Lead 2020
Visions on Leading

Lead 2020 shares the leadership musings of
Dr. Mitch Owen, Director of Personal and Organizational Development, a unit of North Carolina Cooperative Extension based at North Carolina State University

Reminder.. Lead2020 has moved

Just a reminder that Lead2020 has officially moved to http://lead2020.blogspot.com/ Modify your readers and links..  Posted by mowen ( Mar 29 2007, 12:34:09 PM EDT ) Permalink

Yes.. Moving TODAY!

Moving

I decided.. Just a couple of posts on the new blog and I can see much more capability. I decided this morning that I would make the move. Check out my first real post on the new blog.. It is on sticky ideas. The new site is http://lead2020.blogspot.com/ My thanks to wolfblogs for getting me started.. In way, you have helped Lead2020 graduate.  Posted by mowen ( Mar 25 2007, 09:21:52 AM EDT ) Permalink

Moving

I am still deciding.. but it looks like I will be moving my blog soon.. I have started testing a new site.. http://lead2020.blogspot.com/ and my early reaction is to move. I will keep you posted, but soon I will decide.  Posted by mowen ( Mar 24 2007, 10:23:34 PM EDT ) Permalink

The Leadership Impact of Higher Education

Larry Summers who is the Charles W. Eliot University Professor at Harvard University recently visited NC State and spoke at the Emerging Issues Forum.  His focus was on the Importance of Higher Education in Today's world, and I walked away realizing what I had already known, but never really acknowledged. His talk has plenty of common sense that brings things together for those of us who are grounded in both leadership and higher education. Here is an excerpt from the talk.

"Should it really surprise us, that in a society where it all too frequenty, like it was at Harvard before I came, for 90 % of students to graduate with honors, and for more than 50% of the students to be given grades that suggest that their performance was extradonary. Should it surprise us,  if that is what is happening in our Unversities, that those same people 25 years later report the earnings of the corporations with a certain degree of inflation that needs to be restated for honesty... what happens in our universities, what and how they teach, who they take, what new ideas they develop, what tone the set, is over decades as important as any other question that a society answers."

Posted by mowen ( Mar 06 2007, 12:57:05 PM EST ) Permalink

Leadership Lessons for Women

Check out the great post by my buddy Anne.. It is a great message to parents of those who will one day grow up to be women.. Heck.. it is a great post for parents of those who will grow up to be men. Anne does a remarkable job of not only identifying key atributes of success for women, but in telling real life examples of how she and her siblings were schooled by her parents in these competencies.  Posted by mowen ( Feb 23 2007, 04:44:15 PM EST ) Permalink

The Rewards of Connecting

I just reread Malcolm Gladwell original article on Lois Weisberg.. just for the fun of it. It is a must read.. no it is a must reread. Every time I read it, I take away a new idea. This read I came away with the motivation of a connector. I am convinced that Lois is overwhelmed with the need to take care of others.  She is not just connecting to people because she wants to have social power.. she does it because she is geniunely concerned about the well being of others. This concern, leads her to peoples doorsteps and to help them get jobs and find friends, etc... This concern is what drives her to connect and in turn, it results in an uncanny loyality that few leaders in Chicago can claim. Read the article, trust me, you want to learn about Lois. Posted by mowen ( Feb 23 2007, 03:57:41 PM EST ) Permalink

Why Change Fails

John Kotter, perhaps the leading expert on organizational change, has a new article in Harvard Business Journal. If your familiar with Kotter's work, he has articulated an eight step process for transforming the organization. In this article, he highlights the key errors leaders make. His article follows his model ranking the order of errors in a linear manner in line with what he teaches, but I found myself asking the question which of these are the common errors. If I had to pick three I see the most, which three woudl it be. First, here are the errors:

Error 1 - Not establising a great sense of urgency.

This happens alot in companies. Someone knows we should make a change, but they don't communicate the whys of it to masses. It results in a top down approach. Just DO IT. Never really works very well.  But many times, changes come late in the game. Most of the organization knows there are changes needed. So this one might not make my top 3.

Error 2 - Not creating a powerful enough guiding coalition

This may be my favorite for the most often made mistake. Oh, leaders create guiding coalitions, they just rarely use the right criteria for who should be on them. The real leaders, movers and shakers are often not picked. I have heard lots of reasons. Here are two of the most common: "We need all divisions, units represented." or "You always pick the same people." The last one is a tough one, but the truth is, every organization has a group of informal leaders in the masses.. and they are the key to successful change.

Error 3 - Lacking Vision

This is not the case very often. I have found that lots of organizations work hard to figure out what changes to make. The problem isn't that they don't have a vision.. the problem is often.. well Kotter's Error 4..

Error 4 - Undercommunicating the Vision by a Factor of Ten.

This is a biggy - Enough Said. or maybe not said :)

Error 5 - Removing Obstacles

This one often takes courage. The obtacle could be a person in the leadership or it could be the organizational strucuture. But leaders have to step up here. Often personal risk becomes the limiting factor.

Error 6 - Not Systmatically Planning for, and Creating Short-Term wins

I like this one. This is maybe the best part of leading change. When you get that short team (meanginful) win.. well you know things are going to happen. I don't think this is a biggy. Given the mood of business today.. Want it now! Fast.. Most leaders have a short term goal mentality.

Error 7 - Declaring Victory Too Soon

We have an expectation that change happens fast (Thank you Gladwell). And maybe the moment we recognize change makes us feel it happens fast, but large scale organizational change happens over a long period of many years. Large ships do not turn on a dime and if they try.. well.. it is not very dry on board. or safe.

Error 8 - Not anchoring changes in the corporation culture

I am not sure of how well we do on this one. I think once you get to this level, most often, your on the down hill. For example, back in the late 80s, I helped my own organization adopt e-mail and technology. Once we had made the change, 95% of our leaders read their own mail. We were able to tell everyone how much money we were saving and that we were communicating more frequently. It became an expectation that everyone hired will read their own e-mail. We hired administrators from other land grants.. they all came in and were expected to read their own e-mail. What anchored this.. A top leader who said, if you don't read your e-mail and I send you a request, you will be held accountable. This be came our culture.

So what is the bottom line. If I were to pick the most common ones.. It would be 2,4 & 5. You might pick others and they are all important, but I think my three are where we trip ourselves into failure.


Posted by mowen ( Feb 22 2007, 06:35:40 AM EST ) Permalink

Jeff Hawkins

Check out Jeff Hawkins' latest presentation on google. Although Hawkins is best know for creating the palm and treo... his real passion is brain research. He is trying to create a intellegent computer patterned after the real biological systems in the brain. If your interested in how the brain works.. and even more about technology, you might find it as interesting as I do. Posted by mowen ( Feb 21 2007, 08:16:51 AM EST ) Permalink Comments [1]

Attendr - Social Networking Experiment

In alignment with my pursuit of social networking knowledge.. I would like to ask for your help. I am exploring the practical application of social networking sites. One I have recently been playing with is attendr. It allows a group to map themselves and also create connections. I am inviting you to the lead2020 attendr page.  It's a way for everyone going to lead2020 to learn about the other people that read this blog. It is a small group, but it will give me a chance to see how this tool could be useful with a larger group.   Check it out here and add yourself:

    http://attendr.com/lead2020

If you know of other great social networking sites.. please respond to this blog and let us all know about them. Thanks,


Posted by mowen ( Feb 19 2007, 03:17:22 PM EST ) Permalink

Carnegie's Keys to Social Network

Social Networking is the "rage" right now. Some of this might be attributed to the Internet and sites like My Space and Second Life. You could also suggest that Gladwell's book on social power, "The Tipping Point" has added to the emphasis on building strong social networks. So, you might find it interesting that this is really nothing new. In fact, Dale Carnegie's first course has lots on social networking.. and it was so successful in 1916, that began training official "Dale Carnegie Course Instructors."  Here are six lessons from Carnegie on building a stronger relationship with others that fit right into today's discussions:

• Become Genuinely Interested in Other People
• Be a Good Listerner
• Encourage others to talk about themselves
• Let the other person do a great deal of the talking
• Talk in terms of the other person's interest
• Give honest and sincere appreciation

Social networking is really nothing new... but it is exciting to see how today's techonology may allow individuals to do this in new and different ways. I wonder.. how is social networking different in Second life from real life... Could the above six lessons increase your success in Second Life? Now that is a study I would be interested in exploring.

Posted by mowen ( Feb 18 2007, 06:18:14 PM EST ) Permalink

Blue's Clues for Success

Anyone with small child should know what Blue's Clues is. But most don't know that Blue's Clue changed how we watch TV today. In fact, you could argue that American Idol and other shows that ask us to vote are a product of a path Blue's Clue created. Blue's Clue made TV different. It was the first children's show that sought to interact with the viewer. The host would actually; talk directly to the child watching. This had never been tried, but the creators of the show had studied advertising and vehicles such as the Publishers Clearing House competitions. Seems these types of advertising resulted in higher participantion.. sales. To realize the impact of this approach, ask yourself if you know who Ferris Bueller is? It could be considered the adult version of Blue's Clues.  Interactivity allowed Blues Clues to increase attention (and thus advertising dollars) to great heights!

There are other lessons to be learned from this show. What else did they do to make Blue's Clues the Top Children's Show. They had a good brand. The were focused.. Here is there definition of how they branded the show:

"When you are crystal clear about who and what you want to be in the mind of your customer, and you manage every detail of your business so that customers see you as being in a class of your own, you will have branded your product."
Posted by mowen ( Feb 13 2007, 06:43:57 AM EST ) Permalink

Top Five Derailers

Based on Research into leadership success by Byham of DDI, Hogan and Hogan, and Others..

The top five derailers are:

1. Approval Dependance or the need to have praise or reassurance from others, especially those higher than you in the organization.
2. Argumentative - A skeptical, tense, and perhaps suspicious nature. Often focusing on one's own interests.
3. Arrogant - Overly self-assured or confident.  Results in poor listening and dismissal of feedback
4. Attention Seeking - A gregarious and persuasive person who becomes melodramatic and excessively self-promoting.
5. Avoidant - Pleasant and cooperative, but tends to be preoccupied with their own agenda. May address issues in an indirect manner and can be percieved as manipulative.
   

Well.. that is enough for one post. Look the five derailers in the eye and ask yourself.. Do any of these describe me. if you quickly think not.. read #3 again closely... Truth be told, if you are really honest.. most of us have struggled with at least one of these.. some of us even more. Ask yourself this question: Which of these derailers would I be most likely to do... It works for me.. .
Posted by mowen ( Feb 12 2007, 07:55:02 PM EST ) Permalink

Finding Innovation

1st- sorry to be gone so long.. new role, lots of more work, just getting it all back in balance.. so here is my first post of 2007. My new years resolution.. you ask? To stay true to my value system.. no matter how hard.. :) now here's some knowledge...

Gallup published an excellent online piece on the drivers of innovation.. They have some great articles.. but they charge for them, so this is in no way an endorsement! Anyway, the article was all about how you drive innovation. The NUMBER ONE driver was FINDING AND FOSTERING TALENT!  What an interesting concept.. :)

Ask yourself the question.. do we really foster talent in our employees.. Think about it. Most organizations spend huge amounts of time and money on lots of other stuff.. good recruitment and employee development is sometimes an afterthought. And even worse.. during bad  ecomomic times, most companies downsize the HR and training functions first. Sure..  "we don't have money to do as many recruitment trips this year.. lets cut back."  If you supervise people.. when is the last time you fostered their developent? payed for a workshop? encouraged them to try something new that might develop them? We spend lots of time keeping employees awar from their passions too often. And the recruitment is a scary thing. My own research on supervisors shows that recruitment is something they overwhelming rank themselves low on. We all hate filling a vacancy.. when in fact, it is one of greatest opportunities to DRIVE INNOVATION! Posted by mowen ( Feb 08 2007, 08:05:22 PM EST ) Permalink

Courage

I have been consumed by other things this past week. Every day I have thought about blogging, well.. other stuff got in the way. One of those distractions was the book "Flags of our Fathers" by James Brady.  The author uses what was one of the most symbolic symbols of World War II to share the stories of the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima.  What I have found remarkable was the courage these young men required to achieve victory at Iow Jima.  Anyone reading this book will quickly understand why the veterans of WWII were the greatest generation. Almost 7000 americans died in 30 days on this island. Many more came home wounded. We live in a easy world today consider they battles they fought. The contrasts are many, but what strikes me as the most compeling is the number of men who took their own lives to save they friends. In today's business world, the concept of giving one's self for others is rare. Seems to me that we have lost some of what americans had back there in the 40-50s. A sense of something more important that oneself, a sense of taking care of ones colleagues.. If you haven't read it.. please do.  It is a must read for anyone serious about becoming a true leader.  Posted by mowen ( Nov 12 2006, 07:06:01 PM EST ) Permalink

Resilience - The Path to Success

I have been blessed to work with all sorts of successful leaders. This past week I was working with academic leaders from across the United States using one of the many leadership assessments I often administer.  The profile of this group was nothing special... they had their strengths and weaknesses as all groups do!  It wasn't until afterward that I got to thinking in a broader sense and realized that this group had something in common with other exceptional leaders I have worked with in the past 2 years. Almost all of them scored very high in resilience = The ability to recover from a disappointment or failure! WOW.. You rarely read this in the best selling leadership books.. but I believe it may be one of the most critical skills a leader needs.  Think about it.. here are some things go remember as you do:

1) Trial and Error is one the world's best learning methods!
2) Some of the best leaders failed first, but recovered to be very successful.
3) Much of who we are, we discover while facing a crisis or failure.

The measure of a man or woman can be seen in how they deal with a loss, failure, or crisis. Resilience is the pathway to success...


Posted by mowen ( Oct 22 2006, 03:15:42 PM EDT ) Permalink

wiki success stories

A colleague of mine has captured the essence of leadership in a HopeBuilding wiki.. It is a wiki with success story after success story.. it a way for us all to learn from each other and focus on what works. This is in alignment with movements to lead in a more appreciative way. Focusing on what is done well and how we can apply those successful techniques to other areas. Check it out.. it is a feel good site in that you will learn about leaders and solutions.  Posted by mowen ( Oct 12 2006, 02:16:14 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [1]

Lessons Learned from Texas Hold'em Poker

I friend of mine and a darn good leadership expert, George Smart, has released yet another interesting video and potential workshop... The Lessons Learned from Texas Hold'em Poker. Check out his video:

George Smart on Leadership and Poker

He makes good sense... and further proves there is more to success in poker than a fancy nickname and some sunglasses.
Posted by mowen ( Oct 02 2006, 11:38:19 AM EDT ) Permalink

The Leadership Lesson of Dirty Dancing

Despite the fact that many of you think of Dirty Dancing as a woman's movie, both men and women have much they can learn about leadership from the low budget movie that became a huge hit. Partly filmed not to far from here.. in Lake Lure North Carolina, I have been able to develop a whole program on leadership reflected in the actions of the major characters. My favorite message is one of trust which is best seen between "Baby" and her dad. When it be comes clear that Baby has lied.. well.. the relationship goes places where it shouldn't and what is really wonderful about the lesson it teaches is that Dad comes to a conclusion much worst than reality.. or what might be the reality of the movie. So.. find someone you can cuddle with and rent this one.. and try and come up with some lessons of your own.. here are a few to get you going:

Lesson 1: Once trust is broken... we tell ourself stories that may or may not be true.. and everything really goes down hill from there..

Lesson 2: Trust is a two way street.. if you can not find it in you to forgive... don't expect someone to trust you...

Lesson 3: Leadership expects courage... courage to face the truth.. courage to risk self.. courage to confront a wrong...

Lesson 4: "Nobody puts baby in a corner!" (ok.. not really a leadership lesson.. but a good line)

Enough.. get the movie.. and remember to enjoy it as well...


Posted by mowen ( Sep 29 2006, 09:13:43 PM EDT ) Permalink

E-Mail - The Great Organizer - NOT

More and more of my life is being organized by e-mail. Let me clear on this... e-mail is not only my main method of communication, but it is my check list of todos.. Instead of filing messages.. I let the accumulate until the issue they address is resolved. It is my only system, but maybe one that will eventually get me in trouble. The reason I like it.. e-mail just keeps coming 24/7. So I can ask you a question via e-mail and eventually your response will show up in my checklist (e-mail). One problem.. yesterday, my e-mail file got corrupted or something and every messsage I would have gotten from 12pm till 8am this morning.. went into a black hole.. Ouch.. Looks like my system has flaws! Or maybe I need a dual e-mail system :) Posted by mowen ( Sep 19 2006, 08:08:16 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [2]

What Men think of Women

Recent research report (Harvard Business Review) by Bowman, Worthy and Greyser examined 2,000 US Executives on how they feel about women in executive roles. To quote Dylan.. "these times, they are a changing!"  Overall, 88% of the men had a favorable overall attitude toward women in management, an increase from less than 40% in 1965. For the first time, men equal women in their response. Women have been in the 80% favorable range since 1965. Other interesting findings is the sexes are equal in their willingness to work for a women as well (71%).  Where the sexes differ in whether women will be accepted as leaders.

•  a higher pecentage of men belive that women will be accepted as executives
• a lower percentage of men believe that women have to be exceptional to succeed in business.

It is always dangerous to draw implications from data like this and personally I am just trying to understand the realities of the past. What strikes me as most interesting is the significant personal conflict that women must fill. At a minimum, almost half of the women feel favorable toward women in leadership, but feel they will not be accepted. Ouch. This is valid if you look at 1965 data, but the new data sets points to only about 20% of the population being resistant to women in leadership. I guess a few bad apples will spoil the bunch.. or at a minimum create the illusion that there are more bad apple than we thought. What is the implications.. here is the real dangers part of this post.. The field may be more level than ever and women should have more opportunity to succeed! So... Forget about the 20% (male and female)  out there that don't get it.. That is not a battle worth fighting.. focus on the 80% that are ready for your leadership.. And go for it..

Posted by mowen ( Sep 12 2006, 08:59:51 PM EDT ) Permalink