a variety of perspectives. Leaders came from public, private, and corporate backgrounds sharing their experiences and asking questions. When leaders are willing to step inside the arena and not only look to introduce change but demonstrate a willingness to be changed, that is when Leaders Grow Together, Beyond Today.

I was working with a group of new managers the other day on the 3 Pillars of Impact. The conversation on the 3rd Pillar, Empower Others, really got traction as this young group of future leaders couldn’t fathom managers not wanting to empower their teams.
 
In a way, their naivete made me smile as I remember those same feelings as I began my leadership journey. What seems so obvious to you can be oblivious to others or worse yet, known and ignored!
 
I thought I would use this time to recap what we discussed and share with everyone as a gentle reminder for you as you are engaging teammates. To be aware of your engagement level with others and always finding time to take a breath, step back from the situation, and remember why you choose to be a leader.
 
The first 3 reasons are understandable and can be corrected through education, communication and practice.  
 
They Don’t Know How
Many times, this comes when people are promoted up through the ranks quickly without much time spent in training, or they are long-term contributors that are used to working alone. They feel responsible and have a track record of getting things done. They may know how to delegate tasks but are not comfortable sharing the “why” or even know what it looks like as they tend to focus on what is in front of them.
 
They Will Lose Control
There is a fear that comes with empowering others and getting out of the way. What if it goes south? What if they choose a different path than what I think we should travel? It’s my job on the line so I’m responsible. That’s not how I would do it. You are probably familiar with those thoughts and sometimes they are overpowering and it’s hard to push them aside and have confidence in others.
 
They Don’t Trust Their Team
When people have come up through the ranks and established a track record of success, it can be challenging to put the same amount of trust in others that you have in your own ability. Also, there may be perfectly good reasons that there isn’t the trust needed to empower. An inexperienced team that doesn’t have the appropriate skills (yet!) or the confidence to execute, would be a disservice to empower them to move forward without greater guidance, direction, support.
 
Now these are a little darker reasons and ones that you wish, in today’s world, you wouldn’t have to mention, but they are just as prevalent today as when I started in the workplace over 30 years ago. They are all related and typically stem from a personal feeling of inadequacy.
 
Jealousy
Some leaders don’t want to turn over the reins in case someone else will get credit. They don’t take satisfaction in the growth of others that they were able to foster instead they feel resentment that someone else is getting glory that should have been theirs.
 
Insecurity
They lack confidence in their own ability and don’t want to make it obvious by having others step up. They want to be the “boss” and are afraid of losing that title if others show what they are capable of doing when given the opportunity. 
 
Ego
They want all the focus on them. They don’t want to hand over the mic or share the spotlight. They see empowering their team as taking the attention and focus off them. It also comes into play when a person feels that they don’t need help, they can do it all. Which may be true, but the power of empowerment is the impact it has on the growth & development of others, not just on the results.
 
A leader who is charged with the growth of an organization, and more importantly with the growth of the people, is doing a disservice to both if they don’t embrace empowerment. As I repeatedly say, Leaders Lead, and it is best modeled when Leaders can prepare their team to take the wheel on our journey, Beyond Today.

​I received this note from a mentor the other day that he found on a social media post. It really hit home for me as I have experienced this firsthand in many areas of life and from both sides. This seems to be common when a team is out of valance and the individuals become the focus and not the team.
 
RIDING YOUR HORSE
In football, they talk about the workhorse running backs that you can give the ball to, and they can grind you out the yards. They do their job. They don’t complain. They push through. 
 
The problem is when coaches keep going back to them because that is their bread and butter. Maybe because they don’t have the quality players needed to add a passing game or maybe they haven’t bothered to develop an offensive strategy as a counter because why should they fix something that isn’t broken.
 
But it will break by overuse - either physically or mentally, and more than likely, both. In today’s workforce, it shows up in the decline of engagement scores. They don’t feel appreciated or valued, so why continue to work at that level. 
 
Coaches, just like business leaders, can panic and become reactive. “Let’s ride the horse that got us here” is a common phrase in sports, but you see it in the business world as well. They don’t want to risk failure by going with an unproven individual, even when it is in their best long-term interests to have greater options.
 
PILING ONTO THE PLATE
“Julie did a great job on her last project so let’s give her this area as well.” This is the standard response when someone is successful. They are proven. They are a known commodity, so let’s give them more - they can handle it.
 
I’ve done it and have had it done to me. As achievers, we are excited for the opportunity to once again showcase our talents. To shine in a different situation. We like the accomplishment. We like the recognition. We like the challenge.
 
Good leaders will also recognize when things need to come off the plate when it is getting too full. In terms of the classic full-plate description of Thanksgiving Dinner, they can anticipate the gravy overflowing the mashed potatoes and getting dangerously close to the edge of the plate and heaven help us if it touches the cranberries!
 
But great leaders can talk to them and assess whether it’s better to take stuff off their plate or give them an additional plate to allow more room. But they also recognize that it’s hard to carry two plates through the buffet line, so they make sure you have another resource to help carry the plate or help in how things go onto the plate.
 
Great leaders give their employees greater responsibility with the resources, development and authority necessary to maximize the probability of them being successful.
 
GROWING YOUR ROLE PLAYERS
I’ve written before about the need for great teams to be made up of people who know their role. People who may not always be the star, but they can star in their role.
 
Communicating expectations to support staff, coworkers, and teammates is essential for clarity and alignment. Making sure the vision is understood by everyone.
 
When you ride your star and put it on their shoulders, you are giving them additional stress and, in some ways, handcuffing them from reaching their full potential because you fail to grow the team as a whole.
 
In sports, you can sign the best player in the world, but if you don’t surround them with the right people with complementary skills AND with the right mindset, you may put up big number, but you will fail to win the big games.
 
It’s the same for work. How are you empowering your team and developing their skills and confidence? Where can they take the lead on projects or sub-projects where they can develop their communication, organization and follow-up skills?
 
Do you have the critical and possibly difficult conversations with your team members on where they currently reside on the depth chart?
 
Do they know their strengths and weaknesses and how they support or negatively impact the team’s success?
 
Have you helped them create a development plan to enhance their strengths and negate their weaknesses?
 
DEFINING A TEAM
I was researching the definition of a team and most every definition started with mentioning individuals working together and then finished with a common goal or purpose. Pretty good and pretty accurate.
 
I would prefer that first they would talk about the collective, a unity or entity that is made up of individual contributors working on a common goal that benefits the greater good. That way, whether you have a star or a bunch of role players, the focus is on the team and how everyone contributes in their own way. 
 
By focusing on the growth of the team and how EVERY member fits into the team, we can avoid the “performance punishment” of your high contributors or Impact Players. You can focus on helping all your people become the Person of Impact that they are meant to be. Growing as a team will ensure the individuals make an impact Beyond Today.

As you know, the 3 Pillars of Impact and how they are critical to building a culture of success, is the cornerstone of my blog. As part of the concept, I have written about the importance of moving to I WILL versus I WANT to establish the discipline needed to move forward. 
 
We can highlight the importance of moving from emotions to actions by digging a little deeper in those areas where these gaps are all too common:

• Your personal challenges
• The sports world
• The workplace

 
Facing Your Own Demons
When I catch a look at myself in the mirror or late at night, when everyone else has gone to bed, and I reach into the fridge and grab that late night snack, I get overwhelmed with emotions. I am moved to tears as my frustration turns to anger and then gives way to disappointment in my decisions and the results of those decisions. 
 
I say to myself that I will change tomorrow. I commit to Being Better Tomorrow instead of Being Better Today.
 
I feel better by letting my emotions come out, but that is short lived because emotions are not actions. Emotions are feelings, they are wants, but I still lack the WILL to change my actions.
 
Whether at work or in your personal life, your vision and outcome need to be clear. Action plans that can walk you down a path towards your goal is essential for you to recognize progress and value. Finally, we are not meant to travel life’s journeys alone. Find someone who can help you be accountable, supportive, and inspirational on your journey.
 
The Emotional World of Sports
I’ve spent a lifetime playing, coaching, and watching sports. What I have found myself doing more recently is observing leadership being displayed during competition. I watch and listen to coaches and players. How they react when there is success and more importantly when there is adversity.
 
Coaches will get angry when a player allows a defender to score or when they give up an offensive rebound. The coach visibly shows frustration and complains to the bench, screams at the player on the court, or throws his hands up, exasperated. As if somehow, the player decided to make a mistake on purpose.
 
Again, these are just emotions. Change comes from Action. The response in practice is to use drills to create habits. To teach and educate through the power of video by highlighting where there is a problem, reinforcing when you see something good, why it should matter, and the action necessary to correct the problem.
 
Everyone has emotions. Not everyone has the discipline to do something about the problem. That is what separates out the leaders.
 
Emotions in the Workplace
Managers and supervisors seem to live an episode of Groundhog Day where they are stuck to repeat their day until they get it right. Delegating actions to only have the employees not meet the deadline, not meet the objective, or not meet the standards. 
 
They get frustrated, just like a sports coach, when they see employees failing to execute and meet expectations. They complain about the new generation of employees. The frustration causes the managers to take over or micromanage claiming, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”
 
They feel stress and may become concerned about the security of their own job. They may lash out in a way counter to their personality or make the phone call to HR.
 
None of these actions are moving anyone closer to addressing the issue, because once again, they are focused on the emotions and not the actions that created the challenge. The training to build habits. The communication necessary to build clarity and define expectations. Reinforcing behaviors and actions that move the employee and the company forward.
 
Moving to Action
Take the time to go back and review the 3 Pillars of Impact. Find ways to begin to put them into action - with yourself, with your team, at work.

1. Courage to Challenge
2. Expect Excellence
3. Empower Others

 
These 3 Pillars are about taking action with those around you to make sure there is clarity and alignment. To not only establish a Shared Vision but to align on the steps to reach the goals of the vision.
 
You can’t wait for HR to roll out a new training program or for the formal review to assess and improve their performance. YOU, as the leader, need to take action to set the expectations and ensure that those on the bus are equipped to travel the journey with you.
 
Responding to your emotions can give you temporary comfort or maybe it's a distraction to where you have dropped the ball. Ultimately, it keeps you in the realm of WANT versus taking action and moving to the land of WILL. It is not the emotions but the actions that will move you to where you want to be Beyond Today.

Dear Leaders,
 
Just a quick heads up that sometimes, what you think is a complaint, is actually the truth. It may be tough to hear this, but what we are saying, really deserves your consideration.  Trust us.
 
Yours truly,
 
Your Employee
 
Oftentimes, leaders will automatically discount a complaint that comes to them as whining, a disgruntled employee, or someone who doesn’t understand the big picture. But sometimes, they are pointing out stuff that you don’t see, can’t see or won’t see. 
 
Sometimes what they are complaining about is you and what you chose to do or not to do. Possibly, the lack of action is something that is impacting them in some way. At a recent leadership session, the speaker mentioned that when a person brings a complaint to you, two thirds of the time, what they bring up is not the real issue. But they are frustrated, and they grab on to anything to raise a concern.
 
When you discount them as not being engaged, to write it off as the infection that is hitting our society, it is being lazy as a leader. The deflection, denial, or defensiveness from leaders is what is leading to the decline in engagement. According to a Gartner study, 70% of employees are disengaged, in the workplace. That is a crazy percentage!
 
My approach in recent years when receiving feedback from others is to:

1. Assume positive intentions in others
2. Question yourself

 
This approach makes you face up to the fact that the complaint, may be the truth and maybe you are the one with the issue.
 
I was not always that way. My wife pointed out to me just last week that I am different now than who I was when I started in management. (Of course, her examples were not work related!) It was those experiences and failures when I didn’t listen, that helped me grow. You grow much more from your failures than from your successes. 
 
People might actually be engaged but you are not listening or seeing it. They are trying to reach out and describe the situation, looking for an avenue or a vehicle to bring it to light.  What you see as a complaint, is their way of showing that they ARE engaged.
 
When complaints start piling up and a lack of engagement rears its ugly head, you know the next step is to bring in some training. Most of the time, the training is directed at their teams and focus is on improving the individuals while the leaders sit on the sidelines and observe. As if they are outside of the problem when they are at the center of the problem and probably need to be participating in that same training.
 
But, if the engagement issues start with you - because you don’t see, can’t see or won’t see - then all you have done is to increase the lack of engagement because they don’t see you walking the walk.
 
I have witnessed this more times than I can count as people in charge discount the feedback of employees. They attempt to build morale with pizza parties, new posters on the wall or an internal marketing initiative.
 
Again, it comes down to the simple truth that Leaders Lead. If you consider yourself a leader but never question your role in the declining engagement numbers, then, my friend, you are not actually a leader.
 
Please for the sake of your employees and the future of your organizations, commit to being a leader. Remember, leadership is not about you it's about those whose well being you are entrusted with. I ask you to begin by questioning yourself, if you want to be a leader Beyond Today.

With graduation season upon us, there is a collective sigh of relief resonating across the globe. High school and college graduates are claiming victory and saying “Finally, I’m never doing that again…” Silly kids.
 
Some of the high school kids are snapped back to reality as they realize that they are transitioning to additional schooling through 2-year, 4-year or trade school routs. UGH!
 
Other high school kids are preparing for the workforce, ready to start making bank and grateful that they are done with all those lessons and tests. Oh, get ready.
 
College kids are either knowingly continuing their education by design or maybe fear of the unknown but enrolling for additional classes to lead to advanced degrees, or unknowingly as they enter the workforce with the misguided concept that they classroom is behind them. Buckle up!
 
Welcome to the classroom of life!
 
Where you never stop learning because if you do, the impact of a failing grade is a lot more serious than repeating a test or class.
 
Instead of waxing poetically about the importance of learning and a growth mindset, I want to share 3 key takeaways for graduates based upon past articles that I have written. Take the time to continue your learning by re-reading the articles and see where they currently connect in your life. 

1. Finals are not the end; they are the beginning. Be on the lookout for life lessons.
2. Be positive. It makes life easier and a heck of a lot more fun.
3. Surround yourself with those who make an impact. 

 
Finals are not the end; they are the beginning. Be on the lookout for life lessons.
Never stop learning. You may never again sit at a desk and take another test, but you will be tested every day. Find opportunities to learn and grow so that you can IMPACT others.
 
30 Lessons Over 30 Years
My List of Books for 2023
If You Want to Change the World
I Just Don’t Have Time to Read
A Coach Getting Coached
 
Be positive. It makes life easier and a heck of a lot more fun.
Life is so much better when you seek and find the good in others and, possibly more importantly, in yourself. Looking for hate, brings it to the front. I have a code I try to live by: 1) Assume positive intentions in others & 2) Question yourself. Choose a positive mindset.
 
Choose to be Positive
2 Tips to Refresh Your Outlook
What Goes In
Giving Thanks
Top 5 Podcasts
 
Surround yourself with those who make an impact. 
Seek out those people who want to make a positive impact in life. They say water seeks its own level, so don’t be the one bringing everyone else down. Humbly share your gifts with others and freely receive the gifts of learning and wisdom that are shared by others.
 
Impact is a 2 Way Street
When Mentoring Finds You
Speaking Truth to Young Leaders
Power of a Mentor
Iron Sharpens Iron
 
In the end, our journey through life may not always be in our control. so all we have is how we can influence that journey and our attitude along the way. Graduation is not the end of your learning, but only the beginning of a lifetime of learning Beyond Today.