Putting the "human" back in Human Resources.

Over the course of my career I've had the chance to work with an enormous variety of the good, bad, and ugly of C-Suite executives. I have my favorites of course, and then there are those who inspire blog posts. and for the record, I'm well aware of my failings. You can't have a career that spans multiple decades without seriously f@&*ing some things up.

It wasn't all that long ago I sat across from a CEO who lectured me that I wasn't hard enough on those that worked with me. I needed to get them in line, teach them how to be responsible, and basically, kiss this particular CEO's ass. Mind you, this team had generated millions in revenue, won awards and basically kicked ass. But, they didn't do it this executives way.

It takes a unique individual to lead a high performing team. By default, such teams are made of people who are well qualified to do their jobs, they can think, they know what they need to do and how to do it. Really good teams know how to collaborate and change the world. But, they have experiences which make them a team of equals whether their titles say so or not. They do not perform well when led by individuals who's egos need to be stroked. They do work well with executives who know their strengths and weaknesses and acknowledge others' for the same.

As we look at our teams and who we hire, it's important to acknowledge we are all human. That means we are each uniquely blessed with attributes which allow us to excel in many areas and areas where we need the support of others. It extends all the way to the top. Good ideas come from everywhere. Good leaders find ways to harness them. I'd ask my fellow executives and "experts" in our fields at all levels to not dehumanize the "positions" we have to fill. It doesn't mean you have to be friends with everyone. It does mean that we have to acknowledge everyone has value. By definition, a resource is a tool for accomplishing something. What makes such a tool human, is both our strengths and weaknesses. What makes you a leader is how you put people together to achieve greatness. If you can't, it's not their failings, its yours.