Kaizen - the ultimate value

Leadership paradigm change

I can’t get a thought out of my head. I’ve heard so many people in my life and career say things like: why doesn’t he snap, he should have been tougher, you have to squeeze him/her… All these sentences show a way of achieving a wanted outcome using an old paradigm. If, within a situation, or a conflict, you were aggressive enough, then you achieved something. If you were nice and calm, you didn’t. I see this as a case of indoctrination of the wider public with an autocratic style of leadership that was consuming the society since the start of first civilizations. In the last 150 years the styles have started to gradually change but, in my view, not much until the last 30 years.

Due to the wider liberal changes of society, leadership roles have started to change. Women rights, contraception, attitude towards different cultures and races, sexual orientation, disability, economic stability, less radical religion have all changed dramatically and influenced the deep indoctrination of the society which has mostly changed with generations born after 1980 – Y, X, Z, millennials. These changes enabled people to be more accepted, more autonomous, have higher education and a mindset where they can have more responsibilities and growth. The wave influenced the leaders who were pushed towards new perspective of leadership that went from an autocratic to empathic and later to a facilitating way of leading. The phenomenon is unlike any other we’ve seen and it shows promising results and a bright future. It takes the actual decision-making power from the top and distributes it but also takes responsibility and distributes it as well.

My struggle and salvation

I was fortunate and very motivated to start my leadership roles very early. Actually, the vast majority of my career roles are top tear leadership roles. From leading a local student club to leading the national student organization to starting my first company. And in my younger leadership roles I used to struggle with people pushing me towards the traditional paradigm, saying I should be more tough and strict which was not natural for me. Through the years I developed a strong rational part of my thinking process which helped me to lower my stress levels to a record low level and on the same time to be more ‘tough’ and ‘strict’. But later in the years I started to receive feedback that I am too strict, not empathic enough and too rational – that I have to embrace my female side. All these messages made me even more confused. At some points, I was too rational and on other too soft.

Now in the 18th year of my career, I can say I am beginning to find my path and style. I found a higher ground that I can lean on in any situation. Being in a crisis situation or in a motivational one I now know what kind of a person I am and how I communicate with people. When talking to other leaders and give them advice, I often start with the basic pillar every person and organization should start with – Values. I have set personal values that help me in any situation or decision I need to make. Each business or organization I start, I set business values that suit me as a tool again for any kind of decision or way of operation. After a person sets his or her values there is no more struggle with for example - time management. My values tell me where to spend my limited time, there is no more conflict there. There are no more questions who to hire or who to fire – our company values help me decide. There is no need to shout, be tough or strict. I learned that you can have full authority and respect without ever raising your voice. If you show your team your personal values and they accept them you can always lean to them and people will respect you for it.

The second pillar I lean to is balance or fairness. In every situation or decision, I look for a stakeholder balance and a so-called long-term fair approach to solving the problem. Balance in combination with values defines you as a person and helps you make any decision or judgement.

Lifelong learning

People have a stagnating natural predisposition. Our mind gets less elastic, our memory poorer, it is more difficult for us to change, our bodies start to shrink, our capacity lowers year after year. Don’t get me started on the possibility of serious injury or illness. This calls for a strategy of lifelong growth – physical and mental. If you do not grow, you sink. If you grow at worst, you stay on the same level. I have embraced this way of living and keep training my brain muscle by reading at least 50 books per year, challenging myself in different (mostly business) situations, trying new things, learning formally and informally but am still struggling to master the habit of regular physical trainings and challenges.?

When it comes to my leadership capacity, I now know that I will have to learn and change my whole life and ‘now’ is no exception so I’m continuing this process within this essay to show you how I plan a change. My personal action plan is made for each change I want to achieve separately. Each plan consists of 6 steps.

Practical case

1.??????What do I want to achieve?

2.??????Goals and outcomes (SMART)

3.??????Obstacles to reach the goal

4.??????Plan (if/then)

5.??????Who will I share this with, so I’ll receive support?

6.??????How will I measure my success?

Before starting the process, I recheck my values. They will help me decide which goal to pursue and how. My personal values are (in order):

Growth (Kaizen), Health, Close Family, Money, Friends, Distant family, Business success, Sailing (my time to rest).

1.??????What do I want to achieve?

I want to learn to be more emphatic and at the same time be able to show my venerability.

2.??????Outcomes

With this I will be able to connect with my co-workers and friends on a deeper level, create more meaningful relationships and at the same time build trust because people will see me more as a human being and less as a goal-oriented machine. The goal is in line with my values where I can grow, have better relationships, be happier and healthier, have more potential to learn and succeed.

In 360 or similar feedback reviews that I will perform at the end of the year or by describing a relationship with me, people around me will describe a man they can talk to and can trust. I will be able to motivate people more and help them go the extra mile.

3.??????Obstacles

My main obstacle since the beginning of my career is time. Since I’m overwhelmed with tasks, projects, and wishes, I will intentionally take time slots just to talk to people without rush and to listen.

I am very prone to efficiency, and it kills my empathy. The higher the stress, the higher the efficiency and the higher my rational self shows itself.

4.??????Plan

I will systematically plan time 3 hours to spend time with co-workers and colleagues 1:1.

If I find myself overwhelmed with work, turn to my values.

If I find myself I skipped coffee with someone I reschedule it not cancel.

Whenever feeling nervous or stressed I will try to explain it to the surrounding people.

5.??????I will share this with everyone. All my co-workers and friends.

6.??????I will measure my success with listening to people’s feedback and within the 360 feedback review I will perform. One with my co-workers and other with my friends and colleagues.

The case I showed here is only one out of many I do within each year. I shows a systematic plan that I check every 6 months and check progress. I’m for example following the same process with forming a habit of physical recreation and physical challenge.

Why?

Motivation is one of the toughest sociological traits to explain. I have read a lot on the topic but still find my personal basic description of motivational forces most descriptive.

Growth is crucial for survival and a long life. Growth is powered by motivation. Motivation comes from pain which fuels frustration and feelings, and pain is a basic component of life. Hedonism and enjoyment do not bring long-term satisfaction or happiness, ergo work and in many cases pain do. I am trying to embrace the notion that pain is inevitable and that the meaning of life is work, work that fulfils you. That is why I don’t put much value in hedonism of any sort except the necessary rest and joy I need to have to be my best self.

Every person should find their pain out of which comes frustration and feelings out of which motivation is born. Why? Because you want to live long and prosper.

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