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Don’t Wait for Leadership

January 30, 2009 By 10 Comments

In the current economic climate, companies across the world are trying to figure out how to best weather the storm. Layoffs have seemingly become the norm; just google “layoffs” or look here and you’ll see what I mean. Such dire circumstances leave many wondering about the fate of their jobs, their families, and their futures. It is easy to get consumed with fear and anxiety under such conditions. However, it is just this type of response that could create the least desired outcome. As managers are told to make reductions, they are surely going to look to keep those individuals that have a history of solid performance, a “can do” attitude and are pulling themselves above the negativity and looking toward, and helping to create, a better tomorrow.

Often times I have discussed how leaders must set the example by which all should follow. And one of my favorite leadership gurus, John Baldoni, wrote a fantastic book on this very topic entitled “Lead by Example: 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results.” And, to be sure, I always believe that leaders must act in accordance to this notion. However, in distressing times such as those we now find ourselves, I would encourage all to do what is in the best interests of the company and not simply wait for a leader’s direction. Many leaders or managers are now focusing on the survival of the business and tending to internal measures that must be implemented to ensure the company’s longer term viability. So, this could leave a situation in which the leader is not as visible or accessible as usual and not doling out directions.

Under such a scenario, you need to focus on the tasks you have, especially those that can generate bottom line benefits for the company, be it sales calls, cost cutting measures, etc. This is not to imply that every person ought to act on their own without regard for the bigger picture. Rather, it is to suggest that action in the direction of these standard company objectives is paramount and must be done even in the absence of a leader’s instruction. Doing so will not only provide benefits for the company, but show management why it is you are needed for the future success of the company. It will surely make you stand out from others who may be wallowing in concerns about their very own futures – an action which ultimately leads to an undesirable, self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. Remember, as Stephanie Mead suggests, everyone contributes to the bottom line.

Nina Nets It Out: As they say, extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary responses. We are surely seeing this play out in our political spectrum at the highest levels. However, such measures are not unique to politics and in our corporations, we are seeing extraordinary things happen on practically a daily basis. To show why you are so valuable and worth keeping, be sure to go above and beyond to do the necessary things to ensure the sustainability of the company, and thereby your own career.

Filed Under: Crisis Management, Leadership, Nina Simosko Tagged With: , ,

What Leaders Can Learn from Chesley Sullenberger

January 18, 2009 By 15 Comments

Wheaties Box US Airways flight 1549Well if we’ve ever needed an example of what it really is to lead during a crisis, this past week’s U.S. Airways flight 1549 water landing shows us loud and clear.  Just moments after takeoff, the 29-year U.S. Airways veteran captain of the plane and a pilot for 40 years, Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, knew his plane was in serious trouble.  Barely off the ground, the plane flew right through a flock of geese causing some birds to be drawn into each of the plane’s engines knocking them both out.  Passenger and crew accounts indicate the “deadly silence” that followed the loud bang indicating the loss of the engines.  The silence was broken by a calm, authoritative voice stating, “This is the captain speaking. Brace for impact.”

From that very moment, passengers and crew knew they were in for the ride of a lifetime, if not the end of one.  Even those that might not normally be prone to do so, began praying.  And in answer to those prayers and to their collective good fortune, this particular captain was not only very experienced pilot in the Airbus he was flying, but also quite experienced in flying glider planes.  And, of course, one interesting thing to note about glider planes is that every landing is an engine-out landing! So here they were, 155 people on board an engine-less plane, with a pilot well-versed in landing glider planes.  After alerting the passengers and crew, Sullenberger went to work determining his best course of action.  Try to return to La Guardia Airport, attempt to reach Newark Airport across the river, maybe head toward Teterboro Airport or attempt what had never been successfully accomplished – “ditch” the plane in the Hudson River.  Making instantaneous calculations, he determined that the worst of the options was his only choice.

With a steady hand, Sullenberger guided the powerless plane over the Hudson slowing it down as necessary, descending toward the icy waters, lifted the nose just before dropping the tail into the water in a spectacular splash landing.  People onboard likened the landing to a hard landing on a runway with only one impact and gradual deceleration.  When the plane came to a stop in the water, the composed voice of Sullenberger came across the speakers with just one word – “Evacuate”.  But, as they say, the captain goes down with his ship.  Sullenberger’s work was only just beginning.  With a sense of tremendous composure, Sullenberger exited the cockpit and assisted the crew with evacuation procedures ensuring that all passengers made it out of the interior cabin and onto the wings of the plane.  He walked the aisle twice looking for and assisting passengers in reaching a safer place before exiting the plane himself – the last person to leave the plane.

Within just three minutes, rescue teams from ferries, other nearby boats, and Coast Guard reached the plane and began taking passengers onto their boats and to safety either on the New York side of the river or the New Jersey side.  In what seemed like a scene from a Hollywood movie, all 155 passengers and crew made it to safety with nearly no injuries.  Remarkable doesn’t even come close to describing this situation or Sullenberger’s poise under such difficult and perilous circumstances.  He truly is a leader whose lead all leaders should follow.

Nina Nets It Out: Captain Sullenberger demonstrated astounding leadership qualities during this mid-air crisis.  He showed how a leader can keep an otherwise turbulent [no pun intended] situation where chaos might be expected, calm and orderly.  His calm, authoritative poise under intense stress with 155 people’s lives in his hands, created an atmosphere in which he was able to accomplish something never done before.  We should all emulate his behavior to lead with steadiness and ensure the well-being of those we are responsible for.

Filed Under: Celebrities As Leaders, Crisis Management, Leadership, Nina Simosko, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Maintaining The Momentum in Tough Times

June 2, 2008 By 10 Comments

keep calm and carry onIn good times, it is rather easy to keep employees motivated to “ride the wave.”  This goes without saying.  However, business leaders are not hired to lead only during good times.  In fact, true leadership reveals itself in times of difficulty.  Martin Luther King Jr. put this perspective into great words when he stated, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

As the economy in the U.S. is slowing and companies must persist in their efforts to achieve solid performance, true leadership is being put to the test.  Generally speaking, during the past several years, businesses have ridden a wave of economic success with low unemployment, stellar stock market performance and overall global economic growth.  However, as the costs of the Middle East wars accumulate, the real estate and subprime crisis continue to maintain a stranglehold on the U.S. economy, and demand for commodities outpaces supplies, countries and businesses across the globe are experiencing significant pressures.

It is at such a time that business leaders must rise to the challenge that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of and display their true measure.  As employees feel pressures due to corporate cutbacks and prospective customers postpone purchases, business leaders are faced with the tremendous challenge of maintaining high morale, not only for those that work for and around them, but within themselves just the same.  To be sure, this is by no means easy to accomplish.  In fact, many leaders must suspend personal concerns and find a way to put the concerns of their employees and the organization in the forefront.

Consider what the consequences would be if leaders found themselves unable to do this.  They would show weakness, employees and peers would see this and believe that if this person shows signs of stress, then they must know things that the others are yet aware of.  This leads to the spread of tension throughout the organization as the grapevine communication channel takes over similar to how a cancer metastasizes in a victim’s body.  This leads to less focus on customers which then spreads concerns to the marketplace, further delaying orders due to reduced overall confidence.  Well, you get the drift.  It spirals further and further, culminating in a deepening recessionary period, delaying a recovery, perhaps unnecessarily.

So, how are leaders able to prevent such a hardship?  Clearly, there are no simple answers to this question.  However, there are a couple of things that all leaders can count on in such times – lessons of history, their village, and their own ultimate power.  History tells us that tough times are most always wedged between periods of good times.  This is, in fact, what business cycles are.  Of course, there are numerous types of business cycles, each with their own duration of time.  But, while the timing may be unknown, the bottom line is that ultimately the pendulum will swing back in the other direction.  Furthermore, leaders must realize the concept of strength in numbers by counting on their villages in challenging times.  For, as Jon Katzenbach & Douglas Smith taught us, there is wisdom in teams.  Lastly, as I have discussed in past blogs, while we cannot control what happens to or around us, we all can choose how we react.  Leaders must demonstrate the fortitude that helped them reach their positions in the first place.

Nina nets it out: Don’t let difficult circumstances lead to further declines by “giving in” to them.  Be a role model of fortitude and help those around you stay focused on the clearing ahead.  Leverage history, your teams and your reactions to weather the difficulties and ultimately become stronger for doing so.

Filed Under: Corporate Performance, Crisis Management, Leadership, Nina Simosko, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

What Leaders Can Learn from Britney

March 21, 2008 By 5 Comments

Britney’s brain is toxic
Originally uploaded by bowbrick

She is in the airport lounge. She is in the inflight magazine. When you walk past the duty free store there are perfumes. There is music and there are film clips. And she is all over the newspapers and magazine racks. Let’s face it, no matter how busy you are, Britney Spears is bound to have made some kind of impression upon you.

Believe it or not, there is plenty for leaders to learn from Britney Spears. In fact, she makes a great case study on how to deal with a crisis. Consider for a moment:

  • What management techniques can be employed to manage a crisis such as Britney’s?
  • What communications strategy should be followed?
  • How do you turn around a bad situation?

While we all may be fascinated by Britney Spears and her professional and personal downfall for voyeuristic reasons, there are actual, real life lessons that we can benefit from. On a personal note, I surely enjoy reading the tabloids and reading about celebrities and their trials (sometimes literally their court trials) and tribulations. For me, however, it is not about watching a car wreck for the purpose of seeing a car wreck, but rather, it is about learning how these folks, with all sorts of professionals to help them, deal with the situations they encounter. Selfishly, I like to learn from the mistakes of others so that perhaps I can avoid them all together, or at least know better how to handle them should they, or similar situations, occur in my life.

So, back to Britney. I think it is fair to say that most of us, if not all of us, can agree that she has not done a bang up job with “crisis management.” I certainly think that with all of her resources, advisors, handlers, etc., that she could have done a better job managing the media during her personal and family problems. Now, in fairness, the media hound Britney like a swarm of bees do a honey-filled hive which is clearly more than most people could bear. But, regardless, it is equally clear that her handling of the situation leaves a lot to be desired.

In my view, crises need to be handled by following what I call the STOP approach:

  • Story – I believe that a crisis is best handled head on. At various points in time, Britney dodged the media and avoided discussion. This meant that her STORY was not her own. It was left to the media to write from their own perspective. In a crisis, it is imperative that the leader OWNS the story – gather your facts, position the crisis in the context of your “big picture” strategy, and put forward your story. Remember, the crisis is about you and you will be judged by how you deal with both its resolution and its telling.
  • Timeliness – In a crisis, timeliness is critical. Take a few moments to map out a couple of key milestones that will need to be passed before your crisis is resolved. If you don’t feel capable of discussing details, explain that details will be forthcoming, but in a timeframe of YOUR choosing. Then, make sure you deliver on each of your milestones. Remember, to over communicate. Own the story. Own up to your responsibilities.
  • Objectivity – If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t speculate. Speak only to the facts. Be serious. Too often, Britney’s flippant conversations are taken out of context. A more serious tone would certainly dampen the media’s enthusiasm.
  • Professionals – Few of us have the luxury of Britney’s resources, but sometimes a crisis needs the help of a professional. Reach out to those you trust. Look at your story, think about the timelines and figure out if you have the capacity to be objective. Wherever there is a gap, consider hiring-in experienced help.

Remember, Britney tried to dodge media whenever she could and that enabled them to write the story as they saw it, not how it really was playing out for her. Britney needed to over communicate. She allowed others to take liberties in crafting the story from their own perspective. It would have been better if she had owned up to the situation, and taken ownership of the story.

Let’s face it, Britney, with all her resources and cachet, has the luxury of being able to go on nearly any talk show of her choice and communicate directly with an admiring public. This is an extravagance that most of us don’t, and most likely never will, have. If Britney had gone public with her challenges and asked for assistance from the public and others, she would likely have found a more sympathetic response. But, by running, hiding and continuing her outrageous behaviors, she seemed to thumb her nose at the media, the public and a host of voyeurs. She came off looking more like an out of control freak than a sympathetic mom going through a difficult personal period in her life.

Anyway, this is Britney’s story now and while she has to live with the consequences of her actions, we all can learn lessons from afar which we can employ in our own lives. I, for one, will certainly be better prepared to manage a crisis in my own life should one occur. Thanks Britney!

Nina nets it out: In a crisis, employ the STOP technique. Don’t let a crisis overcome you – take control of all its aspects. And remember, I’d love to hear how you have dealt with crises in your personal and professional lives. Perhaps you have a lesson you can share with us all!

Filed Under: Celebrities As Leaders, Crisis Management, Leadership, Nina Simosko, Women Tagged With: , ,