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Saturday 2 January 2016

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LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD REFLECTION AND RENEWAL FOR 2016 PAGES 6-7

Welcoming 2016 Why should I begin again? Is it necessary? Pg 03

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BEST DELIVERY

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10 ways to ensure high quality work

5 leadership lessons you can learn from Swing Dance

Transitioning into management? Prepare to be unprepared

Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

ian Says

To Reflect And Renew

Alive and Kicking

WITH the New Year come new expectations. Some of us form resolutions, while others say doing that is too mainstream, and prefer to “go with the flow” – opting for spontaneity in the process. Whichever school of thought we belong to, the year ahead will be one of possibilities and an immense number of opportunities. Hence, my favourite tagline carpe diem, which means seize the day. No matter what comes our way, we can choose to be optimistic and try to make the most out of life. It is not merely a state of mind, but a daily, deliberate choice. In this week’s centre spread story, Roshan Thiran shares with us the importance of having a reflection and renewal process, as he reflects on the past 12 months, and advises us to launch into the next year with renewed zest and vigour. Some of the key takeaways include scheduling daily reflection breaks, be willing to change, and destroy old habits. We also bring you the weekly Try This column – Freda Liu shares a four-step reflective process beginning with gratefulness, lessons, achievements, and concluding with the question: “What’s next?” In the following Be A Leader column, Joseph builds on the momentum by asking a simple yet profound question: “Should I even bother celebrating the New Year?” He shares with us three thought-provoking perspectives, but it is the conclusion that really captures the imagination. Read on to find out what he has to say. Top 10 looks at a number of ways to ensure high quality work, and do look out for the final paragraph where it lists three crucial ingredients for success. In Thought Of The Week, James draws a number of crucial leadership lessons from the art of swing dancing. One that caught my eye is the notion that a leader needs to be fluid – which is a really good reminder in a business world that is obsessed with rigid business plans and immovable stakeholders. Simon Sinek, in this week’s Hard Talk looks at purpose, and how it is a non-negotiable. In a landscape that is consumed by materialism and eternal consumerism, reading an article on purpose is deeply refreshing. As we conclude, Steve Pavlina shares how life shapes and moulds us in a myriad of ways, but we make the choice to actively participate. Xavier Johnson then articulates the heart and art of employee engagement, listing three essential elements: truthfulness, trust and thrust. Finally, Christian Bonilla looks at how as an individual contributor transitions into a leadership role, it is crucial that the mental frame of preparing to be unprepared is adopted. We end with a beautiful quote from Steve Pavlina: “Life is forging, sculpting and moulding you. Sometimes it shapes you with fire. Sometimes it shapes you with water. And sometimes it lets you rest.” May we keep that in our hearts and minds as we launch into the New Year. Carpe diem, IAN LEE Editor Leaderonomics.com

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s Quote

By FREDA LIU editor@leaderonomics.com HOW has 2015 been for you? Mine has been great. Not because I have had so many wonderful things happen to me, which have been the case. Pondering on the months, I have experienced betrayal, rejection, anger, disappointment, sadness, bitterness, envy, annoyance… Should I go on? If I were to sit down and give you a blow-by-blow account on what happened to me on a daily basis, it would definitely look unstable on a heart rate monitor, with some very highs and some very lows. It could give you a heart attack just observing it!

Gratefulness

I end every year going through 10 things I am grateful for. This reflective exercise gets me pondering and I find myself “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” about the nice things that have happened and the little things that I am grateful for. Simple joys like my son asking for a book I have written so he can read it at a holiday camp (he probably just wants to show off that I’m his mother) to checking on me if I have had dinner. Coming from a 13-year-old, this means the world to me.

Lessons

I then ask myself what were some of my greatest lessons learnt for the year. As I do that, I don’t dwell on the negative. Instead, I treat every experience as an opportunity to learn. The most meaningful learning is usually from a “bad” experience, i.e. you can’t appreciate the view at the top of the mountain unless you’ve been to the valley.

One of my lessons was the people I allowed into my space and my heart. And as much as I don’t want to change my open nature, I am wary of how much I will allow an individual into my life. When I find my energy being zapped or I catch myself whinging, I then reframe and move on to play a bigger game. I visualise myself being up in the clouds knowing there’s a storm brewing below as opposed to being caught in the storm.

Achievements

There has been plenty; from finishing my first marathon to writing my second book. These only serve as reminders that I can do more, and how I need to get uncomfortable again to stretch myself to be a better me not for public recognition but to be all that I can be as God has planned for me.

What’s Next?

The year has been filled with such lessons (from the good and bad) and I reckon I’ll be lifeless if it didn’t come with trials and tribulations. In the midst of it, I choose to focus on the wonderful things that have happened from fellowships, friendships, support and opportunities that have come my way. Whatever 2016 may be like, I just thank God for being alive to experience it. Trust me, there are many silver linings in your life if you look out for them too. n Freda is a faculty trainer of Leaderonomics focusing on public relations and broadcasting. She is also a radio presenter/producer on BFM89.9. To engage Freda for your organisational work, email training@leaderonomics.com

The opinions expressed in this leadership guide are those of the writers or the people they quoted and not necessarily those of Leaderonomics.

“Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.” Brooks Atkinson

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Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

WHY SHOULD I BEGIN AGAIN? By JOSEPH TAN joseph.tan@leaderonomics.com

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes.” — G.K. Chesterton

HOULD I even bother myself with celebrating the New Year? After the party is over and the resolution statements are crafted, I usually find myself exactly where I ended the year before – nothing really much has changed and I am back where I was the year before. The New Year then is only a definition of time and not a measure of transformation. What is all this hype about new beginnings when I have not even overcome old baggages? If measurement drives behaviour, then it follows that the unit of measurement will determine the intensity of my drive to change. As long as I view the period as a new “year”, I will be focusing on generalities with no specific focus for progress. However, if I look at the New Year as a period of new “time”, then it re-orientates my perspective in such a way that change is possible. Perhaps, there can be a new beginning, after all.

Perspective 1: Time is a Trust Life is a funny thing – the moment you start living for yourself is when it starts to diminish. Have you ever had that surge of motivation to rise to the occasion when you are entrusted with the responsibility to execute on a significant task or project? It is as if you are now thrusted into the arena of accountability

where your actions and how you spend your time will have a significant impact on what matters – not only to you but also to the organisation as well. Now, as you think about the New Year, think in terms of what aim you are entrusted with. The stronger this sense of “entrustment”, the higher the likelihood of the New Year having a great beginning. Here are three “trust perspective” questions for your reflection: l Is my job merely a series of tasks to be completed, rather than a purposeful assignment? l Do I have the mind-set of serving others because I do not want to let them down? l Do I see my time as a given trust by which, what I do will significantly impact those around me?

Perspective 2: Time is an Investment Life is the accumulation of memorable moments. As you look back at the many years that have passed, what brings a smile,

what is it that causes you to savour the joy of living? The meaningful conversations, the fun vacations, the special celebrations, the walk in the park – all these represent intentional time investments which resulted in the reaping of its fruits. The law of sowing and reaping is the fundamental premise for this perspective of time. Without an intentional investment of scheduled and planned time, none of these memories would be possible. So, as you peer into the New Year, have the same attitude as that of a wise funds manager – how shall I best invest the limited resources available for the maximum possible returns? With the 365 resource-days which you have available, what sort of investment plan do you have and what returns do you desire to have when you finally reach Dec 31, 2016? It is not about how you have spent the New Year, rather it is about how you will be sowing into the New Year for results that can be reaped for many more years to come. Here are three “investment perspective” questions for your evaluation: l Begin with the end in mind – What type of “fruits” do I want to see in my life by Dec 31, 2016? This will set the tone for my investment activities for the year ahead. l With the limited resources which I have, what is it that I need to stop doing? l With the limited resources which I have, what is it that I need to do differently?

Perspective 3: Time is a Treasure What I treasure, I pursue.

When it comes to cliché advices on decision-making, the common one which I hear sounds like this – “follow your heart”. Nothing could be further from the truth. My heart is not a device for navigation rather it is a bundle of emotions which must be led by the determination of my mind. What my mind determines, then my heart will follow. Here is the principle – where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. How 2016 will turn out for you depends on your “treasure” decisions i.e. what I decide in my mind will then direct my heart. Here are three “treasure perspective” questions for your evaluation: l List down what really matters. For example, it is not just about wealth but what do you plan to do with your wealth. It is not about health but what you want to do with your state of well-being. l List down who really matters. It is a paradox that often, those closest to us are those we take for granted – we do not realise the value of certain relationships until they are taken away from us. l List down work that matters. Instead of being constrained by your job description, have you ever thought of growing in your area of talents – how you are naturally inclined to think, act and feel? Ever thought about exploring an expanded job area that leverages on what really motivates you? Remember, no one can read your mind until you speak it.

The Privilege of Creation

Why should I begin? As a self-aware being, I have the privilege of being a part of the creation process – in fact, all things are created twice – first in the mind, then it is expressed through my outward actions. I begin with a dream and then I execute with a plan. Why should I begin? As a responsible leader, I have the privilege of creating a better future and environment for those under my care – both in the workplace and also at home. If for reasons of laziness and apathy, I do not embrace the creative possibilities of the New Year, then I have just entered into the New Year with an old mindset. There is too much at stake for me not to begin.

n Joseph Tan is CEO of Leaderonomics Good Monday. His passion is to work with performancefocused leaders to capture the hearts and minds of their employees through a strengths-based and accountabilitydriven approach. Much of what is shared in the article above comes from his work as a Gallupcertified strengths coach. If you would like to enhance the engagement level of your organisation, email joseph.tan@ leaderonomics.com for more details.

Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

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Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

T’S the start of a new year with yet another chance to chart your career and ensure that top quality work is produced in your organisation. They say talent breeds innovation and innovation creates success. But when it’s time to deliver that project to the board, what can be done as an employer to ensure your talent maximise their contribution? It’s all well and good for individuals to devise ingenious strategies for growth, but if these strategies are not executed with a degree of precision, is your company producing the standard of work it requires?

GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT 10 Ways To Ensure High Quality Work

Here are 10 ways for creating a disciplined, cohesive approach to high quality work.

the seed for success 1 Planting

Every project must start with a concise objective and a clear vision for progression. What is it that you are trying to achieve? Who is your target audience? What message do you want to convey and how are you going to communicate that message? These questions provide the necessary structure for developing your project brief and help establish the steps needed to reach your goal.

2 Why, Why, Why?

An understanding of why you are creating this piece of work is essential in controlling the direction of the project. A project that loses sight of the original purpose will not achieve the required result. It will also affect the consistency of the messages being conveyed. Developing your own motivations is also critical to the outcome of the project. Are you in it for the money? Do you want to further your career ambitions? Or do you want the company to succeed? This will ultimately affect your drive and quality of work.

5 You’re not alone

The best way to streamline your key messaging is through qualitative and quantitative research. A thorough understanding of the topic at hand and the audience you are targeting is crucial. You need to be able to pre-empt how people think and how they will react to your work. Monitoring behaviours, quirks and numerical targets will help you selfregulate the project.

Large projects can often be overwhelming and as such being able to delegate tasks and work closely with colleagues is essential. Creating unnecessary stress by burdening yourself with most of the work is counterproductive. Utilise the resources at your disposal and seek guidance from superiors and different departments. This will not only increase quality control but will maintain the talent’s passion and motivation for the project.

yourself all the way 4 Back

your workload 6 Manage

3 Be a know-it-all

Now that your blueprint for success is complete, you need to have the confidence to support your actions. Have faith in the project you have devised. There’s a reason why you spent all that time researching and devising a strategy. Have faith in your own talent and the talent of your team. If you starting losing confidence in your own ability, you’ll start doubting your actions and decisions. Accountability is key, so never back down or pass the blame to someone else. The buck stops at you.

Be smart with your time and estimate how long it will take to complete each assignment. Work late if you must, but also consider working in advance so as to avoid deadlines. Quality is everything, so don’t be afraid to stimulate yourself with extrinsic motivation. Have a coffee, take a break, and change your work hours. Being patient is key. If you force yourself you are likely to make a mistake. The “one-percenters” can make or break the project, so stay fresh and pay attention to detail.

7 The age of technology

Embrace change and learn how to maximise your output by becoming familiar with new technology and its many influences. Effective use of e-resources, hardware and social media can allow for greater efficiency. Devices such as smart phones, laptops and tablets are multi-functional and can reduce costs and response time.

‘Is this what I want?’

As you near the end of the project, consider implementing editorial strategies to analyse and regulate your work. Ask yourself: Have I answered the question? Does the work make sense? Can I make improvements? Feedback from superiors is also important. Confer with a colleague and ask them for their opinion. Get them to approve the tone and language of the work. Two pair of eyes are better than one.

it look a million dollars? 9 Does

Presentation is everything. An audience needs to be able to view the piece of work and process its message within seconds. The three-second glance rule has changed how we present information.

If your project is not engaging then the importance of the content will be lost. The secret is to keep things simple. Is the colour consistent? Is the format consistent? Is the font readable? Cutting costs on presentation will detract from the original purpose of the project.

you ‘I’s’ and cross your ‘T’s’ 10 Dot

It’s true, the small things in life matter. Personal touches and simple grammar can make or break a project. Proofreading is everything. Is your spelling and punctuation correct? Have you used the correct words? Do you know the difference between “there”, “their” and “they’re”? It’s really that bad! And it gets even worse. Have you saved your changes and updated the relevant sections on the website? Have you copied in the appropriate people on an email? Have you spelt their name correctly?

Conclusion

Whatever your project may be, accuracy is essential. Any hint of unprofessionalism will undermine all efforts to breed innovation. Success truly lies in hard work, dedication and a will to be perfect.

n If you find this article interesting, then you will definitely enjoy our trove of Top 10s. Log on to www. leaderonomics. com for more.

Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

Here are my Top 10 ways to reflect and renew yourself: 1

Take Daily Reflection Breaks It is very hard to find time to reflect consistently so I suggest you start by adding reflection to your calendar. Schedule in “reflection breaks” or time to pause from the “rat-race” of life to listen to your heart and to God.

By ROSHAN THIRAN roshan.thiran@leaderonomics.com

am a pretty competitive person. Over the past 10 years, I witnessed most of my peers quit competitive sports as they whizzed past the age of 40. As I watched my friends disappear from the competitive sports scenery, I was personally tempted to call it a day too. Yet, I kept convincing myself that I should keep going for a couple more years. A few weekends ago, I was hit badly in a game. With different parts of my body injured, I still managed to keep going for a bit till I felt extreme pain in my back. I stopped and rushed back home. I lay on my bed for an hour and as I tried to get up, I was completely immobile. For the next two days, I was stuck in my bed, not able to move.

The Reflection Story

Initially, I was highly disappointed and upset about not being able to move but as reality hit, I realised God had given me a gift of solitude and a chance to reflect on the frantic year that whizzed by. Years ago, I learnt the importance of how reflection “renews” your life. Without solitude and reflection, it is impossible to know yourself, your purpose and more importantly, which areas of your life require “renewal.” Buddha claims that, “all that we are is the result of what we have thought.” The practice of reflection goes back centuries and is rooted in numerous institutions including the Japanese samurai, of which I talked about in one my previous articles, 4 Leadership Lessons From The Samurai. Ben Franklin, one of my leadership heroes, had a rather systematic approach to daily reflection, which was a fundamental part of his life. He developed a list of 13 virtues and each day he evaluated himself relative to these virtues. This reflection practice enabled him to become a “renaissance” man who was a scientist, innovator, artist, writer and a great leader. A sincere examination of ourselves is never easy. It involves the willingness to face and acknowledge our mistakes, failure and shortcomings. I recommend at least yearly, taking ourselves out of our “rat race” life and spending time in personal reflection, solitude and in questioning ourselves. Albert Schweitzer, Nobel winner, believes reflection in life is critical to leadership as it allows you to take into “account what you have neglected in thoughtlessness.” Interestingly, one of the key steps in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12-step

programme asks participants to make a probing and courageous moral inventory. Without reflection, the AA programme may not show much success. Even successful business leaders start their journey in solitude and reflection. Steve Jobs went to India to reflect prior to starting Apple. Every time I consider a new challenge, I force myself to go through a “thinking” and reflection process. This helps set up the new assignment well. In a few cases where I had to rush into the new assignment without “thinking” time, it turned out to be disastrous. So, the first part of this article focuses on looking back and is termed “reflection”. The second part is on looking forward, and I term it as “renewal.”

The Renewal Process

A few days ago, a colleague at Leaderonomics shared an article on how an eagle renews its strength and is “reborn” after going through a renewal process. Eagles shed their old, worn-out feathers and this is replaced by new ones. This process is called “molt” where these birds have to literally shed old feathers and wait till the new, better feathers grow. Snakes and lizards likewise shed their skin to be “renewed.” In fact, all animals shed their skin — even you! For most of us, this is a continuous process which we rarely notice. Scientists term this process “ecdysis.” Why do the snakes shed their skin? Snakes shed their skin to allow for further growth and to remove parasites that may have attached to their old skins. As humans, one of the most fascinating things about us is our power to change, not just the outside but also the inside. We can change our beliefs, fears, perceptions and even our habits. But, this renewal can only begin when we are clear of what we desire to be changed. This happens at the reflection phase when we have clarity on who we are and who we want to become. Also, like the snake, as we go through life, we have “parasitic” beliefs, dogma and attitudes that wear us down. We start decaying instead of growing. Renewal is required to move from decay to growth. I was never afraid of bodily injury and cuts, as my previous coach explained that injury to our body may not necessarily be bad. When old blood flows out of the body, new fresh blood soon replaces the lost blood. Likewise, muscles get stronger when lightly injured and repaired. Similarly, renewal is a painful process where the old must be destroyed and removed and replaced with the new.

Learning From Andrea

Many years ago, former chief executive officer (CEO) of Avon, Andrea Jung,

Ask Yourself Questions Questions change the world, not answers. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when you take your reflective breaks: A) Am I clear about who I am and what my life’s purpose is? B) Why am I here at this moment? Is what I do aligned with my bigger vision? C) Where am I going? What is my big dream for myself? D) How will I get there? Is doing what I am currently doing going to enable me to get there? E) When I get there, how will I know? F) What’s stopping me from moving forward? What are the obstacles I may need to overcome? G) What is not working for me today? H) What must I change about myself to enable me to get to where I want to?

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

Be Willing to Change We usually end up doing the same things and retaining status quo. Convince yourself that you are not perfect and that you are a work in progress. I have met many who act as if everything they utter is the absolute truth. They are fixated that they are perfect and everyone else is wrong. They believe others need to change, not them. Many of us act likewise. For example, when an organisational change is announced, instead of rejoicing, most of us lament change. Even in our personal lives, we are similarly change-adversed. Be the opposite. When you reflect and notice any negative traits, work to resolve or change them.

What’s Your Reflection And Renewal Process?

What’s your organisational renewal process?

discussed how to proactively “reinvent herself” yearly. Part of the process was to take a weekend to reflect in solitude. The other part was to “fire” herself before being “fired” by her board. Here is what she outlines as her renewal process: “Fire yourself on a Friday night and come in on Monday morning as if a search firm put you there as a turnaround leader. Can you be objective and make the bold change? If you can’t, then you haven’t reinvented yourself. If you can, then you can have a decade of tenure that is like having different jobs. I’m not the

same leader I was even last year, because those skills have rendered themselves not as useful. I’ve had to reinvent myself every year.” Like the eagle, Andrea found her “renewal” process through firing herself yearly. While reflection is a starting point, it cannot be the end of the process. This is what happens to many organisations that consistently look back to their past glories and then stagnate as they have no renewal process post reflection. Rejuvenation, renewal and reinvention in organisations begins

when pride is discarded together with all assumptions that constrict growth. Some of these assumptions and constraints were discussed in my Star Wars article last week, Star Wars: The 4 Galactic Constraints Of The Empire. Processes, organisational structures, culture, leadership and even your business model needs to be constantly evaluated. After review, there may be a need to destroy these outdated processes, culture or even to reinvent your business model. Companies that consistently destroy themselves to renew themselves enjoy longevity.

One of the key challenges facing organisations is the fact that smaller, more nimble and agile competitors pop up and destroy long established business models and firmly held business dogma. Uber has changed transportation services and Airbnb has changed its industry. Why do organisations who have deep expertise and experience in their industry get turned over by these smaller start-ups? The reason becomes apparent when we look deep into these organisations. Most were once start-ups but they grew comfortable. They didn’t have a process for deep reflection and renewal (many believed they were the “market leader” and the rest of the industry “copied” them). This belief led them to complacency. Renewal and rejuvenation were the last thing on their minds. Only when crisis hit did they begin asking questions, and forcing through a renewal process. Most times, it is too late into the game thus relegating them into the annals of history.

Eastman Kodak is a classic example of a giant losing its way due to its lack of an internal reflection and renewal process. If your organisation is not consistently reflecting, and making constant changes to its processes and structures, business models, culture and its leadership DNA, they could soon join Kodak.

What Does This Mean For Me?

It is critical for organisations, even while at the top to reflect and renew themselves. But this same process is applicable to all of us as individuals. n Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics, a social enterprise passionate about transforming the nation. Although reflection and renewal is a tough and painful process, a huge part of Leaderonomics today has been built on undergoing this process continuously. To inquire about how your organisations can build reflection and renewal as a core process, email us at people@leaderonomics.com

Clear Your Clutter As you reflect, you may realise that there are some things that should be removed from your life. Eradicate those physical things that constrict you from the “renewed” you. For example, if you have decided not to smoke, remove all triggers that may remind you of your past. As a game, you may want to play a “Daily Clutter Challenge.” Every day, pick a number between one to 10 and write the number down. Each day, remove as many things that clutter your life as the number you picked. If you picked five, make sure you eliminate five things that are cluttering your life.

Remove Negative People You may also realise that there are negative people in your life that weigh you down. Be brave enough to let go of these people. This is hard to do, but be courageous. You want to reinvent and renew yourself. Don’t allow negative people to trigger you back into your old state or to use up your limited willpower.

Tell Everyone When you decide that you are going to “renew” and “reinvent” yourself, don’t be afraid to announce it to the world. Not because you love to boast. The reason you want to make a public statement is for accountability purposes. The moment you make a public statement, you will be held accountable to achieve it by your friends who heard your original assertion.

Tweak Your Environment Making changes to your surroundings will make a difference in rejuvenation. I shared a story of how we wanted to drive employees to be more present and productive in the office. We tweaked our office environment and immediately saw results. Likewise, you need to tweak your environment to reinforce and drive the change you are championing in your life. For further information, read one of my previous articles, Tweak The Environment at www. leaderonomics.com/leadership/tweak-theenvironment

Make One Change At A Time Big problems are rarely solved with complex solutions. Often, they are solved by a sequence of small solutions. Start your renewal by not trying to change everything that is wrong and needs fixing. Work on one area at a time. This may be frustrating at first as there are numerous areas to fix and it seems like it would take forever. Yet, you will have longer staying power by trying to ‘reinvent’ one part at a time.

Collect Experiences It is amazing how closed and sheltered many of us are. Many have never experienced the complexity and diversity of life at its fullest. When you do throw yourself to accumulate experiences, you will suddenly learn how little you know about the world and about yourself. The more you challenge yourself to accrue diverse experiences, the easier it is to change and to consistently reinvent yourself. You will also learn faster and become a far more rounded leader. Signing up for a new class or taking on a project in your office that you have no idea how to deal with would be a simple place to start if you are devoid of ideas. Each new experience will open your eyes up to amazing possibilities. Keep diving into unfamiliar experiences.

Be Willing To Destroy The hardest part of renewal is to destroy some of the things that helped get you to where you are. You may be highly dependent on a skill or a way of managing people that helped you get to your current position. However, you may have to unlearn that skill and learn a completely different way for the next phase of your life. Rebirth happens with destruction. And it is hard to truly renew if we are still clinging to the past.

Wishing you a blessed New Year and may 2016 be the year where your dreams and goals are fulfilled.

Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

Swinging INto the new year!

5 Leadership Lessons You Can Learn From Swing Dance

Photo credit: James Lee at jameslsy.com

By JAMES LEE james.lee@leaderonomics.com

love dancing. I’ve always been involved in dance performances, choreographs and competitions as I was growing up. If I had been born in America, I’d probably have ended up as a dancer for Michael Jackson. Swing dance was something I was exposed to seven years ago, but didn’t follow up until 2014 when I realised that the girl I used to dance with was doing it twice a week in Singapore. After seeing her on the dance floor, I was determined to be good at it so I could ask her for a dance. So what has swing dance got to do with leadership?

The Lead And The Follow

n James Lee was born to dance and is adventurous by nature. He is a treehugger by accident, an artist by blood and a photographer by profession. He is also a true blue Leaderonomer. Drop him a line or two if you need a dance partner.

Any type of partner for dance will have assigned roles: the Lead and the Follow. The Leads, which are traditionally the guys, will decide what moves to perform and the Follows, who are traditionally women, will read the signals given by the Leads and execute the moves. Life itself is very much like dancing. You often find yourself in the deep end learning how to lead or follow. First-time Leads will scramble with the little vocabulary of dance moves trying to lead, and first time Follows will find it hard to read what the Leads want them to do. Whether you dance or don’t, here are five leadership lessons to take away from the dance floor and apply it to the rest of your life.

1 Be Fluid

You should know by now that things in life don’t always go the way you want them to. In swing dance, if you’re a Lead, this can take the form of doing a move you thought would work and it doesn’t. It could be your mistake or perhaps your dance partner is new to the move, hence it didn’t work.

A good Lead will always improvise. They will go with the flow, adjust, and turn that blunder into something beautiful. In real life, maybe you have a business plan that didn’t work out the way you wanted it, or it could be just a party you’re trying to throw and it fell through. How can you be fluid enough to adapt and turn it to your advantage? “Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.” – Don Miguel Ruiz

2 Respect And Teach

Be nice and respect your partners. The relationship you have while dancing to that three-minute song shows a lot about you. No-one likes a dancing partner who makes you feel awkward. People naturally gravitate towards you when you make them feel comfortable. A great dancer can still be deemed a jerk if you’re being aggressive or even trying too hard on a move that results in hurting your partner. Others might make their partners feel uncomfortable because they throw moves way above their level, which creates a huge gap. Instead, break down the moves a little. Likewise, as leaders in your sphere, always respect your people. Give them challenges gradually and patiently guide them through tough times to develop them. Your people will then see that you have their best interests at heart, and will try to follow up bit by bit. Eventually, a huge task given to them won’t seem so daunting after all.

3 Clear Communication

A message is only effective when it is delivered with clarity that the audience understands it. In swing dance,

What Is Swing Dance?

communication is important. There are times that I myself as a Lead Swing dance (sometimes called Jitterbug) tried a move that consists of a group of dances that developed with the isn’t communicated swing style of jazz music in the 1920s–1940s. clearly and the During the swing era, there were numerous styles of Follow moved in an swing dancing but those that remain include: Lindy Hop, unexpected way. Balboa, Collegiate Shag and Lindy Charleston. Today, Our bodies give Lindy Hop is the most well-known, and it originated from out the best comHarlem of New York in the early 1930s. munication. People Dance moves have evolved with music. Swing dancing may not consciously styles are the foundation of many other dance pay attention to your styles including disco, country line dancing, body but they still and hip hop. “hear” what it says. Good Leads make sure ‘Dancing is like dreaming with their body is saying what your feet!’ – Constanze they want to say. In life, when you communicate with confidence, your people can follow your leading more clearly. And if you don’t, they may pick up that insecurity and stumble on their feet along the way. The Best Leads

Take The Opportunity

Opportunities don’t come by all the time. If you take too long of a time to decide on something, you’d most probably miss the boat. On the dance floor, you may see someone across the room that you want to dance with. Maybe you’re the confident type and you go for it right away. On the other spectrum, you may be someone who takes the whole night just thinking about it. There isn’t always going to be the next song. Seize the moment, and don’t wait too long. If you do miss the opportunity, most likely it was not yours to begin with. Take your time and look for these golden opportunities that may help you progress in your career goals and life’s purposes. “Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr

5 Also Follow

It’s not the easiest thing to play different roles in a dance. Most Leads stick as Leads on the dance floor and vice versa, but the best Leads and Follows know that the roles are not set in stone. Venturing out of your intended role gives a whole new perspective on the dance. You’ll start to see the challenges of your partners when you try to issue a move. You are now able to empathise with them and make better communications to allow the both of you to execute a move gracefully. Learning a different role other than the default fills the missing gaps, with valuable information to allow you to see the full picture. It is definitely uncomfortable to step outside of what you know. Heck, change is one of the hardest things to do in life. But don’t let fear hold you back in becoming greater than who you are. Recognise the influence you have with others in every aspect of your life. You are a leader, so be a leader.

Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

By SIMON SINEK editor@leaderonomics.com

felt sick. I wanted to curl up in a ball and be alone. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I was ashamed. To most people, what I did would seem a trifle, but to me it was much deeper. I gave a talk to an organisation that violated the very core of my beliefs. In my mind, I felt like a sell-out. In my pre-engagement calls, I had a bad feeling about this group. They treated me like some vendor. I could barely get a question in as they were talking so much. They also sent an email telling me what to wear – dress pants and a jacket. Had they done no research on me? I always wear jeans. But I talked myself out of it. “Stop acting like a diva,” I told myself. I sat backstage waiting for my time to speak, listening to the executives give their talks to the group. They presented themselves as a company that sells financial advice, but in my opinion, they weren’t doing it in an honourable way. It seemed to me to be more like a pyramid scheme; a multilevel marketing organisation that makes money on recruiting new financial planners and having them use their “system” to win clients. All they did was talk about money and who were the high performers. Never once did they talk about helping their clients – the people they are supposed to be serving. I believe in helping people and doing right by others. This company preyed on people’s ambitions. They weren’t interested in helping people, rather they were interested in exploiting them and profiting off their risk. I felt sick. I didn’t want to be there and I didn’t want to be a part of it.

Sticking To Your Values

I made my choice. There was something I had that they didn’t: the microphone. They were going to put me on the stage, turn on a spotlight and let me

Purpose CanNot Be Rationalised speak, uninterrupted for 60 minutes. I would use that time to share my message. To preach. And preach I did. I spoke of the power of trust. I spoke of giving to others as the most selfish thing any person could do, because the more we look out for others, the more others will look out for us. I chastised systems that manipulate (and I stared right at the senior executives when I did). I told stories I had heard from my time with the military – stories of heroism and sacrifice. I said: “They give medals to people who are willing to sacrifice themselves so that others may gain.” “In business, we give bonuses to those who are willing to sacrifice others so that we may gain. We’ve got it backwards,” I implored. They clapped at the end, but I didn’t stick around. I walked off the stage, grabbed my stuff and walked straight out the back door. I didn’t talk to anyone and I didn’t want anyone to talk to me. I felt sick and ashamed that I was a part of this.

Rationalisation vs Purpose

I joined the daily huddle call our little company has where we share what we’re up to for the day and ask for help if we need it. I didn’t follow the normal procedure. Instead, I confessed. I told them how I felt. My team was amazing. “Don’t sweat it,” they said trying to make me feel better. “We’re sure your message resonated

and you converted a few.” One by one they took turns trying to help me see something good that may have come from this experience. But purpose cannot be rationalised. I remember when I worked in the advertising industry and I asked one of the executives what societal good advertising does? “We help drive the economy,” was his response. So did the manufacturers of gas chambers during the Holocaust. Finding elements of good does not equal a noble purpose. It’s just rationalising. Providing jobs, driving the economy and serving shareholders are not purposes. They are rationalisations used when a greater cause or purpose is not clear or not there. Real purpose has a clear and definitive direction. It is a path that points towards a very specific vision of the future. Rationalisations have no destination, they are simply a calculation to demonstrate some benefit to justify the actions. Rationalisations are just that: rational. In contrast, purpose is deeply emotional. This is why we feel passion and intense drive when we are involved with something that has purpose. And it’s why we get that sick feeling when we do something in violation of that purpose. There is no sick feeling from violating a rationalised purpose… nor is there an invigorating passion to pursue it. Because a true sense of purpose is deeply emotional, it serves as a compass to guide us to act in a way that is

completely consistent with our values and beliefs. Purpose does not need to involve calculations or numbers. Purpose is about the quality of life. Purpose is human, not economic.

Concluding Thoughts

I thanked my team for their support, but insisted that we could not and should not try to rationalise making these kinds of errors. They are mistakes and we should learn from them to avoid finding ourselves in the same position again in the future. We should feel ashamed when they happen and we should also hold each other accountable and support each other to avoid decisions that would leave us in a position where we are forced to compromise on what we stand for. We’ve already implemented new checks and balances to avoid the same situation from happening again. The company I spoke for had signed a contract for me to speak at another one of their events later this year. The problem for them is, I won’t be there. There is no contract on the planet that can force me to violate what I stand for. I will lose money and I will certainly ruffle some feathers… and that’s fine by me. They will all get over it in due course. They will rationalise why I was the wrong person for the job anyway. But I could never feel whole for showing up, no matter how much money they offered. Money is a calculation. My values are who I am.

n Simon Sinek is a trained ethnographer and author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. An optimist, he believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. To connect with him, email us at editor@ leaderonomics.com.

Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

The Forge of Life By STEVE PAVLINA editor@leaderonomics.com

n Steve Pavlina is a renowned American author and expert on personal development and leadership. He is a strong advocate of ‘paying it forward’ and is delighted to be able to share his insights to help inspire and empower people to realise their own greatness. For more on Steve’s work visit www.stevepavlina. com. For personal development training, email us at training@ leaderonomics.com.

OMETIMES I like thinking of life as a forge that moulds us and gives us shape and substance as we live. We come into this world like blocks of marble, and we’re sculpted by experience. We can let the forge do its job on its own. But we also have the option to consciously participate in the process if we feel ready for that. We can collaborate with the forge in order to have a say in what we’re becoming. Sometime ago, I attended a workshop by author/speaker Tim Freke. Tim shared an idea that resonated with me. First he noted the conception that when we die, some people imagine that we’ll see a bright light, and supposedly we’re expected to go towards the light and dissolve into it. When this happens, we shed our earthly identities. We experience total oneness. But we also essentially become unconscious. If dissolving into the light means shedding your individual consciousness, then there’s no ego left through which consciousness can look at itself. Consequently, going into the light actually means going dark. Tim suggested an alternative. He asked (I’m paraphrasing here), “What if instead of dissolving into the light, the point of life is to develop such a strong individual consciousness that we don’t want to dissolve into unconscious oneness afterwards?” That’s an interesting perspective, isn’t it? What if the spiritual goal of your earthly life is to develop such a strong consciousness, identity, and personality that you’d love to continue going even after you die? So, you look at the offer to dissolve into the light and you exclaim, “No thanks! I’ll keep going with what I’ve created!” If a master swordmaker created an amazingly beautiful and elegant sword, would you acknowledge its greatness and then toss it back into the forge right away to recycle it? Or would you display it proudly? Study it more deeply? Admire its craftsmanship? Would you enjoy using such a sword? Once the sword is crafted, wouldn’t it be nice to learn how to wield it? You could spend a whole other lifetime exploring and mastering the use of that sword, long after the forging is done. Life is forging, sculpting, and moulding you. Sometimes it shapes you with fire. Sometimes it shapes you with water. And sometimes it lets you rest.

Forging the Self

When you see that you’re being forged by experience, you gain the option to consciously participate in your own forging. You can help direct the forger, telling him how to mould and shape you in ways

that you desire. The forger may have his own plan for you, and you can submit to that plan, align with it and help enhance it, or you can break from it. How do you do this?

Surrender

Recognise the ways that life has already been shaping you, and instead of resisting those movements, actively invite and encourage them. Notice where life keeps nudging you to go, and go there.

Exploration

Lean into new experiences. One of my favourite expressions is: Embrace the new. I’ve found that when I do this, I have few regrets. If the outcome is positive, then I’ve moulded my character in some valuable new way. If the outcome isn’t so good, then I’ve learned a good lesson about how to mould my character, and I’ve freed my mind to let go of the recurring “maybe I should try this” thought pattern. It’s much easier to keep progressing when I satisfy my curiosity through direct experience.

Confront Your Fears

What do you fear? Public speaking? Talking to strangers? Being homeless? Failing in business? Being rejected? Intimacy? Confront your fears again and again, and your fear dissolves. This gives you more power to participate in sculpting your own character since now you can embrace new types of forging that you’d otherwise resist due to irrational fears. You gain new lists of properties that you could forge into your character, properties that were previously unavailable to you. For instance, you could create a character who travels around the world doing public speaking, which wouldn’t have been accessible

when you resisted flying, speaking, and travelling abroad.

Conscious Modification of the Forge Itself

You can deliberately change your environment and your social connections to help influence how you turn out. Move to a new city or part of a town. Drop unsupportive social connections, and invite and add more inspiring ones. If you don’t like what some of the forgers in your life are doing, stop inviting them into your forge.

Conscious Character Design

What kind of character would you like to create? Who do you dream of becoming? Take some time to review a list of values; these of which can be found in my article, List of Values, on my website. Note the ones that you’d most like to include in your character.

There are more than 400 to choose from. See if you can narrow your favourites down to a personal top 10 list. This will help you get a clearer idea of what kind of character you’d like to create, at least in terms of broad strokes. What recurring patterns in your life could you surrender to, such that surrendering instead of resisting would actually help you forge the character you desire? What new experiences could you lean into to help forge your character? What fears could you consciously face until they dissolve? What social and environmental changes would help to forge your character even more powerfully? You can let the forge make all of these decisions for you, or you can actively participate in the process, which gives you the ability to significantly enhance, customise, and polish your character. Have you already created such a delightful character that you’d love to keep living and exploring with your creation as it is right now? Could you decline the invitation to dissolve into the light? If not, then what’s missing? What additional forging remains to be done? What’s the next step for you? What action could you take right now to help forge your character in the direction of your desires? Take that action.

Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

By XAVIER JOHNSON training@leaderonomics.com

HERE was once a factory manager with a commendable record for leading a high-performance team. The team’s motivation, morale, commitment and productivity were way beyond other teams. The head of human resources (HR) noticed this and decided to seek out the secret ingredient. She went to the shop floor and interviewed the employees. She discovered that the manager’s wife had, on many occasions, baked or made something special for the team. The manager would then lovingly share the special treat with his team, to their delight. The HR leader thought that this must be the secret to the team’s success. She went back to her headquarters and proposed a policy that required every team leader to give their teams a treat every fortnight, at the company’s expense. Did it work? Only for a week or two.

Principles over Practice

They copied the practice but not the principles that governed the activity such as sincerity, love, caring sharing, spontaneity, generosity, etc. It was the spirit in which it was done that created an environment of trust and authenticity which impacted engagement. Often we look for best practices – the “what” – behind a success story and just copy it wholesale. We then wonder why it didn’t work, or if it works, why the results are minimal. This is the case for many known management practices – from Total Quality Management, Reengineering, Culture Change, Balance Score Cards to Organisational Transformation. I have heard it said before that the Balance Score Card has become Balance Scold Card. Professing that “customer is No. 1” has become “customer is No.1”.

THE HEART AND ART OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Are Employees Engaged, Estranged or Entertained? They copied the practice, but missed the principle. The practice can be good, but you need to get the underlying dynamics right, first. These dynamics are what drive change or results.

Heart over Head

Coming back to the earlier story, it was not the sweet treats that built a highperformance team but the spirit of the activity. Love, sharing, authenticity and trust make all the difference. Recent writings on the topic of employee engagement point out that there are so many ideas to do this, and to do that. People think: “Just because it worked in another company – it should work here!” What we need to understand is that it is not the practice that makes the difference but the dynamics (the heartfelt intent and spirit) in which a particular act is done. These principles lie at the heart of employee engagement: l Involvement l Commitment l Empowerment l Ownership

Endearing Engagement Companies

The authors of the book Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies

Profit from Passion and Purpose distilled out the companies today that are the ultimate value engagers and creators. Some of these companies include IDEO and IKEA, Commerce Bank, Amazon, Costco, SAS Institute, Google, Timberland, Southwest, New Balance, etc. These companies generate emotional, experiential, social, financial value as part of their internal culture. People love doing business with these firms of endearment. “Loyalty” is real and visible and helps to create unbeatable advantages for organisations which are founded on the right principles, values and culture. People are increasingly searching for higher meaning and purpose in their lives. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that companies which are driven with purpose and passion from the inside have the highest levels of employee engagement.

The 3 T’s of Successful Engagement

The three pivotal organisational engagement principles are: Truthfulness, Trust and Thrust. Engagements that lead to good and sustainable partnerships must first be founded on Truthfulness. Organisations that engage in truthfulness are basically those that are able to provide an environment where

people feel safe without the need to look behind their backs all the time. Only when people stop worrying about themselves can they look out for each other. If an employee’s No.1 key result area is to watch their backs – there won’t be much time left to engage and flow with creativity, capability and the passion of working. Truthfulness leads to Trust, which is made possible through acts of openness, sharing, creativity, collaboration, experimentation and value creation. The third important principle is Thrust. Thrust here means a forward thrust – the desire to achieve something. Man by his very nature lives on hope. And hope for something greater and better is what empowers him to create value. It is the feeling that you are part of something bigger. This mindset provides the thrust for inspiration, involvement, initiative, improvement and innovation. When these three T’s work synergistically – power is expressed in every facet of the organisation by using resources through relationships to create results. Through this, the desires, energies and the talents of the organisation can be fully tapped to deliver the ultimate customer, user and employee experience for an endearing and enduring company.

n Xavier Johnson is the managing consultant of Waterhouse Consult Think, a strategic organisation development, HR and business consulting firm that focuses on aligning people and talent to the business delivery system for maximising ROI, using a design thinking methodology. He is a faculty of Leaderonomics. To engage with Xavier for your organisation, write to training@ leaderonomics.com.

Leaderonomics.com, Saturday 2 January 2016

Apprentice in

a CEO’s Body Transitioning into management? Prepare to be unprepared By CHRISTIAN BONILLA

n Christian Bonilla is a software designer, speaker and the author of the “Smart Like How” blog. His new book is about helping people master the subtle skills that accelerate their career development. To engage him for your organisation or connect with him, write to editor@ leaderonomics.com

few years ago, I worked for a stretch alongside someone I’ll call Louis (not his real name). By all appearances, Louis looked like a world-beater on a path to the top. He was smart and had an outstanding work ethic. His undergraduate and graduate degrees were from top programmes, and his resume had big-name company experience to add to his pedigree. More than once, I even heard other people refer to him as “the hardest-working man in the industry.” It was only half-meant as a compliment. The subtext of their ironic compliment became clear after working with Louis. What his colleagues were really saying, in so many words, was: “It’s a shame Louis isn’t better at his job given how hard he works.”

but beneath the surface...

It seemed crazy. Louis really was one of the most prolific workers I’ve ever seen. I would have a brainstorming conversation with him at 6pm, and by 8am the next day, he would already have a 15-slide presentation outlining his ideas based on the conversation. I can’t think of anyone else whom I’ve ever worked with who loved assignments that much. Louis had a habit of fixating on a solution rooted in business theory and then either ignoring or severely underestimating the human aspects that would allow it to work.

When you advocate a provocative solution that requires people to make big changes in their worldview or behaviour, you need to be a master of driving adoption of your ideas. It requires anticipating and guiding people’s emotional reactions more so than applying force of reason to win an argument. But rather than engage in the subtler aspects of persuasion, Louis instead vigorously defended his ideas based on their theoretical merit and dismissed practical concerns, which he regarded as trivial. It often made working with Louis exhausting and frustrating. I came away with the impression that his demeanour hampered his career progression, which is a shame for someone of his raw intelligence. In a way, Louis is a high performer who didn’t get enough coaching on how to transition from the apprenticeship phase to the leadership phase. Anyone who goes through an intense apprenticeship phase is at some risk of this happening to them too. Entry-level lawyers, consultants, bankers, software developers, marketeers, and professionals in countless other categories usually begin their careers by working insanely hard on tasks assigned by their managers, with only a small portion of their work being self-directed. This layer of smart, young apprentice talent is foundational to how most large organisations get work done. Worker bees at the bottom stay heads-down accomplishing tasks. Middle managers make sure the tasks fit into

cohesive projects. Senior managers make sure all the projects come together to accomplish a business plan. As a worker bee, the formula for career advancement can seem straightforward: outwork everyone. Before long however, that formula breaks down. Assuming they advance to the next stage, the people exiting the apprenticeship stage often don’t realise that the determinants of success are about to change.

Prepare To Be Unprepared

The reason life gets harder for people who don’t look beyond their immediate tasks is because they don’t get any practice leading others and thinking the big picture (they also miss out on opportunities to create more value for the business and themselves). They can get the first promotion or two by being an exceptional worker bee. But the brute force method is no longer adequate when the next role entails more than just getting your work done. Management and leadership roles demand more creativity, nuance and people skills than are usually required when you’re cranking away on your own. Worker bees who don’t know how to do anything but crank away are toast once they start being evaluated along dimensions besides their own productivity. This is why it’s so important that you deeply understand how you create value for others and for the business overall from the outset of your career. If you’ve internalised the connection between the immediate tasks you’re

working on and the broader business outcomes, then the transition to management is considerably easier. Conversely, if you can’t explain to someone you manage why their job matters in a larger context, you probably won’t be an effective manager.

Concluding Thoughts

Preparing yourself for the leadership phase of your career while you are still in the apprenticeship phase is one of the best, most important things you can do. The earlier you can prepare yourself for how the measures of excellence change as you advance in your career, the smoother your continued ascent will be. The disconnection between the qualities of a good “doer” and what makes a good manager causes many young professionals to hit a wall when they start to move up, and it’s not hard to see why. It takes practice to get good at these things, but people are given few opportunities to hone these skills until they are already in management roles. Communication and conflict navigation skills are as essential as your subject matter expertise as you start ascending the ranks. The best leaders aren’t afraid to make waves, but they also know how to channel the conflicts that arise from their ascent into net positives for themselves and their organisations. Only the exceedingly brilliant can survive without these skills, but even they would be better off if they had them.

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