Don't Drink the Sand - Redux!

In much of my leadership career - and maybe my life in general - no small part of me hoped and dreamed about achieving formal recognition for the quality of my work. And along the way I did, in fact, achieve awards in my chosen profession. In that regard, I'm probably not that different from many of you. In reality, this desire for recognition is probably a function of our upbringing and our educational system.  We were all graded. We all knew where we stood in our class academically or athletically. If we excelled, we were given ribbons, medals, and even money in the form of bursaries and scholarships. And that recognition felt good.

As a society we continue to translate this award function into our leadership and business environments in the form of our nation's or province's top employers, most ethical companies, top leaders in [pick the profession] and almost any other category that you can think up. These awards are often pursued with incredible vigor by individual leaders and companies. I've even since seen individual leaders suggest, cajole, and coerce their staff or colleagues for that coveted nomination. If and once achieved, those accolades are then heavily marketed as a competitive advantage or even simply as a point of pride.  

And because we are busy people, we place heavy emphasis on the validity and credibility of these ratings or rewards and make decisions as potential customers or staff of these organizations. If such and such experts say he/she/they are best in class, that should be good enough for me should it not?  

Unfortunately, this pursuit of awards and accolades comes with its own problems and opportunity to twist our personal behavior and organizational culture. Based on personal experience, I will suggest that in far too many cases, the emperor is, in fact, wearing no clothes.  

I would encourage all of us to dig a bit deeper into what goes into these "achievements".  I for one have had the misfortune of peeking behind the proverbial curtain and have come away more than a bit disillusioned with what I have discovered. In personal scenarios impacting me, I have discovered that competitors in my profession were not necessarily identified as best in class for their professional skill but rather on the quality of their website! Form over substance! In some cases, my so-called competitors were no longer in practice! 

That's one small example, but there are even more egregious examples. This goes as far as something as prestigious as the Order of Canada. Aside from those who have been officially stripped of such recognition (e.g., Alan Eagleson, Steven Fonyo), I have my own impressions of others who have been so honored. In at least one case I joked - facetiously at the time - that I'd have to be rescinding my Canadian citizenship because of who had obtained this honour.

These examples of personal leadership failures also operate at an organizational level and we simply cannot place blind faith in the view of experts and awards achieved. We have seen far too many examples of spectacular corporate failures that followed on years of being media and business darlings. Example?  In 2001, an American company achieved $90 billion in market capitalization making it the seventh largest company in the USA at the time. For six years running, this same company was ranked by Fortune magazine as America's most innovative company.  

In December 3, 2001, this same company - Enron - filed for bankruptcy.  

Of the many reasons cited for Enron's demise, two stand out for me within the context of my blog topic:  (1) stakeholders/watchdogs overlooked bad behavior as long as they were profiting, and (2) looking to others believing that those others had done their due diligence. Clearly, these reasons were abetted by willful fraud, but for me, the long story short is don't believe everything you see or read on the internet, in newspaper clippings or promotional materials.  

Unfortunately, too many award programs are based on an application process alone. There is limited to no on-site visitation or verification in play. There is no deeper dive into evaluating the veracity of claims made. In some cases, an organization or leader can present documentation on the existence of a policy or program, but it is not required to provide information as to the quality of its implementation or effectiveness. In addition, staff, customers, and other key stakeholders may not be part of validating the leader's or organization's claims. The application might only be as good as the paper it is written on.   

And the motivations of the applicant to win are enormous - prestige, business opportunity, ego. Marketing acumen and writing skill then become more important to success then fact. Form runs the risk of trumping substance. Many of us are already familiar with this reality in other circumstances, most notably the recruitment and selection process. How many times have you seen others - or yourself - won over by a glorious CV and a charismatic presence in an interview, only to have buyer's remorse later? Presentation and pizzazz can only cover up so many sins for so long.  

As I penned this blog I was reminded of an exchange between two characters from the 1995 movie "The American President", which for me encapsulates the challenges we face in sorting the wheat from the chaff and seeing beyond formal awards and what might actually lie beneath:

People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand. 

Lewis, we've had presidents who were beloved, who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty. They drink the sand because they don't know the difference. 

My request of you? Dig deeper.  Don't be fooled by the pleasant mirage that might be before you. Put in the effort to find out if there really is a glass of water or a glass of sand before you.

Don't drink the sand.

______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC

President & Founder - BreakPoint Solutions

gregh@breakpoint.solutions 

www.breakpoint.solutions 

780-250-2543

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.

Governance Matters!

Boards of Directors play a crucial role in the health and success of any organization, whether that be in the not-for-profit, public, or private sector.  Outside of being an operating or managing board, where individuals are tasked not just with setting direction but actually getting their hands dirty carrying out day-to-day operational duties, the role of board directors can be summarized at a very high level as providing/supporting long-term vision for their organization, ensuring oversight to the actions and health of the organization, and providing perspectives due to diversity of experiences, skill sets and relationships beyond what any one person would possess.  These expectations can be summarized in three words - Foresight, Oversight and Insight.  Simply said but often far harder to accomplish in practice.

Over my 25+ year leadership career, followed up by another 12+ years in consulting to organizations and boards, I have experienced first-hand how difficult governance can be and how easily a board can go from high performing to significant dysfunction (and back again).  These challenges in governance can lead to a variety of negative outcomes including but not limited to:

• Board level conflict resulting in lack of effectiveness in decision-making even to the point of paralysis;
• Board level conflict that negatively impacts board member recruitment and retention;
• Dysfunctional relationship with CEO and operational leadership;
• Reputational damage with key stakeholders and public in general;
• Negative impacts to financial health and sustainability; and
• Legal challenges up to and including lawsuits between board members and dissolution of an organization.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of negative consequences that can arise from not identifying, paying attention to, and actively managing core governance issues.  

What then are some of the core issues that an organization and Board of Directors needs to attend to?  My suggestions are noted below.

1. Governance Philosophy

An organization has to be clear about what governance means within their own context.  Even if recruits to a board have had previous governance experience that may not directly or appropriately translate to the next governance role.  Moreover, to be truly effective an understanding and appreciation of governance expectations must go well beyond well-articulated written statements and policies.  There must be strong, ongoing efforts to reinforce expectations - and boundaries - of the governance roles for the particular organization.  If the expectations of a board are to provide foresight, oversight and insight what are the appropriate ways in which that is supposed to happen?  When does the board (or board member) start to become too operational and effectively take over or inhibit operational duties?  How does the Board make decisions?  How does the Board evaluate its performance, either collectively or individually?

2. Recruitment and Selection of Board members

One of the greatest challenges that any board faces is that of recruitment and selection of new board members.  Too often proxies for selection of board members can overtake the hard work necessary to identify key attitudes and skill sets necessary to be an effective board director.  What are some of these proxies?  In some cases, it can simply be willingness to serve on the board!  Getting skilled, competent board members is an ever-increasing challenge for many organizations.  The desire to serve, sometimes in a voluntary capacity, against a backdrop of not insignificant time commitments and public/legal expectations, can have many qualified people opt out of a governance opportunity.  In other cases, an organization looks simply at a resume, reputation, or existing relationships (friendships with other board members) as suitable reasons (excuses) to say yes to a new board member.  

Boards have a duty to ensure they are bringing on the right people with the right skills that will adhere to an established governance philosophy; in support of working at the right level of decision-making; with the understanding and intention of acting with a duty of care, loyalty and obedience to the board/ organization; and, with the attitude and commitment that the existing board believes it demonstrates and expects of a new board member.

3. Clarity of Governance Roles

So much to say here and certainly related to the foundations discussed above.  The board needs to be clear about how governance philosophy translates into practical governance work. How does the board carry out its role of foresight?  How does the board contribute to strategy?  Does it build and communicate a set of strategic directions to operational leadership or does it receive and react to what is proposed by operational leadership?  Or is there some balance between those options?  

How does the board exercise oversight?  Does it engage in deep, even supervisory tactics, on a regular basis and even set expectations on remedial actions? Does it direct operational leadership via board membership on a range of committees?  Does it expect and rely solely on what operational leadership provides as updates on progress on strategic directions?  

As board members are usually or hopefully recruited based on their past experiences and or current skills sets (e.g., accountant, lawyer) what are the expectations for how those skill sets are used?  There is always a risk - and even a danger - that an individual or the organization confuse technical skills and competence with how those skills should be used in a way that supports the role of governance.  All involved need to remind themselves that a board member should provide insight, perspectives and ask salient questions that support governance excellence first and foremost.  They have not been recruited to fulfill an operational requirement.  

4. CEO Relationship

More than a few paragraphs are needed to address the board's relationship with its CEO and this could easily be a topic for its own blog or book!  Suffice it to say that the topics already discussed set context for what a board needs in a CEO, how they should go about recruiting for this position and how they manage this relationship going forward.  Clarity of responsibilities, mandate and expectations for the CEO are critical topics for the board to align on in order to provide appropriate direction and support for their most important employee.  

Like any relationship - personal or professional - there needs to be recognition that clarity, communication and mutual commitment are key to success in this partnership.  It is unlikely that every aspect of the relationship can be pre-defined or that every possible scenario that the organization encounters can be anticipated with complete certainty.  The board must be very clear about the nature of the relationship they want and need with their CEO.  How does the Board manage or create trust with their CEO?  What can the Board do to support effective and transparent communication with their CEO?  How will the Board effectively and appropriately monitor and evaluate CEO performance?  What role will the Board take in supporting and developing their CEO?

5. Board Development

The cliche phrase of "the strengths that got you here won't get you there" applies directly to governance excellence.  A board should be as vigilant about its own performance and development as it should be about the performance and development of its CEO and the organization as a whole. Unfortunately, all too often, little attention is paid to supporting board and board member development.  This begins with the quality of orientation and onboarding.  Efforts here can range from one extreme to another - from "welcome aboard" and "learn on the job" to days of being overwhelmed by written policy manuals and strategic plans.  

Beyond this initial phase of learning, well-developed boards should look to integrate learning about the organization's environment aligned with annual and longer-term objectives being pursued. In addition, the board should regularly touch base on their agreed governance framework.  This is not just work for new board members but can act as reinforcement for all directors.  This can include clarifying and reinforcing roles and responsibilities of a board member, the role of the Chair and other officers, and the code of conduct by which the board manages itself.

Finally, there is also some reason for the board to focus on how to enhance its teamwork.  In reality, the board is, in fact, a team like any other in the organization.  Like any other team, there is space and need to understand and leverage the diversity of the team, attend to development and improvement of team skills, and otherwise enhance team capacity in support of board and organizational effectiveness.  This targeted development effort also suggests some reasonable and honest effort at evaluation of board effectiveness.  

In Summary

Governance can be a rewarding endeavor for many if expectations are understood and if necessary diligence and energy are invested on an ongoing basis.  Given the importance of good governance to the success of the organization as a whole, the responsibility for doing it well cannot be underestimated.  If done well, the effort need not be overly burdensome either.  The cost of not taking governance seriously?  Let's just say that the annals of business magazines and documentaries are filled with many case studies of lessons that should be learned with 20/20 hindsight.

It's all about leadership and in this case it is about leadership at the governance level. 

_______________________________________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC

President & Founder - BreakPoint Solutions

3rd Generation Canadian Ukrainian

gregh@breakpoint.solutions 

www.breakpoint.solutions 

780-250-2543

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.

The Power of Belief

In the history of this blog, I have often touched on the concept of how our personal beliefs about ourselves create or limit our actions and path forward.  While I probably have never explicitly focused on the topic I have touched on a range of related issues:

• Creating a vision of our preferred future state;
• Understanding our "why" or purpose for doing what we want to do;
• Documenting and OWNING our strengths and achievements (to at least the same degree that we own our perceived gaps and weaknesses);
• Documenting and LIVING to our personal and professional values;
• The power of YOUR choices.

There is probably more to note but, in every case, I have implied that we all can live more powerfully forward if we believe in ourselves and our potential.  Too often my encounters with leaders, aspiring leaders, teams and even organizations, are characterized by a sense of powerlessness to influence and change reality for ourselves.  It seems so much easier - and some would say realistic - to operate from a place of being mere flotsam and jetsam in a world of forces more powerful than us.  We have come to BELIEVE that we are bit players in a world beset by change, both rapid and unpredictable, that leaves us in positions of only being able to react, cope and survive versus driving and thriving DESPITE the capricious nature of the world and people around us. 

I am certain we have all read or heard about the power of positive thinking, about what and how you manifest a preferred future state will set the stage for what you can next achieve. And there are a number of quotes that bear repeating here to reinforce this power of how our beliefs can launch us or lose us on our path:

    "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

        - Anatole France

    "Men often become what they believe themselves to be.  If I believe I cannot do something, it makes

      me incapable of doing it.  But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't

      have it in the beginning."

        - Gandhi

    "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right."

        - Henry Ford

How do we come to these beliefs and how do we shift a mind frame that would limit our potential?  Certainly, our lived experience is part of this.  More importantly, however, are the lessons we take away from that lived experience.  The key here though, is we taking away and learning the right lessons from these past experiences?  If I reflect upon my very first leadership role (some 40 years ago!), I am absolutely grateful that my first foray into leadership was immediately followed up by a period of further education and an opportunity to work in a different, much larger organization.  This is where I was exposed to a whole new range of leaders, philosophies and styles.  Without that next experience I know that I would have embedded within me a much harsher set of beliefs around people and what it is to be a successful leader.  I would have also limited my own potential around what I could achieve as a leader.  

One of the other core lessons for me in this leadership journey, and what I see playing out for others, is what we hear and own from those around us.  Everyone needs feedback on their performance and their development as a leader.  As a leader, and potential coach and mentor to those around us, we can have tremendous and outsize impact on the development of those in our circle of influence.  No greater example of this can be found than in the challenge of working with those who would break us down versus building us up.

This fact and reality was recently reinforced to me in a discussion with a leader I had worked with in the past and who has been in a leadership for many years.  I had always believed that she was an accomplished and confident leader.  I would also say that this individual never presented as a shrinking violet!  However, she recently shared with me her experience of working with a leader she described as narcissistic.  The reality she faced over a period of months (and years?) of working with this leader led her to question her competence and ability to do her job.  Her beliefs were shaped by a powerful external force.  Her belief in the views others had about her caused her to doubt and downplay her own previous assumptions about her competence and capabilities.  What ultimately saved her was the intervention of other supportive people who recognized the destruction that was being wrought.  The intervention of these others allowed her to move on from a toxic environment to a place in which she could reset, re-establish her sense of self, and continue to grow in support of herself and others.

What lessons can we take from this story and other similar stories, my own included?  Couple of key lessons I believe are reinforced for me and that I often work on with many of my coaching clients:

• Don't let others define you/limit your potential.  There will always be others you wish to diminish you for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes it is just to enjoy the exercise of the power they have.  For others, it is only through breaking down others that they find an ability to feel good about themselves.  Others are merely channeling their past experiences of being poorly treated and then determine that "if I have suffered, then others should as well."  Leadership - and even humanity - is not about breaking down, but about building up.  Don't allow yourself to buy into a narrative that is more about them then it is about you. 
• Document and vigorously own your personal values!  Without this understanding of self, we can often find ourselves pushed out of alignment with our core beliefs, fail to truly appreciate when the actions of others are toxic to our sense of self, and allow us to stay strong and in a position of choice.  This may not make navigating through to a positive end easier but we will have a greater chance of not only surviving challenging times, but also thriving as we retain the power of choice to remain or move on to our next and better opportunity.
• Document and vigorously own your strengths and achievements.  While we often hear that what got you here may not be as useful in your next role, it is also important to recognize that you have moved, changed and experienced growth over time.  You have taken on past challenges, you have had (positive) impact, and all of those experiences should be a foundation upon which you can build.  Don't let anyone else take that away from your or diminish your capabilities.
• Maintain and invest in a strong network of support.  In past blogs I have said that leadership is a team sport.  The same holds true for life in general.  All of us - regardless of age and experience - need a strong and committed network of friends, family, peers, and colleagues to support us on our personal and professional journey.  None of us can be as successful or fulfilled as we want or can be living life as the lone ranger.  Coaches and mentors can be part of this solution for you as well.  These external voices - people who are committed to your success - can be sounding boards and thinking partners to help you right size the issues you are facing, help you to better evaluate reality and circumstances, and position you to learn the right lessons AND make better decisions in alignment with your values and purpose.

Long story short, ground your beliefs in a strong foundation of who you are, touch base with your strengths and achievements on a regular basis, appreciate the growth you have achieved over time, understand that you have overcome challenges in the past and that those successes position you for overcoming the next challenge, dream big (or bigger), and build a team that supports realization of a potential that does lie before you.  

_______________________________________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC

President & Founder - BreakPoint Solutions

3rd Generation Canadian Ukrainian

gregh@breakpoint.solutions 

www.breakpoint.solutions 

780-250-2543

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.