Models Servant Leadership

This week's post was written by Scott Peterson.

Servant leadership is one of Interstates’ most important principles, and it's one of the scariest to write about. Why? It’s simple; I don't want to be (I can't be) the poster child for servant leadership. I can't live up to the standard of a servant leader. I will mess up, make mistakes, and become selfish, just to name a few of the reasons.

Modeling servant leadership is a journey, not a destination. That might sound cliché, but if the goal is to be a servant leader, then how others perceive you becomes too important. Your ego becomes the driver, which, in turn, makes you less vulnerable and more self-centered. There is an old saying that warns us if someone tells you to trust him or her, beware. Actions really do speak louder than words.

For me, giving up the finish line of becoming a servant leader was a freeing step. It allowed me to have the right mindset, which includes putting the focus on others, because it isn't about me (or you). It is about helping, serving, and leading others.

Modeling servant leadership has four aspects of equal importance:

Genuinely Care

• Show agape love to all people, but especially to your people.
• Listen to others in a way that lets them know they've been heard. This empathy shows them they are important and their ideas matter.
• Be curious about what is going on with the whole person (professional, personal, wins, struggles, etc.).

Enjoy Serving

• Focus on helping, supporting, encouraging, and leading others. You will watch them develop, grow, and succeed – and few things are more rewarding.
• Enable people to reach new heights by helping them through challenges. You can also help indirectly by offering ideas and suggestions, but not solving problems for them. As Jim Franken used to say, "Help people help themselves."

Be Approachable and Authentic

• Share personal information (beliefs, frustrations, feelings, stories, etc.). This allows others to get to know you and builds strong relationships.
• Embrace your strengths, weaknesses, mistakes, and goals by sharing them with your team. This transparency will model humility. There's a quote from The Purpose Driven Life that says "Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less."
• Have enough self-confidence to ask for others’ opinions. Keep this door open so that people are willing to share their ideas with you.

Do the Right Thing

• Be a good steward of our people and of the company's resources by making the right decision, which is not always the popular or safe decision.
• Place the needs (not wants) of others above your own.
• Although servant leadership is hard, focus on what is best for everyone, and always remember why you're leading.

Interstates is blessed to have so many leaders who have excelled at modeling servant leadership. Darrel Ramhorst was one of those people. He was a quiet leader; most of the time, he didn't get much attention, and he was okay with that. I was always amazed by how Darrel led. One of his strengths was his ability and desire to teach people and help them grow. His servant leadership took on the form of helping hundreds of people pass journeyman tests or PE exams. People wanted to learn and meet those goals. They knew how much Darrel invested in them and cared about them, and they did not want to let him down.

The best Interstates leaders start with a caring heart and a strong desire to serve others. Learn from them, and then make the journey your own. Remember, servant leadership isn't a status that you achieve – it’s a way of doing things that needs to be practiced every day. Enjoy the journey of modeling servant leadership. It will have some highs and lows, but it will be one of the most fulfilling journeys you'll ever experience. Choose to lead the Interstates Way by modeling servant leadership today, and then choose to do it again tomorrow.

Setting Direction

This week's post was written by Jack Woelber.

For those of you who have gone through Interstates’ Excellence In Leadership (EIL) program, “setting direction” should be a very familiar term. For those who have not yet been through EIL, one of the acronyms regularly used in our training is SAM. The “S” stands for setting direction. It is one of the major tenets in the model Interstates uses when training employees on leadership.

Why is setting direction critical? 

You may have heard the saying, “I’m their leader, which way did they go?” Most employees are more than willing to work hard, but without direction, you might not know which way they are going. Directionless, their work can be unmotivated and less beneficial to the organization. When clear direction is established while leading operations, employees will display more purpose and can add more value by contributing their own ideas. When a leader fails in setting direction, employees can carry out a task but are limited on how much they can ultimately help.

How do we communicate a clear direction? 

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Just because I said it doesn’t mean they heard it”? This is so true regarding setting direction. You may feel like you have laid out a clear direction for your team, but without confirmation and follow up, it may have not been “heard.” Communicating the direction may take multiple efforts in different ways for your team to truly “see” the direction. Everyone learns and understands through different methods, and it is up to you to be sure you have done a good job of setting an understandable direction. Having an effective rapport with your team and allowing them to feel comfortable asking clarifying questions can be a major asset in ensuring they understand the direction.

Another way to set clear direction is creating goals and stretch goals. This format can “paint” a direction for the team to understand. By having them participate in setting those goals, employees have buy-in and know what they can do to help reach those goals. With everyone pulling in the same direction with clarity, the chances of getting there are much higher.

Limited resources!

Sometimes there are multiple ways to get to the same destination. When setting direction, we need to take into consideration the resources we have available to us in time, energy, and money. Choosing the best way may not always be the least expensive or the quickest, but we need to determine if we can achieve our goals within the boundaries of our limited resources. If not, we may have to adjust our direction to achieve what we can within our “budget.”

Direction versus vision

One might wonder why setting direction is under the category of leading operations rather than leading strategy. Using Interstates’ lingo, Leading Strategy involves casting a vision. Setting direction needs to align with the vision and the strategy but refers more to leading operations than leading strategy. While these two things are closely related and need to reinforce each other, both are unique elements of leadership.

Setting direction is critical to leadership at Interstates. In our leadership training we spend a lot of time and energy talking about and training on it. My challenge to you is to consciously think about setting direction in a way that gets everyone pulling in the same direction with a common goal.

Keep leading the Interstates way!

Jack Woelber

Leading with Trust

This week's post was written by Doug Post.

Interstates defines trust as: “Having confidence in another’s character, expertise, abilities, and integrity.”

We build our own trustworthiness with integrity and dependability.

Interstates’ core value of trust focuses on extending trust to others.  Jim Franken encouraged us to "be tireless believers in people." If a mistake happens, don't say "they don't get it" or "they don't care", rather extend trust and ask "how did I set this up poorly?" or "what delegation mistake did I make?"

Trust is the cornerstone to building strong relationships with clients and team members.

As we delve into the topic of trust, I’d like you to take a minute and think of a person with whom you have a high-trust relationship. (boss, coworker, spouse, parent, sibling, child, friend.)  What words would you use to describe the relationship?  What's it like? (e.g. open, honest)  How does it feel? (relaxed, easy)  How well do you communicate?  How quickly do you get things done?  How much do you enjoy this relationship?

Now think of a person with whom you have a low-trust relationship.  Again, this person could be anyone at work or outside of work. Describe the relationship. What's it like? (e.g. uneasy, suspicious, painstaking, excruciating)  How does it feel? (not relaxed, on-guard, painful) How is the communication?  Does it flow quickly and freely or do you feel like you're constantly walking on land mines and being misunderstood? Do you work together to get things done quickly or does it take a disproportionate amount of time and energy to finally reach agreement and execution? Do you enjoy the relationship or do you find it tedious, cumbersome, and draining? 

I think you can see how important trust is to the culture we are building at Interstates. Consider how important extending trust is for onboarding new employees and for "Delivering Results"!

In his book The Speed of Trust, Stephen Covey talks about the rewards and the risks associated with extending trust. There are two extremes:  people who don’t trust enough – they are always suspicious.  And people who trust too much – they are totally gullible. 

Within these extremes Covey has broken down trust into 4 different types.

 

• #1 - Gullibility - is blind trust; you trust everyone
• #2 - Judgment - is Smart Trust - this is your target area. You analyze to make a good decision using both good business judgment and good people judgment (including instinct and intuition) to make a decision.
• #3 - Indecision - No trust offered to others or self
• #4 - Suspicion - Distrust of others

The goal is to find middle ground here – or the “sweet spot”. That requires using good judgment. You decide the amount of trust you extend to someone. You learn, over time, if someone is trust-worthy by entrusting them with more and more responsibility. You don’t hand people full trust right off the bat. You also use your judgment to decide what level of trust to offer someone.  For example, I trust my wife to take care of our kids or teach a classroom of students; I don't trust her to lead the startup of a project at one of our customer’s facilities. That honors her character and honestly recognizes her competencies.   

You have to have the right person, with the right competencies, for the task at hand. For example, when a new employee begins at Interstates, we gradually build trust with one another. We don’t give them our top project or top client without monitoring progress with them. We work together to build trust by extending it to each other. In this case, we follow Ronald Reagan’s advice to: Trust, but verify.

If Interstates leaders remember that trust on the job is more often about competency than character (we already trust most of our co-workers' character), think of the power and speed of saying "I do or don't trust your ability to. . ."

To wrap things up, trust will always involve some risk. You have to learn how to extend "Smart Trust" using good judgment. Are you building trustworthiness in your relationships? Do conversations help you distinguish between the character and competence of trust? If not, you are likely being too gullible, indecisive, or suspicious to realize the speed of trust. If you would like to learn more about trust, I encourage you to read The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey. For a quick preview on the principles and behaviors of trust, see http://www.speedoftrust.com/How-The-Speed-of-Trust-works/book.

Continue Leading the Interstates way . . .  by Extending Trust to others!

Moves from Muck to Clarity

This week's post was written by Dave Crumrine.

One of the key responsibilities of leadership is to define reality (Max DuPree). Leaders determine the reality of where we are as a company and what challenges lay before us. Reality ultimately helps teams figure out what to pursue…with clarity! Clarity is essential for performance, whether strategic or tactical. Without clarity, human beings wait, they defer, they hedge. Almost none of us are immune to this phenomenon.
             
Creating clarity is a big job in most organizations, and the need for it is growing exponentially over time. The world is changing faster and faster, and our historical ways of dealing with it cannot keep up. Currently, the US military is engaged in an effort to rewrite how they make decisions so that they can be effective in the quickly changing battlefields of today and tomorrow. Our challenges are similarly difficult, but, with committed leadership addressing the issue, we can be effective.

"Muck" is a term for what the world brings to us – complexity, change, struggle. Whether it is rational, emotional, or all in between, muck is complex and messy. Leaders need to engage in the muck and lead through it. Without this leadership, the team will struggle in many ways.

Job #1: find the clarity. Getting there is often the very hardest part of the performance journey. Albert Einstein said, "If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” As Engineers, Technicians, and Scientists, we often struggle here and want to hop into "solving" quickly. Why? Because we are good at solving problems. The trap here is that we start by solving a problem that is not the true root of our challenge, often because it is most obvious solution at that moment. Leaders need to resist this momentum and make sure the root issue is clear. 

Clarity allows us to act together and with focus. It is the difference between a flashlight and a laser. When we use our limited energy on a specific problem, we can be extremely impactful. The clarity provides that difference. This doesn't mean we research forever or never act. There will always be uncertainty and risks to manage (and the leader is responsible for acknowledging these facts and presenting them to the team), but having the problem clearly defined sets the team up for true success.

A key idea that comes to light when discussing leadership is "the beauty of the and." Jim Collins and others have discussed this in their writings, and our Sr. Team feels compelled to share that we shouldn't oversimplify problems. When we do this, we end up with a "we can do this, or we can do that" scenario. Our Crucial Conversations training shows us that this is a "Sucker's Choice" and sets teams up to underperform. By looking for the best out of multiple options and merging them together, we are looking for the beauty of the AND. This is also called Integrative Thinking and is an emerging piece of what IPD Project Delivery requires. We need to be exemplary in this area.

The final step in moving from Muck to Clarity pertains to choosing. We haven't been great at this step, and no good idea seems to go without attention here at Interstates. We need to excel at picking the brightest ideas and the strategies with the highest potential. Again, this will lead to clarity and focus, and, through that, a lot of accomplishment in a rapidly changing world. Leaders must drive this process. They must lead their teams through realistic selection efforts and true assessments of their team's capacity. We must be honest and real.

Are you leveraging your leadership to achieve more clarity and less "muck"?  From whatever level you are leading, are you setting your team up for success by driving the clarity for them? 

Continue leading the Interstates Way…..with clarity! 

Dave Crumrine

Attitudes Are Contagious

This week's post was written by Reid Vander Veen.

For years I’ve been a fan and follower of Canadian entrepreneur Dan Martell. I first met Dan at a conference in Sioux Falls where he was speaking on the topic of creative community and providing startup advice for young entrepreneurs. Interacting with, following, or watching Dan, you’ll quickly realize a few things -- he’s a no nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is type of person, and he is very excited and passionate about helping others become successful. His most recent startup, Clarity, is a service meant to connect budding entrepreneurs with successful mentors of the likes of Mark Cuban, Eric Ries, and thousands of others. Dan is so passionate about helping others that since Clarity was acquired by Fundable earlier this year, he’s devoted all of his time and energy toward sharing advice, ideas, and encouragement with others.

One of my favorite things about Dan is that his passion and excitement are undeniable, and his attitude is rarely, if ever, negative. He makes a point to answer positively any time someone asks how he is doing or how things are going. “Great!” “Awesome!” “Things are amazing!” These are all common responses Dan will give to the question. But the best part is, he means it! Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, was another advocate for having a positive mental attitude. These two successful businessmen, though from completely different times and situations, both clearly understand the power of having a positive mental attitude. The effect and impact of a positive mental attitude is obvious for these two men, those around them, and those that have chosen to learn from them -- and the same can be true for us.

Consistently having a positive mental attitude does not come without some practice. It can be difficult to control and even harder to master. Too often, we let our situations and circumstances control our attitudes. Regaining this control and ownership over our attitudes is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and our teams. Few will argue that it’s enjoyable working with someone who has a poor attitude or consistently seems to run everything through a filter of negativity. Life will not always be daisies and rainbows, but fewer people will argue how pleasant it is being around folks that are excited, positive, and engaging, and have chosen not to dwell on the less-than-ideal details in their given situations and remain positive.

Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!
Reid Vander Veen

What is Your Purpose?

This week's post was written by Scott Peterson.

This week is the kick-off to Excellence In Leadership 1 -- It is one of my favorite events. As I was preparing for it, I reflected on all the different topics and activities included. Participants have the opportunity to do leadership challenges, give and receive feedback, and learn about leadership. These are all impactful and really cool activities (at least for a leadership geek like me). However, one of the longest-lasting and most impactful elements for participants is taking time to reflect about their personal values and beginning to write a personal mission statement (purpose). 

The first time I tried to write mine was in 1996. It took me about a year to finish. I wrote a short version, a long version and a bullet point version. It was a frustrating process for me until I got some advice:

• A personal mission statement is written by you and for you. Express your purpose and don't try to impress people.  It can be long. It can be short. It can be anything you want. 
• Your mission statement should give you direction for your life and help you stay focused on your passion and values. 
• Once you have it, lean on it. Lean on it during tough times and when you're faced with big or small decisions. Lean on it in good times to help you stay focused on what's important to you. 

During this next week, I will be reflecting on my personal mission statement. I will double check that it still holds true. I will be thinking about the times during the past year that it has helped me. I will also be thinking about the times I forgot about it and missed the opportunity to lean on it. The best thing I am hoping for is that it inspires me as much now as it did when I first wrote it (when it "clicked"). And if I need to make any changes to it - I will do that, too. 

Here is my challenge to you: reflect on your mission statement and let it inspire you. Live your mission statement and use all of your gifts, talents, and resources to work toward the direction that you set, and then see what kinds of extraordinary things can happen. 

Have a great week and continue leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson

P.S. If you've never written a personal mission statement (or you wrote one but you don't remember it) - there is no time like the present! If you need resources to get started, please let me know.

Leading With Questions or With Leading Questions?

This week's post comes from Jack Woelber.

Leading with questions or with leading questions? 

I’ve had a couple of conversations recently with some folks near and dear to my heart…my kids. Both of my kids are in the process of making some major life choices. One of them was asking for my input while, admittedly, I was offering the other my thoughts and advice even if they weren’t specifically seeking it. Both of them are college aged and the world would consider them adults even though, to me, they will always be “my kids.”

Wanting to respect their independence, I’m at a point in my relationship with both of them where I must limit my desire to tell them what to do. I want them to think more deeply on their own and have a healthy thought process for decision making. During our recent phone conversations I’ve asked questions in an effort to hopefully help them think more deeply about their decisions and the impact those decisions may have on their lives. 

Shortly after the second conversation, I was reflecting on the questions I had asked and was wondering if I had added any value to the thought process. As I thought back, I wondered whether the questions I had offered were really leading my kids to discover the best options and alternatives for their given situations or if these questions were simply my opinions stated in the form of questions. 

There are several books written about leading conversations with great questions. I think the challenge for myself and other leaders is to make sure we are truly “leading with questions” and not asking “leading questions.” The first allows people opportunities to grow and become better decision makers. The latter can potentially stifle deeper thinking and create “group think” or drive behavior that, while our preference, may not be the preference of our team members.  As you lead, think about how your questions are perceived. 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Jack Woelber

Divine Appointments

This week's blog post comes from David Krahling.

I recently attended a leadership conference where I heard former news anchor Kristie VerMulm tell a powerful story.  She was a rookie news reporter and was called to the scene of a fatal car accident, which was her first. She confessed to being terrified and uncertain. A veteran highway patrolman read her apprehension and took her aside and offered some important guidance.

He reassured her that she could do her job. He reminded her that the victim had loved ones that might hear her words and see her video. He also reminded her about the gruesome work of the emergency responders who answered the call that day. He said something along the lines of, “We work as a team out here. This is difficult but necessary work. I know that lots of people will hear your words and see the video that you capture. Just remember this is a tragedy, not a sensational story.”

Kristie learned a powerful lesson that day about the kind of reporter she wanted to be. For me, there is another powerful leadership lesson that we can learn from that veteran highway patrolman. He saw an opportunity to step into a situation and make a difference. He did three specific things that are best practices for great leaders:

1. He was aware of his situation and the people around him. He made the effort to check on others and sensed a need and an opportunity.
2. He took action. I’m sure he had plenty of other things on his check list at that moment, but he took the time to make a difference.
3. He responded with compassion. Teachable moments come at strange times. Stepping into difficult moments is the mark of a great leader.

You don’t have to be a veteran highway patrolman, and those you touch don’t need to be rookie news reporters. As a leader, you have lots of opportunities to help someone grow. Make the decision today to respond to those rare moments in your life where you can make a difference for someone.

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!
David Krahling

Leading With Dependability

This week's post comes from Doug Post.

                                            The Four Cores of Dependability

Interstates defines dependability as "building relationships through living up to your word and fulfilling your promises." Dependability is the ability to be relied upon and to be trusted. It’s about always being there and doing your best. 

A check on your dependability is rooted in the past. It has to do with reputation and the security you pledge against the performance of your obligation as leaders, coworkers, and friends. It is the basis for other's desire to want to trust you. Cherish and nourish your reputation!

Like reputation, dependability is something you earn over time. It is not something you receive with your job or title. It begins early in your life and career. People may at first give you the benefit of a doubt based on your title, but complete trust will only be granted after they get to know you. The dependability foundation is built "integrity brick" by "integrity brick" over time.

When project deadlines loom, does your supervisor and team know you'll be there giving your all? Or do they assume you will have some "good" reason for not helping this time?

When the client calls with an emergency on Friday night, does your project leader know you are "all in"? Or does he/she know not to call you until Monday?

Most telling is day-to-day, year-after-year integrity and performance that proves to others you are reliable, responsible, always there, faithful, constant, rock-like, stable, and to be counted on. That is dependability.

Without a strong foundation of personal dependability, leaders have little hope of enlisting others in a common vision. The stronger you dream, the deeper the foundation must be, especially in uncertain times when boldness may be required, leadership dependability is essential in generating confidence among your constituents. Without it you will not build an organization that lasts.

When I started at Interstates as an intern, my first assignment was to organize the job costs on a "killer job." It was a Farmville, NC feed mill retrofit. We grossly underestimated that job. What impressed me was Interstates' leaders never wavered in their intent to fully deliver what was promised to the client, even in the face of greater financial losses. I was grateful to be working for dependable leaders like that.

So how do we build on this culture of dependability entrusted to us? Stephen M. R. Covey boils dependability down to four core areas.* The first two involve your character: your integrity (are you consistent?) and your intent (what's your agenda?). The second two involve your competence: your capabilities (are you relevant?), and your results (what's your track record?). Read Covey's book if you would like to assess and build your reputation for dependability.

A reputation for dependability supports the natural human instinct to want to trust.  Trust is our topic next time. Until then, I'd love to hear from you. How do you build a reputation for dependability?

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!
Doug Post

Sources:

•"Leadership is a Relationship", in Business Leadership: A Jossey-Bass Reader by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, p. 265-266
•*"The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M. R. Covey, p. 41-124. See assessment test on p. 50-53 or at www.speedoftrust.com.

Accountability - It's Not What Most People Think It Is

This week's post comes from Dave Crumrine.

Accountability. It’s a word that seems to evoke a host of negative emotions when used. As much as the word has been defined, written about, and discussed as an essential leadership concept, it simply doesn’t get positive traction in most followers' minds.

Add the advanced leadership theory to it- “You can’t make anybody do anything they don’t want to do.”  You can argue with it or override it short term, but you can’t deny it is true. 

My personal theory on why accountability as an idea has taken a hit, is that it has been used incorrectly…many times and for a very long time. You see, accountability after the fact is simply punishment, and it doesn’t work. Labeling punishment as accountability is wrong and deceptive. Punishment doesn’t set people up for success nor drive future success. It doesn’t build rapport or performance. It is simply extracting pain in hopes to teach someone a lesson. "After-the-fact" accountability is what has given the word a bad rap. 

We need to step up and get this idea right; if we do, there is a huge benefit to the people we lead, our organization, and ourselves. In fact, I would make the case that setting up strong “real” accountability is an essential leadership responsibility. As leaders, we need to own a large part of how accountability plays out. Good or bad, it’s mostly on us.

So, at the risk of short changing many thick management texts and long winded authors, here are the key ideas that are required for strong accountability:

• The exact assignment and desired outcomes must be well defined for the person who will be carrying it out.
• Only one person can be accountable for something...period.
• That one person needs to know why this assignment is important and what consequences (positive and negative) are likely to occur for everyone involved based on their performance.
• That person must also buy into these rationales and agree to "own" the results.

All we need now for “good accountability” is to help that team member in assessing the progress of the assignment. When accountability is properly established, human nature takes over and people become the great performers they can be. As leaders, we need to embrace this enabling skill and set up great accountability. 

How are you doing setting up your people for success with great accountability?

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!
Dave Crumrine

 

The Will

This week's post comes from Scott Peterson.

"It’s not the will to win that matters - everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." -Coach "Bear" Bryant

I came across this quote a couple of months ago and have since been reflecting on it. I love the quote, but I could not figure out why. Then, it hit me. 

Everyone loves the event, the win, and the celebration. But the things that make the biggest difference, have the biggest impact, and the things that people are most proud of are the items that have a journey and a destination/win. 

OK, I know that sounds really deep like "Take the pebble from my hand grasshopper." (A quote from Will Ferrell's philosophical movie Kicking and Screaming.), but hang in there with me. The journey is just as important as the win/destination. The journey is about leadership (SAM/POC/GRAD) and serving the client and the team. The journey entails:

·        Planning

·        Having determination and grit to deal with all the changes and challenges that pop up

·        Developing people around you (helping them succeed during this journey and being better prepared for the next journey)

·        Keeping the goal/direction in front of the team 

·        Setting people up for success (clients and teams)

The will to prepare is about paying the price before the victory. Many of the items in the list above will not be seen by others, however, their impact is huge and they are all necessary in order for the client and the team to cross the finish line and win. 

One final thought. Don't rush through the journey. Enjoy the journey and excel during it by continuing to lead the Interstates Way!

 

Scott Peterson

Consensus and Decision Making

This week's post comes from Mike Meyers.

Whose decision is it? We all make numerous decisions each day. For example, you made a decision to get out of bed and come to work today and now you've made the decision to read this blog post. We are all very capable at making decisions and make hundreds of them each day without giving it much thought. However, it seems when the stakes get high, we often fall into bad decision making habits. If you find yourself asking whose decision it is, you've taken the very important first step. All too often we go into a major decision without clearly defining whose decision it ultimately is. Nothing drives ambiguity and draws out the decision making process more than a lack of clarity of who owns it.

So let's say we've passed the first hurdle and asked the question of who owns the decision. The natural answer on a significant decision is that it needs to be a consensus. But what does consensus really mean? In theory, it sounds great. We can all be on the same page and go forward with a unified front because we have 100% agreement. But how often does that really happen? On the rare occasion where it does happen, have we considered whether that unanimity is even healthy or does it question whether we are challenging each other enough and pushing for different perspectives? If we need 100% agreement, does that essentially give each individual full veto power?

A few months ago I was reading a book entitled Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an Answer by Michael A. Roberto, and he defined consensus in this way: "Consensus does mean that people have agreed to cooperate in the implementation of a decision." By this definition, consensus isn't how a decision is made, rather it is how a decision is moved to implementation. 

Roberto goes on to describe the two components that are needed for a consensus:

• Commitment - a dedication to whatever it is going to take to accomplish the decision or goal
• Understanding - a firm grasp of the rationale for the decision

Notice what is missing from that definition? Agreement! Consensus does not mean unanimity; it means commitment and understanding. In other words, it means knowing the "why" and being committed to that path. It's ok to say, "This is my decision, but we need the consensus of the team." Consensus is critical for implementation but can be a dangerous decision making path if we think of it in the traditional terms of agreement.

At times, it is appropriate to have a group decision. If it is a group decision, we still need to be intentional about how the decision is going to be made. Is it a vote? Is it a group of people advising the decision maker? Does everyone need to be in agreement? Each may be appropriate depending on the situation. Just be aware- if you need full agreement, each individual also has full power to stop a decision from being made.

Next time you are facing a significant decision, don't fall into the agreement trap by default. Be clear on who owns the decision and work towards building true consensus - commitment and understanding.

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Mike Meyers

Can You Believe It?

This week's post comes from Jack Woelber.

On July 1, Dennis Muilenburg, a Sioux Center native and an Iowa State University graduate, became the 10th CEO of Boeing, the largest aerospace company in the world. Boeing is a $90 billion company with over 160,000 employees in 65 countries around the world.

Because Muilenburg is from Sioux Center, I have paid more attention to the story than I would have had he been from somewhere else. As I read articles regarding his promotion and the things that got him to this point, there were a couple of themes that stood out to me. These themes reminded me of concepts we discuss regularly at Interstates as we talk about leadership. 

Humility: Muilenburg indicated he is humbled to have been given this opportunity. He never thought that when he joined the organization 30 years ago he would ultimately ascend to the position of CEO. That reminded me of servant leadership. 

Developing Leaders: Jim McNerney was his predecessor as CEO. Muilenburg said of McNerney, “He has a real passion for developing leaders and developing talent. Among all the things I have learned from him, that’s the most valuable, and I plan to carry that on going forward.” We often talk about providing opportunity and investing in leadership. Boeing obviously takes that very seriously. 

Co-Leadership: Most of Muilenburg’s experience with Boeing has been dealing with the defense systems which account for about thirty percent of the business. The board opted to name Raymond Conner as Vice Chair of Boeing as he has been instrumental in the commercial side of Boeing’s business. Between the two of them, they complement each other well and have expertise in different areas. It is a good reminder for us to surround ourselves with people that have talents different than our own. 

I’m sure there are many other leadership concepts that we have discussed in our conversations at Interstates that could be found in other articles if we searched a little deeper. However, humility, developing leaders, and co-leadership jumped out at me as I read about the “small town Iowa boy making it big.”  So, regardless if you are at the helm of a multi-billion dollar company or a committee member at a local nonprofit, leadership philosophy is the same and relevant. 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Jack Woelber

Run, Forest! Run!

This week's post comes from Scott Peterson.

I was spending a little time on social media (try not to judge me), and I found this story/joke. It made me laugh and it also got me thinking. All too often when I'm facing a challenge or even just a simple problem, I get fixed on one answer or solution. When that happens I'm not leading well because the first answer or the quick answer is not the only answer. When I am open and curious about different options or answers, that is when I am most effective. 

Remember two things:
1. There are different ways of thinking.
2. There can be multiple correct answers.

Enjoy the story below and continue leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson

                                                                   Source

When Forest Gump died, he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter said, "Welcome, Forest. We've heard a lot about you." He continued, "Unfortunately, it's getting pretty crowded up here and we find that we now have to give people an entrance examination before we let them in."
  

"Okay," said Forest. "I hope it's not too hard. I've already been through a test. My momma used to say, 'Life is like a final exam. It's hard.' "
 

 "Yes, Forest, I know. But this test is only three questions. Here they are.
 

1) Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'?
 

2) How many seconds are in a year?
 

3) What is God's first name?"
 

"Well, sir," said Forest, "The first one is easy. Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'? Today and Tomorrow."
 

St. Peter looked surprised and said, "Well, that wasn't the answer I was looking for, but you have a point. I give you credit for that answer."
 

"The next question," said Forest, "How many seconds are in a year? Twelve."
 

"Twelve?" said St. Peter, surprised and confused.
 

"Yes, sir. January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd …"
 

St. Peter interrupted him. "I see what you mean. I'll have to give you credit for that one, too."
 

 "And the last question," said Forest, "What is God's first name? It's Andy."
 

 "Andy?" said St. Peter, in shock. "How did you come up with 'Andy'?"
  

"I learned it in church. We used to sing about it." Forest broke into song, "Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me, Andy tells me I am His own."
 

St. Peter opened the gate to heaven and said, "Run, Forest, Run!"

 

Building Integrity By Saying "No"

This week's post comes from Doug Post.

 

In Leading with Integrity we noted that integrity means, "I do what I say I'm going to do...every time." We noted Michael Hyatt's definition: honesty is making your words match reality; integrity is making reality match your words.

In Improving Integrity with Clear Expectations we considered:

           1. Recovery. When your "yes" turns out to be a "no," acknowledge, apologize, and
               recommit.
           2. Clear Expectations and Commitments. Requests must be understood before
               we commit.

The third component to improving integrity is to Say “No." 

It is important to learn that just because we can honor a request, doesn't mean we should. Tim Harford notes, "Every time we say yes to a request, we are also saying no to anything else we might accomplish with the time." It's important to learn our personal limits so that we can appropriately balance and meet family, work, and social commitments -- your own and your team’s!

This doesn't mean saying “no" is easy. It's difficult and awkward. Sometimes we're considered unhelpful or incapable. Leading with integrity isn't always easy in the short-term! Tim Harford continues:

 

        The present moment is exaggerated in our thoughts. When somebody asks, “Will you volunteer to be ________?” it is momentarily uncomfortable to refuse, even if it will save much more trouble later. To say “yes” is to warm ourselves in a brief glow of immediate gratitude, heedless of the later cost.

         A psychological tactic to get around this problem is to try to feel the pain of “yes” immediately, rather than at some point to be specified later. If only we could feel instantly and viscerally our eventual annoyance at having to keep our promises, we might make fewer foolish promises in the first place.

         One trick is to ask, “If I had to do this today, would I agree to it?” It’s not a bad rule of thumb, since any future commitment, no matter how far away it might be, will eventually become an imminent problem.

Remember to always validate the person or request (be nice) and to be assertive. Consider the following tactical options:*

 

            1. The awkward pause. Let silence to a request work in your favor.

            2. The soft "no" (or the "no but"). For example, "Not now, but once I've finished..."
                 or, Thanks for thinking of me, but I'm working on 'xyz,' and I'm not sure I can
                 commit to that right now."

            3. "Let me check my calendar and get back to you." or, "Let me think about it."
                 Give yourself time to reflect and reply with integrity.

            4. Use e-mail bounce backs. Use automatic responses that say you're on
                vacation or on a project.

            5. Say, "Yes. What should I deprioritize?"

            6. Say it with humor. A smile and a simple "Nope!" can carry the day.

            7. Use the words, "You are welcome to X. I am willing to Y." For example, "You
                are welcome to borrow my car. I am willing to make sure the keys are here for
                you." With this answer you are also saying, "I won't be able to drive you."

            8. "I can't do it, but X might be interested." You're not invaluable. Offer an
                 alternative person or date.

 

Saying “no" well will take practice. But it is worth it -- building integrity requires "no" to be our most common response.

Let’s review what we’ve learned on building integrity with others: (1) learn to recover from integrity breaches, (2) share clear expectations and commitments, and (3) develop the ability to say “no."

How do you struggle with building integrity and saying “no"? What helps you improve and build integrity?

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Doug Post

 

Sources: *Condensed from "Dare: The Power of a Graceful 'No'," chp. 11 in Essentialism by Greg McKeown
http://timharford.com/2015/01/the-power-of-saying-no/

Taking Chances and the Beauty of the And

This week's post comes from Dave Crumrine.

I attended a funeral service this past Friday for our founder John A. Franken. I have to admit, I'm not "good" at funerals, but they do get me thinking about my own life and what contribution I am leaving in the world.

John's life was built on trying new things, taking chances and then filling in behind them with hard work and tenacity to make it work. Whether it was the beginning of the Interstates business or many of his other adventures, John "leaned in” to it with tenacity. He knew he wasn’t going to change the world playing it safe all the time. 

Sometimes I wonder if we have enough of that attitude in us. We are certainly a much larger and more complex company, and we are dealing with a world of challenges that John likely didn't imagine. But are we charging ahead? Are we taking enough chances? 

One could make the point that we have more to lose, and that is a reason to play it safe. Others might claim that at the start of any business, you simply have to take chances, but later on it requires a different course of action to be successful.

I believe we need both - taking chances AND taking care of what has been built before us. As a leader, I need to inspire and motivate my team to take chances - the right chances. I need to encourage my team to stretch and try new things, to build confidence in my people, and to convince them that they can figure it out. We might not know all the answers but we are capable, committed and smart, and that can get us there. 

We often fail to consider that playing it safe today is taking a huge risk tomorrow. This is another leadership burden. We must be forward-looking enough to not let this happen. Not having the capability to meet a challenge, to be able to try new things, or to be prepared for a surprise is a huge liability. The price of not being ready will affect the whole team, not just the leaders. If we don't exercise our "figure it out, take a chance" muscles, they will get soft and leave us unprepared for when we need them. 

John took chances and made it happen. I'm convinced there is a lot of that still at Interstates, but it might need some uncovering.

As a leader at Interstates, I challenge you to ask yourself, "Where should my team be taking chances? How can we lean into the future?"

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Dave Crumrine

The Great Experiment - Bizzaro World (Part 2)

So, how did I do? Well, I'd say I did ok but not great. The following are the items I wrote down to help me understand what went well and what didn't go well. Then, I reset my game plan based on lessons learned. 

May 19, 2015
Plus

•  I was more focused and did more than I would have two weeks ago.
• Conversations with others felt more impactful (even if the other people didn't say anything).
• Thinking about My Why and the Interstates Why was good for me (energy, attitude, etc.).

Delta

• I did not do it every day.
• It's hard to do something for teammates on the weekends.
• If I got busy or focused on getting stuff done, I forgot about it or did it poorly.

Moving forward (lessons learned)

• Keeping it simple is key for me: The Power of More - What More Can I Do?
• 1 thing for family/friends
• 1 thing for teammates (focus on Monday-Friday; don't feel guilty if it does not happen on the weekends)
• Identify the two people at the beginning of the day.
• Set the tone every day by remembering:
• My Why and the Interstates Why
• Lead with love and have a thankful heart.
• Be all in. 

I hope you got something out of this experiment. For me, it was helpful to keep John's message in front of me for another week and set the direction for myself moving forward. 

Continue leading the Interstates Way by Rising Above (John's theme), being all in, and remembering the Why!

Scott Peterson

The Great Experiment - Bizzaro World (Part 1)

This week's post comes from Scott Peterson.

This blog post is an experiment. It is actually my journal entries from two different dates -- May 14 and May 19, 2015. These journal entries allowed me to lean into two different elements:
  
         1. The excitement and motivation that comes from hearing a great message. 

         2. The fear of not doing anything with the message and losing that motivation. 

So, basically, this is an experiment for me and on me. It's a way for me to learn more about myself and understand how I can boost my personal accountability and self-discipline. Hopefully you can get something out of it too. If nothing else, you will have some insight into Scott's world, also known as "Bizzaro World -- a strange and scary place." Enjoy!!

May 14, 2015
Yesterday was the John O'Leary event. I was lucky enough to hear John's message for the 2nd time (in the morning with the students and faculty of local schools) and 3rd time (in the afternoon with Interstates employees and various local community members). I thought both presentations were awesome. I am truly motivated and inspired. Now, here’s the challenge:  What am I going to do with it?

Here is my game plan. I need to keep it simple, and I need to keep it going. 
            a. Journal every day on the topic, "What more can I do?"
            b. Pick two people (one family/friend and one teammate) to invest in.
                (Names have been excluded.)
                          i. My kids - Spend 15 minutes truly listening to them about any topic.
                         ii. My teammates - Take a chance and give them some feedback so they
                                                        can be more successful.
            c. Today, remember:
                          i. My Why (personal mission statement) and the Interstates Why
                         ii. Success is a journey, not a destination.
                        iii. Be all in.
                        iv. Lead with love.

This might be too much. I will try to implement these activities for a week and then see if I need to make changes. Now comes the scary part for me: day 2 - day 7. Why? This is the test of my commitment and self-discipline. Will I choose to act and lead differently or will I allow the busyness of life to pull me into my old routines? Time will tell, but as of today, I will try. 

Stop back tomorrow to see the results!

Every Conversation

This week's blog post comes from Dave Crumrine.

I recently spent time listening to and studying a speaker whose primary point was:

"Every conversation is an opportunity to create the future.”

As humans, we spend our days in conversation. The better we are at engaging in conversation, the better we will be at impacting the world in a positive way.

Think about it. What is a relationship without conversation? Whether it is a meeting, 1-on-1 time, or a chat while driving down the road with someone else in the front seat of your car, we learn through conversations. We persuade through conversations. We educate and train in conversations. If we want to end a relationship, what do we do? We stop having conversations! 

This really impacted me. Through every conversation, I have the opportunity to make an impact. Am I prepared for that? Am I vulnerable enough? Am I more worried about how I look or how smart I sound than what others might get out of the conversation? I am going to make some kind of difference in every conversation. That is how it works. Will it be worthy? Have I wasted everyone's time? Have I made this a rich part of their day and possibly helped set a productive course for me, for them, or for the cause?

Conversations are creative. If they are truly engaging, some new insight or information can be created right there in that conversation. In fact, the best conversations often result in new insight. People can modify their views on topics; it can change the way they feel and believe.

Can this happen any other way? It is unlikely that people will get this from the evening news or from their trade journal. Only a quality conversation, grounded in genuine interest and mutual benefit, can lead to a different future. 

What kind of conversations are you having? Are they worth it? Are you bringing your heart and A-game to every conversation? Are those around you expecting a great conversation? 

We can make a difference…every conversation has that opportunity.

Continue Leading the Interstates Way (with some great conversation)!

Dave Crumrine

Mistakes Don't Matter...

This week's blog post comes from Jack Woelber.

I was recently at an event for my daughter. It was the “dress rehearsal” for a music contest. For the event, they had a director from another community come in and critique all the individuals and small groups in order to give them some final polish before the contest. Amazing, isn’t it? Why do we seem to listen more closely to those who come in as an expert but don’t have any more credentials than those with whom we get to work with every day? A group had just performed, and things didn’t go quite as well as they had hoped. The critic commented to the group, “Mistakes don’t matter…as long as you recover well.”  I was sitting in the audience next to my daughter as the comment was made and leaned over to her and whispered, “What a great life lesson.” 

As you read this you are probably thinking a couple of things: 

1. That poor girl. She sure has a geek for a dad.
2. Oh, that phrase the critic gave is a good topic for a leadership blog.

While both are probably accurate, I’d like you to focus more on the second item and the phrase, “Mistakes don’t matter…as long as you recover well.” My dad used to remind me that the only people who don’t make mistakes are those that don’t do anything. As leaders, we are going to make mistakes. Of course, we are going to try to mitigate as many mistakes as we can before making a decision, but if we don’t dare make a mistake, we won’t do anything. 

We need to remember: it’s not about the mistake -- it’s about how we recover. After time passes, most people won’t even remember the mistake; they will remember the result. And the results are determined by how we recover.   

So my challenge for all of us is: “Don’t focus on the mistake,” rather “Focus on recovering and recovering well.” If you are in a leadership role, I’m guessing you already do this, but it was a great reminder for me.  (And one more opportunity to encourage my daughter in a life lesson! J) 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!
Jack Woelber

Can You Be Great?

This week's blog post comes from Scott Peterson.

Can you be great?

 

You Betcha!!  Absolutely!!  Without a Doubt!! 

I hope that is clear enough. I believe this is true because of one of my favorite quotes. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Everyone can be great because everyone can serve." I love this quote because it helps me keep my priorities straight.   

The foundation of great leadership is about focus. When you focus on serving your teams and the people that you care about, good things will happen. What does it mean to serve those people? I can't answer that question perfectly, but here are a couple of ideas: 

1. Get to know your team and what they need (which is often different than what they want).   
2. Give them feedback, direction, and share the “why” with them (this helps them feel connected to the big picture).
3. Listen. It sounds really easy, but it can be a tough thing to do, so keep practicing this.  
4. Show them that you care. You've probably heard this quote, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." (John Maxwell)  This is so true, and it's a great reminder when you're thinking of how you can serve others. 

Overall, I have found that the better I serve the people around me, the better I lead. When I lose that focus, I make mistakes in leading. The right focus allows me to have a positive impact on people, teams, and organizations that are important to me. I hope it helps you too.  

Take two minutes and share a couple of ideas on how we can serve our teams and lead the Interstates way together. 

 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Scott Peterson

Improving Integrity with Clear Expectations

This week's post comes from Doug Post.

Last time We noted that integrity means, "I do what I say I'm going to do . . . every time." We noted Michael Myatt's definition: honesty is making your words match reality; integrity is making reality match your words.

We learned 3 key skills for leading with integrity:

1. You must understand what you have been requested to give your word to.
2. Say "yes" only when you mean it and are willing to act, even at personal cost.
3. Get very good at saying "no," because that is going to be your most common response.

But, if you've tried to live with integrity in the past few months, you have probably failed many times. I know I have. I have double-booked meetings and not set clear expectations with meeting leaders. I've been late to meetings. I've told my co-workers I would get them something by Wednesday, but considered early Thursday morning close enough. I have overcommitted to clients and chosen to sacrifice family commitments to meet the client's expectations. The concept of integrity is simple, but it is difficult to do what we say.

So, then what? Well, we can learn to live with more integrity. Consider these three practices:

1. Recovery. When your "yes" turns out to be a "no," acknowledge the breach. When necessary, apologize. And finally, recommit to integrity. That's it. No excuses. 

2. Clear Expectations and Commitments. Let's consider building skills #1 and #2 (above) by differentiating between statements, requests, and commands. A statement is a description of something or the condition of someone. No response is required, and there is no opening to give your word. A request is an invitation to give your word--either "yes" or "no." Commands are an essential part of high-performance organizations, and the only response to them is "yes." Though not used often, they are the fastest way to get stuff done.  Let's look at some examples:

• Statement: "The garbage needs to go out." OR "Our profits are declining."
• Request: "Will you please take the garbage out before you go to bed?" OR "Will you get me an analysis of why our profits are declining by tomorrow afternoon?"
• Command: "Take the garbage out before you go to bed." OR "Get me the analysis of why our profits are declining by tomorrow afternoon."

         Too many people cloak requests as statements and commands as requests, which
         confuses and frustrates everyone. Commands as requests are an act of cowardice.

         For high performance and integrity we must:

• Discern between statements, requests, and commands.
• Make sure everyone understands that statements don't require responses or actions.
• Make sure people have a right to say "no" to requests without repercussions. High performance companies get this. For example, "Can you complete the report by noon tomorrow?" High performance answer: "No, I need to take my son to the dentist, is 4 p.m. ok?"
• In the rare event that a command is required, the only possible response is "yes." However, stating the tradeoff is appropriate. This sounds like, "Yes, Bill, I will have that report to you tomorrow but know that I will not be making the call to Joe as a result."

Note: Commands are rare and do not only come from the leaders in your organization. For example, an Administrative Assistant might tell the President what he must do before leaving on a trip. Or, an engineer may tell the P.E. when she must have the drawings signed.

3. Say "No."  . . .  We'll consider saying no next time.

            To build your integrity with others, (1) learn to recover from integrity breaches, (2) share
            clear expectations and commitments, and (3) develop the ability to "say no."

How do you struggle with integrity? What helps you improve your integrity?
 

Continue Leading the Interstates Way!

Doug Post

 

External sources: The Primes by Chris McGoff, p. 129-132, 136-139.
Other sources to develop your integrity: The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey, p. 66-72, 111-112.  Executive EQ by Robert Cooper, chp. 11