John Hersey Leadership Blog

Each week, we will be highlighting (or “spotlighting”) someone we think demonstrates the actions, thoughts and mindset of a Contagious Leader.  This week’s spotlight is on not one, but two contagious leaders, Curt Dunham and Peggy Fiandaca.

Curt Dunham and Peggy Fiandaca with Eppy (their sweet black and white baby) are our Contagious Leaders this week. They are masters at looking to each other’s strengths so they can be engaged in life in a big and exciting way. Behaviorally speaking, they couldn’t be more different. Kurt is steady, dependable and persistent with a fabulous attention to detail while Peggy is more of a Driver (aggressive competitive and results oriented) who is optimistic and loves to engage with others. They each ‘do their thing’ together and life is great.

Peggy and Curt continue to grow  Partners for Strategic Action, Inc., their 17 year old planning firm by creatively pursuing challenging and innovative projects in the area of community sustainability and smart growth planning. They aggressively explore and establish collaborative relationships with  visionary leaders addressing complex community development issues. Recently they also started Lawrence Dunham Vineyards in Cochise County, AZ focused on hand-crafted, estate-grown Rhone varietals.

Check out: www.lawrencedunhamvineyards.com   Their philosophy of winemaking is to choose the right location, select the perfect vines, and meticulously manage the vineyard, letting nature do its magic with as little intervention as possible.

If you would like to nominate someone, feel free to send us an email by clicking here, and we would love to consider them!  Please tell us a bit about them and what makes them Contagious in their leadership.

Each week, we will be highlighting (or “spotlighting”) someone we think demonstrates the actions, thoughts and mindset of a Contagious Leader.  This week’s spotlight is on Frank Shankwitz.

 Frank Shankwitz is a Prescott, Arizona resident and a 37 year veteran of the Arizona Highway Patrol. He’s a cop, always has been, probably always will be. He has seen bad things happen everyday for 37 years and you would think his outlook on life might be colored by that.

Not Frank Shankwitz!

This big man has an even bigger heart. That’s how he was able to make the world a better place for 230,000+ kids with life-threatening diseases since 1980.

Frank is a contagious leader. He saw a need, knew he could make wishes come true for kids if he found the right people to pull it together. And he did with a ‘can do’ attitude, a clear vision and uncompromising focus.

Read more about Frank here and also here.

If you would like to nominate someone, feel free to send us an email by clicking here, and we would love to consider them!  Please tell us a bit about them and what makes them Contagious in their leadership.

Change, dreadful change!  It is amazing how hard we, human beings, reject change, and even more when it is forced on us.

So, don’t be surprised if, in the beginning, the people in your organization appear nervous and cynical about any changes you want to introduce, even if they clearly are for good.

In order for you to build endorsement towards the change to a contagious leadership culture, you must be receptive to the attitudes of others and put into practice a contagious leadership program that will encourage participation.

Take GE for example.  When this company launched its Work-Out program to give workers, managers, and leaders the opportunity to get together, share ideas, and get barriers out of the way, in the beginning it was a voluntary program.  It seemed (like) a town meeting, and many people showed up with healthy disbelief. 

Before anyone was willing to take an active part in it, they had to confirm it was a safe setting, a place where they could voice their opinion without taking the risk of being accused later, and they had to believe that the ideas they were presenting were being considered seriously; thus, Jack Welch and his team defined a strategy to create endorsement.

To begin with, they asked people to wear khakis and t-shirts so that no one would look superior to others, and the leaders were directed to address ideas right there in one of three ways: approve it, reject it, or request more information. 

Very soon, everyone noticed that they were serious about the program, and eventually, it was a requirement to attend.

Getting someone to get your back takes time and honest effort.  If you don’t walk the walk and talk the talk, you will kill any program you start.

These are some strategies to build endorsement, right from the files of the top leadership speaker on the topic of contagious leadership:

-      Define clear goals and ensure everyone on your team knows what you are planning, what you wish to achieve, and why.

-      Start a vibrant communication program, in other words, communicate early, regularly, and harmoniously; and make sure everyone is informed about:

-     What you are doing

-     Who is doing it

-     Why you are doing it

-     How well you are doing

-     Who is doing well

-     Ensure communication is internal and external.

-     Focus on successes, not on failures.

In the end, your goal should be that everyone in your organization gets your back… not for your sake and personal interest, but as every contagious leader believes, for a greater and general good.

A true leader thinks and feels as he says and does, or as a great leadership speaker once said: “Authenticity occurs when the head and the heart meet at the lips, true leadership takes place when what we think and what we feel is congruent with what we say and do.”

We’ve most certainly heard about it and sadly, many of us have seen it happen: a “leader” having a custom-made desk installed in his office the same week he is laying off employees, and he even has the nerve to ask the personnel that is left to accept more responsibility in view of the staff shortage and to save money.

Can you see the huge conflict this “leader’s” message expresses?  It is such poor behavior coming from the company’s top levels.  Obviously, this person was passionate about cutting back expenses that affected everyone but him.     

When something like this happens, when the messages from the organization’s “leaders” are so clearly opposite to their actions, the only possible outcome is a culture of distrust, one where fear rules and that chokes the employees’ “can do” attitude.

This kind of paradoxical leadership creates a spread of dreary behavior and resentfulness that disintegrates a company from the inside out.

Every company leader and CEO should wear a certified badge of authenticity with the legend: “I say what I mean and act as I say.”  And to be able to deserve this badge and kiss the corporate lack of authenticity goodbye, you, as a leader must:

-      Believe in truthfulness.  Does the annual report describe the company you run?  Is your company true to what is said about it in articles, internal communications, and description at company meetings and events?  If not, set the record straight and show your authenticity.

-      Have vision.  Do you communicate a vision that your employees don’t support? Do you reward behaviors that are in conflict with the culture you desire for the company?

-      Handle inconsistency.  Even more, when an inconsistency is identified, do you take action in a prompt, honest, and clear manner to correct the detrimental message that was set loose?

Leadership authenticity is about being authentic, trustworthy, and genuine.  Being authentic is about knowing and being true to who you are, not who you pretend to be.  Sadly, many “leaders” have been playing the role for so long that they have no idea who they really are.

If you are driven by percentages, maybe this will convince you: 40% of corporate leaders would change careers if they could keep their current income level.  Maybe they are tired of not being true to themselves or of being forced by a job or culture to be someone they’re not.   

The reality is that if you wish to be a winner in the long run, you must be authentic.  So, get real!

Permission mentoring is the habit of ripening aspiring contagious leaders.  It is a crucial step in becoming such a leader, who literally learns from example, and one that must be tackled correctly to be able to get the best out of the person being mentored.

According to a top leadership speaker, here’s how to get into the permission mentoring habit successfully:

Ask permission

Always ask people if they are interested in being mentored.  Never assume everyone wants to become a leader, because this is not true.

Some individuals are not interested in becoming contagious leaders, and some others may not be interested in being mentored by you, and this is fine, everyone is entitled to choose what works best for them; thus, it is only wise to make sure you are investing your time in people who truly want what you can offer them.  

The good thing is that a very powerful force is activated when you ask and someone says yes, a new level of commitment arises, and the results are remarkable; in other words, a new individual is born.

Create parameters

Your mentoring must have well-defined and approved boundaries.  If the goal is for the employee to become a contagious leader, focus on the habits such a person requires and reach an agreement as to what is expected.   

Before beginning the mentoring program, ask the employee to self-assess each habit, and compare it to your assessment.  Talk about the progress you both expect to see, and establish time limits for each session and for the totality of the program in a way that lets you both get the best out of it.

Focus the parameters on activities and behaviors instead of on results, because the first are the ones that will guide the person towards the desired result, while many outside circumstances can affect the second. 

Schedule uninterrupted time

There should be a time exclusively devoted to discuss, review, measure, and offer feedback.  Honor the process, and your commitment to being a contagious leader and a mentor, by giving it meaningful time.  Never allow the person to feel forgotten or neglected.

Employ involved recognition

A mentoring program is a great opportunity for you to practice the habits and qualities of a contagious leader.

Keep an eye on your attitude, focus on the person’s strengths, and employ involved recognition as much as possible.  Pay attention and identify as many opportunities as you can to recognize the actions and behavior of the person you are mentoring.

This is key to strengthening the confidence in their ability to become contagious leaders, and will teach them how to use it themselves.   

Never stop measuring

Your job as a contagious leader is to develop many other contagious leaders, and you have to make sure the persons you are mentoring are moving in the right direction. 

You must keep track of how each one of them is doing and of how many you have at a certain stage of development, so as to be able to control and anticipate when these individuals are ready to move on.

This may sound impossible to you, but in many cases, it is true.  Not everyone wants to move on to a leadership position… and this is actually a good thing. 

Some people are more comfortable and much more effective in other roles; they know themselves and are intelligent enough to make choices that are right for them. 

There’s also the possibility that they do want to advance, but may not want your help to do it.

This is why contagious leaders should always ask for permission before mentoring someone, and this is something a good leadership speaker can’t emphasize enough. 

Permission mentoring is the habit of ripening aspiring contagious leaders.  Mentoring someone who does not want to be mentored is not only a waste of time but will deeply annoy the employee. 

Think for example that your teenage daughters love borrowing your clothes because they are so “cool”, and they just go and take anything from your closet at any time.  You would probably feel exasperated every time this happened; however, if they just asked, you would most likely and very gladly let them take anything they wanted. 

Well, the same goes for mentoring, you have to ask if the person wants to be mentored, and this is necessary for various reasons:

1.    Clarity

Simply to know, for sure, that the person is open to your mentoring.  Once a person says yes, you and him know you are the mentor, and your time will be worth spending. 

Even when you only want to offer a suggestion, you should ask the person if they are open to ‘suggestions’ or ‘a bit of mentoring’, before presenting it.  Just basic psychology. 

2.    Good manners

Not asking is simply disrespectful and invasive, and this behavior is never welcomed. 

Most people hate change because it is forced on them, this is why it is so hard to see it initiated spontaneously; thus, if you force mentoring, it will be basically, hated.

3.    Choice

Everyone likes to be given a choice.  We like to feel we can either accept or reject a suggestion, an opinion, or mentoring. 

A very strong energy arises when we accept something after seriously considering it.  A powerful commitment is established, everything is taken more seriously, people prepare more carefully, and the results are amazingly productive.   

Ensure you are ready to hear ‘no, thank you’ after you offer a choice, because you will hear it sometimes; so be prepared to accept it.   

 4.    Politeness

It is always polite to ask.  Since a while back, business has become a very bad-mannered arena.  Once you start asking for permission in your company, the environment will relax in unimaginable ways.

Contagious leadership is a style that is taught through example, and there are big opportunities out there, in very simple and everyday activities, to shape and strengthen it within yourself and others in your company.

Here we offer you 5 significant ways in which you can celebrate all kinds of success, big or small, in a meaningful and open manner to make contagious leadership stick within your organization:

Go public

Recognizing people for their good work is always effective no matter how it is done; however, if done in a public way, it will produce a massive impact, and its value will last longer.  

Do it immediately

The most important thing for an employee is to celebrate his or her successes.  The sooner you praise their achievements, the bigger the impact this will produce on them and on everyone else within the company.  

On the contrary, the longer you wait, the more the person will grasp that you are being insincere in your spotlighting, involved recognition, and vibrant communication efforts.

Be precise

Don’t just come out and say, “Well done, Amy!”  Specify what was it that the person did that was so outstanding, special, and worthy of praise. 

For example, something along the lines of, “You did an amazing job solving the situation, Amy.  The customers truly felt tended to and are very excited about working with us again in the near future.  This kind of response is what will get us far ahead.  Thank you for caring so much”, would work wonders.

Focus on the strengths

If you want to take someone down and annul every possibility of taking advantage of that person’s qualities, nag them incessantly by pointing out what’s being done wrong or is missing.

In contrast, if you are truly committed to excellence and to seeing the positive in everyone and in everything, focus on the strengths people have and on how you can potentiate them in benefit of your company and that person’s life.

Announce all accomplishments

Any successful action, no matter how small, is a good excuse to celebrate.

Celebrate good habits and qualities, instead of celebrating numbers:

>Send handwritten “God job!” notes regularly to your employees’ homes.  You have no idea how such a note from the CEO will make an employee feel.  Everyone will know about it in less than 24 hours.                                               

Give this a try:  Take a pen right now and spend 10 minutes handwriting five praising notes for five people in your team.  Tell them why you value them, and be specific. 

Next week, write one note per day; the following week, write two daily notes, and start paying attention to what happens and how things begin to change. 

Even without feedback, you will see the difference.    

> Honor even the smallest accomplishment, and involve the highest levels of the organization in the celebration.

>Establish a ‘Contagious Leader of the Month’ program.  Everyone votes, and the winner gets to participate in a contagious leadership lunch with the CEO.

>Create a ‘Contagious Leadership Wall of Fame’, showing pictures of all these leaders doing what they do best and  with a legend explaining why each one of them is being honored in such a way.  

There are endless ways to celebrate success.  A good leadership speaker can guide you in the process of discovering what works best for your company; nevertheless, it is just a matter of envisioning your organization and getting creative; it is all about having lots of fun and becoming highly productive.

Beverly and I recently flew to Portland, Oregon to join our friends for a week’s holiday. As we were boarding our UsAir flight a passenger asked the flight attendant a question about the baggage policy. The reply was, “We aren’t Southwest, Ma’am!”

WOW, talk about owning an advantage. When brands begin admitting that they are NOT a competing  brand,  you just know that the competing brand has made significant progress in capturing share of mind and most likely, share of market.

I have wondered from time to time why Southwest was investing somuch money advertising the fact that it does not charge for baggage. I wondered whether this was a significant point of difference. Now I know! Clearly, the passenger and the USAir flight attendant think it is a significant point of difference.

Doing something that captures the attention of your ideal prospect is what branding is all about, isn’t it?. Sometimes we so over think how and what to do to accomplish this that we miss the real advantage when it is staring us in the face.

Southwest Airlines has a serious advantage with the fact that it does not charge for baggage when every other airline is determined to nickel and dime us to death. They are pretty smart folks over there at Southwest. Of course they would make a considerable investment to leverage this advantage and turn it into increased revenue and market share. In fact, they own the advantage.

This makes me wonder what little advantages we all have that could be leveraged? What little advantages do we have that have been overlooked? Have we been concentrating on identifying huge advantages while the little advantages are stuck right in front of us?

Marketing advantages come in all shapes, sizes, colors and forms. Sometimes a wonderful advantage doesn’t even look like an advantage, until we look a second time. When airline ticket prices are $400-$1000 or more, who would guess that saving $25 bucks checking your bag could be a highly profitable advantage?

This is an interesting question, if you truly consider it. What makes this economy so interesting is that answering questions like that may well be the difference between getting by and getting way ahead. Think about it!

So, what advantage can you leverage? I’ll have more to say about this in the next post. In the meantime,

Be Well & Be Contagious,

John

Contagious Leaders know that they have to help their teams find passion, energy and excitement for the vision. People get excited by people who are excited. So, find ways to get excited and you’ll see the excitement around you change. It really is that simple.

Be Well & Be Contagious,

John