Culture is defined like this…

the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group

Investopedia offers this definition of corporate culture…

Corporate culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company’s employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions.

It’d be easy to take issue with that last part about handling outside business transactions. But the site goes on to list a key point about company culture…

Corporate culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company’s employees and management interact.

Personally, I prefer to just use that key point as the definition. Simply put, culture is the beliefs and values that determine behavior and decision-making.

Culture is the beliefs and values that determine behavior and decision-making.

Think of culture as the operating system of your organization. It’s the architecture upon which decisions and actions are based for your team, your division, your organization or your business.

Some take issue with me putting culture on the list. They argue that culture isn’t something you do, but it’s something that’s created. To which I simply ask, “By whom?” Who do you think is most responsible for creating the culture that best serves the operation and the people in it – no matter if they’re inside it or outside it? Employees or customers?

Leadership matters.

I started playing tackle football in 5th grade. When I was growing up there was no flag football. By the time I entered high school I was growing increasingly interested in other things. But my buddies and I who had played together for years all hit the football field for the first spring tryouts. It was a less than stellar outing.

The coach stood before us and made what I thought was a ridiculous declaration. Here at Buba Gump High School (no, that wasn’t the name of it) we use the 3-point stance. He then commanded us to all get down into a 3-point stance. We did. I had a smile on my face. A “you’ve got to be kidding” kind of a smile.

He at least knew who I was, which may not have played to my favor.

He then starts lecturing us on the physics of the 3-point stance. Now, I was no physic whiz kid, but his next statement tickled me. “Whichever way you take a man’s head, that’s the direction he’ll go.”

Well, chop my legs off and call me, Shorty! Amazing.

My smile widened.

“Cantrell, you think that’s funny?”

That’s when it went south for me.

“Yes, sir. Kinda.”

The next thing I knew I was joining a few other guys running laps around the field. Yes, I was smiling with every stride. It was my final football practice. I figured any coach that stupid wasn’t worthy of my athletic prowess.

Collaboration defined –

the action of working with someone to produce or create something

In short, it’s high-level teamwork.

In our context of leadership, it’s vital for you to have successfully built the foundations necessary to foster this. If you’ve not yet listened to the 3 earlier episodes on compassion, connection, and communication, then do that right now. Leading collaboration isn’t giving orders. It’s working together.

We’re about to begin round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Thankfully, the Dallas Stars advanced and tonight they’ll begin a new series with the St. Louis Blues. It’s only the second time in NHL history that a rookie NHL coach has taken a team past the first round of the playoffs. Stars’ coach Jim Montgomery is proof positive of a leader who understands the value of all these components, including collaboration.

Did it help that he spent time coaching at the college level? Likely. But when he arrived in Dallas he made it clear he had one BIG objective — to change the existing culture of mediocrity. He wanted the Dallas Stars to have a winning culture. Like all NHL teams, the Dallas Stars have endured their share of adversity and success in the 2018-2019 season. Thankfully, their summer hasn’t yet started…and it’s due in large part to Monty’s leadership to work with the players to change the culture. He’s done it by incorporating each of these components, including collaboration.

Coaches used to yell instructions to players. Players had to comply or risk being in the coach’s doghouse. Or worse. Some coaches still do it, but most winning coaches have learned, improved their understanding and grown.

Dallas Stars players report that Jim Montgomery has likely “gone off” on them less than half a dozen times this season. He picks his spots to make a point. The team responds.

Part of Monty’s first work was getting to know the players (connection). As he deepened the conversations (communication) he asked for their input (collaboration). Monty wanted to know what style of hockey the players enjoyed most. He wanted to know what players they felt most complimented their skills – and which players their skills most complimented.

Jim Montgomery cared what the players thought (compassion). He wasn’t threatened by a group of millionaire professional NHL players. That alone was a big feat for a guy leaving a college dressing room for one in the NHL. It would have been easy for him to have thought he needed to exert his leadership, thinking that might have been the path to getting the team’s respect. Instead, he opted to be open, candid and caring.

Professional athletes don’t enjoy losing. The Dallas Stars core group have never won a championship together. Only a few have ever won the Stanley Cup with prior teams. Monty threw gasoline on that desire and spent this entire first year behind the Stars’ bench fostering an intense will to win. His role – as the leader – meant helping the players figure out how they could best do that. It’s the very definition of collaboration…

working together to accomplish something none of you could do alone

Players play. Coaches coach. Trainers train. Medical staffs heal. Salespeople sell tickets, advertising, and sponsorships. There are a ton of people working at every NHL franchise. The top teams on the ice tend to also be the top teams off the ice. A whole bunch of people working together to win Lord Stanley’s Cup, something none of them could do alone.

Hundreds of people putting in the work to make the engine run. Even the worst teams in the league have those ...

Five C’s comprise the work – and the progress – of transformational leadership. In this series, we’ll briefly go through these:

* Compassion

* Connection

* Communication

* Collaboration

* Culture

Today, we’re focusing on communication. Let’s start with a dictionary definition:

the imparting or exchanging of information or news

Again, I’m going to redefine it with a more practical perspective:

 the act of conveying meanings from one entity or group to another; the exchange of ideas and information for the purpose of increasing understanding

The key word is UNDERSTANDING.

Communication requires 2 or more parties. We tend to focus on the giving or sending of ideas and information. The talker. The writer. The broadcaster. The vlogger. The blogger. You get the idea.

Common wisdom says it’s incumbent on the sender to make sure the communication is accurately received and understood. Makes sense because you don’t have much control over the other person or party. So control what you can. Use language that resonates with the recipient and employ other tactics that can help you properly convey the message.

Permit me to draw your attention to another term in my definition, EXCHANGE.

That means it’s not a one-way street. This podcast is built on the broadcasting model. I’ve got the microphone and the platform (the station if you please). But you and I are still exchanging ideas and information. Some of you contact me through social media. Some of you email me. Some of you call me. The fact that I’m the only one here with a microphone doesn’t make this podcast a one-way form of communication. In fact, I went to a shorter, daily format almost 200 episodes because of the exchange that took place between us.

Rather than concentrate on how we can speak or write better, I want to flip this on its head and think about the burden we each bear to understand.

Have you ever communicated something as clearly as you possibly can and somebody still either misunderstood it or misrepresented it? I know you have. Well, was that your responsibility or theirs?

Some time ago I crafted a very clear document. It was comprehensive and straightforward. I know that because I shared it with about 3 people very close to me to get their feedback. Over a three to four week period, I refined it, edited and solicited their feedback every step of the way.

Off it went to a number of people involved. Within less than 2 hours I got a response from a person that seemed to indicate he hadn’t read it. If he did, he clearly didn’t understand it. Truth was, he was biased and blinded by his own narrow-mindedness. He inaccurately characterized my communication. The only truth I found in what he said was, “I’m dug into my position.” Well, there you go!

How do you help a closed mind understand? You don’t.

When those who don’t understand are the exception to the hoards who do understand, it demonstrates that there’s something necessary on the part of the receiver. Of course, when you build on the foundation of compassion this is less problematic.

We all enter communication with a perspective formed by our experiences, our knowledge and our level of understanding. Our viewpoint isn’t necessarily bad or harmful, but it can be if it stands in the way of helping us understand others. People who fail to understand others – and those who lack the desire to – tend to be folks prone to self-delusion. Nobody is helped when this happens.

Know yourself. Know your audience.

Understand yourself. Understand your audience.

Five C’s comprise the work – and the progress – of transformational leadership. In this series, we’ll briefly go through these:

* Compassion

* Connection

* Communication

* Collaboration

* Culture

Today, we’re diving into connection. Once again, let’s begin with defining the term so we all understand. Here’s the dictionary definition:

a relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else

I’m going to make some adjustments to that definition. You knew I would.

a relation of sufficient intimacy to foster mutual service, support and growth

Some folks argue that I’ve got things out of order. They think communication should precede connection.

The reason I put connection before communication is because the level of communication I’m talking about doesn’t happen unless a connection is first established. For example, you encounter somebody at a chance meeting. You exchange pleasantries, but for some reason, you don’t enjoy the meeting. You don’t like this person. They’re just not your cup of tea. Yes, you’ve communicated, but without forming any meaningful connection.

Contrast that with another chance encounter. After the initial small talk, you’re drawn to this person. They’re drawn to you. The chemistry is working and you find yourself deep in conversation, exchanging thoughts, opinions, and ideas.

In both cases, there was communication – small talk. But in the former, the connection just didn’t stick. In the later, things clicked.

As leaders, we must connect if we have any hope of effective communication. Now you understand why we began yesterday with compassion.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Theodore Roosevelt was right. 

Your leadership, fueled by compassion, has the best opportunity to forge deep enough connection so you can truly serve people. I’m not suggesting that every person on your team becomes your best friend. Or that you become their best friend. But I am suggesting – even pushing you – to make sure you provide an environment where people feel safe with you. Safe enough to trust you. Safe enough to speak up and speak out. Safe enough to know you truly want them to succeed.

If that safety doesn’t exist then everything stomps down right here. Your leadership will not move forward. It’ll only be a matter of time before things catch up with you. But if you’ll do this work. Till the soil of the hearts of the people you serve (and lead) and watch them grow.

Connection demands truth, trust, and transparency. 

That’s why connection and communication go so congruent with one another. And why they may be best viewed as 2a and 2b.

Be human. Don’t be afraid to reveal yourself to the people you hope to serve. It’s leadership. That means you have to go first.

Too many leaders mistake forcing others to go first. They want people to open up to them about things, but they’re unwilling to open themselves up. It doesn’t work that way. You can’t remain super guarded around people hoping they’ll be vulnerable with you. It’s a reciprocal behavior that requires you to make the first step. Be bold. At some point we’ll talk about the prerequisite for all these Cs – it’s another C word, courage. Embrace the courage to show yourself to be a good human being.

Connection precedes communication because I’m putting the burden where it belongs. On us as leaders! It’s up to us to get this thing going forward.

Five C’s comprise the work – and the progress – of transformational leadership. In this series, we’ll briefly go through these:

* Compassion

* Connection

* Communication

* Collaboration

* Culture

I put them in this order intentionally. We’ll explain as we go along this week. Today we begin with compassion.

Transformational leadership is defined by the Business Dictionary like this:

Style of leadership in which the leader identifies the needed change, creates a vision to guide the change through inspiration, and executes the change with the commitment of the members of the group.

Let’s personalize it a bit more though. We’re going to start with YOU and your leadership. Transformation begins with you, but that doesn’t mean you’re broken and need to be fixed. I tire of people who approach life – including leadership and business – from that viewpoint. I understand that some people are better at stuff than others. Some are more effective. Some are more impactful. Some more accomplished. But we all know there are plenty of ways to achieve success and find the results we’re chasing. There isn’t just one way. Study any handful of successful leaders you care to and you’ll likely see a variety of different styles and tactics. So before we dive into the first C, compassion, let’s focus a bit on self-awareness.

Who are you? What are you? 

There are a variety of tools and assessments to help us. Some put the emphasis on our personality type. Others on our current strengths or talents. Still others on qualities and characteristics like values and beliefs. Many of these have their place as we dive more deeply into our lives to see ourselves more accurately.

I’m increasingly fascinated by looking at our value strengths. Namely, the beliefs and character strengths that drive our decisions and behaviors. Learning more about these helps us better understand our current default behaviors. These may change over time, too. They often do because we’re constantly learning, understanding and growing.

Self-awareness can be among the toughest work you’ll ever do. But it can also be the most profitable, too. I encourage you to spend the time to do this work because this podcast – and my work – takes aim at helping people live their best life. Yes, the focus is on business building and leadership, but those aren’t the only elements of your life. You’re a whole person. It’s important for you to commit to making all areas of your life shine.

Now, let’s talk about compassion, the foundation of it all.

The dictionary defines it as “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.” That’s too narrow for our purposes. Let’s broaden it to a more practical meaning…

kindness, caring, and a willingness to help others

Leaders who commit themselves to growth in this area are poised for extraordinary transformation. Consider it extreme growth.

For your life and leadership to be truly transformational…you need this foundation. We all have room for improvement. I hope you’ve got a great start, but if you don’t – then make up your mind you’re going to change this.

It was in the early 1970s when I first heard the phrase, “servant leadership.” It seemed ridiculous to me at the time and I was just starting a career in sales as a high schooler. I thought it was redundant. Now that I’m an experienced, mature person…I know it’s redundant...

Confidence doesn’t always stem from competence. A little kid jumps on a bicycle for the first time. He is incompetent at riding a bike because he’s never done it. But that temporary incompetence doesn’t hinder him from holding a strong belief (and desire) to master it.

Gauge the frustration of your organization or team. There can be multiple sources driving it. Frequently teams are frustrated because they can’t see what the leader sees. Perhaps it’s due to the poor communication from the leader to put effective language to the vision or task. Maybe it’s due to a lack of organization within the team and people aren’t sure what they’re supposed to do. Largely I see ineffective, frustrated teams with low confidence. The chaos might be summed up in the fact that the team lacks a plan.

Plans can be rough “back of the napkin” affairs. Or they can be minutely detailed tomes that rival War & Peace (laboriously long and wordy). Few things can elevate a team’s confidence more effectively than a well-crafted and well-communicated plan. So it’s about more than having a plan, but don’t underestimate the power of confidence within your team – and don’t underestimate the ability of a plan to accomplish that.

Let’s walk through some ideas to help you push forward.

Step 1 – Identify the objective (and do it with the team)

Forget the “going it alone” deal. This is about engaging your team and elevating the confidence necessary to get the job done. Let the troops in on this part of the process of planning.

What are we going to accomplish? Make sure you’re really dialed in on the goal. It may (or may not) be what you initially think. Or there may be some other goals that need to be accomplished first. This is why having the team involved upfront can serve to get things off to a great start.

Scrutinize the objective until you’re solid that you’ve got it right. This includes specificity. For example, we want to grow revenues 8% this month isn’t a plan. The objective requires details that answer the question, “How?” At this stage, it can be basic, but there must be an answer to how the team can get this done!

Step 2 – Map out the first steps (and include roadmap markers)

I love the Waze app on my iPhone. I use it weekly. And I’ve learned to never second guess Waze. As a friend says, “She’s always right!” (referring to the female voice that guides the way)

Waze displays your next move, not your next dozen moves. When the app first came out I would scroll to see further ahead because I wanted to know what route she was going to take me. I soon gave up that habit because my trust in Waze increased. And I always knew I’d get sufficient notice before my next turn.

Map out the plan. Go ahead and figure out as many steps or moves as you’d like. Just know that the further down the road you go, things may come up to alter your course. So lock and load the first few moves – the ones you’ll have to make no matter what happens. At least the ones you think you’ll have to make regardless.

What are the roadmap markers you’ll use to gauge the progress? Figure them out. How will you know you’re moving in the right direction? Unlike Waze, your plan and roadmap may not provide the most time-efficient path. Waze saves you time. Time is money, but it’s not always possible to figure out a path that’s fast. And in business, the fast path isn’t always the most profitable or best for long-term success.

The very next steps and the mile markers that demonstrate you’re on track...

On Tuesday Inc. magazine published an article by columnist Betsy Mikel (I’m a fan of her work) about what Google discovered about high achieving teams. Google’s manager of the People Innovation Lab conducted a 2-year study involving 5,600 Google employees. She also conducted focus groups with about 100 employees. On April 4, 2019 Veronica Gilrane, the manager, published her findings on the Google blog.

The study discovered 3 specific things that tight-knit, productive teams do differently. I’m curious what you think about their findings.

First, they allow and even encourage mindless chit chat. 

What with open office concepts where workers don headphones, and increasingly remote workers…there are fewer and fewer spontaneous conversations. When you don’t have chance encounters with co-workers you have fewer opportunities to get to know each other.

Many organizations have meeting intensive cultures. Leaders may think it best to hit the ground running in the meeting by jumping straight into the agenda. It’s easy to think you’ll be considerate of everybody’s time by diving directly into the hard business at hand. The problem is that sometimes we’re pushing for productivity when the team needs time to bond. A few beginning minutes spent answering the question, “What did you do this weekend?” can foster a deeper understanding among teammates. It helps employees see each other as people and not merely co-workers.

It can be helpful to arrive early to the meeting (whether it’s an in-person or virtual) so time can be spent in idle chit chat. Turns out, that chit chat isn’t so idle. It builds relationships.

Second, they switch up the time for recurring meetings. 

At Google 30% of their meetings involve teammates in two or more time zones. That means some team members may be staying late at work, while others are getting up very early. If your team is spread out it’s impossible to find meeting times that conveniently accommodate everybody. Rather than impose on the same people’s schedule each time, mix things up and let everybody take a turn at staying late or getting up early.

Quite simply, this is an act of kindness and consideration. If you don’t manage remote teams, you can likely leverage this tactic by implementing those qualities in your work environment. Nothing trumps kindness and consideration.

Third, Google discovered that in video meetings it’s important for members to use their words and their face.

Video conferencing platforms are very good these days (and continuing to get better). Most of us understand the value of muting our microphones when we’re not talking. The problem is people don’t always know if we’re engaged or not. We can be on video calls and notice people are doing other things. It makes for unengaged conversation.

Pay attention to how you show up on the call. Subtle behaviors like nodding, uncrossing your arms, having your webcam set at eye level…these can drastically improve the experience. And verbal validation helps, too. Think of how you feel when you’re on a video call and somebody says, “Sounds like a good idea.”

Be attentive. Be present. Google even has a Distributed Work Playbook. (click that link and you can download the PDF)

I walk for about an hour every day. Some days I’ll take multiple walks. A portion of my route is walking around a couple of baseball fields. Unless teams are practicing or playing, the gates are always locked. There’s fencing around the whole complex, including a pitching area and batting practice area. The city doesn’t want just anybody going onto the fields. The infields are quite nicely manicured. Even though the fence is higher than 6 feet tall, I could easily hop over if I wanted. But I’m law-abiding so I don’t.

On the back side of the fields are a number of pine trees responsible for dropping tons of pine cones onto the ground. They’re sort of like obstacles. You can’t possibly walk in a straight line through that area. Navigation requires dodging and parrying through about 75 yards of pine cone strewn path.

Fences. Gates. Locks. Walls. Doors. These are common obstacles we intentionally put into place. Like the city’s ball fields, we want to keep folks out.

Pine cones. Fallen limbs. Mud puddles. These are also common obstacles we encounter. Natural impediments that force us to navigate more carefully.

Some obstacles stop us. Others just slow us down.

Organizational obstacles do the same thing. Some stop us. Others slow us down.

Every leader, entrepreneur or small business owner has a big obstacle right now. This very minute.

It may not be the one you had yesterday. Like those pine cones, I encounter, within a few months (or less), those will be gone. They won’t remain obstacles for long, but right now they’re a major pain because there are so many of them.

Some obstacles happen overnight, like a Texas thunderstorm. We had a storm blow through a week or so ago and the neighborhood looked like a pack of wild tree urchins had knocked limbs off every tree around here. Everybody was out cleaning the debris for a few days. We weren’t expecting what we got.

Some obstacles are opportunities. I’ve had buddies who love to go mudding. They have their jacked up Jeeps hot-rodded out and nothing pleases them more than to see some big mud to drive through or some terrain that can show off the prowess of their vehicle with about 3 feet of clearance!

Whatever your current obstacle…let’s think about it for a few minutes. It’s a problem that needs a solution. Something you need to figure out. That doesn’t mean it’s something that needs to be fixed…like a clogged toilet. It may mean that it’s something to be taken advantage of…like a big mud hole to your 4-wheel drive Jeep. But something about it is making you afraid. The fear (or whatever else you’re feeling) is the real hurdle or obstacle. Not the thing itself.

THAT’S the answer to the question, “What’s your big obstacle?”

Wrestling that down can provide clarity as you work to resolve what you should do. So look past the pine cones, the locked gates, the walls, the doors or the fallen limbs. What’s really going on with you?

Some obstacles are so minor they’re merely inconveniences. Pine cones, for example.

Other obstacles are still somewhat minor, but they’re bigger aggravations. Fallen limbs that require a chain saw demand more time and attention. They don’t pose any real risk, but they’re big enough you can’t ignore them by walking around them (like pine cones). You have to remove them. Obstacle removal can be quick and easy or long and expensive. It depends.

Most small business owners use a single word when describing their big obstacle. Frustrating.

Fear is another popular word I hear. “I’m afraid if I don’t (do this particular thing),

Long-standing conventional wisdom among performance gurus tells us that the super achievers ask WHO not HOW. When facing an opportunity or challenge, I see the high value of asking who, but I also know the high value of asking how! Gurus love absolutes. Just more proof I suppose that I am NOT a guru! Although I do always buckle my seatbelt, keep my arms inside the rides at Six Flags and I never grab a dog by the ears. So there’s that!

Seriously, WHO is a great question for leaders. Is it the best question? Personally, I don’t think there is some secret question contest. I’m rather fond (as you well know) of lots of questions because I believe in the high value of curiosity.

But this is about YOU. It’s about you because you’re a leader. The paradox is that if you don’t work on your own personal growth, then your service to others will be more limited. It’s the stuff of growing great. You need to be great in order to help others achieve their own greatness. That’s what leaders do.

Do you have a growth plan for yourself?

Your daily life has a fairly intense focus on WHO. Even around your house. Who is going to fix that minor electrical problem with the house? Who is going to collect and carry out the trash? Who is going to rake those leaves?

You arrive at the office and the same question continues. Who is going to finish that analysis? Who is going to submit that report? Who is going to begin that project?

Today, we’re going to internalize the question and have you focus on the title question of today’s episode…

Who do you need?

It’s not who you need to do the tasks you need to be done. It’s who you need for your own personal and professional leadership growth.

Sometimes I encounter leaders who have never given it much thought. A few even arrogantly declare they don’t need anybody. Funny, but nobody ever says they accomplished success alone, without the help of anybody. We all readily admit others helped us along the way. And are still helping us.

Why then is it so difficult for some to soberly consider who they need to grow even more? I suppose a variety of things…like success, which can make some complacent. Or pride, which can make people refuse any sign of vulnerability.

We don’t have time to dive into all your personal issues that may prevent you from reaching out for the help you most need. Just know this, if you don’t ask – you don’t get. You know that’s true. So sit there being brave or courageous or whatever description you use to portray your hardheadedness. But you’ve got an awful lot of advantage to gain if you’ll just surrender to the truth that you need people around you to help you achieve more, to help you increase your self-awareness, to help eliminate your blind spots and to help you learn, understand and grow.

I can’t possibly know the exact answer of who you may need at this very moment. I just know you have the need because it’s universal for people intent on growing great.

What do you want to accomplish?

That’s for you to figure out. Please let me urge you to raise the bar. And that may lead to the first who. Somebody willing to challenge you and push you.

This doesn’t mean a combatant. It means somebody who understands you and your context enough to nudge you toward heights you may not even think are possible.

But who?

Somebody who believes in you. People who don’t believe in you can’t push you in the most positive ways. Only the people who know you well enough to have faith in your capacity can do this for you. You have a responsibility here in that you alone determine how well people get to kno...

It’s among one of the most underrated elements of leadership. Underrated in that not enough leaders give it the full attention it deserves. It’s very difficult to keep it at the forefront of our intentional behavior, but surely most of us can do better.

How do you show up?

When I was growing up – and attending elementary school – times were very different. Parents – just about ALL parents – impressed their school-age kids to behave and “act like somebody.” Moms made sure we were all clean, neat and prepared for our first day of school. And every day thereafter. Shirttails tucked in. Homework completed. On our best behavior. And they’d ask our teachers how we behaved. That was back when kids didn’t rule the world and our folks insisted we treat teachers with respect. We called all adults “sir” and “ma’am.” Like I say, it was a different time.