Bridging Leadership Lessons from the Workplace and Those Experiences Shaping Today's Youth and Tomorrow's Leaders
 It was over 25 years ago when I was starting out on my management and leadership journey, I attended a development course called Leading Edge Leadership that completely changed my life. Jon Baker introduced me to the Welch Grid that was made famous by GE CEO Jack Welch. It has been an instrumental tool/concept for me, and I have since put my own spin on this and now call it the Impact Grid.
I still use Performance and Values as the axes for the grid, but now we consider the Impact that person has on those areas. Impact can also be a positive impact or a negative impact. In this post, I am going to introduce you to the Impact Grid. In future posts, I will go into details on what to look for in people and how to apply the grid to help reinforce a culture of Impact. THE IMPACT GRID A person that has a high impact on the results and the values is a Person of Impact. They are a star and a keeper. The person that has a high impact on performance but not much impact on the values of the company or team, is a Goal Achiever. They can be a challenge. A hired gun. The person that has a high impact on values but struggles to impact performance or get results is a Good Person but may not move the company forward. The person who is struggling to make a positive impact on performance and values is part of The Lost. PERSON OF IMPACT High performers with high values. They not only get things done, they do it the right way. The Person of Impact is that person that when they are on a team, the team achieves more than what was possible as the individual collective. You hate to use buzz words, but they represent synergy, and they make everyone around them better. Your goal is to move people to this quadrant. When you can foster a culture where this is the desired state, then you have a culture where employees are leading the way and success becomes sustaining. You need to keep these people at all costs and be sure to show them support. They are people that you want on the journey as they are aligned and committed to achieving the vision of the organization. GOAL ACHIEVER I flash back to the stereotype of the high achieving salesperson who would get the sale, no matter the cost. The person that management loved because they always exceeded their goal, but the coworkers in the office wanted to take a shower after spending any time with them. This is an unfair description because most of the time, the person is focused on the goal at all costs and fails to recognize the importance of connecting with others and the value of working together. But that lack of alignment with the company values is very impactful… and not in a good way. Yes, they may hit the goal, but the cost could be the engagement of the other employees, decline in the culture, and eventually decline in the performance of other employees. As a leader, your role is to reinforce the importance of the Values and what impact that has on their fellow employees, the company and ultimately themselves. It is a challenge to move somebody over on the Values, and the cost of taking the time necessary can negatively impact those people who are already on the Values side of the grid. Remember, your team is watching. GOOD PERSON I struggled using this as the quadrant title, because instinctively, everyone wants to be considered a good person. But we all know those people who have a heart of gold, who volunteer at all the functions, that will drop everything to help you out, but they just don’t seem to get things done. They demonstrate and reinforce the values that you expect from your employees which is what makes it so difficult when they do not perform. Their Impact is on reinforcing the values in the culture. However, their lack of performance can negatively impact other employees - especially those that are Goal Achievers - when they see management not holding those Good People to performance standards. You want to keep these people, but they must perform. So, to move them up on the grid, you need to focus hard on Coaching and Development to improve their skills or find them a role that may be a better fit for strengths. THE LOST I use this description because many times that is what these people are feeling. They may feel like they don’t belong, they are struggling to fit in and that may show up as a mismatch in values or as not getting things done. As a leader, this is all about communicating expectations and establishing alignment. If they are Lost because they are unaware, then that is on you. If they are Lost because they don’t care, well, now you have a decision to make. If you put the time into coaching and developing their skills AND if you put the time in to define, reinforce and demonstrate the values of the company and they are still Lost… well, at that point they elected to free up their own future. (Thanks for this quote, Jon!) The Impact Grid is a tool that you can use to help foster an environment where people can enjoy their roles and take pride that they are positively making an Impact on others. You can’t delegate culture, and others seem to always be watching to make sure you are holding people accountable. The key is to change the focus to Ownership and reinforce that culture. That can only happen when you, as a leader, are committed to being a Person of Impact, Beyond Today.
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 When I was writing my last article on Being a Leader is Never About You I was focusing on the #LeadersLead forum and how leaders need help sometimes. I wrote about the power of a mentor and the impact they can have on the lives of others and what it means for the mentor’s own growth.
As I was writing, I found myself running off course with a specific example I experienced and realized it was moving away from my main topic of a Leader not being about you, because that is exactly what that example was about. So, I cut it from the article but saved it as I knew it might not have been the right time or place, but it was a great story in its own right. THE ODD COUPLE In my previous career, the owner and I would have long conversations on various topics that others in management avoided. Due to our personalities and interests, it seemed to be an “Odd Couple” arrangement, but our united desire to grow and learn made it work. The conversations worked because we could always find that next direction, building upon each other’s perspectives to find a new, distinct pathway that was better than the one either of us were traveling before. At some point, the relationship changed. We no longer had those conversations and while I may not have liked it, I understood the reasoning behind his decision. But while I could continue such conversations with my team, my external mentor, and others who approached me on various topics, he did not have that same support group. I, and others, noticed a change in him. He no longer had that person who could respectfully challenge his point of view. To use a visionary perspective to think outside the box (in some cases maybe too far outside the box!) but it was an approach that I could tell he missed. He no longer had the person who could spark his imagination in one conversation, and in another bring him back to the practical aspects of gaining momentum. LEADING IN VULNERABILITY In hindsight, I regret not fighting harder for that relationship. I told myself that was his call and I convinced myself that I had accepted it and was focusing on where I could have the greatest impact. But I wasn’t being honest with myself. Probably, just like he wasn’t either. I bring this up because it is important to remember that we never truly know the struggles and challenges that others are experiencing. We see the surface. We see the reactions. We see their response. But we don’t know what they are feeling, or the hours spent in mental conflict. By accepting a situation at its face value may be the easiest thing to do at the time, it doesn’t mean that is the case over time. Reaching out to a person who doesn’t like to show their vulnerability, may make them (and you) uncomfortable because it fosters vulnerability, it may be exactly what they need. The leaders. The strong ones. Sometimes they need that helping hand as well, even when they don’t want to acknowledge it themselves. In my last article, I reminded you that leadership is never about you and so it is when you are helping to guide and support those who are your leaders. It’s a reminder that #LeadersLead is not about being a leader, but about Leaders Growing Together - even when they may not see the need for growth. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn, and that mindset is what will make you a Person of Impact, Beyond Today.  As long as I can remember, I have always been approached by people who are seeking advice. People asking for mentoring even when I didn’t feel that I was the best option. Ironically, listening has been a challenge for me as I have had to make a conscious effort to listen to understand versus listing to reply.
As I started the next phase of my life’s journey, I realized that my purpose of Making an Impact in the lives of others starts with being open to help those in need… including myself. I started Serve2Lead as a reminder that Leadership is not a title and being of service to others is a tremendous way to create impact. Putting together #LeadersLead as a forum where Leaders can be both Mentors and Mentees was a way I felt that we could create maximum impact as Leaders Grow Together. Because ultimately, every leader needs to grow. That journey cannot be traveled alone. Leadership Isn’t About You Whether we are looking at Social Styles™ or Situational Leadership™, I remind clients as well as peers that leadership is not about you as the leader. It’s easy to suggest that a client, peer or mentee should get outside their comfort zone, but how often are we following our own advice? We also must flex our leadership style and practices away from where we are comfortable and where our own strengths lie. What does our team need? And specifically, what does the individual need for that specific activity or situation? It is on us, as Leaders, to adapt and model the behavior we are hoping to instill in them. When you are open to learning, open to growth, is when leaders can grow together. That is what we are building in #LeadersLead. An environment where people are comfortable to discuss their experiences - both good and bad - in an effort to gain insight for themselves as well as help others work through their own challenges. Our Next #LeadersLead In our upcoming #LeadersLead session on Aug. 27th, we are talking about how we can influence other leaders – both those we work with and as well as those who are higher in the org chart. As part of our mission of Leaders Growing Together, we decided to help a leader out with a specific challenge they are facing. The Challenge Imagine being the subject matter expert that is given ownership of a task or project and when you execute at the level agreed upon, you get second guessed. Maybe not by your immediate manager but by another group of leaders, unrelated, but somehow has oversight. They desire a speedy and high-quality result, but don’t recognize the obstacles, extra steps, and confusion that they have added to the process by not truly empowering their teams. Questions For the Arena:
In the end, it seems we are in this world to build connections. What comes from those connections and the power of the connections is up to you. When #LeadersLead by being intentional and vulnerable the show their commitment to have a positive impact on the lives of others. They are willing to Serve to Lead because it helps everyone Grow Together, Beyond Today. |
AuthorTom Brown - a husband and a father who is simply trying to make a difference. Using my experience as a Manufacturing Executive to connect leadership from the boardroom to the hardwood to help teams grow and develop to make a difference in the lives of others. 
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