Developing Corporate Leaders

The process of developing leaders for the corporate world has to undergo a radical transformation. Old mindsets and methodologies, the tried and tested will fail dismally to produce leaders capable of leading into the future.

In a world that is getting ever smaller cultures collide with increasing frequency. In this world of radical indeterminacy, paradox, diversity and acute uncertainty, leadership needs to transcend local context. In short, the ‘global leadership’ template is being re-written. Relying on what has worked in the past will be the surest recipe for failing in the future and avoiding this fatality requires a radical overhaul of our understanding of the context, task, challenge and measure of the corporate leader. Or in the words of Kenichi Ohmae in his book, The Next Global Stage,”Over the last two decades, the world has changed substantially. The economic, political, social, corporate, and personal rules that now apply bear scant relation to those applicable two decades ago. Different times require a different script.”

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The Essential Smoke and Mirror of Leadership

My youngest son Sipho arrived home from school the other day having just negotiated a history exam. “Well, how did it go?” I asked. Without so much as breaking his stride, he replied, “Well Dad, I either got 92% or 60%” and with that disappeared into his room leaving an empty and somewhat stunned silence in his wake.

I was left pondering his answer. Answer? What kind of answer was that anyway? I was left with two thoughts: Firstly, Sipho has a bright future in politics and secondly, he did a masterful job at managing parental expectations!

It was the second conclusion that led me to thinking about two of the most important aspects of leadership, namely the need to manage expectations and the need to manage perceptions. … Continue Reading

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So, it is your first day in the corner office…

I received an email the other day inviting me to contribute a ‘thought’ or message to a leader newly appointed to the role of CEO. I was one of several people invited to do so and I thought it was a nice touch. Unfortunately, the mail arrived at a time when I was in Thailand on holiday (someone has to do it) and deliberately computerless. By the time I read the invitation, the deadline and opportunity to make a contribution had passed. Ah well, maybe next time.

But I got to think what it is I would have written and decided that this is the message that I would want a new CEO to hear…

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Developing corporate leaders

Explore four trends that are currently changing the face of business as Keith explains how these trends are resulting in the need for a radical transformation in the process of developing leaders who are capable of leading into the future.

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The Great HR Paradox: A Thought Bullet for CEO’s everywhere

“Never before has ‘HR’ (Human Resources) been so redundant within the corporation; yet paradoxically, never before has it been more critical.” In this article, Keith Coats offers a viewpoint on how companies can make the transition to the connection economy and arrive in tomorrow’s world with the requisite skills to not only survive but succeed and lead in the business world today.

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Dear Yves…a conversation around Values

Following a presentation on Invitational Leadership at a two day workshop for senior leaders at a prominent multi-national, the CEO of the company and Keith Coats engaged in a chat about values and the role they play in a company. He invited Keith to email him some thoughts around the four values his company had framed. Here is Keith’s response. It is an excellent insight into the type of values-driven leadership required in companies today.

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The Inconvenient Truth for Leaders

What global warming is to Al Gore, so is the issue of control to the leader. However the inconvenient truth is that control is an illusion. Keith Coats, global leadership guru explores the concept of leadership and control in this insightful article on invitational leadership.

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Rethinking Leadership

The more I look, listen, read and learn, to more convinced I am that our approach to leadership education and development needs a major rethink. Rather than focusing on static ’snapshots’ leaders need to learn how to identify patters, articulate ideas and provide metaphors that enable accurate interpretation of what is happening within their personal and business networks. The temptation (and legacy) is to default to finding ‘technical solutions’ – those answers that sit within the current paradigm and which can be analyzed, measured and managed – rather than engage in the true work of leadership; that of engaging themselves and others in the necessary ‘adaptive challenges’ at hand.

‘Adaptive leadership’ according to Parks in her book ‘Leadership can be taught’ (which explores the philosophy and methodology of Harvard leadership virtuoso Ron Heifetz – purchase online at Amazon.com or Kalahari.net) involves looking beneath the surface, embracing new mindsets, new learning and new behaviour; engaging complexity – seeing the whole and challenging deeply held assumptions and values. The kind of leadership that engages both heart and mind. In a predicable world where tomorrow resembles today, the old approach to leadership can survive. However, we no longer live in such a world. We live – and have to lead – in a world that is ‘tiny’, a world that is connected, a world of bewildering paradox and one that is no standing still. This world requires a new type of leadership and those tasked with teaching leadership will find less relevance in past models and will have to themselves, learn from the future.

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The New Village: Building Courageous Companies

In this article, Keith Coats, our resident leadership expert, visits one of his favourite themes: the company as a village. He explains the four key requirements for developing successful and resilient organisations: belonging, mastery, independence and generosity.

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Encountering the Stars (and Stripes): The Problem with the Guru Mentality a personal experience.

Why is it that Americans always seem to have an answer? Now, before I progress let me make it clear that I have nothing against Americans per se, and in fact know many who could not be put in the category I am about to articulate. NonethelessI have noticed an alarming trend. There have been several experiences over many years that have contributed to me arriving at this opinion. But let me share a fresh experience that merely underscores the point being made.

Both these fresh observations come out of attending two Leadership conferences in Shanghai. Both involve watching and listening to the visiting American leadership Gurus that have come here (over the past two years) to share their insights. Both have come with impressive credentials and big reputations. Both have vast experience and certainly have good points worthy of attention. Both are best selling authors. Both are articulate and confident. Both offered solutions or best practices that were about their way – aka the American way of doing things. And I am sure that both would deny this and point to a global effectiveness within their sphere of influence.

And here is my issue: both seem not to listen. I found myself baulking at their quick fire, ready-made and slick answers. No hesitation, no clarifying question… just the answer wrapped, packed, sealed and delivered. They seemed unable to hear the question, to ask the question (why would you if you already have the answer?) much less pause in the space that the question invites. Both seem strangers to the gift that the question offers that space where you get to hear others, where you get to learn of a better way. For, there always is a better way. Neither, in both their formal and, as far as I could determine, their informal manner, explored the gift of the question.

During one tea break a group of us were pondering some of the more paradoxical points of coaching when the one Guru joined the group. Naturally his opinion was sought. Naturally he gave an answer offering a sweeping global formula (his technique). Naturally he didn’t hear the (small) questioning voice that challenged his opinion once he had had finished. And so the gift of the pause was lost. After sharing his wisdom (without so much as asking a question of those assembled) he moved on, no doubt to impart his wisdom elsewhere. The irony for me was that he was a coach (with some impressive CEOs as clients I might add) and the focus of his keynote address was about the virtue of listening and asking questions. And here he was in our tea group where he didn’t do either – where he didn’t join the conversation but rather took it ransom. Something that was to be repeated around the dinner table that same evening.

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Leading the Whatever Generation – the “Bright Young Things”

Leadership in today’s world is not easy. I suspect it has never ‘been easy’ but with the contemporary levels of complexity, connectedness and ubiquitous change these are indeed unique times in which to live and lead. The twin challenges that leaders face, that of leading diversity and understanding the inherent paradoxes, demands from leaders new mindsets that lead to new behaviours. All of this converges, like the Leader’s personal perfect storm, when it comes to leading Talent, or those we refer to as the, ‘Bright Young Things’. This article article explores six keys to understanding and leading Talent. It may even shed some light on those ‘Bright Young Things’ who inhabit your household! … Continue Reading

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Downshifting – Changing the gears

Tired of the constant pressure of corporate life Bruce decided he no longer needed this kind of life. With no dependents he and his wife sold-up house and business and moved into a rustic coastal cottage they now call home. Turning to what they love, voluntarily dabbling in a variety of ventures of their choice and simplifying their lifestyle will be the new context in which they life and work.

In different shapes and forms, thousands are doing the same. And it is not only those with the financial muscle or those close to the end of their careers who are doing so!
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Natural or Unnatural – that is the question

Currently reading Dotlich and Cairo’s book titled, ‘Unnatural Leadership’ with the subtitle, ‘Going against intuition and experience to develop ten new leadership instincts’. So what are these 10 ‘new leadership instincts’?

Well here they are in the order in which they were given…
Refuse to be a prisoner of experience
Expose your vunerabilities
Acknowledge your shadow side
Develop a right-verses-right decision making mentality
Create teams that create discomfort
Trust others before they earn it
Coach and teach rather than lead and inspire
Connect instead of create
Challenge the conventional wisdom

I then got to wondering just how it was that, in the corporate environment, we could have perverted that, which in the context of human relationships, was the natural order, to such as extent that it is now regarded as unnatural? It seems that what was originally unnatural was able to first usurp and then masquerade as the natural order but all that is about to change once more as the natural state of things turns unnatural in order to displace the real unnatural natural!

Ummmm.

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The Attitude and Action of Authentic Leadership

In this thought-provoking article, Keith cuts across many of the myths of modern leadership to suggest one attitude and one action that truly authentic and savvy leaders need to take more seriously than they do. He is concerned that chasing after the leadership “gurus” is part of the reason that there is a global leadership crisis, and suggests that humbly embarking on a journey may be the best response by those leaders that want to go the distance.

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Talk Story: Signposts for Savvy Leaders

Why do we struggle so with telling stories? Kids don’t struggle in this regard, and perhaps nor do we when with friends, around a meal, in a pub or over a braai (or barbeque for the less initiated). The practice of storytelling is central in any culture with the Hawaiians using a magical phrase, ‘talk story’ – to capture the importance of storytelling in their context.

But assemble a group of adults or leaders around a board room table and story telling can be as painful as extracting teeth from a pit-bull. And as dangerous! Perhaps the problem lies not in the subject but in the context. The ‘work’ context – apart from the ‘water-cooler’ meetings or other informal times and spaces, simply does not invite storytelling. Perhaps we have been too deeply programmed to believe that when it comes to the formal places and spaces within our working lives, there can be no room for storytelling. Of course the irony is that stories do exist – they are always there it is just that in this context, they sit under the surface avoiding detection. This may be the case partly because there might be the uneasy feeling and unspoken belief that such a pursuit is really better left in the playground. And so it is, that in the realm where business-speak rules, stories have no rightful place, they have no voice.

But this needs to change.

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‘Even Chuck has to Change’: Leading in a changing world

In times of change, leaders who are prepared to learn will succeed, while those who consider themselves to be learned will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. We live and lead in a sea of constant change. Anyone who needs to be convinced of this reality is most likely just visiting from another planet. However, it is one thing to acknowledge the constant change that surrounds us and quite another to be able to unlearn, relearn and learn in this tumultuous sea of change. According to Alvin Toffler in Future Shock, “the illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn”

In my experience, many leaders are not coping well with the need to change. In fact, several are swallowing unhealthy amounts of water as they struggle to stay afloat in the turbulent swells that surround them. After all, attempting to swim in such conditions is certainly not for the faint-hearted or those in need of water-wings! However, here are four reminders – or perhaps lighthouses that serve to warn of peril – for leaders everywhere when it comes to leading in today’s world:

Be prepared to change.

Savvy leaders realise that in such times even Chuck (Norris) has to change. … Continue Reading

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Two great questions for leaders anywhere

Eric Hoffer was quoted as saying, “In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists”. It reminds me of something that I once read that was attributed to Peter Drucker: There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.

So as I consider these I find myself asking, ‘what is that I am REALLY learning?’ and ‘am I doing things that are keeping me from what it is I need to be learning?’
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Leadership Lessons on Teamwork from the Kids

Having written the book, Everything I know about leadership I learnt from the kids, I often get asked if I really believe that leaders can learn about leadership from kids.

Yes, I do. And here’s why I believe leaders can learn from kids.

Last year my daughter Tamryn, was elected as Head Girl of her school (of course the proud parents pointed knowingly to the role that the gene pool had played in the process!). It was interesting to watch her tackle the responsibility and challenges that such a position entailed and I enjoyed some insightful conversations with her as the year unfolded. Once the curtain on the year came down I invited her to send me an email sharing what she had learnt about leadership through the experience.

Besides the obvious need to work on respect for her father, this was the response: … Continue Reading

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SAA does it again: saga continues…

Some time ago I wrote about the way SAA dealt with delays on the Sunday night of the A1 GP out of Durban. No problem about the delays (after all who can control a thunder storm!) but rather the total lack of information to those impacted by a delay that in my case was actually 4 hours.

But there was another issue I had with SAA: On an international flight out of Jhb to Hong Kong the flight was delayed by 2 hours. This meant that the staff overshot their no more than 16 hour continuous service law. The compromise was to refuse to serve half of the evening meal and breakfast. As I had traded in 35 000 voyager miles to secure business class this response wasn’t good enough. I wrote asking that they reinstate my miles as I had paid for a service that in part I had not received. This is SAA’s response. The saga will not end here…

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Lessons in Leadership from Steve “Tugga” Waugh: former Australian Cricket Captain

E-ZINE ARTICLE, FEBRUARY 2006
Sign up for free e-zine at: http://www.tomorrowtoday.biz/newsletter/index.htm

by Keith Coats

When it comes to the Australian cricket team there are very few neutrals: You either love them or hate them. However, regardless of which side of the fence you happen to be, the one thing that you cannot deny is the fact that they are, without fear of contradiction, the number one side in the world in both forms of the game. The Australian brand of cricket is professional, ruthless and bold. They would rather lose trying to win than play for a draw. And win they do, with a consistency to be admired and one that is unmatched by their rivals. In developing their winning culture, they have transformed the way test cricket is played and have become the benchmark for the chasing pack.

But cricket, as with life, is seasonal. The Australians have not always enjoyed their current dominance, having wrestled the crown from the West Indies in the early 1990’s. Embedded in the rise and ascendancy of the Australians are some valuable lessons for leaders everywhere. These insights are succinctly encapsulated by the life and career of former captain Steve ‘Tugga’ Waugh, in his excellent autobiography, Out of my Comfort Zone (ISBN 0-670-04198-1).

By the time Waugh inherited the captaincy of the test side from Tubby Taylor in 1999, Australian cricket already enjoyed worldwide dominance. Getting to that point had entailed putting in place a very deliberate process. It was a process that required patience, commitment and consistent application, all of which were fuelled by the desire to be the best. Steve Waugh’s character and leadership epitomized these characteristics that marked the process and in so doing, provide lessons for leaders everywhere.

Waugh described the role of captain as one that required him to be an advisor, mentor, friend, psychologist, mediator, spokesperson, politician and selector. Today’s corporate leader can identify with the multi-facetted role and nature that is contemporary leadership. In the emerging Connection economy leaders are required to assume many roles and any reluctance or refusal to recognize this reality, results in a one dimensional leadership in which the leader’s impact and effectiveness are diluted. Dexterity, flexibility and an ability to recognise what role is required are skills that are integral to savvy leadership. The normal corporate environment is a cacophony of diversity that demands of leaders the ability to respond in a variety of ways. This requires leaders to exhibit a great degree of emotional intelligence, understanding and sensitivity. It could be an interesting exercise to make a list of the various roles you as a leader have been required to play over the past four months and then to examine your performance as you have done so. Valuable questions then include: Which roles require further development? Which are the roles that energize and which have been the ones that have drained energy? What roles are needed, but are missing?

Here then are lessons that savvy leaders can take from the Steve Waugh story:

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