Leaders Are Readers -- October 2024
APPLIED AI & ANALYTICS
Where to begin?! I've been openly opining?for many months that I think of AI as a tool. The interview shared in the following linked piece includes an expert who sees AI as a teammate. Fair, I am NOT an expert coder, programmer, AI aficionado, but I've researched and read at this point likely hundreds of scholarly articles, opinion pieces, and a number of books on the subject. Again, does not make me "an expert" but I'm also not uniformed. Sharing a couple of quotes from the AI expert being interviewed here: "how does AI coexist with humans and how do humans eventually take accountability for the decisions and think of AI as a teammate, if you will? And we’re starting to see our customers benefit from the AI launches that we are making in service of them." .... AND?also: "But this notion of AI not just as a tool to optimize but as a coworker, as a pseudo-entity with which you can have conversations and adapt and get recommendations and maybe even clarity, as you were talking about, that’s actually, I think, quite refreshing.?And you know, Sam, we talked about this, I would say, in ’22, back?with our report back then , where we were just suggesting that organizations should think of AI in terms of the roles it would play, not just what it would automate and how fast, but, you know, maybe AI as an illuminator or as a recommender. And it’s really refreshing to see how generative AI is making that possible: that AI is not just an optimizer, but also a coworker."?Refreshing?! A coworker?! Not my intention to be alarmist here, but seems to me this is the kind of thinking that overly romanticizes AI to an extent where guardrails are dropped. No, AI is not a coworker, it is not, necessarily, an ethically thinking, feeling entity, nor does it have agency. It IS a technological tool and might be a marvel. When we humanize a tool ... a computer, a car, the internet, or anything else, we risk overlooking the pitfalls and problems. Also not meaning to indict or impugn the expert being interviewed here, rather expressing the need for caution. As I've shared in other missives, AI is a remarkable tool, which I embrace and use regularly, but it is not a coworker. Also, research from my company, Gartner, indicates that how we communicate about AI incorporation also?matters a great deal. Using the language of "co-worker" can indicate to current teammates they?can be replaced by that AI. Another reason why I focus on textualizing the technology as a tool. The tool still requires the human to best apply its utility. Here, as I often do, I invite Readers comments and pushback.?Meet Your New Teammate, AI: Asana’s Saket Srivastava ( mit.edu )
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Really interesting piece about how AI is and can be used in waste management / trash collection. The availability of AI to assist, if not adjudge, a driver's physiological state is a great thing. Several years ago, when I was working to get my Defenders (Air Force "cops") off of 12-hour shifts, part of the analysis we undertook indicated that after just three consecutive 12-hour shifts standing as a sentry (i.e., "gate guard") very quickly creates conditions on the fourth consecutive shift that are similar to having been drinking alcohol. Mental acuity, physical reactions speed, and cognitive processing are all impacted. The related and relevant points are simply that jobs with high levels of tedium, repetition, and lower amounts of mental stimulation increase accident likelihood. As in the prior piece, the author here considers AI a co-pilot. Here again, risking sounding pedantic, I think this article shares some great tools. Many more late-model cars, for example, have lane assist, eyesight capabilities, and other tools that help the driver be more safe. For example, my Subaru nudges me back into a lane if I wander over the lines and will also brake for me if I'm at risk of running into the back of a car in front of me while traveling about 25-30 MPH, or more. I'm also aware of hands-free driving functionality on other vehicles, such as Tesla's. Sure, I expect cars to one day have affordable autonomous driving capability, but I still want manual overrides and that doesn't mean I should take a nap while driving somewhere. There are a number of Annual Darwin Award "winner" stories where the driver of an RV mistook cruise control for autopilot, went to the kitchen to make a sandwich, only to crash and die as a result.?When Waste Management Companies Pick Up AI Tools ( mit.edu )
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The title hits on that co-worker idea again. But the Gartner expert quoted in the piece (someone I know and rely upon!) imparts, GenAI, in particular, hasn't yet reached the place or point where it is "replacing" whole human workloads. We're some time off from that happening just yet. Emily Rose's notes about hallucination are on target and something I've shared with clients. That is to say, AI still needs to be checked for accuracy. Blindly relying on whatever outputs are generated, depending on the GenAI being used, are rife and riddled with errors. Think about how ChatGPT was first launched. While pretty amazing?stuff, it was limited to a specific amount of data and detail from which it was pulling and was not up to date. Meaning, its generative output was missing updates from the prior couple of years. Therefore, it was akin to looking at an Encyclopedia?that was printed a couple years earlier. Lots and loads of information, but not the most current. That was but one limitation. Newer releases accounted for this and pulled in and from vastly more data points.? Yes, much improved and with better accuracy, but still not yet "flawless". A human has to review the outputs for accuracy.?I don't use GenAI to write my comments here, but have used it in generating other work products, all of which I review. Using it, for example, when researching Gartner resources for clients, does save me time. I review everything rather than just cutting and pasting because there are known errors.?Is AI your smartest coworker, or greenest intern? - WorkLife
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Hey, here's an article that highlights AI as a tool rather than a co-worker! Summary for this piece: For business leaders, especially at relatively small companies, the idea of applying gen AI to strategic planning is mouthwatering.? This article explores the potential and limits of AI in helping such companies chart their strategies.? Through the lens of two disguised case studies the authors show how gen AI can help companies identify some challenges and opportunities that managers missed, overcoming the human biases, but by the same token missed some possibilities rooted in the company’s specific capabilities. And although gen AI was less able to imagine possible future scenarios because its forecasts were entirely rooted in historical data, clever promoting enabled it to surface issues and questions that human managers ignored.? The authors conclude that knowing gen AI’s weaknesses allows managers to take advantage of its strengths. The key is to view gen AI as a tool that augments, rather than replaces, your strategic thinking and decision-making. The information shared from the two companies being highlighted illuminates and illustrates some of what we touched on in the WorkLife piece above and also in my commentary, there are limitations to current AI capabilities, and errors will occur. But, there remains great usefulness in the current state of play and production.?How CEOs Are Using Gen AI for Strategic Planning ( hbr.org )
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There, of course, is no separating AI from the underlying data the technology uses whether Traditional or Generative. I often discuss the same with clients seeking to make use of AI regarding available data, its access, its use, its accuracy ("clean"), governance around all. I've been very vocal about the importance of democratizing data, particularly HR data, for many years. I found it odd prior to retiring from the Air Force, just how many HR professionals chafed at the idea of allowing wider access to data. Not being able to change data, rather being able to view it, pull it, analyze it, and then apply it to decision-making processes. Being fair, many leaders at all levels supported my ideas here. For example, I opened access to a particular portion of data precisely to ensure decision-makers at multiple levels across the Air Force were being "pushed" directly to their laptops/desktops rather than the lagging "pull" which predominated the manner and mode in which that same data was made available. For example, as a senior leader and decision-maker, in order to gain access to that same data, I needed to go several levels down inside my organization at The Air Force Academy to net that data. Usually, it was returned to me two or three days later in a spreadsheet or table embedded in an email. Why not just setup the ability for me to have that at my fingertips as the speed of relevance? When I got to my last post and position in The Pentagon prior to retiring last year, that is exactly what my team delivered to the field. Cannot say how many leaders across the ecosystem are making use of that capability, but we did create an adoption rate metric to capture that data. I retired shortly after we set those conditions, so again, I don't know the adoption rates. Regardless, this piece, while focusing on CDOs or CDAOs, in my view, is also a responsibility of other executives ... CHROs, CIOs, CFOs, COOs, and CEOs alike. This key couple of lines from within the piece shares why I think that is: With generative AI typically accessible to users across business functions, it’s crucial that data leaders establish a companywide approach and holistic data structure that scales across the enterprise as opposed to one-off or siloed implementations.?Further, data and AI initiatives should be deployed in the service of solving specific business problems as opposed to the more common scenario of greenlighting a technology initiative just to stay abreast of current trends, panelists said.?4 ways for data officers to take the helm on AI initiatives | MIT Sloan
CREATIVE COMMENTARY
Many years ago, in May 2017, I took a five-day course at the Center for Creative Leadership. I was a Colonel at the time, and usually when the Air Force sends senior leaders to these programs, their class cohort is comprised of other Air Force leaders. Generally, these courses are a mix of Colonels (usually the highest rank officers attain) and Chiefs (highest enlisted rank). In this particular class and case, I was the only military member attending. In part, I was attending in my role as the CHRO for the United States Transportation Command and went on their behalf rather than being sent by the Colonels Group (the office in the Pentagon who handles professional development and assignments for all Air Force Colonels). In fact, when the Colonels Group found out I attended outside of their involvement, I was "scolded" a little bit. Well, no matter as my four-star general supervisor authorized me to attend so I went. In my official Air Force records, that course completion does not appear. It is in my official biography, but not in the record. I digress a bit here, but given this is a piece on defining leadership, it occurred to me the Colonels Group was failing to "lead" in this instance. I had been asking for developmental opportunities for a couple of years at that point, and was never selected for one of the many, many programs. Following this particular course, and my chastisement, to my appreciation (if not amazement!) I found myself in three such offerings over the next couple of years. Not to CCL, but to other opportunities which were very educational. In my office, there are a couple of CCL books on leadership. They are very dense. Meaning, they are meaty volumes rather than easily digestible and applicable books. They are good books and similarly in them and the course I took at their Colorado Springs campus, CCL's Direction -- Alignment?-- Commitment model was shared, and practiced in class exercises. Sharing some key kernels about how to apply leadership principles for best benefit from the linked piece:
Over the arc of my own leadership journey, I found that each of these five aforementioned areas are fundamental and foundational to not only good leadership, but also to exampling?what?good teamwork looks like.?
Much more here:?What Is Leadership? A Definition Based on Research | CCL
HARVARD YARD
Recently, a couple of my teammates spent time at HBS, delivering a world-class leadership development presentation. While I haven't been on either the HBS or HKS campus in-person since the summer of 2013, I do hope to physically?walk those grounds again sometime in the not-too-distant future. Until then, walking virtually through their relevant research, articles, and other materials with you each month. Let's start with several "Today's Tips" from HBR:
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Likely our Readers all will engage this next piece and north/south nod with a "duh". The last of the four tips is the newest one and what I find with many of my clients is most of the job interviews are being done digitally, even with prospects in the local area. Starting there, I led a number of interviews digitally in my last job, and to gain my current position, all four of the interviews were digitally distributed. It is true that it is a different feel, not just different format, from doing these in-person. It is much harder to "connect" when you're not in the same room. A simple way to practice this is to set up an MS Teams, Google Meets, Zoom, or Skype with someone to role play this out. All of these point to the importance of practicing. Going back to my interview preparation to gain my current job, I was comfortable with the technology because I had been on the interviewer side of the camera a bunch of times and a good deal of my daily work activities used the same medium. In short, I was comfortable being on camera and understood posture and presence where differently displayed. I had prepared for that ... not perfected that practice. The other three areas, similarly, even as an Executive with a reasonable amount of self-confidence, I understood I needed to do more homework. All told, I spent several hours in self-prep. Learning more about Gartner, even though I'd been a client for nearly four years. I read and re-read LinkedIn profiles of each person with whom I was interviewing and took notes on each person. While I knew and had pre-existing relationships with several of the teammates, there is also something more to know. Lastly, I did two prep sessions over camera, with people I trust (then as now!) to help me see what I was missing and help better contextualize data and detail for the fourth and final interview. That last interview was a panel and role play. I had never done that before, therefore, putting the time into that prep was important. I think it paid off!?
How to Connect with a Job Interviewer by Marlo Lyons
Interviews can feel uncomfortable, pushing you to act overly formal or distant. But standing out as a candidate isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being genuine. Here are four tips to help you stay true to yourself and build a real connection during your next interview.
Know your style. Reflect on your personality and communication style. This will help you both tailor your answers and combat any potential concerns. For example, if you’re naturally extroverted and talkative, you might describe how you successfully engage stakeholders—while trying to stay focused and concise in your answers. If you’re introverted and calm, emphasize your listening skills and how your composure helps in challenging situations. Knowing your strengths ensures your responses feel genuine.
Embrace your natural body language. Rather than forcing stiff posture, focus on feeling comfortable. Use natural hand gestures and maintain relaxed eye contact. If eye contact is challenging for you, be upfront. The more comfortable you are, the more authentic you’ll seem.
Plan to build rapport and connection. Research your interviewer to uncover any common background or interests. Active listening and thoughtful questions show engagement and help build a conversation, not just a Q&A. Reflect their words back, demonstrating empathy and curiosity.
Choose a comfortable space for remote interviews. Set up in a familiar, distraction-free area. If unexpected disruptions occur, handle them calmly and naturally. Your ability to adapt under pressure highlights your professionalism.
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Great notes being shared here. Perhaps one or two more should be considered. Such as, "work to ensure your boss or Executive team are aligned on these same ideas" and "implement metrics for these!" You may have experienced the same as I have from leaders who paid lip service to "work-life balance", "take time off", "don't burn the candle at both ends" and on and on. Many years ago, I heard a very senior Air Force Leader say the right things about work culture and the environment they were saying they were striving to provide.? It wasn't a memo; I was in the room when he stressed those points to my teammates and me. You've already guessed it. Pure pronouncement, not practice. In fact, that leader was one of the most toxic I saw in my 30-year Air Force career. Who was it? Yeah, that's a line I won't cross here, but suffice to say, they demanded VERY long work hours, which of course dynamited any thought about balancing work and family priorities. It wasn't a lack of people or having too much to do, it was we weren't delivering as quickly, qualitatively, or quantitatively?as we should be able to do. Did not walk their own talk. Berated and belittled team members. Refused to shift mindsets away from a bygone era to what was really required in the current one. And there was zero chance of being able to experiment. In short, the five things being advanced here were not even potentially likely to be practiced. Fortunately, I know we got better at weeding out these kinds of toxic leaders before they ascended to these positions. Still not 100 percent perfect in "catching them", but my own experience informs that. Or it could just be that I had the beautiful benefit of working for bosses, all the way up to the highest levels in the Department of Defense, who I would follow to the ends of the earth and back. Why? More than just because many were inspirational. They strived to deliver on the five strategies being shared below (and beyond!). They also got to know me, my family, my strengths and weaknesses, and invested in trying to make me the best version of myself. That kind of focus also looked for guarding against burning my teammates and me out and ensuring we were well. Often, mission and world realities created "overwork" conditions, but those same leaders worked to push back against those to the extent practicable.?
Protect Your Team from Overwork by Brigid Schulte
Transforming your work culture to prevent burnout and foster well-being is not only possible, but essential as a leader. Here are five strategies you can use to create a healthier, more productive work environment where people can thrive both professionally and personally.
Shift your mindset. Rethink the outdated notion that long hours equal better work. Embrace a culture that values output, not presence.
Redesign work processes. A well-structured system can often reduce work hours while boosting productivity. Ask your teams to rethink how they work and streamline what matters most.
Rightsize your workforce and workloads. Hiring more people may seem expensive up front, but investing in the right number of workers pays off long term with increased productivity and lower burnout rates.
Prioritize well-being. Don’t just offer wellness programs—build a culture that respects boundaries and encourages time off. Healthy, rested employees are more engaged and productive.
Be willing to experiment. Encourage flexibility and continuous improvement. Experiment with new ways of working, listen to employees, and embrace change for lasting impact.
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Yes, of course, I agree with these ideas, particularly the opening statement that career relevance requires continuous learning. That's what we do here each month. Learning can be synchronous, asynchronous, digitally distributed, in-person, as simple as reading a one- to two-minute "Today's Tip" and much more. One approach I have taken for more than a decade now is to sign up for various feeds. Most of what I share each month comes from those feeds. There are many more articles, products, papers, book recommendations flowing than I can possibly consume, even if every minute of every day was free to learn something. Generally, I look for things of interest at the time of perusal. Some things I read right then; others are saved in a file to revisit. That, and the stack of books always sitting in my office to read one day. That's just me reading strategy, if you will, but I incorporate pushing through learning about something when I am tired, I rarely have used a formal program in the past several years, and I read a lot about the same subject as a way to create repetition and reinforcement.?
How to Keep Learning When You’re Feeling Drained by Nihar Chhaya
Staying relevant in your career requires continuous learning, but when you’re already feeling drained, finding the energy to improve your skills can feel overwhelming. So how can you keep learning when you’re exhausted??
Start by challenging your belief that you can’t learn when you’re tired. Instead of letting fatigue take over your mindset, acknowledge how you’re feeling without judgment and stay open to what’s possible. Next, focus on learning topics that solve urgent problems in your work; this will create momentum and make the process feel more rewarding.?
Don’t limit yourself to formal programs. Mentorship, peer-to-peer learning, or even quick tutorials can be more effective and easier to fit into your schedule. Seek out learning opportunities that align with your personal values and goals so they feel meaningful rather than like another obligation. When you emotionally connect with what you’re learning, it’s more likely to become part of your routine.?
Finally, work with your brain, not against it. Use techniques like spaced repetition (reviewing information at increasing intervals over time) and self-testing (quizzing yourself to reinforce what you’ve learned) to retain information more effectively. Break learning into small, manageable chunks and revisit them regularly to build long-term retention.
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These are good tips. Thinking back across my own long career, there is something to also understanding the environment. Even when following these four tips, the criticism may not actually be constructive. It might just be criticism. It may be anger. It may be a political?pablum. And, dare I say it, may also be sheer ignorance or incompetence. Here, perhaps another piece of the puzzle is to see when those are the root of the response and understand how to deftly defray or dismiss the discussion. The old adage, "they juice may not be worth the squeeze" comes to mind. Clearly, if the concern being raised is illegal, unethical, or immoral, it may need to be raised in a different manner or to a different person in the organization. A few years ago,?
Overcome Defensive Reactions to Constructive Criticism by Timothy O'Brien
When you raise a concern at work, you may encounter defensiveness instead of a productive conversation. Colleagues might shift the focus from the issue at hand to you—specifically, your attitude, role, or personality. This can feel frustrating and disheartening, but understanding these dynamics will help you handle them more effectively. Here’s how to approach these situations.?
Depersonalize the reaction. When people feel implicated or criticized, they often become defensive. Recognize that their reaction is about self-preservation and isn’t necessarily a reflection of your message. Don’t take their response personally.?
Refocus on the issue. When the conversation shifts toward you, calmly guide it back to the problem you’re trying to address. Keep the focus on solutions, rather than defending yourself.?
Be aware of expectations. Understand that both your formal and informal roles influence how your colleagues perceive you. If you step outside these roles, some may react negatively. Anticipate this, but don’t let it stop you from raising important concerns.?
Draw strength from other roles. Remember, your work identity is just one part of who you are. Draw confidence from your other roles and experiences to stay grounded and focused on what truly matters.
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Regular Readers know I am originally from Buffalo, NY and I dislike Tom Brady's accomplishments?over my beloved Bills. A 33-3 record to be exact. The Patriots teams he quarterbacked?won more games against Buffalo than any other team in his storied, spectacular, 23-year pro football career. But I know talent when I see it. Whether in sport, business, leadership, followership and more. Brady was not fast, his arm was not known to be amongst the strongest in the league, he was not a super physical specimen. To be certain though, he was a star athlete because he worked harder at his craft than most everyone else. He also understood his most important "muscle" was his brain. He understood how to lead on his teams. We see it in his record and experience at Michigan during college, and of course, as he led teams to seven Superbowl wins. The key thing he understood very early on in his college and pro playing days was this: asking himself this question, "Do you want to be a star, or do you want to be a champion?" This somewhat lengthy piece is a good study in understanding the ingredients leading to success in any industry or endeavor. Notably seven critical components: 1)?Put the team first, always, even when facing personal adversity; 2)?Show appreciation for unsung colleagues; 3)?Set the standard and create a culture of 100% effort; 4)?Recognize teammates’ individual psychology and the best ways to motivate them; 5)?Understand and complement the style of the formal leader; 6)?Recognize and counteract the external forces that can cause selfish behavior; 7)?Create opportunities to connect as people outside the office. He explains each with examples from his own experience, and I submit, exampled expertise. Tom Brady on the Art of Leading Teammates ( hbr.org )
MEDIUM MUSINGS
I know our Readers have likely heard each of the 12 precepts provided in this piece. Interesting to call these "wake up calls" rather than essential tools in every leader's toolbox. Of course, this list, which included do's and don'ts to make each of the 12 successful in application, leadership isn't learned by reading one or two thought pieces like this one. Regardless, sharing this here as it is a good short roll-up of the kinds of behaviors successful leaders deliver with daily and deliberate discipline. Think the author implies the importance of consistency when he shared his number nine of twelve. Specifically, he highlights setting, and demonstrating, high standards -- excellence. One way I seek to tie all of his thinking together is precisely that ... consistency in each area is imperative to actually being a successful leader over time. Each of these areas are exhibited day after day after day. Sure, every leader will have missteps, mistakes, and miscues. I've enjoyed at least a modicum of success as a leader and made tons of those three aforementioned "m's". Those did not dissuade, deter, or disappoint me to not pick right back up from what was learned, from owning my own failures, not blaming others, and several of the other 12 items shared here. Keep working?on each area with daily discipline and your own leadership success will follow.?
MISCELLANEOUS MATERIAL
My parent company undertakes an enormous amount of research every year. It is a core competency! I do, however, as long-time Readers know, read a host of sources doing the same or similar research not to create "confirmation bias", rather to read other viewpoints and when published work overlaps or mutually supports, that strengthens and sharpens thinking about those key areas. Many of which apply to the clients with whom I work. The linked 17-page report is a quick and very informative read for all leaders to discern and digest, not just HR professionals. This report is free to download and covers four key findings. Those findings and presented as the following four "challenges": 1) Unsupported managers; 2) Costly candidates; 3) Executive misalignment; & 4) Crumbling cultures.?State of Talent Optimization Report - The Predictive Index
SEED KORN
Simple and straightforward thinking about how leaders should respond to?ambiguity. I'll add the?other components of VUCA ... volatility, uncertainty, and complexity. All four can be addressed in the way Gary describes how to address ambiguity. Areas bolded below was my edited to call attention to those specifics.??
When Ambiguity Calls by Gary Burnison (CEO of Korn Ferry)
“Rocks are hard, water is wet, and the sky is blue.”?
When I heard these words just the other day, my first thought was—if only leadership was that simple! But it’s not.?
No doubt all of us probably feel that over the past few years we’ve experienced more change than we’ve seen in our lifetime. But no one has cornered the market on change. And ambiguity knows no timeline or time limit.?
It does, however, require perspective in the moment.?
Just like those hash marks on the door jamb. When my children were young, I recorded their progress over the years as they topped three feet and four feet. Then suddenly, one day I looked, and everyone had shot up to five feet and beyond. I had to ask myself—when and how did that happen??
These markings are also a reminder for all of us that leadership, just like life, is not linear. As our firm has found, based on assessments of millions of executives, 90% of the problems we face are, in fact, ambiguous. And, on top of that, with greater leadership responsibility comes even more ambiguity.?
None of us have the luxury of being able to wait around for all the information—or even most of it—before making a decision or taking action. It simply doesn’t work that way.?
So, if we can’t control it, how do we roll with it??
We recognize. As our firm’s research indicates, when we’re immersed in ambiguity, we need to take ourselves out of the moment. It’s like tapping Google Earth—zooming out to sky view from street view. Context can be liberating.?
We realize. We don’t need to become visionaries. But we do need to accurately perceive today in order to predict tomorrow. It’s not a question of half full or half empty, but rather how many milliliters are actually in the glass.?
领英推荐
We visualize. Rocks can be lava, water can be steam, and the sky can be gray. So, we visualize. Three months, six months, a year in the future—just imagine. Where do we want to be? Who do we want to be? Who can help us get there—and who can we help??
We actualize. Only when we see our vision of the future can we actualize our place in it.?
On a personal note, during the depths of Covid—one of the most uncertain times of our generation—two recipients of my regular messages shared wisdom that uplifted me then and still guides me now.?
In the spirit of Spanish poet Antonio Machado, we make our path as we walk it: “Wanderer, your footsteps are the road, and nothing more; wanderer, there is no road, the road is made by walking …”?
And, from Edward Everett Hale, a 19th century social reformer and minister: “I am only one; but still, I am one. I cannot do everything; but still, I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”?
MARVELOUS MCKINSEY
Well, looks like there is yet another book to add to my "read" stack. The things Professor Beane covers here strikes a chord with me, including this statement; "Human resources, learning and development, and talent development have a complementary role to play in any organization of appreciable size." He mentions visiting Sturbridge Village in MA as a child. We took our children there during our second assignment to the Boston area. We all love history, and it is a really neat place to visit. Here, Beane talks about how things like watching the blacksmith impacted him at a young age. Decades later, he pushes and presses into the idea of apprenticeships and preparing for a professional's future. While not outright dismissing the usefulness and utility of college, he does highlight what we often discuss here ... the need for being a continuous learner. He focuses on the fact that technology continually advances and to remain "an expert" in and with technology, the practitioner cannot ignore the need to continue refining and refreshing skills. He also seems to intimate that things like AI is a particular example of how skilling, reskilling, or upskilling are things we all should continue addressing and advancing.?Professor Matt Beane on “The Skill Code” | McKinsey
STUDYING STOICISM
Below, I bolded the key phrase. I suspect that everyone reading this month's missive has faced a difficult period in both their personal and professional lives. Life is anything but perfect. Some share that "life isn't fair". Never have been much of a fan of that statement because it gives an excuse to not respond in a productive way. "It's not fair" can lead people to more or less become victims. Have shared in these columns a number of times what a co-worker and exceptional leader with whom I had the opportunity to work, CMSgt (Ret) Lisa Buckman says and shares; "You can choose to be a victim, or a victor". We chose how we respond to life's events. I can think back across a number of failures, fractures, and foibles in my personal and professional lives. Things that were of my own making, and many that weren't. Rather than wallow in self-pity, well maybe there was a little of that from time to time, I chose rather to deliberate direct my actions and activities to get past those issues and items and find a better way-forward. Readers know I'm no T-Swift fan. Talented, certainly. One note, yeah, well that's my impression of her music but I do understand she puts on one heck of a show. Regardless, I do respect how she decided to carve a new path after losing rights to her music masters.?
The business failure. The blown meeting. The marriage that fell apart. The competitor who fought dirty. The surprise and unfair ruling that just came down. These things didn’t go the way you wanted. It’s frustrating and painful. It’s hard to see anything good about it.
Surely, that’s how Taylor Swift felt when she discovered that her masters had been sold to a hedge fund in 2019 and she lost control over how her music was distributed and marketed. There were many ways Taylor could have responded to this. She could have tried to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to buy them herself. She could have hired a lawyer to fight her battle. She could have let her frustrations sour her on her songs, or the music business as a whole.
Instead, in a career-defining moment, she calmed down and decided to re-record her albums, re-releasing them along with new songs and new artwork to her fans as “(Taylor’s Version).” Of course, Taylor was successful and popular before this. But because she was releasing music basically nonstop for four years, she became the center of culture, catapulting herself to a level of pop stardom not seen since The Beatles. Her Eras Tour grossed more than a?billion?dollars—even the movie about the tour made hundreds of millions—which was made possible because a new generation discovered her music, and her existing fans were able to rediscover what they loved about her older albums.
But it’s not simply that she became bigger and more popular as a result, or that she seized control over something that was previously outside her control. But it’s that the songs got better, her concerts got better,?she?got better. On top of all that, she made herself the underdog in the process! It was quite the move she pulled off, a level of career and public relations jiu jitsu without parallel. It was also a remarkable example of taking something you never would have chosen, something you thought was profoundly unfair, and using it as fuel to find new potential within yourself.
What we do after the thing happens to us is what matters. We get the opportunity to decide the end of that story. “When jarred, unavoidably, by circumstance, revert at once to yourself, and don’t lose the rhythm more than you can help,” Marcus Aurelius writes in?Meditations. “You’ll have a better grasp of harmony if you keep going back to it.”
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Sometimes, people read the great Stoics and come away with thinking, wow, they were fatalists! Not really. They appreciated that life is but a lit match. It burns out on all of us at some point. While I firmly believe there is an afterlife, our time in this body and on this globe is, of course limited. I know full well, for example, I will not live anywhere near as many years as Methuselah. Sure, this statement may have Readers wondering where my head is. What I'm driving at is that age old adage attributed to a number of different people that?Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present. As I've grown older, and hopefully a little wiser, I am trying to appreciate something every day and appreciate that whatever has been accumulated over many years of hard work and disciplined approaches are useful for today. Lots of words to simply say, be present in every day you have and appreciate the loved ones around you while you can.
As we work and achieve, we pile up titles and money. We accumulate assets and influence. We build a life, as they say. And a life is made up of things: Our job. Our house. Our car. Our relationships. Our reputation.
Looking around at what we possess, what we’ve poured so much sweat and blood into, is an immensely rewarding experience. As Margaret Atwood writes in a beautiful poem,
The moment when, after many years
of hard work and a long voyage
you stand in the centre of your room,
house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,
knowing at last how you got there,
and say, I own this,
But the Stoic knows that we never really own anything. All that we possess in this life,?Marcus Aurelius says , even life itself, is really ours only in trust. We are renters. Our lives are here on loan...loans that can get called in at any time. We can be fired. Someone can dislodge our seemingly dominant market position. A loved one can leave. People die.
That’s why Margaret Atwood warns against the pride and satisfaction of surveying one’s possessions. The moment you do that, she says, nature rebels. Almost out of spite, they feel the need to rebuke you for your pride.
No, they whisper. You own nothing.
You were a visitor, time after time
climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.
We never belonged to you.
You never found us.
It was always the other way round.
None of us own anything. Everything is constantly in flux. What we have today may be gone tomorrow—we ourselves may be gone tomorrow. Understand that. Appreciate everything accordingly. Be grateful and humble...or life will rebuke you. Fate will remind you who is in charge and nature will reclaim what is hers.
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The quote being explored in the following sounds an awful lot like something from The Mandalorian ... "this is the way". Essentially, though, it carries a similar meaning. In Star Wars lore, this Mandalorian statement is about adhering to their code of conduct. In a manner of speaking, when Marcus Aurelius intones and imparts the line in the first sentence below, he's saying the way forward is through that obstacle. Stay true to yourself, your conduct, your high ideals. Don't let others derail or deter you from doing the right thing and continuing forward.
The Obstacle Is the Way ?popularized the Marcus Aurelius line, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
This powerful quote has inspired millions to do impressive things—entrepreneurs pivoting during downturns to build thriving businesses, athletes turning injuries into remarkable comebacks, artists transforming hardship into their finest work, and so on.
But do you know what Marcus was really talking about when he wrote those words? It wasn’t the grand, story-worthy feats we often imagine. It was something far more ordinary: Dealing with people. "In a sense,” goes the full passage, “people are our proper occupation. Our job is to do them good and put up with them…Our actions may be impeded by them, but there can be no impeding our intentions or our dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
He could have been talking about his stepbrother, he could have been talking about an egotistical politician, a favor seeker, a rival who tried to kill him, his challenges with his son, his wife, a rude person on the street. Think about it—how often are your biggest challenges not the tasks themselves, but the colleagues, bosses, clients, vendors and strangers you interact with along the way? How often is your happiness derailed not by a lack of success or comfort, but by other people’s actions, opinions, or what you perceive about them? How often do pressures from coaches, fans, and the media weigh heavier than the actual performance?
The annoying coworker, the unreasonable client, the demanding coach, the selfish teammate, the family member who pushes all your buttons—these are constant opportunities to practice virtue: courage by standing firm in your principles, justice by treating others fairly, temperance by controlling your emotions, and wisdom by understanding and adapting to others. People are endless, people are complicated…they presented us unlimited opportunities to practice all sorts of virtue. Not always the virtue we wanted, but an opportunity, nonetheless.
So, when others impede or disrupt your efforts today, remember—they’re not causing problems; they’re offering you opportunities. They are not an impediment; they are the way. Making good on these opportunities and treating people well? It is your “proper occupation.”
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Having some means, of course, is preferred to being destitute, but there is something to be said about finding contentment in life, no matter where one finds themself. One of my life's most important mentors, whom I met when I was 15 years old, shared with me many, many years ago that when he and his wife were married, they had barely two nickels to rub together. Life is more firm for them financially more than 40 years later, but what he was sharing as I was thinking about whether or not I could afford to get married, was, there are always uncertainties. If one waits for all things to line up, they may never get married, make that move to a new city or job or both, take that step of faith, and so on. He was right, and despite my misgivings and only having a few hundred dollars to my name at the time, Beth and I are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in November. Thinking back, in those early days, we didn't have much like my mentor and his wife, but we worked through it, are in a better place and position now, and as I recall, even when half of what we had in our first house was more or less borrowed from someone else, we were happy. We were content. I'm trying to live in a way that finds me content with what I have, where I am, who I am, and who surrounds me. Winds will blow. Rain will fall. Things out of my control will happen. Those who know me the most know my faith keeps me grounded, but adding lessons like this one here helps remind me how to keep my perspective?in a proper posture.
Epictetus was well-accustomed to a hard life, having spent years as a slave. Zeno founded Stoicism from nothing, having lost everything. Cleanthes made subsistence wages as a manual laborer.
But certainly, few of the Stoics tried to be poor. In fact, financial security, if not wealth, was one of the “preferred indifferents” that Seneca spoke about. A Stoic should be able to be good regardless of their circumstances, but if one had a choice about those circumstances, it’s pretty reasonable to go with more than less, right?
As a matter of fact, many of the Stoics were quite wealthy. Cato came from one of Rome’s great families. Seneca’s father passed to him and his brothers an enormous estate and Seneca had a mind for business (and also made his own fortune in politics). Cicero, coming to Rome’s public life as a new man—from new money—was a successful lawyer. Marcus Aurelius had family money and then, you know, became the head of the entire empire.
So, when they talked about living the simple life, it was about contentment and discipline amidst abundance. It was more about avoiding temptations and entitlements and softness than anything else. “One may live well even in a palace,” Marcus Aurelius wrote (and tried to live by). He would have also readily agreed that one could live well at camp (which he had to do) or in exile (which plenty of Stoics had to do.) This is why Seneca sometimes practiced poverty as a philosophical exercise. He had money and luxury now, but things could change. Did that thought scare him? Or could he shrug his shoulders at it?
Wherever we sit on the socio-economic spectrum, whatever our ambitions and aspirations, we need to cultivate this indifference and this independence. If you need money and success to live well, then you’re vulnerable to things not going well. And the one thing we know about life is that things don’t always go well, they can change in an instant.
WINNERS WISDOM
Bolded areas are mine for emphasis. I like Jim's litmus test. It is one of those "Captain Obvious" things, but is this something we all actually do? For example, I know people who are loyal to professionals well beyond when they should be. Why? Because they are loyal people. That is a great trait, but there should be a limit to our patience with a professional who routinely or repeatedly doesn't deliver good service or support. Moving, on average, every two years for the better part of three decades meant we had to find a new barber/hairdresser, auto mechanic, pastor, plumber, electrician, appliance service technician and on. We found good, bad, and everything in between. It seems to me that service excellence is long past being routine. Seemingly most everywhere I go to eat, to shop, to get my car serviced, it is harder and harder to find people who really care about doing their jobs well. They are there, to be certain. I like the people who service my cars. They do a good job. I'm still searching for the right place to get my haircut after just going to a military barber for 30 years, and I hear story after story from family and friends that poor service is more normal that good, let alone great service. However, when we have found "the good" we stick with them and have no qualms about referring others ours. My key takeaway here is to ensure that I deliver high quality to my clients, so they always think of me as someone delivering high value to them.?
During the 18th, 19th, and the beginning of the 20th centuries, our ancestors were very self-reliant. They could grow, raise, make, create, and fix most of the things they needed to keep their households running. Today, we have countless mechanical and digital devices that require updates and maintenance that most of us can’t begin to do. Here in the 21st century, our lives function smoothly, though not based on our own mechanical abilities or digital expertise. Instead, we rely on professionals to advise us and keep all our equipment in working order.?
Similarly, we need medical, legal, and accounting professionals to keep us healthy physically and financially. As in most things, acquiring experts in our lives is a matter of finding the right people and getting them in the right place at the right time. Being able to determine who is reliable, dependable, and trustworthy is not always as easy as it might seem.
I have a litmus test for all the professionals I work with in my life. If I would not eagerly refer my family members or friends to them, I need to replace them. In much the same way, if I’m looking for a new professional in my personal or work life, whether they perform manual labor or provide a medical specialty, I look to my family, friends, and colleagues for referrals.
The type of referrals I look for are not simply assurances that someone performs adequately under normal circumstances. Instead, I am looking for true professionals with track records for performing at high levels under extraordinary circumstances.
As the author of more than 50 books, I constantly monitor and review book marketing efforts and corresponding sales. Despite the overwhelming number of ads, blogs, podcasts, and other media outlets that promote new books, the fact remains that the majority of people purchase a book online or in a bookstore because someone they trust has recommended that title.
I believe if we’re going to seek trusted input for a book purchase that represents a relatively small amount of money, we should be much more careful when we hire someone to take care of our health, our home, our automobile, our electronics, or even our yard.
We live in a world where mediocre service has become the standard. Once you find someone who provides extraordinary service, be sure to share that information with those you care about and ask them which professionals are performing with excellence in their world.
Our health, happiness, and productivity are no better than those around us who help maintain everything in our lives.
As you go through your day today, do your best at what you do, and seek the help of professionals who are the best in their fields.
Today's the day!
WORKLIFE WISDOM
During a recent dinner I attended, this very topic came up. While this piece primarily focuses on the younger working generations, I think it extends well beyond just them. Very interesting to note that nearly half of the younger generations feel as though they are "missing out" by remote working. One of the people quoted and interviewed here highlights the aspect of professional capital not yet having been built up. I see this in my own work. While people are very good at what they do, and are well engaged with their clients, there is nothing quite like being in the same space together, working on client's needs, and also meeting with those clients. Sure, we're mostly in a digitally distributed format, but the most beneficial days are often those like this week when we're all gathered for our annual conference ... our HR Super Bowl if you will. The energy is electric and being around my teammates is a great thing. So, yes, this article drives home the challenges many are not just feeling, rather truly experiencing in a remote and/or hybrid work world.?
The following covers some of the same as the prior piece regarding how valuable being in-person is to Gen Z, in particular. Readers know I'm not a big fan of "work life balance" as it is not truly obtainable. Over and again, we have discussed "harmony" as a better approach to best blending our personal and professional lives. Across many years, we have explored generational kinetics in these monthly missives. While I would not posit or present that I am a deep expert in this area, my reading and research and application as a leader of five generations in my formations, allowing the younger generations to really pursue interests outside of the workplace, setting psychological safety, and being transparent (and honest!) are highly prized. Of course, we all want leaders to be honest with us, here it is more about being truthful with our feedback and sharing what is really going on inside the organization. Not puffing, not sugarcoating, not demurring to make people feel good. Just tell it like it is.?What company leaders have learned from their Gen Z staff - WorkLife
As is usually the case with WorkLife's "WTF" series, I wasn't tracking toxic resiliency. But it makes total sense. Many of the people I work with haven't been able to define some of the ongoing cultural things inside their organizations. This may just be the ticket to unlocking and uncovering some of what is driving discontent in so many organizations. "The pandemic is over", time to move on already. I am of two minds here. One, that is a statement of relative fact. The worst of what the world faced?has been over for a couple of years now. On the other hand, most, if not all, organizations are struggling to make that next move forward. It's not just about RTO, AI-related concerns and disruptions, or skill and competency changes. It's all of this and more. One could argue, as the experts in this piece provide, resilience is more important than ever. Leaders must be concerned about teammate resiliency ... social, spiritual, physical, and mental. Leaders know the world is?speeding up. Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity are all increasing. Leaders need to pour more effort into opening opportunities for teammates to practice and press on their resiliency to at their best.?WTF is toxic resiliency? - WorkLife
True and terrible all at once! HR professionals are the "drain trap" of organizations. I'm not indicting or impugning HR leaders! Rather, for many years, HR functions caught everything that didn't fit somewhere else in the organization. In short and sum, when in doubt who owns something ... the policies, programs, processes ... just give it to HR, they will figure it out. Employee engagement is an every leader and manager and teammate responsibility. No argument that someone in the C-suites needs to lead it for the organization, but more and more and more I share the importance of seeing HR as a strategic necessity and partner completely on par with the CIO, CFO, CDO, CTO, COO, CEO, and on. They must see themselves as part of how to ensure employee happiness is the norm and not simply slough it off to the CHRO to figure it out (and deliver it!).?
Read and Lead On!
Shawn
Executive Leadership Coach I Senior Director I Aviation Consultant I Veteran
3 周Great perspective