Lee Ellis's Blog, page 344

Is “Honor” Giving Recognition to Others, or A Personal Attitude and Lifestyle? Watch and Listen

In this quick interview, author and human performance consultant, Lee Ellis, describes his definition of the word honor. It’s often associated with honoring someone else or giving others recognition; but Lee talks about the definition of embracing honor as a personal lifestyle and attitude.

Is the concept of honor a tangible foundation for living and working as a leader? What additional comments would you add to Lee’s comments? Please watch and share -

Related Links:

FAQ – “Is leadership something inborn or developed? If not, how do you develop leaders?” Read the Answer and Share Your Opinion

Authentic Leadership

3 Traits Leaders Need to Shape a High-Performance Culture

Reblogged from Linked 2 Leadership:

Some businesses focus on creating a culture of fun, so leaders fill break rooms with kegs and fruit snacks. Others pinpoint that they want a culture of transparency, so developers create open forums for inner office dialogue and feedback.

These can be good tactics to employ when working to create a company culture.

But if your culture is tactical and not strategic, these types of approaches ultimately won’t have a large impact on a more important issue — how your company performs.

Read more… 841 more words

As a leader, would you like to create or work in a successful, high-performance culture? Here are 3 Traits Leaders Need to Shape a High-Performance Culture. One trait that article mentions is the need to crave data to explain the underlying beliefs and assumptions of the internal team, clients, and customers (If it’s working, why? If it’s not working, why not?).

Check out the article, and share your thoughts –

FAQ – “Is leadership something inborn or developed? If not, how do you develop leaders?” Read the Answer and Share Your Opinion

“Is leadership something inborn or developed? If not, how do you develop leaders?”

This is a question that Lee is frequently asked. Do you agree? Any additional insight from your experience?

Lee’s Answer:

“Every person has some inborn characteristics for good leadership, but not every person is inclined to want to lead.  Some people are naturally born with the desire to be in charge and control the agenda. Still all people need to work to become better leaders. Leadership is more than taking control, and so everyone who aspires to be a good leader should continue to develop their skills.  

Leadership is developed through change, and that is difficult for everyone. Change isn’t natural, so even when we want to change/grow to be better it is often somewhat painful.  But given motivation, a person cna learn new skills. First though must come awareness. Until you know the areas you need to grow, you will not have the management information to use in your self-development. The best way to learn leadership is through the modeling of a good leader.  You are most likely to adopt the style of your leader, and if your first leader is a bad one you will learn some bad habits. If you can work for a good leader you will learn by example and that is best.

You can also learn leadership skills by experience. Trial and error is the way most people learn, but it can be expensive and painful when you make mistakes; but we all do make mistakes and learn by remembering what we did wrong and improving on the next opportunity.

We can also learn about leadership by attending workshops and reading, but it will not become part of our style until we actually practice and do something different.” 

Related Articles:

Why is Leadership Development Important? Lee Ellis Shares His Unique Thoughts, and Please Share Yours

The Consequences of Waiting Too Long to Train Leaders – Three Reasons to Start Now

Early Leadership Survey Results – Over 80% Believe This Fact – See Enclosed

When comparing industry sectors of Business, Government/Politics, Military, Healthcare, and Education, over 80% of survey respondents say that Government/Politics needs the most work in cultivating competent, honorable leaders. Is that a surprise to anyone?

Take our State of Leadership Survey and share your voice on key leadership issues – thank you!

The Key to Breaking a Stalemate in Life and Business – Listen Now

Author and leadership development consultant, Lee Ellis, had a great conversation yesterday on The Mike Huckabee Show . In it, Lee says that the missing leadership piece with the government shutdown (or any leadership situation where a stalemate occurs) is courage.

It takes courage for any leader to get in there and find a solution rather than focusing on personal goals like self-preservation (or the 2014 elections). Do you agree? Please share your insights and experience.

Related Articles:

What’s the Root Issue of the Government Shutdown? Notes from the Cliff

5 Steps to Help Obama (or Any Leader) Regain Leadership Confidence

Challenge the Process without Blowing Up

Reblogged from Leadership Freak:

You’re surrounded by stagnation because last week’s great idea is next week’s dying system. Systems defend themselves and gradually grow stale until crisis confronts and changes them.

Every system was someone’s great idea once.

Managing is establishing and protecting systems that deliver consistent results. Managers rightly say, “This is how we do it.” Leaders do more.

Managers tweak systems to enhance efficiency.

Read more… 288 more words

Who has ever had this challenge? You’re in a meeting, and you believe a key decision is going in the wrong direction. How do you effectively challenge the process or decision without blowing up and making it an emotional scene?

Great article below—click the link and share your thoughts or experience.

What’s the Root Issue of the Government Shutdown? Notes from the Cliff

(Editor’s Note: Back in January 2013, Lee posted this article when our government was discussing the possibility of a shutdown. Here we are a few months later, and now the possibility has become a reality. Lee addresses an important root issue that affects all of us whether we work in our nation’s capitol, own our business, or work for an employer.)

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As we prepare to launch into the New Year, I’ve amazed at how the word “cliff” has dominated the news. We’re obviously not talking about the very dangerous physical sport of cliff diving which can be a thing of beauty and grace done by the professionals. No, it’s the political sport of dancing on the edge of a fiscal cliff that threatens our economy in a multitude of ways.  Unlike the real sport, this dance has not been very courageous (or graceful), and it threatens to pull even innocent bystanders right over the cliff.  Both political parties are guilty, so this is not a partisan soapbox; I‘m just using this example as a launching platform to address a more systemic problem affecting all areas of our society. 

The Cliff of Accountability

The fiscal “cliff” that we’re facing is just another (though very high profile) example of a culture-wide problem of non-accountability for actions and decisions. As I speak around the country or consult with clients, the issue of accountability comes up repeatedly as a foundational need. It’s pretty obvious that when people are not held accountable for performance (behaviors, decisions, words, actions), things go downhill.  It’s also clear that things work best when responsibility is clear and agreed upon and there are logical consequences for good and bad performance. Without accountability, excellence is merely a pipe dream and even average performance isn’t a realistic expectation.

“It’s pretty obvious that when people are not held accountable for performance (behaviors, decisions, words, actions), things go downhill.”

In the case of the United States Government, our system of laws places the first responsibility on the citizens on the electorate.  We vote for our leaders and we get what we ask for.  What gets rewarded gets repeated and what gets punished usually diminishes or goes away.  Evidently we haven’t done a good job of holding people accountable for good stewardship with our money; hence we’re at a fiscal cliff that hasn’t gone away.  Ultimately someone or, most likely, all of us are going to suffer the consequences of non-accountability. And unfortunately those guilty of sloppy leadership and poor stewardship are often the very ones who slither their way out of the falling house of cards just in time to save their skins.

“Without accountability, excellence is merely a pipe dream and even average performance isn’t a realistic expectation.”

Foundational Attributes

Even though there are 14 lessons in my book, Leading with Honor, three foundational attributes rise to the top—character, courage, and competency. To put it another way, the best leaders push through their selfishness and fear to skillfully do the right thing even when it’s painful. And part of doing the right thing is being accountable for one’s actions.

With those attributes in mind, let’s reflect on this whole idea of accountability, and like most evaluations it’s good to begin with ourselves; that’s taking on the hard part first, isn’t it? Here’s a checklist to help you get started –

Find practical ways to hold yourself accountable either through people, processes, and/or principles.
Evaluate  the promises and commitments that you’ve  made that you need to follow through on.
Review the realistic consequences of your failures and mistakes—how it affects you and others.
As a leader, consider in what ways that you’re slipping as a leader by not holding others accountable.
Make it clear to others the specifics of your expectations and that they’re accountable to you or their immediate leader.
Share the consequences that will come if they don’t uphold their responsibilities.

Throughout this year, I’ll be addressing the idea of accountability from theoretical down to the very practical. My team at FreedomStar Media and Leadership Freedom are going to hold me accountable.  Who is going to hold you accountable to keep your commitments in 2013? 

Please share your thoughts and experiences on accountability; I believe we can learn from each other. Just remember to focus on life and leadership in general and avoid partisan perspectives. Regardless of our personal views on public issues, bringing more accountability to our society will bring blessings to all for the New Year. 

LE

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Lee Ellis is Founder & President of Leadership Freedom LLC® & FreedomStar Media™.

He is a leadership consultant and expert in teambuilding, executive development & assessments

Email | LinkedIn | Web | Blog | Book | Facebook | Twitter

He is the author of Leading with Honor : Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton

What’s Keeping Today’s Leaders from Making the Right Decisions? Listen and Share Your Opinion

In this new radio interview on KCMO Talk Radio, Lee Ellis makes this statement – “What we’re seeing in every area of society are leaders that aren’t willing to make the right call to do the right thing.”

Do you agree or disagree? Who are the exceptions? And, how does this relate to our U.S. Government Shutdown? And, what are the factors that keep leaders from making the right decision? Please share your insight.

Military Leadership and Corporate Business Leadership – Similarities and Differences

(Editor’s Note: Recently, Lee spent a week in Brazil teaching hundreds of business owners and leaders about honorable leadership lessons. During some media appearances and interviews, he was asked the following questions and we wanted to share these valuable answers with you. Special thanks to Diário de Pernambuco Newspaper.)

Question – What is the main similarity between the battlefield and the corporate world? What lessons of the battlefield can be transferred to the corporate world?

Lee – “In the battlefield and corporate world, you have to solve problems and overcome challenges. Likewise, both situations have competitors who are trying to beat them, so both require information, strategies, plans, and good execution to win. The difference is the context and the fact that one is life and death of humans and the other is life and death of the company; but the idea of war is much more serious and so the two must never be confused. Of course these are significant differences, but there are certainly many correlations.

Mainly, you have a mission and people and obstacles to overcome. Both situations require leaders to influence their people to achieve results and meet their goals. In the end, that’s what leadership has to do in civilian life or in the military.”

Question – Is there any difference between the leadership of a general in war and the one of a leading business executive? Are the techniques used to motivate a soldier similar to the ones to motivate an employer?

Lee – “Yes there are some differences. For one, the pressure of accountability is different—at least on the surface. Shareholders, the markets, analysts and many outside people have their eyes on the company and its performance on a daily, continuous basis. Generals have less oversight and are trusted more to execute their assignments. They have spent their entire lives preparing for their battles and of course war is so much more unpredictable than business.”

Question – The military are often associated with rigid hierarchy models with low or no space for the participation of subordinates in decision-making. However, companies nowadays tend to open more space for collective participation, especially due to the advent of the Y Generation. With that in mind, what lessons can the military teach companies?

Lee – “Traditionally, the military has been very hierarchical, but that is changing.  Leaders recognize that the person on the spot often has better information and is in a better position to judge next steps. Also, in the advent of the all–volunteer force in US Forces has meant much more educated and better screened troops. They are more capable than ever before and even though they are very hierarchical during wartime, they operate quite flat. The U.S. military tends to operate by centralized control and decentralized execution.

The one thing the modern thinking companies need to learn from the military is the principle of accountability. You must have one person in charge and responsible, or you really have no one responsible. Responsibility is one of the three legs of the stool of accountability. Without responsibility, you can’t really hold someone accountable and at the end of the day. Someone must be accountable and have ownership for successful execution.”

Question – How did the experience in captivity influence your formation as a leader?

Lee – “In the POW camps our leaders suffered first and most often and the most torture and hardship. They were committed to doing their duty in spite of the heavy costs. They leaned into their doubts and fears to do the right thing and that was a powerful example. We wanted to be like them, so they raised our level of courage and commitment by their example. My goal became to do the right thing regardless of my fears or the risks associated with the situation. That was the most important influence on me and that helped me catch up with my peers who had gained a six year advantage in leadership experience on me while I was away.

Of course there were many other areas, too. For example, I saw that even the strongest leaders usually got input from their people before making decisions. Also, they did not hesitate to consult with other leaders when they had doubts about their ability to be objective in those very difficult situations.”

Question – You’ve mentioned in Leading with Honor that one of the factors that helped you survive the captivity for some many years was the motivation of all commanders in being with you. Could you describe the captivity ambient and comment on how the commanders were able to motivate the troops held captive? 

Lee – “There was a war in the camps as the enemy tried to isolate us, break our resistance, remove our leaders and ultimately get us to join them in making anti-war propaganda. For the first three years I was there (first five years for many of the older leaders), there was torture going on somewhere in the camps. The food was poor and there was no medical care. We were hot in summer and cold in winter. We were locked in dark cells that were like medieval dungeons. Yet we stayed positive and worked as a team.

Our leaders had to lead covertly, but because of our resistance, our captors knew they were leading and so they would pull them out and break them. But the break was always temporary, as they bounced back to resist and lead again. Their leadership will go down in history as one of the greatest examples of courageous servant leadership the world has ever seen. That’s why I wrote the book Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton—to tell that story and show how the lessons we learned there could help every business and every family for that matter.”

Question – You’ve also mentioned in leading with Honor the role that values such as honor and courage play in leadership. However, such values do not have such impact on current society as before. How can companies manage to recover them in order to improve management tools?

Lee – “It’s mainly by example and walking the talk. People are watching the leaders, and a good leader can be a powerful influencer. I believe people are looking, desperately wanting to see honorable leaders. Honorable leaders are secure in themselves; and because they have good values and courage, they can do the right thing even when it’s hard and when they suffer for it.”

Question – In developing countries such as Brazil, India, and Russia, corruption and dishonesty are unfortunately often present in the private, public and civilian spheres. Is it possible to have ethics and work normally in companies operating in such places?

Lee – “I would think it would be much more difficult, but it’s still possible. It’s doing the hard thing, and it will be painful and cause suffering.  But if enough honest people band together and encourage and support each other, I think it’s possible. And this small group could change the culture of the country over time. We need courageous leaders with character and integrity to stand up and lead this movement. In the end, everyone will be blessed.”

Question – Broadly speaking, what are the main challenges companies face in the field of people management?

Lee – “It is almost always finding a balance between mission and people (or you call it results and relationships). You have to achieve results to accomplish the mission, but also have to take care of the people and demonstrate that you care about them or you will only be able to lead by fear. Leading by fear is the worst kind of leadership because it denies our basic needs for safety and it is very inefficient.

Ultimately if people have a choice, they will leave a hostile workplace and the good people will leave first. So finding a balance of doing both results and relationships is important. Ironically by personality, 80% of all people are tilted toward one or the other so they are good at one and not naturally good at the other. So they have to learn to do some skills in the one that isn’t natural for them. Even those who are somewhat balanced will normally go to Results under stress because that gets highlighted and rewarded first and most often in the company.”

Question – Does any of the 14 leadership principles you propose stand out?

Lee – “Leaders must have the courage to do the right thing. Courage undergirds a number of other attributes like being authentic, having integrity and strong character, and resilience. But courage is the key; for without it, you will fail at the point of greatest need. One of my leaders told me once, ‘Lee, anyone can steer the ship through the calm waters; the real captains take it through the storms.’ He was so right; facing the stormy seas of leadership takes courage, competence and confidence. They are all important, but without courage, it won’t happen consistently.

Most leaders never have to work in life and death scenarios every day, but there are painful consequences for all leaders when making bad decisions in the context of their work. Without practical examples and guiding principles for being a great leader, you’re like a ship without a rudder. For me, the guiding principle is leaning into the pain of our fears to do what we know is right. That always wins in the long run.”

Question – What is the main message you will transmit in your talk next week in Recife?  

Lee – “Great leaders stand for strong values and build a strong culture around them. The three critical components of leadership are Character, Competence, and Courage –

Character is the foundation.
Competence is about your skills of leadership and execution.
Courage is energy that keeps you doing the right thing, even when it’s feels scary or difficult.”

Please share your thoughts and wisdom on this topic. How do you compare the leadership styles and strategies between the military culture and corporate business culture?

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Related Articles:

Results vs. Relationships – Finding Your Balance on the Leadership Seesaw

Wounded Warriors® Feature – “Lessons from Vietnam for Today’s Warrior”

5 Steps to Help Obama (or Any Leader) Regain Leadership Confidence

Original OpEd Published by TheHill.com

Regardless of your personal vote and support of Barack Obama and his policies, he is our President and Commander in Chief. He sets our foreign policy for the most part and commands our military. Certainly, there are no simple or easy solutions to dealing with whoever is responsible for the horrid deaths by the lethal, illegal, gassing of Syrian citizens which the United Nations is still documenting.

Still, we’ve heard a clamoring for “leadership” by both Americans and the media to address this crime against humanity. Some have supported President Obama’s threat of force, but the vast majority of Americans, both Republican and Democrat, even independents alike, strongly oppose such use of force by the United States.

So how does President Obama—who has been accused of leading from behind—regain confidence from the people he was elected to lead? Here are five important steps –

Keep America the first priority. As the elected leader for the United States of America, President Barack Obama’s top commitment is to his electorate—the American people. All other objectives such as global responsibilities and commitments to our allies, keeping both sides of the political spectrum satisfied, or strategizing his party for the 2014 election—should be secondary to what is truly in our national interest.

Get qualified counsel. When the risks are high, you need insights from the most experienced leaders possible—not political hacks or PR experts. Just recently, Zig Brzezinski and Henry Kissinger were on a TV talk show expressing concerns about retaliatory strikes on Syria. Perhaps they could’ve given some good advice before the “red line” was communicated? Leaders never know it all and many times don’t have the best ideas, but they know when to listen and when to follow their own instincts when getting counsel.

“Leaders never know it all and many times don’t have the best ideas, but they know when to listen and when to follow their own instincts when getting counsel.”

Choose the best worst decision. The Syrian issue has deteriorated so that there are no good options. Tony Mendez, CIA operative who planned and executed the exfiltration of the American hostages (ARGO) during the Iranian crisis of 1980 said that he had to convince the CIA Director to go for the best of the worst plans. President Obama is in a similar dilemma. After reviewing multiple facets of society that will be affected by the decision, he should choose the best worst decision without delaying the issue any further.

Communicate with clarity and focus. In the President’s defense, there is relentless pressure by the American people and the world to get immediate answers as scenarios continue to develop in Syria. While he is accountable to the American people for a plan to engage with Syria, the first rule in the accountability process is communicating a clear and focused foreign policy plan based on the steps above.

Execute the plan. Once the carefully constructed foreign policy plan has been communicated, execute the plan and own it. Consistency in execution is essential and especially when your plan is high risk. The president will gain more national confidence and respect—even if it’s an imperfect plan—by taking action and leading the charge on a clearly established plan.

“Consistency in execution is essential and especially when your plan is high risk.”

President Roosevelt’s plan to attack Japan in 1942 was far out and destined to fail militarily. Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle and his strike force did little damage to Tokyo, and most of our planes never made it to their recovery bases in China. But the decision to carry out this flawed plan proved strategically valuable as it shockingly exposed the vulnerability of the Japanese homeland, and on the other side of the globe it gave a tremendous morale boost to the American people at a time when it was sorely needed.

Sixty-one years later, America needs another morale boost. These five steps won’t guarantee a successful foreign and military policy on Syria, but it will give us the best chance of charting our way through challenging times.   

{Editor’s Note: Though this article is focused on Obama’s presidential leadership, these five steps obviously work for any leader. What step above is the most important to you in your personal leadership? Why is it a challenge, many times, to execute these simple (but not easy) steps? Please share your thoughts.}

LE

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Washington Needs a Real Shot of Courage—A Call to Action Editorial