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Trust is Power

If you can inspire 30 men to get up at 8:00 am on a Saturday to sit in a circle and share their dreams, fears, and struggles, you must be doing something right.  Every second and fourth Saturday, I lead a Christian men’s group that focuses on developing integrity and character with the purpose of creating better husbands, fathers, employers, employees, sons, brothers, and friends.  The group consists of a NASA engineer, a handful of Air Force officers, and members of the U.S. Navy; there are teachers, students, program managers, and the unemployed.  The ages range from 21 to 61 and encompass married, single, divorced, and engaged.  To be sure, if one ever hopes to make a difference in the lives of such an eclectic group of men, one better understand the power of influence, the influence of power, and the importance of trust.

Mary Kay Whitaker, (2008) in her book It All Starts With You said, “To build a foundation of trust, managers must match their actions to their words” (p. 8).  In a world of camouflage and power struggles, men want authenticity.  When it comes to personal growth, real-life issues at home, the vulnerable landscape of their marriage, and the treacherous terrain of parenting, men can sense fake, manipulative, and selfish motives.  The old adage, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” is never more true than dealing with men.  Hidden behind rough exteriors and buried beneath years of machismo are men looking to find a meaning for their life.  Something deeper than an office cubicle.  Something richer than a roommate with a wedding ring.  They want their life to count.  My calling and purpose is to help them find it by clearing away the debris of bad decisions and incorrect assumptions.  The avenue I use to do this is trust.

Are you comfortable developing sources of personal influence to gain power?

Whetten & Cameron (2011) take a detour from the traditional view of power.  Mostly perceived as controlling and manipulative, they shift the definition from “having authority over others to being able to get things done” (p. 286).  One of my favorite gifts working with men are the emails I receive from wives and children.  Leading a men’s ministry takes great sacrifice, perseverance, time, and hope.  Lots and lots of hope.  There have been more than a few times that I’ve thought of “throwing in the towel” and moving on to easier pastures.  But, without fail, I’ll receive a new (or remember an old) email from a wife thanking me for investing in her husband.  Hearing her say, “I don’t know what you’re doing on Saturday or what you tell him when you have coffee with him but he is changing.  He spends more time with us, takes our children out more, has become more romantic, and is responding in a kind and gentle way.”  Those comments confirm Whetten & Cameron’s power definition of “getting it done.” Stephen M.R. Covey (2006) said, “People trust people who make things happen” (p. 30). 

Whetten & Cameron identified the sources of personal influence as expertise, personal attraction, effort, and legitimacy.  Each is a critical component of leading and challenging followers.  Leaders should seek these qualities regardless of their current position or leadership role.   In his book The Speed of Trust, Covey (2006) said, “Trust is a function of two things: character and competence” (p. 30).  These four sources of personal power are elements of both character and competence.  Developing them is the key to leadership and success.  At the end of the day it comes down to motive.  Consistent and life-changing power and influence is bestowed rather than demanded.

Do you embody the characteristics of likeable people depicted in Table 5.4 (p. 290)?

            

         Whetten & Cameron (2011) identified six characteristics of likeable people.  I am often referred to as having charisma and strong social abilities.  In the process of fine tuning them and learning about the dynamics of social exchanges, I often hear, “one can’t fake charisma and force themselves to be socially successful.”  While charisma is an embedded element of one’s personality; likeability is not.  If you want to influence: be nice!  Likeability can be learned.  Everyone can increase their influence by practicing these six skills:

• Support and open, honest, and loyal relationship
• Foster intimacy by being emotionally accessible
• Provide unconditional, positive regard and acceptance
• Endure some sacrifices if the relationship should demand them
• Provide social reinforcement in the form of sympathy and empathy
• Engage in the social exchanges necessary to sustain a relationship

After reading these characteristics, I sent the list to my core men’s group leaders.  I concluded the email by saying, “We can only take men as far as we’ve gone. Go further.”  If bosses and leaders ever hope to succeed, they must practice the six behaviors of likeable people.  I understand anything can be taken to an extreme.  This is not meant for supervisors or CEOs to be “best-friends” with their employees but in the same vein, the traditional, hard-driving autocratic and impersonal boss is counterproductive as well. 

Fortunately for me (and those I come in contact with), I have incorporated the six characteristics into my relational repertoire.  However, they are not used as tools to influence and manipulate as much as they are integral elements of who I am.  By regularly practicing these behaviors and having a strong sense of my own identity, I can be open, honest, and empathic without feeling threatened.

Are you able to use influence both up and down your organization considering the information in Table 5.5 (p. 293)

            

          Trust and respect is a two-way street.  Credibility crashes when leaders demand follower’s respect and adherence without offering it to their leaders.  Everyone works for someone.  CEOs are accountable to shareholders and shareholders are accountable to society.  In the military, authority and respect still operate under a strong hierarchy.  Regardless of rank, respect, trust, and followership are ubiquitous traits that make for effective organizations.  One of the ways I protect my integrity and credibility is by “practicing what I preach.”  In other words, am I offering the same investment and respect to my boss that I am expecting from my followers? 

            

           Whetten & Cameron (2011) highlighted ways to manage and nurture one’s relationship with their boss.  They stated, “Understand your boss’s goals; the pressure they are under; and their blind spots.” Moreover, “assess your own strengths and weaknesses; your perception of authority; and always, always, keep your boss informed” (p. 291).  While I have a great amount of autonomy in my current position with Lockheed Martin, I make it a regular practice to keep my boss up-to-date either through emails or daily phone calls.  Another way to strengthen our relationship is through regular conversations about work processes and also personal challenges.  Through honest and open discussions, my boss and I have developed a strong relationship.  One of the most important principles of my leadership is “in order to be a good leader, you must first be a good follower.”

Steve

References:

Covey, S.M. (2006). The speed of trust. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Whetten, D.A., & Cameron, K.S. (2011). Developing management skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Whitaker, M.K., & Whitaker, R. (2008). It all starts with you. Kansas City, MO: Xcelogic, Inc.

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Teams: The Secret to Success

“It takes every kinda people, to make what life’s about.  Every kinda people,

to make the world go ‘round.” – Robert Palmer, 1978.

From adolescence, we’re wired to seek-out people with similar interest and develop friendships.  School, sports, and our local neighborhood acts as a resource pool from which to choose our friends.  Negative responses to those who are different often warranted parental correction to those who didn’t share our affections.  That all change dramatically when I entered the Air Force and was thrust into an eclectic mix of people from all walks of life.  Avoiding people with different backgrounds was no longer an option.  Parents, teachers, and coaches tried regularly taught the importance of teamwork.  While they laid a foundation, it was the leaders and supervisors within the United States Air Force that developed and matured my leadership potential.  They demanded teamwork, acceptance, and unity.  Anything less would not be accepted.

The Air Force builds teams and makes leaders.  However, the requirement is a two-way street.  The airman must willingly follow and enthusiastically embrace the opportunities and training offered by the military.  It does not take long before airmen realize they cannot succeed on their own.  To be a leader and to achieve aspiring goals, one must understand and develop high performing teams.  Kouzes & Posner (2007) said, “Leadership is not a solo act, it’s a team effort.”  Moreover, “the winning strategies will be based on the “we not I” philosophy where collaboration is a social imperative—without it you can’t get extraordinary things done in organizations” (p. 224).  

Teams are built upon two overarching imperatives: tasks and relationships.  One without the other will lead to task accomplishment and destructive relationships or task failure but harmonious relationships.  For a win-win situation, both task and relationships must be considered.  Whetten & Cameron (2011) identify the dualism as task-facilitating roles and relationship-building roles.  Task-facilitating roles are those that help the team accomplish its outcome or objectives.  Relationship-building roles are those that emphasize the interpersonal aspects of the team (p. 514).

Whetten & Cameron (2011) identify ten primary task-facilitating roles and seven relationship building roles.  First, the ten task-facilitating roles:

Direction giving – identifying ways to proceed and clarifying goals and objectives

Information seeking – asking questions and analyzing knowledge gaps, requesting opinions and beliefs.

Information giving – providing data, offering facts and judgments, and highlighting conclusions

Elaborating – building on the ideas expressed by others

Urging – imploring team members to stay on tasks.

Monitoring – checking on progress, developing measures of success and maintaining accountability

Process analyzing – analyzing processes to improve efficiency

Reality testing – exploring whether ideas presented are practical or workable

Enforcing – helping to reinforce team rules, reinforcing standards, and maintaining agreed-upon procedures

Summarizing – combining ideas and summing up points made in the team; helping members understand the conclusions that have been reached.

Without having at least one team member displaying task-facilitating behaviors, teams tend to take longer to achieve their objectives and have difficulty staying focused (p. 514).  Everyone has experienced a team member solely focused on the task while completely disregarding other’s opinions or feelings.  Sure, things get done, but it begs the question, “Was there a better way?”  The task-facilitator roles are especially important when progress toward goal accomplishment is slow; when the team is distracted; when time pressure exist; when the assignment is complex; and when no one else is helping the team move toward task accomplishment (p. 514).

When discussing the tension between task and process for participants in meetings, Whetten & Cameron (2011) said, “Task-oriented participants are ‘all business.”  They have little tolerance for joking or for discussions of feelings and friendships. The task is accomplished efficiently, but satisfaction may be low” (p. 653).  They continued, “Process-oriented participants emphasize spirit de corps and participation. They are sensitive to participants’ feelings and satisfaction.”  If managers hope to lead effectively, they must also focus on building relationship along with achieving organizational goals.  Formerly considered as a soft skill for the HR department, social interaction has been highlighted as instrumental to goal accomplishment. The tension between task and relationship can be like one is walking a tightrope high above Niagara Falls; but to settle for anything less is as safe as going over the falls in a barrel.  Therefore, leaders must manage and leave room for the following relationship-building roles:

Supporting – praising the ideas of others, showing friendliness, and pointing out others contributions.

Harmonizing – mediating differences between others and finding common ground.

Tension relieving – using humor to reduce tension

Confronting – challenging unproductive or disruptive behavior

Energizing – motivating others toward greater effort; exuding enthusiasm

Developing – assisting others to learn, grow, and achieve. Coaching members of the team

Consensus building – helping build solidarity and encouraging agreement

Empathizing – reflecting group’s feelings and expressing empathy and support for team members.

Without both task-facilitating and relationship-building roles, teams struggle to perform effectively. They key is to have a balance between task-oriented roles and relationship-building roles displayed in the team (Whetten & Cameron, p. 515).  Understanding and applying these task and relationship truths empowers leaders with insightful perspectives to build a cohesive team.  It begs the question, “What kind of team leader and team member am I?”

Consider how you generally relate as a team-member.

Upon reviewing the two types of team members, I certainly find myself more focused on relationships than the task.  Oftentimes the task is unmoving.  It is a fixed point; an objective.  The goal rests on the horizon while managers create teams to reach and succeed it.  Conversely, the complexities of a team are fluid.  Relationships, emotions, investments, and collaboration rise and fall based on the level of trust within the team.  In The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey said, “When trust is high, speed is high and costs go down.  When trust is low, speed is down and costs go up.” 

I believe in investing before you begin expecting.  In other words, invest into your people, gain their trust, and create a partnership toward a common goal.  As this is done, team members combine resources and invest energies into accomplishing the task.  When managers focus specifically on the task and little on the team relationships, individuals feel used and underappreciated.

Do you actively engage your team to accomplish its mission?

As a leader, I believe I should never ask someone to do that I have never done or am unwilling to do.  I’m a firm believer in the value and effect of personal contact and camaraderie.  In the military, there were many senior leaders who dictated orders from an office and rarely ventured into the work areas of their troops.  Lack of connection and communication led team members to work purely because of their obligation and rules. 

The supervisors who engaged their team were better able to motivate and inspire their team.  As a team leader, I consistently engage with my team to ensure they understand the mission, have all the necessary resources, and receive feedback and direction along the way.

Do you work to improve the team cohesion and collaboration?

In True North, Bill George (2007) highlights the leadership of Dick Kovacevich from Wells Fargo who said, “On the athletic field I learned that a group of people can perform so much better as a team than as the sum of their individual talents” (p. 9).  In light of the two different types of leadership and the many roles people take within team, Kovacevich also said, “Diversity of skills is an important element of any effective team.  I am amazed at leaders who surround themselves with people just like themselves” (p. 9).

Being strong in the relationships-building characteristic of team dynamics, I regularly utilize the following roles to improve team cohesion and collaboration: harmonizing, tension relieving, and energizing.  By demonstrating appropriate care and concern, team members are more apt to work together, deal effectively with conflict, and stay focused on the goal at hand (rather than be distracted by unnecessary “drama” in the workplace).

Lastly, there is more for managers to contend with than ensuring an appropriate balance of task and relationship focus.  In fact, members may actually take on unproductive roles that directly inhibit the team or its members from achieving what they could have achieved.  The following roles—referred to as “blocking” roles can destroy both morale and cohesion (p. 515).  Effective team members recognize when blocking roles are displayed, confront and isolate dysfunctional members, and provide feedback to those who are inhibiting effective team performance.  They are:

Dominating – excessive talking or cutting others off

Overanalyzing – examining every detail

Stalling – not allowing the group to reach a decision

Remaining passive – staying on the fringe and avoiding engaging in the team. Expecting others to do the team’s work

Overgeneralizing – blowing something out of proportion and drawing unfounded conclusion

Faultfinding – unwilling to see the merits of others’ ideas

Premature decision making – making decisions before goals are stated and information is shared or problems are defined

Presenting opinions as facts – Failing to examine the legitimacy of proposals

Rejecting – rejecting ideas based on the person who stated them rather than on their merits

Pulling rank – using status, expertise, or title to get ideas accepted

Resisting – blocking attempts to change, to improve, or make progress

Deflecting – not staying focused on the topic

Finally, George (2007) said, “Leaders are highly complex human beings, people who have distinctive qualities that cannot be sufficiently described by lists of traits or characteristics” (p. xxvii).  With nearly 30 different roles identified (task, relationship, and blocking), it is easy to see that teams are collective groups of complex individuals.  It requires a strong leader to manage and direct the various personalities within a team’s make-up.  Highlighting these elements can equip leaders with the knowledge necessary to ensure team and relationship success.

Steve

References:

George, B. (2007). True north. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Whetten, D.A., Cameron, K.S. (2011). Developing management skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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Southwest Airlines - Leadership by Example

Leadership is dangerous.   In Leadership on the Line, Heifetz & Linsky (2002) said, “To lead is to live dangerously because when leadership counts, when you lead people through difficult change, you challenge what people hold dear—their daily habits, tools, loyalties, and ways of thinking—with nothing more to offer perhaps than a possibility” (p. 2).  Lead anyway.

In the commercial aviation market, competition is fierce.  Surrounded by big names, thousands of jumbo aircraft, and unimaginable growth, Herb Kelleher found a niche with air transportation that, in many ways, has brought much larger companies to their knees.  And, he did it with humility, grace, care, and the power of personal relationships. 

In a 1997 edition of Leader to Leader magazine, Kelleher described some of his leadership and cultural concepts.  What seemed to be another rich CEOs version of what it takes to succeed was instead a heartfelt account of one man’s desire to believe.  In the article, Kelleher shared about the importance of quality and reliability.  No big surprise.  He then spoke of financial discipline and market awareness.  Sure, that’s to be expected.  But then, he opened up and let the readers into his true motivation: the power of being yourself.

In the article, Kelleher said, “Culture defines personality.”  He believes in releasing control to his employees and that the best leaders serve.  As a result, his employees enjoy freedom, informality, and an interplay that motivates them to work in the best interest of the company.  He said, “If you take an ongoing, genuine interest in the well-being of your people, outside as well as inside the workplace, you eventually create trust.”  As a result, Southwest has created a culture of trust, camaraderie, and focus that has not been replicated. 

As a result of Southwest’s success, competitors have tried humor, delegation, and various methods of inspiration.  They quickly found out that authenticity and vision cannot be faked.  You can’t create a culture that you don’t believe in.  Kelleher believes in the people at Southwest.  He believes in a better flying experience for customers.  And, he believes that people shine when they are loved and treated with respect.  Unlike the CEO sharks circling prey and intimidating employees, Kelleher shows vulnerability when he says, “We are not afraid to talk to our people with emotion. We’re not afraid to tell them, ‘We love you.’ Because we do.”  Not many leaders speak like that.  As a result, not many leaders have employees like those at Southwest.

For a class assignment, I was asked to watch a You Tube video titled “A Day in the Life of the Culture Committee by Southwest Airlines.”  It was a four-minute window into the life and culture of Southwest.  Kelleher’s heart and insights were highlighted in this short snippet of film.  The following are my responses to the assignment: 

Is the Culture Committee at Southwest effective in establishing cultural norms?

            Brown (2011) said, “The values and behaviors of every organization are unique” (p. 10).  Kelleher has made it very clear that his organization values integrity, respect, hard work, and fun!  Too many organizations leave their values hanging on office walls.  At Southwest, they live them out every day.  By demonstrating their appreciation, the employee-to-employee enthusiasm inspires people toward unity and generosity.  The norms are contagious and effective.  They have spread through management, the employees, and as earnings per share show – the customers as well!

From what you can tell, what is the purpose of the Culture Committee at Southwest?

            The Culture Committee is more than a “feel-good” surprise at the end of the day.  They are genuinely pursuing the organization’s vision and mission.  Southwest’s new CEO, Gary Kelly said, “Our people are our single greatest strength and most enduring long term competitive advantage.”  The Culture Committee all wear the same shirts on “hokey” day highlighting three core components of the culture at Southwest: Warrior Spirit, Servant’s Heart, and a Fun-Loving Attitude.  These are not merely work place slogans; rather, they are foundational beliefs and purpose of the leadership and employees at Southwest. 

            The motivation behind the Culture Committee is to take an extra step toward employee appreciation.  Flights are not always easy.  Unruly passengers, tight quarters, and lots of time away from home can cause even the best employee to get tired.  Opening the cabin door and being told to “sit back, take it easy, get something to eat, and let the Culture Committee clean up your plane” is a profound way to show appreciation.  In short, it’s love in action.

What would you see as a viable mission for a culture committee in your place of work (or your last place of work if you are not currently working)?

Most of my day is spent staring at emails and solving problems.  I rarely take lunch and without windows in my office, I often don’t know what the weather is like outside.  Personally, I would be extremely happy if the Culture Committee showed up at my office around lunchtime and told me, “Come with us outside for a nice lunch!”  Showing up on a busy day with lunch and going outside to enjoy the day would be a great break from the computer and constant phone calls. 

Fortunately, my supervisor keeps his finger on the pulse of his employees.  He schedules regular meetings to ensure communication is open.  He promotes monthly team lunches at a restaurant in the local area.  And, he often calls just to ask how we’re doing.  Furthermore, he remembers and rewards people with special recognition awards to let them know they are appreciated.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?

From Herb Kelleher to Gary Kelly and to my supervisor, there is an important take-away from this assignment: Employees want to know they are appreciated.  Acknowledging someone’s hard work with a pat on the back, a hokey-day, or a team lunch are all ways in which CEOs and supervisors say, “Thank you for a job well done.”  One more thing: We spend most of our lives at work. We might as well have fun!

Steve

References

Brown, D.R. (2011). An experiential approach to organizational development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Heifetz, R.A., & Linsky, M. (2002). Leadership on the line. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.