11 1/2 Lessons on Leadership: Part II
Today we continue our discussion on leadership with lessons six through 11 ½, including the much-anticipated ½ lesson!
(Should you have missed Part I or would like a refresher on the first five lessons, you can find them here.)
Lesson 6: Technology is your friend
This lesson is of particular importance to the older generation, but it’s something to keep in mind even if you are young. Never stop learning about technology and what new technology can do for you and your business. Do this by looking at new technologies to see if they can make you more efficient and competitive, and also by looking at your organization and asking yourself what kind of tool or technology could help do this task or process better. Then find it. If at all possible, be the first.
Alltech is the first company to have a nutrigenomics lab entirely devoted to the study of pet, horse and animal nutrition and the ways in which feed affects how genes work. It’s also the only company to have an algae growing facility with the sole purpose of producing algae for animal feed supplementation. These types of specialties are Alltech’s strengths, which give it a competitive edge over other companies in the animal feed industry.
As you progress in the corporate world and gain knowledge and expertise, it is important to maintain a working knowledge of up-to-date technology. Use this knowledge to communicate effectively and efficiently.
Lesson 7: Make the “prosumer” your friend
Companies often talk about focusing on the consumer, but today the combination of social media, the Internet and word-of-mouth has created the “prosumer.” Prosumers are consumers who are so proactive in their evaluation and choice of products and services that they become brand advocates. They are the online influencers that business leaders and marketers need to identify and develop relationships with in order for their products or brand to be successful. Prosumers are active and vocal, and it’s much better to have them on your side than to fight them. It may not be easy—they may ask hard questions and set tough standards—but if you can win them over, they can ultimately drive sales more than any traditional advertising campaign. Demonstrate to your employees that befriending the prosumer will not only aid in their success, but ultimately in yours and your company’s as well.
Lesson 8: Have a larger purpose
I recently had the opportunity to listen to Jim Stengel, former CMO of Procter & Gamble. He talked about the empathy of a business. We often think that leadership means showing strength, resolve and determination. Showing empathy or concern is often seen as either weak or as a distraction from the “real” business of the company. Moreover, consumers are frequently cynical that shows of concern are simply a marketing ploy.
However, the power of genuine concern is greatly underestimated. Does your business have empathy? Does it show a concern for the well-being of society? The causes you choose need to be the right ones. Right for you, right for your company and right for your brand.
What is right tends to be what is true. Alltech’s founder Dr. Pearse Lyons has a genuine and deep belief in the importance of education in general, and of science education in particular. As a result, Alltech has a number of outreach projects oriented toward young people and their education in science and research. Because they reflect a genuine value, they get serious support throughout the company. As these programs influence young people, they are creating a new generation of enthusiasts in these areas. A secondary benefit is that they inspire customer appreciation for these causes and for Alltech for working toward them. Let’s face it: Sometimes it’s not about you, it’s about something bigger than you.
Lesson 9: Don’t underestimate the importance of momentum
When you first become the leader of a team in need of a turnaround, they will look for signs that something has fundamentally changed. While we all admire the big win, whether it is a big sale or landing a new client, in my experience, changing a team’s attitude can also be achieved by creating a sense of momentum. While it can be very satisfying to receive accolades for big wins, teams also feed off the inches; the little steps move us forward. In the movie “Any Given Sunday,” Al Pacino captured this sentiment in his locker room speech: Build your momentum inch by inch, step by step, yard by yard.
Momentum comes from convincing your team that something fundamental has changed. In this way, celebrate each person’s small wins to create the sense that the tide has turned. Additionally, be careful to protect positive momentum. A team that is not moving forward is moving backward, and negative momentum is both destructive and, once established, very hard to reverse.
Lesson 10: Set your course with a 2-1-4-3 framework
A typical strategic planning framework is often outlined like this:
Where did we come from?
Where we are now?
How we will get there?
Where do we want to go?
I suggest we shuffle these around:
Where are we now?
Where did we come from?
Where do we want to go?
How will we get there?
Why is 2-1-4-3 so revolutionary? To structure your plans in the 2-1-4-3 format is to put “where we are now” above “where we came from,” to put “where we are going” before deciding the road we are going to take. A great 2-1-4-3 fits on one page, can be easily recited by your entire team and captures your strategy in such a succinct manner that it makes it clear what the leader and the team want and what they will deliver. Easy to say, harder to do, but in doing the work to get to a good 2-1-4-3 statement, a surprising number of challenges can be identified and resolved.
Lesson 11: Let’s march!
My eleventh lesson can be learned from Demosthenes. It is said that when the great Greek orator Cicero finished speaking, the people said, “How well he spoke,” but when Demosthenes finished speaking, they said, “Let us march!” Be the type of leader that instills a sense of camaraderie and conviction in your team. Make your business an “us” business, not a “me and them” business. A boss says, “Do it.” A leader says, “Let’s do it.”
Lesson 11 ½: Promise half, deliver double
This lesson is important in respect to your customers, but also your interactions with your employees. Never make a promise you can’t keep, and aim to exceed people’s expectations. They will remember you for it and for the good services and care you have shown them.
These are the lessons as I have learned them and I hope they help you to develop your own leadership skills. This is a topic for which there is always room for discussion, so please feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or Twitter @AJConnolly1.
