Are we learning? And what?

Let’s talk mindset and expectation for a moment. This past week, an Executive Vice President & CRO at a global organization, in a private message, said something to me that in my view was extremely profound when speaking to the challenges that have impacted us all in one form or another as it relates to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. What she speaks to is a unique opportunity to learn and embrace those challenges that would otherwise defeat you; and turn them decisively to your advantage. See if you agree… “It has been an absolutely fantastic experience and I firmly believe the collaboration of our industry in light of the crisis will ensure we come out collectively stronger on the other side. As I say to my team – Never waste a good crisis!”

I would hope that you would agree that this is the mental framework of true leadership. A glass half-full perspective that filters down throughout the company leading to a united, persevering mentality.

What I tend to question is – is this the predominant mindset of senior leadership throughout corporate America? If you happen to be a member, I guess you can answer that one for yourself.

One thing is for certain however, we all will come out on the other side – for better or worse. What I truly hope is that we are all taking notes, and perhaps we’ll eventually stop to realize in the end just how we got there. Capturing the details, the motivations, the words, and the decisions that effected real thoughtful actions and elevated performance above and beyond the norm.

Critical Thinking

Mike Tyson once said… “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” I think that the current market conditions qualify. The need for your company to evade a major blow and counterpunch however, has never been more critical, but how do you arrive at a direction, a course of action that allows you to leverage your resources? Well, obviously CEO’s can’t operate in a vacuum, and quite often they find themselves caught in the middle with both the board and employees looking to them for direction and thought-leadership. But in an environment that most, if not all have never seen before, where exactly can one expect this critical decision-making to come from?

Allow me, if I may, to render a plausible solution. Put on a pot of coffee and voice a call-to-arms to the Renegades within your organization, gather them in a room and make the proclamation that there is a good chance it’s going to be a long night. As I’ve stated before, these are the strategic-executors within your company, the visionaries who, more often than not, have been kept at bay and forced to blend into their team environment due to their alternative, disruptive and solution-oriented mindset. These are the elite among you, and… disruption, a word that traditionally is not a popular term within a corporate environment, IS NOW.

Proceed to challenge them. Is this time for innovation, a different approach to the market, the development of new possible revenue streams etc. or, is the practical course of action simply to figure out how you can maintain your business model and ride out the storm? This is a critical state where you either dictate what happens to you or, be dictated to. I believe it’s also important to bear in mind that there are many aggressive companies within your space who possess a carpe diem attitude much like that of the EVP above. Therefore, maintaining the status quo may eventually leave you, once the dust settles, on the outside looking in at a severe disadvantage.

Now, some of you sitting in your corner office might be concerned as to what this action might possibly convey? Does it say that leadership has no clue as to what to do or, bring true meaning to the words “we can all get through this together?” Consider how many times you and your team have uttered the words “our people are our most valuable asset.” If that is truly the case, would it not demonstrate a poor sense of judgement if you elected not to tap into the elite talent within the organization and chose to go it alone?

A word to the wise

For this community as a whole, consider yourself on notice. When we all come out on the “other side,” CEO’s are going to be confronted with making even more difficult decisions. Decisions that may involve layoffs, corporate restructuring, decreases in salary and so on, in order to restore order to the company’s bottom line. It is your job to make that decision, as it pertains to you, as difficult as possible.

To do that, step back and ask yourself this. If I were the CEO of my company, what would I want my employees to be doing at this critical time, especially if you are working from home? It is essential that everyone not only think for themselves, but be accountable to themselves, because what is truly at stake here – is you. But keep in mind that an “every man for himself” mentality isn’t a company-oriented solution, so turn your thoughts toward inclusive results and mindful objectives.

Begin with literally taking a deep breath. Things have been a bit crazy as of late and everything is moving at an incredible pace, so, taking a moment to slow down and assess where you are can be time well spent. The next step is to get practical and ask yourself some revealing questions. Such as, what are you doing with the time that you are no longer spending sitting in your car in an exhaustive commute? I can only hope that your answer isn’t - sleeping later. And I’m sure that you’ve probably discovered that you are able to handle your workload and complete the day’s tasks in about 60% of the time that it traditionally took you being at the office, due to less distractions and the need for mental breaks. This of course, leads to a considerable amount of time available for you to embark on solidifying those attributes that will prove to be of sustained value going forward in the eyes of senior leadership. As the EVP said once again… “Never waste a good crisis!”

Just think of how many times you’ve said… “I don’t have the time” Well… to some extent, you do now, so what are you doing with it? What steps are you consciously taking to make yourself more valuable to the company? Doing your job is a given, and it fails to separate you from 90% of your peers who are doing the same. Just something to think about.

The EQ equation

What this time also affords you, as well as senior leadership, is an opportunity to build upon your EQ. While we’ve all been practicing social distancing and been encouraged to remain apart, we’ve actually failed to realize that it is something we have been truly exercising for quite some time. Thanks in part to our cellphone enabled lives, we have increasingly fallen victim to the value of one-on-one physical interaction. As a result, EQ is visibly paying the price. In the turbulent times that we are facing, EQ will become an even more valuable and significant part of the equation, so bear this in mind and make it a point to demonstrate it throughout each day to everyone’s mutual benefit.

Intertwined with EQ is mindfulness. I personally can’t believe how many times I’ve seen people asking others to please be mindful. It’s not only about mastering yourself, your intentions and contemplating differences, but it involves not lying in judgement of others and being accepting and sensitive of their individual conditions. My question is, why is everyone talking about mindfulness inside of companies? Does it really need to be said? What has transpired in the grand scheme of things that we now find ourselves in a state where we have to suggest that people be mindful? I’m sorry, it just puzzles me.

Sharing insights

As the weeks have progressed, I have felt a greater need to express the insights and interactions of those within our community. Professionals who take the time to share their unique perspective on a variety of topics. Below is an exchange that I recently had with Matthew Bosrock, C-suite Global Executive, Fintech Advisor and Investor. If you recall, earlier in this article I suggested that leadership take notes on all of the critical steps taken that will ultimately lead to where they find themselves on the “other side.” What Matthew effectively points to, is the “what” as opposed to the “how” companies are winning. A critical distinction that leads to long-term success. He also touched on EQ which I expounded on in my response. It is my hope that this exchange will cultivate a considerable amount of thought and reflection.

 Matthew Bosrock... “Thank you for thinking about this topic, Steve, for writing about it and for including me. I share many of the other views and will try not to repeat them! Having lived/worked in 8 countries and four continents, I feel that too often companies and individuals (and more so in the US) have had a focus on the “what” and much less on the “how.” The winning rather than how you achieved the win. It is too often approached as a zero-sum game... I only win if you lose. And “winning” has almost exclusively been defined in financial terms. CEOs are measured by their boards and shareholders, almost exclusively by financial metrics (regardless of lip service to EQ etc.) These attributes in many cases have led to the amazing results and I am not suggesting that financial outcome do not matter. But I think that the “how” needs to become more relevant and will produce longer term success by all measures. And I think the best leaders will be those who can figure out how to deliver big results in a way that reflects the values that they and their stakeholders can share including fairness, empathy and respect. Particularly in difficult and challenging times.”

My response... “Thank you Matthew. I’d like to focus a moment on that EQ portion you mention. I’ve thought about this for a long time. Like you, I see it as fairness, empathy (understanding other points of view) which naturally leads to respect. Your true worldly experience (lived/worked in 8 countries and four continents) gives you a point of view very few I believe understand today. It’s one thing to do business in countries, it’s another to integrate to different systems of beliefs. I’ve talked/written about those Global Nomads and knowing the value in a previous article being one myself. There is a great need for this thinking today.

Clearly there is a divide between Ethics and Business Ethics. It started in the 80’s as there was a movement to desensitize business – make it less personal. Was this because we were heading into global winds and competition against cultures that would not share our same values? How would you win? Are people just too uncomfortable dealing in a global market and shutting down? Has business needed to desensitize from it all as people appear to want to be less accountable or, is it driven by the size of companies getting out of control that I have been concerned with for some time?

I mention this as I believe it’s why there is a great need for leaders who know how to re-engage real business ethics thoughtfully once again and get others more comfortable in this environment. In my mind, that is part of the answer to adjusting that gap/disconnection you are addressing above. I believe more global leadership is needed from true Global Nomads who by and large build organizations expecting and engaging their talent base in a way that facilitated greater accountability. Their talent base may be uncomfortable, but they know how to move them through that void. That is good for business and will naturally start to penetrate this fairness perspective. I'm sure Rudy would agree with me here. I will add, I am a realist and fully understand Board/stockholder pressure to produce results. Have I been there? No, but that does not mean I do not understand it as a business owner. It's do or die every day and I am accountable to my company. We need to produce results and be profitable. The point I am driving to is I’m not sure this EQ piece is being understood correctly. It may simply come down to having leaders with a conscience who can make the changes on the fly that need to be made one at a time.”

In closing

There’s no denying that we are each being challenged in our own way both personally and professionally, but we need to look ahead and not get caught in the moment. We need to adapt and embrace the challenges that we are being confronted with, stand on the foundation that we’ve built and not allow circumstances or market conditions to forge our future. As they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemon aide. I came across this the other day and I think it epitomizes the meaning and attitude behind that saying…

Brett Farve, Quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, in a playoff game against the Rams back in 2002, said… “After the 4th interception, I went to the sideline and the coach Mike Sherman says… I think I’m just going to take you out. And I said uh, if I throw 2 more, I break a record.” The coach then said “Go on. Go ahead,” and sent him back in the game.

In times like these we all need to be resilient, push forward in spite of poor performance and elevate our game to a new level. We need to look at the obstacles that perhaps we created; and overcome them if we want to stay in the game. What that requires is that we use all of the resources at our disposal, think more for ourselves, extend our responsibilities and contribute to the whole in our own unique way. Because for those who choose not to, unfortunately, the game will be over. 

About Steve Diedrick...

Steve is the founder of Redmond, a global executive search firm whose clients include world renowned brands and start-ups that are shaping tomorrow's world. As a highly respected authority and pioneer in the field of human capital with close to three decades in the space, his progressive ideas on search-excellence reflect a profound understanding/passion for the global economy and the ever-evolving mindset of the unique talent that propels companies forward. He has personally reached out to more than 100,000 professionals and interviewed over 35,000 potential candidates throughout his career. His personal drive, perspective, discipline and focus is a culmination of his life experience living abroad and the 27 years spent mastering the Martial Art of Qi Gong. His Mantra: There is nothing like direct experience that takes you from knowledge - to knowing.

Email me at: [email protected] or Text me at: 947.222.9200 and let's discuss how Redmond can help you.

? Redmond Research, Inc. 2020