A FATHER LEADING THROUGH EXAMPLE: SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Thanks to all of you who contributed your examples of excellent Servant Leaders. Your examples included religious leaders, business people, community activists, parents and many others.

In particular I want to recognize the story the father of an anonymous contributor. This story(in the column at the right) strikes right to the essence of leadership lessons covered in the Camino workshop! While the story has a religious theme, even if you are not religious, I believe you will find it an important leadership lesson. This great father was clearly anchored to core values, and guided by a moral compass. It also reminds us that all of us have the potential to influence and lead others; you don't have to be the CEO, president, team leader or head of the organization to have a positive impact of others; each of us can be a servant leader and positively impact others around us!





A FATHER LEADING THROUGH EXAMPLE: SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Although I have known many great "servant Leaders" in business and academic pursuits, when I think of the ones that have most affected my life, affected who I am, and my ability, in turn, to be a leader myself, my father stands out. As a humble rancher and oil field laborer, my father never set a sales record, or made an amazing presentation to "C" level management. He was never the leader who received the applause, made the speech or accepted the trophy; still he was a true leader to those whom he influenced around him.
As the father of eight children my dad had plenty of opportunities to exhibit unending patience as youthful follies; such as driving a tractor into the truck, inevitably came along. He was quiet, steady and constant; we always knew where he stood and why he stood there. Dad's life provides a basic primer for those with whom he associated because he did the right thing for the right reason; basing every choice on principle rather than circumstance.

One primer lesson focuses on my sister's high school graduation. A week before the graduation, Dad realized it was scheduled on a Sunday and quietly apologized to my sister saying he would not be able to attend.
Opposition from mom came fast. Dad was reminded that our own religious congregation had changed its meeting time to accommodate the graduation! Congregation leaders would even be offering the prayers! Was he "holier than them?!" His daughter was even the Valedictorian! She had put our town on the map with her nationally recognized academic achievements. Didn't he care for her feelings?!
Through all of this, dad held his ground. At the graduation, Mom announced through tears to school administrators that her husband was not there. In response to the principal's query if Sunday observance were a personal choice or religious conviction, my father replied simply: "My Savior has given me all I have and am. All he asks is that I honor Him on the Sabbath day. A graduation is to honor the graduates."

It may have seemed that my father stood alone and perhaps had no influence on anyone around him at this time. However, his example did make me re-examine my own personal understanding of the Sabbath day, and my motives for doing or not doing certain things. I think it helped others to do the same. The following year, and every year since whenever the calendar lists Sunday as graduation day, letters from seniors have been written to the school administration explaining that they would not be attending the graduation ceremony if it is to be held on Sunday! It seems my father's example may have given "voice" to others who shared similar convictions!

Like so much of his life my Father's regard for Sunday was part of what defined him. He did not demand others to agree or hold the same convictions. He honored individuals for who they were as they came. Remaining constant Dad never swayed to the winds of peer pressure for societal acceptance. As a firm pillar, Dad impacted our community for good one small decision at a time.

- Anonymous

Speaking Dates in Europe

I will have the pleasure of facilitating "The Camino": The Way to Personal Leadership Workshop on March 16th at the 6th Global Pharma SFE Forum in Lisbon Portugal, March 15 - 16, 2011. For those of you interested in learning more about this conference, click here!

While in Europe, I will be conducting workshops for other clients as well, but still have a few open dates. If Personal Leadership (values, vision, focus) and/or Change Leadership is a need in your organization, I would like to talk to you about the possibility of facilitating a workshop for you and your organization as well.

I have one week in which I still have open dates (The week of March 21st). I would be happy to offer either "The Camino" or Change Worskhop at a a 50% discount per participant to you for booking that week.

Of course, if the week of March 21st does not work for you, we can explore other dates as well. For example, I am also currently booking dates in Europe in late May and early June 2011.
Please feel free to contact by clicking the email address below if you have interest in a program in March, May or sometime in the future. I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards!

James Gehrke

Servant Leaders

Happy Holidays!

I believe the holiday season and the end of the year is an excellent time to step back from our day-to-day routines and reflect upon what I like to call our personal self leadership "pilgrimage."

A key personal leadership lesson I address in the "Camino" workshop is about becoming a Servant Leader. This time of year is an excellent time for us to strive to become a more effective "servant" to those we serve and/or lead.

A perfect example of such a leader is Aaron Feuerstein, the 3rd generation owner and CEO of Malden Mills, the New England manufacture of "climate control" materials like Polertec and Polarfleece.



Feuerstein was a business leader who had built his business based on Talmudic teachings and values that extended far beyond the minimum legal responsibilities he had toward the shareholders of the company. He also built a business that focused on assisting his workers and the community where they lived.

However, when a fire destroyed the company's New England factories in 1995, Feuerstein faced an ethical dilemma. Prior to this time, he had maintained his factories in Maine even though most other fabric manufacturers were closing plants in the US and moving their facilities overseas in order to improve profitability. Now that his factories were destroyed, he had to decide whether to take the opportunity to follow the trend and move overseas where manufacturing costs would have been less, or rebuild in New England.




When asked about his decision, Feuerstein explained that his religious beliefs and heritage guided him in his decision. In other words, he made the decision he made not only for economic reasons, but because he was firmly anchored to core values and guided by a strong moral compass. He stated in an interview with Parade Magazine in 1996 that "I have a responsibility to the worker; both blue-collar and white-collar...I have an equal responsibility to the community." Even though it would have been easier to move overseas, he re-built the plants in the same communities and kept all the employees on the payroll through the period of reconstruction!

What a striking difference this story provides in comparison to the all too common headlines where only the bottom-line, self aggrandizement and greed seem to be the focus of our leaders!

While they may be on a smaller scale, we all face similar dilemmas at one point or another in our careers. What makes Mr. Feuerstein's story memorable is that not only did he give lip service to core values; he acted on them by creating a corporate culture that was securely anchored to core values and was personally guided by a clear moral compass.

We should not be surprised by unethical behaviors of those around us if our only focus is the bottom line, personal aggrandizement or selfish pursuits. If that is our main focus, then we should not be surprised if our actions and the actions of those we influence only focus on ways to improve profitability or increase sales or power at the risk of everything else!

We could all benefit from having the same moral courage shown by Mr. Feuerstein. Let us take the time this season to anchor ourselves more firmly in core values and become more aligned to a clear moral compass so that when we are faced with ethical dilemmas our actions are just as admirable and memorable as Mr. Feuerstein's!

Share your examples of Servant Leaders!

Too often it is the bad examples of leadership that gets our attention. I am interested in gathering from examples of leaders who were anchored to core values, guided by a moral compass and could be considered "servant" leaders. By submitting your example, you will be entered into a drawing for a copy of my book: Magnify Change Leadership: A Practical Guide for Leading Teams in Times of Change! I will announce the winner and share some of the examples in January's newsletter. Click the link below to submit your ideas and/or add your suggestion by commenting on our blog:

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e36fvnewgh85wx9y/start

I would be happy to facilitate "El Camino" The Way to Personal Leadership and/or other Magnify L&D workshops for you and your organization or as a public workshop in your area. Don't hesitate to contact us for more information.

Happy Holiday Season!

James Gehrke






5442 South 900 East Suite 203
Murray, Utah 84117
801-266-0849
Europe: (34) 91 829 5109
james.gehrke@magnifyleadership.com
www.magnifyleadership.com

"El Camino:" (The Way) to Magnify Personal Leadership - Lessons Learned from the Camino de Santiago

I believe that personal self-leadership is like a personal pilgrimage. I recently shared with a group of global HR professionals in London thoughts I have regarding leadership that were solidified on my personal pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James.

The Camino is a UNESCO World Heritage site honoring the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, where medieval pilgrims believed they would find the remains of St. James the Apostle of Jesus. They also believed that because of the journey they would receive freedom from penance due to sins committed in this life. While the motivations for making the pilgrimage have changed, to this day, thousands continue the journey.

To achieve our full potential, each of us must embark on a similar pilgrimage of personal development and mastery. However, in today's world, we are often so bombarded by day-to-day pressures that we don't stop and reflect on what is our own unique role and purpose. Discovering this is akin to a personal pilgrimage in self leadership.

I believe there are at least eight crucial lessons of personal leadership that I learned on my own personal pilgrimage on the the Camino de Santiago, including:

1. To achieve great things, Focus on What is Important.
2. Anchor ourselves to Core Values.
3. Set and achieve Aspirations Goals(Compass).
4. Chart an effective course through Effective Planning.
5. Communicate to motivate and inspire others.
6. Become a Servant Leader.
7. Adapt and Persevere in the face of obstacles.
8. Celebrate both small and large victories.

I would be happy to facilitate this and/or other Magnify L&D workshops for you and your organization or as a public workshop in your area. Don't hesitate to contact us for more information.


Best Regards!

James Gehrke


5442 South 900 East Suite 203
Murray, Utah 84117
801-266-0849

Europe: (34) 91 829 5109

james.gehrke@magnifyleadership.com

www.magnifyleadership.com

8 Steps to Overcome Resistance to Change

73% of managers who responded to our recent survey feel that people in their organizations are not flexible and adaptable when adjusting to organizational change. In a day when organizational change is more rapid and constant than ever before, the fact that nearly ¾ of all employees are resistant to change poses a huge obstacle to any organizational or team leader who must help their teams progress and adapt effectively to change.

The fact that the majority of employees may be resistant to change must weigh heavy on any team leader's mind who is attempting to improve performance by implementing any type of change since resistance may greatly diminish the leader's own ability to successfully implement change even if they are personally convinced that implementing the change will increase productivity, reduce costs, improve competitiveness or overcome threats and obstacles. Gone are the days of command and control organizations where a leader can implement change by decree. Without the buy-in and enthusiastic support of the vast majority of the workforce, there will be huge obstacles that prevent eventual success in implementing change. Perhaps this is the reason why studies show that success rates for changes in Fortune 1000 companies are less than 50% and even could be as low as 20% (Harvard Business Review, 1998, p. 140).

The logical question to ask then is what can a leader do about it? Before a leader determines what to do, it would be helpful to understand why the resistance exists in the first place. Our survey results offer important insights into why employees resist change. Too often it is easy for managers to view their organizations as machines, which can be tinkered with and improved upon with the expectation that when you are done, they will be able to turn it back on and presto, it will go! Rather, modern organizations are more like living organisms, with interconnected systems that are dependent on one another and affect one another. Living organisms do not lay back and react passively to outside stimuli. When pricked they flinch; when threatened the either turn and run or turn and fight. Because organizations are made up of people, it is to be expected that they react this way.

But leaders often forget what our survey points out; that people react with dysfunctional behavior in response to organizational change because their first preoccupation is not what is best for the organization as a whole, but how any change will first affect them. One survey responded called this the "what's in it for me factor." Many respondents of the survey characterized this initial reaction to change a fear; fear of the unknown, fear of a loss of power, fear of losing friends and colleagues; fear of losing a job; fear of not being able to perform a new role; fear of failure, etc. So, leaders should not be surprised if individuals react negatively to change when they treat their organization as if it were a machine an not a living, breathing, feeling organism, made up of individuals who will naturally be most concerned abut how the change will affect them personally.

Keeping this in mind, respondents to the survey offered many suggestions of how leaders can lead and influence their teams more effectively during times of change. These ideas can be synthesized into a road map that should prove helpful for leaders to consider when organizing and implementing change. The suggestions include:

1. Build an environment of trust with the employees in order to create a workplace where employees are more open to ideas and more willing to discuss possibilities and problems associated with change. To do this, respondents mentioned the need to be open to ideas, to listen, to provide a safe environment where people are free to express their opinions without fear of retribution, etc.

2. Link the change effort to a common team value in order to help employees feel they can relate to the change effort at a personal level. This increases the desire and motivation to change.

3. Articulate and communicate a clear message about why the change effort is needed and will help the team. Don't rely on facts and figures alone to support the reasons for change. Facts and figures don't inspire and motivate people to action. Linking to values and aspirations does. Respondents to the survey emphasized that this communication cannot be seen as a one time event. Rather, it should be constant throughout the effort and it must reach out to all members of the organization on as frequent and personable a level as possible. They also point out that this communication must be honest and complete. One respondent mentioned that there is reluctance to without bad news. However, more damage is done if bad news is discovered through the "grapevine" than if it is communicated open and honestly by leaders.

4. Establish a vision with the employees regarding the possible advantages of making the change in order to help the team define for themselves where the change will take them. Almost all respondents to the survey emphasized that employees must see the benefits of the change. They must understand that the change will have positive impact on them personally.

5. By far, the most common suggestion by survey respondents regarding how to improve the effectiveness of a change effort related to involving team members in the change. A leader must collaborate with team members so that employees are involved with and buy into the changes and not perceive the whole exercise as something that is being done to them without their consent.

6. Establish and celebrate wins along the way. The leader should actively orchestrate wins and celebrations so employees can see that the change effort is important and see that changes in behavior will lead to positive outcomes.

7. The leader must manage performance around the change. This includes coaching those who need support with the change, disciplining or removing those who continually resist the change or have decided to fight against it, rewarding positive changes, hiring employees who have the new capabilities needed in the change effort, etc...

8. Constantly monitor the process and the results to ensure that the change effort is on track.

Creating a Message That Motivates Change!

Some time ago I asked sales leaders to prepare a quick "elevator speech" that explains the compelling reasons for their strategic imperatives. Overwhelmingly, the individuals laid out the facts and figures that supported their reasoning. While technically correct, most all of these speeches lacked something. While they identified the key business drivers, and logically laid out the reasons for change, they did not connect to the emotional reasons for change.

In addition to identifying the financial and market drivers behind an initiative, leaders also need to connect to the values behind the change and communicate these values to the organization in addition to just providing pure financial facts and figures. While they support the reason for change, facts and figures by themselves are also boring. While they may show the logic behind the change, they do not inspire change in and of themselves. To connect on the emotional level, leaders must also learn how to communicate their values and their vision. This is what motivates and inspires people to change.

There is a real need for leaders to create a vision for change, not just providing the the bottom line numbers that are driving change. In talking about vision, Kotter states that "...the real power of vision is unleashed only when most of those involved in an enterprise or activity have a common understanding of its goal and direction. That shared sense of desirable future can help motivate and coordinate the kinds of actions that create transformations" Kotter, 1996, p. 85). Leaders must be prepared to clearly communicate this vision in order to unleash the team's full potential and to sustain change over the long term. This type of communication has potential to help ensure that during a change initiative there is not a steep drop in performance by motivating the team behind the project.

Furthermore, this communication cannot just be a one time event. One of the most common mistakes by change leaders is not communicating enough about the change. Without this constant reminder, employees loose focus and do not remain inspired and motivated to change. Most leaders underestimate the amount of communication needed. They feel that giving a resounding kick-off to a project is enough. If teams are to understand the importance of the change project, the manager must communicate the project and keep it front in the minds and hearts of their employees. This means not just communicating once, but constantly reminding and updating the team about the project and how the team is doing. It also means linking these messages to a vision and core values that resonate with the team.

Communication cannot be seen as a one off. Indeed, it is likely when the communications stop and the focus shifts to other projects that the team interprets that the change project is over and they can focus their attention elsewhere. Articulating a vision, linked to values and communicating about the process continues throughout an initiative and is strengthened if communication about the process are more frequent than not.

Leaders should remember as they articulate their message to their teams, that it is not important that they have all the answers. Leaders are part of the change effort just like everyone else in the organization. They may not have all the answers, and it is OK to admit it. They may need to learn as the team moves forward, just like the team members. More important than knowing all of the answers, with all of the supportive facts and figures is that leaders provide a vision of the project linked to a team value, and plan a way to communicate it to the team, effectively and often. As Gary Yukl points out, "It is seldom necessary to present an elaborate plan with detailed action steps. The leader should not pretend to know all the answers about how to achieve the vision, but instead should inform followers that they will have a vital role in discovering what specific actions are necessary" (Yukl, 2006, p. 275).

It is important that the leader engages the team in a way that motivates them and inspires them to move forward. Too often, leaders think facts and figures will do this. Unfortunately, facts and figures alone will rarely motivate and inspire change. In order to truly motivate action, leaders must first examine the values of the team and the vision of where they want to go and find ways to communicate these visions and values often in order to help drive the team forward.

The Need to Train Managers in Leading Teams

Because of the rapid pace of change in today's work environment, more needs to be done to train an assist leaders of organizations gain the practical skills that will assist them lead change efforts. These skills may be different than managerial skills most leaders have been exposed to in other types of leadership functions. It would be beneficial to companies to address the basic skills needed by managers at all levels of the organization to best implement organizational change. To be effective, this training needs to deal with the issues that cause organizations to fail in many change efforts. This training must help leaders understand and recognize the attitudes, reasons for resistance and challenges of implementing the overall change project.

As a training consultant, I have worked with dozens of organizations all around the world to implement change. During this time, I have also been an avid student and observer of effective leadership. In my book, Magnify Change Leadership: A Practical Guide for Leading Teams in Times of Change, I build upon change leadership research and practical work experience, in order to offer a model of change leadership which, while driven by leadership, also democratically engages employees at all levels of the organization in order to decrease resistance and shorten the time needed to improve success during times of change. The behaviors needed are presented in a practical model that can be used in leadership development in order to assist the effectiveness of managers in leading their teams to more effectively implement change.

The amount of change placed on managers by their organizations has grown at an amazing rate over the last several years. Unfortunately, few expect that this rate of change is likely to decrease anytime in the foreseeable future. In a survey conducted by the Gallop Organization of 400 executives from Fortune 1000 companies, 79 percent of executives described "the pace of change at their companies as 'rapid' or 'extremely rapid' and 61 percent believed the pace will pick up in the future." As organizations are being forced to deal with the pressures of the global marketplace, the pace of change is likely to increase, as executives look to outsource, downsize, right-size, merge, re-align or look for any way possible to remain competitive and increase earnings. Through all these efforts "the basic goal has been the same: to make fundamental changes in how business is conducted in order to help cope with a new, more challenging environment" (Kotter, 2000, p. 59).

However, while top executives look at change efforts as opportunities to strengthen their companies and increase their influence, for employees "change is neither sought after nor welcomed" but rather seen as "disruptive" and "intrusive" (Strebel, 1996, p. 88). Employee resistance is likely compounded by the fact that the great majority of corporate change efforts are not successful. "While senior managers understand the necessity of change to cope with new competitive realities, they often misunderstand what it takes to bring it about" (Beer et al, 2000, p. 158), leading to many efforts not reaching the level of success as hoped and planned for. Over time and after passing through repeated failed episodes of change "the troops" go through so many of these programs that they become "skeptical" (Duck, 1993, p. 111). Hence, "companies today are full of 'change survivors,' cynical people who have learned how to live through change programs without really changing at all" (p. 112).

While leaders of the corporation may understand the reason for change and put great effort in planning and implementing the change, they often fail because of the lack of support from the vast majority of the employees (Strebel, 1996, p. 88-89). This contributes to a disappointingly large number of change efforts which end in failure. "In too many situations the improvements have been disappointing and the carnage has been appalling, with wasted resources and burned-out, scared, or frustrated employees" (Kotter, 1996, p. 4).

A more complete understanding of the principles of change leadership and team effectiveness which could be taught to managers in order to help them move their organizations successfully through change efforts could greatly improve the organizations' overall success rate at implementing changes, as well as improve the overall experience of employees and managers forced to implement the changes.

Learn our approach by ordering our book or workshop: Magnify Change Leadership: A Practical Guide for Leading Teams in Times of Change.