Leadership Essentials

1. Leadership Essentials 14 July 2011

2. Bill Fournet • The Persimmon Group • President & CEO; Founder • Project Management, Business Analysis, Methodologies, Business Consulting, and Organizational Design • Leader and Architect, 19 years • Projects using up to 150 resources, with combined budgets over $2B • Multi-sector, IT, business, and engineering • Various methodologies and cultures • BA, Philosophy, Vanderbilt University • MA, History, Oklahoma State University

3. Introductions Name? Role? Favorite Leader? Let’s break the ice…

4. Agenda • Leadership Fundamentals • Setting the PACE of Leadership • Principled • Adaptive • Collaborative • Enduring

5. Two-thirds of the U.S. workforce are not fully engaged in their current positions Gallup Consulting, research firm, 2008 70% of an employee’s level of engagement is connected to the relationship with the manager Gallup Consulting, research firm, 2009 46% of employees say that a lack of meaningful communication from management was their primary reason for losing trust and becoming job hunters Deloitte Consulting and Harris Interactive Poll, 2010 60% of employees intend to leave their organizations as the economy improves Right Management, 2009 The number of employees voluntarily quitting their jobs surpassed the number being fired or laid off for the first time since October 2008 U.S. Bureau of Labor, 2010 Points to Ponder…

6. What makes a leader a leader? Followers Vision? Personality? Success? Integrity?

7. Bold Charismatic Demanding Inspiring

8. Steadfast Kind Visionary Selfless

9. Protector Steadfast Integrity Selfless

10. Charismatic Ruthless Forceful

11. Charismatic Innovative Inspiring

12. Exercise: What Makes a Leader? • Break into groups of 4-5 • Develop a list of traits that are imperative to leadership. • Come up with your Top 5 traits

13. LEADERSHIP FUNDAMENTALS Initiative Vision Composure Decisive Realistic Principled Perseverance and Courage No Loose Ends

14. Initiative Is always proactive, balancing the project, the team, and the organizational lessons learned The effective Manager… • Balances reactive and proactive behavior (personal and team) • Works to stay in front of the team (never perfect, but works at it) • Keeps leaders thinking forward too (leads up) • Keeps the team focused on the tasks, but with an eye on the prize! • Displays confidence in own leadership and decision-making abilities

15. Vision Communicates a compelling vision and sense of purpose. Inspires and motivates members of the team or organization The effective Manager… • Talks about possibilities and is supportive of forward-looking ideas • Thinks beyond the immediate future • Creates competitive strategies and innovative plans for the future

16. Composure Is graceful under pressure. Remains calm and objective under stressful conditions. The effective Manager… • Does not crack under pressure • Keeps a clear mind in intense and high-impact situations • Does not show frustrated when blocked by unforeseen obstacles • Does not become defensive or irritated

17. Decisive Makes tough, time-sensitive decisions quickly and efficiently. Is fair and balanced when evaluating data. The effective Manager… • Weighs the pros and cons of a decision in a timely manner • Makes decisions and sticks with them • Uses fair judgment when evaluating evidence to make a decision

18. Principled Makes decisions based on objective facts. Is driven by personal values and principles. Accepts responsibility and will stand behind an idea or position. The effective Manager… • Is always objective and does not personalize • Stays fact-based; understands that the truth is extremely difficult to argue about • Promotes an open communication environment for the team • Disarms others with transparency

19. Realistic For all issues, tasks, or actions assigned on a project, the Manager trusts the owning stakeholder to get it done, but never blindly. The effective Manager… • Believes in “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” • Stays positive, but checks elsewhere (team members, client, inspection, etc.) – cautious optimism • Removes obstacles…and excuses • Maintains a collaborative, high-performing team environment

20. Perseverance and Courage Anything can be done given enough time and resources; the Manager tries anything and everything until it is done, one way or another. The effective Manager… • Presents options and viable recommendations for solutions • Sees angles / approaches; failing to see these, facilitates new angles or approaches with the team • Does not hesitate to continue a project even if he or she has recommended it be stopped • Does not create a “Death March” environment

21. No Loose Ends - Applies the ABC’s “Always Be Closing” – the Manager is concerned with what, who, where, and when first and foremost; the Manager never leaves without a plan The effective Manager… • Maintains situational leadership principles but focuses on what, who, and when assignments • Always “buttons up” sessions with a recap of action ownership and closing questions • Never rejects reason and logic; challenges unreasonable commitment before it is a problem

22. Setting the PACE of Leadership Principled Adaptive Collaborative Enduring

23. Becoming a Principled Leader

24. Principled Leaders Principled Leaders focus on: • Principled Leadership and Accountability

25. Principled Leadership

26. Control vs. Influence GoodResults • Others: Follow without question • Best approach in times of normalcy • Others: Obey without question • Best approach in times of crisis Command HighControl High Influence Credibility • Others: Follow with question • Generally very political • Others: Obey with question • Generally involves coercion Poor Results

27. Right Way, Right Results! Right Results Right Way

28. Traditional (Command & Control) Innovate and Attack New Ways to Lead Change what you control and how you control it Support, self-directed, enable, “hole fillers”, cutters Micromanage, “order-takers” M V C E P O P T

29. Principled Leadership Values + Approach = “The Way” Establishes boundaries Enables innovation Engages the workforce We will consistently exceed our customers’ expectations. Don’t bring issues without options. You must accept everyone’s opinion, but you do not have to approve it. Develop your replacement.

30. Baghdad, Iraq 2005-2006

31. Secure the people where they sleep. Never leave home without an Iraqi. Get out and walk. Give the people justice and honor..we talk about democracy and human rights. Iraqis talk about justice and honor. Baghdad, Iraq 2007-2008 The “Surge”

32. Exercise • Write 4 – 6 principles that you expect your team members to follow

33. New OCSS Mission Statement To promote healthy families, we establish, monitor, and enforce reliable support while encouraging self-sufficiency and strengthening relationships. Healthy families: • They work together to provide an environment where their children are physically, emotionally, and financially secure • They know how to access resources to meet current and future needs.

34. Accountability

35. Trust Cornerstones of High Performing Teams Trust respect Conflict resolution Shared purpose

36. Four Cores of Credibility & Trust Source: The Speed of Trust by Stephen M R Covey

37. High Trust Team Low Trust Team High Trust vs. Low Trust in Teams • Openly share information • Product an innovative and creative culture • Confront real issues • High accountability • Positive attitude and outlook • Collaborate and communicate • Does not share information • Do not encourage new ideas • Avoids conflict • Quick to blame others • Negative attitude towards team and work • Looks out for oneself only

38. ACCOUNTABILITY COMMUNICATE Rule / Policy / Process ENFORCE REVIEW

39. Becoming an Adaptive leader

40. Adaptive Leaders • Adaptive Leaders focus on: • Teams • Decision Making • The Mission • Strategic Vision

41. Teams

42. Definition of a Team “A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.” -Katzenbach and Smith, 1993

43. Teams Groups Individual purpose and goals Individual work product Stake in my performance Individual accountability Share information and do individual work together Discusses, decides, delegates • Team purpose and goals • Collective work products • Stake in our performance • Mutual and individual accountability • Make decisions and do real work together • Share leadership • Discusses, decides, does real work together

44. Case Study - Teams

45. Do you have teams or groups? How well do they perform?

46. Teams in a multi-generational workforce

47. The Changing Workforce U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s learners will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38. (U.S. Dept. of Labor) In the next 20 years, 76 million Americans will retire with only 46 million replacing them. (American Society of Training and Development) Two-thirds of Generation Y workers believe they should spend no more than 2 years in an entry-level position. (Robert Half International)

48. Technology

49. Generational Navigation

50. GOING COMMANDO: APPLYING SPECIAL FORCES TACTICS TO IMPROVE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT