LEADERS ISSUE 27
MAY 2019
DIGEST
BECOMING A RESILIENT LEADER
Photo by Kayin Ho on Unsplash
LEADERS
DIGEST
PUBLICATION TEAM Read this issue and past issues online at bit.ly/LEADSCS Scan the QR code below for quicker access:
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief Ismail Said Assistant Editor Yvonne Lee Graphic Designer Awang Ismail bin Awang Hambali Abdul Rani Haji Adenan
* Read our online version to access the hyperlinks to other reference articles made by the author. Content Partners:
CONTENTS
ISSUE 27 | MAY 2019
3| 11|
trust: the currency of leadership
7|
Stories Of Resilience, Perseverance And Belief.
15|
20|
Why And How Good Leaders Can Go Astray
22|
26|
How You Can Partner With ‘Stress’ To Build Your Own Resilience
29|
33|
Why Having “Grit” Is More Important Than A High IQ
The Unusual Lessons I Learnt Studying Albert Einstein Managing Organisation Politics
The Buck Has To Stop With The Boss
The Number one Failure Of Employees
9| 18| 24| 31|
Stop Paying Your Employees To ‘Figure Out’ How To Get Work Done Grit: The One Key To Greatness
Holding Yourself Accountable For Your Mistakes powerful victims
LEADER'S DIGEST IS A MONTHLY PUBLICATION BY THE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OF SARAWAK CIVIL SERVICE, DEDICATED TO ADVANCING CIVIL SERVICE LEADERSHIP AND TO INSPIRE OUR SARAWAK CIVIL SERVICE (SCS) LEADERS WITH CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES. IT FEATURES A RANGE OF CONTENT CONTRIBUTED BY OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND PANEL OF ADVISORS FROM RENOWNED GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS AS WELL AS ESTABLISHED CORPORATIONS THAT WE ARE AFFILIATED WITH. OCCASIONALLY, WE HAVE GUEST CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OUR POOL OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AS WELL AS FROM OUR OWN EMPLOYEES. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE ARTICLES PUBLISHED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OF SARAWAK CIVIL SERVICE SDN. BHD. (292980-T). NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE PUBLISHER'S PERMISSION IN WRITING 2
Issue 27 | May 2019
LEADERS
DIGEST
Trust: The Currency of Leadership BY RAJEEV PESHAWARIA
The other day, a colleague invited me to teach a session in a leadership development programme he was running for 30 senior executives from one of our client organisations. He launched the session with a provocative question: Who are three people you trust the most in your life currently, and why? Almost all 30 executives named their mothers as one of their three choices, with fathers running a close second. The third choice varied among best friend, brother, sister, spouse, or a religious figure. Think about this for a moment. We spend the vast majority of our waking hours at work, yet not one of the participants included a boss or co-worker among the most trusted people in their lives. When my colleague handed the floor to me, I jettisoned my lesson plan. Instead, I dug deeper into the trust question. My question became: “Who are three people currently in your life upon whom your happiness and well-being most depends?” You guess it: every single one of them listed their boss as one of them. Imagine! The one person most people’s well-being depends upon the most does not make it to their most trusted list. There were lots of opinions about why bosses don’t appear in the trust list – we had a very robust and animated discussion on it. Comments ranged from “My boss has no idea how hard I work to get things done here” to “All he cares about is results against stated goals so he can keep his superiors happy… when was the last time he got his own hands dirty?” After about twenty minutes, I finally got to the point I wanted to make all along. Suppose the class were filled with their subordinates, and suppose we asked them the same questions? I asked. Pin drop silence. Next, I asked if they
“Would you figure in your subordinates’ top three most trusted list?” Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash
Issue 27 | May 2019
3
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 3
should be in the list, and they agreed that they should indeed. “Why?” I asked. The group intuitively concluded that high trust between them and their subordinates would equate to higher team and individual performance, and lower stress for all parties. Granted, there are plenty of bosses that indeed should not be trusted. These are self-centred people who abuse their authority for personal gain. I have no advice for such bosses other than that they should take a hard look in the mirror. But if you are the type of boss that genuinely cares for his people, and believes in the power of collaborative performance, read on. The logic is simple. If people trust you, they will give their 110% to their work. I remember a few years ago while I was working at a global bank, I ran into trouble with a couple of powerful people who (due to their own insecurities) did not want my function
to succeed. It got to a point that the huge amount of time I had to spend on watching out for land mines began to impact my work, and the work of my team as a whole. Sounds familiar? Luckily, I had a boss I could trust. I opened up to her, and she assured me that she would watch my back and take care of the issues. Based on her assurance, I went back to work with full energy, and my team and I ended up creating amazing results for the bank. Years later, when one of my subordinates was struggling to convince his peers about approaching a project in line with his suggestions, I was able to pay that trust forward. My subordinate was worried that his peers would complain to me about him being obstinate, and not a team player. He could not tolerate the thought of me (his boss) thinking of him as un-collaborative. At the same time, he was convinced that if his suggestions were implemented, our
company would easily move ahead of competition. Sensing his struggle, I called him to my office for a chat, and told him that I trusted him completely. “Be your normal collaborative self, listen to what your peers have to say, and if you are still convinced, remain firm on your suggestions. If they still think of you as stubborn, don’t worry, we will correct that perception later,” I told him. He did exactly that and the project was a huge success, and was implemented in record time. Later, his peers understood too. In his book The Speed Of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey points out that high trust equals high speed and low cost, whereas low trust means low speed and high cost. He cites the case of aviation security in the US. Prior to 9/11 one could reach the airport just half an hour before flight time and easily make it on board. Why? Because people had a high degree of
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
4
Issue 27 | May 2019
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 4
trust in aviation security. Now it takes anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours. While the extra security measures have made flying safer, Covey points out that the added cost of TSA security ultimately shows up on every airline ticket. In another example, Covey sites the added time and money costs of implementing the Sarbenes-Oxley Act which was designed to improve trust in public markets in the wake of the Enron and Wordcom scandals. On the other hand, he gives the example of Warren Buffet deciding to acquire McLane Distribution – a $23billion company – from Wal-Mart in just one two-hour meeting because of high trust between Berkshire Hathaway and Wal-Mart. Besides the speedy conclusion of the deal, both companies saved millions of dollars in legal and investment banker fees. A team with high trust will similarly produce results faster and at lower cost. It is clear that trust is one of the keys to organisational or group performance. I therefore call it the currency of leadership. But can bosses ever make the Most Trusted list? Does the authority that bosses have over their subordinates automatically make them untrustworthy in the eyes of subordinates? As one participant put it, “Besides being good to them, I also have to ensure discipline in my team, and I need to provide tough constructive feedback when needed. This automatically puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to winning their trust….. no matter what you do, no matter how fair you are, the moment they take one tough stand, bosses are seen as self-centered, authoritative, and therefore untrustworthy.….” After grappling with this issue for quite a while, I have to admit there is at least some truth in what this participant said. Let’s take a very real scenario. One of your direct reports has been underperforming for a while now. You have invested in training, coaching and have given them a lot of direct feedback on how to improve, but have seen no
improvement. You are now convinced that he is a misfit on your team, and needs to be let go. Even if you handle the conversation (of letting him go) in the nicest possible way, what are the chances that he will trust your judgment and respect the fact that you gave him every possible opportunity to succeed? Even in situations that don’t demand firing someone, the chances of earning the trust of a subordinate with less than stellar performance are low. As a manager, you will need to give tough feedback, and demand higher levels of performance. Very few people have high enough maturity and selfawareness to fairly judge their boss’ behavior towards them. Let’s face it, it is much easier to blame the boss than to accept responsibility for your own performance.
So what are bosses to do here? Should bosses give up on trying to earn their subordinates’ trust? Clearly, that would be a shame in light of our “high trust = high performance and low cost” argument above. One idea to maximize trust, and therefore performance, in your team might be the 20:60:20 strategy: 1. Ensure your highest performing and most dedicated (top 20%) subordinates trust you without a doubt 2. Maintain a reasonably high level of trust with your solid citizens (the middle 60%) – subordinates that are good but not great 3. Don’t invest too much time trying to get your bottom 20% to trust you If you are wondering why the 20:60:20 strategy and why not 100:0, you have a legitimate question. Here’s my perspective: In most organizations,
the 80:20 rule applies, meaning that 20% or the people produce 80% of the results. To this rule of thumb, add the fact that the top 20% need to be supported by the next 60% in order for the organization to achieve its full potential, it is easy to see why it is a good idea to focus on the next 60 as well. As for the bottom 20, well, no matter how much you try, not everyone will love you. Trying to win the trust of your least productive people is, unfortunately, not an efficient use of time and effort, particularly for today’s time-starved business leaders.
Earning Trust Now, if you buy the above arguments (that trust is the currency of leadership and that leaders need to at least ensure they have the trust of the 20+60%), then another key question emerges – how can leaders best earn the trust of their subordinates? While the answer differs according to context, I have generally observed that leadership trust is a combination of six factors: Commitment, Character, Competence, Consistency, Caring, and Centricity. Let me explain each of them briefly. 1. Commitment Commitment is the cause or purpose the leader pursues. It is the vision she has for a better future. If this vision provides hope and inspiration to people, they willingly give their trust (and followership) to her. On the other hand, if they don’t connect with the leader’s vision at an emotional level, or doubt the commitment of the leader towards the vision, they will find it difficult to trust the leader. Commitment towards a purpose is the primary driver of leadership trust. If one is to follow a leader with full commitment, there should be no doubt that the leader is also fully committed to the stated purpose. What is your leadership purpose? Are you fully dedicated to it? Issue 27 | May 2019
5
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 5
2. Character Next is Character, which is the set of values that the leader lives by. Not only is it important for followers to know that the leader is committed to a worthy purpose, they must also believe that the leader wants to pursue that purpose by playing according to the right set of values. Imagine two leaders are fighting for a just cause that you strongly believe in. One is pursuing success through violent means, while the other is using peaceful means. Which one will you trust more and follow? The answer will depend on your own set of values. My goal here is not to differentiate between right and wrong. Rather, it is to highlight the fact that character (deeply held values) plays a huge role in earning trust. What are your deeply-held values that you will never compromise, no matter what? 3. Competence In today’s increasingly complex world, just having strong people skills is not enough. To earn trust, a leader must have core competence in her chosen field. The old school of management says that a general manager need not be a subject matter expert. In today’s highly complex markets, it has become almost impossible for a rank outsider who does not have sufficient knowledge and expertise about the business to earn the respect of his subordinates. Do you have core competence in your chosen field? Does your level of expertise attract people to work on your team? 4. Consistency Consistency is about delivering on your commitments without fail. If you do what you say, and deliver what you promise, people will trust you. If you don’t, they won’t. Simple. Let’s face 6
Issue 27 | May 2019
it, it is hard to trust someone who is inconsistent with their dependability. In today’s increasingly competitive world of business there is very little room for error. One member’s inconsistency can cost the entire team dearly.
a much higher level of trust from their subordinates than Takers; and that in the long run, Givers are more successful.
Do you keep your word and deliver what you promise almost all the time, regardless of circumstances?
Earning the trust of one’s subordinates is not just a soft, nice-to-have asset. It is hard currency that can make the difference between success and failure. There are hardly any professions today in which individuals can be successful without the help of team members. To ensure you have enough trust from your subordinates, consider the 20:60:20 strategy and make sure your top 20% performers fully trust you, and the next 60% adequately respect you. A good place to start might be to try and honestly answer each of the six-C questions. Just as you can assess your own trustworthiness by honestly reflecting on the six-C questions, you can also use them to assess the trustworthiness of others.
5. Caring There are two types of bosses in the world, ones that genuinely care for their people and others that don’t. If I know that my boss will always take care of my best interests, I will be more willing to give her my very best efforts and energy. If, on the other hand, I have a boss that is likely to throw me under the bus to save his own skin, I will use a big part of my energy in taking care of myself. Do you truly care for your people, and do they know that you do? Do you feel their pain, and do you derive intrinsic pleasure from enabling their success? 6. Centricity Finally, the focus of the boss’ actions and intentions determines his trustworthiness. Some bosses are selfcentric and some are other-centric. Self-centric people care most about themselves, and strive hard to create a better future for themselves. In the words of Adam Grant, author of Give and Take, such people are Takers i.e. they take more from society than they give. Their worldview is one of selfpreservation: “If I don’t take care of myself and maximize my own gain, no one else will.” Other-centric people are Givers i.e. they give more than they take from society. Their worldview is one of win-win: “If I take care of others, my interests will be taken care of automatically.” It is well documented through research that Givers enjoy
Are you self-centric or other-centric? Are you a Giver or a Taker?
EARNING THE TRUST OF ONE'S SUBORDINATES IS NOT JUST A SOFT, NICE-TO-HAVE ASSET. IT IS HARD CURRENCY THAT CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE.
Rajeev is the CEO of the Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, author of the Wall Street Journal and Amazon best seller Open Source Leadership (McGraw Hill 2017), Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders (Simon & Schuster 2011), co-author of Be the Change (McGraw Hill 2014) and a regular writer for Forbes, Rajeev is an out-of-the-box thought leader on leadership, management and corporate governance. He has extensive global experience in leadership and organisational consulting, with a particular focus on uncovering personal and organisational “leadership energy.”
LEADERS
DIGEST
The Unusual Lessons I Learnt Studying Albert Einstein BY ROSHAN THIRAN
“
The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.
American businessman and retail entrepreneur J.C. Penney once said: “Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I will give you a man who will make history. Give me a man without a goal, and I will give you a stock clerk.” In 1905, German-born Swiss patent clerk, Albert Einstein (1879–1955), proved that statement right when he published works that would change the world’s understanding of science. Einstein was an iconoclastic genius who transformed the world of physics through his discoveries. Most notably, his theory of relativity and the famous equation “E=mc2” – a formula that helped lay the groundwork for atomic power and the atomic bomb. A world without Einstein might have left us today without the global positioning system (GPS), televisions, digital cameras, the internet, smartphones, and many other technologies. Born in Württemberg, Germany, the young Einstein developed a deep sense of curiosity about the world. Although he had a hard time adapting to his schooling years in Munich, it’s often mistakenly presumed that he struggled academically. On the contrary, he excelled. However, possessing a rebellious mind,
~ Albert Einstein ~ he failed to adapt to the regimented structure of the school.
His work and legacy
Renouncing his German citizenship in 1896, Einstein became a Swiss citizen in 1901. Unable to secure an academic position, he picked up work as a patent clerk. The job gave him the space he needed to work on his research. In 1905, he published works in a prestigious German academic journal that would later lead to him winning a Nobel Prize. Included in his work was the first exploration of what would become his Theory of General Relativity. In 1921, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics and, 12 years later, he fled from the Nazis to America where he took up a position at Princeton University, remaining there until his death in 1955. Einstein and his fellow colleague, Leo Szilard, wrote a letter to President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1939, warning him of Germany’s nuclear capability. They suggested that the United States begin developing its own nuclear weapons, which led to the famous ‘Manhattan Project’.
“
Although he played a role in its development, Einstein was not involved in the project itself due to his pacifist tendencies. Following the attack in 1945 on Hiroshima, Japan, Einstein became a strong advocate for restricted usage of the atomic bomb, and believed it should be used solely as a means for deterrence against any future conflict. After World War II, he focused all his efforts on finding a unified field theory that would seek to explain the very workings of the universe at a fundamental level. In the last few years of his life, Einstein remained true to his reclusive nature, immersing himself in his work and shunning the spotlight. He died of heart failure at the age of 76 in 1955, telling a doctor shortly before his death that he refused to receive surgery, saying: “I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share, it is time to go. I will do it elegantly.” Einstein’s work and legacy continues to inspire generations of scientists who build on his work and create many of the advancements we enjoy today in science and technology, medicine and beyond. Issue 27 | May 2019
7
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 7
3 Einsteinian Qualities
On the other hand, imagination can take us anywhere and develop our minds to ask questions that haven’t been considered previously. If we want children to be intelligent, Einstein suggested we should read them fairy tales. If we want them to be even more intelligent, he advised that we read them more fairy tales.
As I studied his life, I found numerous lessons that leaders today can learn from him. As a deeply passionate leader in his field, Einstein was obsessed with the work he carried out. This obsession was driven by three main qualities: 1. Curiosity “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” Einstein was constantly asking questions and forever in a state of objective uncertainty. In fact, he once rejected an invitation to become Israel’s second Prime Minister because of his objectiveness, saying that he lacked “the natural aptitude and the experience to deal properly” with people.
Knowledge can tell us what’s impossible – imagination is what helps to transform the impossible into the extraordinary.
Knowing you are ignorant
All three of his ‘talents’ stem from one simple leadership truth – great leaders know they are ignorant. Yes, you read that right! Einstein highlights something you generally hear from great leaders – they know they don’t know. And this drives them to keep learning. Einstein’s insatiable curiosity and perseverance were driven by his belief that he lacked knowledge. So many times, we read Einstein’s journals and letters stating he didn’t know the answer, hence he had to keep learning.
2. Perseverance “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
We learn much in our younger days but, as we age, we often move from gathering knowledge to impacting wisdom. However, our wisdom is as good as the knowledge we have.
So much of success comes from the ability to keep pushing on in the face of adversity. Often, people fail not because they’re not good or smart enough, but because they give up on their goals.
As we stop gathering knowledge, we become less wise. Einstein remained wise to the end by constantly telling himself he was ignorant and didn’t know enough.
Einstein was at the opposite end of the spectrum, tenacious to his last breath. 3. Imagination “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” While knowledge is useful, it’s also limited, and often short-lived when the new replaces the old. 8
Issue 27 | May 2019
As leaders, we must learn to emulate Einstein and keep reminding ourselves of our lack of knowledge and ignorance. And that might keep driving ourselves to learn.
The power of simplicity
Einstein claimed: “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot
of courage, to move in the opposite direction.” In our complex world, a key lesson we can learn from Einstein is to simplify. To him, the best solutions were the simple ones. As I observe great leaders, they all execute seamlessly because everything they do is simple. There is no complexity in the change they drive, nor in their communications. This makes it easy for everyone to be aligned. Einstein knew the secret of success – to simplify and keep things simple.
"What about us? Do we drive simplicity in every part of our lives and organisation?"
Final thoughts
A final lesson from Einstein was his humility to accept that he was human and made mistakes. His biggest mistake (which we now know today, may not have been a mistake after all!) was surrounding his predictions about the expanding universe. When another scientist, Edwin Hubble, proved the universe is expanding, Einstein immediately ditched his theory and admitted it was his greatest blunder. Great leaders quickly realise their mistakes and learn from it. They admit it and use it to build themselves up. Do we really admit when we are wrong? Do we use these mistakes to build ourselves up? Are we learning daily? Are we being simple in all we do? Let’s emulate Einstein and be a leader!
Roshan is the founder and CEO of the Leaderonomics Group. He believes that everyone can be a leader and make a dent in the universe, in their own special ways.
LEADERS
DIGEST
Stop Paying Your Employees To ‘Figure Out’ How To Get Work Done BY DR RAVISHANKAR GUNDLAPALLI
Having founded a company in the employee-to-employee learning space, there is a thread about learning that is always running in my brain. An incident at home triggered an interesting thought on this topic.
'Go figure'
AN ‘AHA’ MOMENT ABOUT LEARNING
One Thursday evening, I was catching up on office work at home on our dining table. My daughter was working on her physics homework sitting right across the table. She was complaining how tough a particular problem was and when I looked over, I knew exactly what she should do to solve the problem. Rather than just tell her how to solve it, I left her alone to think through the steps and figure out which formulae to use to find the solution. An hour later, she exclaimed in joy that she ‘figured out’ the process.
Had I just given her the answer, she would not have learnt anything. She would also not have a feeling of accomplishment. That was that ‘aha’ moment, right there. I thought about how learning fundamentally has a different purpose in college and in the workplace.
LEARNING IN COLLEGE
In college, a student’s primary purpose is to learn new concepts and master the art of learning, i.e. learning how to learn along the way. The professor is there to explain the concepts and assign practice problems to help the students learn by doing.
Similar to the situation I was in, the professor also has the answers, but does not give them away. Even if the student were to approach the professor for help, a good teacher is likely to ask a few open-ended questions, and get the student to proceed in the right direction. By letting the student struggle and ‘figure out’ the answer on their own, the professor is helping the student learn. There is another magic that happens in this process – the professor and the student strengthens their relationship, which remains long after the student graduates.
Issue 27 | May 2019
9
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 9
LEARNING IN THE WORKPLACE
Let us now look at learning in the workplace. The employee’s primary purpose is to get things done and move the company forward with stellar products, innovative ideas or by bringing in more revenue. Let us look at a situation where a coworker has a problem in a particular area, and you happen to have prior demonstrated experience in exactly the same area. When the co-worker comes to you for help, do you let them ‘figure out’ the solution, or will you immediately share some insights and provide specific steps to solve the problem so the coworker can make immediate progress?
‘Man, this is a tough one.’
Here is a side-by-side comparison of learning and its purpose, in college and in the workplace.
Letting employees ‘figure out’ the solutions to their problems is a colossal waste of valuable time and productivity. The impact can be much worse if the employees do not even know who in the company has the knowledge to solve their problem. As a result, they end up spending hours ‘figuring out’ the answers on the internet or intranet. Companies that don’t empower their employees to learn from each other and to solve problems quickly, lose topline and bottomline from wasted time and lost productivity. When enabled, the ‘teacher employee’ earns recognition and feels more significant for sharing, and the ‘learner employee’ gains new insights and gets the job done faster. Both the company and the employees benefit in the process.
Dr Ravishankar is the chief executive officer and founder of MentorCloud, a social learning solution for enterprises to help their employees discover, connect and learn from experts inside their own organisation. He is also a faculty partner with Leaderonomics.
10
Issue 27 | May 2019
COLLEGE
VS
WORKPLACE
Student is paying the institution to learn and be certified.
The company is paying the employee to learn and get things done quickly.
Letting the student 'figure out' answers is the right thing to do.
Letting the employee 'figure out' answers is the wrong thing to do.
Student earning less than an A-grade is okay as long as some learning is happening.
Employee earning less than A-grade is not okay as it directly affects the company's topline and bottomline
All students, including A-graders need to graduate to launch their careers and build a strong reputation for the college.
All employees, especially A-graders, should be retained for as long as possible for the company to remain competetitive and to grow.
Learning should be made a bit difficult than usual so that learning actually happens.
Learning should be as fast and easy as possible so results are achieved in the shortest amount of time.
A FINAL NOTE
Learning and development executives in companies need to re-imagine learning in their organisations, to achieve the true purpose of learning and to get things done quickly. This is good for the employees, and for the business.
LEADERS
DIGEST
Stories Of Resilience, Perseverance And Belief. - LESSONS FROM THE LIVES OF ACCLAIMED MUSICIANS -
BY JUSTIN OOI T.Y.
M
USIC has provided entertainment, inspiration and relaxation to human beings since the dawn of civilisation. Along the way, it became big business too, raking in US$17.3 billion in total revenue worldwide for 2017, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) Global Music Report 2018. Nevertheless, music remains an art, written and performed by creative geniuses who seem to have been born with a melody in their soul.
“All the best parts of art come from pain turned to celebration”, said English musician and actress, Natalia Kills. This pretty much sums up the bittersweet life of many great musicians and how they channelled their pain into music, transforming it into a melodious celebration of the indomitable human spirit. We take a look at the lives of five acclaimed musicians over the centuries for characteristics that enabled them to scale to great heights in the world of music, amidst personal trials.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756 – 1791)
As a child prodigy, he endured an ambitious father who dragged him to perform at international concerts, starting at the tender age of six. Bear in mind, these musical tours covered countries across Europe in the 1700s, where young Mozart faced primitive travelling conditions. While on tour, he suffered a near-fatal illness when he was nine. As an adult, he experienced being fired by his employer, the Archbishop Colloredo in Vienna. To add insult to injury, his father sided against him in this quarrel!
Issue 27 | May 2019
11
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 11
During his lifetime, Mozart achieved fame as a musician but went through poverty in the latter part of his life before passing away at the age of 35. Talk about suffering for his art. Yet Mozart has become immortalised through his classical masterpieces such as Serenade in G Major (many readers would be familiar with the tune, if not the title) and is celebrated as one of the greatest composers and musicians of all time. Throughout his short but productive life, he composed over 600 musical pieces and greatly influenced Western classical music. What was the secret to his prolific success as a musician? Mozart once said, “I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.” Clearly, he was a man determined to march to his own drumbeat. Imbued with a strong belief in his own talent and purpose, he was a showman but not a people-pleaser. So, take a page from Mozart’s life manuscript and chart your own path in your chosen career.
begun to deteriorate in his 20s, when he noticed a buzzing sound in his ears.
around to witness the thunderous applause of the audience because he was unable to hear it.
The progressive loss of hearing left Beethoven feeling devastated as a professional musician and caused him great difficulty in daily communication. He wrote a letter to his brothers when he was 32, describing both suicidal thoughts and a determined resolve to keep on living and making music.
GLORIA ESTEFAN (1957 – )
With sheer willpower, Beethoven succeeded in becoming a musical legend despite his setback. Over time, he was no longer able to play at concerts that raked in the big bucks – much like it does for rock stars today. So instead of despair and suicide, he chose to concentrate on composing. How did he do it? Fortunately, because Beethoven played and listened to music extensively in the first three decades of his life, he had a solid understanding of written music and how musical instruments and vocals would bring the notes on paper to life.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770 – 1827)
Furthermore, since it was a gradual hearing loss, Beethoven was still able to imagine how his compositions would sound like. Beethoven also improvised when composing at the piano as his condition worsened, by physically feeling the vibrations of the notes on the instrument.
Yet Beethoven, one of the classical greats, composed some of his best works in the final 15 years of his life when he was almost completely deaf.
This goes to show that both theoretical understanding and practical experience in our chosen craft can go a long way towards saving us during the storms in our career. It pays to put in time and effort for longterm success.
At risk of stating the obvious, it’s mighty hard to be a musician let alone a great one if you have hearing disabilities.
He had a good start in his career, composing a couple of piano concertos, six string quartets, and his first symphony by the time he was 30. However, his hearing had already 12
Issue 27 | May 2019
Beethoven personified both triumph and tragedy at the end of the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, which he directed in 1824. He had to turn
Multi award-winning singersongwriter Gloria Estefan started her early life as a refugee. As a toddler, she fled from Cuba with her parents to the United States (US) in 1960 after the Cuban Revolution. Estefan’s father, Jose, was part of the 2506 Brigade, a band of Cuban refugees who were involved in the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion to overthrow Fidel Castro. He managed to return to his family in the US, where he joined the US Army and was sent to serve two years in the Vietnam War. He came back diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As a child, Gloria had to care for her father and younger sister while her mother worked during the day and attended school at night. “When my father was ill, music was my escape,” Estefan revealed in an interview with the Washington Post. As a little girl, whenever she was sad and overwhelmed by the weight of the world she would hide in her room and sing, rather than cry. She would turn this form of emotional release into a career, starting out as the lead singer with the Miami Sound Machine before embarking on a successful solo career. Her rising stardom and life was threatened in 1990. Estefan was critically injured in an accident when a truck ran into her band’s tour bus on a snow-covered highway in the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania. This occurred as she was returning from a meeting with then, US president, George H. W. Bush regarding her participation for an
LEADERS
DIGEST
anti-drug campaign. Estefan suffered a broken vertebra and required surgery to implant two titanium rods to fix her spine. She went through painful physical rehabilitation for almost a year before going back to performing. Very aptly, she sang her song, Coming Out of the Dark for the first time at the American Music Awards in 1991 where the audience gave her a standing ovation. The little refugee girl from an impoverished family whom we know as Gloria Estefan today has also brought us beloved hits over the decades like Rhythm is Gonna Get You, Words Get in the Way, Here We Are and more. While our life’s journey may not be as dramatic as Estefan’s, learning how to deal with stress and pain in an empowering manner; be it singing, exercising or talking with a trusted friend, can help us cope better in dealing with work and personal challenges.
a teenager and a young guitar enthusiast, it struck me that even the rich and famous were not immune to calamity and sorrow. Not even my idol, Eric Clapton. Clapton took time to grieve away from the public eye before channelling his pain by co-writing Tears in Heaven with Will Jennings, for the soundtrack of the movie Rush. The song went on to win three Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male; Song of the Year, and Record of the Year in 1993. Even more meaningful is the fact that Clapton lent his voice in public safety campaigns to raise awareness for childproofing windows and staircases, so other parents would not have to go through the pain he suffered.
and Brazilian music. He’s probably the most famous cellist in modern history. As a child, he found it quite disconcerting to cope with his own divergent background as an immigrant. This included the mix of languages and cultures that surrounded him, having Chinesespeaking parents and then moving from France to the US at age seven. But as a young boy, Ma’s resilience shone through as he not only settled in well in the US but thrived as a bright young musician. As a child prodigy, he performed for presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. Later, he would go on to graduate from the Juilliard School and Harvard University.
YO-YO MA (1955 – )
A key ingredient behind his success
A French-born American cellist of Chinese descent, Ma’s musical repertoire covers a wide variety of cultural influences. Besides playing classical music, he has performed and recorded an array of folk music including American bluegrass, traditional Chinese melodies, tangos
can be summed up in three words: practice, practice, practice.
To date, Gloria Estefan has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide and won three Grammy Awards.
ERIC CLAPTON (1945 – )
Clapton is considered one of the greatest guitarists of our time. One of his most memorable and soulful hits, Tears in Heaven released in 1991 and was, not surprisingly, born out of personal tragedy. In 1990, Eric Clapton lost his manager and also fellow musician and friend, Stevie Ray Vaughan in a helicopter accident. Tragedy struck again on March 20, 1991, when Clapton’s four-year-old son, Conor died after falling from the 53rd-floor window of his mother’s friend’s New York City apartment. When I first heard this story as
Pop psychology writer, Malcolm Gladwell espoused the concept that 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is required for someone to be a worldclass master of his art. This principle Issue 27 | May 2019
13
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 13
was made famous by his bestseller Outliers, which highlights examples such as Bill Gates and The Beatles. We haven’t clocked how many hours Ma has practised over the years when he first started performing on the cello at age five until today. However, it would be safe to say he would have spent thousands of hours practising over the 58-year span of his performing career. In line with Gladwell’s idea of “deliberate practise,” Ma highlighted that more than just quantity, it is the quality practice that matters. “Practicing is not only playing your instrument, either by yourself or rehearsing with others – it also includes imagining yourself practising. Your brain forms the same neural connections and muscle memory whether you are imagining the task or actually doing it,” Ma was quoted in a New York Times article. While many child prodigies and superstars have ‘crashed and burned’ along the way – cue tabloid stories
14
Issue 27 | May 2019
of delinquent behaviour, substance abuse and domestic violence here – due to the pressures of the spotlight, Yo-yo Ma has persevered both as a musician and person. Despite winning 18 Grammy Awards, he shows no sign of diva behaviour. He is loved by fans worldwide for his humble and cheerful manner on top of his humanitarian efforts. Ma founded the Silk Road Ensemble in 1988 with a vision to “create music that engages difference, sparking radical cultural collaboration and passiondriven learning to build a more hopeful world.” Inspired by the historical Silk Road that bridged the East and the West, the musical troupe aims to use music to bridge the gap between people of disparate cultures in a world that is often fraught with divisions today. Ma has performed at numerous benefit concerts for humanitarian groups over the years. Not surprisingly, he has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
All in all, these musical greats come from various eras, social, cultural and economic backgrounds. The common thread? Their passion and achievements as musicians. Underneath their musical genius lies the inner resilience and perseverance that helped them rise through times of adversity and kept them grounded amidst all the accolades. We too will experience highs and lows in our career and personal life. The next time we turn on the music, just remember there are often stories of sheer grit behind the sweet melodies that bring us so much joy.
Justin Ooi T.Y., brand director at Go Communications, has 16 years of experience in corporate communications and marketing. His professional experience provides him with rich insights in public relations and brand-building through strategic engagement with stakeholders.
LEADERS
DIGEST
MANAGING ORGANISATION POLITICS BY MICHAEL E. KOSSLER
What’s your reaction when you hear the phrase, “organisation politics” or its more colloquial phrase, “office politics”? Do you cringe and grit your teeth? Do unpleasant memories come to mind? Do you find yourself muttering expletives under your breath or stomping your feet? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, join the crowd. Many of us have negative reactions to either of these phrases and for good reason. At some point in our careers, we, or someone we know, may have been the victim of some form of organisational or office politics. For example, Chan, a research scientist I knew, was working for a medium-sized pharmaceutical company. He was part of a project team working to identify new molecules to combat diabetes. After 18 months of hard work, Chan thought he had discovered a potential breakthrough.
In his excitement, he asked a coworker, Jürgen, who had been working on a very similar track, to double check his findings. Jürgen confirmed the findings and congratulated Chan. However, the next morning, during a team meeting, the project leader announced that Jürgen had discovered a new potential molecule. Given that Jürgen’s research was very similar to Chan’s, it was hard to prove that he had taken credit for Chan’s work. The result was, Jürgen got the recognition for the discovery and eventually a promotion. Other examples of office politics include: being passed over for a new position when you were clearly the best candidate; not recognising or understanding the unwritten rules of the “game”; not being able to “sell” your ideas to superiors because you do not have the right support; not being part of key networks and, consequently, being unaware of important information; or
finally, outright sabotage, both direct and indirect through gossip, rumours, or the withholding of vital information and resources. While it may be hard to believe given the previous examples, not all organisational or office politics is bad. In fact, one way to consider politics is to view it as the way things get done in your company. Think about it. Any time you try and sell an idea or influence a decision, you are engaging in office politics. Remember that pre-meeting you had with a couple of co-workers… right before the big meeting with the big boss? That was office politics. For a few minutes, let’s take a step back and look at politics realistically and without a jaded point of view. How do you define organisational or Issue 27 | May 2019
15
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 15
office politics? I particularly like the definition that Rick Brandon and Marty Seldman use in their book, Survival of the Savvy. They define organisation politics as the “informal, unofficial and sometimes behind the scenes efforts to gain influence, sell ideas, impact the organisation, increase personal power or achieve other outcomes”. This very neutral definition suggests that organisation politics can be positive or negative. What makes politics either positive or negative is a combination of two things; the outcome and the means of politics. By outcomes, what I mean is, whose interest does the politics serve – the company’s or an individual’s? For example, if because of politics (e.g. getting internal financing) a research scientist discovers a brand-new treatment for diabetes and as a result, his employer gains a larger share of the market, that is a positive outcome. If the same scientist gets rewarded and promoted because he secretly stole someone’s idea, that is a negative outcome. And yes, if a company is manipulative or an individual behaves with high integrity, then the outcomes of my previous examples would be reversed. This is where the “means” of politics enters the picture. For a few minutes, let’s take a step in organisation politics, means refers to, what is the right thing to do versus what can I get away with? Let me give you a real example of how the
16
Issue 27 | May 2019
means to an outcome can go astray. Do you remember the American energy company, Enron? Enron was the company that flamed out in a spectacular bankruptcy in 2001 when it became known that its reported financial condition had systematically been manipulated through a creativelyplanned accounting fraud. When the company declared bankruptcy, thousands of shareholders and employees lost their investments. Andrew Fastow, the corporate CFO at the time, was the architect behind the accounting fraud and he spent six years in prison for his creativity. Since being released from prison, Fastow has been speaking to groups about what he did and how he went astray (Irish Times). Fastow has been quoted as saying that everything he did was approved and broke no rules. However, he contritely acknowledges that his actions broke the principles of the rules. Breaking the principles of the rules is an example of means that produce a negative outcome. But when the means of achieving an outcome are out in the open, following the principles of the rules, and are accepted by others, the outcome is generally positive. Now that we have a definition of office politics and we know what makes them either positive or negative, let’s consider how to deal with them in a high integrity way. The first step is to think of office politics as existing on a sliding scale
as depicted below. On the left side of the scale is an approach that I’ve labelled “under political”. In other words, this is a person who avoids politics by turning the proverbial blind eye to it. The right side of the scale is labelled “over political” where behaviour is Machiavellian. There are risks associated with either end of the scale including being too extreme, not using politics when you need to or using politics inappropriately. The key to effectively managing organisation politics is finding “The Sweet Spot” right in the middle of the scale. The Sweet Spot is where the use of organisation politics is appropriate and ethical. There are four broad strategies that you can use to manage organisation politics in a savvy manner.
Live your core values:
People who operate in “The Sweet Spot” of organisation politics know what is important to them from a values perspective. Values fuel our sense of purpose. When we live through our values, we feel more fulfilled because we are acting upon what’s important to us. When we feel more fulfilled, we have more energy to deal with organisation politics. From a leadership perspective, when we don’t align with our values, we are less authentic and run the risk of operating at one of the extreme points of the Organisation Politics continuum.
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 16
Study and understand your organisation’s politics:
behavior. They are not written down anywhere and they are not discussed. Early in my career I worked as the Director of Administration for a small, insurance brokerage firm which was privately owned. The owner had weekly staff meetings and they never started on time, primarily because the owner was always late for the meeting. One day, after waiting with my colleagues in the conference room for 30 minutes, I decided to go back to my office to do some work. I asked the owner’s secretary to call me when he arrived. About 20 minutes later I got the call that the boss had arrived and I went immediately to the meeting room. What I did not realise was that none of my colleagues had left the room – they all sat there, patiently, I presume. When I walked into the meeting, the owner was ready for me. I was told in no uncertain terms that the office operated on his time … not anyone else’s. I had just discovered an unwritten rule. Violating an unwritten rule can lead you right into a political land mine. So, learn your organisation’s unwritten rules.
Regardless of its size, every organisation has politics. Instead of ignoring it, hoping it will go away, or refusing to “play the game”, a better strategy is to study and understand how politics work in your organisation. Practice observing the following: •
•
•
Sources of power: Power in organisations comes in many forms. There is official power (the man or woman in the corner office) and there is unofficial power (the individuals who may not have the position or title but people listen and act upon their opinion). There can also be emerging (up and coming stars) and declining (fading stars) sources of organisation power. What are the sources of power in your organisation? Priorities: Do you know your organisation’s priorities? Do you know what is important to it? For example, does your company pay attention to the details or the big picture? Is your organisation a customer first or a profit first company? The importance of knowing your organisation’s priorities may seem like a “nobrainer”, but it is surprising how many executives cannot identify their company’s top priorities. According to a survey conducted by the London Business School, two-thirds of senior managers cannot identify their company’s top three priorities. The survey, conducted in 2015, included 11,000 senior executives, leaders, and managers from more than 400 companies (LBS Survey). Knowing your company’s priorities helps you make better decisions about what to pay attention to and what to ignore. Unwritten rules: Unwritten rules are the “understood” norms of
•
Rewards: What actions lead to promotions and which actions or lack of action leads to career derailment? You may think you are doing a good job but what do the boss and upper management think? If you are in doubt, review the bullet on priorities.
walked out of the meeting room when the boss was late, no one warned me that it could be a problem. I learned the hard way how important a network is. Your network is the basis for alliances of people who can support you. They can also warn you about the individuals in your organisation who are “negative” political animals. The other dimension of being proactive is learning how to ethically lobby for your point of view. It is not unethical to argue your point of view, or even for yourself, in the most favourable way possible, if it does not entail being less than truthful or withholding information. Shading the truth by leaving out details is the first step of negative politics.
Be protective:
Being protective means not being naive and acknowledging that others may not approach organisation politics with the same degree of self-less interest that you do. It means keeping your eyes and ears open by following the first three steps described above. As a closing thought, keep the following in mind: the most important thing about managing organisational politics is to be prepared. Don’t turn a blind eye to politics or assume that you have alliances when you spent no time building them. The worst things you can do is come into a political situation with “your eyes closed”, not be clear about your values, not know the unwritten rules, and not have allies. Not being prepared is a sure way to lose even before you get started.
Be proactive:
Being proactive is not about getting the other guy before he gets you; that would be negative politics, the type we are trying to avoid. Being proactive means building and leveraging a network of supporters (both inside and outside your organisation). A good network can clue you into opportunities and potential pitfalls by acting like an early warning system if things start to go wrong. The day I
For over 30 years, Michael has worked in the field of leadership and organisational development. He leverages his advanced degrees in communications and organisation development to design and deliver results producing development experiences. Michael is also a certified gestalt therapist (Indianapolis and Cleveland Gestalt Institute) as well as a certified coach (Center for Creative Leadership) and member of the International Coach Federation and European Coaching and Mentoring Council.
Issue 27 | May 2019
17
LEADERS
DIGEST
A quick look at the words on the cover page of Jonathan Yabut’s book caused my enthusiasm to surge. The words were – Winner, Grit and Great. “To every dreamer out there, know that you can never be too small to dream big,” was the line that struck me as I flipped through the book entitled From Grit to Great, forcing me to grab a seat and settle down to read the book. We all want to be great, but are we prepared to practise grit? Probably not. The book simply demonstrates how the latter leads to the former. Throughout the book, Yabut explains in simple language the journey of his life which has led to his success today.
NEVER TOO SMALL TO DREAM BIG
Yabut speaks of his journey from humble beginnings. Despite facing financial constraints, his parents hoped to put him in a private school. Yabut realised his parents’ dream at a young age by securing financial assistance due to his excellent grades. However, pressure continued to mount as he needed to maintain his good results and be ranked among the top students annually to retain the 100% scholarship. It was then that Yabut was diagnosed with a cyst on his chest, which frightened him to such an extent that he started preparing for his worst.
GRIT: THE ONE KEY TO GREATNESS DON’T THINK YOUR DREAMS ARE OVER BY DINESH DORAI RAJ
18
Issue 27 | May 2019
Thankfully the cyst was benign. But since then, carpe diem has become his philosophy of life. He decided to stay true to himself, conquering every dream in mind.
THE JOURNEY TO BECOMING ASIA’S APPRENTICE
Preparation is the key to everything and Yabut stresses that anything that succeeds without it, is simply called luck. “Rome wasn’t built overnight and so are the rest of the challenges you will face in life,”
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 18
was one of the lines in the book that jolted me to start preparing myself to face more challenges on the road to success. Yabut explains the endless preparation that was involved in winning The Apprentice Asia. It all started from the time of application and the flow of truth as he explained it – preparation breeds familiarity, familiarity breeds confidence, and confidence breeds success. Then comes the commonly heard phrase – work smart, not just hard. Corporate folks and students would not deny that they are guilty of the “working hard” when the expected output totally differs. Yabut also brings up a few simple life experiences as lessons that may speed up our tasks as compared to “old school” techniques, thus allowing us to spend more time with family, friends and ourselves. I remember following The Apprentice Asia on AXN very closely, yet I failed to see the bigger picture represented there. The reality show was a marathon, not a sprint. As mentioned in the book – never miss the forest for the trees – so take a step back when needed and reassess the strategy.
FROM GRIT TO GREAT
Would you believe it that the winner of The Apprentice Asia was on the verge of quitting the show? What would have happened if he had quit? He would have had no chance of winning. Instead of throwing in the towel, Yabut persisted and he practised grit. He pushed himself out of his comfort zone and fought through the battle and he won. We all know that the great leaders of this world did not attain overnight success, but succeeded after many
years of hard work, while overcoming challenges and obstacles along their way. It was indeed an honour that Yabut dedicated a section of his book to share my story. Having survived a horrific road accident and now learning to walk again, the experience itself calls for sheer grit. The practice of grit has made me defy the odds that was presented before me, when even the doctors deemed that I would never walk again. Being on crutches and still unrelentingly persevering, I still believe I will walk unaided one day.
HACKING THE CORPORATE WORLD, APPRENTICE STYLE
Yabut reveals some important hidden truths to those who think they are ready to conquer the corporate world after watching the reality show. He brings up the importance of leadership that develops and builds a credible, strong team. In reality, this is one of the most vital keys in the corporate world for anyone who aspires to make it big out there. Yabut also stresses the practices and habits that need to be embedded in us. These include tips for stress-free business travel, handling work emails (first world problem as most of us are often overwhelmed by them), and meeting deadlines.
I had a simple answer at the back of my head, “Grit to Great.” Wrapping up, this book is an easy read for just about anyone, ranging from teenagers to corporate leaders out there. It’s a book where business meets wit to inspire readers to make it big and be successful. Here are two key takeaways for me: • success requires hard work. • whilst there is no short cut to success, there is always a space for innovation to run faster.
WHAT IS GRIT?
In May 2013, teacher-turnedpsychologist Angela Lee Duckworth presented a Ted Talk on The key to success: Grit. In her own words, grit is: • passion and perseverance for very long-term goals • having stamina • sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality • living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Yabut relates them to the experiences he has had in life. They really leave an impression as we read them because they are very much relatable to what we face daily in the corporate world.
WRAPPING UP
Sipping my last bit of coffee and flipping the final page of the book, I asked myself a question, “Can I be like Yabut?”
Dinesh Dorai Raj was a Talent Partner at Leaderonomics when this article was written. He is inspired by the definition of “grit”. He has been holding on to it and practising it daily in various aspects of his life. He truly believes that everything is possible in this world through limitless grit. He hopes to prove and influence people around the world that grit would lead to great.
Issue 27 | May 2019
19
LEADERS
DIGEST
Why And How Good Leaders Can Go Astray BY SANDY CLARKE
DECAY STARTS WHEN YOU LOSE TOUCH WITH REALITY The best boss I ever had was when I held a part-time job as a student—his attitude completely reshaped my idea of what made a good leader. He would carry out the same tough, grubby, menial tasks that were asked of his team, and while I appreciated his work ethic, I couldn’t understand why he worked alongside us on top of seeing to his managerial duties. So I asked him.
This achieves two things: • a leader quickly builds respect, and • he avoids the risk of losing touch with how things really are within the team and the organisation. When well-intentioned leaders fail in their vision, it seldom has to do with intelligence, competence, or their determination to succeed. Instead, they fail because they lose touch, which can lead to feelings of invulnerability and a sense of inevitable success.
THE RISE AND FALL OF A LEADER
This was his reply: “Well, I can hardly ask you guys to do anything I wouldn’t do myself and besides, how can I get to know the team and their concerns if I don’t spend time on the floor living the same experiences?”
During the Scottish independence referendum campaign in 2014, I interviewed the-then First Minister Alex Salmond—a man no one would describe as lacking ambition or determination.
From that point, I realised that great leaders are those who lead from the front; they roll up their sleeves and they take the time to get a handle on what’s happening “on the floor”.
A former economist in the bank and oil industries, Salmond’s sharp mind served him well as he climbed the political ladder, cementing his place in history as one of the United Kingdom’s (UK) finest
20
Issue 27 | May 2019
politicians, having helped his Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) from the fringes to establishing a majority government in Scotland. In my observation of Salmond throughout the two-year campaign, what took me by surprise wasn’t his ebullient self-assurance, but the number of people around him who seemed to fawn over him as though he were a rock star. Any difficult questions aimed at him or his ministers—for example, on currency, defence, and pensions —were waved away with generic assurances that there were plans in place and everything would be fine. Salmond appeared to have lost touch with reality. His environment and the people around him had him convinced there was no way the “Yes” vote would lose, and this affected his approach to the campaign. On Sept 18, Scotland voted to remain part of the UK by a result of 55%–45% a close margin, but a heavy loss nevertheless for the SNP.
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 20
Salmond had hailed the “Yes” campaign as a positive one, yet there remained the sense that this positivity resulted in significant questions being glossed over, while major concerns were shunned with an attitude that everything would turn out well in the end.
PONDER THIS This is exactly why well-intentioned leaders fail. While it’s important to remain positive and focused on the vision, leaders set themselves up for a fall if they fail to take a hard and honest look at the issues that need to be addressed. No doubt it’s wonderful to be surrounded by positive people, but any leader would do well to keep in mind that it can be much more valuable to have people around them who ask tough questions, rather than agreeing with every whim and suggestion. Leaders can only be sure of lasting success if they keep company with those who are willing to be upfront and challenging. Otherwise, they might find themselves floundering in the wind without direction. Leaders can only be sure of lasting success if they keep company with those who are willing to be upfront and challenging. Otherwise, they might find themselves floundering in the wind without direction.
4 REASONS HOW GOOD LEADERS LOSE THEIR WAY 1. They lose sight of what’s going on Leaders are in a privileged position, which often means that they become far removed from what’s happening on the ground. Add to that the likelihood of being surrounded by “yes” men well-versed in stroking egos, and it becomes obvious why even the most well-intended leader can end up encountering considerable failures. 2. They become arrogant Losing sight of realistic aims and objectives, as well as the well-being of their team, can lead to arrogance on the part of a leader who is surrounded by people who constantly offer praise and perhaps embellishing reports on performance. Leaders who are susceptible to sycophantic praise are bound to develop excessive confidence in their own ability, which inevitably will serve to the detriment of the organisation’s vision. 3. Groupthink sets in Most people want to please the boss. Some are sincere in this, while others use it as a manipulative tool, and some don’t want to rock the boat for the sake of an easy life.
If you’ve ever been to a meeting where everyone agrees with everything the boss says, that’s an example of groupthink. Another is in the shared belief that the reality of the organisation’s performance is much better than it actually is. Leaders are at a great disadvantage when groupthink sets in, as few people are willing to express valid concerns that might serve to benefit the organisation if they are properly addressed. 4. There’s a lack of honest self-reflection There’s an idea that self-reflection is the perfect way to gain insights, which is true only if the person doing the reflecting is able to take a realistic look at themselves. “Why do I really want to lead? What am I doing well? In which areas could I improve? What’s most important to me?” If these questions are answered in lofty ideals rather than with honesty, such self-reflection will simply bolster already misguided beliefs.
Sandy is a freelance writer based in Malaysia, and previously enjoyed 10 years as a journalist and broadcaster in the UK. He has been fortunate to gain valuable insights into what makes us tick, which has deepened his interests in leadership, emotions, mindfulness, and human behaviour.
Issue 27 | May 2019
21
LEADERS
DIGEST
The Buck Has To Stop With The Boss
taught that leaders should trust their people. And that is true, you should trust them. But you can’t trust blindly – trust builds after they’ve been tried. He went on to explain that when he handed over the reins, there were decisions made that had led to less than desirable results and some that were downright harmful and for which the company is still bleeding money.
It is the easiest thing to place the blame elsewhere when things go wrong BY TOMMY WEIR
‘The biggest mistakes I made were when. . .’ professed the chairman of one of the region’s largest companies. While he had made some aggressive moves building the company into a global industry leader, he had also made some equally large blunders, the kind that make the market question his abilities. So, I wanted to know what he had learnt, especially from the more challenging days. The words that came next make most people cringe, but I’ll tell you from experience, they’re what separate results-driven leaders from those practising theory. “The biggest mistakes I made were when I trusted my leaders too much!” he shared as one of the top lessons he had learnt. Perhaps these words are creating dissonance in your mind. Surely you’ve been 22
Issue 27 | May 2019
“I hired CEOs who were experts in their fields and assumed they knew what they were doing. I looked to their experience with great admiration.” Unfortunately, their past experience was disconnected from their future success. The chairman should have tried them out before trusting them.
Should you trust completely? Since hearing him out, I’ve been wondering, “Is trust in leadership a zero-sum game?” The idea that you should trust your leaders is a theoretical concept that has to be moulded to reality.
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 22
In theory, everything works idealistically. But in practice, the conditions are never perfect. Trust is built over time via proof. So, you have to learn to trust in a way that leads to success rather than blunders. What caught my attention most wasn’t the aspect of trust, it was the way he accepted responsibility.
And he failed to try them first. He was responsible for this.
The mark of a great leader Blame resides with the one who, in the end, must take responsibility. It’s disturbing that some leaders blame their employees for failing to deliver. If you blame others, it’s a clear indication that you’re a LINO (Leader in Name Only). Leaders never blame. It’s irritating and unacceptable when a boss blames others for a lack of results. For sure there will be times when your team doesn’t produce as expected. The question is: “What do you do next?” Take responsibility or blame somebody else? You’re responsible for your team’s performance. You chose them, you assigned the work, and you were the one to support and coach – so if they don’t perform it’s your responsibility to figure out what you should do differently next time.
Be like the chairman who looked back and identified what he could have done differently. Raise your hand and take responsibility. It’s unbecoming when you don’t, as you effectively pass the leadership to somebody else by allowing their lack of performance to control what you are able to do. You may be tempted to argue that an individual can choose not to perform and that there’s nothing you can do about it. That’s partially true – as the leader you must do something, after all you’re responsible. If you’re ever tempted to blame your team, turn the mirror around because you would be the one shirking your responsibility.
A thinker, speaker, and writer to the core, Dr. Tommy holds a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University and is the founder of EMLC where he is the region’s leading CEO Coach.
My question to him was, “What did you learn from the mistakes you’ve made?” To which he responded with what he did wrong, not that others had failed. He did what leaders should do – take responsibility. The chairman raised his hand and admitted what he did wrong. Rather than calling the people who worked for him idiotic, he kept the blame where it belonged – with him. His point was simply that he shouldn’t have believed that the CEOs would succeed in his company based on their success elsewhere. Rather, they need to be tried before trusted.
Issue 27 | May 2019
23
LEADERS
DIGEST
Holding Yourself Accountable For Your Mistakes BY ROHINI RAJARATNAM
What is accountability? Author Brian P. Moran, in the book The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months, defines it as “simply taking ownership of one’s actions and results.” That is accepting that our actions have consequences, and the ball is in our court to create the results we desire. The fact of the matter is that successful people are accountable. Leadership author, Michael Hyatt, considered the vitality of accountability both in leaders and in individuals.
But where do you begin?
1. Responsibility
When you make a mistake, own it. It will restore people’s confidence and increase your influence.
The price of greatness is responsibility.
“
Also it gains respect from the ones around you because this shows both humility and your willingness to learn. According to Linda Galindo in The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success, personal accountability contributes 85% to success and the other 15% depends on the way the wind blows. 24
Issue 27 | May 2019
that overall success or failure is up to you, even if you work within a team or are blindsided by unforeseen circumstances. Responsibility is what you must first train yourself to have before taking charge of a task; it is a way of thinking.
“
Start by learning responsibility. When you’re truly responsible, you believe
—Winston Churchill
It’s easy to claim responsibility when things go well, but it’s hard when they don’t. A truly responsible person claims responsibility either way, both the flaws and success of a task but also deals with what is. Instead of figuring out who’s to blame or worrying about how things “coulda woulda shoulda”
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 24
been if only something had gone differently, you deal with the matter that is at hand and seek a solution. Hence, one must equip one’s self with the responsibility and the possible outcomes of a task and be prepared to own up.
2. Empowerment Self-empowerment begins from within. By empowering yourself, you take the actions and risks to achieve what you aim for rather than waiting for someone to drop it on your lap. Once you have ingrained responsibility, empower yourself to stand up and take a challenge, but remember to always be accountable at the end. The most direct route to selfempowerment is to be clear about expectations—what you want, what they want and what you can contribute. To do that, you need to ask questions, make agreements, and clarify everything in writing. Otherwise, you risk suffering the source of all misunderstandings— missed expectations. But always remember to never blow your own trumpet about something you did! Take stock of your personal talents and triumphs and let the higher-ups know who you are and how you are contributing.
if nobody holds you accountable or nobody catches you? You bet you are. So be your own “accountability cop” and police yourself. A little integrity won’t hurt nobody. And when trouble arises, look first to yourself and ask four specific questions: • What is the problem? • What am I doing—or not doing—to contribute to the problem? • What will I do differently to help solve the problem? • How will I be accountable for the result?
4. Who you associate with matters Ever came across somebody who always seemed to be “down on their luck”? Like they’re constantly shrouded in negativity and usually has nothing positive to say. You know how they say birds of a feather flock together, well that holds water here. Not only does associating with negativity eventually reflect on ourselves, but we begin to slowly get sucked into such a vibe until we unconsciously end up like such.
So replace the negative with a positive. It stops you from feeling unhappy as you have come to accept that you are now going to be solely responsible for how you feel, not other people or other external factors. Associate yourself with “accountable.”
Final thoughts If all else fails, be willing to take different actions. If you want different results, you have to do things differently. One of our biggest problems is that we don’t like to fail and, more importantly, we don’t like to be seen to fail. But in order not to do so, one must be willing to learn from mistakes. Hence, it is important for one to be personally accountable as it not only ensures success, but it also builds character.
Rohini is a law graduate and freelance writer. Her areas of interest are personal development, social rights, and reflective writing.
3. Personal accountability It’s the willingness to answer for the outcomes of your choices, actions, and behaviours. This must not be confused with responsibility (Point 1), which is the mind-set one must have before taking up task, and personal accountability, which is the action of owning up to the results of the task. When you’re personally accountable, you stop using excuses as a “spare card” to justify your failure. Be your own cop and critique. Are you accountable for your actions even Issue 27 | May 2019
25
LEADERS
DIGEST
How You Can Partner With ‘Stress’ To Build Your Own Resilience BY EUGENE Y. J. TEE and JAMES YEOW
POISON, PANACEA AND PRACTICAL ADVICE
One of contemporary management’s best-known anecdotes involves mice. Popularised in Spencer Johnson’s best-selling book, Who Moved My Cheese? the story revolves around two mice living in a maze, when one day they realise that someone or something, has moved their cheese to an undisclosed location. The mice, after an initial struggle to discover the new location of the cheese, eventually figure out ways to get to the new cheese. Also in this story are two miniature humans (don’t ask us why miniature humans also live in a maze with rats) who, unlike the rats, struggle for a lot longer to adjust to their new cheeseless existence. Blame ensues between the little humans, and one of them continually reverts to his old habits, afraid of venturing into the unknown regions of the maze in search of the new cheese. Humans do not live in mazes with cheese, of course, but the management tale provides a modern day parallel to our hectic, stressful environments, often characterised by constant flux and change. We may one day awake to a landscape altered by economic or political upheaval, changing the very nature of our work and often, our sense of certainty and security. The cheese— 26
Issue 27 | May 2019
our targets, goals and aspirations— change with our environment, forcing us to adapt in ways which initially arouse discomfort and stress. This story is of mice seeking cheese, and—the somewhat unflattering comparison aside—mirrors much of the rat race in our own lives. Speaking of rats, they too have something to tell us about the nature of stress, change and discomfort. THE ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY OF STRESS
Like many findings in science, the discovery of stress was a rather serendipitous one. Accidental, unexpected, but one that would ultimately change our understanding of how we respond to demands made of us.
The story of stress begins in the laboratory of one Hans Selye, who was examining the effects of oestrogen on rats. Selye would inject the lab rats with oestrogen, but, it was his poor handling of the rats that resulted in a most fortuitous discovery. Selye would accidentally drop the rats, be left chasing them around his lab, and
trying to get them out from hiding behind sinks with a broom. The rats, scurrying away from their labcoat-wearing captor, experienced pain, stress and this consequently lowered their immune system. Selye would then propose that this experience reflects much of our own body’s response to stress—stress results in the wear and tear of daily life. Prolonged, recurrent experiences of unpleasant emotions wear us down, demotivate us, result in a host of physical illnesses and complications, and ultimately, make the rat race all the more unpleasant. EUSTRESS: STRESS AS PANACEA
We have since moved on from viewing stress as a purely unpleasant, or negative experience. We’ve also (thankfully) improved on our rathandling techniques in the laboratory. Today, psychologists realise that stress is the body’s response towards situational demands, and importantly, is useful in helping prime ourselves for action. Stress experiences are like your body’s internal alarm system, readying you for decisive, immediate responses when the need arises. Another parallel we can draw with regards to stress being a useful system is to see it as a smoke alarm. Having one in your home that sets off upon
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 26
detection of smoke readies you for action—to either detect the source of the smoke and act upon it, or to flee to safety. Stress can be good for us. This is why psychologists refer to these useful, adaptive stress as eustress (i.e. literally “good stress”). Too little of it, and we’re left feeling unmotivated, uninterested and bored. Stress can serve as a motivating drive for actions, giving us the buzz and enthusiasm to approach tasks head-on. The negative connotation and unpleasant experiences that accompany stress, however, lead us to view stress as a purely negative experience. Stress can obviously lead to deleterious psychological and health consequences—but that only happens when our internal smoke alarms are a little too sensitive. Much of the negative effects of stress are usually instances of chronic stress, or distress. DISTRESS: STRESS AS POISON
Why did the rats fall ill when chased around the laboratory floor with a broom? Imagine if you had to make escape attempts every other day of your life. We whine, wallow in our ruminations, wish for better days ahead and wonder why our lives are wrapped up in such stressful experiences. To some of us, the workplace sometimes may seem like a battlefield for promotions, awards, commissions and for some, survival. That impending budget cut looming over the next quarter’s horizon rattles your sense of job security.
Do you work harder, or start seeking another job? Repeated experience of
such thoughts are the wears and tears of daily life. Your body is primed to act, and channels its resources to systems requiring action and immediate response. Distress weakens the immune system, and explains why demanding, strenuous circumstances are associated with a host of psychological and physical maladies. Physical symptoms such as headaches, hypertension, hyperglycaemia and heart attacks have all been linked with prolonged distress. The smoke alarm goes off at the slightest hint of smoke, whether an actual fire is present or otherwise. When our experience of stress exceeds our body and mind’s capability of managing them, we experience negative, unpleasant distress. STRESS: PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR BUILDING RESILIENCE
1. Individual differences and the experience of stress We need the right amount of stress to drive us forward, but too much of it overwhelms our ability to perform our jobs efficiently. Managing stress effectively is like finetuning our internal alarm system so that we are able to balance between responding to external demands and preventing ourselves from buckling under the deleterious effects of our stress reactions.
The ability to manage stressful demands and still thrive in a fast-paced environment is sometimes referred to as psychological resilience. Being a resilient individual is essentially your capability in bouncing back from adversity and challenges. Effective management of stress essentially boils down to developing skills to be resilient in the face of everyday demands. The core of developing resilience starts with
knowing oneself. This is important simply because the stress experience is subjective. In terms of personality, are you an individual more susceptible to stress than others? Highly sensitive people, or individuals high on trait of neuroticism (that is, they are more susceptible to unpleasant emotions), or even Type D personality types may be more easily stressed by others. In fact, several studies done by local researchers have shown that close to half of Malaysian students and executives sampled have Type D personality. Type D personality is a relatively new concept proposed by Dr Johan Denollet. Individuals categorised as Type D (for Distressed) possess the traits of Negative Affectivity (NA) and Social Inhibition (SI). Research conducted in many countries suggest that around a quarter of the population has type D personality, and this personality trait is associated with cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety, and other symptoms of poor mental health. It is important to note that while these traits are associated with heightened susceptibility to stress, they are not inherently bad. Some people simply have a more sensitive, “jumpy” internal alarm system than others. 2. Seeing stress differently—control, commitment and challenge What stresses you out might not upset your colleague very much. For that reason, pinpointing the exact reasons for why such events or circumstances trigger stress is another crucial step towards developing resilience. Understanding when you feel most stressed about, how frequently such events occur, and any underlying reasons for your responses help clarify a pattern in your stress responses. It is thus not so much how many distressing events you encounter that is the issue, but what is your attitude towards those events. Issue 27 | May 2019
27
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 27
For example, you get a letter from the human resources department informing you of the company’s costcutting programme, which includes terminating your employment in a few months. You may react with anger, fume your way to the manager’s office or start feeling sorry for yourself. Alternatively, you may choose to accept the predicament calmly or even tell yourself it is time to move on and get a job in a more financially stable company. Whether you see a situation as a threat or an opportunity makes a big difference, and therein lies one key aspect of stress—it is inherently subjective and personal. The threat is stressful only when you perceive them as such. Studies have shown that executives under stress manifested lower symptoms of illness when they perceived their stressor as having three important qualities: • Control: Believing that one has personal control over a situation rather than feeling powerless. That is, we feel we have a choice over the situation rather than being dictated by external forces. For example, if you have to work late because your supervisor “made you,” this is going to lead to higher levels of stress than you have chosen to put in the extra hours on your own. • Commitment: Enjoying your work intrinsically and putting your best effort in serving your loved ones or a community’s cause. Seeing your job as a commitment to those important to you lowers your stress reactions and fosters a greater sense of meaning in what you do. Interestingly, those who consider their lives meaningful also tend to also have greater number of stressful life events. • Challenge: Welcoming change with excitement, energy, and enthusiasm. 28
Issue 27 | May 2019
Viewing a situation as a catastrophe, calamity, or curse is certainly counterproductive compared to viewing our stress events as opportunities and challenges. As Louisa May Alcott of Little Women fame said, “I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” Learning opportunities are aplenty in every difficulty and great discoveries happen as a result of failures. Conversely, feeling bored and disinterested in a project may signal that the task isn’t seen as sufficiently challenging enough, requiring some adjustment of goals and targets. Knowing this subtle, but crucial difference allows you to take steps towards identifying and adjusting behaviours to optimise your level of stress and ultimately perform optimally at work. 3. Responding to stress Resilience also involves responding effectively to stressful situations. Resilient individuals take steps towards replenishing their resources at the end of the work day. Replenishing one’s emotional and psychological resources may take the form of simply setting aside a dedicated time for rest and relaxation. Engaging in pleasurable hobbies and intrinsically pleasant activities may seem like an obvious suggestion, but often, we allow work to creep in, stealing away the time reserved for play. How many times have you allowed a stray work e-mail to creep into your phone over the weekend? You may have noticed how quickly that e-mail disrupts the pleasant lull of your Sunday morning walk. Deliberate disengagement from work is a necessary counter reaction to a world where technology ties us to our office desks. Unpleasant emotions
synonymous with stress are meant to prompt immediate reactions. The effects of pleasant, positive emotions, however, tend to accumulate over a longer period of time. Try giving your pleasant, positive emotions some additional breathing room through quality downtime. We need to be a little more deliberate in how we use our non-work hours in order to maximise our body’s replenish and recharge functions. Resilience is also developed through how we spend our time when we are not working. PARTING THOUGHTS
It isn’t always the stress, or even the stressor that we are most concern about. We may think that it is, but there is something else that is ultimately the root cause of our stress experiences, and it comes down to how we perceive them. Our reactions to stressors are a largely perceptual process. We feel stressed because we have perceived something as a threat. Knowing your own individual susceptibilities to stress, identifying the triggers and your interpretation of stressful events, along with deliberately setting aside time to replenish your resources are three simple pathways towards being a more resilient individual. Stress is ultimately, part of our work and our lives, and how we respond to the challenges and demands of stress matters more than what it is that triggered the stress in the first place. Balancing that fine line between having too little and too much stress is what being a resilient individual is all about. That sweet spot of having just enough stress is what propels us to our optimal, peak performance.
Eugene Tee and James Yeow are senior lecturers at the Department of Psychology, HELP University. Eugene conducts emotional intelligence workshops and seminars for both public and corporate audiences, while James conducts stress management workshops using music to schools, organisations and the general public.
LEADERS
DIGEST
The Number 1 ne Failure Of Employees BY JOSEPH TAN
Are you always complaining? As employees, it is easy to blame management when something goes wrong or when we feel that life is unfair. In fact, if you notice – the usual lunch time topic usually is about bosses and the unfair treatment we receive. In this article, you will discover the NUMBER ONE failure of employees. All other weaknesses actually link with this key failure and if you, as an employee, make the effort to overcome this failure, you will definitely be an outstanding team member. This is because most employees are not aware of their condition and only outstanding individuals have the courage and humility to recognise this weakness and do something about it. Are you ready to discover the ONE THING that an employee cannot fail to do?
Are You a Serial COMPLAINER? There was once a CEO in my training class who commented that there was one thing which he could not tolerate – ungrateful employees – those who have forgotten the hand which fed them. Here’s the reason why it is easy to be a complainer: When I complain, I am actually making someone else look bad so that I can look good. Complaining provides a temporarily relief from responsibility and ownership. It transfers the “heat” to someone or something else. In other words, playing the blame-game shifts the negative attention to any sources other than… myself.
Here’s a “blame-detector” list for you to consider your CQ (ComplainingQuotient): • My favourite words when things go wrong is “who” and “why” i.e. who is to be blamed and why is this happening (rather than “what” can I do or “how” shall I solve it). • I do not express thankfulness for what I already have. Instead I constantly compare and lament about what I do not have. • I am helpless and there are so many factors outside of my control – what can one person do?
• I refuse to let others think lowly of me. Admitting my fault is a sign of weakness. Herein lies the challenge: Complaining comes naturally. It is almost secondnature. This is where the employee fails – when faced with the pressure to perform, he chooses the easier way of complaining about his circumstances rather than challenging himself to rise above the circumstance. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Yes? Issue 27 | May 2019
29
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 29
Here’s the ONE Failure
• He has a decent sense of humour!
2. The Willingness to Sacrifice
When under pressure, the employee chooses to be a Complainer rather than a Contributor.
As a Contributor, the employee takes it upon himself to create energy rather than consume energy. Here are two extraordinary anti-complaining attitude which a Contributor possesses that sets him or her apart from the ordinary Complainer.
Most employees would complain – period. That is the starting point of being an energy taker. In addition to seeing the situation from your manager’s perspective, what are you willing to sacrifice in order for your request to be fulfilled? For example, what are you willing to give up or do extra in return for an increased salary? What are you willing to give before you qualify to receive? It is so easy to complain and let others know what you want – but it is the extraordinary employee who considers what he can do first.
How to Become CONTRIBUTOR:
a
Serious
A Contributor is an energy-giver. Every manager has one unspoken expectation of the employee – in addition to fulfilling your job description, I expect you to bring positive energy to the team. A Contributor generates positive energy – he is usually caught doing the following: • He is enthusiastic and displays a contagious smile. • He looks for the good and is generous with complimenting others. • He is grateful and expresses his thankfulness. • He is quick to apply what he has learnt. • He resolves conflicts and is an accepted facilitator. • He does more than is required, looks for ways to serve others.
1. The Ability to See from Above Let’s say you are complaining that your salary is insufficient – how do you transform this into a contributing request? Instead of complaining about the high cost of living and industry benchmarks, examine how an increase in your salary actually helps your manager meet his goals. In other words, how will the increase of your salary contribute to the increased fulfilment of your authority’s objectives. Most employees know what they want but they are not attentive to what the boss wants. If you are able to link your requests to the actualisation of your boss’ goals, then you are creating positive energy.
Here’s the tip: Transform your reputation in the workplace by being an Energy-Giver (Contributor) rather than an Energy-Taker (Complainer).
Joseph Tan is a trainer that aims to equip leaders to achieve consistent results at work, at home and in life through the development of personal character and the discovery of unique strengths.
Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash
30
Issue 27 | May 2019
LEADERS
DIGEST
Powerful Victims BY RAJEEV PESHAWARIA
A decade ago while working at a large bank, John hit what he perceived at the time to be a low point in his career. He had just returned to New York after completing a four year expatriate assignment in Asia. His bosses had called him back to a so called “a bigger role” as a reward for his excellent leadership in Asia, but the truth was very different. Unlike in Asia where he was a big fish in a small pond and could get a lot done for his division, in the head office so many people needed to be consulted before anything could proceed, and internal politics was fierce. To make matters worse, he did not have many strong relationships in New York anymore because most of his compatriots had either left or were overseas. It became clear to him within six months that his career was going nowhere, and he decided to leave. It took him a few months to land a big job at a competitor bank, but to his surprise, when he put in his papers, his bosses began to pressurise him to stay. Over the next few days his bosses asked him why he wanted to leave. He leveled with them and told them exactly how he felt. To the organisation’s credit, they decided to “do whatever was necessary” to prevent a high performing employee from leaving, and offered him a big assignment based in London with responsibility spanning the entire
Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. “But I relocated my family back from Asia only a year ago, and the kids are only just adjusting into their new school here,” he pleaded. However, he eventually agreed to stay (and go to London) because they promised him a big promotion within a year if he did a good job. Energised by the prospects, he wasted no time and began working with full energy and enthusiasm on his new mandate. The results were visible within months, and as year-end approached, he started looking forward to the big celebration that would follow soon after his promotion announcement. However, to his surprise, he did not make it – the promotion did not happen. His bosses told him that they had tried their best but were unable to push the promotion through because it had been a difficult year for the bank overall. They reassured him that he was considered a highpotential emerging leader and would definitely be promoted the following year.
John was crushed. He could not understand why his bosses had not honoured their commitment. He felt particularly cheated because he had already declined the big offer from the competitor bank a year ago in New York, and had put his family and himself through yet another relocation. It was clear to him that this was the end of the road for him with his present employer, and began a job search for the second time in just 18 months. As he waited impatiently for an offer to come along, John spent probably the worst months of his professional life in London. His anger and resentment towards his bosses – and the organisation as a whole – grew by the day. He just couldn’t stand it anymore and wanted to teach them a lesson by quitting as soon as possible. He also felt “ humiliated facing his colleagues, all of who knew about the promise that wasn’t kept. This time he would not fall for any more false promises, he concluded.
Issue 27 | May 2019
31
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 31
His lucky break came exactly three months after the bad news, and he left to take on a senior leadership position with an impressive title at another company back in the U.S. From this point onwards, John went from strength to strength in his career, eventually founding his own company of which he is now president. At a recent interview for a business magazine, he reflected upon his career moves, successes and failures. One of the questions the interviewer posed to him was to describe how he felt when he landed the c-suite job and became a senior leader for the first time. Here’s what he said: I did not become a leader when I landed that big job. I did not become a leader when I was promoted to an even bigger one. I did not even become a leader when I became president. My promotions and progressions have nothing to do with whether or not I am a leader. I became a leader a year after leaving my job in London. As I reflected, I realised that since my return from Asia, and particularly after being denied a promotion, I had allowed myself to become (and think/behave like) a victim. Instead of re-building my relationships in New York and instead of driving results through collaboration, I was spending more time brooding about my ‘unhelpful’ colleagues. Even though I was in a senior role, I began to think that nothing was going right, and saw myself as helpless…it wasn’t fair, it wasn’t my fault…if only my colleagues would see reason. He then went to on explain how after a few months of leaving he finally saw his own self-defeating behaviour, and promised himself that he would never allow himself to regress into a victim mindset again. Instead, in all future difficult situations, he would consider setbacks as learning steps rather than failures, and dig deeper to find innovative solutions. “I decided I would never run away again, no matter how hard it gets… that was the day I became a leader… and it was from that point onward that I started succeeding,” he asserted. 32
Issue 27 | May 2019
John is not his real name, but as a student of leadership and as a coach, I meet people like John all the time. No matter how senior they become, many big bosses acquire a negative and cynical mindset the moment they face resistance, and blame everyone but themselves for their lack of leadership impact. This is primarily because they spend more time complaining about their environment than on proactively finding solutions amidst resistance, hostility and other challenges. Such big bosses are what we call powerful victims. Even while they occupy positions of immense power, they prefer to blame the world rather than try harder. As humans, it is easy to fall into this trap. To paraphrase a colloquial line, when the going gets tough, only real leaders get going. All others give up, run and/or blame the environment. Why? Because it is the easier route to take. To stay put and keep toiling towards a better future – which happens to be the core work of great leadership – is a lot harder than blaming and complaining. In fact, if we can blame our lack of progress on other things and other people, we become free of guilt, and free from the burden of having to confront problems and work even harder. I have no issue if someone decides not to work hard or decides to give up. Leadership is a choice, not an obligation. Everyone is entitled to make their own choices in a free world. I won’t even try to judge which choice is right or wrong. The only thing I question is – when you give up on addressing the most pressing problems facing you or your organisation while still occupying a powerful position, should you still be called a leader? Perhaps an even more important question is, have you fallen into the powerful victim trap without realising it? Reflect on the following questions to find out: 1. What are the most pressing challenges facing your organisation today?
2. What are the biggest obstacles preventing you from achieving your purpose? 3. Why do those challenges and obstacles exist? Who and what are causing them? 4. Have you given up on addressing the challenges and obstacles because the resistance is too hard and/or the problem is caused by people way above your authority level? 5. Put yourself in the shoes of your direct reports. What might they be thinking about you as their boss? How would you feel if your boss behaved like a powerful victim for a long time? There is no cookie cutter solution to avoiding the powerful victim syndrome, but the one thing that I have found helpful throughout my own career is honest reflection. Thinking about the above questions on a regular basis helps in objectively analysing situations and one’s own behaviour. Another useful thing to do when faced with difficult challenges is to talk to a trusted friend, mentor, coach or partner. In some instances, such a person might say something that might help you see the situation with different eyes. Very often though, you will automatically gain clarity simply by narrating your story. The last thing that senior leaders should do is walk around like victims garnering sympathy from subordinates and peers. They might sympathise with you for a while, but if your powerful victim behaviour continues over time, they will lose respect for you as a leader.
Rajeev is the CEO of the Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, author of the Wall Street Journal and Amazon best seller Open Source Leadership (McGraw Hill 2017), Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders (Simon & Schuster 2011), co-author of Be the Change (McGraw Hill 2014) and a regular writer for Forbes, Rajeev is an out-of-the-box thought leader on leadership, management and corporate governance. He has extensive global experience in leadership and organisational consulting, with a particular focus on uncovering personal and organisational “leadership energy.”
Why Having
“Grit”
LEADERS
DIGEST
Is More Important Than A High IQ BY LISA QUAST
Grit | Noun COURAGE, bravery, pluck, mettle, backbone, spirit, strength of character, strength of will, moral fiber, steel, nerve, fortitude, toughness, hardiness, resolve, resolution, determination, tenacity, perseverance, endurance; informal: guts, spunk.
Y
ou attend the party of a long-time friend and run into a lot of people from high school that you haven’t seen in years. During chit-chat over appetisers and drinks, you can feel the friendly competition heating up. While comparing career accomplishments, you are shocked to learn that the kid from school with the genius IQ, the one all the teachers thought would be spectacularly successful, has struggled with his career. How could this be, you wonder. This was the person everyone thought would invent something that would change the world. It turns out that intelligence might
not be the best indicator of future success. According to psychologist Angela Duckworth, the secret to outstanding achievement isn’t talent, instead, it’s a special blend of persistence and passion that she calls “grit.” Duckworth has spent years studying people, trying to understand what it is that makes high achievers so successful. And what she found surprised even her. It wasn’t exam results. It wasn’t IQ scores. It wasn’t even a degree from a top-ranking business school that turned out to be the best predictor of success. “It was this combination of passion and perseverance that made high achievers special,” Duckworth said. “In a word, they had grit.”
"Being gritty, according to Duckworth, is the ability to persevere. It’s about being unusually resilient and hardworking, so much so that you’re willing to continue on in the face of difficulties, obstacles and even failures. It’s about being constantly driven to improve." Issue 27 | May 2019
33
LEADERS
DIGEST
...from Page 33
In addition to perseverance, being gritty is also about being passionate about something. For the highly successful, Duckworth found that the journey was just as important as the end result. “Even if some of the things they had to do were boring, or frustrating, or even painful, they wouldn’t dream of giving up. Their passion was enduring.” What her research demonstrated is that it wasn’t natural talent that made the biggest difference in who was highly successful and who wasn’t – it was more about effort than IQ. Duckworth even came up with two equations she uses to explain this concept: Talent x effort = skill Skill x effort = achievement 34
Issue 27 | May 2019
“Talent is how quickly your skills improve when you invest effort. Achievement is what happens when you take your acquired skills and use them,” Duckworth explained. As you can see from the equations, effort counts twice. That’s why IQ tests and exam results aren’t a good indicator of someone’s future success.
and your dedication throughout your career journey (passion) are what matter most. Why? Because grit will always trump talent. Or as Duckworth notes: “Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.”
It’s because those scores are missing the most important part of the equation – the person’s effort level. What does that mean for you? It means that it’s okay if you aren’t the smartest person in the room or in the job. It means the effort you expend towards your goals (perseverance)
Lisa is a consultant in marketing, strategic planning and talent development. She is also a career coach and writer.
“
LEADERS
DIGEST
Selamat Ari Gawai Dayak - Gayu Guru, Gerai Nyamai -
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri From: Chairman & Members of the Board of Directors Chief Executive Officer & Staff Members of LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OF SARAWAK CIVIL SERVICE
“
- Maaf Zahir Batin -
Issue 27 | May 2019
35
Building Leaders of Excellence LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OF SARAWAK CIVIL SERVICE KM20, JALAN KUCHING SERIAN,SEMENGGOK, 93250 KUCHING, SARAWAK. 082-625166 Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
082-625766
info@leadinstitute.com.my www.leadinstitute.com.my