I recently was in the grocery store.  Looking for my favorite coffee.  When I found the isle I was presented with a wall of choices.  38 different varieties of coffee were on the racks with another set of choices as to the volume of coffee.  In a simple walk through the rest of the store, I began to realize that consumers are presented with a Tsunami of choices in all categories.

We all become overwhelmed with these choices and often then gravitate to the best known brand or make some other criteria that will provide the consumer with a method to make their purchase.  The lack of true analysis based on the choices translates into consumers sometimes buying the product that is not the highest quality or the best product, but the product that they know best.

This lesson of choice is important to each of us individually or as a corporation.  When given a choice, why would a consumer seek to choose you?  What makes you remarkable?  Are you packaged differently so that you and your product stand out?  What features of your product is extraordinary?  In service industries, it is close to impossible to change our products.  But our presentation of our products can provide the differentiation that will allow for us to stand out.  Design or experience or features, they all are ways to different products.   Apple computers uses a design and simplicity as the hallmark of their product.  They have the most elegant designs and the simplicity of their user interface is years ahead of the competition’s.   Bank of New York has long emphasized the ‘history’ and ‘experience’ of the bank and its bankers as their distinguishing marks.  They don’t sell checking or saving accounts, they sell the value of their advise in the financial arena.  It is what sets them apart.  Trader Joe’s, a grocery store, long ago determined that they could provide high quality private label products to their consumers.  They choose to eliminate the big national brands in lieu of their own labeled products.  Many grocery stores do this also, but Trader Joe’s did it with panache, a unique sales experience, and the quality of their products made them highly successful.

Commidization of products and services can negatively impact many industries and products.  If they fail to make their products and services extraordinary, they will die.   What can you do to set yourself apart in this tsunami of choices?

Many organizational managers assume that by adding leadership training or a leadership development program that they are able to create a culture that accepts leadership. The move from non-existent leadership to a leadership culture takes time – and a few steps in between. Let’s look at how you can create a culture of leadership.

First, you, as the organizational leader, must acknowledge the existence of leadership potential. It sounds simple, but many leaders do not want to admit that they are replaceable – that someone or more than one person would be capable of taking the reins once they’re gone. Don’t be that leader – seek out and recognize that the organization has talent. Acknowledge that the talent will one day be capable of taking over your vision and moving the organization forward. By making this acknowledgment, you’re telling your mid- and senior-level leaders that a path exists. And you’re telling new hires that the sky is the limit in your organization.

Next, clearly outline what a leader in your organization “looks like” – and hold people to the standard. The list of leadership competencies is a long one. You’ll never find one leader who executes all competencies perfectly. So, you must determine the competencies that mesh well with your organization and its climate. Don’t forget to decide which competencies lend themselves to your vision for the organization and where you see the organization in the future – even after you’ve gone. You should also consider the functional leadership competencies that go along with your organization’s line of business. If you choose too widely, you’ll end up with a picture of a leader who doesn’t exist. Once you’ve determined the competencies, lay them out for the organization. Simply put, you can say that a leader in your organization has these competencies and displays these behaviors. As people move into leadership roles, hold them to the standard.

We’ve already mentioned the fact that organizations do create leadership training and development programs – and you should do that to build a leadership culture. The program should be ongoing and consist of various levels – from “beginning” leadership to the advanced. In fact, your leadership program should begin reaching down into the lowest levels of the organization right away. For example, offer a leadership program to new-hires that details what your leader “looks like”. It’s the seed that will keep leadership growing through all levels. Your program should include seminars, networking, and even real-time project management at the higher levels. By creating a multi-level program, you’re keeping the leadership machinery in motion – and giving the organization a sense that anyone can move up to the leadership ranks.

Now that you’ve got your program, put your mid- and senior-level leaders through the program. You should even include yourself. This way, the message goes out loud and clear that your organization expects the same standard of leadership from everyone – executives included. Any cultural shift should start from the top. If they don’t buy in, how do you expect the lower levels to buy in? It may be an unpopular decision with your executive team, but you’ll be taking big strides in creating the culture of leadership.

At this point, it’s important to explain why you’re making the shift to leadership. The explanation shouldn’t just be afforded to executives and managers but to all levels of the organization. Explain that you’re looking to give everyone an opportunity to advance – and to learn what it takes to do so. Outline the fact that you’re looking for bench strength for all leadership positions – including your own. Not only this, a leadership orientation prepares you for succession planning at all levels, as well as talent management. The benefits to the organization are numerous and it’s your job to explain them.

Finally, focus on the success of the program. When you have a successful advancement due to the leadership program, highlight it publicly. Or, let’s say one of your leadership teams “in training” solve a business problem in their project assignment. Showcase this development as related to the culture of leadership at your organization. When the members of your organization see that the program and its culture are successful, you’ll have no trouble keeping your talent pipeline full.

There are many ways to move to a leadership culture. Follow these steps in the beginning and you’ll find that the transition is simple and beneficial.

The sixth foundation of leadership is Persuasion and Influence. Let’s find out what each of these critical actions is – and then talk about why they are so important. Persuasion is a combination of actions that can help people agree to or at least see a new viewpoint. First, persuasion is about communicating ideas clearly. As a leader, you’ve probably got a big vision in mind for the organization, and most likely some smaller “milestone” visions, as well. It’s a hard leap from your mind to an articulated thought – and some leaders fail to make the leap. You’ve got to know your vision inside and out, but you’ve also got to express it in terms that are understood by the entire organization.

When it comes to communicating your ideas, you’ll soon learn when it’s time to talk – and when it’s time to listen. That doesn’t necessarily refer to one conversation or interaction – it could amount to months of listening and months of talking – or longer. The key is to use just the right amount of persistence to keep the idea going, to keep people thinking, and to keep the idea’s momentum going. David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, was known for discussing opposing points of view repeatedly until the people involved saw the other side of the story. He used just the right amount of persistence to get this done. When you’re communicating, talk benefits – not how you can help or what you can do. Paint a picture of what the other person, team, or organization will look like once they’ve accepted a new point of view. Don’t forget to base your benefits on fact.

But what about influence?

Influence is the act of crafting your ideas and asserting them through persuasion. Persuasion may be a series of conversations, but influence is bigger. To gain influence, you may need to organize or mobilize a group to prepare for or take action. The process of gaining influence involves gaining support and commitment to your ideas or vision. This is the “politicking” that’s involved in persuasion. You should always be on the lookout for appropriate ways and means to gain influence. Lyndon Johnson was one of the world’s most well known influencers, slipping in mentions of his projects and gaining support from Congressional leaders at parties, on the dance floor with an official’s wife, or in every day conversation. While you’re doing this, you must prove your organizational and business savvy – understand what’s on the table for the other person or group and balance that with your own needs. To gain commitment, you may also have to promise commitment. Another way to gain influence is to step in and manage disagreement, especially when no one else is doing it. Being a conflict negotiator can help you see both sides of an issue and can help you determine the give and take in each situation. Overall, in both persuasion and influence, the effective keys to communication in leadership, which we’ve already discussed, will serve you well.

What are the benefits of persuading and gaining influence? On a personal level, influence builds your own strength – and your interpersonal relationships. You never know when you may need the assistance of someone you meet along the way, so those relationships you make are extremely valuable. The process of influencing naturally gets people to follow your lead and creates a “party” that can move ideas and visions forward. Persuasion, on the other hand, helps you win “followers”, people that trust you as a leader and will advance with you. But more than this, persuasion through influence convinces the “naysayers” and helps people to see the vision more accurately.

Think about persuasion on a family level. Many parents act as authoritarians, and sometimes this may be necessary. But think about the benefits of persuading your children to see another point of view. You’ll educate them in the process instead of using the proverbial “because I said so.” Influence in a community situation is extremely important, so each time you have the opportunity to persuade, you should. Think about influence in communities – what starts out as settling a disagreement between neighbors could lead to wider influence when more important issues are at stake. The corporate world is in desperate need of real persuasion and influence – too often, the person who spouts the most buzzwords is the one who wins influence. If you take the time and have the patience to persuade and influence in any situations, you and your organization will end up better off in the long run.

Copyright 2009 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

I was asked by my son, who is a recent graduate from Syracuse University, what is the message of my blogs.

I did not know how to initially answer him. Finally, the answer arrived.

My personal message is Optimism.

Optimism for individuals, families, communities, companies, the nation and for the people of the world.

All of my messages are optimistic but not an unrealistic assessment of the future is that we can develop a limited and sustainable vision of Leadership and Learning.

Maintaining the leadership pool is a challenging task for an organization and its top leaders. There are a number of activities, as well as developmental exercises, that can be undertaken to grow leadership at every level within the organization. But how can organizational leaders measure leadership? And, more importantly, what analytics can be used to ensure that leadership talent is used efficiently and appropriately? Let’s look at some broad categories of leadership analytics.

First, behavioral profiling is an excellent analytical tool. There are two ways to approach behavioral analytics for leaders. First, you can identify behavioral characteristics of well-known leaders, either in the world at large or within the organization itself. These general characteristics can be used as a “yardstick” for leadership development and leadership measurement. There are many sources of popular leadership profiles, but how can you profile within the organization? Myers-Briggs type indicators are one example. A certified Myers-Briggs consultant can assess leaders, name their “types”, and help the organization build profiles, communication plans, and job-specific characteristics – and use these items as leadership analytics.

Along with behavioral profiling, the organization can make use of leadership assessment from the “other end”. What makes people within the organization successful? If this cannot be defined, those “high performers” can be profiled with their own characteristics. For example, if your organization has not used leadership analytics in the past, identify people at every level who seem to excel at their jobs, have a “following”, and who have consistently proven their worth to the organization and its vision. Take the time to interview these people to determine how they’ve accomplished a successful rise. The data you gather can be used to measure individuals and also to measure what characteristics tend to work within the organization itself.

Analysis of teams is also an excellent analytical tool. There are a couple of ways to go with teams, as well. If your organization is already in the process of formal leadership development, consider bringing the pool together in order to break them into teams and give them “real” organizational problems to solve. Observe how the teams work together, as well as how each individual contributes to the solution or the project. You’ll be able to create an analytical profile of team success at the organization from your observations. If you’re not conducting formal development, consider observing project teams specifically for the purpose of identifying leadership characteristics. What personal and team characteristics tend to propel the team forward, and what characteristics tend to mire the team down? As you record your data, you’ll also see a profile developing.

From the human resources standpoint, benchmarking individual roles for leadership characteristics is also an effective analysis tool. Examine individual jobs within the organization and first determine which incumbents have been “successful” at the job and which ones have had less than stellar performances. From that determination, you can look at individual behaviors that contribute to success within a particular job or role. Conduct this type of analysis at every level of the organization and measure incumbents and job candidates using the metrics you’ve discovered in your initial analysis. This type of role analytics can help the organization create individual leadership profiles for each job and for the organization as a whole.

Leadership training and development in itself can be used as an analytical tool. The program you develop will help you identify high potential and high performing leaders at every level. But along with this comes the ability to identify the organizational players that have the potential to develop – and those who simply do not. Using this analytic, you can begin to develop the “middle road” or “B” organizational players into top-level leaders. And you can begin to exit those non-performers or “C” level players at the same time. All of the analytics we’ve discussed can be part of your leadership development program. For example, you can conduct analysis of behaviors, leadership characteristics, team performance, and even roles within the context of the leadership development program.

Each broad area of analysis leads you to a set of measurements or analytics that can be used to measure existing leadership and to create a leadership goal within the organization. Not only this, these broad areas of analysis can also create a leadership profile by which you measure job candidates at every level, both internally and externally. Take the time to determine which analytics will work for you organization and begin to measure your leadership talent.

Copyright 2011 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

Leaders can inspire, champion change, and engage followers who will stop at nothing to watch the vision become a reality. Being in a leadership position enhances your own personal and professional image, as well. But there are risks involved in leadership. Let’s discuss five common leadership risks and how you can avoid them.

History will tell you that leaders can become isolated. In an organizational environment, this is sometimes caused by growth. For example, leaders who start out in a small organization that grows in leaps and bounds can suddenly find themselves alone, without a proper support system and sounding boards. Perhaps the other leaders he or she relied on have their own groups to lead. There is also the possibility that the leader got lost in the shuffle – inspiration can cause people to charge ahead without stopping until the vision is complete. How can you avoid becoming isolated? One of the key ways is to maintain constant communication with other leaders and with the organization as a whole. Leaders who conduct “town hall” style meetings, even in bad times, will be able to keep in touch with the organization’s “pulse”. Leaders who continually communicate will always hear and be heard. In addition, leaders should not give in to the temptation to surround themselves with people who say only what they want to hear. As a leader, you must be constantly challenged, and one of the best ways to do that is to surround yourself with people who will tell say that you might be wrong.
Another leadership risk is a loss of focus on management and operations. Any organization has certain managerial and operational functions at all times. If you’ve led the group effectively, you may not be in touch with these functions on a day-to-day basis, which is fine. But don’t lose touch with those functions. Understand what’s going on, what has changed, and how the organization fits into those changes. Be sure to maintain your grip on when to step out of the leader’s role and step into the manager’s role – and ensure that your leadership team maintains this focus, as well. In simple terms, don’t lose focus with the day-to-day “how” of your organization. If you feel it slipping, get out there and re-acquaint yourself.

We’ve all heard the rule to “under promise and over deliver”. Popular sentiment can sometimes carry leaders away by popular sentiment and the exaltation brought on by winning battle after battle. When that happens, the leader may begin to “over promise and under deliver”. To avoid falling prey to this risk, you should always stay rooted in reality. The temptation to over promise is great, especially when the organization is inspired and things are moving along smoothly. If things start to take a turn for the worse, examine the situation and adjust your reality. There’s no shame in telling the group that you’re proud of their inspiration but that things may get a little rough. The key here, aside from truth and honesty, is to let the organization know that you are there with them at all times, even when things are tough.

Leaders can also become too visible and too approachable. This is a fine line but it can happen. For example, the leader that is carried away on the tide of good feeling may let his or her guard down in order to keep the good feeling. Or he or she may forget to manage even though the situation calls for it. Having an “open door” is a great idea, as long as there is an invisible wall that others cannot get through. Being a populist leader is a great way to get things done, but don’t go too far. Lead when it’s necessary and manage when you have to. Make unpopular choices and explain that the decision was made on behalf of the organization and not certain people. This is a way that leaders can maintain respect while still being populists.

One of the final risks of leadership comes from selecting team members around you. Some leaders, again as they become comfortable, may start making decisions based on a feeling or a sense of leadership from the candidate. These are good places to start when selecting a team, but don’t allow that leadership focus to be the sole focus in hiring. Remember to look at the position you’re trying to fill and how the person’s knowledge and skills fit it. Simply being a good leader is not enough when there is also a job to do and a division or group to manage. Look for leadership and job related skills when you’re selecting a team, and you’ll end up with a person who knows how to lead and manage. And you won’t have to explain what could be a “sticky” situation when that person just doesn’t work out.

Leadership is not without its risks. As long as you strive to avoid the risks, your leadership will continue to be effective, even in good or bad times.

Copyright 2011 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

Adaptive leadership is a step up from other leadership skills. Typically the term is applied to leadership situations that involve neither technical nor operational issues. Issues that require a form of adaptive leadership are normally problems that do not have the clarity of an operational issue, as well as a lack of clear solutions. How you, as a leader, react to adaptive issues will set the tone for problem solving going forward. Let’s first look at specific qualities of adaptive issues, and then discuss some ways you can lead adaptively.

With adaptive issues, you may notice a difference between what the organization would like to see happen and the reality of the situation. This could come about when the organization tries to create its vision, knowing that quite a bit of work is needed to make the vision a reality. Adaptive issues are those that require responses that are outside the norm or outside of the box. If you cannot respond to an issue with the normal “tool box”, then the issue may require an adaptive stance. An adaptive issue may also require leadership to make tough decisions or decisions that are not so popular.

From the organizational perspective, adaptive issues will lead to new learning and new competencies. When the issue is corrected or implemented, members of the organization will have to learn new ways of doing things and most likely will have to raise the bar on their own competencies and performance. Along with this, an adaptive change must accompany a complete change in mindset for the organization. This is where “the rubber meets the road” and those associates who are not up to the task will begin to self-select. The organization may find, though, that their innovation and experimentation will help them learn – and solve the adaptive issues they face. But how can you practice adaptive leadership?

First, when it’s time to identify issues, undertake the task with the stakeholders. Typically the stakeholders in adaptive issues are the ones who have contributed to the problem – and they are also the ones who can help fix it. One way to facilitate issue identification is to put all of the stakeholders in one room. Lead them through a session that identifies and clarifies the issues. Your leadership here is vital because many times stakeholders will choose not to get together on the problem. And they will continue to operate on the status quo.

Once the issues have been identified, be sure to clarify the organization’s values, both for your own benefit and that of the stakeholders. When leadership turns adaptive, you must make tough decisions. Some of those decisions must go along with the values of the organization and not with the loyalty that some organizations foster over long periods of time. Along with this, you must remember simply to make decisions. Don’t offload decisions, unless it’s appropriate, and make them no matter how unpopular they may be.

Set the goals that surround issues and decisions at a high level. The first purpose for this is to stretch the organization and require its members to think outside of the box. But an added benefit of raising the bar on goals is that the organization will be spurred into innovation and experimentation. Remember that these two states of mind are required to solve adaptive issues – and put all members of the organization in the adaptive leadership mindset. While you’re leading this transformation to innovation, allow for the “skunkworks”, which is “off the radar” problem solving and project creation among stakeholders. The “skunkworks” could lead to new innovations.

Finally, remember to be a champion as an adaptive leader. First, champion change from the positive perspective. Don’t give in to the feeling that change is too difficult or that it exists “just because”. Instead, position the change that occurs with adaptive issues as a new way forward, a way for the organization to adapt and lead its field. In the same vein, champion the learning that must occur at all levels. Whether the learning is official training, on-the-job, or “as you go”, talk about learning as the key to change and a new way forward. As members of the organization learn new ways of doing things, they will gain further competency, which will make them more marketable within the organization.

Adaptive leadership does not have to be a foreign concept. Learn to identify adaptive issues and react accordingly.

Copyright 2011 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

As most leaders know, management is a separate entity from leadership. Many organizational leaders have difficulty doing one and continuing to do the other. And management is sometimes still looked upon as an operational piece of the organization, so leaders believe that they should employ “managers” to manage and “leaders” to lead. There are a few basic leadership principles that you can use to look at the organization’s operations differently – and pass on to the other leaders and managers down the line.

First, you must take a different view of the organization’s operations. As people progress up the ladder, moving from line to management and then to more senior levels, they may begin to see operations as someone else’s responsibility. This is a leadership failure, so you should always see the understanding of operations as part of your job.

There are two different views of operations: conventional and systems. The conventional view sees the organization chart and job details. The systems view, which should be the leader’s view, is an understanding of how the organization’s goals get accomplished. What processes occur to allow higher income, new products, customer service, and industry leadership? To see your organization in this view, you should look at your systems as links in a chain, with one piece dependent on the next. Take the time to understand how each process fits with the next and how the whole structure fits together as a whole. On top of that, leaders should be able to find the chain’s “weak link” to make improvements.

Second, you must obtain cooperation across systems lines. This can be very difficult to do, especially in organizations that are rooted in the “org chart” view. People can be apathetic, angry, or unwilling to share information and processes with other departments. But just how can leaders facilitate a change from an organization with very strict boundaries to one without boundaries?

It is important to know what all of the organization’s departments do. This may seem elementary, but some high-level leaders do not concern themselves with an understanding of each component. If you’re new to an organization, take the time to visit, ask questions, and interview the managers of each area to determine their responsibilities, issues, and processes. Once you’ve done this, you will begin to see a big picture emerging, an idea of how those links in the chain fit together.

Armed with your big picture knowledge, learn what impacts whom – and vice versa. This means that you should understand that a slowdown in Department A will have an adverse effect on Department B. In linear terms this is simple, but complex organizations sometimes have issues that are not apparent at first glance. From the leadership standpoint, you can use this knowledge to cast an empathetic ear on issues; people behind barriers will be pleasantly surprised to know that you understand their problems.

Again, here is further knowledge that you can use to truly move forward. Leaders should break barriers, so you can show the overall strategy to everyone in the organization and create a team spirit that moves each process forward.

Third, and again elementary, you must learn to solve problems. The wrinkle in problem solving is that you’ve got to solve those problems from the systems view, not from the organization chart. One common problem solving technique from the operations standpoint is the “Ishikawa Diagram”, or the “5 Whys” technique. To use this in the systems view, you must first identify the issues. GE used the “Work Out” program to break down barriers and identify organizational problems. You don’t have to use a formalized program like “Work Out”, but you can model something after it to bring issues to the forefront.

Once the issues are identified, the “5 Whys” technique requires that you ask “why” at least five times. For example, if you determine that customers are not getting their products in a timely manner, the first question to ask is, “why is this happening?”. When you answer the question again, you’ll begin to drill down to the causative roots.

Finally, to apply leadership principles to operations management, you must harvest and manage knowledge. In many organizations, operational associates typically have various forms of “tacit” knowledge, that is, knowledge that they can take with them if they go. This knowledge may be written or mental, but it is your duty to begin a process of documenting and imparting knowledge throughout the organization. This process starts through well-developed and documented policies and procedures and continues through exceptional training for cross-organization moves and new hire employees.

These four concepts can help you apply your leadership skill to the operations of your organization. Once you’ve started this process, you’ll be amazed at how much ground you can cover.

Copyright 2011 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

After reading this blog in the Seth Godin’s website, I could do nothing more than to share it with you. It has so many applications to training, leadership and every aspect of talent management. How many of you are working for companies in the death spiril? Enjoy.

| You’ve probably seen it. The fish monger sees a decline in business, so they have less money to spend on upkeep and inventory, so they keep the fish a bit longer and don’t clean up as often, so of course, business declines and then they have even less money… Eventually, you have an empty, smelly fish store that’s out of business.

The doctor has fewer patients so he doesn’t invest as much in training or staff and so some other patients choose to leave which means that there are even fewer patients…

The newspaper has fewer advertisers, so they can’t invest as much in running stories, so people stop reading it, which means advertisers have less reason to advertise which leaves less money for stories…

As Tom Peters says, “You can’t shrink your way to greatness,” and yet that’s what so many dying businesses try to do. They hunker down and wait for things to get better, but they don’t. This isn’t a dip, it’s a cul de sac. It’s over.

Right this minute, you still have some cash, some customers, some momentum… Instead of squandering it in a long, slow, death spiral, do something else. Buy a new platform. Move. Find new products for the customers that still trust you.

Change is a bear, but it’s better than death.

Why be just one of the crowd? Why suffer in silence because your voice is unable to be heard? Following the herd is the most sure fire way to be lost. Why is it then, that most of us are trapped in the herd of mediocrity. Why do we continue to conform to being average. Is there something that causes us to cluster toward the average, instead of stepping out into greatness?

I believe that many of us, individually and corporate, just don’t know how to break out and distinguish ourselves. Most of us are also fearful that if we do ‘dare to be different’ that we will appear to be foolish or weird.

What steps, both small and large, can you take to breakout and start out on the path less traveled. Here are a few steps that you can take that can point you in a new direction:

1. Dream a little. Most often, people have dreams and aspirations that we fail to act on. There was an credit card advertisement that once ran a list of dozen of things that people should do in their life. Why not extend that ideal to us personally. If you had the opportunity to be or do something different, what would you be or do if money, time, and all constraints were removed. Take the time to dream and write down what you want deep down.

For the corporate citizens, you can do this too. If you could move your company in to new directions, without fear of failure or cost or loss, what business or product would you wish to be in or produce.

2. Stop doing things that you don’t want to do. If you find that you are unhappy working at what you do, or are in a job or situation that is not leading you to personal fulfillment, just stop it. Change it. Do everything to eliminate this millstone around your neck.

3. Decide what is important. Does being accepted by others or stepping out into new light motivate you? This could be the most difficult thing. Deciding what’s important, really important, could be what you need to do to making a spectacular life vs. an ordinary life.

4. Take Action. Once you have dreamed of a life that you desire, eliminated efforts that are preventing your success, focusing on what is really important, execute your plan! Purposeful action is all that is usually required. It is not an overnight solution, but it will make your life the life you have envisioned.

Copyright 2009 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

Bryant Nielson – Director of Learning & Development – offers 20+ years of training and talent management for executives, business owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary. Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for many sales organizations. Bryant’s 27 year business career has been based on his results-oriented style of empowering. Subscribe to his blog at: http://www.BryantNielson.com