#SH302: Making Connections–PRC is a Model for Building Your Network in Business and Life

#SH302: Making Connections–PRC is a Model for Building Your Network in Business and Life

by | Jul 1, 2018 | #SH302, Learning to Lead, Networking, Relationships

Making Connections

Brooklyn is where I primarily developed. I had an opportunity to make records and perform here and there, and I started networking with the right people in the right places. ~ Busta Rhymes

Think outside the box is a common, if not overused, phrase, intended to encourage creativity and innovation. Although the notion is well-meaning, we contend that, at times, in order to think outside the box, you have to think outside yourself and network with colleagues and friends to make unprecedented gains. The greatest leaders and thinkers of all time were well connected individuals who knew the power of relationships for making positive changes in the world. The concept of networking is sometimes looked at through through a skeptical lens as something fake or even sleazy–a tacky way to get something from other people. But great leaders see the power of connection and look beyond the suspiciousness of any desire to connect with new people. They associate the act of connecting with a simple exchange of information and ideas among like-minded people who share a common interest in business and life. Relational leaders are always trying to build their personal and professional network because they know that the benefits outweigh the time it takes to get to know so many people at a deeply connected level.

“A mountain of research shows that professional networks lead to more job and business opportunities, broader and deeper knowledge, improved capacity to innovate, faster advancement, and greater status and authority” (Casciaro, Gino, & Kouchaki, 2016). Leaders who know how to make broad and deep connections with a diverse group of people have an advantage over those who keep a smaller network.

In fact, some studies have confirmed that success in a position actually depends on the person’s ability to connect with the right people within and outside the organization (Casciaro, Gino, & Kouchaki, 2016). This means that if you can’t connect with people, you’re likely to suffer from the onset of slow, stalled, or insignificant impact. If you’re reading this blog, working to lead better and grow faster, that’s not what you want. The good news is that we never introduce topics that you can’t get better at with simple steps.

Leaders can learn how to network, how to make connections with the right people, and how to do so even better, faster, and with more efficacy. Check out our three-part model that we use for making strong connections for leadership growth and business development: Plan, Reach Out, Connect (PRC).

Plan—take time to think about who the people are before you decide to reach out.

The first step in our model for making connections is to take an inventory of the people you know who can help with the current project you’re managing and make a list of them. This combines two things that we love at TheSchoolHouse302: planning and making lists. Both are among the most effective tools that leaders have at their fingertips, but, unfortunately, these tools aren’t used often enough. And they’re the simplest tools we know of–taking time to plan and listing people or objectives. (Note: We delineate between lists of moving parts and to-do lists, and we advocate for the former).

Who are the most important people to help with the current demands?

This list of individuals should include people who you know directly or you have just a couple of degrees of separation from. A friend of a friend is a powerful way to grow your network and avoid some of the awkwardness typically associated with a brand new introduction. This is also a great way to tap into the expertise of an acquaintance who may work in a different industry. When we heard from Ted Fujimoto, this was one of his personal leadership development strategies–connecting with people in industries different than his.

Who do you need to support the vision and goals to move the work forward?

This thought process of identifying people beyond your common list of co-workers and friends is designed to give you additional perspective. For example, when we wanted to learn different ways to manage beyond the traditional educational way, we called on a dear friend who is a six-sigma black belt to help introduce us to another world of management. The point is that your vision and goals can be supported by advice from your network, and the voices you hear from don’t have to be in your field–they can be far from it. In fact, the more diversity you have on your panel of advisers the better, which is why being connected makes sense for leaders who want to move the work forward.

Technical Tip and Easy Next Step: David Burkus, author of Friend of a Friend, tells his readers that you don’t necessarily need to connect with new people. You can reconnect with old friends or think differently about the value of the connections you already have. As you think about the important people you need in your life to support your vision, try connecting with a “dormant” or weak relationship that you already have (Burkus, 2018). Connect with that person, which is easier than making a brand new connection, and set up a time to talk.

Reach Out—be sure to capitalize on your network by reaching out to others.

Reaching out is a mindset that actually requires a level of humility and respect. In essence, reaching out sends the message that you need others, value their input, and desire their perspective. Once you’ve identified a few people to connect with, simply contact them and be specific with what you need or want. We’ve found that most people love to share their knowledge and experiences.

How do you connect with people you know and don’t know to build the relationships you need?

Once you have an open mind toward connecting with others, your connection antenna will always be up and sensitive to potential relationships. This level of sensitivity will make it very easy for you to reach out and seek advice. One powerful way to connect is by leveraging online networking sites that are designed to connect people. Consider how Twitter has evolved into a powerful networking tool for a variety of industries. Many educators have powerfully leveraged Twitter to learn and grow from other educators from around the globe.

How do you leverage access to others in a connection economy?

The term connection economy is often attributed to Seth Godin and simply means that value is created through meaningful connections. This is incredibly powerful when we consider social media and the ability to connect with people online in a variety of different ways and through different platforms. Social and business networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, are powerful ways to connect with a host of people from around the world.

Technical Tip and Easy Next Step: Evan Baehr, coauthor of Get Backed, says that if you’re interest is in raising capital, establish a trusting relationship first–raise the relationship, then the money. And, if your desire is to get funded, ask for advice rather than cash. As you think about reaching out to make your next connection, for funding or not, don’t just think about who you want to add to your network but rather who you already know who might introduce you to someone new. “Trust is often translated across common friends” (Baehr, 2016). An easy next step is to reach out to someone who can reach out to someone with whom you wish to make a connection. Build the bridge first, make the connection, and ask for advice.

Connect—use emotional intelligence to truly connect with yourself and other people.

Simply put, leaders who know how to manage their emotions and the emotional reactions of others are more effective and better at reaching the goals of the organization (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005). It’s a critical leadership competency that leaders are aware of their own emotional needs and expressions as well as the needs and expressions of the team. Leaders who know how to be sensitive while pushing the team toward a goal are always more successful than those who care only about the goal and forget about the people.

Why is emotional intelligence an important leadership characteristic?

Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2013) claim that the major difference between leaders who care only about winning and leaders who truly connect with people is whether or not they poses dissonant versus resonant leadership qualities. Dissonant leaders are insensitive while resonant leaders are attuned to the feelings and emotions of the people. The difference in outcomes in terms of organizational objectives and success is that the dissonant leadership style leads to poor performance and the resonant leader garners achievement through positive interactions with others.

Why should leaders use emotional intelligence to connect with themselves and others?

Goleman (2005) found that the emotionally intelligent leader knows their own emotional state, manages their emotions and the emotions of others, and handles relationships in a positive way. Using this type of intelligence to connect with yourself and your team of people builds trust and improves relationships through empathy. Leaders have to know their people to make gains and to tap into the specific skills that each individual can bring to the table when the team is at its peak emotional, social, and physical health. The best leaders take care of their people so that the people can take care of the organization.

Technical Tip and Easy Next Step: The good news is that emotional intelligence can be learned and improved. Once thought to be fixed, most intellectual constructs–smarts, social skills, self-efficacy, etc–can be developed through learning and growth opportunities. To improve your emotional intelligence, read more about it. Susan David, author of Emotional Agility, says that you need to understand as much as you can about emotional intelligence to be better at it, including three very specific technical improvements that anyone can make: 1. Improve your emotional vocabulary, 2. Define the intensity of your emotions, and 3. Write them down. Start today with an easy next step. Pick up a recently released book, maybe Emotional Agility or Emotional Intelligence 2.0, to increase your ability to describe your emotional state and that of others. Then, journal about your daily experiences with the ups and downs that we all experience and have to manage at work regarding our team. This will allow you to solidify the new and improved relationships you’re establishing as your plan to make connections and reach out to build your network.

The final word on making connections is that the relationships you’re building are not just for your own support but also so that you can have the impact and reach that you desire as a leader. Heed the advice from the Dale Carnegie Training institute:

Meet new people–meet as many of them as you can. Don’t be judgmental about it. Don’t find a way to cancel a lunch with a friend of a friend just because you don’t see how that person can be of help to you. On the contrary, that’s a good reason for going through with the meeting. You don’t see how people can help you, but after you meet them, your eyes might be opened. Or maybe they can’t help you now, but when conditions change, that fact might change, too. Finally, there’s always the possibility that a class act such as you might be able to help them. (2011)

The definition of leadership is influence, and by making connections, you can expand your influence. By expanding your influence, you can be helpful to more people, and that’s one of the most important characteristics of any great leader–the desire to help others.

That’s TheSchoolHouse302 model for making connections, which is a clear way to help you lead better and grow faster. We hope that you use our technical tips and take the easy next steps in your life and work so that your relationships are strong and you’re moving quickly toward your goals. If you want more support with learning how to network for better connections for yourself or the leaders in your organization, don’t hesitate to contact us, we can help.

Let us know what you think of this #SH302 post with a like, follow, or comment. Find us on Twitter, YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, & SoundCould. And if you want one simple model for leading better and growing faster per month, follow this blog by entering your email at the top right of the screen.

TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple by maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.

Joe & T.J.

References

Baehr, E. (2016). Startups need relationships before they ask for money. Harvard Business Review.

Boyatzis, R. & McKee, A. (2005).. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Burkus, D. (2018). Making time for networking as a working parent. Harvard Business Review.

Casciaro, T., Gino, F. & Kouchaki, M. (2016). Learn to love networking. Harvard Business Review.

Dale Carnegie Training. (2011). Make yourself unforgettable: How to become the person everyone remembers and no one can resist. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc.

David, S. (2016). Emotional agility: Get unstuck, embrace change, and thrive in life and work. New York: Random House.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. New York: Bantam Books.

Goleman, G., Boyatzis, R. & McKee A. (2013). Primal leadership, with a new preface by the authors: Unleashing the power of emotional intelligence. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.

#SH302: Daily Habits Lead to Long Term Success

#SH302: Daily Habits Lead to Long Term Success

by | Jun 3, 2018 | #SH302, Daily Habits, Learning to Lead

Daily Habits

Lao-Tzu, father of the Chinese philosophy Taoism, is known for his brilliantly insightful quote: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” We love this saying because it captures the core of long-term success and the wisdom that it takes to not worry about how far there is to go, but rather to just start walking. Each step forward moves you closer to success, creating both opportunities and challenges, and the key is handling both successfully along the way. To do so, there are several daily practices that certainly give you a greater chance of prosperity and an edge when leveraged appropriately. We find that the following four buckets yield incredible results, are relatively easy to fit into your everyday routines, and are mentioned by many of our podcast guests, and other recognized experts, as must dos for effective leadership. There are tons of micro-habits and daily structures that lead to long-term success, but these four will maximize all of the other strategies you’re using to improve your daily, weekly, and monthly outcomes.

#1 — Gain Clarity

Our first key aspect of a successful day is how to gain clarity. We all need clarity so that we know what to focus on, we know how to handle differing situations, and we know what decision to make when varying options present themselves. One way to gain clarity is to create space between your mind and the situation, and one great way to do that is through physical activity. For many, our day jobs are essentially desk jobs, constantly requiring mental focus and exertion. Exercise provides a much needed break from the daily mental marathon we run. Anyone who has ever been grappling with an important decision and finds clarity in the first half mile of a 6-mile run understands this concept from a practical standpoint, but the research is clear on movement and the mind (Cuddy, 2015). Studies find that movement, and even posture, has a distinct impact on attitude, learning, and creativity.

  • Clarity: Working Out.
    • Use physical activity to free your mind from the routine pressures and stresses of the day. Exercising releases endorphins that can create a positive feeling, reduce stress, and help you gain clarity.

Technical Tip: Schedule your workouts at the beginning of the week. Use Sunday evening to review your work schedule to ensure that you have sufficient workout time. Even when you find time to work out that wasn’t on your schedule, go back and add it. Track the number of workouts you do per week to set minimum and maximum goals.

Resource: Check out BenGreenfieldfitness.com. Ben was voted America’s top personal trainer in 2008.

#2 — Strategic Growth

Our second key habit to long term success is to learn from the great minds of the past and present by reading important literature. You have the opportunity everyday to learn, grow, and connect with incredible thinkers. Immersing yourself into reading and learning creates connections and “when you make connections, so does your brain, literally forging new pathways between regions in all four lobes and both hemispheres. Over time, these neural networks can promote quicker thinking and may provide a greater defense against the worst effects of cognitive decay” (Specktor, 2017). The best leaders are readers, and they develop the habit of reading on a regular basis, if not daily. The average CEO reads 60 books a year, and it may be the number one most important growth strategy there is for those of us who want to learn to lead better and grow faster.

  • Growing: Read.
    • Whether you read professional journals or books, take time to dive into literature to gain new perspectives and ideas on topics and issues related to your professional and personal life. Allow yourself to be immersed in the readings, and be sure to escape from the incessant interruptions from technology.

Technical Tip: Commit to reading a certain number of pages every day on a specific topic you desire to learn more about. Identify highly regarded books and journals on the topic and then dig in. If you read ten pages a day, which will take roughly 15 to 20 minutes, you will finish a book a month. The key is creating a standard number you must read and build the habit into your routine.

Resource: Audible.com is a great way to immerse yourself into literature and turn your car into a classroom.

#3 — Sustain Health

Our third daily habit is to sustain your health by eating well. When you take time to exercise and read, to stimulate the mind and body, you must fuel yourself with foods that power you through the day and night. Our goals should not come at the expense of our physical and mental condition. For long term success, the body must be cared for and sustained through quality nutrients. This seems simple, but it might be the most difficult aspect of our daily routines. It’s too easy to fall prey to the temptation to reward yourself with something sweet that you know isn’t going to help with your goals. The decision-making process might be complex, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Macro- and micro-nutrients are so important to your health that you practically can’t lead at all without fueling yourself the right way.

  • Sustaining: Nutrition.
    • Eat healthy foods to maximize your best effort and sustain yourself physically and mentally. We realize that “eating well” can get confusing very fast, considering how much information is published on the topic. Although, we don’t champion one diet over another, we believe in listening to our bodies and determining the foods that make you feel great. To that end, we find organic whole foods, minimally processed, to be a great place to start. Foods with bright colors, vegetables, fruits, and lean meats are key.

Technical Tip: Although it may seem mundane and boring, consider eating the same meals for breakfast and lunch each day, at least for the first few weeks of a change in diet. This ensures that two, out of your three, meals are healthy and cover the nutrient spectrum your body needs. Since these meals are easily planned and prepared ahead of time, you give yourself a greater chance for success. Allow yourself some healthy variety for dinner, learning new meals as you progress and uncover more about nutrition and wellness. After a while, you will be able to introduce more creativity into your meals and still maintain high nutritional standards.

Resource: Rather than providing you with a single resource, the following site includes 32 of the top nutrition and fitness blogs. They range from vegan to paleo so you are guaranteed to find something that fits your needs, https://greatist.com/eat/best-food-blogs-2016

#4 — Self-Reflection

Our fourth key habit centers on realizing that everyday is truly an experiment, and you should write it down to think about it deeply. Journaling is an opportunity to sit down and reflect on your day. No day is perfect, but there are incredible moments each day, even the very minor moments represent Lao-Tzu’s single step. Documenting these steps in a journal allows you to think about your journey so that you can reflect and grow. Almost all of the great leaders who we have interviewed have mentioned a strategic way that they self-reflect to learn and grow from their past, from mistakes, from failures, and from imprints they’ve made in their path to success.

  • Reflection: Journaling.
    • Take time to reflect on yourself as a leader and your daily actions to better understand your routine practices and daily behaviors. As Nancy Adler writes, “leaders have a surfeit of opportunities but suffer a paucity of meaning (Adler, 2016). We have infinite access to our own thoughts but rarely use them to create change in ourselves. Journaling is a discipline that requires dedication and commitment, but can lead to a critically keen understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Technical Tip: Don’t over complicate journaling. Keep it simple by journaling in the morning and then again before bed. In the AM, take a few minutes just to be sure about the clarity in your purpose for that day, what you want to achieve, and the key tasks that need to be completed. This is the time of day that your vision for yourself should be the clearest. Articulating it in a journal sends an important message to your brain that it will happen. At night, simply reflect on your day by reviewing the key areas just mentioned. This helps you to stay focused, gives you something to write about, and brings your day full-circle.

Resource: If you are hesitant to journal for whatever reason, and you aren’t sure that you know what to write about or that you will stay committed, check out The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in Five Minutes a Day. We find this resource to be a great place to start due to it’s routine questions, which, despite their simplicity, force you to dig deep.

The Leadership Challenge:

Within the four key areas, decide to take one step in the right direction to ensure that they are part of your daily regimen. Let us know the steps you take, whether it be going for a vigorous walk in the afternoon, committing to reading ten pages a day, eliminating a certain food or drink from your diet, or writing down one great thing that happened during your day. Commit to one thing, take the first step, and start your journey to long term success. Tweet @TSH302, comment on the blog, or send us an email about the challenge you’ve accepted.

That’s TheSchoolHouse302 model for leading with the daily habits that will absolutely help you to grow faster. We hope that you use our technical tips in your life and work so that you can lead better and grow faster through, and we hope you find the resources useful. If you want more support with daily habits for the leaders in your organization, don’t hesitate to contact us, we can help.

Let us know what you think of this #SH302 post with a like, follow, or comment. Find us on Twitter, YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, & SoundCould. And if you want one simple model for leading better and growing faster per month, follow this blog by entering your email at the top right of the screen.

TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple by maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.

Joe & T.J.

References

Adler, N. J. (2016, March 10). Want to Be an Outstanding Leader? Keep a Journal. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/01/want-to-be-an-outstanding-leader-keep-a-journal

Cuddy, A. (2015). Presence: Bringing your boldest self to your biggest challenges. New York: Hachette Book Group

Lanik, M. (2018). The leader habit: Master the skills you need to lead in just minutes a day. New York: American Management Association.

Gelman, L. (2020, February 7). Benefits of Reading: Getting Smart, Thin, Healthy, Happy https://www.rd.com/culture/benefits-of-reading/

#SH302: Goal Setting

#SH302: Goal Setting

by | May 6, 2018 | #SH302, Goal Setting

Goal Setting

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. ~ Tony Robbins

How serious are you about achieving your goals and living a life of fulfillment? Do you know what you truly want to get out of each day, week, month, and year? Setting goals is a critical first step to uncovering the life you truly want to live. As Thoreau wrote in Walden, “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” At TheSchoolHouse302 we don’t purport certain achievements, wealth, status, or epic lifestyles. Our desire for ourselves and others is for individuals to be committed to living a life of passion and attaining a desired way of life that individuals want to live and that compliments all of humanity.

To pursue this noble endeavor, we suggest that you revisit and recommit to your personal and professional goals. To do so with the balance necessary to be successful, we first offer TheSchoolHouse302 Blockchain of Life that encompasses areas of your life that should have clarity for goal setting. We first offer this model, prior to discussing goals, because there often exists a huge gap between goal setting and goal getting. At times, people mistake the two and fail to actuate their goals, focusing on starting something new but necessarily the persistence it takes to finish something (Acuff, 2017). This model is designed so that people understand how each area of our life is interconnected as a system. The purpose of the model is to understand the harmony needed within the system and to feel inspired and motivated by its simplicity.

  • Wellness–your fitness, health, energy levels, and overall feeling of wellbeing
  • Spirituality— your faith, religion, self-reflection, and a feeling of connectedness to the world
  • Family–your relatives who you keep closest in heart and mind  
  • Friendships–the people you rely on for social activities, fun, and candid conversations
  • Work–your role in the organization, your impact on the vision, and your financial earnings
  • Growth–your personal and professional development  

TheSchoolHouse302 Blockchain of Life

That brings us to our three very simple strategies to maximize the blockchain to your goals. Once we internalize the blockchain, we can select any given goal that we have in life and use these three very simple but powerful techniques to realize even the most massive accomplishments.

Be Specific.

Deciding to set goals is probably one of the most important decisions you can make, but most people don’t set clear goals in their life. ~ Thibaut Meurisse

Consider you are setting goals within “work” on the blockchain and you are weighing the pros and cons of going back to school to develop additional skills since you think it will lead to higher pay and a possible promotion. The goal of “going back to school” isn’t specific enough, nor is developing some “new skills.” However, identifying precisely what you want to pursue and definitively why you want to pursue it is critical. This is what Napoleon Hill describes as a clear concise mental picture, which provides the needed clarity and purpose for your goal (Hill, 2016). This step is vital because going back to school will require time, energy, money, sacrifice, and commitment. Yes, the higher pay may be something you want, but the goal has to be bigger and worth more than the tradeoff or it will not be worth pursuing and you may even resent the massive commitment it takes for the minimal reward. “Out tendency to rely upon external motivators is ironic considering how ineffective they are” (Meurisse, 2015). Being specific requires you to not only be precise on what you want to achieve, such as a Master’s of Science in Marketing in the case of going back to graduate school, but also specific on a why that goes beyond the extrinsic. The power in specificity comes from within you when you identify the internal reward that you seek, beyond more money, position, and power, to stronger personal autonomy, concept mastery, or purpose in life.

Technical Tip: Developing clear goals is challenging. There are six elements to the blockchain and we suggest you focus on each of them over two months. Three elements the first month (in the first three weeks of the month), with a week of reflection at the end of the month, and then three the next month, again, with a week of reflection. Although this may seem drawn out and you could push this exercise much quicker, we advocate for a slower more thoughtful and reflective process, which is why it takes a considerable amount of time. This methodical process is a play on Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues, which he identified and then focused on only one virtue per week to develop and to improve himself over time.

Find Time.

If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities. ~ Maya Angelou

Have you ever purchased a gym membership to only find that the closest you got to the gym and working out is when you put the gym key tag on your keyring? If going to the gym is an avenue to reach your wellness and fitness goals then you have to deconstruct your day and find opportunities to fit gym time into your schedule. This means evaluating what is occupying your time throughout the day and week to identify gaps that you can maximize. This also requires you to prioritize what is important to you. When we fail to do things, it’s typically because we don’t value them enough. “Many people fail on their professional development goals for the year because they take on a lot of goals–goals that they feel they ‘should’ do but ultimately don’t energize them” (Saunders, 2016). Two major factors in finding time for your goals is to 1. Narrow them down to the goals that are most important to you, and 2. Quit something that you’re currently doing that isn’t aligned to your long-range plan.

Technical Tip: Quit Something. Don’t continue to do the same routine and expect something new or different. If your goal is to read more, then you might need to give up one of your favorite TV programs to do so. As Einstein said, “the definition of insanity is doing something over-and-over again and expecting a different result.” Remember, this is about reaching your goals, whether growing as a leader, living a healthy lifestyle, or being a better parent, you have to look at your actions and ask tough questions like, is this TV program helping me reach my goals? As Dr. Henry Cloud writes in Necessary Endings, we have to approach ourselves and our life like a skilled gardner who knows pruning is the key to sustaining healthy and beautiful roses.

Write It.

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. ~ Francis Bacon

Don’t waste time telling everyone about your goals if you don’t have them written down. About 87% of people don’t have clear goals, another 10% can articulate them, and only 3% of people actually write them down. We advocate for a sticky-note in multiple places, like the mirror where you brush your teeth, the horn of your car, your coffee mug in the AM, or your daily planner. Write your goals in places that you will see them often, which is an accountability strategy. If you can’t hold yourself accountable to your own written word, no one can. Not only is writing your goal an accountability measure but it supports the specificity we started with in this model, which completes the cycle of goal setting and allows you to stretch beyond your dreams and into reality. Writing your goals is the first step in making them real–they go from being thoughts to words to actions.

Technical Tip: Use a journal, often, day and night. If you don’t commit to writing your goals, all of your hopes and dreams, your chances of success are very limited. Also, don’t restrict yourself to just words. Use pictures to augment what you write down in your journal to track your progress and ignite the passion and emotion necessary to trigger action. At times, words alone don’t fuel excite the mind the way a great picture can. Utilize photos, and other visuals, to document where you are now and where you are going to chronicle your journey. A well-kept journal is the key to reflection and reflection opens doors that our mind’s eye wouldn’t otherwise have seen.

TheSchoolHouse302 Goal Setting Model

That’s TheSchoolHouse302 model for goal setting. We hope that you use our technical tips in your life and work so that you can lead better and grow faster through stronger goal setting. We contend that if you are specific with your goals, you make time to fit them into your day, and you write them down, you’ll achieve successes greater than ever before. If you want more help with goal setting for the leaders in your organization, don’t hesitate to contact us, we can help.

Let us know what you think of this #SH302 post with a like, follow, or comment. Find us on Twitter, YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, & SoundCould. And if you want one simple model for leading better and growing faster per month, follow this blog by entering your email at the top right of the screen.

TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple by maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.

Joe & T.J.

References

Acuff, J. (2017). Finish: Give yourself the gift of done. New York: Penguin.

Cloud, H. (2010). Necessary endings: The employees, businesses, and relationships that all of us have to give up in order to move forward. New York: HarperCollins.

Hill, N. (2016). Think and grow rich. OPU.

Meurisse, T. (2015). Goal setting: The ultimate guide to achieving goals that truly excite you.

Saunders, E.G. (2016). Stop setting goals you don’t actually care about. Harvard Business Review.

 

Long-Term Decision-Making for School Leaders

Long-Term Decision-Making for School Leaders

by | Apr 8, 2018 | #SH302, Learning to Lead, Long-Term Decision-Making

The best way to predict the future is to create it. ~ Peter Drucker

Taking the long-view is not easy. In fact, it’s far easier to think and act in the short-term. In life and business, the easiest decisions are the ones made about what to do now versus what to do that will make the biggest difference in the future. Albeit difficult, it’s an essential leadership competency, but as Hammond, Keeney, and Raiffa (2015) put it: “the need to make a difficult decision puts us at risk of anxiety, confusion, doubt, error, regret, embarrassment, [and] loss.”

The magnitude of the choices we face, the more people they impact, the longer range gains or losses they ultimately influence all play a role in the level of stress a leader feels when trying to make that big decision. At TheSchoolHouse302 we’re not proposing to completely rid your leadership woes with long-term decision-making, but rather we invite you to use our model to help you frame your thinking when these decisions are looming. This will certainly help the future of your company in terms of the way in which you interact with the consequential decisions that leaders have to make, and so we introduce a four-point model for long-term decision-making:

Have Foresight

Leaders who keep the long term in mind are preparing for possibilities, not certainties. ~ T.A. Frank

Being able to think into the future to make important decisions about the present is as imperative for leaders as any other skill in the book. Making the right prediction with foresight for the unknown is a quality that the greatest leaders of all time have exhibited with seemingly natural ease. Think Steve Jobs, Ray Dalio, and Elon Musk. With that said, the ease in which they appeared to have foresight might have been more about practice and strategy. Research on making quality predictions reveals that it can be a “learned skill,” whereby practice is critical to getting better and more accurate at it, but there’s one aspect of it that doesn’t take much practice at all, which is simple deliberation (Frick, 2015). Leaders who take time with big decisions allow themselves the space needed for clarity and foresight. In fact, Saffo (2007) says that forecasting the future effectively requires leaders to think twice as far back into the past as they do into the future. That’s where time equals foresight because leaders have to go slow with decisions that impact the organization in the long-term, reaching into the past to rely on patterns.

Practical Advice: Don’t rush with long-term decisions. Recognize when you’re making a decision that has short-term implications versus long-term consequences. In the short-term, your decisions can be quick, even in a “blink” as Gladwell tells readers about “thinking without thinking.” But, when decisions are long-range, it’s time to slow down, going back to the rest of the model to consider options, using principles, and tackling tough times with a team approach.

Think Options

Panic causes tunnel vision. Calm acceptance of danger allows us to more easily assess the situation and see options. ~ Simon Sinek

Leaders who spend time thinking about long-range decisions should practice the disposition of simply being “less certain” altogether (Frick, 2018). When given a decision with multiple plausible outcomes, people who think about all of their options at once versus considering choices one at a time fair 22% better in terms of coming to the most objective and best answer (Basu & Savani, 2017). “Janusian thinking” is one’s ability to entertain two contradictory and opposing viewpoints simultaneously before selecting one or even arriving at a theory whereby both are incorporated into new and innovative thought process (Michalko, 2012). In about half of decisions made, according to one study, people observed and considered options sequentially and not all at once with equal consideration (Basu & Savani, 2017). When leaders are able to compile and compare options for long-term decision-making, the result is a far more objective and thoughtful answer for the future of the organization than when ideas are presented one at a time or in a sequence that doesn’t involve holistic thinking. Considering all of the options at once is a serious advantage for leaders faced with future-driven challenges and something that is required for effective long-term decisions.

Practical Advice: When your team is presenting options, don’t begin to consider one or another as dominant until all of the options are on the table. Practice asking: “are there any other options we should consider as we make this decision?” to force your team to present everything first before dialogue ensues. Typically people begin to rank and “like” items as they’re unraveling, but great leaders reserve judgement until they have all of the information they need to make a decision.

Use Principles

To be principled means to consistently operate with principles that can be clearly explained. ~ Ray Dalio

Organizations driven by a clear vision and core values are certain about where they are heading; however, great leaders understand that the how can take many turns while pursuing the destination, especially over time. Principles serve as beacons to guide decision-making (Dalio, 2017) and to help steer the ship in the right direction. Collins and Porras (1994) detail the early stage of when companies begin sliding and loosing their foothold within their market, which happens mostly due to complacency and entitlement. People fail to remain sensitive and aligned to what made them successful in the first place–their principles. Principles are the backbone of the organization and serve as the litmus test for critical decisions that may be difficult.

Merck, a global leader in medicines and vaccinations, made a principled value-driven decision when it decided to manufacture Mectizan, knowing that the costly production and manufacturing would not yield a profit. Dr. Vagelos, former president and CEO, realized that Merck had the ability to cure river blindness, which is predominant in third world countries (particularly Africa). The disease afflicts the eyes with lesions and itching and can cause blindness. The challenge Merck faced, as described by Dr. Vagelos, is that the very people who needed the drug couldn’t afford it. Despite the potential financial losses and the burden that the company would shoulder, the final decision was to produce the medicine for anyone who needed it. (N.Y. Times, 1987). As a company, Merck went back to their principles. With a vision that starts with “to make a difference in the lives of people globally…” and a mission that says “…save and improve the lives around the world” they simply couldn’t stay true to their principles if they only made decisions based on financial gains and losses along. From a business perspective this decision was incredibly risky, yet Dr. Vagelos put those in need above profit. Having principles is what grounds leaders to be able to make the right long-term decisions, even when it’s not the obvious one.

Technical Tip: Having principles is one thing. Writing them down and sharing them widely, ensuring that they guide the organization, is another. Sharing your principles, both personally and for the organization, helps leaders hold themselves and other accountable to the decisions that get made, especially when tough long-term decisions arise. Write down you principles, post them in your most important spaces, and always go back to them as decisions are being made.

Be Responsive

Truly successful decision making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking. ~ Malcolm Gladwell

For the above qualities to be leveraged for their greatest effectiveness, leaders have to remain sensitive to the behaviors that limit employee and organizational productivity. Silos and groupthink are two common traps that limit any leader’s responsiveness, which results in decisions being made in a vacuum and teams shutting off from one another. To prevent this from happening, great leaders are responsive to the people they serve, and they keep that as a focus in every interaction with employees or customers. Great leaders know how to break down silos with teamwork and how to break groupthink with a systems approach. They also know what they need from their people so they respond appropriately to support their people so that everyone is delivering their best results.

The challenge in being responsive to the people is in the ability to see and hear all of the opportunities that are presented in order to support and grow the organization. This means staying attune to the threats that people may pose as well. Responsiveness may at first appear to be contradictory to long-term decisions, as if it means to be reactive in the short-term. However, the responsiveness we are championing requires leaders to fully understand the people they serve and respond in ways aligned to the principles and values that guide the company. Being fully responsive is calculated, whereas quick reactions can be careless. Kim Winser OBE, the first female board director of Mark & Spencer and the founder and CEO of Winser London, created a company on a model that is “nimble, responsive, reactive.” Winser’s digital business model is designed to maximize the power of technology while creating a brand completely focused on the consumer. What sets them apart, among other things, is the level of responsiveness Kim has to her employees and their products (Education Trust, 2017). She allows employees to work remotely and she hires team members straight out of college. This gives the company both a “youthful edge and an innate understanding of the digital world.” Being responsive to the people in the organization, the primary customers, and the established values, allows leaders to make better decisions for the long-term. It requires leaders to listen, slow down to weigh options, and build new teams to address problems that, if left unsolved, may pose crippling long-term issues.

Technical Tip: Successful leaders surround themselves with individuals who work toward the effective fulfillment of the vision through a knowledge and sensitivity to trends, risks, and opportunities. Great companies maintain a pulse on their core business and they are keenly aware of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). A SWOT analysis is a great technique to evaluate a company’s health and well-being. Make sure you’re using a model like SWOT when you’re responding to the people. Typically SWOT is used for events, programs, circumstances, and initiatives, but our tip is to also use it with employees, employee engagement, employee retention, and customer needs.

That’s TheSchoolHouse302 model for long-term decision-making. We hope that you use our practical advice and technical tips in your organization so that you can lead better and grow faster through stronger long-term decisions. We contend that if you have foresight, think options, use principles, and act responsively, your long-term plans will be far more successful. If you want professional development on decision-making for the leaders in your organization, don’t hesitate to contact us, we can help.

Let us know what you think of this #SH302 post with a like, follow, or comment. Find us on Twitter, YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, & SoundCould. And if you want one simple model for leading better and growing faster per month, follow this blog by entering your email at the top right of the screen.

TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple by maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.

Joe & T.J.

References

Basu, S. & Savani, K. (2017). To make the better choices, look at all your option together. Harvard Business Review.

Dalio, R. (2017). Principles: Life and work. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Can you be agile and responsive and still play the long game? (2017, November 23). Retrieved March 23, 2018, from https://medium.com/love-the-dont-know/can-you-be-agile-and-responsive-and-still-play-the-long-game-39ad25dacfee

Collins, J. & Porras, J. (1994). Built to last: Successful habits of visionary companies. New York: HarperBusiness.

Frank, T. (2017, July). Keeping Your Eye on the Long Term in a World of Short-Term Pressures. Retrieved March 11, 2018, from https://www.drucker.institute/monday-issue/keeping-your-eye-on-the-long-term-in-a-world-of-short-term-pressures/

Frick, W. (2018). 3 ways to improve your decision making. Harvard Business Review.

Frick, W. (2015). What research tells us about making accurate predictions. Harvard Business Review.

Gladwell, M. (2007). Blink: The power of thinking without thinking. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Hammond, J., Keeney, R., & Raiffa, H. (2015). Smart choices: A practical guide to making better decisions. Harvard Business Review Press.

Michalko, M. (2012). Janusian thinking. The Creativity Post.

Merck Offers Free Distribution of New River Blindness Drug. (1987, October 22). Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/22/world/merck-offers-free-distribution-of-new-river-blindness-drug.html 

Saffo, P. (2007). Six rules for effective forecasting. Harvard Business Review.

 

#SH302: The 4 Ps of Service Leadership

#SH302: The 4 Ps of Service Leadership

by | Mar 4, 2018 | #SH302, Learning to Lead, Service Leadership

Ask Yourself

How would those you lead define your leadership style? Outside of potentially labeling you as good or bad, would they say you excel in communication and relationships, would they say that you are autocratic or authoritative, maybe they would they say that you’re primarily interested in setting goals and meeting the organization’s established targets without regard for people? Ask yourself: do you serve others so that they can do the work, do you empower them, or do you take control and manage people closely? It’s important to know your style, your preferences, and your shortcomings.

Servant Leadership

At TheSchoolHouse302, a fundamental aspect of our leadership paradigm is servant leadership. As Greenleaf, the godfather of servant leadership, once said, “the servant leader is servant first…the natural feeling that one wants to serve [others]” (1977). We subscribe to it, work to model it, and it underpins all of our materials, resources, models, and presentations. But, we draw a unique distinction between servant leadership and service leadership.

Servant leadership is about empowering others, not using power over them. This style flips the-leader-at-the-top mentality upside-down so that serving others is at the heart of leading to fulfill the mission of the organization–enabling those who the leader serves to best fulfill their role and to maximize their potential. Although the phrase servant leader was coined in the 70s, leaders possessing this mentality and style can be found in any field throughout the centuries.

Service Leadership

But, we do make a major distinction between servant and service leadership. As we define it, service leadership differs from servant leadership in that service leaders are actually serving the needs of others by providing a service that would not otherwise be available. Service is then defined as helping or doing work for someone, or as one of the three U.S. Air Force’s core values states, “Service Before Self…An Airman’s professional duties take precedence over personal desires.” Service leaders are teachers, public servants, philanthropists, volunteers, and anyone who is in a position to fill a void for someone that they can’t otherwise fill for themselves. The best service leaders are by nature servant leaders, but not all servant leaders have to be providing a service as a public good.

Doing Both

Let’s take, for example, Scott Kammerer, who we interviewed for our #onethingseries leadership podcast. Listen here if you missed it. Scott is both a servant and a service leader. As an entrepreneur and a restaurant owner, he embraces the spirit and the attitude of a servant leader and uses his influence and opportunity to be a service leader as well. He’s the President of SoDel Concepts and the founder of SoDel Cares. So here’s how we draw our distinction. Not all restaurant owners are servant leaders. A restaurant owner could easily be an authoritative micromanager, who uses pressure without support, and even shaming to advance his goals. The opposite is the servant leader, clearly Kammerer’s philosophy, who leads people by identifying their strengths, lifting them to new heights, and empowering them to accomplish great things. In fact, Scott talks about getting out of the way so that people can exercise their greatest strengths, living by the vision of the company. That’s true servant leadership.

But, Scott doesn’t also have to be a service leader. He’s the founder of SoDel Cares, which is a charity organization that gives money to assist children, at risk youth and adults, and the elderly. Their mission is “to contribute in a positive way to the communities where we do business.” SoDel Cares is a service leadership project that makes Scott not only a servant leader but also a service leader.

Lastly, we imagine that someone could be a service leader but not a servant leader, although very unlikely. We doubt that too many dedicated service professionals have an authoritative approach, assisting with a need in the community but doing so in a dictatorial way. It’s possible, but not probable. In any event, we believe that leaders should “serve first” as Greenleaf put it, and in growing your service leadership mindset, we have four areas that need attention to be a true service leader in your organization.

TheSchoolHouse302 Four Ps of Service Leadership

With that said, this month we’re focused on service leadership, and our 4 Ps are a model to help your organization with a stronger service-oriented approach to leading better and growing faster.

#1 — People First.

Our philosophy is that we care about people first. ~Mark Zuckerberg

Angie Morgan, leadership expert and former officer in the United States Marine Corps, details in the book Spark an incredible story of where she was put first while in The Basic School, learning to be an Officer of Marines. Essentially, after the death of a loved one, her captain went above and beyond to ensure that every little detail was covered and taken care of for Angie, all prior to breaking the devastating news to her, which is custom for a captain to do. She explains that at that moment she learned “…to be a leader you can be tough, you can be aggressive, you can have demanding standards–but if you can’t be compassionate, empathetic, and caring, you’re never going to build a team of people who feel valued and connected.” Service-based leaders put their organization and their people ahead of themselves. They embrace the notion that to truly reach for and exact the vision of the company and live out the core beliefs, the people must feel valued and appreciated through the actions of the leader.

Challenge Question: How are you putting people’s needs above your own?

#2 — Clear Priorities.

The overwhelming reality is: we live in a world where almost everything is worthless and very few things are exceptionally valuable. ~ Greg McKeown

Ray Wang is the CEO of Constellation Research and the author of Disrupting Digital Business. He calls for companies to flip their thinking about priorities to include “strategic differentiation.” He tells HBR readers that priorities can “create game changing transformation” when we adopt social enterprises. Wang doesn’t say these “social enterprises” have to be service-oriented projects, but in a service-based leadership model, we believe that one of the differentiated priorities should be “giving.” Making contributions outside of your traditional priorities will improve the spirit of the organization and the passion that people have for doing the work. Simple examples include philanthropic endeavors to raise funds for charity. More sophisticated approaches are to organize a group for a Saturday soup kitchen volunteer experience or even giving people time off (trading work time) for volunteer efforts that are pre-determined by the organization. In any case, differentiating priorities to include something that is philanthropic and outside the traditional scope of work will instill a positive attitude and sense of pride that are also part of this model for service leadership and certainly “exceptionally valuable” to the lives of people.

Challenge Question: What is your organization doing to give back to the community?

#3 — Positive Attitude.

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose. ~Lyndon B. Johnson

Having a positive attitude is a fundamental way to approach life to confirm that you are mentally available to “see” opportunities. As a leader, it is critical to move forward each day with a positive mentality. Please don’t mistake having a positive attitude for a pollyanna, blind-to-reality, view on life. As Tony Robbins says, you can’t stand in a garden and tell yourself, “no weeds, no weeds, no weeds” and expect that to prevent weeds from growing. Rather, our view of the power of positivity rests on the fact that much of our interpretation of our surroundings–the events we attend and the situations that arise in our lives–are a result of our perception. The key is being guided by positivity rather than negativity–the idea that each moment in life has the potential for greatness, not the opposite. This approach has two primary benefits: One, it requires you to be mindful of all the great things going on and not just the issues that often plague us. Two, it keeps in check how we should react to situations. As Dr. Dennis Waitley writes in The Psychology of Winning, “…it makes little difference what is actually happening, it’s how you, personally, take it that really counts” (1979). We realize that the daily grind makes this approach challenging. But as Viktor Frankl, Nazi camp survivor, reminds us: one of the last of all human freedoms is to choose one’s own attitude in any given set of circumstances (2006). The power is in the control we have over both our attitude and our effort.

Challenge Question: What steps can you take to be sure that you and others in your organization view experiences through a positive lens?

#4 — Beneficial Pride.

Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. ~ Khalil Gibran

Sometimes pride is less than beneficial. In fact, it can tear us apart, create dissent, and lead to arrogance, anger, and narcissism. But, pride can be beneficial as well. Psychology professor David DeSteno says that “while researchers long thought that all emotions inhibit self-control because they tip the mind toward valuing immediate pleasure, newer research suggests that certain emotions, including pride, do just the opposite: they nudge the mind to be more patient and future-oriented than it would otherwise be” (2016). DeSteno’s research is not specific to service leadership, but it does show that when people are proud, in the same way that when people have gratitude and compassion, they tend to see value in what the future holds. This is an important aspect of service work because it means that instilling pride in people helps them to value the efforts they’re making for others toward a better future for all of us. To evoke pride in your team, DeSteno says, leaders need to give specific praise about a measurable task. When we praise people effectively, they feel the pride needed to continue the work, persisting longer than they would without the praise.

Challenge Question: Do your people feel proud about the work they’re doing and are they future-driven about the value they add to your community?

The Result 

Service leadership is the result of having a heart for and a desire to do for others what they might not otherwise be able to do for themselves. It creates a greater sense of community, and it works for the betterment of our society as a whole. The greatest service is the giving of oneself to realize a world that we believe in and that we work toward. Service leaders support, develop, and build people through The 4 Ps of Service Leadership. 

That’s our #SH302 model for Service Leadership. When you put people first, have clear priorities, work with a consistently positive attitude, and generate beneficial pride, you’re a service leader.  If you want stronger service or servant leaders in your organization, don’t hesitate to contact us, we can help.

Let us know what you think of this #SH302 post with a like, follow, or comment. Find us on Twitter, YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, & SoundCould. And if you want one simple model for leading better and growing faster per month, follow this blog by entering your email at the top right of the screen.

TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple by maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.

Joe & T.J.

Daschler, J. (1977). Service vs. servant: Attitude makes the difference. Golf Business.

DeSteno, D. (2016). The connection between pride and persistence. Harvard Business Review.

Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man’s search for meaning. Boston: Beacon Press.

Greenleaf, R. (1977). The servant as leader. Indianapolis, IN: Robert K. Greenleaf Center.

It’s our promise to protect. (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2018, from https://www.airforce.com/mission/vision

Morgan, A., Lynch, C., Lynch, S., & Smith, F. (2018). Spark: How to lead yourself and others to greater success. New York: First Mariner Books.

Morgan, A. & Lynch, C. (2017). How the U.S. Marines encourage service-based leadership. Harvard Business Review.

Waitley, D,. (1979). The psychology of winning: Ten qualities of a total winner. New York: The Penguin Group.

Wang, R. (2015). To jumpstart growth, flip the company’s priorities. Harvard Business Review.

Breaking Down the Complexities of any Organization Using L.I.S.T. — A School Leader’s Guide to Systems Thinking

Breaking Down the Complexities of any Organization Using L.I.S.T. — A School Leader’s Guide to Systems Thinking

by | Jan 7, 2018 | #SH302, Learning to Lead, Systems Thinking

Systems Check

There she was–angry, frustrated, scared, and thankful all at the same time. The emotions ran together as she stared at her blown out tire on the side of the highway. Now that she was safe, and the car was on the side of the road, she was more angry than anything–angry at herself for not taking care of the issue when she first noticed it. For weeks now, she felt how the car was pulling to the right more-and-more, and she sensed that her wheel alignment needed correction ever since she hit that massive pothole after the snow melted away. But, it was easily ignored with a little adjustment to how she held the steering wheel, and her work got in the way of what she knew was the need for a systems check and tune up. Even though she knew that she was compensating for the alignment being off, she never realized the wear-and-tear it was causing on the tires or the potential harm she was putting herself in by ignoring the issue. Stuck on the side of a major interstate, she could kick herself for thinking she was too busy to address what she knew was an issue, and now her situation is much much worse.

Aligning Systems

Alignment is critical to overall efficiency, and it impacts the performance of the car. More importantly, it is part of a network of critical components of a car that allow it to function. Businesses, schools, or any organization are really no different. They are made up of many parts that all serve specific and necessary functions, and if one part is misaligned, the entire organization will suffer. The challenge is to identify the parts that aren’t functioning properly, understand the context of the misalignment, and pursue a solution that will be sustainable.

Kirsch, Bildner, and Walker tell HBR readers that for solutions to organizational issues to work, “systems entrepreneurs must have a deep understanding of the system or systems they are trying to change and all the factors that shape it” (2016). In other words, leaders need a deep understanding of their systems to implement new solutions to problems that may, in fact, be caused by the system itself. 

The problem is that leaders often make four critical mistakes: 1. Implementing solutions before we truly understand the problem. A lack of discipline for learning within the system is an issue; 2. Treating the multitude of symptoms rather than taking a holistic approach to the problem; 3. Mandating wholesale general solutions for unique situations before gaining an understanding of the context; and 4. Making rash decisions that ultimately won’t make sense to the people who matter most.

What is Systems Thinking?

Systems thinking is defined in a number of ways, but the essence of the notion is that systems thinkers bring together the complex parts of a whole so that sense is made regarding how each part is interrelated. The idea is mostly applied to problem-solving in terms of understanding the larger context before applying a new theory of action. Systems thinking is used in teams so that leaders build a unified perspective before moving to problem solving whereby everyone might otherwise have a unique perspective of the problem.

Not using systems thinking as a leader compounds issues because the dynamics and complexities are misunderstood or the team doesn’t have a common vocabulary or there is a lack of discipline with learning (both individually and together). As a result, the solutions proposed will likely be misaligned to the actual problems at hand. And, the larger the system, the more important it is to have a thinking strategy for problem-solving. We propose a simple model for applying systems thinking in your organization.

L.I.S.T.: A Model for Systems Thinking

Our #SH302 model for systems thinking is simple. We use LIST because at the core of systems thinking is simply listing all of the parts of the systems that are intertwined to makeup the system itself. These cogs are called the interdependent parts of the system. But, that’s not enough, organizations that excel at systems thinking need to be learning oriented, improving on themselves through new developments; they need to understand the context of the system through sensemaking; and they need to have the temperament to build the relationships necessary for sustainable change. That makes up LIST and it demonstrates that the technical aspects of interdependency and sensemaking are book-ended by the soft skills of learning and temperament.

Learning — The discipline of self-improvement and organizational development. The more a leader learns, the more they develop their capacity, the greater they equip themselves with the skills to handle complex situations. As Nelson and Stolterman (2003) describe in The Design Way, “In our struggle to understand an ever more complex reality, we believe the current traditions of inquiry and action prevalent in our society do not give us the support we need—as leaders and designers—to meet the emergent challenges that now confront us.” Leaders must continually develop and grow, to evolve and adapt in order to manage the very systems that are continually fluid and ever changing.

One key skill every leader must develop is the the ability to, “use both a telescope and a microscope” as Jon Gordon, leadership guru, told TheSchoolHouse302 in our #onethingseries leadership podcast. Systems thinkers often refer to this as zooming-in and zooming-out to gain the appropriate perspective at any given time. This type of learning enables the leader to develop this critical skill of zooming to view issues, from a balcony or from below, to understand the wholeness and complexity of the issue. It takes a disciplined approach, but it ultimately allows for sustainable changes to occur through growth and development.

Interdependent Parts — There are always moving parts that make up the whole. One requirement of systems thinking is that all of the moving parts are identified. Understanding the parts in and of themselves is not enough. It’s critical to know what they are, the purpose they serve, and how they function within the whole system. Each part plays a specific role and has a relationship with other parts. In other words, each part functions individually and as a fraction of the whole.

Recognizing this is especially important when organizations are large, moving parts are interdependent, and this connectedness means that leaders can’t make decisions in one area without initiating a domino effect in other areas. And, weak areas or areas with multiple deficits, are always putting a strain on the system as a whole–much like the tire that blows because the wheels aren’t aligned. A very small misalignment in one moving part can have a major impact on the system as it moves in unison.

Sensemaking — Know the context, understand the system, bring clarity to an issue. Every organization is multifaceted and complex. From large to small organizations, there are hundreds of moving parts that each have their own context. Karl Weick, organizational psychologist, coined the term “sensemaking” as the leadership skill in understanding the context of situations to draw out issues needing a solution. “Executives who are strong in this capability know how to quickly capture the complexities of their environment and explain them to others in simple terms” (Ancona,  Malone, Orlikowski, & Senge, 2007).

For systems thinking to be at its best, teams have to engage in sensemaking as a precursor to problem solving. Understanding the true nature or an issue is the only way for a solution to be complete.

Temperament — Stay calm, show care, & build relationships between people and departments. As a leader, your temperament is important in every scenario, but it’s even more critical in times of assessment, change, and implementation of new ideas. That’s why we’re including it as a key aspect of systems thinking. Complex issues are dynamic and traditional problem solving methods fall short. Instead, leaders must bring calm to a scenario, show care for the team of people interested in identifying the moving parts and making sense of them for a solution, and build the relationships necessary between people and departments for change to be sustainable.

Baldoni, executive coach and author, says that “temperament is a strong attribute of leadership; those with a temperament that is more focused on others will be those who can lead the most effectively.” Systems thinkers have to be focused on the calm that’s needed to bring people together to solve problems that will otherwise impact everyone at the table.

That’s our model for systems thinking. We have used LIST in large and small organizations, and we encourage you to employ this with your team to ensure that you’re applying the important principles of systems thinking in your organization. If you want help or more information on the model, contact us. 

TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple and maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.

Let us know what you think of this #SH302 post with a like, follow, or comment. Find us on Twitter, YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, & SoundCould. And if you want one simple model for leading better and growing faster per month, follow this blog by entering your email at the top right of the screen.

Joe & T.J.

Ancona, D., Malone, T., Orlikowski, W., & Senge, P. (2007). In praise of the incomplete leader. Harvard Business Review.

Baldoni, J. (2016). Temperment: What it takes to lead. SmartBrief.

Kirsch, V., Bildner, J., & Walker, J. (2016). Why social ventures need systems thinking. Harvard Business Review.

Nelson, H. G., & Stolterman, E. (2003). The design way: intentional change in an unpredictable world. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Senge, P. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. Random House.

The Learning Counsel http://thelearningcounsel.com/article/what-systems-thinking-education

Useem, M. (1999). The leadership moment: Nine true stories of triumph and disaster and their lessons for us all. New York: Three Rivers Press.

Waters Foundation: Tools to help you THINK http://watersfoundation.org/systems-thinking/definitions/

Wile, K. (2014, August). Peter Senge introduction to systems thinking [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXdzKBWDraM (00:02:20).