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ContentsPrologueChapter1HackingtheLeadershipGa
- 4. Index MorePraiseforMikeMyatt’sHacking Leadership “Great leaders are awareof gaps andblind spots in their organizations, teams, andlives.LearnthesecretsofgreatleaderswhenyoureadMikeMyatt’ sHacking Leadership!” —MarshallGoldsmith,2million- sellingauthoroftheNewYorkTimesbestsellers, MOJOandWhatGotYouHereWon’tGetYouThere “Hacking Leadership is a thought-provoking, status-quo- shattering jolt of leadershipwisdomthatcanpropelanyoneinthedirectionoftheirfullle adership potential.AtatimewhenscoresofpeoplearecontentsettlingforWhatI s,Mike challengesustoaskourselves,WhatIf?Insteadofsimplywritinganot herbook onleadership,he’spennedapowerfullypersuasivenarrativethatremi ndsusthe only limits to our leadership are those we impose on ourselves. Hacking Leadershipisamustreadforeveryone!” — BrigadierGeneralJohnE.Michel,CommandingGeneralNATOAirT raining Command- Afghanistan,andauthorof(NoMore)MediocreMe:HowSayingNoto
- 5. theStatusQuoWillPropelYouFromOrdinarytoExtraordinary “HackingLeadershipmeritsaplaceonevery twenty-firstcentury leader ’sshort list ofmust-read books.Written from the heart and themind of the renowned leadershipexpertMikeMyatt,thisremarkablemanualforactionwilli nspireyou tothegreatestleadershipcontributioninyourworkandlife.” — JamesStrock,author,ServetoLead,TheodoreRooseveltonLeadersh ip,Reagan onLeadership,formerGeorgeH.W.Bushappointeeaschieflawenfor cement officerfortheU.S.EPA “Mike’sinsightsarelogical,entertainingandwelloutlined.Deepexp eriencewith amyriadof leadersenableshimtounderstandthelandscape,andhispassionate pursuitofinnovationletshimcrackitopen.HackingLeadershipisafre shtakeon whatitmeanstobeaneffectiveleaderandtakeaction.” —ThomasX.Geisel,CEO,SunBancorp,Inc. “EveryleaderIknow,includingmyself,hasleadershipgaps,andallof usneeda resource and framework for not only identifying the gaps, but also a practical roadmap to help close those gaps.Hacking Leadership is an essential tool for every leader to have in their toolbox forworking on their own leadership and
- 6. thus improving the team and overall organization.Mike reminds us all not to settleforthestatusquo,andtheimportantroleeachofushastobringabo utthe changeweseek.Trueleadersdosomethingaboutit,andarewillingtom ixthings upandhackawayattheirleadership,withtheconstantpursuitofexcell enceand thustheirtrueleadershippotential.” — BradLomenick,presidentandkeyvisionary,Catalyst,author,TheCat alyst Leader Coverimage:©iStockphoto.com/ROMAOSLO Coverdesign:Wiley Copyright©2014byMikeMyatt.Allrightsreserved. PublishedbyJohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,Hoboken,NewJersey. PublishedsimultaneouslyinCanada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,scanning,orotherwise,exceptaspermittedunderSection1 07or108of the1976UnitedStatesCopyrightAct,withouteitherthepriorwrittenp ermissionof thePublisher,orauthorizationthroughpaymentoftheappropriateper -copyfeeto the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 RosewoodDrive, Danvers,MA 01923,
- 7. (978)750-8400,fax(978)646- 8600,orontheWebatwww.copyright.com.Requests tothePublisherforpermissionshouldbeaddressedtothePermissions Department, JohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,111RiverStreet,Hoboken,NJ07030,(201)7 48-6011,fax (201)748-6008,oronlineatwww.wiley.com/go/permissions. LimitofLiability/DisclaimerofWarranty:Whilethepublisherandau thorhaveused theirbesteffortsinpreparingthisbook,theymakenorepresentations o rwarranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particularpurpose.Nowarrantymaybecreatedorextendedbysalesre presentatives orwritten salesmaterials. The advice and strategies contained hereinmay not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate.Neitherthepublishernorauthorshallbeliableforanyloss ofprofitor any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential,orotherdamages. For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact ourCustomerCareDepartmentwithin theUnitedStates at (800)762-2974,outsidetheUnitedStatesat(317)572- 3993orfax(317)572-4002. Wileypublishesinavarietyofprintandelectronicformatsandbyprint -on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be
- 8. included ine-booksor inprint-on-demand. If thisbook refers tomedia suchasa CDorDVDthat isnot included in theversionyoupurchased,youmaydownload this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products,visitwww.wiley.com. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData: http://iStockphoto.com/ROMAOSLO http://www.copyright.com http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions http://booksupport.wiley.com http://www.wiley.com ISBN978-1-118-81741-4(Hardcover) ISBN978-1-118-81737-7(ePDF) ISBN978-1-118-81735-3(ePub) Tomyfamily—theyinspiremetobebetter. Tomyfriends—theychallengemetodobetter. Tomyclients—theyrequiremetothinkbetter. Tomyco-workers—theymotivatemetoleadbetter. Prologue Inmyofficehangsaplaquegiventomeasagift.Itoriginallyread,ItIsW hatItIs. Afterafewweeksofreadingthatphraseseveraltimesaday,whatIonce regarded asaharmlesssayingbegantochallengemythinkingandpokeatmycon
- 9. victions.It becamecleartomethisseeminglyinnocentphraseembodiedmuchof what’swrong withleadershiptoday.SoIdidwhatanygoodleaderwoulddo— Itookaction. I rummaged through my desk drawer and found my whittling knife. I then proceeded to carve the following inscriptionbeneath theoriginal statement:Until YouDecideToChangeIt.Whatonceservedasa statementofdefeatnowreadsas instructiveencouragement;thetextnolongerlullspeoplewhoreaditi ntoastateof complacency—itnowpropelsthemforward. Thissimplepieceofwallart(priortomymodification)issadlyreprese ntativeof manywhoholdpositionsof leadership.Burdenedbycommonpractice,busyness, andanaversiontochange,manyleaderstodaysufferfromanacutecase ofmental numbness.Theyhavefallenpreytotheslowseductionofthestatusquo. Astimehas passed,theyhavesuccumbedtoacceptingwhatisinsteadofpursuingw hatif.They makesafechoicesinsteadofsmartchoices — theyhaveforgottenwhatit is tobea leader. There is no shortage of debate surrounding leadership when i t comes to philosophy,style,definitionaldistinctions,nuances,complextheory ,andsoandso forth.Thatsaid,Ibelievemostreasonablepeoplewouldagreeleadersh ipisnothing
- 10. if not personal. Leadership can represent a pursuit, discipline, practice, passion, calling,skill,competency,obligation,duty,compulsion,orevenanob session.I’ve knownthosewhohaveworshipedatthealtarofleadershipasareligion, andabitof reflectionwillrevealmorethanafewleadershiprevolutionsdottingth ehistorical timeline.Mygoal forHackingLeadership is to challengeyour thinking andyour perceptionswith regard to the state of leadership. So,my question is this;what’s nextforleadership? InmyfirstbookLeadershipMatters(2007),Imadethefollowingstate ment: Whetherthroughmaliceornaiveté,thosewhotrivializethevalueoflea dership place us all at risk. Poor leadership cripples businesses, ruins economies, destroysfamilies,loseswars,andcanbringthedemiseofnations— Leadership Matters. On an individual basis, a person’s perceived leadership ability, or lack thereof, willinlargepartdeterminetheirstationinlife;theschoolsthey’readm ittedto,the jobs they hold, the family life they create, the influence they acquire, and the financialsecuritytheyachieve.Onacollectivebasis,thequalityoflea dershiphasa rippleeffect(positiveornegative)thatcanimpactgenerations.Leade rship,goodor
- 11. bad,isacontagion. Nothingimpactsourworldlikeleadership,andsadly,thepracticeofle adershipis broken.We live in a societywhere the pace of change has never been faster and moredramatic,yetourleadershippracticeshaveremainedpainfullyst agnant.Using eighteenth, nineteenth, or twentieth-century leadership practices in the twenty-first century simply doesn’twork. It’s time for a fresh perspective— it’s time to begin HackingLeadership. Coreleadershipprincipleshaveremainedlargelythesamesincetheda wnoftime. Theproblemwith today’s leaders is they don’t understand how to integrate time- tested principles with evolving leadership practices built for twenty-first century success. The world in which you attempt to implement previously successful strategies and tactics has changed and is ever changing. Organizations, their employees, and the various constituencies they serve are far different today from whattheywerecenturies,decades,orevenafewyearsago. Here’s the thing—these core leadership principles need not be abandoned, but outdated and ill conceived practices must be hacked in order to reestablish leadershipequilibrium.HackingLeadershipputsthepracticeofleade rshipundera transformativelensforthepurposesimplifyingthecomplex,whileno tthrowingthe
- 12. babyoutwiththebathwater. It’s importantfor leaders toembracethepracticeofchangeasitappliestotheir owntradecraft.I’vespentmuchofmyadultlifecommittedtothebelief andpractice there isalways roomfor innovation,development,and improvement.Asmuchas some don’twant to hear it, this applies to leadership aswell.When leaders hold themselvestoahigherstandardofrigor,discipline,accountability,an dtransparency everyonewins. I’veoftensaidtherigidityofaclosedmindisthefirststepinlimitingop portunity. So letme ask you this question:Whenwas the last time you changed something about you? Not someone or something else, but your thinking, your philosophy, your vision, your approach, your attitude, or your development.Most leaders are quite skilledat embracingchange—exceptwhen the focusof the change initiative happens tobeon them.Showmeaperson thatnever changes theirmind, and I’ll showyoua static thinkerwhohas sentenced theirmind toaprisonofmediocrity andwastedpotential. Smart leaders challenge everything—especially conventional thought, best practices, and dominant logic. When I refer to dominant logic, I’m referencing
- 13. existing behaviors/practices, which lock organizations into a pattern of once- productivethinkingthatnolongeris(falsetruthsheldasreal).Anythin ginbusiness can be improved, everything can be reimagined, andmany things can flat-out be eliminated.Thetrickisknowingwhatitemstofocuson— whichitemstohack. Iwanttopausehereandsetthetonemovingforwardbygivingyoumyde finition ofhacking: hacking[hak-ing]— presentparticipleofhack(verb)todiscoveranalternate path, clever and skillful tricks, shortcuts andworkarounds,breaking thecode, deciphering complexity, influencing outcomes, acquiring access, creating innovativecustomizationstoexisting/outdatedmethodologies. Everyone has blind spots, and leadership gaps exist in every organization. The purposeofthisbookistoequipleadersateverylevelwithanactionable framework toidentifyblindspotsandcloseleadershipgaps.HackingLeadership offersafresh perspectivethatwillmakeiteasyforleaderstocreatearoad maptoiden tify,refine, develop,andachievetheirtrueleadershippotential. Hackersare innovative thinkerswhoacquireanddistributeknowledge, tips,and tricks for solving complex problems—they reinvent strategies, protocols, and practices to create more effective solutions to both existing
- 14. problems and new challenges.Theyadopt themind-setof innovatingaroundbestpractices inpursuit ofnextpractices. Mostofusarealltoofamiliarwiththestatement“youdon’tknowwhaty oudon’t know”—there’sneverbeenamoredangerouscop- outforleadersthanrationalizing ignorance.The factof thematter is thebest leadersarepoignantlyawareofwhat theydon’tknow,andexhaustalleffortstoclosethoseknowledgegaps. In many respects, leadership is nothing more than identifying personal, team, organizational, and market blind spots and then dealing with them in the most effective fashion.Therefore it’s critically important for leaders tounderstand that most blind spots exist in the form of gaps—positional gaps, philosophical gaps, strategicgaps,operationalgaps,expectationgaps,knowledgegaps,a ndsoon.Gaps existineveryorganization:Theissueiswhetheryourecognizethem,a ndifso,how youchoosetodealwiththem. Many leaders choose to be ignorant of gaps and pretend they don’t exist. The problem is that when leaders fall into a gap, it often resembles a crevasse from which there is no escape. Smart leaders proactively seek out gaps in an effort to bridge, close, fill, jump, or navigate around whatever chasm they happen to be facing.Thebetteryoubecomeatturninggapsintoopportunities(hacki
- 15. ngthegaps), thebetterleaderyou’llbecome. I’vehadtheprivilegeofworkingwiththousandsofleadersaroundtheg lobe.I’m honoredtocountamongmyclientsmanypastandpresentchairmenand CEOsof some of the world’s leading organizations. What these men and women have consistentlytaughtmeisthatholdingapositionofleadershipisnotthes amething asbeingagoodleader;understandingthebasictenantsofleadershipis notthesame thingasbeingabletosuccessfullyapplythem,andthatleadershipisn’t adestination it’sajourney. Whilemanythingscancauseleaderstostumble,I’vefoundthereare11 specific leadershipgaps,whichifnotproperlyidentified,understood,andaddr essedcanbe fatal.Ineachofthe11chaptersthatfollow,Iaddressaparticulartopicb yframingit withinthecontextofaleadershipgap.Ithengoontoofferaseriesofhac kstohelp youreframeyourthinkingsothatyoucaneitheravoidoraltogethereli minatethe gap. Finally, I want to share with you my opinions and biases about most business books,aswellasofferafewinsightsforhowyoucangetthemostoutofth iswork. Mostbusinessbooksarefulloffluff,a ndwhiletheymaybeentertainin
- 16. g,theyoften servenorealpurposeotherthantotransfersomeofyourwealthtotheau thor.Inthe final analysis, a book is only as valuable to leaders as their willingness to discerningly pull the useful concepts off the pages and place them into practice. Books are little more than words on a page unless you choose to make them somethingmore. Iwouldcertainlyencourageyoutochallengetheconceptsputforthint hisbook. More importantly, Iwould encourage you to challenge your own thinking.Don’t justreadthebook;studythematerialandcommittobecomingabetterle ader.The dayyoustophackingleadershipisthedayyoushouldstopleading.Goo dluckand goodhacking.... Chapter1 HackingtheLeadershipGap The plausibility of impossibility only becomes a probability in the absence of leadership. Overview—TheCommoditizationof Leadership Whether you believe leadership has evolved or devolved over
- 17. time, there is no disputing the practice of leadership has become a contentious topic steeped in ethereal, ambiguous rhetoric. Everyone seems to have an opinion of what constitutesgoodleadership,butifgoodleadershipissoeasytodefinea ndidentify, whythendoesitseemsohardtocomeby? Societyhasessentiallycommoditizedleadershipresultinginaleaders hipbubble of sorts. Because leadership has become the latest version of an entitlement program,toomanyunqualifiedleadershavebeenallowedtoenterther anks. Thisisnotjustabusinessproblem— it’sagloballeadershipproblem.Themedia islitteredwithdailyexamplesofthoseplacedinpositionsofleadershi pwhofailed to lead. Leaders are often selected, promoted, and retained on entirely thewrong basis.When leadership isperceivedas littlemore thana titlegrantingaccess toa platform for personal gain, rather than a privilege resulting in an opportunity to serve,we’llcontinuetofindourselvesinacrisisofleadership. ThoseofyoufamiliarwithmyworkknowI’madyedinthewoolleaders hipguy. . . . Ibelieveall thingsbeginandendwith leadership. In fact, Ihold this thesis so dear, I’ve said for years “businesses don’t fail, projects don’t fail, and products don’tfail—leadersfail.” Withprincipled,effectiveleadership,allthingsarepossible.It’sonly
- 18. whenoptics become more important than ethics, when profit becomes more important than purpose, when process becomes more important than people, and when politics becomes more important than doing the right thing, that individuals and organizationslosetheirdirection.Sadly,thisiswheremuchoftheworl dfindsitself today.Thegoodnews isbyhackingcurrent leadership frameworksanddynamics wecanfindourwaybacktotruenorth. The best leaders understand leadership is the key to unlocking and realizing limitlesspotential.Iwantyoutothinkaboutleadershiplikethis — theonlyboarders to leadershipare thosewhichareself-imposed.Theonly limitsonyourpersonal, team,ororganizationalleadershiparetheo nesyousubmitto. So,youhaveachoice— youcanlimityourworldview,oryoucanexpandit—you canembracethestatusquo,oryoucanshatterit— youcanfollowbestpractices,or youcan lead innovationaround themto identifynextpractices.Real leadersdon’t limitthemselves,butmoreimportantlytheyrefusetolimitthosetheyl ead. AlltrulygreatleadersI’vehadtheopportunitytoworkwithhavehadon ethingin common—they have a clear understanding of their strengths and
- 19. weaknesses. They’ve learned to check their ego, enhance their level of self- awareness, and understandhowothersperceivethem.Theyareclearthinkerswhound erstandtheir roleandarepreparedtoactaccordingly. Thisisafoundationalchapter — onethatsetsthetoneyoucanbuilduponchapter bychapterasyoumoveforward.Therefore, thebalanceof thischapterwilloffer some insights into how you can hack away at the self- rationalizations and justificationskeepingyoufromreachingyourleadershippotential. TheLeadershipGapDefined Those who become what they do not understand will not like the outcome. It’s imperative you define yourself on both an aspirational and practical level as a leaderinordertoleadwell.Leadershipisn’tjustaroleoratitle— it’sachoice.The best leaders choose to be better, they choose to be different — they choose to lead well.Theseminalquestionyoumustaskyourselfasaleaderiswhyshou ldanyone beledbyyou? Thinkabout it like this—asidefromhavinga job,howarepeoplebetteroff for being led by you? In order to consistently receive the right answer to the aforementionedquestion,aleadermustfirstgainanunderstandingoft hefollowing
- 20. threecriticalleadershipgaps: 1.TheDevelopmentGap:Thisreferstothegapbetweenhowyouassess your current leadership ability and your true potential as a leader. An accurate understandingofthisgapindicateswhetheryouseeleadershipasadest ination or as a continuum. It will determine whether you grow and develop your leadershipskills,orwhetheryouwillfollowthepathofleastresistance andrest uponyourlaurels.Keepthisinmind— itisimpossibleforaleaderwhoisnot growinganddevelopingtoleadagrowinganddevelopingenterprise. 2.TheInfluenceGap:While influencecanbegenerated inalldirections, for purposes of this discussion I’m referring to the gap between your self- assessment and the assessment of your leadership ability by your peers.Your understanding of this gap, and willingness to do something about it, will determine your ability to build a cohesive team. Leaders who don’t have the trustandrespectoftheirteamwon’tbeabletogeneratetheinfluencene cessary toperformattheexpectedlevels. 3. The Reality Gap: This refers to the difference between how you view yourselfandhowthoseyouleadfeelaboutyou.Aleaderwholosesthefa ithand confidenceoftheirworkforcewon’tbeabletoattractandretaintalent, willhave acultureonlifesupport,andsubparperformancethatensuresonlyonet hing—
- 21. alimitedshelflife. Let’s stop right here anddo a quickgut check. Iwant you to rate yourself as a leaderonascalefrom1to10,with1representingtheworst in leadershipand10 beingthebest inleadership.Idon’twantyoutorateyourleadershippotential,but ratherhowyouarecurrentlyperformingasaleader.Thisisarisk- freeevaluation, asnobodywillseeyourscorebutyou;dothisnowandwritethenumberh ere____. Here’swhatweknowtobetruebasedupontheempiricalevidenceglea nedfrom conducting thousands of interviews with senior executives. Regardless of your position/title,youlikelyratedyourselfbetweena6andan8.AmIright? Thereality is regardless of how transparent you tried to be, 90+ percent of all people in leadership positions won’t rate themselves below a 6. Similarly, 90+ percent of peopleinleadershippositionswon’tratethemselveshigherthanan8. While thisfirstsetofdatamightnotshockyou,here’ssomethingelseweknow about leadership self-evaluations—leaders consistently overrate themselves. How dowe know this? Becausewe have also surveyed thousands of subordinates and peers,aswellasthosewhomtheleadersreportto.Thisnextsetofdatawi llshock
- 22. you. Whenweaskthosewhoworkforandwithyoutorateyouonthesamescal ewith which you conducted your self-assessment, they rate you on average 200 basis pointslowerthanyourateyourself— that’sright,twofullpercentagepointslower. So, if you rated yourself an 8 your co-workers likely rate you a 6. If you rated yourselfa6,thentheylikelyratedyoua4.Howdoesthatmakeyoufeel? The difference between your self-assessment score and how others rate you is what I refer toas the leadershipgap.Whether the leadershipgap isperceptionor realitydoesn’treallymatter — it’snonethelessthegapallleadersmustlearntohack. Put yourself in the shoes of those who rated you—how impassioned and motivatedwouldyoube toawakeneachmorning togo towork fora leaderwho ratessomewherebetweena4and6? Where leadership always runs amok iswhen hubris overshadows humility, and self- servingmotivestaketheplaceofservicebeyondself.Leadershipisnot about thepowerandtheaccoladesbestowedupontheleader;it’saboutthebet termentof thosewhomtheleaderserves.Atitsessence,leadershipisaboutpeople .Atitscore, leadership is about improving the status quo, inspiring positive change, and
- 23. challengingconventionalthinking. As long as positional and philosophical arguments are more important than forwardprogress, as longasbeing right is esteemedabovebeingvulnerable and opentonewthought,aslongasegoiselevatedaboveempathyandcomp assion,as long as rhetoric holdsmore value than performance, and as long as we tolerate these things as acceptable behavior we will all suffer at the hands of poor leadership. I thinkmostofusunderstandat ahigh level that companies live anddieby the qualityoftheirleadership— buthowmanyofyoureallyinternalizethisdeepdown atapersonallevel?Ifyou’rereadytodigdeepandgetseriousaboutl ead ership,the firstthingtounderstandishowcontrollimitsyourabilitytolead. HackingtheControlGap ThemostcommonmistakeIseeleadersmakeistoattempttoleadthroug hcontrol. Ascounterintuitiveasitmightseem,inordertogaininfluenceyoumus tsurrender control.The reality isyou’ll rarelyencounter thewords leadership and surrender usedtogetherincomplementaryfashion.Societyhaslabeledsurrende rasasignof leadership weakness, when in fact it can be among the greatest of leadership strengths.Leaderswhofail to learnhowtohack thecontrolgapfail to
- 24. leadup to theirpotential. Letmebe clear, I’mnot encouraging giving in or giving up—I am suggesting you learn theever so subtleartof lettinggo.Leaders simplyoperateat theirbest when they understand their ability to influence is much more fruitful than their ability to control. Here’s the thing—the purpose of leadership is not to shine the spotlightonyourself,buttounlockthepotentialofotherssotheycanint urnshine thespotlightoncountlessmore.Controlisaboutpower— notleadership.Surrender allows leaders to stop impeding themselves and focus on adding value to those whomtheyserve. Ifyou’restillnotconvincedtheartof leadershipis learningthat thefocuspoint shouldbeonsurrendernotcontrol,considerthis:Controlrestrictspote ntial,limits initiative, and inhibits talent. Surrender fosters collaboration, encourages innovation, and enables possibility. Controlling leaders create bottlenecks rather thanincreasethroughput.Theysignalalackoftrustandconfidencean doftencome across as insensitive if not arrogant. When you experience weak teams, micro- management, frequent turf wars, high stress, operational strain, and a culture of fear,youareexperiencingwhatcontrolhastooffer — notveryattractiveisit? Surrender allows the savvy leader to serve, but control demands
- 25. that the egocentric leaderbeserved.Surrenderallows leadership toscaleandacultureof leadershiptobeestablished.Surrenderprefersloosecollaborativenet workstorigid hierarchical structures allowing information to be more readily shared and distributed. Leaders who understand surrender think community, ecosystem, and culture— notorgchart.Surrenderiswhatnotonlyallowsthedotstobeconnected, butit’swhatallowsthedotstobemultiplied.Controllingleadersopera teinaworld of addition and subtraction, while the calculus of a leader who understands surrenderisbuiltonexponentialmultiplication. I have found those who embrace control are simply attempting to consolidate power, while those who practice surrender are facilitating the distribution of authority.Whenwhatyouseekistobuildintoothersmore thanglorifyi ngself,you have developed a level of leadershipmaturity that values surrender over control. Surrenderisthemind- setthatcreatesthedesireforleaderstogivecreditratherthan take it, to prefer hearing over being heard, to dialogue instead ofmonologue, to have anopenmindover a closedmind, to valueunlearning asmuch as learning. Controlmessagesselfishness,whilesurrenderconveysselflessness
- 26. —whichismore importanttoyou? Keep this inmind—we all surrender, but not all surrender is honorable. Some surrendertotheirego,tothewrongpriorities,ortootherdistractivehab its.Others surrender to the positive realization that they are not the center of the universe— they surrender to something beyond themselves in order to accomplishmore for others.Bottomline— whatyoudoordon’tsurrendertowilldefineyou.Assuming yousurrendertotherightthings,surrenderisnotasignofleadershipwe akness,but isperhapstheultimatesignofleadershipconfidence.I’llleaveyouwit hthisquote from William Booth: “The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender.” Onceyourecognizewhereyoustandwith regard to the leadershipgapandyou getpastlimitingcontrolissues,it’stimetoidentifyyourblindspots.Th isrequires deepintrospectionandaheightenedsenseofself-awareness. TheAwarenessGap—Findingthe BlindSpots LeaderBeware— ignorantbliss,nomatterhowenjoyable,isstillignorant.Ifyou’re in a positionof leadership anddon’t feel youhave anyblind spots, you’re either verynaïveorveryarrogant.Allleadershaveblindspots—
- 27. thequestioniswhatare theydoingabout them?The reality ismost leaders invest somuch timeassessing theculturalandfunctionaldynamicsoftheirorganizationsthattheyof tenforgetthe importanceofcriticallyassessingthemselves—bigmistake. I’ve never understood leaders who make heavy investments in personal and professional development early in their careers, who then go on to make only minimal investments in learningonce theyhavereached theC- suite.Learningand developmentarelifelongendeavors. The learning journey doesn’t come to an end just because you reach a certain station in life—orat least it shouldn’t. It has consistentlybeenmyexperience that leaderswhoarenotgrowingsimplycannotleadgrowingorganization s.Moreover, leaderswhofailtocontinuedevelopingwillalwaysbereplacedbythos ewhodo.A leaderwhofailstounderstandthevalueofself- awarenessfailstounderstandtheir truepotentialasaleader. The further up the ladder leaders climb, themore theymust be on top of their gameas theyhave thebroadest sphereof influence, the largestability to impacta business,andtheyalsonowhavethemostatrisk.It isat thisplaceleadersshould maketheheaviestinvestmentinrefiningtheirgame,becauseincrease dperformance willpaythebiggestdividends.LetmebeasclearasIcan—
- 28. themoreresponsibility leaders have, the bigger their obligation to be on the forward edge of learning, growth,anddevelopment. TheancientGreekphilosopherSocrateshadafewguidingprinciplest hattoday’s leaderswoulddowelltoadopt:Socratessaid,“KnowThyself”and“An unexamined life is not worth living.” Those leaders who actively pursue gaining a better understandingof themselveswillnotonly reduce theirnumberofblindspots,but they’llalsofinddevelopingasenseofawarenessisthekeytoincreasin gemotional intelligence. The better you know yourself, themore effective you’ll be, and the betteryou’llrelatetoothers. Tobuildonthehackscoveredthusfar,itwillbeimportanttoevolveyou rcritical thinking.Thisisbestdonethroughtherefininglensofextremeclarity. TheKeytoClarity—WhiteSpace Here’ssomethingyoumaynotwanttohear,butyoushoulddefinitelyta ketoheart; if you’re having difficulty ordering your world, it’s nobody’s fault but yours. I don’tcarehowbusyyouare,butIdocareaboutwhatyouaccomplish— theformer doesn’t always lead to the latter. Busy leaders are a dime a dozen, but highly productiveleadersarenotsocommon.Oneoftheeasiestthingsforlead erstodois
- 29. to bite off more than they can chew. All successful leaders are accomplished at hackingtheirscheduletocreatemoretimeforclearthought. Fact:Bright,talentedexecutiveswithabiastoactionwilloftentakeon morethan theyshould.Theseleadersdon’tunderstandthevalueofwhitesp ace.T herealityis maximizing resultsandcreatingacertaintyofexecution isall about focus, focus, andmorefocus.Here’sthething— it’sdifficulttofocusinthemiddleofchaos.One of the hardest things for leaders to do is to learn to createwhite space. The best leaders are thosewhounderstand themost productive things often happenduring intentionalperiodsofisolationusedforself- reflection,introspection,andtherigor ofcriticalthought. See if you can think of anyone you know who resembles the following description. I recently had the chance toworkwith a leaderwho is as bright and talentedastheycome.Thatsaid,hehadconfusedbeingbusywithbeing productive. Hewasinback-to-back-to- backmeetingsfromthetimehearrivedattheofficeuntil after5:00P.M.Hedidn’thaveanytimetothinkmuchlessdohisownw or k.Infact, theworkingandthinkingalltookplaceafterhearrivedathomeintheev ening.This leaderwasworking70- hourweeks,fallingbehind,sufferingfromfatigue,andwas becomingatrisk. Everyone in the companywanted a piece of this leader, but
- 30. theywere in effect sucking the leader dry. The leader was complicit to their own demise by not understanding the importance of maintaining adequate white space, as well as maintaining a personal life. If you’re honest, more than a few people in your organizationlikelyfitthisprofile —itmayevenbeyou. While themindofa leadermaybemostcomfortablebeingoriented toward the future,he/shecanonlyactinthehereandnow.Theknowledgeandskill srequired tobuildmasterycanonlybeacquiredwhenwefocusonwhatwe’recurr entlydoing. Thisisthedefinitionofpresence,anditisonlywhenweoperateinthepr esentthat realcreativity,growth,andinnovationoccur. Theproblemwithbeingpresent ismany leaders confuse thiswithhaving todo everything themselves. Have you ever interacted with someone who deals with silencebyjumpinginandfillingtheconversationalvoid?Thissamethi ngoccurs withexecutiveswhoattempt to filleveryopensloton thecalendarwithactivity— thisisahugemistake. All good leaders have matured to understand they can be fully engaged and present andyet still be alone.Smart leadersdon’t fill their
- 31. calendarswithuseless activities.Theystrategicallyplanforwhitespaceallowingthemtofoc usonhighest and best use endeavors. Leading doesn’t always mean doing. In fact, most often timesitmeanspullingbackandcreatingwhitespacesothatotherscanl ead.Thisis trueleadershipthatcanbescaled. Is your rubber band stretched so tight it’s about to snap? Efficiency and productivity are not foundworking at or even near capacity. Rather entering the productivity zone is foundworking at about 60percent to 70percent of capacity. Operatinginexcessofthatthresholdwillcauseincreasedstress,lacko fattentionto detail,anderrantdecisionmaking. Theold“whatifIonlyhad‘X’numberofhourstoworkinaweek,whatw ouldI focuson?”exerciseisagoodone.Infact,ifyou’rereadingthistext,just stopright nowandbenchmarkyour activity againstyour reflective thoughts: Iswhatyou’re doing,inalignmentwithyourtruepriorities,orhaveyoubeensuckedd ownintothe weeds? It is important for executives to learn to apply focused leverage to a limited number of highest and best use activities rather than to continually shift gears betweenmultipleinitiatives.Resistthetemptationtojustadvanceabr oadnumberof disparateinitiatives,andalternativelyfocusyoureffortsonthecompl
- 32. etionofafew highimpactobjectives. Thesimplerealityisthatifyoucontinuetoaddnewresponsibilitiestoa nalready full plate, all of your obligations will suffer as a result. Face current challenges head-on bykeepingyourheaddown and applying focused leverage to the task at hand. Leaders who operate without margins usually hit the wall they are most desperatetoavoid. Have you noticed how some leaders are frenzied, stressed, and always playing from behind, while others are eerily clam and always appear to be a few steps ahead? It’sbeenmyexperience that leaderswho fall into the lattercategorymake great use of their thought life,while those in the former category seem to forgo their alone time in lieu of being busy. Savvy leaders cravewhite space, whereas unseasonedleadersfeeluncomfortablewithopentime. One thing that can be a difficult lesson to learn is that not all engagement is necessary or productive. Leadership and engagement go hand in hand, but only when engagement happens by design rather than by default.Don’t getmewrong, goodthingscanhappenwithspontaneousengagement,butifyou’reen gagingwith
- 33. others without intent and purpose, it likely serves as a distraction for all parties. Don’t interferewithyourteamjustbecauseyoudon’tunderstandhowtousey our timewisely.Ifyoudo,you’llbecomeanannoyanceknownfornotrespe ctingothers —thisisnotleadership. Ihavefoundthebestleadersareharderonthemselvesthananyoneelsec ouldever be.Infact,thisissomuchthecasethatthebestleadersconstantlyself- assessandare relentlessinchallengingthemselves.Theyrelishtheirsolitudebecau seitgivesthem the ability tobe alonewith their thoughts, to challenge their logic, to refine their theories,andtotesttheboundariesoftheirintellect.It’sduringtheseq uietmoments thatleaderswillingtobehonestwiththemselveswillexaminetheirow nflawsand frailties.Theyareforeverinsearchofnewwaysofdealingwitholdprob lems. Thebeautyofleveragingwhitespaceisithelpsyouavoidfallingintoth ealltoo commonleadershiprut.It’snowtimetofocusonhackingthestatusquo . HackingtheStatusQuo Leaderswhoarebored, in a rut,orotherwise find themselvesanesthetizedby the routinehaveahugeproblem—theyarenot leading.Leadership is a game for the
- 34. mentally agile, not the brain dead. Sound harsh? It’smeant to.Whilemost of the world has succumbed to a static life imprisoned by the limitations of their own mind, real leaders are always looking beyond what is, thinking about the possibilitiesofwhatif,andactingtoensurewhat’snext. Why then do so many leaders complain about being in a rut? They get comfortableplaying thingssafely, theyreston their laurels, theystop investing in personalgrowthanddevelopment,andtheysettle,theyquitandstay— theybecomea leaderintitleonly. Atonetimeoranotherweallexperiencethesignsofboredom.Here’sth ething— boredomisastateofmind.Thedifferencebetweenrealleaders,andlea dersintitle only, is what they do when the creative juices begin to dwindle. Feigned leaders acceptthestatusquo,andrealleadersseethesignsofboredomasthepre cursorto neededchange. Formostpeople,thesimpletruthisexcusescomeeasierthansolutions —butwho said leadership was easy? Leadership is about acclimation and reacclimation, improvisingandadapting,learningandunlearning— leadershipisaboutchange. My observations and experiences over the years have ledme to a very simple conclusion:Ihaveyet
- 35. toseeanyoneimprovetheirstatusbymaintainingthestatus quo.Ifyou’regoingtogetcomfortablewithanythingasaleader,Iwoul dsuggestit bechange.Changeisa leader ’sbestfriend,andtheonethingthatwillpropelyou forward. Don’tmakeexcuses—makechanges.Sayingyoudon’thave timefor“X” is just codefor“X”isn’timportanttome.Sayingyoudon’thavetheresources neededfor changeisjustanadmissionyou’renotveryresourceful.Leadershipha slittletodo with resources, but everything to do with resourcefulness. If you’re stuck in a leadershiprut,usethefollowingfivehackstohelpyoufindyourpathba cktoreal leadership: 1. Go Break Something: Need to reinvigorate a stale mind or a less than thrivingenterprise?Trychanging thecorporate landscapebyshiftingexisting rolesandresponsibilities,orbybringinginfreshtalentfromtheoutsid e.Ifyou wanttodriveinnovation,leadchange,andcreategrowth,stirthepot— gobreak something.Slaughterafewsacredcows,challengeconventionalwisd om,break a paradigm, and inject a little chaos into your static environment. Old isn’t necessarilywrong,butlikewise,it’snotnecessarilyrighteither.Overl ayanew
- 36. business model on top of the existing one, and look for ways to create new advantages andmakeneeded improvements.Reengineer abest practice into a next practice. Ask yourself this question: Is the most tenured person in a particular position, the best person for the position? If not, make a change. Don’tbebored;justimplementalittlecreativedestruction. 2. Recharge Your Brain: A stagnant thought life is not a sign of healthy leadership.Abrainislikeanyotherenergysource — itneedstobenourishedin order to evolve. Whether you stimulate your brain through basic learning activities like reading, taking classes, or participating in workshops or seminars,orby justgiving it somewellneeded rest, the important thing is to makeaconcertedeffortinthisregard.Someofmybestthinkingcomes whenI remove myself from the routine of the office and go for a run. Vacations, sabbaticals,andserviceprojectsarealsoquiteusefulforcreatingnewt hinking paradigms.I’mabigproponentofattemptingtocarveoutnewneuralpa thways bysubjectingthebraintonewandcreativewaysofthinking.Afewofth ethings I’mdoingthisyearincludegoingcold- turkeyontelevision(afamilyproject), playingonegameofchesseachday,andstudyinganewlanguage.Chan ge-up your routineanddo thingsdifferentlyandmoreproductively— you’llbeglad youdid.
- 37. 3.GetSomeHelp:Leadinginisolationisdangerous.Thebestleaderss urround themselveswithwise counsel, andmake a habit of seeking out sound advice. Start close to home—ask your family for their candid opinion of your shortcomings,andthenlisten.Thosewholoveyouthemostwillalsogi veyou the respectof candor. In addition to seekingguidance fromyour family, seek out professional advice and counsel by joining a peer group, hiring a coach, creating an advisory board, or finding a new mentor. There are abundant resourcesavailabletoleadersresourcefulenoughtoseekthemout.Do n’tallow yourself tobeheldhostagebyyourpride, ego, arrogance,or ignorance—go getsomehelp. 4. Have a Vigorous Debate: Few things kindle the creative fires like a challengingdebate.Byseekingoutdissentingviewsanddifferingopi nions,you openyourmindtonewideasandperspectives.Adevelopedmindisther esultof achallengedmind.Smartleaderstaketheirbusinesslogicandwillingl ysubject ittobrutalassault.Indoingso,theyoftenfindwhattheybelievedtobecl oseto perfectwasinfactflawed.Gofindthesmartestpeopleyoucan,andaskt hemto pokeholes inyour theories andbeliefs.There isvalue inbothvalidation and invalidation. Don’t be afraid of being proven wrong—be afraid of thinking you’rerightwhenyou’renot.
- 38. 5.FireYourself:Inthefinalanalysis,ifyoucan’torwon’tfixyourself, oryou can’torwon’tallowyourself tobedevelopedbyothers, then it’s timetopass thebaton.Bothyou andyourorganizationdeservemore than just a leader in title,andifyoucannotperformasleader,thenfindsomeonewhocan.W hether you transition to a co-CEO role, entrepreneur in residence, chairman of the board, consultant, take a sabbatical, or you just resign your position, all concerned parties will be better off by making a move that is likely long overdue. Nowthatyou’reaware,refreshed,haveclarityofthought,andhaveaba ndonedthe statusquo,it’stimetogetprepared. HackingthePreparationGap Do you ever find yourself in over your head? If not, I would suggest you don’t spend enough time in the water. Creating white space has a dual advantage for leaders— itnotonlykeepsthemoutofarut,butitalsohelpsthemavoidgettingin overtheirheads. Thetruthisallleadersfindthemselvesswimminginroughconditionsf romtime
- 39. to time. And trust me—it will happen to you. The difference between those who drownandthosewhobecomestrongerswimmersislittlemorethanaco mbination ofattitudeandpreparation. ItwasT.S.Eliotwhosaid,“Ifyouaren’tinoveryourhead,howdoyoukn owhow tallyouare?”WithallduerespecttoMr.Eliot,it’sonethingtopushpast comfort zones and test your capabilities, but it’s quite another thing to survive doing so. Here’s the thing—good leaders take risks, but great leaders are prepared for the riskstheytake. Being in over your head can lead to career-defining moments (good or bad). Whenleaderspushpersonal,team,ororganizationboundariesoneoft wothingsis likely tohappen:They’ll either exceed all expectationsor fall short of them.The difference between success and failure isn’t found in risk taking alone, but in the planningandexecutionsurroundingthetakingof therisk.There’s truth in theold militarysayingthat“priorproperplanningpreventspoorperformanc e.” IrememberatimeIwentsurfinginthefrigidwatersofthePacificNorth westwith my son-in-law. It was the first time I’d climbed on a surfboard in more than 30 years.Icrammedmyselfintothewetsuit(notaprettysight)andpaddle douttothe waves.Thetruthis,myson-in-
- 40. lawsurfed,andIspenttwohourstryingnottodrown. Hewasprepared,experienced,andinshape.Hechallengedhimself,an dIwasjustin overmyhead— literallyandfiguratively.Hehadagreattime,andIjusthadatime ofit. Mysurfingexperiencewasagreat reminder that all thepositive thinking in the worldwon’tovercomecertainpracticalrealities.Idon’tregretsurfing thatday,but Idoregretnotbeingpreparedfor it.While Isurvived theexperience, itwaspure luck.Noteveryonewhotakesriskswithouttheproperpreparationisso lucky.I’m notsuggestingleadersshouldn’ttakerisks,butsimplythattherisksbe prudentones. Thebiggerissueforleadersisnotthepersonalrisktheytake,buttherisk sthey subjectothersto.Whileleadershavearesponsibilitytothosetheylead nottotake unnecessary risks, they likewisehaveanabsoluteobligation toseekoutand incur necessary risk. Many leaders take risks, but great leaders inculcate the planned execution of necessary risk as a cultural imperative.When calculated risk taking becomes encouraged at all levels of the enterprise it’s an indicator of sound leadershipandahealthyculture. Mymessagehereissimplythis:Ratherthanfeartheroughwaters,taket hetime
- 41. andeffort toprepareyourteamfor them.Thenandonlythen,goinsearchof the bigwaves. Perhaps the most powerful thing about creating white space is that it presents opportunities forothers tostep inandraise the levelof theircontributions.When leaders step back and resist the temptation to do everything themselves, their organization is strengthened. When leaders become comfortable being without alwaysdoing,collaborationflourishes,andproductivityisenhanced. Whetherwhite spacemakesyoumoreproductiveonanindividualbasis,oryouleverag ethewhite spacetocreateoperationaldepthandscale,you’rebetteroffwithwhite spacethan withoutit. EarlierinthischapterIencouragedleaderstogobrea ksomething— togoupend the status quo. I want to share a brief story about a client, whowhile somemay thoughtmighthavebeen inoverhishead initially,proved tobeanabsolutegame changerasaleader. My client had just accepted a position as President of McGraw - Hill Higher Education. He stepped into a company too comfortable with the status quo, even though the industry was in transition. An old economy industry attempting to competeinadigitalera.Heimmediatelyrecognizedtheneedforchang
- 42. e—massive, fast,andaboveallelse,smartchange. Thispushforchangewasn’tbasedonanimpulsivewhimoryouthfulnai veté,but itwasacalculated,courageousactofaninsightfulleader — hesawitasamatterof survival.Hewasalsoright. Inlessthan2yearsonthejob,henotonlytransformedthecompany,but healso transformed theentire industry in termsofhowpublishing isperceivedandused. Hemademassivechangesinpersonnel,positioning,andmadebiginve stmentsinto technology,actuallycoiningthephrase“super-adaptivelearning.” TheleaderI’vebeendescribingisBrianKibby.Theleadersomeinitiall ydoubted (notme)isnowconsideredathoughtleaderinhighereducation,andisr esponsible fortakingastoriedbrandfromindustrylaggertoindustryleader. Okay,nowthatwe’velaidagoodfoundation,it’stimetoaddressakeyle adership conceptmanyleadershavelostsightof,trivialize,orworseyetaltoget herignore— Purpose. Chapter2 HackingthePurposeGap Greatleadershipcannotexistmuchlessflourishabsentgreatpurpose.
- 43. OneofthefirstthingsIasknewaclientiswhodotheywanttobewhenthe ygrow up? The next question is usuallywhat do they stand for? These are two difficult questions to answer, but ones all great leaders can addresswith great clarity and specificity. I’vealwayssaiditdoesn’ttakemuchtalenttodrawacrowd,butitrequir esgreat skill and ability to lead an engaged, passionate, and committed community of productivemen andwomen. People can be rallied aroundmany things, but none morepowerfulthanpurpose.Allgreatleadersunderstandthispremise notonlywith regard to their own journey, but alsowith regard to the organizations and teams theylead. Iwantyou to takeamomentandexaminehowyou identify leaders. . . . Is itby performance only, or by a broader measure? I have always believed the gold standardofleadership,themeasurementofleadershipgreatnessifyou will,isbased onaleader ’sabilitytoaligntalentandoutcomeswithpurpose.Itisatthenexusof thesethreeareaswherelegendsarebornandhistoryismade. One of my favorite modern day legends in the making is ElonMusk. He is a purpose- drivenleaderfocusedonchangingtheworldthroughdisruptive,scala ble, businesses that combine technology and energy efficiency. If
- 44. you’re not familiar with Elon, he used the success of his first venture (PayPal) to form three other businesses:TeslaMotors,SpaceX,andSolarCity.Hislatestidea,whi chherefersto asHyperloop,wouldallowtravelbetweenmajorcitiesatthespeedofso und—and allforlessthanthecostofatypicalplaneticket. Onlyinhisearlyforties,ForbesranksMusk#527ontheirlistofbilliona ires,#66 ontheir listofPowerfulPeople,and#190ontheForbes400.Whatmakeshimso specialishe’snotjustanotherinventor/entrepreneur— he’sapurpose-drivenleader who thinks far beyond his self-interest. He has the ability to rally people around theirbelief inhisability to transformvision intoreality.Listen toElon talkabout whathedoes,andyou’llrarelyhearthewords“I”or“me”asheisclearly focused onalargerpurpose—improvingthelivesofothers. SimilarlytoElonMusk,anynation,army,businessenterprise(forprof itornot), orpolitical or social cause, it’s thepurpose-driven leaderswho stand apart.They areabletorallypeoplearoundsomethingbigger,bolder,andmoreimp actfulthan themselves. It is these purpose-driven leaders who have learned to hack into the heartsandmindsofthosetheylead. Evenabriefreviewofsomeofhistory’sgreatmilitaryleadersdemonst ratesthe
- 45. power of purpose. Think about it like this, how many of those you lead would willingly risk their lives for your cause?Even a cursory examinationofmilitary leaders likeWilliam theConqueror,Cyrus theGreat,UlyssesS.Grant,RobertE. Lee, Georgy Zhukov, George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, and Norman Schwarzkopfwillrevealeachwerefuele dbyaclearsenseofpurpose. Whetheror not you agree with their purpose is not the issue; the fact they were able to use purposetoleavelegaciesthatsurvivedlongpasttheircommandiswhat Iwantyou tothinkabout. Thinkforamomentofthegreatreformers....Ifnotforanunyieldingcon viction to a greater purpose by the likes of Martin Luther, John Calvin, William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Martin LutherKing,NelsonMandela,AungSanSuuKyi,andsoon,theworld mighttoday belackingmanyofourpersonalandreligiousfreedoms. Ifnotforthestrengthofpurposethatpropelledthefoundersandframer stogive birthtoanation,theUnitedStatesofAmericamightnotexist.Thisgrea texperiment in democracy required 56 purpose-driven men like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, and others, to subordinate personal arguments and beliefs to a higher purpose.
- 46. Following is an excerptfromtheDeclarationofIndependence: When in theCourseofhumanevents, itbecomesnecessary foronepeople to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assumeamongthepowersof theearth, theseparateandequalstationtowhich the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinionsofmankind requires that they shoulddeclare thecauseswhich impel themtotheseparation. Weholdthesetruthstobeself- evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal,thatthey areendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertainunalienableRights,thatamo ngthese are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted amongMen, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—Thatwhenever anyFormofGovernment becomes destructiveoftheseends,itistheRightofthePeopletoalterortoabolis hit,and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizingitspowersinsuchform,astothemshallseemmostlikelytoe ffect theirSafetyandHappiness. Areyoubeginningtosee thepowerofpurpose?Ifyoubelievemypremisethat
- 47. purpose- drivenleadershavefueledthegreatestaccomplishmentsinworldhist ory, thenwhywouldanyonebelieveforamoment thatabusinessshouldoperateapart fromorwithoutpurpose?The reality is thatmanyorganizations in today’sworld havedevolvedtothepointwherethereisnoclearpurpose,andtherefor e, thereis existsnorealleadership. FollowingintheFootstepsofGreatness —TheMovementHack The secret sauce to purpose is found in a leader ’s ability to scale personal and professionalpurposeintoacauseembracedandevangelizedbyothers. Justaswith thehistoricalexamplespreviouslycited,everysooftenatimearrives wheresociety reaches a crossroads—where the situation and/or circumstances so obviously demandchangethatapopulistmandate—amovementtakesplace. Iwouldsubmitwefindourselvesatjustsuchacrossroadstoday.Weare inacrisis ofleadership,andourworldissufferinggreatlyatthehandsofpeoplew hoconfuse theirdesireforanegoboost,theirquestforpower,andtheirthirstforgr eedwith leadership.It’stimetosayenoughisenough— it’stimeforaleadershipmovement. Movements are nothing new. Some movements have been evolutionary, while
- 48. othershavebeenrevolutionary.Somehavebeenmisguidedormisund erstoodand havebeenshort- lived,whileothershavetakendeeprootandchangedtheworldfor better.I’mafraidwe’vereachedaplaceinhistorywhereifwedon’tdra walinein thesandandsaywewillnolongertoleratepersonalexploitsasapoorex cusefor leadershipwemaybetoolate. It’s time fora leadershipmovement that values engagement, open dialogue, and candiddiscourseabovepersonalgain.Amovementisacausegreaterth anone’sself — it’sapopulistgroundswellratherthananelitistacademicexercise.Am ovementis intentional, impassioned, andbiased towardaction.Amovement requiresavision that’sinclusive,collaborative,andhasanorientationtowardservice. Mostofall,a movement requires people committed to change. These things can only be accomplishediffueledbyasharedpurpose. Thisbookismeanttobeanencouragementforyoutostartmakingperso naland professionalchanges.It’stimetodispensewiththetrivial,andbeginm ajoringinthe majors.Wemust bring the best leadershipminds together —I’mnot talking about like-minded thinkers, but big thinkers—deep thinkers. Those open to challenging whatisconsidered“normal”withthegoalofshatteringoutdatedthinki ng. Wemustdialoganddebate,butmostofall,wemustlisten,learnandact.
- 49. Wemust focus onwhat’swrongwith leadership and fix it. I’d ask you to become a better leaderandawaken thosearoundyou to thedireneedwehave foramovementof leadership. So, what’s your cause—your greater purpose—your opportunity to create a movement? Pursue these things. Rally people around this new - found shared purpose, and go change theworld.Not everyone can be the next ElonMusk, but anyonecanmakeadifference. Purposeissocriticaltosuccessfulleadershipthatentirebookshavebe enwritten onthetopic.Infact,oneofmyfavoritesisLeadwithPurpose(AMACO M,2011)by JohnBaldoni.JohnchairsourleadershipdevelopmentpracticeatN2g rowth,andis theconsummatepurpose-drivenleader.Hispurposeisclear— tohelpdevelopbetter leaders.Thispurposeguideshiswriting,teaching,speaking,andcoac hing.Itgives himgreatpassion,clarityofthought,aframeworkformakingdecision s,andhelps himpursuetherightopportunities.Thisispurpose-drivenleadership. Eventhoughtherearemanygreatworkspublishedonpurpose,Icannot imagine tryingtoaddressleadershipwithoutdevotingatleastoneentirechapte
- 50. rtothetopic. Purpose is the foundational cornerstone for great leadership. It’s whatmakes the difference between failure and success. Likewise, it must be understood when purpose is viewed as little more than an afterthought, individuals, teams, and organizationsplacethemselvesattheriskofservingtwoverydangero usmasters— egoandgreed. Thetextthatfollowsismyshortmanifestoonpurpose.I’llbreakitdow nintotwo categories:personalandorganizationalpurpose. IndividualPurpose—Hackingthe PurposeContinuum IndividualpurposeisfoundbyconnectingkeypointsacrosswhatIrefe rtoasThe PurposeContinuum(seeFigure2.1). Figure2.1ThePurposeContinuum ThePurposeContinuum(TPC)isdesignedtoillustratethatinorderfor leadersto maximizethethreeareasonthefarrightofthespectrum,theymustfirst alignand integrateallofareasthatprecedethemontheleftofthecontinuum. A business process framework I createdmore than 20 years ago underpins the basisofTPC.Muchlikeanalgebraicformula,thereisacorrectorderof operation for leadership as well. Even though the following sequence is
- 51. more than two decadesold,it’sasrelevanttodayasitwasthen: Values should underpin Vision, which dictates Mission, which determines Strategy,whichsurfacesGoalsthatframeObjectives,whichinturndri vesthe TacticsthattellanorganizationwhatResources,InfrastructureandPr ocesses areneededtosupportacertaintyofexecution. —MikeMyatt The best leaders understand the critical importance of transforming personal valuesintoagreatersenseofpurpose.Itisonlyatthepointwhereleader sbecome committed topurpose that they’reable tosurrender it,and letpurposeguide their approachtoleadership.It’softenthisrevelationthattransformsleade rsintitleonly intopassionatepurpose-drivenleaders. Leadershipmeansmany things tomanypeople.Andnotall formsof leadership arecreatedequal.Leadershipcan representapursuit,discipline,practice,passion, skill,competency,obligation,orduty.Leadershipdrivenbyanyofthe seconstructs canbeeffective,butwhereleadershipreallygetsinterestingiswhenitc ombinesall ofthesetraitstobecomepurpose- driven.Showmealeaderwithoutpurpose,andI’ll showyoualeaderdestinedtofallshortoftheirpotential. Ifyou’rechasingapositionandnot ahigherpurpose,youmaywant to rethink
- 52. your approach. If you value self-interest above service beyond self, you simply don’tunderstandtheconceptofleadership.Realleadershipmeansyou carefirstand foremost about something beyond yourself. It means your focus is on leading otherstoabetterplace— evenifitmeansyoutakeabackseat,orendupwithnoseat atall.Poweroftencomeswithleadership,butit’snotwhatdrivesrealle aders.The bestleadersaredrivenbypurpose. Ineedtopausehereforamomentanddrawanimportantdistinction;the reexistsa gap between success and significance —that gap is purpose. Leaders can achieve success without having purpose, but they’ll find it extremely difficult to achieve significance.Purpose leverages success into significance.This is farmore than a debateonsemantics. Myhopeincallingoutthisdistinctionistohaveyouadjustyourthinkin gwhenit comestothedefinitionofsuccess.Myclientstendtobeverysuccessful individuals prior to findingme.My goal is to simply help them leverage their success into becomingmoresignificant leadersover thecourseofourdealings.Thereality is that far toomany people either confuse successwith significance, or they are so focusedonsuccessthattheyareactuallyblindtothemeaningofsignifi
- 53. cance.The simpletruthofthematteriswiththeproperfocusyoucanhaveyourcake andeatit, too. Takealookaround,andyou’llseemostpeopleusetheirknowledge,res ources, and experience to acquire things in an attempt to satisfy their personal desires, whichintheirmindsconstitutesuccess.Contrastthiswiththeleaders whousetheir knowledge, resources, and experience to serve and benefit others, which by my standardsconstitutessignificance. Justassuccessmustbedefinedbefore itcanbe achieved, so must significance.While both require sacrifice, success comes at a greatpriceandisoftenbaseduponthecompromiseofvalues.Significa nce,onthe other hand, is purpose-driven by personal values and is a gift that cannot be purchased. Seeifthisexampleresonateswithyou.Contrastapolitician(oftensucc essfuland rarely significant)with a statesman (usually both). It has been said a politician is concerned with winning the election and a statesman is concerned about future generations. The politician makes promises and is motivated by pride, ego, notoriety,andpersonalsuccess.Thestatesmankeepscommitments,is motivatedby serviceaboveandbeyondself,andbymakingalastingdifference. Typicalpoliticians spew tired rhetoricwhile lining theirpockets, andhave little
- 54. hopeofbecomingsignificant.Thetruestatesmanisabreathoffreshair whoseonly pursuit is to make a positive difference in the lives of others. The politician in pursuitofhisgoalwillliveininfamyorinsignificance.Bycontrast,the statesman inpursuitofthebestinterestsofotherswillbecomebothsuccessfuland significant. Sure,forthose“whogetit”successandsignificanceareoneandthesam e,butfor mostprofessionalssuccessbeginsandendswiththeachievementofac ertainlistof personal goals with little regard to the impact on others. These people confuse success with significance, and regardless of their wealth and professional accomplishments,theywon’taccomplishthetruegreatnessthatonlyc omesthrough making significant contributions to something other than one’s self. I don’t care howyourresumereads,whatyournetworthis,orwhatyourW- 2shows...whatI careaboutisyourmotivation,andwhatyoudowithwhatyouhave. You’ll find it difficult to think of any great leader, or any great organization, wherepurposewasmisunderstoodor lacking.Purpose iswhat thebestemployees are seeking when looking for an organization to work for. Those same talented employeesare looking for their leaders tohaveaclear
- 55. senseofpurposeguiding their thinking and their actions. A shared purpose is what fuels leaders, attracts talent,andcreatesasustainablecultureofleadership.Aunifiedpurpos ecanendure allthings. Purposeisoneofthefewthingsallgreatleadershaveincommon.Greatl eaders have a clearly defined purpose, while average leaders just show up for work. Purposefuelspassion,whichcreatesfocusand,inturnfuelshighperfo rmance.Itis these characteristics that afford great leaders a competitive advantage over those whodon’tunderstandthedynamicsofthislinkage. To put it bluntly, leading without purpose is nothing short of an exercise in frivolity.Ifyouwanttounderstandpurpose,beginbylearningthepow erofpursuit. HackingthePursuitGap One of the most often overlooked aspects of leadership is the need for pursuit. Knowthis— youwillfinditdifficult,ifnotimpossibletorecognizeyourpersonal, professional,ororganizationalpurposeunlessyoupursueit. Atitsessence,leadershipispursuit— pursuitofexcellence,ofelegance,oftruth, of what’s next, of what if, of change, of value, of results, of relationships, of service,ofknowledge,andofsomethingbiggerthanyourself—
- 56. pursuitofpurpose. Here’sthething— pursuitleadstoattainment.Whatyoupursuewilldeterminethe paths you travel, the people you associate with, the character you develop, and, ultimately,whatyoudoordon’tachieve.Havingamind- setfocusedonpursuitisso criticaltoleadershipthatlackingthisonequalitycansentenceyoutom ediocrityor even obsolescence. The manner, method, and motivation behind any pursuit are what set trulygreat leaders apart from themasses. Ifyouwant tobecomeagreat leader,becomeagreatpursuer. Afailuretoembracepursuitistocedeopportunitytoothers.Thinkabo utpursuit intheseterms: Aleader ’sfailuretopursueclarityleavesthemamidstthefog. Theirfailuretopursuecreativityrelegatesthemtotheroutineandmun dane. Theirfailuretopursuetalentsentencesthemtoaworldofisolation. Theirfailuretopursuechangeapprovesapathy. Theirfailuretopursuewisdomanddiscernmentsubjectsthemtodistra ction andfolly. Theirfailuretopursuecharacterleavesaquestionmarkontheirintegri ty. Theirfailuretopursuepurposewillkeepthemfromtheirdestiny. LetmeputthisassimplyasIcan— youcannotattainwhatyoudonotpursue. Smart leaders understand it’s not just enough to pursue, but pursuit must be
- 57. intentional, focused,consistent,aggressive,andunyielding— itmusthavepurpose. You must pursue the right things, for the right reasons, and at the right times. Perhapsmostofall,thebestformsofpursuitenlistothersinthechase.P ursuitinits purestformishighlycollaborative,veryinclusive,andeasilytransfer able.Pursuit operatesatgreateststrengthwhenitleveragesvelocityandscale. I also want to caution you against trivial pursuits—don’t confuse pursuit with simple goal setting. Outcomes are clearly important, but as a leader, it’s what happensaftertheoutcomethatyouneedtopursue.Pursuediscovery,se ekdissenting opinions, developyour ability, unlearnby embracinghowmuchyoudon’t know, and find the kind of vision that truly does see around corners. Don’t use your pursuits to shiftparadigms,pursuebreaking them.Knowingwhatnot topursue is justasimportantasknowingwhattopursue. It’simportanttokeepinmindthatnothingtellstheworldmoreaboutlea dersthan what orwhom they pursue, orwhy they pursue it. Thatwhich you pursue is that whichyouvalue.Ifyourmessagetoyourorganizationisthatyouvaluet alent,but youdon’ttreatpeoplewellanddon’tspendtimedevelopingsaidtalent, thenIwould suggestyouvalue rhetoricmore than talent.Put
- 58. simply,youcanwaxeloquentall youlike,butyouractionswillultimatelyrevealwhatyoutrulyvalue. Lastly,thebestleaderspursuebeingbetterleaders.Theyknowthattof ailinthis pursuitisnothingshortofaguaranteethey’llbereplacedbythosewhos ucceed.All leaderswouldbewellservedtogobacktoschoolonwhatIrefertoasthe artand scienceofpursuitology. As you pursue and eventually discover your purpose, you’ll also discover a newfoundsenseofpassion.Whilepassioncanbeagreatcatalyst, it canalso lead you astray—knowing how to hack passion is essential to productive, purposed leadership. HackingthePassionGap Because purpose creates passion, you’ll be hard pressed to find any great leader who does not also possess great passion. That said,while passion is often talked about, it’s not well understood. The word “passion” comes from the Latin root, whichquiteliterallymeans,“tosuffer.”Thereforeitshouldcomeasno surprisethat thosewhoarepassionate in their pursuits areoftenwilling tomakepersonal and professional sacrifices in order to reach their objectives that the unimpassioned simplywon’tmake—theyhavepurpose. You’llfindnoargumentfrommethatpassioncanalmostsingle-
- 59. handedlypropel leaders to new heights of success.History is litteredwith accounts ofmarginally talented individualswhohaverisen togreatnessbaseduponlittlemore thanbeing passionate about the pursuit of their objective. Passion creates a refuse to lose mentality,whichcanenabletheaveragepersontomoveoutsidecomfo rtzones,take ongreaterrisk,gotheextramile,andachievephenomenalresults. Howeverit’simportanttonotethesametraitcapableofpropellingyout othetop canalsosendyouovertheedge.Passionisno taptitude,norisitcompete ncy,and neitherisittotallyunique.Theonlydifferencebetweenirrationalexub erance,folly, or impulsivity and passion is clear sense of purpose. These are nuances lost on many. You see, passionwithout perspective and/or reason can actuall y serve todistort one’sperceptionof reality.Thesedistortedperceptionscanquicklyplacea leader onaveryslipperyslopeblurringthelinesbetweenfactandfiction— verydangerous territoryforanyleader.Haveyoueverknownpeoplewhowantedsome thingtobe truesobadlythattheystar tedtoadoptpositionsandmanufacturecircu mstancesto supporttheirownfalsereality?Justbecauseyoucanconvinceyourself (orothers) thatyourpositioniscorrect,doesn’tnecessarilymeanthatitis. Just as there exists a very fine line between brilliance and
- 60. insanity, there also exists a fine line between passion and many negative traits such as narrow- mindedness,narcissism,fanaticism,delusion,andevenparanoia.For instance,there isabigdifferencebetweenleaderswhoarepassionateabouttheirbusin essandones whoareemotionallyoverinvestedintheirbusiness.Passionbalanced byperspective and reason can reveal purpose, but passion absent those filters can just as easily impedepurpose.Believingyourownsmokeisoftendifferentthanbein ggrounded inreality. Healthypassion for one’s business actually brings focus and clarity of thought, which serve to accelerate growth and create sustainable success. However, being emotionally overinvested in one’s business can lead to irrational decisioning, pridefulorego- drivenactions,theuseofflawedbusinesslogic,andpoorexecution. Thesearetheregrettableandcompletelyavoidableprecursorstounne cessaryloss and/orfailure. Itisnotatalluncommonforentrepreneursandexecutivestobetooclos etothe forest to see the trees. Passionate professionals thinking clearly will seek independent counsel andadvice tocontinuallygut-checkand
- 61. refine their thinking. Emotionally overinvested professionals will either avoid counsel or surround themselveswithlegionsofyes-men. Effective leadership teams have a balance of left-brain and right-brain thinkers that come from a variety of backgrounds in order to draw from the broadest possiblearrayofexperienceswhenformulatingpositionsandoptions .Emotionally overinvested professionals tend to surround themselveswith very small teams of like-minded individuals from similar backgrounds who tend to reinforce each others’thinkinginsteadofchallengingit. FindingOrganizationalPurposeBegins withHackingWhy Attempting todefineorganizationalpurposewithoutaskingandansweringwhy is liketryingtostartyourenginewithoutplaci ngthekeyintheignition— itjustwon’t work. OneofmyfavoritebooksinrecentyearshasbeenSimonSinek’sStartw ithWhy (Penguin, 2009).While the book is a fast, simple read, it focuses on all the right issues.Moreover,Simoncitesbothhistoricalandcurrentreferencess upportinghis beliefastotherelevanceofformulatingpurposebystartingwithwhy.S imonandI agreeonthispoint.
- 62. Ihavealwayssaid,smartleadersfocusonthewhy,alignthewhowithth ewhy,and thenallowthewhotodeterminetheappropriatecourseofactionwithre gardtowhat andhow—say that fast five times.Allkiddingaside, read this last statementa few timesandletitsinkin. Don’tbeinthebusinessofbusiness— beinthebusinessofleadership.Atitscore, leadership is the business of defining and articulating vision (why), and then aligningpeople(who)withsaidvision— thesearethetwokeystrategicelementsof leadership (leadership + purpose + people = culture). The tactical elements of leadership (what and how) are best accomplished only after the why is clearly understood, and thewho is soundly in place. A business that pursues a purpose- drivencultureof leadershipwillsimplyoutperformabusiness that focusessolely onprofit. Many organizations attract people with compensation—the great organizations attractpeoplewithaclearlyarticulatedandcompellingpurpose.Exam inethemost successful brands in the market, and you’ll find shared values and a common purpose—they possess a clear understanding of why. Look at any of the it companies—ifyouwonderwhatmakes themdifferent,wondernomore.Theyall understandwhytheyexist.Theyunderstandtheirpurpose.
- 63. HackingtheProfitGap Inrecentdecadeswhenpeoplethoughtofpurpose- drivenorganizationstheirminds would naturally gravitate toward the nonprofits. Lofty ideals and thoughts of making the world a better place were items of interest in social or academic endeavors,butbusinesswasallaboutprofit.Thefunnythingis,timesh avechanged andit’scatchingmanyfor-profitbusinessesbysurprise. Manyorganizations talk about a higher purpose—it’s listed on theirwebsite, in their vision statement, and from time to time they’ll even check the CSR (community social responsibility) box. Sadly, these steps are a far cry from seamlessly integrating a higher purpose into their strategy and day-to-day operations. Let’sconductabrieftest—Ichallengeyoutoname10for- profitbusinesseswhose higher purpose is the foundation for their culture, the basis for their talent managementplatform, theunderpinning for theirbusinessmodel, and thecoreof theirbrandpromise.I’veaskedcountlessexecutivestotakethistestan dbythetime they get to the fifth or sixth company they’re beginning to really stretch the intellectualhonestyoftheexercise. AtcompanieslikeMethod,Kashi,SouthwestAirlines,Zappos,Costc
- 64. o,Patagonia, andWholeFoods,employeesknowwhytheygotoworkeachday,andit ’snotjust for a paycheck.They showup forwork each day to be part of somethingwith a biggerpurpose.Makenomistake— purposeistheultimatecompetitiveadvantage. Therealityisthatmostbusinessesandmanyleaderssufferfromhaving apurpose gap—the bigger picture is simplymissing from the leadership equation inmany organizations.There’s far toomuchemphasisonshort- termfinancialmetricsand notnearlyenoughemphasisondoingwellbydoinggood. Whatmanyleadersfailtounderstandisthatpurposedrivesprofit,butr arelydoes profit createpurpose.Moreover, purposecandriveprofit andalign interestswith morecohesion,velocity,andscalethananyotheralternativesubstitut e. Theinterestingthingaboutpurposeisthatwhileitmaybeelusive,it’sn evertoo latetodiscoveritortoredefineit.Letmeofferanexample.I’vehadthep leasureof working closely with a Fortune 100 health care company going through a CEO succession over the past two years. The outgoingCEOwas extremely successful withhisvision,andasaresult,thecompanywasamongthemosthighlyr egardedin theindustry.However,theincomingchiefexecutivewassteppinginto anindustryin
- 65. transition. WithquestionsloomingabouttheimpactoftheAffordableCareAct,th esystems stressofarapidlyagingpopulation,thecomplexityofcoordinatingser vicesovera continuum of care, the uncertainty of government reimbursements, an ever- changingpublicpolicylandscape,andawholehostofotherissues,itw asclearto thesuccessorCEOthatchangeswouldneedtobemadetothebusinessm odel, the culture,andthebrand. He recognized the need to align stakeholders around a clearly defined set of values and apurpose thatwouldguidehisorganization through the roughwaters ahead. Countless hours were spent on definition, creation, and refinement of the thingsthatmatter.ItwasoflittleconsequencetotheincomingCEOho wsuccessful thecompanywasinthepast,hisfocuswasonwhatneededtobedonetos ecurethe bestoutcomeforitsmembersandassociatesgoingforward. Values were defined, vision was recast, strategy was refreshed, and the organizationalpurposewasclear.Thesechangesattractednewtalent, reinvigorated existingtalent,improvedtheculture,andfocusedthebusiness.Those ofusinvolved intheprocesswerewatchinganaircraftcarrierbegintoturnonadimeu
- 66. nderthe leadershipofafocused,passionate,purpose-drivenchiefexecutive. Here’sthething— nothingwasbrokenatthisorganization.Infact,manyobservers both insideandoutside thecompanywouldhave said itwasbest in class. It takes great courage to bring change to an organization at the top of its game. The leadershiplessonherewasthatinlessthantwoshortyearsbestbecame evenbetter. When leaders align values, vision, culture, and talent they create purpose. The company’snameisHumanaandtheCEOisBruceBroussard. WhatBruceintuitivelyunderstood,whichmanyCEOsdonot,isthatth eonlyway totrulymaintainadvantageisbycontinuingtocreateit.Howmanyonc ecategory dominantcompanieshavefallenfromthetopoftheirgamebecausethe ychoseto playdefenseratherthantoplayoffensebycontinuingtoinnovate?Too many—the followinglistcontains justafewexamplesofcompanies thathaveeitherdeclared bankruptcy,beenbroken- up,spun,sold,orhavejustfallenintomediocrity: AmericanMotorsCorp. ArthurAndersen Beatrice Blockbuster Borders CompUSA Dell DeLorean
- 67. E.F.Hutton Enron G.I.Joe’s GeneralFoods HollywoodVideo Kodak LehmanBrothers Lionel MCIWorldCom MontgomeryWard Motorola Nortel Oldsmobile PanAm Schwinn StandardOil TWA Woolworth’s Again, these companies did not fail as much as their leadership failed to lead. Great leaders know that to protect what they have they must build on it. These leaderslosttouchwiththeirpurpose,theirvision,andtheirpassion. Letmeconcludemydiscussiononpurposebydescribingwhatit’snot —profit.To thechagrinofmany,profit isn’t thereasonabusinessexits; it’saby- productofa purpose-driven business. Those in a position of leadership motivated solely by profitagendamaybereferredtoasmanythings,butthetermleadershou ldnotbe
- 68. amongthem.WhileInotedthisbefore,itbearsrepeating:Alessonlost onmanyis profit doesn’t drive purpose, but purpose certainly drives profit—great leaders understandthis;averageleadersdonot. Don’t getmewrong, I’mnot opposed to leaderswho profit, or businesses that makeaprofit.Thatsaid,leadersdrivenonlybyprofitwillfindthatwhil etheymay besuccessfulforaseason,they’lleventuallycometorealizeapureprof itagendais not sustainable.Great leadersmake the transition from profit to purpose and are handsomelyrewardedfordoingso. Whenpurposeisdisconnectedfromprofit,decisionsgapsandblindsp otsbecome theruleandnottheexception.Howeverwhenleadersawakentothefact thatpurpose and profit are notmutually exclusive interests, butmutually synergistic catalysts, wonderfulopportunitiesforhackingthepurposegapbecomeplentiful . Perhapsthegreatestbenefit toaclearlydefinedpurposeisithelpsframearoad mapfromthepresenttothefuture.InthenextchapterI’lladdressthemo stcommon misperceptionsaboutwhatliesahead,andhowtohackyourwaytoabet terfuture. Chapter3
- 69. HackingtheFutureGap Greatleadersdon’tmovetowardthefuture,theybringthefuturetothe m—they pullthefutureforward. InChapter2 Iprovidedyouwithseveralexamplesofcompanies thatatonepoint had very bright futures only to let them slip away. The leadership of those organizations simply didn’t understand how to navigate from the present to the future. I decided to begin this chapter by examining a case studyof twodifferent retailersandhowtheirviewofthefutureisshapingthedestinyoftheirr espective organizations. This isoneofmyfavoritecasestudies — it’saDavidandGoliathstoryofsorts. WhatImostenjoyaboutthiscasestudyisthatthestoryisstillbeingwritt en.Inother words, it isn’t over yet. The other thing I like about this example is there isn’t a winnerorloser.Bothcompaniesarehighlysuccessfulusingdifferenta pproaches.It servestoillustratethatit’snotthebusinessmodelthatmatters,butthec ommitment ofleadershiptopursueaclearlyarticulated,andwell- alignedvisionforthefuture. The following case study compares the world’s largest retailer (Walmart) with Wegmans,afamily-ownedregionalsupermarketchain. You’re likely familiarwith thestoryofmyGoliath—at the timeof thiswriting,
- 70. Walmart employsmore than 2million associates inmore than 27 countrieswith fiscal year 2013 revenues ofmore than $460 billion dollars.Almost 250million consumers visit their stores on aweekly basis. The size and scale ofWalmart is nothingshortofmind-boggling. YoumaynotbeasfamiliarwithmyDavid(unlessyouliveinoneoftheir market areas)— Wegmansdoesmorethan$6billioninannualrevenue,andemploysmo re than40,000peopleacrossitsmorethan80storesinNewYork,Pennsyl vania,New Jersey,Virginia,Maryland,andMassachusetts.Asmind- numbingasWalmart’ssize is,soaretheratingsofbothemployeeandcustomersatisfactionatWeg mans. Let’s begin the examinationby looking atwhat eachorganizationbelieves.The followingstatementislistedonWegmanswebsiteas“WhatWeBeliev e”: AtWegmans,webelievethatgoodpeople,workingtowardacommong oal,can accomplishanythingtheysetouttodo. In this spirit,we set our goal to be the very best at serving the needs of our customers.Everyactionwetakeshouldbemadewiththisinmind. Wealsobelievethatwecanachieveourgoalonlyifwefulfilltheneedso four own people. To our customers and our people we pledge
- 71. continuous improvement,andwemakethecommitment EveryDayYouGetOurBest ThefollowingstatementsreflecttwoversionsoftheWalmartmission statement, andI’vealsoincludedastatementoffurtherclarificationbythecompa ny’sfounder, thelateSamWalton: WalmartMissionStatement: “Wesavepeoplemoneysotheycanlivebetter.”Or“SaveMoney.Live Better.” Walton’sClarification: Ifweworktogether,we’lllowerthecostoflivingforeveryone...we’llg ive theworldanopportunitytoseewhatit’sliketosaveandhaveabetterlife . Therealityisbothcompaniesaregreatorganizationsverysuccessfuli ntheirown right.Theyjustdefinesuccessdifferently.Botharehighlyphilanthro pic,andtheir givingfarexceedsthatofmostoftheirpeers.Butit’stheirpurposeasref lectedin therespectivestatementsabovethatdrivesthem. Thereisnobettercompanyonthefaceoftheplanetatsupplychainmana gement anddrivingdowncoststhanWalmart.Likewisethereisnobettercomp anywhenit comes to treating the employees and customers well than Wegmans. Walmart defines success by doing “low cost” better than anyone, and Wegmans defines successbydoing“service”betterthananyone.
- 72. Bothmodelswork,botharesustainable,bothattractgoodtalent,bo tha ttractloyal consumers,andbotharedrivenbyapurpose- alignedvisionforthefuture.Youcan pickcompaniesinanysectorthatexhibitthesetraits.It’stheorganizati onsthatfail in these areas that fall off the radar screen into mediocrity, obscurity, and irrelevance.WalmartandWegmansseetheirfutureclearly—doyou? HowtoSeearoundCorners—Hacking theVisionGap Here’s the thing—life is just plain easierwhen you can seewhat’s ahead of you. Some leaders clearly have poor vision—their most polished skill seems to be runningintobrickwalls.Otherleaderssimplypossessadequatevision —theyavoid theobviousspeedbumps,butfailtostandoutfromthecrowd.Thenther earethose leaderswhopossess legendaryvision—the rare fewwhocan see aroundcorners. Whatyoumaynotrealizeisthateveryonecanlearntoseearoundcor ner s,andit’s notashardasyouthink— ifyouunderstandhowtohackthefuturegap,thatis. To better illustrate the value of hacking leadership, I’ll use the analogy of a magician’strick.Amagicshowisnotrealmagic,butmerelyanelabora teillusion. Magicianssimplyknowsomethi ngyoudon’t—howthe trickworks.Thispremise
- 73. holds true with visionary business leaders as well—they’ve learned the tricks of theirtrade(thehacks)thatothershaveyettomaster.Greatleaderscanc onnectdots thatseemdisconnectedtoothers.Letmebeclear;goodleadershipisn’t aformof hocus- pocus,it’ssimplysomethingtobelearned.Myquestionisthis:Willyo udo whatittakestolearnyourcraft? My goal for this chapter is to provide you with a different perspective on the future. I not onlywant you to changehowyouview the future, but Iwant you to understandyoucanchangethefutureinwaysyoumightnotrealize.Yo urleadership caneithershapeaverybrightfuture,oryourlackofleadershipcanevisc eratethe potentialforabrightfuture—youhaveachoice. Iwant to startbysharingmy thoughtsonhowweshoulddefine the future.You see,there’samisconceptionaboutthefuture — thatit’ssomedistant,ethereal,far-off event.It’snot . . . ithappensin justafractionofasecond.Andwhat’sparticularly interesting is the future is constantly refreshing itself—second after second, after second.Aslongasyou’restillverticalandbreathingthefutureisgoing tohappen —thequestioniswhatareyougoingtodoaboutit? Areyougoingtobringapurposeddesignelementtothefuture,orareyo ujust goingtoletitunfold?Iwantyoutoviewthefutureasyourplayground —
- 74. something that can be hacked—something you can influence with your thinking and your actions. ToHacktheFutureYouMustHave ClearPerspectiveonthePast When I think of someonewhopossessed a clear understanding of the path to the future,Ithinkoftheindividualwhoenvisionedplacingamanonthemo on.Itwas PresidentJohnF.Kennedy,whosaid: For timeand theworlddonotstandstill.Change is the lawof life.And those wholookonlytothepastorthepresentarecertaintomissthefuture. What President Kennedy knew more than five decades ago, and Michelangelo knew several centuries ago, is that innovation, growth, and development cannot occurbypretendingwelive inaworld thathas longsincepassedusby.Allgreat leadersareforwardthinkingandleaning.Leadinginthetwenty- firstcenturyaffords nosafehavenforeighteenth-,nineteenth-,andtwentieth- centurythinkers. Therealityisthatold,static,and/orinstitutionalizedthinkingwillgat ethepaceof forwardprogressfasterthanjustaboutanything.Ifyouwanttoexpose yourselfas anout-of- touch,datedleader,keeptryingtoaddresstoday’sissuesandopportun ities
- 75. withyesterday’sthinking. Let’s get right to it—history is useful for many things, but the experience and wisdomacquiredfromdaysgonebyshouldbeaspringboardtothefutur e,notan excusefor living in thepast.Smart leaderssimplydon’twastepreciousresources onrefininginitiatives— theyinvestinreimaginationefforts.Leaderswouldbewell servedtoapplyreimaginationtoallaspectsoftheirbusiness,butpartic ularlywith regardtoconstantlyreimagininghowtheylead. Examine any study on the rate of change, and you’ll find we’re living in an unprecedentedtime.Therateofchangeisclearlyoutpacingmostleade rs’abilityto learnandunlearn.Manyleadersstruggletoremaincurrent,muchlessf indawayto move ahead of the curve.Here’s the thing—if leaders are stuck in the past, their organizationswillbeforcedtotravelaver yroughroadtothefuture. ToHacktheFutureYouMust UnderstandHowtoNavigatethe Present Smartleadersdon’tallowthemselvesorthosetheyleadtogetboggedd owninthe present at the expense of the future. The best leaders understand the present is nothingmorethanaplatformfortheenvisioningof,andpositioningfor ,thefuture. Leadersmustbecomecomfortablelivinginthepresentwhilebeingabl
- 76. etokeepan eyeonthefuture.It’snotaneither/orthing—it’sanandthing. Whileit’simportantforleaderstobalancetheirpresentresponsibiliti eswiththeir futureobligations,theymustnotlettheformerovershadowthelatter.I wantyouto rethinkyourperspectiveonthepresentvs.thefuturebyexaminingthec ontrastsI’ve laidoutinTable3.1. Table3.1ThePresentversustheFuture ThePresent TheFuture Wherebattlesarefought Wherewarsarewon Wherevaluesarestated Wherevaluesbecomeculture Wherepotentialisrecognized Wherepotentialisrealized Whereneedforchangeisidentified Whereinnovationbecomesreality Wherepursuittakesplace Wherepurposeisfulfilled Whereplanningoccurs Whereoutcomesareachieved Whereleadersaredeveloped Whereleadershipbecomesubiquitous Wheresuccessismade Wheresignificanceisjudged It must be understood by all leaders that the present is the transformative battlegroundforthefuture.Youractionsinthepresentwilldetermine whattypeof futureyouandyourorganizationwillhave.Ifyoudonot“win”theprese ntyouwill havenoabilityto“win”thefuture. That said, too much focus on the present without regard for its impact on the futurewillonlycreatealargergapbetweenthetwo.Focusonlyontheas pectsofthe present that lead you toward the future. The big take-away here
- 77. should be your recognitionthatthegapbetweenthepresentandthefutureisonlyaslar georsmall as the quality, commitment and character of your leadership.Awin in one realm withoutacorrespondingwinintheotherwillproduce nothingmoretha napyrrhic victory. HackingtheNewNormal There’snoshortageofrecentcommentaryonhowthe“newnormal”isi mpacting business.Here’s the thing—mostof it flatmisses themark. Itdoesn’t takeagreat dealofinsightfulnesstorecognizebusinessesarenavigatingnew leve lsoftechnical complexity, economicuncertainty, political acrimony, and consumer cautiousness. Thatsaid,thenewnormalisn’ttobefeared;itshouldbeembraced.Thos eleaders derailed by economic challenges simply failed to successfully hack their way throughthestorm. Thebestleadersaren’tseekingasafeharborintheordinary.They’rese ekingto navigate past the status quo into the realm of the extraordinary. Smart leaders recognizeeconomicslow- downsarenotalldoomandgloom.Infact,thesmartest executivesunderstandthatswimmingupstreamagainsttheconventio nalwisdomof therisk- aversecanactuallycreatesignificantopportunitiesforgrowth.This
- 78. is the lenssmartleadersusetoviewthenewnormal. Business leaders who blame the economy for poor business performance are simplyredirectingblamefortheirbadleadershiponatargetofconveni ence.Ifan economic downturn ruins a business, then it wasn’t much of a business to begin with. Severe business downturns or failures are a result of poor leadership—not economicconditions.Abadeconomydoesn’tcausegoodleadershipto becomebad, itsimplyrevealspoorleadershipthatisnolongerabletohidebehindfro thymarket conditions,whichsoconvenientlymaskedtheirshortcomings. Therearehundredsofstudies that showbusinesses that focusongrowthduring badeconomictimesdobetterthancompetitorswholosetheirfocusand attemptto waititoutonthesidelines.Leadershipisnotaspectatorsport— itdoesn’tlenditself well toapassive,orworseyet, regressiveposture.Don’tfallpreyto tryingtodo more with less, develop the ability to secure the talent and resources needed to create a strategic advantage. Using a lack of resources as an excuse is just an indicatorthatyou’renotveryresourceful. Greatleadersnotonlyembracethenewnormal,theylooktoconstantly recreate thenextversionofit.Succumbingtocomfortzonesandstatusquothink ingsimply creates barriers to innovation and change. The new normal
- 79. affords leaders the opportunity to reexamine everything, abandon outdated thinking, and challenge dominant logic. By perpetually creating the next new normal, your business can remaininaconstantstateofreinvention. This book is my plea for you to consider breaking the existing leadership paradigms within your organization. Not that you need it, but you have my permissiontofindafewsacredcowsandleadthemtoslaughter.Exami newhatyou measure and why you measure it. Look at how decisions are made and who is allowedtomakethem.Injectyouthwherenonepresentlyexists.Repla cetheoffice squatters (those who have mentally quit, but failed to physically leave). Stop rewardingstaticthinkingbyembracingdissentingopinio nanddiversi tyofthought. Useyourcreativityandleadershipabilitytoleveragethenextversiono fthenew normal to be disruptive, create competitive advantage where none previously existed, acquirebetter talent, becomemore engagedandcollaborative, and rebuff apathyandmediocrityateverylevel. What’sthenextnewnormallooklikeforyourorganization?Iwouldsu ggestyou createthenewnormalbydesign.Thisisbestaccomplishedbylearningt
- 80. opullthe futureforward. GreatLeadersHacktheFutureby PullingItForward Iopenedthischapterwithaquoteaboutpullingthefutureforward,butn owIwantto explainexactlywhatImean.Ihavelongobservedmostpeopleplotaver ycomplex pathtothefuture.Yearbyyear,monthbymonth,daybyday,taskbytask ,andevent by event, most leaders hope to have the attainment of a goal intersect with a predestined point in time. While there’s nothing particularly wrong with this process,ithasonedistinctdisadvantage— thefocuspointformostpeopleissettoo farout.Theyarefocusedonchasingapointintimeratherthandrawingt hatpointin timeclosertothem. Conventionalwisdomdictatesthatyoumovetothefuture,butthemost successful leadersdon’tmove toward thefuture, theybring thefuture to them—theypull the future forward. They focus on disrupting things now—not at some point in the future. They apply their creativity, not to a distant event, but to the immediate opportunityinwhichtheycanacceleratethefuture. Ifyouwant to leadmoreeffectively,shorten thedistancebetweenthefutureand present.Inspiringinnovationandleadingchangecallformorethanpro
- 81. cess—they require the adoption of a cultural mind-set. Leaders who protect the status quo through controlmust surrender to change in order to secure the future for their organization. Don’tbetheleaderwhorewardsherdmentality,andme- toothinking.Don’tbethe leaderwhoencouragespeoplenottofailornottotakerisks.Betheleade rwhoboth modelsandgivespermissiontodotheexactoppositeoftheaforementi oned—bea leaderwholeads. IfyoutakenothingelsefromthissectionIhopeyoudon’tmissthepowe rofthis statement:The best view of the future is found through the lens of the people. To understandthefuture,onemusttruly,deeply,andrichlyunderstandpe ople.People arethekeytothefuture.It’sthepeoplewhomaketoday’sdecisions(go odandbad) thatpavethepathintothefuture.Ifyouwanttopredictthefuture,youm ustbecome verygoodatunderstandingandengagingpeopleof influence.Sure,goaheadand study business, but if you don’t master the study of people, all the business knowledge in theworldwon’t help. Following are three hacks to help you better understandthepeople. 1.TheMotivationHack You’ll never understand people until you know what motivates them. To
- 82. predict the future, you must be able to reasonably predict the actions of people,soyoumustunderstandtheirmotivations.Motivationoftentel ls the tale of a person’s credibility, influence, and effectiveness. One of the first things I like to understandwhenworkingwith leaders iswhat drives them. Theirmotivations speak towho they are,what they value, how theywork, andwhytheydowhattheydo. 2.HackingtheRhetoric There’sareasonfortheoldaxiom“talkischeap”— it’strue.Moreimportant thanwhatpeoplesay iswhat theydo. Ifyoureallywant tounderstandwhat leaders believe at their core, observe the decisions they make (or don’t make),therelationshipstheyvalue(ordon’tvalue),thecouragetheydi splay (orfailtodisplay),andthechallengestheyaccept(orwalkawayfrom). To listenisgood,towatchisimportant,buttounderstandisessential.Ther eis no reason to be surprised by people’s behavior, unless you’ve failed to observeit. 3.TheObservationHack Fewthingswillhelpgaininsightintothefutureofacareer,project,prod uct, orcompany like takingaclose look into
- 83. thecharacterandcommitmentof thepeopledrivingthem.Lookintoanyleadershipfailure,anduponeve nthe most cursory examination, you’ll find indications of failure were everywhere well in advance of the event itself. The signs of success and failurearealwaysclearlyvisibletothosewholook.Visionaryleaderss eethe realityofasituation,event,orcircumstance.Theyrefrainfromthecom mon delusion of seeing what they choose to see, and they base their actions/decisionsonarealisticinterpretationofthesigns.Theonlywa yyou should ever be surprised by someone’s character is if you have failed to recognizeitforwhatitis. HackingGenerationalComplexity No rational discussion about the future can be held without talking about cross- generationalleadership.Leaders’biggeststruggleisnottheroutineof thefamiliar, butthejourneyoftheunknown.It’sgettingfromwheretheyaretowher etheywant to be strategically, tactically, organizationally, developmentally, and, most importantly,relationallythatmatters.It’sbeensaidthatthebestwayto impactyour futureistochangeyourpresentcircumstances.Andquitefrankly,Ican ’tthinkofa betterplacetoignitethatchangethanbyhelpingyoutogainabetterund erstanding of how to connect with what IS the future—the younger
- 84. generation—the next generationofleaders. Letmebeasclearas Ican—therearestill far toomany leaderswhobelieve in havingsomeoneearntheirstripesandpaytheirdues— pleasedon’tdothis,don’tbe this person. It’s not productive—it doesn’t work. Don’t focus on restricting development,Focusonunlockingpassionandpotential.Don’tseekto beaffirmed by the tenured—seek to be challenged by thosewho offer something new. Don’t catertothepast,butfocusonthefuture.I’mgoingtoencourageyoutodr awaline inthesandandaskyoutoabsolutelyrefusetoallowyourorganizationt oreekof thestalescentofstatusquo. I’m going to ask you to stop complaining about the younger generation, and insteadbecomeveryintentionalandveryfluentinyourunderstanding ofthem.By all means, mentor and develop them, but it’s time to make a paradigm shift in traditionalthinkingandforleaderstochecktheiregos.Learningisnots olelyatop- downinitiative.WhatIwantyoutounderstandisthatthenextgeneratio nhasjustas muchtoofferyou,andjustasmuchtoteachyou. Here’s the thing; cross-generational corporate experiments aren’t working too well. Put another way, most leaders haven’t figured out how to deal with the challengesof integratingdifferentgenerationsand their
- 85. respectivebelief systems. We’reallexperiencingthesamecollisionofgenerationswithinthewo rkforce,and while someare reaping thebenefitsof turning friction intoopportunity,most are not. This is because many leaders have generations competing with one another ratherthanlearningfromeachother. Let’stakeacloserlookatthesegenerations— Boomers(thosebornbetween1946 and1964)representahugesegmentofourpopulation,andtheMillenni alsorGenY (thosebornafter1981) representaneven larger segmentwith theirnumbersnow eclipsingthoseoftheboomers.Theproblemisthis:Fortheboomers,75 isthenew 65.Boomersarehealthier,livinglonger,identifythemselveswithcar eers,andthey eitherdon’twanttoorcan’taffordtoretireintothisdowneconomy.So, atthesame time Boomers aren’t leaving the work force, the huge wave of Millennials is enteringtheworkforce.Thismeansthatifyoudon’talreadyhave50- and60-year- oldsworkingside-by-sidewitha20-something— youwillinthefuture. Asaleaderyoumustlearntobuildbridgesleadingfromoldhabitsandc omfort zones to the more fertile grounds of disruptive innovation. The best way to accomplish that is toalign thecreativeenergyof
- 86. theyoungergeneration,and the experience of your more seasoned workers with your organizational values and vision. WhatIwanttocommunicateisthatyoucanrun,butyoucannothide — sooneror later, knowingly or unknowingly, directly or indirectly, willingly or unwillingly, every leadermust dealwith the changing demographic shifts in theworkforce. It impacts culture, performance, brand, innovation, leadership development, succession,andeventhesustainabilityofyourenterprise.Asaleadery oumustget thisrightorfail. MostofyouunderstandwhatI’msharingatatheoreticallevel— you’vealllooked at thenumbers,andyou’veallstudied the trends.Thatsaid, ifyou’rehonest,very few of you likely embrace these trends. And most of all, you probably don’t leveragethemonaday-to- daypracticallevel,muchlessatastrategiclevel. LetmegiveyouanexampleofsomethingthatIobserveregularly— thesadreality isthatwhenIassessanewclient’sleadershipteam,it’stheexception,n ottherule, thatyouthhasa seatat the table.And the realkicker is it’snotbecause theydon’t haveyoungtalent,theysimplydon’tknowhowtoengagetheiryounger talent. These otherwise savvy leaders don’t speak the same language, and they’re
- 87. frustrated.Thisoftenresultsinadisengaged,outoftouch,havealways doneitthat way leadership team.Andwhen it comes time for succession, theseorganizations endupgoingoutside thecompanytoreplace theold— oldperson,withanewold person.Notonlyaremostcompaniesbuildinginleadershipobsolesce nce,butthey have no real idea of how to correct the problem, and they’re certainly not leveragingthecompletelyunderutilizedGenX’rsandGenY’rsfallin gthroughthe cracksoftheircompany. Here’smybottomlineontheissueofage:Ifyoudon’thaveyouthrepres entedin yourseniormanagementandleadershipteams,getsome.Oncetheyha veaseatat thetable,youalsoneedtogivethemavoice.Nowcomesthereallyhardp art...you thenhavetobewillingtolisten. Youwon’t ever engage youngerworkers, and you certainlywon’t unlock their creativity,passion,intelligence,andcommitmentifyoudon’trespect them.Dismiss them,patronizethem,orotherwisemarginalizethem,andthey’llwalk outthedoor. Showthemyoucareaboutthem,thatyoucareabouttherightthings— youknowthe small things likevalues,ethics,and transparency—and they’llbe the fuel the runs
- 88. yourengineintothefuture.Failingtoembracethisisthesamethingasc hoosingto restrictyouraccesstoopportunity. Insummary, learnyourbusiness,andbecomevery intentionalaboutdeveloping skills that will allow you to understand people—particularly people of influence (youngandold).Youcannoteffectively lead thoseyoudon’tknow,havefailed to understand,andhavechosennottoserve. Theoutcomeofaleader ’sattemptsatgrowinganorganization,developingtalent, andcreatingchangewillberootedinhisorhercommitmenttofocusonc hanging themselves. I’ve often said it is impossible to create corporate growth without leadership growth or, put another way, you cannot scale an organizationwithout scalableleadership.Becomeabetterleaderandyouwillnotonlybeabl etobetter predictthefuture,youwillhavethepowertochangeit. Chapter4 HackingtheMediocrityGap Leadershipexiststodisruptmediocrity. Question:Whyismediocritysoprevalent?Answer:Itrequiresnocour age.Thebest leaders exhibit the strength of character to move past the ordinary, usual, and customary,inordertoresideintherealmoftheextraordinary.Theyrec