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Strong leaders promote diversity and destroy divisions

All the Way Leadership! draws its heritage from the 82nd Airborne Division. I learned a lot while serving there. Lessons that helped make me a better leader. For the month of May, I am sharing the top leadership lessons I learned while serving as an All-American paratrooper. Two weeks ago I wrote about the first lesson – why the best leaders go out the door first. Last week I wrote about the second lesson – why the best leaders train until it hurts. Below is the third lesson. It is about diversity – a controversial topic.

Modern leaders must deal with diversity and division

In our country right now, there is a lot of discussion about diversity and division. Racial tensions are high. We are having a debate about our history. Who should we honor? How should our shared past be remembered? What about the Confederacy, and its leaders? What about the founding fathers? Can we have monuments to those who built our country without erasing the ugly parts of US history? How do we move forward without tearing the country apart? Great questions that do not have easy answers.

Racists gather in front of the Rotunda located at University of Virginia

Diversity is tough and complicated

I do not pretend to have all the answers. I do understand diversity because I have seen a successful model before while serving in the 82d Airborne Division which is also known as the All American Division. It was constituted, originally as the 82nd Division 100 years ago, shortly after the US entered into World War I. Since its initial members came from all 48 states, the division acquired the nickname All-American, which is the basis for its famed “AA” shoulder patch that is pictured below.

82d Airborne Division patch – the AA on the patch stands for All-American

Leaders should promote diversity – it is a force multiplier

When I arrived in 1991 it was still known as the All-American division because its members came from all parts of the US. We had paratroopers from every state, every US territory, various education levels, economic backgrounds, race, gender, creed, and religion. You name it and there was probably someone in the 82nd with that background. We were all different and we were all paratroopers.

I will never fail a fellow paratrooper. I cherish the sacred trust and the lives of men with whom I serve. Leaders have my fullest loyalty, and those who I lead will never, never find me lacking.
Line from the Airborne Creed

Nostalgic perspectives are not helpful

I am not going to pretend that everything was perfect. We had our challenges, but somehow our diversity was not a stumbling block. Rather it was a strength. Everyone brought their best to accomplish the mission. It was an important phase of my life when I learned that people from very different backgrounds can work together successfully. When I reflect on that time I think there are three reasons why diversity was and is a force multiplier in the All-American division.

1. Leaders come from all walks of life

The first battalion I served in, 1st Battalion of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, had officers from several sources. There were numerous West Point graduates, many ROTC officers, and prior-enlisted soldiers who were commissioned through the Officer Candidate School. The diversity of our Non-Commissioned Officers was even greater. It did not matter much where you came from because leadership is not an inherent trait that only a few possess. There is not an elite segment of American society that provides leaders for the rest of us. No, our leaders come from all over the country. It has been that way since the birth of our nation.

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
United States Declaration of Independence

Leadership can be learned

I saw this first-hand in the 82nd. I learned about leadership from numerous mentors and watched others learn and grow during their time in the division. We were taught important lessons like leaders set the example, and leaders go out the door first. Leadership lessons that stayed with me. The good news is that any of us can learn to be an effective leader – no matter your background. If you don’t believe me, watch this short video.

2. Standards are standards – leaders enforce them

All US Army paratroopers are expected to meet stringent standards. No one gets any slack. When I say no one, I mean no one. Does not matter if you are enlisted, an NCO, or an officer. Does not matter if you are black, white, yellow, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Wiccan, male, or female. You either meet the standard, or you don’t. If you don’t, then you are sent away.

There’s a lot of things you’re going to see here that are a little messed up or a little different. Don’t try to change it. We’re the 82nd Airborne and that’s the way we do it. We like it that way.
Quote from article 12 Reasons Why Paratroopers Do It Better

It starts in Airborne school, continues with Jumpmaster school, and various other airborne training events you are required to complete in order to be a member of the All-American Division. These demanding standards cause a positive effect. It builds trust. You trust everyone else on the plane during a jump because you know that they have what it takes to be a paratrooper. In case you are not familiar with what it takes to become a paratrooper – this video explains the training. It is old but still accurate.

Hold yourself accountable to the standard

Nowadays it seems like some people are always looking for shortcuts to success – hacks for life. I am a big fan of trying to figure out ways to improve my performance by working smart versus just working hard. Many experts can help teach you better ways of doing things. But, make sure you are not cutting corners to get around standards. They exist for a reason – to make sure you are proficient. You build trust with your team members and demonstrate that you have what it takes. Remember – if you are a leader and cut corners, then your team members will do the same. Don’t be that kind of leader. Set the example by meeting the standards.

Commanding General Gavin carried a rifle in WWII which was uncommon.

3. Paratroopers bleed the same colors – red, white and blue

I have served in other US Army units, and they don’t have the same camaraderie as the All-American Division. It is a special place. My observation is that paratroopers understand that we all wear green uniforms, maroon berets, and bleed the same colors. When I was at Fort Bragg, the community experienced several tragic events to include two planes colliding that resulted in the untimely death of numerous paratroopers in the 82d. I recall the sadness of that event and the heroic deeds of many during and after the accident.

It was difficult days for the Division

Everyone came together in a special way to make it through. Nothing new for paratroopers – we have been doing this for over 100 years. The current Division Commander recently gave a speech about the unit that is well worth watching. It sums up what I said above. Paratroopers bleed the same colors – red, white and blue.

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I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!

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Get a good glimpse of the shark before fighting it

Last week I wrote about one particular type of challenge – the most daunting ones. The challenges that scare leaders. I called this type of challenge “the shark”. This metaphor is taken from the famous movie Jaws. In Jaws, a giant man-eating great white shark attacks beachgoers in a fictional summer resort town.

Jaws made us all wonder if it was safe to go into the water.

Someone must hunt down the shark

The local police chief played by Roy Scheider is chosen as the leader to keep the town safe. Roy Scheider’s character recruits two team members to help with the hunt. They are going to be in the battle of their lives. A battle that will test their abilities and require great sacrifice. As a leader, you may find yourself in a similar situation.

Bruce the mechanical shark from Jaws (1975). — Bruce the mechanical shark – problems prompted Spielberg to not use Bruce much in the movie.

How big is the shark you face?

Jaws is a thrilling movie full of suspense. The theme music is haunting. The director, Steven Spielberg, builds the drama scene by scene. One brilliant decision Spielberg made was to not show the shark until later in the movie. In a well-known scene, the three-man team of shark hunters finally gets a glimpse of the shark. They learn that the shark is a lot larger than expected, and is going to be much more difficult to kill than any of them anticipated. If you have not seen the movie before a clip of this scene is below. Caution – the scene includes foul language. Pretty sure I would cuss if I was ever that close to a large shark.

Make sure you get a glimpse of “the shark”

What about you. Are you dealing with a shark? If so, have you actually seen “the shark”? Do you know the magnitude of what you are dealing with? Not sure, then I suggest that you ask questions until you gain an adequate understanding of the challenge. I am not saying that you need to know everything before moving forward. Rather I am recommending that you spend enough time assessing the situation before shifting into problem-solving mode. Get a good glimpse of “the shark” before deciding how you are going to deal with it. Otherwise, your fight with “the shark” may take a long time, and be a more painful experience than necessary.

The marine biologist played by Richard Dreyfuss gets a glimpse of the shark in Jaws.

Tell others to describe “the shark” accurately

I have dealt with a fair amount of sharks in my career. On several occasions, I did not get a glimpse of “the shark” until late in the problem-solving process. I have learned that it is critically important to ask your team questions until you know enough to address the challenge and solve the problem. The bigger “the shark” the more important it is that you get a good glimpse of it. If you get false reports, then you are likely to come up with a solution that will not work.

The art of communication is the language of leadership.
James Humes

Clear and frank communication is critical

I let the leaders on my team know that I want to hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly. As leaders, we are paid to deal with all three scenarios, especially the ugly. Don’t fall into the trap of letting your team members only bring you good news. Let’s admit it, the larger your responsibility as a leader, the more sharks you have to deal with. Some of them may be big, really big, like the great white in Jaws.

In Jaws the shark is so big that it eats the boat. — In Jaws, the shark is so big that it eats the boat – one tasty bite at a time.

Are you ready to face “the shark”?

Are you prepared to deal with “the shark” and keep your town safe? Yes – go get after “the shark”! If not, and you need a bigger boat then we are here to help. If you are the kind of leader who is looking to increase your effectiveness, then you are in the right place. We will help you increase your leadership abilities so that you have a bigger boat and are ready for “the shark”.

The shark ends up eating the professional shark hunter in Jaws.

We are here to help you hunt “the shark”

All the Way Leadership! is here to help. This year we will continue releasing relevant content for leaders who are looking to increase their effectiveness, to get better at hunting “the shark”. We will start publishing a weekly leadership journal later this year. It will contain curated content from a diverse set of leading experts. This summer we plan to launch our first online leadership course. We will do all that we can to help leaders everywhere get better at hunting sharks. The good news for all of us leaders is that the more times you hunt sharks, the better you get. Your confidence will grow along with your leadership abilities.

In the final scene the hero kills the shark - note the boat is gone. — In the final scene of Jaws, the hero kills the shark – note the boat is gone.

The more sharks you hunt, the better you become

Remember – as your career grows you will be asked to handle larger sharks. If you cannot handle the one in front of you now, you are in trouble. You don’t want to end up like the hero in the movie Jaws. Does he deal with the shark? Yes. But, he loses a lot in the process. Don’t be like that. Become an effective leader who is good at hunting sharks. The leader who others turn to when they are dealing with their own sharks.

We should be afraid of sharks half as much as sharks should be afraid of us.
Peter Benchley, author of Jaws

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

Are you prepared to fight the shark?

Leaders are expected to achieve results, make things happen, and get stuff done. Some tasks that you need to accomplish as a leader will be easy. You check them off the list quickly and move on to the next item. Other tasks may take more time, effort, and energy. They will challenge you. And sometimes you will face a really difficult task. One that seems impossible to complete. You may have no idea how to complete the task. You may be overwhelmed simply by the thought of attempting to complete the task. I am going to refer to this type of task as “the shark” because it is frightening. I don’t know anyone who is not afraid of sharks. Just thinking about swimming in the ocean near a shark gives me the chills. Perhaps it does for you also.

No one wants to see a shark when swimming in the ocean. — Who wants to see a shark nearby when swimming in the ocean? Scary!

Jaws scared everyone

I fear sharks because of a famous movie released in the 1970s called Jaws. According to Wikipedia, Jaws is a 1975 American film directed by Steven Spielberg. It was based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel of the same name. In the story, a giant man-eating great white shark attacks beachgoers on Amity Island, a fictional New England summer resort town. It is a great movie. A scary movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and make you think twice about going out into the water the next time you visit the beach. Jaws is considered one of the greatest films ever made, a blockbuster hit. It became the highest-grossing film of all time until the release of Star Wars in 1977.

Leaders need to be brave enough to get in the water

In Jaws, someone must hunt down the shark in order to keep the town safe. Somebody must face the shark, or else the town will be in trouble. Residents will not be safe. Tourists will not visit either. The local economy will suffer. A really bad situation for everyone will result. The local police chief played by Roy Scheider is chosen as the leader. He has some help, but not much. None the less, he leads the three-person team to hunt down the shark. It is a daunting task. As the movie progresses we learn that the shark is a lot larger than expected, and much more difficult to kill than any of them anticipated. Despite all these challenges, they accomplish the mission and kill the shark. If you have not seen the movie, I will not spoil it for you. Watch it tonight on Netflix, or YouTube.

The team tries many methods to kill the shark. — The team tries many methods to kill the shark in Jaws.

After all, somebody has to hunt the shark

If you are a leader, you will likely have to deal with “the shark” at some point. What do I mean by “the shark”? A task that terrifies you, but must be done. An important issue that you have to address. A complex problem that needs a solution. A challenge that others have failed to solve. “The shark” could be many things. It might be your competition, the market conditions, your crazy client, a looming deadline, a problem employee, your nagging boss, or anything else that puts you on edge. Sure you can do your best to avoid “the shark”. But, you know deep in your heart that you will have to face “the shark” at some point if you are going to succeed as a leader. If you don’t “the shark” will continue to terrorize you, and more sharks will show up.

If you don't hunt "the shark" more will show up over time. — If you don’t hunt “the shark” more will show up over time.

You may need a team to kill the shark

Just like in the movie, you are going to need help dealing with “the shark”. Don’t go it alone. Roy Scheider’s character recruits two team members to help with the hunt – a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter. An expert who knows a lot about sharks and someone with relevant experience. I recommend you take a similar approach when hunting “the shark”. Identify and solicit the help of experts and those who have experience. A mentor or peer may have the exact insight or solution you need. Do not be afraid to ask for help, and always offer help to other leaders when they approach you for help. None of us should hunt “the shark” alone.

The three person team who hunt the shark in Jaws. — The team who hunt the shark in Jaws. A professional shark hunter, the local sheriff, and a marine biologist.

All The Way Leadership! is here to help

All the Way Leadership! is here to help. This year I will continue releasing relevant content for leaders who are looking to increase their effectiveness, to get better at hunting “the shark”. I will start publishing a weekly leadership journal later this year. It will contain curated content from a diverse set of leading experts. This summer I plan to launch an online leadership course. I will do all that we can to help leaders everywhere get better at hunting “the shark”. The good news for all of us leaders is that the more times you hunt sharks, the better you get. Your confidence will grow along with your leadership abilities.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

What happens when leaders demonstrate bad behavior?

2017 was a bad year for several leaders. 2018 and 2019 may have been even worse. I wrote this blog over a year ago. It is still as relevant today as it was then. No signs of real improvement yet. We need leaders to step up to the plate and deliver. Not break the rules and exhibit bad behavior until they get caught.

Google’s CEO had to deal with this mess caused by a former leader.

Leaders face high expectations and always will

Leaders are expected to deliver results without breaking the rules. We demand that senior leaders behave themselves. It is a reasonable demand. They are well compensated. Senior leaders handle a lot of responsibility. If they act inappropriately it could affect many, perhaps even the entire organization.

“To whom much is given, from him much is expected”.

Ignorance is a flimsy excuse for bad behavior

We witnessed numerous leaders getting into trouble in 2017 for bad behavior. It almost seems like an epidemic, especially for men. When you turn on the television there is another male leader explaining what happened and apologizing for it. Ignorance seems to be a common excuse. Only weak leaders avoid responsibility by claiming ignorance.

Inappropriate jokes impacted several national leaders.

Bad behavior is nothing new

I will argue that leaders doing things that should not be done is nothing new. People have been misbehaving since the dawn of time. We are all humans and leaders are no different. They face the same temptations as everyone else. The main difference is that the consequences of bad behavior are more severe for leaders. They should be.

A Congressman resigned after bad behavior was revealed.

Increased transparency is here

Let’s start with the good news. Increased transparency is here. It is easier these days to figure out if a leader is a bad apple. We live in a world full of digital dust that can be traced. What leaders say and do can be captured on cameras, microphones, and in emails. The idea of making remarks “off the record” is dated. Nowadays it is easy to record events. If you are a leader, remember that the microphone is always on when you are talking. Your company is most likely recording every keystroke you make. More than one leader fell from grace because they naively believed that no one would know what they were doing. They were wrong.

Leaders should know that the microphone is always on.

How to avoid bad behavior as a leader

As a leader, you may be asking yourself – what are the rules? Not an easy question. The rules, ethics, and norms vary across industries. The company I work for performs a lot of contract work for the US Federal Government, a highly regulated industry. The rulebook we play by is long and complicated. As you would expect we have a strict ethical code. Some leaders forget and/or ignore the rules and pay the price.

Another member of Congress resigned when his misdeeds were revealed. — Another member of Congress resigned when his misdeeds were discovered.

Do not lie, cheat, or steal

For example, I cannot offer a gift of any kind to the clients I support. Exchanging gifts with clients over the holiday season may not be a big deal in your company. If you work in the commercial sector, the rules will be different. If you work internationally you may be dealing with radically different cultural norms. I recommend keeping it simple. Do not lie, cheat, or steal. If you do, as a leader, you will pay the price at some point in time like the examples I will describe below. Take the higher road – totally worth it in the long run.

“Take the higher road and secure a stronger, more lasting victory”
Daniel Stewart

Do not lie to your customers

Over the past decade, several companies were caught lying to their customers. In 2017 Apple revealed they have been deliberately slowing down older iPhones without telling their customers. Many consider Apple as the leading technology company in the world. But, they have been hiding the truth. Their customers responded strongly when they learned the news. In response, Apple released a long (really long) explanation on their website. Now Apple is in the process of rebuilding trust with its customers. It is not good timing for them – sales of the latest iPhone are lower than expected.

Apple was forced to apologize after confirming it does slow down older iPhones — Apple was forced to apologize for slowing down older iPhones. Photo by Getty.

Cheating may come at great cost

In 2015 Volkswagen cheated on the emissions tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for VW diesel vehicles. Their CEO testified to Congress that they cheated on purpose to increase vehicle sales in the US. The fact that a German company cheated on a test designed to protect the environment was shocking. If you have ever visited Germany then you know how seriously they take protecting the environment. The cost to Volkswagen has been enormous – over $20 billion. If you cheat it is highly likely that you will get caught. It may come at a great cost to you and your organization. Don’t do it.

Volkswagen CEO testifies before Congress on the emissions cheating scandal.

Cheating may cost you everything

Lance Armstrong was a great champion. He won seven Tour de France titles – more than anyone. He was a hero to many, especially those fighting cancer. Lance survived cancer. He went on to raise millions of dollars for cancer research. He gave great speeches and made millions of dollars in the process. But, there was a problem. Signs of trouble surfaced in the early 2000s – questions raised by former teammates and colleagues. Lance attacked all of them, calling them liars, hitting them will huge lawsuits. Lance defended himself for years, and I believed him. Many did.

Lance Armstrong won seven Tour de France titles.

The truth finally came out

Lance was a cheater. After much pressure, he finally confessed the truth to Oprah Winfrey. He cheated to win and he lied for years. What did cheating cost Lance Armstrong – practically everything. He was stripped of all his Tour de France titles. Sponsors dropped Lance, costing him millions. Worst of all – Lance Armstrong is not allowed to race anymore. The one thing he truly loved is the one thing he cannot do anymore. Next time you think about cheating to win, remember Lance Armstrong.

Lance Armstrong confesses to Oprah that he cheated to win.

Stealing is never acceptable

We all know that you should not steal anything from anyone. Yet – it still happens. I think it is rare that you will have to deal with an actual thief stealing property in your company. What is more likely to happen, and perhaps more sinister, is for someone to steal intellectual property (IP). As this article explains – some employees will steal IP when leaving your company. Stealing IP comes in multiple forms. Some people will print out documents. Others will swipe files using a flash drive. It is amazing how many documents one can save on a cheap flash drive.

Companies can look for bad behavior

Most companies monitor employee digital activities. It is pretty easy to tell if someone is up to no good. I work for one of the best consulting companies in the world. I am sad to say that I know of several examples when companies caught employees stealing IP on their way out the door. The reality is that it can happen to any company. Don’t let it happen to yours.

It is not difficult to steal all the flies off a laptop with a flash drive.

Holding ourselves accountable by avoiding any bad behavior

It is important as a leader that you hold yourself accountable, and also those who work for you. Based on the examples I described above I highly recommend you avoid lying, cheating, or stealing at all costs. Do not tolerate these behaviors in your organization either. The price you pay is big. Take the high road instead. It is worth it in the end.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

What happens when leaders fail to confront poor performers

Leaders are expected to deliver results without breaking the rules. No organization puts a leader in charge of a project or team thinking that he or she will fail in the role. Equally important – no one wants the leader to send the organization into turmoil for doing something that should not be done. Leaders are usually selected based on their previous performance and future potential. It is important they deal properly with poor performers.

Your team expects big things as well

I believe that most followers have high expectations of their leaders. In the last two blog posts, I wrote about two troubling leadership trends: hitting the easy button and not having a good strategy. This post describes the third troubling leadership trend that is becoming more prevalent – limited leadership accountability. I will look at this trend from two different angles – poor performance and bad behavior.

Tracking performance is not that difficult

Let’s start with the good news first. Most organizations can track their performance without too much difficulty. It is pretty amazing the amount of data available to leaders and other stakeholders. In my current leadership position, I receive a ton of data about my business unit. Many leaders do. Business metrics, customer feedback, and employee surveys provide insights into performance. Below are some examples of questions leaders can ask and get answers.

How much revenue did we generate last month?
Was it above or below our target?
What do our profit margins look like?
How well are we supporting our current customers?
Are we gaining more customers?
Are we losing current customers? If so, why?
How many employees did we hire last month?
How many employees left last month?
Why did they leave?
Do we have a competitive employee benefits package?

Leaders have the data they need to deal with poor performers

All of this data is great. Not only can leaders determine how well they are performing, but they can leverage it to identify what is causing problems. For example, if you are running an online company you can use tools like Google Analytics to understand user behavior. You receive a list of who is visiting your site and what they are doing while there. You will notice when traffic to your site suddenly drops. Facebook advertising provides detailed data about your digital marketing campaigns. You will learn how many users clicked on your ad which helps inform your online marketing strategy. Leaders usually can figure out how well we are performing.

Google analytics provides powerful insights into web site performance and user behavior. — Google Analytics provides powerful insights into website performance and user behavior.

Failing to get the job done is costly

There may be many reasons why an organization is not performing well. Some reasons will be easier to address than others. You may have an inadequate strategy, new competition, the wrong product, a bad marketing approach, or simply struggle to keep up with customer demand. If the poor performance lasts for longer than a quarter or two I recommend an organization starts looking at the leadership they have in place. Is the leadership team the right one. Are changes needed? Do not wait more than a year to consider making changes. The pace of the modern world moves too fast to allow poor performance to persist year over year.

A prolonged drop in stock price is usually an indicator of poor performance. — A large drop in stock price is usually an indicator of poor performance.

Teams that win are usually well-led

In an earlier post, I described how leadership directly affects performance. The sports entertainment industry understands this principle probably better than other industries. Sports teams that win multiple championships spend a lot of time making sure they have the right leadership team in place. Look no further than the New England Patriots – same owner and coach for years. Results – multiple Super Bowl victories.

The New England Patriots hired Bill Belichick to win Super Bowls. Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

A decade of poor performance is unacceptable

In contrast, if the team is not winning it is not uncommon for the owner to replace the coach. But, that change does not always work. For example, my beloved Washington Redskins have made their fans suffer through a decade or more of mediocre football. For some teams this performance is fine. Not for the Washington DC area. We expect to win. The Redskins possess multiple Lombardi trophies. They just have not won one in a really long time.

The Redskins qualified for the playoffs only three times in the past decade.

Making the right change is critical – deal properly with poor performers

The Washing Redskins owner keeps trying to solve the problem by replacing the coach to include bringing back Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. Even that move did not work. He eventually left and someone new was brought in. The names of coaches who have tried to win under the current owner are too long to list. All these coaches and nothing really changes. Points to the fact that the problem is most likely the owner, not the coach. Until that change is made the Washington Redskins will continue to be happy just making the playoffs. Forget about winning a Super Bowl.

Joe Gibbs speaks with three Super Bowl trophies in foreground, after his return as the Washington Redskins head coach. — Joe Gibbs speaks with three Super Bowl trophies in the foreground, after his return as the Washington Redskins head coach.

What to do if you are the problem

The question that naturally follows is what do you do with low performing leaders. More importantly, what do you do if you are the problem? What if you are a leader who is failing to deliver results. If you are the problem it is time to do something about it. Don’t hit the easy button and hope for the best. Hold yourself accountable. Invest in yourself. Become a better leader.

Coach Belichick holds us accountable everyday. We appreciate when he’s tough on us. He gets the best out of us.
Tom Brady, Quarterback for the New England Patriots

All the Way Leadership! is here to help

In the coming year, we will continue publishing curated content about leadership. We also plan to launch a training program for leaders who are looking for ways to increase their individual impact and improve their leadership effectiveness. Take advantage of these resources and the many other ones that are available. Don’t wait for your boss to walk into your office, close the door, and have a tough conversation with you about why they are removing you from your current role. Don’t be the guy in the cartoon below.

Hold poor performers accountable, or pay the price

It is important as a leader that you hold yourself accountable, and those who work for you. If you have low performing team members you need to work with them on ways to improve. Perhaps they need training, coaching, or more guidance. It is up to you as the leader to figure that out. Don’t watch your team members flounder without doing something about it.

Tolerating poor performers will effect team morale. — Tolerating poor performers will affect team morale.

Rarely will the problem solve itself

If you have worked with the person, and performance does not improve, then you need to consider making a change. It is a difficult decision to make. Do not take these decisions lightly. The reality is that sometimes you have to remove the poor performer and move on. If you do not then you are sending a signal to the rest of the team that poor performance will be tolerated.

Getting rid of poor performers can be difficult.

Failing to deal with poor performers is not fair to others

Whatever you decide – avoid simply handing the problem to someone else. Many leaders are afraid to deal with poor performers. I have witnessed this first-hand many times in the government. The poor performer is not helped or fired. Instead, they are moved. The problem continues. In fact, it gets worse over time. The poor performer eventually is promoted and put into a position of greater responsibility. The problem grows until someone has the courage to deal directly with the poor performer. Don’t let that happen to your organization. The results can be devastating if you choose to ignore it.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

What happens when leaders do not have a good strategy?

Last week I talked about the fact that leaders are under pressure to deliver results. High performance is expected, as it should be. The pressure can be tremendous, especially if you work for a publically traded company that needs to deliver results to its shareholders on a quarterly basis. Many start-up companies face a similar challenge. Their investors want to see a return on their money. Owners, leaders, and employees are pressured to make it happen…quickly. My last blog post described a troubling trend – what happens when leaders hit the easy button instead of implementing comprehensive solutions that address complex challenges. This blog post will describe another troubling leadership trend I see – tactical execution without a good long-term strategy.

Driving without a destination- fog ahead

When leaders obsess on short-term results they tend to miss the bigger picture. This approach drives what I would describe as tactical tunnel vision versus maintaining a long-term focus. It is not uncommon to watch leaders deliver tactical results despite the fact that they have no real long-term strategy. Everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere fast, but the destination some are driving towards is unknown.

Driving without a known destination leads to a foggy picture.

Is your team on the road to nowhere?

It is analogous to getting in your car and starting to drive without a clear idea of where you are going. There is nothing wrong with pushing hard to get short-term results as long as it feeds into a long-term strategy that moves the organization forward towards a clearly articulated vision. One without the other can be dangerous and may backfire. Let’s take a look at one example.

Example – an innovative way to feed your family

I do not like grocery shopping. It is boring. Big store, too many choices, and the same items on the shelves every time you visit. It is rare that I am excited to go to the grocery store. I consider it a necessary evil. I doubt I am alone in this dislike. But, all of us have to eat, and the grocery store is the only real affordable option. Eating out all the time gets expensive. Recently several new companies created an innovative solution for people like me.

They deliver meals to your home

They send the ingredients and recipes you need for a few meals a week. The amount delivered is measured so that you do not have to deal with a large pile of leftovers. Great idea. I decided to give these services a try to see if they were worth it. My plan was simple – I would try several different companies to see which one was the best. I learned a lot during this experiment.

Why go to the grocery store if you can have the meals delivered to your front door.

Everyone gets a discount – especially your friends

As many of you already know there are several companies to pick from when it comes to home meal delivery. Blue Apron, HelloFresh, Plated, Home Chef and Sun Basket to name a few. I actually tried each of these for at least a few weeks. All of them were decent, but I ran into issues with all of them. I could tell right away that they were focused mainly on delivering tactical results – increasing their number of customers. Get people to join. They lack a good long-term strategy. I noticed that all of them were offering discount prices to get customers to subscribe, but they would try to jack the price up as soon as possible. They sent coupons in order to get me to encourage my friends to sign up.

This box service offers more than 50% off.

Hard to compete on price alone

It became obvious that there were problems with their pricing model. If your company has to use discount pricing all the time to attract customers you are creating a commodity market – the lowest price wins. This pricing approach will attract other commodity companies into the market – like Amazon and Wal-mart. When they do we all know how that story ends – not well for the little guy.

It is common to see a large discount for your first box to lure you in. — It is common to see a large discount for your first box to lure you into subscribing.

It was super easy to join

The second thing I noticed is that their customer service model was not well designed. It was really easy to sign up for the service. Their online sales funnel was optimized. The problems started to surface after I became a customer. It was a challenge to modify the frequency of deliveries, to delay delivery, and really difficult to stop the service. The website hid the section that described how to stop the service. You had to search hard to find the details. In fact, more than one of the services made me call to cancel the subscription. You could not cancel online.

Lock the door – you can enter but never leave…bad strategy

Let me get this straight – I can join in a jiffy online but have to call your company and wait on the line to quit. No thank you. Not a good customer retention model. It started to feel like I was staying at the Hotel California where “you can check out but never leave”. The third problem was that the quality of a few of them was just not there. They were struggling to keep pace with the demand they were creating. The food delivered was not bad, but it was not worth the price they demanded. In the end, I decided none of them was great.

Even Sun Basket which advertises fresh ingredients had quality issues.

Trying to please Wall Street – swimming with the sharks

Probably the biggest misstep in the meal kit delivery market was made by Blue Apron. They were in a hurry to get Wall Street investors behind the company. Their leadership decided to pay attention to Wall Street rather than optimize their supply chain operations. They were not ready for prime time. Instead, they focused on increasing their customer base so that they could make a splash when they conducted their IPO. Here is a quote from a Richmond-Times newspaper article that explains the problem.

Blue Apron’s IPO was going to be a moment to celebrate — validation for the mushrooming food delivery industry. Behind the scenes, however, all was not well. A new fulfillment center was months behind schedule and still wasn’t ready for prime time six weeks before the IPO.

If your company is in the delivery business, then one would think that leadership would be laser-focused on making sure its core process is functioning well. Blue Apron completed its IPO to some fanfare. The company’s stock price and its investors have suffered since then. I guess that throwing money at the problem did not solve it. Rather it exposed the weak link in their supply chain. Time will tell if Blue Apron recovers from this misstep. Oh, by the way, since Blue Apron went public both Amazon and Wal-mart have entered this market. Sharks are in the water. I sure hope the Blue Apron leadership team knows how to outswim the sharks. I doubt they will survive.

Blue Apron decided that courting Wall Street was more important than customer service.

Effective leaders play the long game – they have a strategy

Effective leaders understand that a long-term strategy is vital to success. They establish a vision for where the organization needs to go, craft the strategy for getting there, draw a roadmap, and create an implementation plan for moving forward successfully. Next comes execution – the hard part. If there is one thing all leaders know, it is that execution requires a long-term focus.

Real leaders avoid shortcuts

If you choose to shortcut this process then you may pay the price like the example described above. Be a better leader. Take the path less chosen. If you look at some of the most successful companies in the world today, they have a long-term focus. Market leaders like Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft took decades to build. All three are or were headed by leaders who delivered great results year after year after year. They are dominant players nowadays. That did not happen overnight.

There are no shortcuts to true excellence.
Angela Duckworth

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

ATW Leadership!

Why in the world start a new company now?

Another year and no real long-term solutions for many world problems

I wrote the original version of this blog post over a year ago. I would love to say that many things have improved since then. But, that would be a lie. They have not. If anything the world has gotten worse. In fact, when you look at the list of problems below you will notice that none of them is solved. I believe that lackluster leadership is preventing us from moving forward successfully. The main reason I am officially launching All The Way Leadership! now is that the need is so great. It has become my passion project.

We live in troubled times

The world is a mess right now, or at least it feels that way. Our current situation is probably not anything new. I bet our ancestors felt the same way. Life has always been hard. Perhaps we just notice it more these days. Watch the nightly news and you will hear about a wide array of big challenges in our country and around the world.

Below are a dozen world problems that need solutions

I know there are important items missing from the list. I am merely trying to show that we have our hands full right now.

Racism – Charlotteville scared everybody. How could something like that happen in 2017? I went to school in Charlottesville, worked there, and lived there for several years. It is a sleepy small Southern town with a great university and a world-class hospital, not a breeding ground for racist bigots.

Gun violence – Las Vegas was disturbing, just like all the other gun violence incidents. Too many examples to list without getting angry. Have we even started to deal with this problem, or are we going to keep kicking the can down the road, hoping it gets better?

The number of people killed with guns is disturbing.

Sexual Harassment – this problem is not new. It has been building up for decades, perhaps even centuries. The list of creepy men will continue to grow as more and more are exposed for their unacceptable behavior. Hopefully, we men will learn one day. Let’s make it today.

America is divided – recent election results clearly demonstrate that we are a nation divided. Congress remains mired in partisan politics. Hardly anything gets done. The two-party system is being questioned. Who can you trust these days and when will we see progress?

2016 Presidential Election results show the divide.

Europe is splintering – BREXIT was the first sign of trouble. Germany is struggling to put a coalition government in place. Refugee problems continue. The dream of a united Europe is starting to fade as countries decide to put their own interests first.

Brexit left many wondering about the future of the EU — Brexit left many wondering about the future of the European Union

Cybersecurity incidents – having your personal data stolen is starting to become a normal part of life. The list of companies, organizations, and government agencies that have been hacked continues to grow. It is way too many to list here. Is anyone’s data safe?

Hackers continue to steal personal data to include passwords.

Terrorist incidents – we still see terrorist incidents all over the world. Some within our own borders like the recent bizarre attack in Manhattan. Others are well-coordinated like the Paris attacks last year. Will the war on terror ever end? Hard to tell.

Flowers placed near the most recent NYC terrorist attack site.

Rogue countries – North Korea and Iran to name a few. Does anyone think it is a good idea for either one of these countries to possess nuclear weapons? Of course not. It is getting harder to stop their progress. Should we negotiate with maniacs?

North Korea continues to build and test missiles.

Russia meddling in our elections – looks like they did it, using our own technology against us. I picture a shirtless Vladimir Putin smiling somewhere in Russia as he continues to create chaos in other countries to prop up his own country’s stature.

Signs point to Russia influencing our elections.

Healthcare costs – they continue to rise with no end in sight. Compare the cost of healthcare in the US with other developed countries in the world. It is eye-opening to see the difference. Sure – we have the best healthcare. But at what cost.

Patients are making harder choices these days.

Education costs – the cost of a college education continues to rise at an alarming rate. I have to write an in-state tuition check every semester. It takes my breath away. I do it so that my children do not graduate with a mountain of debt. I can only imagine writing a check for an out-of-state school. It would probably make me tear up.

The cost of college has been rapidly rising for years.

Sports – even the sports entertainment industry is struggling. The NFL is a mess. Should the players stand for the National Anthem, or not? What about all the injuries? In addition, ticket sales are declining and hard questions are starting to be asked of the owners and players.

Some NFL players kneel during the National Anthem.

None of these world problems will be easy to solve

These problems are big, complex, and the list continues to grow. I do not pretend to have the answers. I doubt any single person does. However, I do know that effective leadership will be needed for all of them. We have a great need for strong leadership in the modern world. I am gravely concerned that we lack the leaders to address these issues. If these leaders already existed we would see more progress on a regular basis.

Not everything is doom and gloom

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am an eternally optimistic person. I want to end this blog on a positive note. Not all is doom and gloom. We have many leaders doing their best to deal with all these issues. I do not mean to discourage them. I applaud their efforts. They make a difference every day. I want to help them by growing more leaders who will stand with them to change the world. We are making progress in some areas, and we can do better. We can do it. I know that we can.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

ATW Leadership!