Patti Cotton

Executive Coach & Career Strategist

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Peter Drucker – Goals and Self-Control

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Peter Drucker - Goals and Self-Control
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Peter Drucker once stated that his mission was to help other people achieve their goals.

Helping people reach their big leadership goals is what I do. If I can help them develop their leadership, they can then achieve the personal and professional things they set out to do.

And at face value, it’s easy to reach your goals.

To do this, all you need are these three things.

  • Define your goal
  • Identify the steps and ways to get there
  • Practice the self-control to work the plan

But a lot of leaders don’t reach the goals they set for themselves. Why? If the formula is so simple, where is the hitch?

To give some insight on this, I’d like to share some background about meeting objectives and reaching goals by reflecting on Peter Drucker. Drucker, a widely influential thought leader, has been described as the founder of modern management. I believe his work holds the key.

Drucker invented the concept of management by objectives and self-control, somewhat of a “household idea” in strategic planning today. He popularized this idea in his 1954 book, The Practice of Management.

Drucker maintained that in order to effectively reach objectives, these must first be defined by management and conveyed to other members of the organization. Then, it must be decided as to how to reach these objectives (strategies), and these strategies must then be broken down into sequential steps (tactics). The resulting outline or strategic action plan could then be used as a roadmap for those who had assigned responsibilities therein.

Drucker’s theory proposed to create an organized and positive work environment. As people worked the steps in the plan, they would be motivated by their achievements and spurred to continue on to the “finish line.”

Let’s translate all this into you as leader as you work on developing your own leadership.

Most of you reading this can easily identify the goals that are important to you. You can probably also outline the steps you need to take in order to reach your goals.

But you may not be reaching these.

What’s missing?

Self-control.

A lack of self-control is usually the culprit in thwarted goals. This is when leaders often call an executive coach. They’ve read the books, attended the boot camps, and yet, little has changed. And they aren’t quite sure what to do about it.

If this is you, it’s easy to feel discouraged and fall back into old patterns. After all, good enough is good enough – right?

But quietly, you know that if you develop greater leadership, you’ll benefit not only yourself and those around you, but the entire organization.

If you are at this point, I challenge you to adopt the following four tools.

These will help you to develop more self-control to move past obstacles and on to success.

1. Begin in a corner to set yourself up for success.

Is your goal to be a better communicator? Identify two to three things that will help you to become one. And then, start with just one of those. Let’s say your three strategies to becoming a better communicator include being a better listener, asking more questions, and being clearer and more concise in your written communications. Attempting to shift to all three of these behaviors at once is too much and will discourage the best of us. Begin with the one that feels easiest or like the biggest win, and work on that for a few weeks before taking on the next shift.

2. Assume a can-do attitude in your language.

What are the things you say to yourself when you think about taking that next step toward goal? Does your language feel heavy, full of examples like, “I need to…” “I have to…” “I must…”? Try shifting this type of language to one that is more encouraging, such as, “I am looking forward to trying…” “It’s fun to think about experimenting with this…” Look for the negatives and turn these around. Your language reinforces attitude with feelings around the work you need to do to reach goal.

3. Keep the transformation in mind.

If being a better listener is your goal, the transformation might be that by being a better listener, others will respect you more, share more, feel recognized, etc. and this will help to motivate and engage them, resulting in greater outcomes. Identify this transformation and keeping it in front of you as a carrot is powerful to helping you stay the course.

4. Congratulate yourself for wins and points of learning.

One step at a time. Each time you move a little closer to your goal, congratulate yourself. Each time you recognize when you have taken a step back, look at this as a point of learning. Ask yourself what you will do differently next time to move forward. The brain needs this in order to flex where it needs to go next. Rome wasn’t built in a day – and neither has your leadership been developed overnight. Decide that it’s “brick by brick” and keep going.

As you contemplate 2019 and what you would like to see in your personal leadership, remember that this is a journey. By traveling in this way, you model this for others, providing encouragement and a sound way forward.

HOW MUCH

DO OTHERS REALLY TRUST YOU?

​Learn the two vital parts to trust and how they can help you become a more highly effective leader.

GET THE INFOGRAPHIC

100 Best Performing CEOs: How Do You Measure Up?

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100 Best Performing CEOs: How Do You Measure Up?
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The Harvard Business Review (HBR) has just come out with its annual list of 100 best performing CEOs in the world.

Who are these leaders and what makes them different?

The team at HBR uses tough criteria to identify and rank these CEOs, assessing their capability to lead in a volatile world.

How do you measure such capability?

Outcomes.

Quite a bit of HBR’s process involves reviewing the profitability and forward movement of the company, seeing how well it sustains momentum in the midst of challenging outside forces – “savvy competitors, demanding customers, profit-hungry investors, political and economic headwinds” (Best Performing CEOs in the World 2018).

How would you measure up?

Is it fair to judge you as leader when external forces aren’t in your control?

Yes and no.

You certainly cannot change or control external forces.

But you can change the way you meet them.

And this is exactly how these 100 best performing CEOs became part of HBR’s list.

Of course, vision, strategy, and focused action all played into successful outcomes. But what makes the difference for winners once the plans are in place are two things: steadiness and stability.

That’s right – steadiness and stability.

Sound dull? These are two of the most underrated traits in leadership – and yet, two of the most important.

Steadiness is the ability to continue pushing through even at the toughest times so that you can emerge from the toughest of maelstroms. And stability is a foundational strength that provides focus, security and safety.

It stands to reason that, unless you can lead with steadiness and stability, you will compromise your targeted success.

I recall a time in my younger years when my then 35-year-old father left his teaching position to develop healthcare facilities. His vision and strategy were sound, and against all odds, he first developed a retirement center, a convalescent and rehab center, and a hospital all within three years. The city sorely needed these facilities – even the hospital which was just a mile from a larger more established one. The administrator of the latter had shared with Dad that they needed overflow facilities and if Dad would develop a community hospital, there were patients waiting.

So Dad began developing these with a passion and determination that were unparalleled. But he met with great resistance. Someone in town complained that if another hospital was built, that his dog would be nervous. Someone else tried to get in front of Dad and quickly develop a hospital before he did, even after Dad had procured the licenses and permissions necessary to break ground. There were fights and opposition all around. And 16 City Council hearings. Sixteen.

I reflect on that and ask how many people would have weathered all this at 35 years old. In the end, he won – and so did the town, which has benefited from these facilities for several decades, now.

But Dad could not have done this without unwavering steadiness – the commitment to push through even when incredibly discouraged and feeling alone. He could not have done this without the stability that his vision gave him – the strength and commitment to move with focus.

How would you rank your steadiness? And your stability in the face of opposing winds?

Here is my personal challenge to you for growth:

  • During this upcoming holiday season, I invite you to reflect on those times when you have faced difficulty, but still pushed through to successful outcomes. Celebrate this!
     
  • Ask yourself where there is room for more steadiness in your leadership…more stability. What stretch goals do you have for yourself, your team, for the company – and how will these traits play into reaching them?
     

Are you interested in developing greater leadership capacity in your work and life?

Come and join me at the Bellevue Club Hotel in the Seattle area on November 28 to hear more about how you can do so. Seating is limited and folks are flying in to attend, so please rsvp only if you are sure you can be there: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3-essential-shifts-every-leader-must-make-tickets-51973207262.

Or for Southern California leaders, e-mail me at patti@patticotton.com for details of a private upcoming event in the Inland Empire.

Townsend Leadership

3 Essential Shifts Every Leader Must Make – Part 3

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3 Essential Shifts Every Leader Must Make Part 3: Leadership and Brain Trust
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Leadership and Brain Trust

How well prepared are you to lead into the future?

The world now requires that you lead at a higher level to navigate change and complexity.

It demands that you have a greater capacity for the kinds of decisions and challenges that confront you now and in the future.

This requires a powerful three-pronged approach to support your leadership.

Over the last two articles, we talked about two of these elements, and they are:

Without these two abilities, you as leader may be close to your expiry date.

This week, we’ll talk about the third and final element to developing your leadership capacity: brain trust.

What is brain trust, and why do you need it?

The term “brain trust” is a term that was first coined by James Kieran, a New York Times reporter. He used this term to describe the group of leaders assembled by Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his presidential administration. President Franklin brought these “brains” together to advise him, decode problems, and design new solutions for America.

It is critical that a leader has a brain trust for several reasons. Here are the top five:

  • Perspective

Because leading requires complex decision-making, being able to see and understand a problem or challenge from all angles is necessary.

Albert Einstein’s quote reminds us that you can’t solve these with the same mindset that created them. However, it is often difficult to step outside oneself to see these additional angles. Having a brain trust made up of people who come from various industries and backgrounds means you can tap into a vast pool of experience for greater perspective and creative solutions.

President Roosevelt’s brain trust helped him to enact 19 laws to meet America’s challenges in just the first 100 days of him being in office. He freely admitted this was due to having an intellectual powerhouse to bring ideas and perspective that he could not bring to the table alone.

  • Powerful Support

It gets lonely when you carry big responsibilities. You balance many demands and set the standard for your organization.

Carrying all this alone can cause isolation and stress, as you feel you must face and meet these challenges by yourself. In fact, a recent survey shows that 60% of all leaders express feelings of isolation and they report that this hinders their performance.

Unburdening and processing with family, friends, or direct reports often creates greater stress on these relationships and can’t provide the right kind of support the leader needs to meet life and work effectively.

It is important for you as leader to have a safe and powerful support system that is trustworthy, confidential, and one that can receive and help process the complexity of your challenges.

  • Challenge

If you want to continue to grow so that you lead both your life and work solidly into the future, you need input.

What are you not seeing that you need to examine?

How is not leading at a higher level affecting your life and work?

With great responsibilities, you can operate from “stress mode” as you address the immediate and urgent. This can develop tunnel vision, and you will lean on familiar approaches that cannot meet more complex problems. This dynamic will keep you from being able to solve these, and to meet the important goals that will truly make a difference for you and the others around you.

A brain trust will challenge you where you might be playing small with limited thinking or approaches. It will provide that safe space for you to confront where you are holding yourself back and decide how you want to move forward.

  • Accountability

Change is hard; growth is hard. Without an accountability mechanism, the biggest goals and commitments are seldom met successfully.

As you process and make the decisions you need in order to move forward in both your life and work, a brain trust will keep you accountable to yourself and your commitments. And because a brain trust’s only agenda is your agenda, you can count on your brain trust as an unbiased and supportive group that has your best interests in mind.

This will help you to stay on track and to focus where you need in order to meet goals.

  • Community

How edifying and uplifting is your community?

If you are like most, you have little time to enjoy the nurturing benefits of connection and community. In fact, your responsibilities and pace as leader can limit your ability to form meaningful community and to enjoy the gifts and benefits of bonds and belonging.

Sadly, if you are like most leaders, your community feels fragmented and might be made up of some or all of these:

  • Frantic seasonal socializing to reconnect with old friends during holidays
  • Networking and brainstorming with peers
  • Industry or business-specific meetings with colleagues
  • Connections with families of your children and grandchildren during sports season
  • A weekly (if even that!) church experience

An intentionally-focused community that encourages intellectual improvement, supports personal and professional growth, and genuinely cares about you is an invaluable and rejuvenating asset to the leader. What’s more, being able to connect with this kind of community in time of crisis or celebration is priceless.

“When we live our lives in isolation, what we have is unavailable, and what we lack is unprocurable,” wrote Basil.

It is time to admit that going it alone doesn’t work anymore.

As you seek to meet the challenges of the future more effectively, having a solid brain trust is a not a “nice to have,” but a necessary component to your life and work.

© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.

3 Essential Shifts Every Leader Must Make – Part 2

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3 Essential Shifts Every Leader Must Make Part 2: 360° Leadership Development
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Are you prepared to lead into the future?

Most leaders are not.

They experience increasing pressure as they attempt to cover all the bases and feel unsettled about what might be coming next.

If that is you, please stay with me on this, because the volatility and complexity of change in the business world is only growing.

If you want to make sure you are prepared to lead into the future, you must make three shifts right now to navigate effectively through change, and if you don’t take quick action on these, your leadership will soon be reaching its expiration date.

In a previous article, we talked about the first of three necessary shifts to do so: sharpening your emotional intelligence to increase your relational skills. If you missed this, catch up here.

Now, on to the second of the three necessary shifts you need to make: 360° leadership development.

There is a great buzz about the fact that to really grow in your leadership, you must work on both horizontal and vertical development to meet a complex world. And this is true.

Horizontal development refers to increasing in knowledge, skills and competencies. We can measure this through leadership assessments, 360° feedback processes, and similar means. Companies invest in tremendous amounts of money to assess, measure, and hold people accountable to these, and this is necessary.

But in the last few years, we recognized that was no longer enough. We discovered that leaders who possessed the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to conduct business, were now experiencing an inability to meet the changing demands.

The world was changing – and their leadership was not.

Albert Einstein once said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

To expand on this truth, it has become clear that, “We can’t lead an organization of the future effectively by using the same kind of approaches we have used to lead the organization of today.” – Patti Cotton

To meet this problem, the leadership development world recognized the need for vertical development. Vertical development refers to the growth in a person’s thinking capability. It’s about how you think – how complex, strategic, interdependent, and systemic you are able to sift through challenges and make decisions. For more on this, read the white paper “Vertical Leadership Development-Part I” by Nick Petrie, Center for Creative Leadership.

“At last!” said the leadership development world. “We have now covered how to be more agile and complete in approaching change. We can rest easy!” Top executive coaches focused on the mindset shifts necessary to cultivate this, and we saw a lot of progress.

But a giant puzzle piece was missing and tragically continued to reveal itself in significant areas of the business world.

Here’s a small and partial list of contemporary business leaders who have run companies worth billions. They possess both horizontal and vertical development and, for quite a while, have been considered thought leaders ahead of the pack.

  • Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO, Theranos
  • Martin Winterkorn, former president of Volkswagen
  • Martin Shkreli, former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals
  • Hisao Tinaka, former president of Toshiba

These people had the knowledge and competencies to run the organization. They developed the mindset shifts needed to develop their thinking capabilities so that they could meet change and future challenges. They were capable, high-performing, and they produced incredible results.

But the glaring piece that was missing in all cases – and the reason for their downfall – was that they were missing the third part of the 360° leadership equation: Character.

Character is a matter of trust.

And without trust, you won’t get far – at least, not for the long game.

If you are in this to win, you must not neglect your leadership character.

The people in the above list all showed a flawed or compromised character. The result has been that they have suffered personal leadership downfall, in some cases they are or have been under investigation with threatening jail time, and their respective organizations were either heavily fined, sold, or folded.

Now I am not suggesting that you should compare yourself to these people in any way – I’ve selected these people to make a point. However, I am proposing that you check to make sure that your own character is well-sharpened to support your leadership.

Can you deliver on the following traits consistently? Are they truly a part of you and the way you lead?

Five Key Leadership Character Traits:

  1. Integrity – Are you consistent and congruent in relating to others so that they know what they can expect from you, know that they can count on you?
  2. Respect – Do you respect yourself and others equally in your decisions and actions?
  3. Intent – Do you hold others in positive regard and with positive intent, so that your pre-assumptions and biases don’t curtail best thinking?
  4. Transparency – Are you authentic in your communications? Forthright in the way you confront conflict and resolve it? Candid in critical conversations so that you are tough on issues and tender on people?
  5. Connection – Do you genuinely desire to connect well with others – and are you able to do this successfully?

Without one of these, your leadership is headed toward its expiration date. Because character is the missing piece to the complete leadership picture; the 360° leadership equation.

In the short term, you and others may not notice the effects of a compromised or weak character. But in the long run, missing this will bring down not only your ability to lead, but is quite capable of bringing an entire organization to its knees, as we have seen.

What specific trait within your character needs attention? And if you don’t know, who among your trusted colleagues can help identify this? I look forward to your feedback.

Next week, we will explore the third of three shifts you need to make: Brain Trust.

HOW MUCH

DO OTHERS REALLY TRUST YOU?

​Learn the two vital parts to trust and how they can help you become a more highly effective leader.

GET THE INFOGRAPHIC

© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.

How Your Leadership Identity Can Keep You Stuck

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How Your Leadership Identity Can Keep You Stuck
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Who do you say you are?

The way you see yourself, your leadership identity, is the reference point you use in relating to others, making decisions and taking actions.

It’s important to knowing how to operate and in feeling confident as you go about it.

This means that when your identity is threatened, you’ll do just about anything to protect it.

But, sometimes, this self-protection can actually hurt you and your potential.

Maybe it’s time you rethink who you are.

We formulate our identity through life experiences, making sense of how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us.

Let’s say I report to you. I will form my identity around questions such as, “Am I doing well?

What does my boss feel I’m doing well? Does my boss recognize my gifts and strengths? Does my boss think me worthy of promotion?”

These are just some of the questions around which I will form my identity, along with other feedback I receive from you, others, and the work I perform.

Conversely, if I’m your boss, I’ll be asking myself questions like, “Does my report see me as influential? Effective? Worthy of respect?” And other pertinent questions relating to the way I see myself – and want to see myself.

We will watch for feedback that tells us we are right about ourselves – our gifts, abilities, our potential – and our limitations. And we will then operate accordingly.

Of course, identity starts much younger than this, and we all bring this history with us to the present. What this means is that your identity has already been shaped and you will subconsciously seek to reinforce it by the way you approach life.

Sadly, the feedback we receive is anecdotal and can be faulty and limiting. It comes from many situations and sources over time, coupled with our own synthesizing of the information. It  takes into account what is perceived to be true at the moment, which is at best, partial and imperfect. And it does not take into account what is possible – our potential.

The struggle becomes apparent when we begin to ponder our potential. What’s possible for me? Using our leadership identity as a reference point becomes limiting. By checking against this perceived identity to see if something is possible, we limit ourselves to who we could be because we are referencing who we think we are.

This situation was nowhere more apparent than with a client of mine a few years ago. Danielle had been promoted from senior manager of a department to vice president in charge of multiple areas of responsibility.

Danielle had done extremely well as senior manager. Always the one to meet deadlines and keep things running, she prided herself on getting things done. When someone in the department had a personal issue, Danielle was the one to jump in and help complete the work. She enjoyed hands-on opportunities – this was gratifying and gave her the sense that she was doing something important.

All this came to a halt the day Danielle was promoted to vice president. The company felt she managed the department well and could now take on multiple areas of responsibility. Of course, Danielle was elated. She felt a sense of pride in the confidence the enterprise gave her, and the promotion reinforced her sense of self-worth.

However, Danielle was now faced with managing a different way. No longer could she jump in to complete someone else’s work. It was not possible to take on projects “hands on” as she had done in the past. The responsibilities were too vast, and this called for her to step up in leading others to get the work done. It required more influence than brawn, and a way of holding areas and managers accountable for actually doing the work.

And Danielle found herself in trouble.

Her own leader, John, allowed Danielle some time to “get her feet wet,” but began to notice a troublesome trend. Danielle began to work long hours and weekends when others were gone. She developed the poor habit of being late to meetings. She showed signs of great stress, and John decided she needed help. He called me.

When I met Danielle, she was frazzled, and frustrated that she had to take time to meet.

“I really don’t have time for this, although John thinks executive coaching will help. Is it possible to push this back a few months? I’m concerned that I won’t be able to get things done on time – and that’s a huge problem for the way my boss sees me.”

I realized she felt cornered and pushed to her limit.

“Danielle, if I could help make your job easier and help your boss and others to see you as competent, effective, and up to this new appointment, would you be willing to give me some time?”

“Well, if you put it that way…” she responded. “I’m just plain worn out.”

“I can see that,” I answered. “And I’m so sorry you are feeling worn out and overwhelmed. Let’s see if we can fix this.”

After some careful conversation together, it became apparent to me that Danielle was holding herself back from stepping fully into the new role – because of who she thought she was – her leadership identity.

Basically, Danielle had always received accolades and affirmation that she did a great job whenever she completed a task or project. From early on, grades and promotions came from successfully completing work, which told Danielle that she was seen as competent and effective as she met deadlines well with her hands-on results. In short, Danielle saw herself as an effective “do-er.” Do something, get rewarded. Complete a job and be seen as competent. That was Danielle.

This ability to get things done and do them well made Danielle an excellent individual contributor with some basic managerial skills. Individual contributors are called on to effectively manage their time and activities, competing demands, and multiple deadlines – all within a confined area of responsibility. They can make great team players and can take on a senior “helping role” when skilled at this.

But moving from individual contributor to leader is a leap. Leading means influencing others and holding them accountable to complete the assigned work.

It was not that Danielle did not have the gifts and talents to lead – it was simply that the move required embracing this different role as valuable. And this was unsettling for Danielle.

Who was Danielle if she was not a do-er?

Was she a person of value?

Becoming the vice president meant getting the work done without putting a hand to it. It meant utilizing more influence with her reports and holding them accountable to get the work done. It meant dealing with relationships and complexities at a heightened level and making difficult decisions palatable. Bringing people along. Motivating them to perform at their best.

Danielle had what it took in the way of raw talent to do this – but the way she saw herself – her leadership identity – kept her from doing so.

She argued with herself. If she wasn’t “hands on” with projects, she did not see herself as equally as valuable. Who was she if she wasn’t actually completing assigned work as she had done in her previous job? How would they know she was competent and effective? Others might see her as superfluous, as not needed. Where was the value in her role?

In response to this internal argument, Danielle had held on to some work that should have been delegated. She inserted herself in meetings where her managers could have represented. She was reticent to mentor a couple of staff into greater responsibilities because they might shine too brightly.

And all this because of her leadership identity. Seeing herself as not valuable unless she was “doing” – unless she was contributing individually on projects – was keeping her stuck and hurting her reputation.

Once we worked through this, recognizing the value in her new role and leadership, and reshaping the way she showed up with her responsibilities, we were well on our way.

From there, we identified her growth opportunities including ways to sharpen her influence, how to mentor more effectively, and how to hold people accountable with confidence. I helped her to see how this impacted the organization so that she reinforced her own sense of self-worth.

We then worked on her vision for her areas of responsibility, the traits her senior team needed to adopt, and how this translated into the way they worked. Ultimately, she formed and honed her own team’s “identity” so that they became high-performing, engaged, and loved working for her.

How might your own current leadership identity be holding you back from your potential? What are the stories you tell yourself about what you can – and cannot do?

I challenge you to move beyond this. Begin by creating a vision for yourself and what you would like to ultimately accomplish.

What story about yourself will need reshaping?

HOW MUCH

DO OTHERS REALLY TRUST YOU?

​Learn the two vital parts to trust and how they can help you become a more highly effective leader.

GET THE INFOGRAPHIC