Deckplate Leadership -- By Charles Lutz

My first two years in the Navy were less than productive. As a young 18 year old, I was loud, obnoxious, and thought many things were funny that my supervisors didn't. On the opposite end, I was also smart, eager and enthusiastic -- but I asked a lot of questions and wanted to know the "why?" of what we were doing.

This wasn't very popular with the crowd I was working for. Most of them had grown up in the Navy during the Viet Nam War and were not used to some "punk kid" asking why. My job was to do. My job was to take orders. I knew this but still wanted to know why it was we did things the way we did. As a result of a lack of "connection" with my supervisors, I was moved around from department to department because no one wanted this "kid" to work for them.

My morale suffered, my productivity suffered and I was on my way out of the organization. That was until Chief Petty Officer Denny Higgins checked onboard. Denny was a "Deckplate Leader." He took on the challenge of readying a young Sailor for future success. He was sometimes tough, pushed me to my limits, and always maintained the integrity needed to secure and maintain my trust. He was the turning point in my career and proved to be the catalyst for other successes I was able to accomplish.

Are you a deckplate leader? Here's how to tell:

They Know Themselves

Deckplate leaders know what makes their own machine operate. They have a clear vision of where they are going, how they fit in and what value they can provide to other people. This isn't by chance. Deckplate leaders objectively reflect on what has been working, what hasn't been working and how things can be improved upon.

Chief Higgins knew what made his own machine operate and he stood firm in his values. His actions modeled integrity, confidence, and a willingness to connect as people versus supervisor and subordinate. He had nothing to prove by barking orders, he knew who he was and it showed in all he did.

They Know Their People

Deckplate leaders aren't afraid to get dirty. When there is a job to be done, they model the way. When, as a Deckplate leader, you work alongside your people you get to know them. You learn what motivates them, what inspires them, what scares them, and how their machine operates. More importantly, you build a covenant of trust. A covenant that says that, no matter what, I've got your back.

Chief Higgins worked alongside me, showing how to make the most of the talents I had and pushed me to explore new possibilities. This couldn't have been accomplished from behind a desk. Deckplate leaders jump in with gusto, serve their team, and build that covenant.

They Know the Situation

For the division, department, or for the entire organization, Deckplate leaders know how their team fits in. They keep the lines of communication open at all levels -- letting others and their team members know the value they provide in getting the mission accomplished. Before Chief Higgins, I went through the motions of doing what I needed to do to get the job done and operated at minimum efficiency and effectiveness.

After his arrival, I knew how what I was doing helped so many others. That it wasn't menial work -- it was important work. My work was something that needed to be done so that others could build on it and do their part. It motivated me to work smarter, harder, and perform at my best -- each and every time. This wasn't by chance, it was a deliberative effort on his part to connect me to my work and it worked!

Are you a Deckplate leader? Do these three descriptions resonate with you? No matter where we fall in the wheel of the organization, everyone can benefit from Deckplate leadership. You don't need a fancy title, position, or office to do it. All you need is reflective spirit, a want to serve others, and a willingness to help your team move to the next level in creativity, productivity, and engagement.

Like I said, Chief Higgins was the turning point in my career. Without him, I wouldn't have stayed in the Navy and I wouldn't have served others in the capacity that I did. Don't hesitate on being a Deckplate leader, there is someone out there counting on you to step up today.
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Chip Lutz is a professional speaker, trainer, and retired Navy Officer with 22 years leadership experience. He speaks and trains on the power of positive leadership and the infusion of humor in the workplace to increase morale, productivity, and teamwork. Additionally, he is adjunct faculty for two colleges where he teaches classes in leadership, teamwork, and organizational behavior. Learn more about his work at FunSquadInc.com or email him at czar@funsquadinc.com to be put on his weekly newsletter distribution.

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The Three Types of Team Commitment By Kevin Eikenberry

Larry, Michelle and George had been friends a long time. They met in college, and though they each went to work in different organizations, they committed to getting together once a year to discuss their careers, opportunities and challenges. Over the years they had each risen to senior leadership roles within their organizations. At their most recent annual retreat the topic of team commitment came up.

As it turned out, they were as puzzled after their conversation as they had been before they began. Why? Because they all believed that team commitment was important, and they all felt they had it, and yet the performance of their teams weren’t as strong as they hoped for or felt was possible.

Listen in to part of their conversation...

Larry knew something wasn`t connecting for his team in terms of productivity, but wasn`t sure just what. "If anything, we have great team commitment. People understand the organizational goals and have truly bought into that direction. It`s clear from their words and actions that they are committed to our organizational goals. And yet, something is still missing. I`m not sure what it is."

Michelle said, "We’re missing something in the productivity area as well, but my team is committed too. They are staunchly proud of the team - in fact they wave the team banner regularly - I`m surprised they haven`t had t-shirts made! They believe in the team`s role, they know that what they do is important, and like I said, man, are they proud!"

George concluded the comments of the trio. "My team is tremendously committed to each other. They are supportive, give each other great feedback and are always looking out for each other - more so than any other team I`ve ever seen. With all this commitment I`m baffled why they aren`t more successful!"

The conversation continued along a similar vein, with no real conclusions, until the next morning at breakfast.

The Morning Aha

At breakfast, Michelle said, "I was thinking about our team commitment conversation last night, and I woke up this morning with an idea! I think we do all have committed teams - but they aren`t committed to the same things. I think what we really need is a combination of the three types of commitments each of our teams have! Look at it this way..."

Michelle then drew three concurrent circles. In the inner circle she wrote "Commitment to Each Other." In the middle circle`s area she wrote "Commitment to the Team." And in the outer circle she wrote "Commitment to the Organization."

With this picture the group discussed the idea at great length and how to build the two types of commitment their teams didn`t have. They also decided to talk in a couple of months about their progress.

The Three Circles

Commitment is critically important to team success. Of course there are other factors for success (like relationships, clear goals and more), but commitment is one that often is overlooked. More specifically, teams need three forms of commitment to be most successful:

1. Commitment to each other and each other`s success. Teams that are comprised of individuals that actively support, believe in and care about the success of each other will be more successful. This type of commitment promotes the comfortable shifting of duties and responsibilities among team members as necessary and allows teams to have less stress and higher productivity.

2. Commitment to their team and the team`s success. Team pride and commitment is important to ultimate success. The commitment that arises from a team that understands their role and relishes achieving it is hard to undervalue. Teams with this type of commitment will overcome long odds due to their strength and unity and willingness to band together to get through a tough situation. Why? Because they see the effort as worth it for the good of the team.

3. Commitment to the organization and organizational goals. When teams see their work as supporting valuable and important organizational pursuits, this type of commitment is strengthened. This can`t be built without a clear understanding of company direction and goals, but with those in place this commitment can grow. Like the internal team commitment, this manifests in organizational pride and a clear sense of obligation to the greater good.

Thinking about each of these separately as a team leader or a team member will help you determine where gaps might be. Hopefully your team has high marks in each area. If not, this list gives you a place to start in building higher levels of commitment in the areas that might be lacking.

Potential Pointer: The important team commitments include commitment to the organization, the team and each other. The stronger and more balanced these commitments are, the more successful and productive any team will be.
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Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You can contact him to learn more about how he can help you or your organization improve your skills and results.

Sponsor: Dr. John C. Maxwell's Learning The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership DVD Training Curriculum - This powerful training resource is designed to meet your leadership training needs! You and your team will get clear insight into timeless leadership principles and learn a process for continual growth in the life of your organization. Order your copy of this powerful leadership training program.

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A Leader Has High Ethics By Sheila Murray Bethel, PhD.

A young executive recently said to me, "How can I worry about ethics when our company is involved in a hostile takeover and we're fighting for our very existence?"

My answer was, "You don't have to put ethics on the shelf while doing corporate battle. Without ethics, even if you win you lose."

Every time we say or do something unethical we chip away at the foundations of our moral character and the reputation of our organization. If we're going to make a difference we must set examples of high ethics for others to follow.

I'm sure that you agree that the prime purpose of businesses is to make profit. But when profits become the only measure of success, we've lost sight of our shared values. When unethical business practices create unfair situations that go beyond a healthy competitive environment we are in deep trouble.

In a competitive market, doing business often involves beating out the other guy, getting the best of the deal, turning one million into five million. In this adversarial climate clear definitions of ethics can be difficult. How do you know when an action is a brilliant tactic or unscrupulous double-dealing? One way is to ask yourself if this action might harm an individual or business.

No one ever said that being ethical is easy. We live in a world with more and more ethical gray areas. Circumstances pull at us every day urging us to take the easy way out, to twist something just a little, or to close our eyes for just a second. Acts of omission can be just as unethical as acts of commission. Saying and doing nothing can be just as unethical as the committed act. The distinction between what is legal and what is unethical has become blurred.

Human Values - Business problems are ultimately human problems and so, human values must be applied to their solutions. These human values and solutions come from you and me. The good news is that the profit motive and social responsibility can coexist and prosper when we operate with high ethical standards and compassion. The stronger our ethical behavior, the better leaders we become. Harry J. Gray, former Chairman of United Technologies said, "How we perform as individuals determines how we perform as a nation."

Situational Ethics - Each of us makes daily decisions about our ethical behavior in various situations; thus we live with situational ethics. Since we are not perfect, we rarely operate consistently at the highest ethical level. Instead, the best we can do is to try to develop the wisdom and judgment to get as close to perfection as possible. For example, absolute honesty means never lie. That sounds like a good idea. But all of us have told "white lies" to keep from hurting someone's feelings.

Remember the last time a friend ask if you liked his or her new clothing, If you didn't, there was little point in saying so. If you found a neutral comment that was appropriate but that did not tell the absolute truth, are you unethical? Most of us would answer "no" So we use our experience (wisdom and judgment) and our conscience (moral character and integrity) to tell us how far we stray from absolute honesty.

Situational ethics or not, if something is ethically or morally repugnant on a personal scale, it is equally repugnant in our jobs and professions. In both areas, our personal lives and our business lives, the leader sets the standards, tries to live by them, and communicates the same expectation to others.

Shared Values - In the United States our pledge of allegiance says, "with Liberty and justice for all." If our nation is to remain great we must reestablish what our forefathers created for us: E. pluribus Unum, one composed of many. In the new decade just ahead we need to work together for our common interests, hopes and values, more than ever before We must examine our personal standard of conduct -- our ethics, and have the courage to turn the spot light on our actions, habits and examples.

Our differences are part of our great strength. We are a melting pot of peoples, religions and ideas. Out of this wonderfully diverse mixture has come our shared values system of ethical values. You make a difference as a leader when you set an example of high ethics.
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Sheila Murray Bethel, Ph.D. is author of the bestselling book, Making A Difference, 12 Qualities That Make You A Leader, host of the Public Television series Making a Difference, and recipient of the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame award. She can be reached at 800-548-8001, e-mail: Sheila@BethelInstitute.com, or visit at her web site: www.BethelInstitute.com.

-what are your thoughts on what you read above? Anything you would like to add?

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Vision: Help Your Organization See It by William Blades

Many people regard the oak tree as one of the strongest. Actually, the oak tree began as a little nut that would not go away.

As business people, we need to take a lesson from the oak tree and be a little "nuts" ourselves in order to grow. Being "nuts" means that we must be willing "to go out there" once in a while. Why? Because very few organizational leaders have the vision to do so, which causes their teams to become boring and stale. Such a lack of vision is what ruins many companies.

Instilling vision in your group starts with the mind. After all, if you don't use it, you lose it. Stretch the way your people think and their minds will not go back to their original dimensions. If you don't stretch it, you'll wind up with premature dementia and the "death" of many managers and salespeople.

Consider the following vision questions:

What new value-added service will you add that no one else in your industry dispenses?

What personal services are your salespeople delivering, in a customized manner, to each major client?

As the CEO or sales chief, are you too caught up in the day-to-day routine of mundane administration, or are you leading a group of professional change agents?

Do you teach and then expect enhanced creativity from every manager and salesperson?

Are you flooded with resumes from top sales professionals because of your reputation for creativity, leadership, and fun?

Do your employees and prospective employees fully understand your vision?

There is only one correct answer for each of the questions above, and "I don't know" is not an answer. In general, only one to two sales groups out of every hundred truly have a belief in greatness. They can clearly answer the six questions above. The other 98 - 99 organizations only have a casual interest in greatness. Their thoughts and actions simply do not overlap.

All business leaders must take time to think - even daydream. If not, you may not see the opportunities that are too good to resist. Why daydream? Because what you see will be determined by what your are seeking. Daydream what your management / sales groups and revenues will look like in one, two, and three years. You won't hit the big picture if it is not clearly in sight.

As you set forth with your vision, consider how you can improve some critical areas, including:

The CEO - All company CEOs must be strong-willed. One person with a belief in greatness equals 99 who only have an interest in it.

In order to see the vision through, the CEO's initial mission is to obtain the right people and remove / reassign the wrong people. So, it's not a matter of what the CEO is going to do; it's a matter of who the CEO is going to get to do it. After all, a great vision without great people is irrelevant.

The CEO can delegate and empower the right people the absolutes they must accomplish. This removes the big list of "maybes" that are uttered daily in many businesses. CEOs must effectively communicate their vision throughout the organization and expect (and demand) buy-in. When the CEO's expectations are high, he or she builds trust and respect. As a result, the people follow the CEO's lead.

The V.P. Team - The CEO must have the best group of V.P.s to see the vision through. If any individual in this group does not have the respect and trust of his or her people, the CEO must act. Why? You can't be the best at what you do without great V.P.s. And you will never have the best sales team without a great V.P. of Sales. The CEO must have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of the company's current reality and know how to change that reality for the better.

At times, the CEO may need the assistance of an outside coach to facilitate a V.P.'s understanding of what he/she must do better. Often, people simply don't know what they don't know yet. That is not a crime, because they usually got the promotion without the prior education of how to be a great V.P.

Instead, they got a desk with the usual instructions to "go get after it." Without the necessary training investment to provide them with needed knowledge, your V.P.s will never accomplish physical speed or the ability to execute faster than your competition. Eliminate the gap that exists between "what" and "how."

You need leaders - not managers - in the V.P. role. Many V.P.s have ingrained habits that are unhealthy to the team and to your results. Are your V.P.s scoring a 10 with vision, discipline, communication, greatness, and results? The true enemy is always the ordinary. Attack the enemy.

Culture - Most firms have a culture (of whatever) and some have discipline, but very few have a culture of discipline.

Discipline means you develop a list of things you will stop doing (e.g.: being the low-ball vendor) before you develop a list of things to do. Hiring and educating well-disciplined people who do not have to be managed frees you to stay focused on the big picture.

You need people who will go to extreme measures to get things done right and fast. You need people who will pay attention to their part of the business. And, you need people who have a passion for self-improvement. It's that simple - and that challenging. Hard work has a future pay off, while laziness pays off now.

Ask yourself: For your vision to become a reality, does your group look like it should? What will it look like in two years? In three years?

Don't be lazy in designing your future.

Self Improvement - Benchmark against the best in your industry and decide you will be better than the best. Then, invest in the training and education necessary to accomplish the task. The biggest obstacle for your sales improvements will be to stop your managers and salespeople from teaching and acting on Sales 101. That teaching mode is five decades old. It's time for Sales 501.

A study conducted by Proudfoot Consulting revealed the following:

Of 225 (85% of capacity) work days in the U.S., 137 were "productive work days" while 88 were "wasted work days."

Causes of lost productivity were:

37% - insufficient planning and control.

28% - inadequate management.

15% - poor working morale.

8% - IT-related problems.

8% - ineffective communication

4% - other.

The results show that leaders need to focus on proactive management, delegation, processes, achievements, and communication both internally and externally. "U.S. productivity levels will rise dramatically if steps are taken to improve the management and supervisory roles, ensuring that managers tackle problems before they occur, spend their time on "managerial" activity rather than administrative and manual tasks, and communicate effectively to employees." (Source: Consulting, February 2002)

As we have heard many times before, it starts at the top. We can only regain productivity when the top level of the organization becomes more effective. The fact is that the average sales person in North America loses 3½ hours daily due to a variety of issues. They might look busy, but are they productive? Working on the right things will help their new-found knowledge work more effectively. Do the right things and then teach your team to do the same.

Innovation and Creativity - Organizations fail when they do not manage effectively - and when they don't innovate. Fall in love with innovation, not just with products, but with the ways you think, act, and do. The last frontier, other than searching further into outer space, is the human brain.

So to be super successful, we must think until it hurts. And that's our challenge, because most people get in the habit of just doing and not thinking. With that posture comes same-o, same-o, and in many cases same-o energy and same-o results.

To ramp up sales, an organization needs to be famous for something - and then something else. Salespeople also need to be famous for something - and then something else. If not, you are in the proverbial box. Fortunately, you can teach creativity. That's a good thing, as studies prove that only one out of one hundred people are creative. Start hiring creative, even eccentric people. Then, challenge these people to help bring new-found sparks to complement your vision.

What is creativity? It's linking two seemingly unrelated things. It's seeing an empty, transparent flower vase in a potential client's lobby. Fill it with exotic fish and decorations. And it comes with a year's supply of fish food - with your private label on it, of course. (At least tape your business card to the food container.)

Expose your people to creative and inspirational people. Get them to read more business books and novels (and even poetry). Encourage them to enjoy art and music that can't be found at Joe's Bar & Fun Joint. In a recent Businessweek article written by Robert Barker, the recently retired CEO and Chairman of Honeywell International, Inc., Lawrence Bossidy, said, "You've got to promote people who want to be creative and innovate. Drones don't have good ideas." He further says that we should resist the tyranny of the drones.

Is creativity in your organization? Ask yourself: What did each member of my management team do last week that they had not done before? How about the salespeople?

The bottom line is that you must recruit, select, train, and motivate better than anyone else. This is one rule you cannot break, as your successors will come from this commitment. And remember to look for - and teach - creativity. Being boring is out, if it was ever in. Even accountants can be creative. They could add this note to past due notices: "We've done more for you than your own mother. We've carried you 10 months."

Know Your Business - Rule number one is to keep it simple. Make it challenging and fun internally, and valuable and fun externally. Don't stray from your vision or your values.

Work smarter, not cheaper. Improve sales and profits through innovation and creativity. It's called "delivering joy and value." What are you doing to own the marketplace and at greater margins than all or most of your competitors? If you are caught in price wars, the value your team is bringing is woefully weak at best.

Focus on value. Realize that this doesn't mean just shipping on time. You're supposed to do that. What is the value you bring that no one else does? While it may not be easy to figure out, it is doable 100% of the time. So if one of your salespeople says your 2x4 piece of lumber is "just a commodity item," hit him on the backside with it. Ask your salespeople what they have done for their clients to bring joy and value to the transaction.

Are your salespeople targeting the right clients? Are they (and you) building loyalty? Are they making the same "pitch" at other places? Great leadership and education will keep everyone focused on the right things and right clients.. with the right margins.

Find Your Vision Today - Finding your company's vision is a lot like an old water pump. You have to put a little water in it and then pump it. For a little while, nothing comes out. Then a little comes out.and then a lot.

You cannot look for one single defining moment or action, not one single innovation, not one lucky break. Finding and maintaining your vision is a process like the pump. What you put in will determine what comes out. Prime and pump it every day.

Much of your vision starts with surrounding yourself with people who have vision. The right people will help you with strategy and tactics so you can put the vision in place and see it through. Great vision from the CEO, without great people, is just another visionary thing.

Vision - The good news is that many competitors just don't see it.
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Bill Blades, CMC, CPS
William Blades, LLC
1240 Red Tail Way
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
307-635-1989
www.WilliamBlades.com

Sponsor Message Dr. John C. Maxwell's Learning The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership DVD Training Curriculum - This powerful training resource is designed to meet your leadership training needs! You and your team will get clear insight into timeless leadership principles and learn a process for continual growth in the life of your organization. Order your copy of this powerful leadership training program here.


*brought to you by BusinessLeadershipAdvice.com