Monday, January 18, 2016

The Passionate Pursuit

Over the most recent Christmas season I presented a book to each member of my TEC Canada CEO Forum.  Really just a small token of my appreciation for having had the opportunity to work with each of them in this past year and a commitment to continue working with them on their leadership and business journey in the year to come.

Historically, whether as CEO or senior leader within my past organizations, I have used the gift of books to reward, recognize and/or inspire those I work with.  I have often gravitated to the true life stories of individuals who have achieved against great odds or have shown an amazing determination to succeed.  This year was very much along that lines.  The book I choose to pass on as a gift was "Alone Against the North" and chronicles one Canadian explorer's years' long obsession and journey into the remote and forbidding wilderness of the Hudson Bay Lowlands.

As I read explorer Adam Shoalts' story about his many journeys into the Hudson Bay area it was clear that this obsession was in fact his passion.  He endured many trials and tribulations including lack of companionship, inadequate equipment, storms, isolation, injury, wildlife encounters (polar bears most notably), and hoards of mosquitoes and black flies.  There was little else to be gained by such venture in terms of fame or fortune.  Rather the desire to explore the unknown, to contribute to knowledge of a vast wilderness, to see and experience something no one else had - these were the things that kept Shoalts motivated and enduring when others gave up.  It also inspired and motivated Shoalts to begin a journey that few others are even inspired to undertake.

The story of Shoalts reminded me of other similar inspirational stories that I had read before.  Very man of these are in the same exploration vein.  The story of Ernest Shackleton immediately comes to mind.  In many ways this could be called a spectacular and courageous failure.  To a potentially a greater degree than Shoalts, Shackleton might have been motivated by fame and fortune in trying to lead the first expedition to traverse the Antarctic continent in 1914.  But this grand vision gradually gave way to an imperative of mere survival as his ship, the Endurance, was crushed by the overpowering grip of polar ice leaving his 28 man crew stranded on a polar ice floe.  At several points after their stranding, a man of less commitment and passion could have given up the ghost.  Just as clearly, a man of lessor integrity and passion for his men could have saved himself.  But Shackleton did neither of these things.  He persevered against all odds - which were decidedly stacked against him - and rescued every single one of his men.

The underlying theme it seems to me in these stories and in stories of similar explorers, adventurers and even athletes, is that what drives them to withstand pain, suffering, failure, and even the risk of death is their passionate pursuit of something bigger than themselves.  In the case of Shoalts it is clear to me that he would have pursued his exploration goal regardless of achievement or recognition.  He felt a stronger pull and a commitment to a grander purpose.  Likewise Shackleton might not have been castigated for losing his ship and men in such dire circumstances.  He might have been easily forgiven for not going to the lengths he did to save his men.  But it was not in his makeup to give up.  He was passionately committed to his men and to something bigger than financial or reputational reward.

These and other stories speak to the kind of passionate leader I aspire to be and I hope that I can work with in my career.  These stories beg the question of my leadership as to what am I prepared to endure to hold true to my passion and values as a leader.  Could I ever sustain and be as passionately committed to a goal in the same way as Shoalts and Shackelton?  Would I be prepared to sacrifice as much as they were prepared to in order to have "success" on their own terms.

So I put to you - what animates your passionate pursuit of leadership?  Are you motivated by fame, fortune, glory and accolades?  Or is there something bigger that keeps your leadership flame alight even in the darkest hour?  Can you demonstrate your passionate pursuit of leadership in a way that truly inspires your followers?  Can you hold to your true north even when no one else is looking or expecting that level of excellence?
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

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.

Monday, January 4, 2016

Of Faith, Courage and Humility

There are many qualities and characteristics posited by various thought leaders on what makes a great leader.  Kouzes and Posner have written extensively on leadership being founded on credibility which itself is a function of a number of qualities including courage, vision, honesty, and ability to inspire.  Jim Collins talks about Level 5 Leaders being self-effacing, quiet, reserved and presenting a paradoxical blend of personal humility and ambition for the greater good (versus self).  Stephen Covey identifies a complementary set of characteristics for what he calls principle-centered leaders which includes continuous learners, service-orientation, positive attitude, belief in others, and being able to offer/create synergistic solutions.

My view of leadership has been influenced by all of these authors - and more.  So what I will add to your thought process today may be an echo of what we have both already read or heard.  However, as I suspect is the case with your own experience, my views of leadership have also been shaped by how these guidelines, parameters, and musings of thought leaders have or have not shown up in the "real" world.  In the case of each author - and certainly in my own experience - there is a recognition that there are real contrasts in how leadership success is defined by various organizations at various points in time of their evolution.  And without a doubt we have people in leadership positions who I would not call leaders by my own definition nor by what people like Kouzes & Posner, Collins and Covey would define as great leadership.

Based on a few of my experiences, I choose to expand on a few key leadership qualities that I believe would be required to succeed as a leader.  First on my list is Faith in Others.  Leadership by its very definition requires that you work with others.  For me this means much more than having followers.  The emphasis I place within this context is in fact having people who work WITH you and not FOR you.  Do you have faith and trust in what they can bring to the table?  Can you step back from leadership in some circumstances and let your team take charge?  Are you allowing them to succeed even without you?  For me it also means hearing them as they bring forward their perspectives on the health of the organization and the quality of your leadership.  This is where having Faith in Others really hits home.  Do you trust that the information that they are giving you is based in (their) reality or do you dismiss such feedback because it doesn't accord with your view of the world?


Related to my concept of Faith in Others, is the Courage required to be a leader.  This relates to the concept laid out by Jim Collins of confronting the brutal facts.  As leaders we are certainly called upon to create a vision and inspire others to greatness.  What we have to be careful of, however, or balance against this inspiring vision is recognizing what real barriers might be getting in the way of success.  Failing that honest assessment we are likely no better than the proverbial ostrich sticking its head in the sand.  By way of example, I was recently told a story of a leader who choose to challenge a perspective of the collective leadership team of the organization at a regular leadership forum.  In essence the leader had been hearing rumblings from mid-level and senior leaders about a changing - and deteriorating - organizational culture.  Rather than using the forum to delve into the reasons behind this perception or reality, the leader chose not only to dismiss this perspective out-of-hand but also suggested that if there was any problem it was with those bringing up the issue.  Needless to say a climate of truth and collaboration was not fostered that day.  Having the courage to face up to perceptions and realities - no matter how challenging - takes some leadership courage.

Finally, and directly related to Faith in Others and Courage, is personal Humility.  To be successful - particularly on a long-term basis - a leader requires an ability to self assess, to self-manage and continuously learn. In my personal view, a leader has to be in a continuous process of self assessment.  They must be prepared to accept contrary facts about where they are, where they would like to be, what gaps exist between current and desired leadership acumen, and what work is required to move their personal performance.  This not only means taking time out from general leadership
duties for targeted and guided self-reflection but also being open to constructive feedback from others.  This presumes a recognition that no individual or leader ever achieves perfection.  A truly self-aware leader actively seeks out honest perspectives on their leadership even if that assessment doesn't always paint them in the the most desirable light.  Never expect to get a 10 out of 10 on a performance evaluation or other form of assessment.  On the contrary, let me suggest that if those are the results you have been getting as a leader than your stakeholders are no longer prepared to give you honest and useful feedback.

Those are my thoughts on key leadership characteristics informed by my own leadership journey, continuous learning, and evaluation of personal experience.  Work on your equation of Faith, Courage and Humility.  I believe by this effort you will continuously strengthen your leadership acumen and achievements.
______________________________

Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

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.