l INSIGHT: EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP SERIES – THE OSTRICH EFFECT I NICKI ROWLAND

Executive Leadership Series THE OSTRICH EFFECT

By Nicki Rowland

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP SERIES

Last month, Nicki Rowland, Director of Practices Made Perfect and co-owner of The Exceptional Leadership Academy, explored why being a futuristic leader is essential to giving your team a common focus and ensuring that your laboratory stays ahead of your competition. In this article, she builds on this idea and why part of being a futuristic leader is to remain visible in your business at all times.

REMAIN VISIBLE AS A LEADER Part of the reason that we would rather ‘save ourselves’ in times of crisis is that the reality of what we are facing can be overwhelming and make us feel powerless. When we do not have all the answers for our team, we often feel like sticking our heads in the sand. Hiding away is not the answer. Staying visible as a leader is. If sustaining visibility as a leader is a challenge to you, you are not on your own! It is natural human response to run for the hills when we do not have solutions at our fingertips.

In one of the most memorable, consultancy situations I have found myself in, the laboratory owner more or less hid. As the impact of the Covid-19 crisis hit his laboratory, he retreated into his office and closed the door. He no longer joined his team for lunch in the staff room or met with the laboratory lead. His team held him to account for everything that went wrong and he ended up with a resentful and pessimistic team. His reputation as a leader was in tatters and team members left his business in droves. To be fair, there are few laboratory leaders that adopt the hypothetical behaviour of an ostrich but many do not spend enough time communicating with their people and maintaining a visible presence within the business.

THE OSTRICH EFFECT The age-old idiom of burying one’s head in the sand reverts back to Roman times to epitomise someone who was disregarding or in denial of a problem. By simply ignoring the issue, the hope was that it would evaporate and disappear. This is a complete myth. Ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand in the presence of a threat. In fact, they lie down in the sand which camouflages them. From a distance it may appear that their head is buried. So, let us debunk this untruth. Ostriches have many natural defences which means that they have very little reason to hide at all. Not only is the ostrich the fastest creature on two legs but its powerful kick, when threatened by a predator, can be fatal. Even lions are wary of attacking an ostrich. They are very territorial and protective of their chicks and have no misgivings about attacking big cats or hyenas.

There are 5 main reasons that I believe, as leaders, we should lift our heads off the sand, look up and defend our teams and businesses:-

1. Leaders are responsible The people we lead see us as responsible for ensuring that everything goes right in the workplace. Likewise, they will hold us to account if things go wrong. Decision making is part of the ‘balancing act’ and the ‘defining art of leadership’. However, it is crucial to work collaboratively with your team. Brain-storming ideas and thrashing out a plan collectively means that accountability sits with everyone. Ostriches roam the savannahs in groups of up to 50 or more. When in danger, they cluster together and move as a synchronised flock. They know there is strength in numbers. Equally, we need to see the value of pulling together, empowering our people and working as a tight knit unit to ward off any threat to our business in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

2. Leaders are the information source The best leaders are first-rate communicators regardless of whether they are talking about business, politics or sport. Their values are set in stone and what they say promotes their purpose. Likewise, we need to be the source of transparent, candid and honest information. Do not let social media, the internet or gossip become the source of information instead. In a crisis, it can be our human default to raise our defences, put our heads down and stop communicating for fear of drawing attention to ourselves and being shot down in flames. Be like a male ostrich. They are fearless. They are very vocal and use whistling, hooting and shrilling to direct and lead the flock in times of trouble. You would anticipate that more noise would attract more predators and heighten the danger levels. In fact, the increased volume wards off other animals and has the added value of guiding the other birds to a place of safety.

3. Leaders are the listeners If you incarcerate yourself in your office, you will not know what is happening ‘on the ground’. One of the most respected laboratory owners I know has a great reputation for staying connected with his team. As one of his technicians said to me “He is always visible and ready to listen to any of us whether it is about work or a personal issue. He truly cares and looks after us all”. By listening, leaders can influence thinking, offer perspective and steer their teams away from hazardous situations. Much like the male ostrich, leaders should be the main carer in the flock. The chicks learn to follow the male, huddling around his feet as they try to keep up with his formidable strides. The male ostrich also shows it’s young how to feed and uses his wings to protect them from the scorching sun.

4. Leaders are the outlet for people’s emotions A crisis drives strong emotions, particularly anger and frustration. People need to off load their feelings and they are usually directed at the leader in a workplace. This can be upsetting and is one of the primary reasons that drives leaders to hide away in the first place. Facing into the emotions of your team can be the toughest test as a leader. We are only human after all. We need to be strong, find resilience and be courageous. Dealing with emotionally driven behaviour is no mean feat u

particularly if we are feeling discouraged and thwarted ourselves. Don’t give up! Remember what the American politician, Rahm Emanuel, said “Never let a crisis go to waste. It’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before”. It is all about ‘kicking ass’ just as an ostrich uses its powerful legs to square up against a threat. It is all character building stuff!

5. Leaders are the yardsticks As I mentioned in last month’s article, our behaviours, values and actions are observed by our teams. We are setting the standard of conduct and performance in our businesses. If our standards or attitude slip, then our people will think that it is acceptable to let theirs slide too. Whether it is to the detriment of our laboratory or not, our people will follow our lead. Steve Jobs says “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people are not used to an environment where excellence is expected”. So, ask yourself what kind of yardstick you are. Make your expectations of quality clear. Live those expectations and become a yardstick worth being measured against. Build a visible presence whereby your people look to you for direction just as the flock look to the male ostrich to direct them.

A Word from Nicki

There you have it. No matter what the temptation is to hide during this crisis, stand firm. Your people need you. Imagine what would happen if the male ostrich disappeared. Chaos would ensue. Your team would feel abandoned and that certainly does not demonstrate good leadership.

In the meantime, if you need any help, advice or consultancy, contact me at either nicki@ela.team or

info@pmp-consulting.co.uk

ABOUT NICKI ROWLAND

Nicki has lived and breathed practice management since opening Perfect 32 Dental Practice in East Yorkshire in 2005.

For over 10 years, Nicki nurtured her team to achieve exemplary standards in both clinical and customer service based areas of work and as a result the practice won countless awards. These include The National Training Awards for Yorkshire and Humber in 2010, as well as being a national finalist in the SME category. In 2011, Perfect 32 won The Training Business of the Year Award at the local Chambers of Commerce Awards and Nicki herself was awarded Practice Manager of the Year by the UK’s Association of Dental Administrators and Managers (ADAM) in 2012. In 2014, Nicki set up her own business, Practices Made Perfect. She has also recently co-founded The Exceptional Leadership Academy (ELA).

SPECIALISMS:

• Strategic Business Development • Leadership and Management • Change Management • Dental Legislation, including CQC • and GDPR requirements • Dental Ethics • Complaints Handling • Staff Development • Recruitment in Practice • Exemplary Customer Service

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