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!"