Talented

Competitive.

Plays to Win.

Smart as a Whip.

Big Thinker.

Business Acumen.

Relationship Builder.

Has Integrity.

Cares.

CEO successor.

No Anchor.

What?

No anchor. Is not clear for what purpose he is leading.

Yes, there is a company vision and values too.

He helped create them.

But he is not clear about the purpose for which he leads.

So,

He floats,

and when the wave arrives,

He cannot decide whether to let it pass,

or dive beneath

or ride its surf.

Tell him, “You have no anchor.

You must find your purpose.”

Without it he is afloat at sea

Competing on behalf of nothing

Competing on behalf of everything

Competing just to compete.

No. I can’t do that. I can’t tell him.

Tell him.

You Must.

I do.

He says, “I know.”

It will be a long process.

You will have to dig deep.

What do you want to do

With these gifts on loan to you?

Five minutes.

Found,

just below the surface.

“Ignite innovation – Solve problems to improve people’s lives.”

The energy problem.

Anchored now.

CEO

of his own ship.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Leading on Purpose is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

One is an outstanding leader, the other a great manager. How are they different and which one is more important?

Meet Ken

The Manager

He sees himself as a coach. Ken’s mission is to help people discover hidden talents and achieve things they didn’t think were possible. He develops people. He spends a lot of time thinking about what his organization needs to achieve, the best approach to doing so, and how to develop his people to employ that approach.

Ken reads people well. He is deliberate and thoughtful (sometimes overly so) about what he says and does. He acts with utmost integrity and on the one occasion when I saw Ken catch himself not walking his talk, he suffered his own lecture and made immediate changes.

Ken coaches two children’s lacrosse teams. The players are delighted to develop skills they never knew they had. Unlike the other coaches, he does not yell at the children and doesn’t understand why anyone would do so.

Five Year Business Synopsis

Goal:  Increase sales while positioning for long term growth

Approach:  Develop entrepreneurial mindset. Position managers and front line folks to see themselves as running a new business funded by investors.  Ask them, and have them ask themselves, whether the venture firm would continue to invest baed on their short term financial performance and longer term prospects.

People development:  Identify criteria for entrepreneurial mindset. Assess each manager against these criteria. Coach/develop as needed. Invest time in people.

Results:  Ken has turned even poor performers into winners. His territory exceeded revenue goals and expectations. Ken is promoted.

Meet Paul

The Leader

He is highly competitive and emits the scent  of determination. In response to the question, “What is the worst thing anyone could say about you as a manager or a leader?” he responds, “That I don’t care and don’t have integrity.” He is personable and people want to follow him.

Paul has a quick sharp mind. He scans the environment, constantly. I imagine that he developed this habit and skill while playing high school football, scanning for the opening.

Paul is unclear on behalf of what he most wants to use his mind, his determination, his ability to garner followers. We talk. His purpose shows up. Here’s the bumper sticker version:  “Innovation for better living.” He wants to change the way we think about, source and use energy. Think green.

Paul, like Ken, coaches children’s sports teams, but Paul wants to change the very nature of coaching. The chidlren he’s coaching are having the time of their lives. They win, but more importantly for Paul, they celebrate passing the ball to each other. He talks to the other coaches about change. Ken has a vision for improving just about everything in which he’s involved. He can’t seem to help himself. Innovate, change, improve.

Which One is Needed?

Two people.

One extraordinary leader – a visionary, determined to win. People follow.

On great manager – develops the troops to make the vision a concrete reality.

The business and the vision need both.

They need each other.

Sometimes the great manager and extraordinary leader come in one package.

Sometimes, not so much.

Have both… will travel…far… successfully.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Manager or Leader – Which One is More Important? is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

Numerous articles are written about the narcissistic leader and the abundance thereof.1 Coincidence? Accident?  Neither, rather an unintended and inevitable consequence of unrealistic fantasies concerning who and what the leader will be for us.These fantasies stem, in part, from unresolved childhood disappointment, that our parents were neither perfectly suited to meet our needs nor omnipotent.

We demand a great deal from our leaders (and our parents). We hold them under a constant spotlight. We readily criticize and rarely praise them. We, those who are not leading, are full of advice about how they ought to be and what they ought to do differently. We expect them to solve complex problems in ways that create no pain for us.

We seek in our leaders the magical non-existent near-perfect omnipotent father upon whom we can depend. Furthermore we want a leader who enables us to avoid the challenges and choices we must face in growing up. Because neither the leader, nor our parents, can do this – nor should they – we are continuously angry, disappointed or both. Until we resolve that this life, our life, is full of challenges, dangers, and choices that make us feel vulnerable and imperfect, we ask…

“Please be perfect for me,” and by doing so, we invite the leader who thinks he is so.

Enter the Narcissistic Leader

Who but the narcissistic leader would be seduced by such a fantasy? And how many are humble yet bold enough not to be seduced and agree to lead us? Think Lincoln, Obama, Ghandi, Mandela. Unfortunately, more of the former than the latter answer the call.

How Grows the Narcissistic Leader?

We all employ narcissistic defenses at times. What differentiates the narcissistic personality is a matter of degree, regularity and failure to grow beyond this stage. He is a one act play. Regardless of what is called for, he responds narcissistically.

What is the narcissistic defense? Imagine a  child age 4 – 6. See and hear him yelling “Mommy, Daddy, look at me. Look at me,” as he stands at the top of the slide, rides his bike or performs some other feat. At this phase children see themselves as the center of the universe and their parents as all powerful figures who are there solely to cater to the child’s needs. It must be so, because life without parents who can protect and fill us with confidence is too overwhelming and dangerous for a young defenseless child.

If this stage is not satisfactorily addressed or resolved, the child can develop a solid wall of defense against a world that could at any moment deliver a cruel blow to his sense of self (self esteem) and his sense of safety. As an adult, the child for whom these issues are not resolved, may continue the narcissistic defense such that he fluctuates between two views of himself, the one wholly inadequate and the other highly over-valued. The latter defends against the former.

The Narcissistic Leader in Action

Observing the narcissist leader as he recovers from a slight to his self-esteem is like watching a magician, abracadabra and all.

The scene is well-represented in Cast Away, when Chuck, played by Tom Hanks, succeeds in lighting a fire. Notice how he places Wilson Volleyball, the stand-in for adoring parent, in a perfect position to play audience for all that Chuck, center of the universe, is about to achieve. Watch how Chuck continues to check and make sure Wilson is watching.

Be mindful that Chuck recently suffered narcissistic injuries when the whole world (the ultimate parent) abandoned him to fend for himself. Then adding insult to injury he fails his first attempt to light a fire and meet his most basic need. Perhaps he will not make it. This realization that I too will end, is the ultimate narcissistic injury.

I recall a brief encounter with a CEO and one of the most blatantly narcissistic leaders I’ve ever met. My manager (his direct report) and I were meeting when Tom entered the room – uninvited. Every hair perfectly in place, donning a custom made Italian suit, he announced (with no realization or apology for the interruption) “It’s my birthday. Guess how old I am?” (Recall, “Mommy, look at me. Look at me.) Clearly we were to guess a year well-below reality. Following the requisite admiration for his good looks, he exited the room.

How to Stop Choosing the Narcissistic Leader

We continue to seek the perfect parent in others, until we accept that our parents failed us at times, and that it had to be that way.  The narcissist leader, who believes himself to be near perfect, is and our selected, albeit unconscious, answer.

How do we stop choosing him?

Accept that our parents failed us, and that is the way it must be.

Accept that the world is perfectly imperfect, as are we and those who lead us.

Accept the challenges of adult life.

Accept our own imperfection and vulnerability.

Accept there is no wizard of Oz but merely a journey on which we must find the answers to our own questions and quests.

Then, we can accept that the leader is there to shine a light, to bring us together, but not to do the work that each of us must do on our own and through our collective efforts.

Finally, we might even ask the leader what he needs from us to lead well.

Maccoby, M.(2000). Narcissistic Leaders, The Incredible Pros, The Inevitable Cons.  Best of Harvard Business Review, 2000. Accessed at http://showsupport.typepad.com/odyssey/files/ccc-081208-macoby.pdf

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

The Narcissistic Leader: How and Why We Choose Them is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

“Born with talent but raised with humour, humility and good manners.”

The sentence describes Marco Simoncelli in an article by Matt Roberts, BBC Sports blog. Marco died recently in a motorcycle racing accident.

The phrase “with talent, but with humour, humility and good manners” is music to my ears. I wish this kind of music to be associated with leaders and leadership.

I wish for leaders who are at once both humble and bold.

How could it be so?

The Way of the Leader

We are born into talents.

They do not belong to us.

We are a vessel of their expression.

Our minds are visited by an idea that is there, somewhere, in the universe, available to be known.

We are simply the vehicle of knowing and not the knowing or the knower.

Our voices carry a melody that even tiny birds can sing.

Like the bird, we did not create the song, nor do we think the idea into existence.

No Me, My, Mine.

Be bold because the idea chose you and you owe it your boldness, your passion.

Be bold because you can lead.

Be humble because the idea does not belong to you.

Be humble because you did not create the leader in you.

[Simoncelli's] final act was a lap and a half of pure adrenaline, swapping positions with Alvaro Bautista, a familiar foe, with trademark panache and derring-do. Riding on the edge, the only way he knew, delighting in his own impudence and improvisation, revelling in the one act he loved the most.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Bold Because You Can Lead – Humble Because You Did Not Create the Leader is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

“I know that you would never consider doing _____. Given the options you would take the high road.” said my manager.

The truth is I was thinking about doing  _____, but once he instilled in me the vision that I would never and could never do _____, I simply couldn’t. Having been led to the high road, I took it.

He tricked me. He manipulated me into being a better self. It worked.

If you want great people working for you, people who give their best, you need to see the best in what they can give, show them what you see and tell them how they make a difference. Hold up a vision, a poster of Rick or Tammy being great.  How?

1. Notice…

when someone is their most extraordinary self. That’s when they are great.

When Tammy shines, what is she doing? What is she not doing?

2. Name…

what you notice.

“Tammy you were sharp, articulate, full  of energy, and inspirational”

3. Paint…

a picture of what happens, how others are affected, and the outcomes that occur when someone is being the best version of herself.

“Tammy, I stopped in for a few minutes and listened to your informal presentation about our new product family. You were sharp, articulate, full of energy, inspirational. I imagined, for a minute, that I was a customer. Your excitement about the product sold me. Keep that up and you’re going to hit it out of the ballpark this quarter.”

4. Tell…

them how they can make a difference in this world. “This product and the people who need it, need you. We could revolutionize the way people with diabetes medicate themselves. You will be making a big difference for people who need that difference.”

When you catch great people in the act of being great, tell them what you see, what is possible, and that they make a difference.

Be genuine and believable.

How?

Watch Angela Maiers in this video. She is genuine. She is believable. When Angela speaks, people know what they do in this world makes a difference.

She tells people, children in fact, “You Matter,” with all her heart and all her mind and all her soul,

“You Matter” and so they do.

And then they do things that really matter.
[youtube]7FHdHUzRnms[/youtube]

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Dear Leader: Want Great People? See Great People is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

In Search of NOWLeaders…NOW

Labor Day.

A time to brush off the lethargy brought on by the heat of summer.

A time to start new things, to expand and shift perspectives, to explore new places.

That’s what this post is about.

We are looking for leadership in places and by people we may not have considered before.

We call them NOWLeaders.

Who is We? You may ask…

Dale Lawrence, Gwyn Teatro and I, Anne Perschel, form the core team with Tanya Odom, Global Diversity expert at Future Work Institute; Eric Peterson, Strategic Human Resources Management, Diversity and Inclusion Manager;  Marion Chapsal of France at Geronimo Consulting; and Joe Gerstandt, Diversity expert, as our advisory team.

Why? You may ask…

Well, we believe that the variety of lists representing the epitome of leadership, while impressive, is missing a whole population of talented leaders and leadership thinkers. We want to find them. We want to build a rich, diverse portfolio of them. And, we want to shine a spotlight on them.

Why shine a light on them? You may ask…

This 21^st Century asks something different of us than what was called for in the Industrial age. The pace of change is dizzying. The world, through technology, gets smaller and smaller while at the same time more complex. We have messy problems to solve that don’t lend themselves to the same kind of thinking we’ve employed in the past. To be successful in any endeavor, we must find ways to cut through traditional bureaucracies and structures while optimizing our collective and diverse brainpower. The day of the singular leader-hero has passed. As such, there is a need to shift and expand our perspectives about who and what makes for effective leadership in this new age. These new leaders, NOWLeaders, work in accordance with a different set of paradigms from those that got us to and through the industrial age.

We must grow our capacity for great leadership and our understanding of what it takes to engage more brains and hearts in doing great work and accomplishing great things…together. We may even redefine the meaning of “accomplishing great things.” To do all this we need ALL the talent at the table.

In short, we need and seek NowLeaders.

NOWLeaders

What is a NOWLeader? You may ask…

NOWLeaders are highly accomplished global citizens. They achieve results through and alongside people, rather than from above, around, over or in spite of them.They gather multiple perspectives to deal with complex problems. At the same time, they are not afraid to make tough decisions and they do so with consideration about the effect on individuals and communities. They know and feel an obligation that extends well beyond corporate profits.

NOWLeaders are business leaders.They are thought leaders.They are military leaders. They lead non-profit organizations, educational institutions, small organizations and large ones.

NOWLeaders navigate the rapids of this past paced century. They lead change. They are diverse in thought, experience, culture, nationality and ethnicity. They are women. They are men. They are young…and old.  They are everywhere.

And NOW we ask Will you help us find them?

Yes? Terrific. We hoped you would.

Here’s what you can do.

Begin by nominating someone who you believe exhibits the attributes of a NOWLeader and demonstrates the skills associated with the development of inclusive, collaborative organizations, someone who is highly accomplished yet prefers to share recognition and reward with others.

How do I nominate someone? You may ask…

Well, you go directly to Now-leadership.com, where you will find all the information and instruction you need to nominate your NOWLeader, including a list of the attributes NOWLeaders demonstrate. Please join us in being the change we, and you, seek to create…and thank you for doing so.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Leadership that is the Change We Seek to Create is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

Steve Jobs’, the physical being has completed his work here, but his spirit, the iconic Steve Jobs, The Steve, The Apple Man in the black turtle neck, is ours forever.

Icon

What makes The Steve such an iconic figure?

He walked the hero’s journey.

He represents the success we all hope to achieve, not by virtue of his fame, his wealth, his company, but because of the journey. Along the way he claimed him Self. Only when he did that was he free to do something that mattered to others.

Hero and heroine archetypes often feature a child who has lost or been lost by his/her parent(s). Consider Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Pippi Longstockings, Telemachus, Moses… The list goes on.

Steve Jobs was born to a single mother. She “lost” Steve to the adoptive family who “found” him. His challenge would be to find himself. We are all faced with this challenge, whether we have physically lost our parents – or not.

The hero’s work is to grow up and become an adult. His journey involves discovering his own identity separate, and separating, from parental ties and expectations. The child-would-be-hero aligns with these expectations – until he doesn’t.

Steve Jobs’ biological mother designated one condition for his adoptive family. Send him to a good college. Steve’s adoptive parents were not wealthy. They were working class heroes who worked hard to fulfill this promise. The implied expectation was that Steve would graduate. And he aligned with these expectation – until he didn’t. Breaking the tie was hard especially as Steve’s first mentor was his Dad. Steve dropped out of college, nevertheless, but continued to attend classes. This time he studied what he loved – calligraphy.

This seed grew into Apple’s initial market differentiater – a variety of fonts from which users could choose. Computers became a design tool; a tool for design. They become a design. They become a work of art and they made art work. They represent beauty in simplicity with a sense of flair. They became Sexy. They became user friendly and users befriended them. All because a man, once a boy, took the heroes journey. Along the way he met with failure. He learned. He got up and tried again. Better. Stronger. He became more of him Self.

The hero’s task is to discover his true Self and to live life as that person. Steve Jobs did it well. He represents the hope that the rest of us will do likewise, and that we too might make a contribution that matters.

His body is gone. His contribution lives on in our hands. It is up to us now, that’s you and me, to continue the heros journey, each in our own way.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Why We Love to Love Steve Jobs is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

A CEO Stands Up

Starbuck’s CEO Howard Schultz cancelled a speaking engagement that would have given him and Starbucks a lot of visibility – over 1000 in the live audience and 150,000 more across 40 nations, by way of live video broadcast.

Starbucks CEO - Howard Schultz

For What?

According to change.org, Willow Creek Church in Chicago, host of the Leadership Conference, has a “long anti-gay history” and has “practiced dangerous conversion therapy to ‘cure’ people of their sexual orientation.” (ToledoBlade.com)

What Would We Do?

Would I pass on such an opportunity based on a clash of values? Would I take a stand? Would you?

What if company CEOs had refused to make parts for gas chambers?

What if I only did business with companies that have women in executive leadership roles and on their boards?

Your Turn

What if ________________ .

What if ________________ .

What if ________________ .

Please add your “What ifs” to the comment section.

What’s Our Excuse?

Schultz and Starbucks are big enough already. They don’t need this or any other stage to be successful.

If I had what Schultz has I’d stand up too.

I’m just a little fish trying to stay alive in the pond.

One little person like me can’t make a difference.

The Bottom Line on What Leaders Do

Much is written about what leaders do and what attributes they display.

But let’s be clear – Leaders lead. They draw a line about what’s in and what’s out.

They take a stand – popular or not.

That is both the top and the bottom line on leading.

If you don’t do this YOU ARE NOT LEADING.

You may have followers. You may have an organization at your disposal. You may even have a stage upon which to speak.

BUT YOU ARE NOT A LEADER IF YOU DO NOT TAKE A STAND.

Don’t mis-take being popular for being a Leader.

Don’t mis-take the fact that people are listening for the fact that you are leading.

Don’t mis-take compromising your values for leading.

Don’t mis-take sitting when called to stand for leading.

Who’s Leading?

Nelson Mandela – who needs no introduction.

Martin Luther King – who also needs no introduction and is still leading posthumously.

Nancy Wake – saved 100s during the holocaust and became one of the Gestapo’s Most Wanted.

Howard Schultz – Starbuck’s CEO

Your Turn

Please add you stand up leaders with a word or two about how they stand up to lead.

P.S. You can read Willow Creek’s response to Schultz’s cancellation here.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

Leaders Stand When It’s Easier to Sit is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

For the past year we’ve been asking professional women

Step into your power shoes

about their relationship to power.

• How they define it
• What strategies they use to earn it
  • Which ones work well and which ones don’t
• What they use their power to achieve, and more

We are excited to share what we learned and equip more women to step up and into power. An overview of our report was recently published in The Glass Hammer. By mid-June you will be able to download our whitepaper entitled Babe, I’m Taking Charge Here for an in-depth review of what we found in our research with over 215 professional women, many of whom have broken through glass ceilings while remaining true to who they are as women.

In Babe, I’m Taking Charge Here

You will read about the cocktail of factors that keep women from obtaining clout positions. We challenge and prove wrong those who say woman do not aspire to positions of power. You will discover how to go over, around, and through the various impediments, including:

Internal Obstacles

Emotional, Social and Cultural Factors

The Cinderella Syndrome – waiting for Prince (or Princess) Charming to deliver the power shoe

The Inner Critics – internal voices that chant, “You can’t. It’s too hard. You’re too…”

Like Me – cultural press to be liked over being respected, self-respecting and powerful.

First Cousin to Like Me – failure to talk about accomplishments and advocate for yourself

Cognitive Factors

Different Realities – defining and understanding power in ways that don’t fit prevailing corporate realities

The Paradox of Power – sticking with either/or thinking; failure to adopt both/and thinking in relation to power

External Obstacles

Legacy Cultures

Buddy Systems and Old Boys’ Clubs

You Will Learn

How to transform Cinderella into Dorothy of Oz, Alice in Wonderland or other self-initiating heroines

How to turn inner critics into inner advocates

A definition of power and how it works, that works for you

To manage paradox of power and increase your chances of more rapid promotion

You can order the white paper when it’s available, or you can

JOIN US FOR THE WEBINAR – WOMEN & POWER: The Next Frontier

June 15, 2011

2:00 PM ET

Click here to register and to find out more

*The Women and Power study, as well as related articles and reports come to you by way of Anne Perschel, President Germane Consulting and Jane Perdue, CEO of Brathwaite Innovation Group.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

STEP UP & INTO POWER is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology

NOW Leadership is Both/And & Both Hands

This month we asked men we respect who are leaders and early adopters of NOWLeadership (although they may name it differently) to talk about why they believe integrating feminine and masculine is the way forward and why we need women to lead along with men. Every month we think our contributors have created the best-yet issue of NOW. This month it’s really true.

Enjoy. Learn. Grow, and Challenge Yourself. We invite you to contribute your own comments. In fact, we cherish the fact that you do so. The conversation makes a difference.

For NOW and until next time…

Anne and Marion

Leading with Paradox: Notes from a Feminist’s Son

Tony Schwartz, Harvard Business Review writer as well as President and CEO of The Energy Project, talks about how his mother, Felice Schwartz, founder of Catalyst; and his father, the least macho man you could imagine, influenced Tony to lead with and through paradox.

Why we asked, “Why women?”

Bruce Watluck, @complexified, recently asked, “How do you work with men are not convinced women can and should play a role as leaders?”

Anne’s answer: “Mostly I don’t. I work with early adopters as an intentional change strategy.” I choose this route because working against or even with resistance, you end up using a lot of energy to achieve very little gain and sometimes you get a bucket full of exhaustion and two full buckets of despair.

And then I had a big “DUH” moment. Why wasn’t I and why wasn’t Marion, my partner in NOWLeadership, asking the men who are early adopters to speak up?

So I did.

Here’s what they said:

Why Women? by Adam Quinton

Adam says “Most guys don’t get it so it has to be framed not as a moral or a fairness issue, but as…

Why Women? by Lee J. Carey

Twitter and a mirror opened Lee’s eyes about the dearth of women leaders in his own backyard and in the larger world. He is now an avid supporter.

Why Women? by Eric Peterson

Eric cannot remember a time when he didn’t advocate for women leaders and thinks perhaps it’s because he is gay, grew up in Japan and simply wired that way.

Brand Masculine: Leadership, Perceptions, and the Future

Dale Lawrence responded to a different request by Marion last month about the new masculinity, but tornadoes and resulting flight delays as well as crashing computers prevented Dale’s response from arriving on time for April’s edition. No worries. NOW can wait. Dale has included some puzzling research findings that state people have greater trust in women leaders but when it comes to naming them to these roles..well that’s a different story.

©2012 Germane Insights. All Rights Reserved.

NOWLeadership May Edition: “Why Women?” What He Says is an original post from Anne Perschel on Germane Insights - Achieving Leadership Excellence through the Art and Science of Psychology