What a week last week and it has carried over in to this week. Hence, why I am just getting my weekly learned list out.
Dumping is not leading: I will be writing a lot more about some of the recent changes in my career soon, so stay tuned. Here is what I have already learned. I know this and most likely you know this as well. Maybe you are even a victim of it or maybe, (I hope not) you are someone who does it. Some leaders think that leadership is hiring someone and then getting out of their way and letting them take on all of the issues that come with the territory of the job. They assume that the person knows what is to be expected and expects it to be done. They do a weekly, or maybe even not that frequently touch base meeting to see how things are going. But meanwhile the things are not getting done. It could be that the new person isn’t capable or other reasons. Regardless of the situation if you are a leader don’t dump on people and expect the job to be done. Because if it doesn’t get done, it is your fault.
Adapt or die: I know it seems harsh, but it is a reality. Things change, people change, leadership changes, balance sheets change, areas of focus change, processes change. I could go on and on and you could to about all of the changes we have to face. It is called life. So when change occurs we have really two decisions to make. We adapt with it or we don’t. These are both logical options. However, in most cases if you don’t have control of the change, like leadership change or processes change. You have no choice, but to adapt. Years ago, I can remember when I faced that crossroad for the very first time in my career. A new manager comes in with a different focus and objective. Keep in mind, they were brought in for a reason (they usually are) because our department was not very successful. The new focus, the new leadership style, and the new requirements were part of it. I could push back or I could adapt. I chose the latter and if I didn’t I doubt you would be reading this blog. So my point is, it changed my career and my life. And all I had to do was adapt. I have never died before, and one day I will, so adapting just seems a whole lot easier right now.
Process trumps experience. There may be a theme here today. lol. Alan Mulally brought Ford back from the brink of bankruptcy. Alan worked for Boeing for 37 years before he was hired to be the CEO for the FORD motor company in 2006. At the time Alan was hired to be the CEO over the Ford Motor Company everyone thought Ford was crazy to hire an airplane engineer at Boeing for 37 years to a car manufacturing company. Airplanes and Cars/Trucks are different animals. This would never work is what everyone said. Well, it worked because Alan for 37 years perfected a process. When it comes to leadership and most things, when you have a strong process you can accomplish anything in any field. Allan didn’t need to know how cars worked. He knew how to get the people who had that information to work better and smarter. Another example: Jim Harbaugh took over the San Franciso 49ers in 2011. The previous season the 49ers finished the year with a 5 win and 10 loss record. Harbaugh took the team to a 13-3 record in his first season and when he finally left in 2014, he had a .690 winning percentage during his tenure. So how did a team in 2010 go from a losing team to a winning team the following year? With the same players? It was Harbaugh. He has a process and his process has worked over and over during his head coaching career. He always win. Mulally didn’t have to have the experience with cars and trucks, Harbaugh didn’t have to have a head coaching job in the NFL prior to him taking the head coaching job. But both were successful because they had a process. Remember this, a strong and developed process that has worked before, most likely will work again. Create yourself a process and refine it, tweak it, and then apply it. This is what leads to success.
To your success and your future.
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