A Good Book on Leadership

I have been busy working on writing my book on how doing the opposite of what we see in poor or ineffective leaders, helps us become more effective leaders. As part of my research I have been asking CEOs and executives for their input, insights and advice. I have been overwhelmed with the response from leaders whom I have come to respect and admire and simply who “get it." When Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com shared his insights with me, he recommended a book called Tribal Leadership, so I immediately began researching it. I ran across this video on the Tribal Leadership website www.triballeadership.net/index.php where a reporter for Fox News interviewed the co-author of the book, Dave Logan. I use the term interview very lightly. In fact, I would have to say that Mr. Logan schooled the reporter on what the true essence of leadership is really about. It is unfortunate that some still fail to realize, but will report to the contrary, that there are people who achieve leadership success by building a culture within their organization that focuses on humans, service, being servant and leading by example.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yybxMVkTH2A&feature=player_embedded

A Reason for this Season

The other day I was at the store with my 11 year old, she asked me what I wanted for Christmas and suggested that I pick something out, give her the money and go to another part of the store while she paid for it. Although the gesture was sweet and although it only took me a few minutes to figure out that I would actually be buying my own gift, I realized that everything I really want for Christmas I already have.

Like most people, I too get wrapped up in the glitz and glamour of the season. The hustle and bustle can be both frustrating and fun at the same time. But at the end of the day, I have and always have had all of the things that matter most.

I have 2 daughters that are healthy and happy; a little spoiled, but loves me unconditionally.

I have a husband that allows me the opportunity to follow my passion and pursue my dreams of launching my own business.

I have parents that are healthy enough to come to Houston to visit often and still enjoy the grand kids.

I have a brother that never fails to tell me how proud he is to have me as his sister.

I have an uncle, aunt and two adorable baby cousins that I have recently reconnected with.

I have a support system comprised of wonderful family and friends that encourage me daily and support my endeavors no matter how crazy they may seem.

So you see, as we approach another Christmas I have a renewed understanding of the real meaning of this season.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

A Lesson in Leadership from an 11-Year-Old

As parents we try to teach our kids that if they live their lives following the golden rules, they will achieve the successes they strive toward. I cannot count how many times I have stressed to my two daughters, if they follow these rules for living, they will receive that level of success. It was only recently, while reflecting on the essence of leadership, I realized the lessons my husband and I have passed onto our daughters, lessons passed on to us from our parents and their parents before them, would come full circle.

A few weeks ago, my 11-year-old daughter was faced with a very tough decision--doing what is right, or following your friends to look good in their eyes. For many years my husband and I have repeatedly told our daughters that sometimes doing the right thing is not always the most popular thing. As long as you do what is right, you will never have to worry. The rest will be taken care of for you.

This past Halloween my daughter wanted to go trick-or-treating with her friends. One was a 13-year-old and the other is my daughter's age. While they were getting dressed, I overheard the other two girls saying they wanted to go alone. They didn’t need an adult to chaperone them. My daughter made the comment that they should have an adult go with them for safety reasons, but her words fell on deaf ears. The original plan was to go trick-or-treating and have a sleepover at the 13-year-old's house. As the evening progressed the talk turned from innocent childlike fun to the girls plotting to sneak out and go to a party later that night. Several hours after my husband chaperoned the girls' trick-or-treating, we allowed our daughter stay the night at her friend's house as previously agreed, making it clear there was to be no sneaking out of the house. We were also assured by the girl’s parents that there would be adult supervision at all times. A couple of hours after my husband dropped the girls off to the 13-year-old's house, our 11-year-old called us asking to be picked up. She said she did not want to stay the night because the other two girls still decided they were going to sneak out after promising they would not.

On the way home, out of curiosity, we asked her what made her call and not just go with the flow. Her comment resonated with me, but most importantly taught me a lesson on the essence of leadership and how the golden rules instilled in us as children guide us when we are facing tough decisions. Our daughter answered that if she would have snuck out with the others, most likely we would have never known. However, she knew if she betrayed our trust, she would never get it back again. I asked how her friends felt about her calling us and leaving after she planned to stay the night. She responded “I know they will be mad and will probably treat me differently. Maybe they won’t be friends with me after this. But at the end of the day, sometimes it is more important to do what is right verses what is popular.”

I could not help but feel a sense of pride. Our daughter is able to make the right decisions regardless of who is watching. I also learned the golden rules we were taught as children and strive to teach our children work and are just as applicable to leadership behaviors as they are to everyday living.

Read this list of golden rules I have put together. Are able to see how they connect to leadership?

 Treat people the way you want to be treated.
 Let your conscience be your guide.
 Do the right thing even when you think others are not looking.
 Never be afraid to speak up when you see something being done that is wrong.
 Understand that trust is earned. Once lost, it is hard to get back.
 Leaders do not follow the way; they seek opportunities to lead others along the right paths.
 At the end of the day, you are accountable for your actions.
 Your word is your bond.
 Be the change you want to see in others (Gandhi).
 If it does not feel right, chances are it’s not right.
 Never let fear stop you from speaking up or out.

As parents, we go to sleep at night, hoping we have taught our kids the right lessons to carry into adulthood. If the actions demonstrated by our 11-year-old daughter are any indication of the type of leader she has the potential to become, then I feel confident saying the world will have one heck of a leader on their hands. But most of all, I can say I am so very proud she is my daughter.

"Faking It Until You Make It" Won't Get You Far

Years ago, I was assigned a customer service group frequently described by others in the organization as "Santa's misfits." Obviously unclear on what that meant, I later learned that most of this "misfit" staff were considered challenging to manage, poor performers, and/or had very poor attitudes. Some even felt they were doing the company a favor by showing up to work every day. They were the employees who other managers sought out the first opportunity to pass off to someone else.

Being new to the organization and eager to learn as much as I could about the culture, the staff, and the organization, I sought the advice of a peer. Her advice to me was these six little words: “Fake it until you make it.” Not the advice I would have expected. She went on to explain that if a staff member came to me with a question I didn't immediately know the answer to, it would be better to pretend I knew the answer than to give the impression I didn't know. She said in meetings it is better to agree with what others are saying and go with the flow instead of having an opinion; an opinion would lead to extra work for me. When I spoke to her about things I thought would make us more effective, she told me I shouldn't try to implement change because then it would be expected of me. And lastly, she said if other departments come to me and ask for my help, it is better to put them off because once they knew they could depend on me, they would continue coming to me for everything.

Looking back, I am glad and feel very fortunate she chose to pass along her words of wisdom to me. Her advice helped me become a better leader by learning what not to do. But the most important lesson I took away from this? In leadership faking it until you make it won't get you very far.

Guest Blogger Patricia Jackson: Disney, the Ritz-Carlton, and Zappos Do It--Why Shouldn't Your Company?

Guest Blogger Patricia Jackson: Disney, the Ritz-Carlton, and Zappos Do It--Why Shouldn't Your Company?

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Take a Customer Service Advocate the Next Time You Go Shopping

The other day I received a voice message from someone I thought was contacting me for information on my consulting services. As I played the message over and over, I realized the caller was contacting me as a last resort and out of total frustration because of a bad customer service experience at her local home improvement store. When I called her back, she was nearly in tears describing how the previous week she went to purchase a large amount of tress for her yard. She went to the store, paid for the trees and they were to be put up for pick-up or delivery the following week. The day she expected the trees to arrive came and went. In the meantime, she had dug the holes in her yard, contacted the electric company to approve the sites prior to digging etc…

Assuming there must have been an oversight, she contacted the store only to be put on eternal hold, and when she finally spoke to a live person, they were unresponsive. She decided to resolve the issue in person. She was told that the person who took the order forgot to put the trees away until delivery, and they had been sold. The employee added they would not be getting anymore in from the nursery this year. She was offered a refund and sent on her way. Not only was she frustrated, she was now disappointed, angry, and felt helpless. That is why she contacted me; she explained the situation and asked if there was anything I could do to help her.

Although my services normally do not include customer advocacy, I felt compelled to help her. I gathered the details, names of the people she spoke to and her history of doing business with this company. Eventually, I escalated the call to the regional manager after attempting to get the issue resolved at the local level, and she finally received the trees.
This experience caused me to think, how many customers just give up because they do not have an advocate willing to fight for them? How do customers navigate through customer service indifference? How many customers feel the business they do with a company has value? How many people would have just taken the refund and left it at that?

I am convinced that customers should know their rights and not be afraid to speak up when they are not receiving a good quality customer service experience. After all, they have a choice on who they do business with.

When Should Common Sense Trump Company Policy?

A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the importance of companies taking care of the people who take care of their customers. Good Morning America's segment on Wal-Mart’s sick policy, “Is It Worth It to Take a Sick Day?” gives an intriguing example of a company going the opposite direction. The topic was specifically related to company policy and the H1N1 Flu. Basically, Wal-Mart has a punitive points system that demerits workers for sick days. Sick pay doesn't kick in until the second day, so employees must take personal or vacation days or just not get paid.
abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9013984

I completely understand that policies are in place to provide direction and guidance for the employees and to protect the organization, but I also feel businesses must understand that compassion, leadership decision-making, and sometimes plain ol' common sense trump company policies. I listened to the VP, General Manager of Wal-Mart stores respond to a question regarding the company sick policy and the possibility that it may be changed or updated etc. The VP responded with what I consider an absolute no-no in leadership accountability: "That’s just the way our policy is written. That’s our policy.” Just because that is the way things have been done doesn't mean they can't change, especially when it comes to unique circumstances, like the H1N1 Flu. Employees who come to work sick (sometimes referred to as, "Presenteeism") still cost the company. Sometimes we focus on the loss in dollars and forget that sick employees who come to work cost us more in lower productivity and exposure to others, just to name a few.

If there is a situation where there is an employee abusing a policy, (one of the ladies interviewed mentioned she already had 3 occurrences) than management should address that performance issue. But the flu? Give them a break.