Credibility - Building It Over Time

Careful now!

You made a commitment, didn't follow through and nothing happened. Whew - how lucky that no one noticed.

Wrong! It is noticed and tracked. Because it is about credibility. A big word with profound implications. The less you deliver on your commitments – the less credible you become. And for a leader – credibility is what defines you. Credibility means trust, courage and smarts.

If you don’t understand your environment, underestimate your competition, commit what you cannot deliver – it all adds up to an ineffective leader. It is cumulative and adds up. People notice and they may ignore some hiccups but not for long. A history of misses leads to a lack of trust and questioning of motives.

As one of my managers always stressed “Do what you say and say what you do”. I takes time to build credibility and not a whole lot to lose it.


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Do You Buy Your Leader’s Vision?

It is almost a rite of passage. The new incumbent starts his tenure by articulating his vision. It is grandiose, glamorous and catchy. After all the objective is to establish yourself as a credible leader and leadership without vision is almost an oxymoron.

But I am frequently disappointed because the vision unfortunately remains a vision. When the dust settles, I often find no perceptible change in how things operate and it makes me wonder. Is this vision thing a sham?

In some cases it is a sham. It is a political exercise to present yourself, garner support, make some connections and move on. The leader presumably had a different objective in mind, but used the vision thing to get what he wanted.

In some cases constraints get the better of intention. You cannot affect the change you want because of culture, financial or organization constraints.

And in some cases it is just a disconnect between vision and reality. You bite off more than you can chew. New Year resolutions are a good example of this syndrome. You aim too high and due to lack of progress lose interest.

There are leaders who can talk and then there are leaders who can deliver. I am biased towards the one that under promise and over deliver.

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From Super Star to Shooting Star

Not Too Long Ago -

Six months into one of investment banking's toughest jobs, the 42-year-old Ms. Callan is emerging as a galvanizing force at Lehman and a finance chief who topples much of the conventional wisdom about CFOs. She also is the highest-ranking woman on Wall Street. Many Lehman insiders consider her among the contenders to become the firm's president someday.
WSJ

And Today -

Lehman Brothers Holdings has pushed out its chief financial officer, Erin Callan, and chief operating officer, Joseph Gregory, amid a persistent clamor over the company's weak performance.
CNBC

The Lesson -

• When you are in the limelight, your performance will be scrutinized. No slacking on the job allowed.
  
  
• Beware the scapegoat syndrome. If the mob wants a head - one will be provided. Avoid being the headless one.
  
  
• A large part of being at the top is being politically savvy (remember the scapegoat situation).
  
  
• If you cannot delivery – you are toast. Focus on flawless execution.
  
  
• Sometimes it is circumstantial – the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong company. It is only sometimes and mostly avoidable.
  
  
• Can you “wing it”? There are consequences (toast) if you mess up.
  
  
• Always have an exit strategy (i.e. golden parachute, marketable skills, active network). This too will end.
  
  
• Super stardom is ephemeral – enjoy it while it lasts!
  

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Letting It Go. Your Job That Is!

Missed by this much

What do Jimmy Carter, Jack Welch and Alan Greenspan have in common? They are unable to comprehend the meaning of ‘ex’. ‘Ex’ means – past, history, previously, used to be. These gentlemen cannot let go – of their old jobs.

Do you see that at work? I do. People seem to form an attachment to what they produce – rightly so because they have invested their time and effort into that venture. This is my application, my process, my team. A sense of ownership is commendable but needs to be balanced. The reality is that you are not the ultimate owner – think of yourself as a caretaker. The corporation you work for is the owner – you merely come in, add value and eventually move on.

When you cannot move on gracefully – problems arise. The new owner wants to assert his ownership and leave his mark by changing, optimizing and evolving. But he cannot do that because you are contesting his every move. Maybe your comments are valid but are they relevant?

The spotlight in on the new owner. He is accountable for delivering and as a result has the authority to improvise as needed. This is not a time to create road blocks for new leadership or question their ability – it is a time to support and quietly phase yourself out. You time in this position is up.

When it is time to move on – it is best to move on. Let the current managers win or lose – it is their prerogative. You challenge awaits you – excelling in your new venture. Channel your energies forward – let go of the past.

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Are You A Good Boss or A Bad Boss?

He's got your back

The New York Times offered a quiz on how to assess your "bossiness". Key questions to ask yourself include

1. Have you ever publicly criticized an employee?
   
2. Do you take credit for your employees’ work?
   
3. Do your employees fear you?
   
4. Do you expect employees to do what you tell them without question?
   
5. Do you believe employees should know what to do without you telling them or providing guidelines?
   
6. Are you a yeller?
   
7. Do you demean employees as a form of punishment?
   
8. Do you play favorites?
   
9. Do you hate delegating?
   
10. Do you check everyone’s work?

You got it - the more times you say yes to the above questions - the "badder" you are! Or at least the likely hood exits.

The overall sense that emerges from this quiz is

Respect
Good bosses treat their employees with respect. People are our greatest resource and if a manager is unable to create trust, loyalty and engagement - then something is definitely amiss.

Confidence
A manager, who understands his domain, is competent and knows what he is talking about exudes confidence. Beyond demeanor, confidence leads to leadership, delegation and execution excellence. A confident manager is not insecure about his position and will usually not demean or insult his employees. He will invest his time and energy in growing his employees.

Growth
A good boss is usually looking for an alignment of objectives between the organization, you and himself. In other words a win-win for all. If you succeed, then he is doing his job and finally the company reaps the benefits or engaged employees and quality work. A boss who steals your thunder is either seeking to pursue a selfish objective or is unable to create that holistic alignment.

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Managerial Courage

"All the other animals in the forest naturally expect me to be brave, for the Lion is everywhere thought to be the King of Beasts. But whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast."
The Cowardly Lion, The Wizard of Oz

No fear

Managerial courage means strength and conviction to pursue the chosen path and not be intimidated by resistance. It is a key leadership trait since without courage success is limited.

A good example of managerial courage is Al Gore. When he picked up the global warming cause a few years age he was ridiculed and marginalized. But Al Gore believed in the cause and had the courage to define, shape and evolve his vision – in spite of the political fallout, perception challenges and lack of credibility. We all know where he is today and global warming is surely but steady moving to center stage.

So what is managerial courage?

Courage to decide
Ultimately a decision has to be made. Sometimes these are not easy decisions but true leaders don’t relent under the pressure and make the right decision. A leader who vacillates or lacks the conviction to purse the right thing will eventually lose credibility.

Courage to execute
After the strategy and planning comes execution. This is when visions are realized and changes are introduced. Revolts happen, media hysteria takes over and you are epitomized as the ruthless barbarian. As leader of your organization, you have to show courage to execute the right steps to take your team to the next stage.

Courage to evaluate
Results count and accountability has to be established. Courage to evaluate progress, provide honest and objective feedback, and creating accountability completes the cycle.

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Learning From Goldman

So what did Goldman do right? Many things, which are worth reflecting upon. After all Goldman is the only brokerage firm still making money on Wall Street while the likes of Merrill Lynch and Citibank are licking their wounds.

Here are some of the attributes, which would serve any career professional well in succeeding in the corporate rat race.

Agility: You have to move with the times. Change is constant and if you are laid back basking in your past glory - beware!

That will hurt

Foresight: This is how it used to work does not mean that is how it still works. The market, the economy and the job market are all evolving. You have to look beyond today to succeed.

Courage: Quit following the herd. Look around, access, understand and then make your own bets. After all who better to look out for you than "you".

How Goldman Won Big On Mortgage Meltdown - Wall Street Journal


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Leadership Traits

(Follow me)

What traits do successful leaders have than makes them great? Yes there are the legendary heroes like Jack Welch and Sam Walton and Lou Gerstner, Jr. but what about your team lead or manager. What leadership traits do they display? In my experience everyday leaders display the following qualities

- People Leadership: The ability to motivate, influence and persuade people. In a people business (and IT is a people business) if you don't get the team behind you - it's going to be a short journey.

- Courage: You have the courage to do what you believe in. If you are intimidated by culture, job security, repercussions or reputation - credibility is compromised sooner than later.

- Foresight: I am stuck in the trenches and cannot see beyond my cube wall. But I expect my leaders to articulate a vision for my team, my company and me. I want to know what is the destination and where we are on that journey.

- Role Model: A leader is under the microscope - most of the time. Each comment, action and meeting is scrutinized. After all - you are our leader and we have certain expectations from you. Polish, presentation, tact, honesty, integrity - no one said it was easy!

Some traits I have observered in leaders I have worked with. I am sure I missed a few - look forward to your thoughts on this subject.


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