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Higher Level Leadership is Measured Through Commitment
By Dr. Jim Harris Posted 10 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, 6 hours, 21 minutes ago.
The fourth virtue of a higher level leader is commitment. Commitment is the dedication to a long-term course of action. Without such dedication, initiatives, actions, or activities become a one-time-event, rather than an all-the-time-occurrence, an exception rather than a rule.
Be careful not to confuse motivation with commitment – they are not the same. Motivation is something that helps satisfy an external, short-term want (e.g. – monthly sales bonus, movie tickets, contests, etc.). Commitment, in contrast, helps satisfy a long-term internal need (e.g. – respect, security, partnership, learning, freedom, etc.).
Higher level leaders focus on three things to maintain their teams’ commitment: purpose, passion, and payoff. They continually remind their teams of the reasons why they are doing what they do – their purpose.
Purpose transcends values, mission, and vision. A purpose, in its essence, is the compelling reason an organization exists. Without a clear and compelling purpose, leaders miss the limitless enthusiasm lying dormant within the hearts and souls of their people to reach for something beyond themselves. Purpose therefore drives passion, which is essential to commitment.
Unleashing the passion of people is critically important to reaching significance. Higher level leaders encourage their teams to bring their natural passion into the work. They know that only through heart-felt passion will their teams reach new heights of productivity and perform-ance.
Additionally, higher level leaders focus on the payoff of successfully reaching the purpose. Remembering that the payoff is not just financial (as is the traditional view of employee motivation), higher level leaders consistently remind their team of both the personal and professional outcomes of their efforts.
Through a focus on purpose, passion, and payoff, higher level leaders and their teams are willing to endure hard- ships, roadblocks, and adversity on their journey from success to significance.
Excerpted from Dr. Jim’s free white paper, Taking Leaders to a Higher Level, available at http://www.DrJimHarris.com.
Higher Level Leadership is Tested Through Courage
By Dr. Jim Harris Posted 11 months, 4 days, 19 hours, 52 minutes ago.
If character is the heart of a higher level leader, and competence is her hands, the third virtue of a higher level leader – courage - is the backbone! No one would ever doubt the courage of former POW and current Senator John McCain, who says “a leader without courage is not a leader.”
Courage is defined as the willingness to act upon your convictions. Convictions, as defined by the leader’s character, are the soul-deep belief and values upon which a leader will not bend or break; it is the leader’s moral line-in-the-sand upon which she will not cross.
Higher level leaders realize that courage does not mean being without fear. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather, the realization that something the leader holds dear is more important than the potential consequences of not acting. As Hollywood legend John Wayne once said, “Courage is being scared to death, but you saddle up anyway!”
Courage is the leader’s willingness to hold themselves and those around them accountable to a higher standard, to take charge while others take cover, and to do what is right even when facing adversity. It takes courage to take unpopular and potentially career-damaging stands. Yet this willingness to stand firm is exactly what so many well meaning managers so struggle with today. Ironically, this is also the very element of what millions of people are looking for in their leaders.
Enron.
The name alone sparks images of fraud, mismanagement, deception, and denial. A personal friend of mine is the only C-suite executive from Enron not indicted, jailed, or dead. Why was he the lone senior executive not criminally pursued? This higher level executive had the courage to act upon his convictions, not to cross the ethical, legal, and moral convictions upon which he stands.
A sad truth is that many leaders today possess the char- acter and competence to make a positive impact, but lack the courage to step out and do what they know needs to be done. Higher level leaders embrace the approach of the great statesman, Winston Churchill, who said, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and talk. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
Excerpted from Dr. Jim’s free white paper, Taking Leaders to a Higher Level, available at http://www.DrJimHarris.com.
Higher Level Leadership is Lived through Competence
By Dr. Jim Harris Posted 11 months, 1 week, 4 days, 15 hours, 53 minutes ago.
The second virtue of a higher level leader is competence. Competence is defined as the strength of a leader’s skills set.
Over the years, countless volumes and thousands of mod- els have been offered on what constitutes the core competencies of great leaders. So often these lists are either esoteric ramblings that leave leaders befuddled and confused, or such expansive lists that leave leaders over- whelmed and discouraged.
Higher level leadership, in contrast, focuses on three core abilities.
First, higher level leaders possess the ability to Envision a powerful and transformational future for the organization. They are able to persuasively and confidently an- swer the simple yet profound question, “What’s next?” Whether it is a five-year strategic plan, a radical organizational transformation, or a dynamic new venture, higher level leaders are able to envision a clear, concise, and compelling “next step” in the organization’s journey.
Next, higher level leaders have the ability to Engage a global, multi-generational and diverse workforce. They are both willing and able to connect with and grow bonds of mutual trust will all employees. From guiding cross-functional teams to mentoring high potential employees, higher level leaders effectively leverage their personal, positional, and relational power to dynamically move the company forward.
Finally, a higher level leader has the ability to Execute the strategy. Their key role is to guide, inspect, and redirect their teams’ implementation of the plan. From coaching to leading change, higher level leaders know how to create systems of accountability and to drive initiatives to full completion.
Excerpted from Dr. Jim’s free white paper, Taking Leaders to a Higher Level, available at http://www.DrJimHarris.com.
Higher Level Leadership is Built Upon Character
By Dr. Jim Harris Posted 11 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 18 hours, 2 minutes ago.
The starting point is clear. Higher level leadership is first and foremost built upon character. Aristotle said that “character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses and avoids.” The US Air Force Academy states that character is “the sum of those qualities of moral excellence that stimulates a person to do the right thing, which is manifested through right and proper actions despite internal or external pressure to the contrary.”
Character, therefore, is the depth of your moral convictions. It is not whether someone has character, for everyone has some character. It is much more a question how deeply ingrained the qualities of character are within the heart and soul of the leader. It is frightening to witness how quickly a once mighty, profitable, and progressive organization can be brought to their knees by leaders of shallow character.
Ethics is not enough for a higher level leader.
To fully understand character, you must separate it from ethics. Character and ethics are not the same. Fundamentally, ethics asks the question, “Is it legal and is it fair?” Character asks the questions, “Is it moral and is it just?” Frankly, we have been too enamored with ethics training when we should be enamored with character development! World-renowned management thinker Peter Drucker said, “You can forgive a person for bad decisions or poor execution, but you can not forgive them for a lack of character.” Further, General Norman Schwarzkopf believes that, “ninety-nine percent of leadership failures are failures of character.”
So what exactly constitutes character? The three essential elements of character are wisdom, integrity, and self discipline. Without wisdom, leaders can not make the right choices. Without integrity, leaders are inconsistent in their attitudes and their actions. Without self-discipline, leaders are incapable of doing what they need to do when they do not want to do it.
Excerpted from Dr. Jim’s free white paper, Taking Leaders to a Higher Level, available at http://www.DrJimHarris.com.
What is KM?
By Patrick Ropella Posted 1 year, 2 days, 5 hours, 9 minutes ago.
Knowledge Management is the explicit and systematic management of vital knowledge—and its associated processes of creation, organization, diffusion, use, and exploitation. A successful program must be explicit so you can codify the knowledge in your organization. It must be systematic to ensure that you capture all critical knowledge. Because you don’t have the resources to record all company knowledge, your process must focus on vital knowledge only. A KM program defines the processes to capture, store, and use knowledge. And if implemented on a wide scale, KM can not only aid in knowledge sharing and retention, but even expedite research and learning as well.
Types of Critical Knowledge
Companies with KM programs concentrate on identifying which employees in each department (including technicians, chemists, administrative personnel, and managers) possess critical knowledge. Then they categorize the types of critical knowledge each person holds such as:
Process Knowledge
This refers to knowledge about how products get produced and tasks get completed. All processes that are critical to company operations need to be documented – everything from R&D and production to marketing and management.
R&D Knowledge
Because of the rapidly changing, competitive environment of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, KM in the Research and Development arena is crucial to improve productivity and reduce a product’s development time. Since typical R&D staffs have to do more work faster and with less personnel, the need exists for new tools and strategies for documenting and sharing information.
Technical/Manufacturing Knowledge
In his article, Knowledge Management in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Dr. Barry Hardy, expert in knowledge management and communications in the chemical and life sciences, tells us, “Transfer of technology between development and manufacturing is now a key success factor to achieve robust processes and minimize cost of goods.” R&D and Technical Operations need to get on the same page, not just communications-wise, but also with standardization of equipment, materials, and processes.
Knowledge of People and Relationships
Not all knowledge relates to products and processes. Some of your most vital knowledge is the expertise you have developed about your clients, vendors, competitors, and even the people inside your organization. Understanding where knowledge resides and the dynamics of internal relationships can have a big impact on the success of future initiatives.
Organizational Memory
This is the information that results from the lessons of your organization’s past. When a problem arises, it needs to be traced to the source and noted so that lessons can be learned and future errors can be avoided.
Knowledge About the Market, Your Customers, and Products/Services
Documenting and updating current knowledge of market trends and industry standards can keep your company ahead of the competition. Also, monitoring customer-provided information can help you better understand your company’s value and uncovers areas in which you need improvement. Lastly, the tracking of products/services information allows you to develop smarter solutions for your customers’ needs.
Intellectual Property (IP) and Patent Knowledge
Patent management is crucial for pharmaceutical companies and businesses developing exclusive key product lines. Industry patent ownership, patent licensing, and other IP trends need to be tracked and managed. Potential patent infringement should also be monitored.
Future Knowledge
This refers to information that results from capturing staff ideas for future products, services, and business strategies.
Putting the Power of Knowledge to Work
Developing a company that truly values KM is not easy. It takes strong leadership, commitment to a culture that values learning, and open lines of communication. But a successfully executed KM program is an excellent way to maintain your competitive advantage. And in today’s knowledge economy, it’s an avenue you can’t afford to ignore.
Excerpted from Patrick Ropella’s white paper, “Managing and Retaining Your Company’s Knowledge,” available at http://www.Ropella.com under the “Toolbox” tab.
Unwrapped Gifts
By Dr. Jim Harris Posted 1 year, 1 week, 2 days, 5 hours, 51 minutes ago.
Imagine giving your kids a big, beautifully wrapped gift…that they never open!
If your kids are anything like my son (a normal, healthy, happy, and active boy who LOVES getting gifts), you’d say “how ridiculous.” Of course if I give them a gift, they’ll open it and find something of value inside. Yet so often today, across America and the world, people at work are filled with internal gifts that are ignored, overlooked, or simply left unwrapped.
Think about it. At this very moment, do you have inside of you an unwrapped gift (skill, knowledge, passion, insight, energy, creativity, connection, etc.) that is being untapped, unused, or underused that could:
- solve a big problem?
- close a new deal?
- breakthrough barrier to productivity?
- rebuild team harmony?
- improve sales and profit?
- energize your colleagues?
- better serve your customers?
- improve your work life?
- increase execution?
- encourage your boss?
- make someone smile?
Then don’t wait.
Don’t wait for your boss to unwrap it. She not likely to even know it’s inside you.
Don’t wait for your colleagues to unwrap it. They’re likely to focused on their own issues (and too distracted to unwrap theirs).
There are FAR TOO MANY unwrapped gifts today in businesses that are critical to take them to a higher level of success and significance.
So unwrap your gift. Let it shine. Don’t hesitate. Don’t delay. Take the first step NOW!
Take yourself to a higher level and others will follow!
Visionary Leadership: Take Stock of Your Situation
By Patrick Ropella Posted 1 year, 4 weeks, 2 days, 5 hours, 34 minutes ago.
Wherever you look, you see problems. You see trends and events that can have significant impacts on your business. You see risks…and you’re not the only one seeing these things, so are all the people in your organization. Now it’s up to you to keep your head on straight and provide the vision and leadership your organization needs to manage the risks, deal with the uncertainty, and continue to prosper for years to come. Here are a few suggestions to help you:
Take Stock of Your Situation
Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said “we have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” But left unchecked, fear leads to disasterous consequences. In the absence of information, people will invent data. It often starts around the water cooler (or these days on e-mail). One person suggests his ideas about how the company will react to some issue (and as human beings we tend to take very pessimistic guesses). These suppositions quickly become rumors. The rumors become unspoken truths, and suddenly people in your organization are basing their decisions and actions on false data. And if the data is negative enough, attrition of your top talent is likely to occur. So how do you combat fear?
Step 1: Articulate worst-case scenarios. Perhaps you fear the pharmaceutical industry can’t overcome the threat China poses, or that rising R&D costs mean your firm won’t remain competitive. Or maybe your fears are more localized, relating to specific problems in your department or the threat of layoffs coming down from corporate. Clearly state (to yourself) what you fear. Make a list of your worst-case scenarios…because most likely, people in your organization are fearing the same things.
Step 2: Assess your strengths. Now that you’ve unmasked your fears, it’s time to make a realistic assessment of the tools you can use to address them. Start by making a list of anything you consider to be an asset or resource. These can be specific people, technologies, industry knowledge or any other competencies your organization has and can use to gain advantage in the marketplace. They can also be intangible qualities such as the way you react to stress or how willing you are to adapt to new challenges.
Step 3: Develop contingencies. For each of the fears on your worst-case scenario list brainstorm a list of contingencies. Ask yourself the question “what would we do if this situation became reality?” Review your resources and strengths. Which resources could you put to use to address your fears?
To develop contingency plans, you can also look at the past challenges your organization has faced and how they were addressed. What went well that you would repeat? And what changes would you make the next time? You can also look outside the pharmaceutical and biotech industries at other businesses that have faced similar challenges. What did the successful firms do to overcome their challenges? What strategies can you emulate?
Excerpted from Patrick Ropella’s white paper, “Visionary Leadership,” available at www.Ropella.com under the “Toolbox” tab.
The ROI on a Great Purpose
By Dr. Jim Harris Posted 1 year, 1 month, 6 days, 19 hours, 36 minutes ago.
The purpose of an organization is to do something useful and to do it well. Taking the time to understand and solidify your corporate purpose brings with it a tremendous return on your investment in three significant ways.
First, purpose brings focus. It helps eliminate all the things that get in the way of success, that divert well-meaning employees from achieving great results.
Second, purpose simplifies. Simple here does not mean simplistic. Simple denotes that a great purpose helps everyone in the organization avoid esoteric jargon and cut through unnecessary bureaucracy.
Third, purpose clarifies. It helps everyone better understand their individual role in how to achieve overall goals. A great purpose guides employees in how to better align and invest existing resources, people, and time around those things that drive the purpose rather than waste them on irrelevant or counter-productive activities. As Roy Spence Jr., the CEO of GSD&M, a very successful advertising firm based in Austin, TX, loves to say, “What a company stands for is just as important as what it sells.”
With a focused, simple, and clear purpose ingrained with passion, transformation, and acceleration, achieving great results within an organization is very likely. Without a focused, simple, clear purpose ingrained with passion, transformation, and acceleration, achieving great results in improbable if not impossible.
Case Study: Integrity Media
“To help people worldwide experience the manifest presence of God.”
Transformation. Acceleration. Passion. Each element of a great purpose lives within this dynamic mission statement. Who owns this mission? Integrity Media, the Mobile, AL-based worldwide leader in Christian praise music.
Currently with over 55% market share of praise music sales within Christian bookstores, Integrity’s purpose is lived daily throughout their global operations. It begins with their corporate offices. Looking more like a small college campus than a for-profit company in the ultra-competitive music industry, Integrity’s multiple buildings are almost hidden among a beautiful grove of trees on a lovely hillside. Watching their employees briskly stroll along shade-covered sidewalks reminds me more of a walk with nature than a hurried jog to another meeting at a more traditional company.
Integrity’s founder and Chairman, Mike Coleman, fully understands the power of a great purpose. Yet we were both reminded of this when Mike asked me to lead an executive retreat for his top 14 managers. At one point I asked these executives why they stay at Integrity and what would make them leave. To a person, each man and woman responded, “If you (Mike) ever diminish the importance of or in anyway stray from the mission, we’re gone!”
Mike’s #1 goal, therefore, is to continue to drive the limitless power of this mission into every new existing and new operation. From creating a new book publishing division to internal management education initiatives to integrating a new organizational and operational structure, Integrity is aggressively integrating their purpose in everything they do and everything they produce.
What’s your story? Tell me the return on investment for your company’s purpose?
Excerpted from Dr. Jim’s book, Corporate Excellence, available for purchase at www.DrJimHarris.com.
The Third Element of a Great Purpose: Passion
By Dr. Jim Harris Posted 1 year, 1 month, 1 week, 5 days, 20 hours, 17 minutes ago.
The third element of purpose is passion. A great purpose somehow describes the very heart of your organization. It engages the soul, touches the spirit, and inspires all those associated with the journey toward achieving it.
I often notice executives squirm when I mention “passion” in my speaking and consulting engagements. Since my experience indicates that the vast majority of top- level managers are left-brain dominant, bottom-line focused sequential thinkers, the prospect of intentional focus on such a touch-feely concept as “passion” is often a mysterious if not seemingly irrelevant concept for their business.
Yet I am convinced that excellence (corporate or individual) is impossible with a disengaged heart!
Without a passion for purpose, employees are merely showing up for work and trying not to get into trouble. Without a passion for purpose, your customers only care about low prices. Without a passion for purpose, your shareholders are consumed with profits over principles. Without a passion for purpose, your enterprise loses the very humanness it was designed to serve.
Achieving great results in business mandates you have a clear, specific sense of how your company impacts the lives, dreams, and desires of those you serve, both internally and externally. A well-crafted purpose helps you unleash the limitless passion of all those involved to achieve excellence.
Ask yourself:
- What gets us excited about what we do?
- Where is the heart of our company?
- How can we better unleash the spirit of all those we touch?
Is there any passion in your company? Does your company unleash your soul-deep passion for success and significance? I’d love to her your stories (or rants).
Excerpted from Dr. Jim’s book, Corporate Excellence, available for purchase at www.DrJimHarris.com.
The Second Element of a Great Purpose: Acceleration
By Dr. Jim Harris Posted 1 year, 1 month, 2 weeks, 6 days, 1 hour, 32 minutes ago.
The second element of a great purpose is acceleration. Acceleration implies a sense of increased speed, of inertia and motion toward a specific end.
Consider your drive into work today. When you entered your vehicle, you already knew your ultimate destination (your office). You start the engine, and at first probably drive slowly through your subdivision or sides streets before you merge into bigger streets and more traffic. At times during your drive you are simply going with the flow. Yet like most of us, you look for the right time to make your move…to switch lanes (always using a turn signal of course)…to find an opening to catapult you to the front of the pack.
So what allows you to quickly dash your way to the front? You push the accelerator!
A purpose statement acts as your company’s accelerator. When properly constructed, it gives all concerned a specific end that mandates continued improvement, increasing speed, and a need for ever-changing strategies.
Ask yourself:
- Where are our pockets of greatest energy and inertia?
- Are they headed toward a specific and acceptable result?
- What is it about these areas that produce such acceleration?
- How can we transfer their sense of speed into other operations?
Let me know how your current corporate purpose statement gives you and your team a sense of acceleration!
*Excerpt from my book Corporate Excellence available for purchase at www.DrJimHarris.com.