Uniformity Versus Diversity

April 30, 2019/in Chris Kolenda, Culture, Leadership, Quiz/by Christopher Kolenda

Uniformity Versus Diversity

Uniformity Versus Diversity

What is stronger: uniformity or diversity? Pundits upset about the lack of ruthlessness in Game of Thrones’ latest episode are missing a better point about leadership.

[Spoiler alert] Episode 2 led watchers to gird themselves for the death of beloved characters. After all, who could forget season 1 in which Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark met their unexpected demise? Who would it be this time — Danaerys, Jon Snow, Tyrion, Varys, Sansa, Arya? All of them survived, winning the epic battle against the Night King.

The end of the Night King sets up a more interesting struggle between Team Targaryen and Queen Cersei. This struggle pits uniformity against diversity.

Good fiction prompts us to question conventional wisdom. The upcoming struggle gives us an opportunity to explore the limits of uniformity and diversity.

There is no “I” in Targaryen

Team Targaryen represents diversity — there is no “I” in Targaryen. Daenerys has encouraged debate among her counselors, permitted them to challenge her thinking, and empowered some questionable leaders who have unexpectedly risen to the occasion.

The coalition fought as one against the Night King, but that epic threat masked an emerging leadership struggle as the North refuses to bow to Daenerys and will only follow Jon Snow. The latter’s revelation as the last surviving male Targaryen complicates questions of power and authority.

The Symbol of Uniformity

Cersei, meanwhile, is the symbol of uniformity. It’s her way or the highway. Even her brother and lover, Jamie, left for Team Targaryen when Cersei’s demands became too much to stomach. She is systematically shedding all naysayers and anyone not fully prepared to obey.
After seeing the seven kingdoms tear each other apart, Cersei sees strength in uniformity. She believes they can act faster and strike more decisively than the Targaryen coalition and hold together in the face of adversity.

Team Targaryen

I’ll be watching to see how Team Targaryen’s leader team adjusts in the face of diverging interests. Jon Snow’s ability as a Reconciler in keeping the coalition together and gaining consensus on a shared vision and strategy will be essential for success. Can Daenerys set aside fears of being displaced and empower Jon to play that role? Team Targaryen will also need the ideas of Tyrion (Maverick) and the systematic thinking a Varys (Operator) to create blind spots for Cersei and exploit them.

Team Cersei

I’ll also be watching to see how Cersei (Maverick) attempts to create and exploit fissures within Team Targaryen. Her best strategy is to get her opponents to paralyze themselves. Cersei is brilliant, but can she anticipate and neutralize her opponent’s creativity while acting decisively faster than they can? Will she listen to wise counsel that challenges her thinking?

More broadly, well-crafted fiction can help us explore the conditions that can turn diversity into unity and prevent uniformity from blindness and insensitivity.

What to learn

Want to learn more about balanced leader teams and ways to turn diversity into a strength? Take our “Which Team Targaryen Leader Are You” quiz. Find out which Game of Thrones leader leads like you and how to bring out the best in yourself and others.

Which Game of Thrones Leader are You?

April 11, 2019/in Chris Kolenda, Leadership, Quiz/by Christopher Kolenda

Which Team Targaryen Game of Thrones Leader are you?

Winter is coming. The Game of Thrones final season is upon us. Did you know that Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and Lord Varys represent the four main leader-personas?

This gives Daenerys a balanced leader team and a big advantage in the coming war.

Take our assessment to find out which leader in the Targaryen team you most closely resemble.

P.S. Be on the lookout for our Team Cersei assessment and our analysis of the coming war.

TAKE QUIZ

Leadership development is like gardening

Leader Development is Like Gardening

March 18, 2019/in Chris Kolenda, Leadership, Review/by Christopher Kolenda

Leader Development is Like Gardening

Leader Development is Like Gardening

I was struck recently by a Harvard Business Review article called “The Feedback Fallacy” by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall. The authors rightly criticized the faddishness of so-called radical candor and radical transparency, noting that such critical feedback is often counterproductive (and may be used as an excuse for office bullying and toxic behavior). The authors also caution that performance feedback can be idiosyncratic, revealing biases of the person giving feedback.

Instead of providing critical comments, the authors argue that leaders should focus on what each person does right and encourage them to do more of it.

This approach has its merits. To be sure, recognizing when people are doing something right is good for morale and self-esteem. People are more inclined to repeat and improve upon their natural strengths than to spend time and energy improving perceived weaknesses.

At the same time, I know I get better when my speaking coach, Jan Fox, tells me to stop doing X and to do more of Y. She’s tough, but always supportive. She helps me improve what I do well while also helping me tackle my problem areas. Would you want a speaking coach who ignored your “ums” and “you knows”?

Jan’s approach is best summarized by what Strategic Leaders Academy business owner John O’Grady calls gardening – you help the person amplify their natural strong points and prune away what impedes growth and performance.

The key to doing this well is by focusing on improvement without trying to turn someone into something they’re not. No amount of feedback, for instance, will transform an extrovert into an introvert; no amount of coaching will change a detail-oriented person into a visionary. Demands that someone become a different person are counterproductive.

This is the idiosyncratic problem noted by the HBR authors: leaders tend to try to clone themselves; that is, their feedback can be aimed at making the employee become more like the supervisor. This approach only works when the employee has natural inclinations that are similar to those of the supervisor. For everyone else, the feedback is ineffective and often causes resentment. Over time, you can imagine how this damages diversity and balance in the organization.

Proper gardening – proper leader development – is a process.

It begins with knowing yourself and your employees. Knowing ourselves helps guard against idiosyncratic feedback and promotes diversity and balance. Knowing our employees helps us to provide feedback and developmental experiences that are most likely to bring out the best in each person and to prune away problem areas.

Our leader-persona assessment is a good first step to becoming a proper gardener for your employees. Knowing each employee’s leader-persona will enable you to help them be the best Operator, Reconciler, Maverick or Pioneer they can be. You will also reduce the tendency to provide morale-damaging idiosyncratic feedback.

Forge Balanced Teams — *Take our leader-persona assessment below*

“Our employee engagement improved from about 40% to 80%, thanks to Chris’ support.” Colleen Creighton, Executive Director, American Association of Suicidology.

Let’s discuss ways we can help you have positive outcomes, too.

Pro Tips:

Amplify your Operators’ strengths in planning and execution. Give them the tools they need to excel at these tasks and to hold people accountable. Don’t needle them about needing to be more visionary or more outgoing or to speak more during meetings. Do, however, address behaviors that may come across as badgering or clinging to a problematic status quo.
Amplify your Reconcilers’ strengths in teamwork and consensus-building. Empower them to iron out differences among teams or teammates. Don’t pester them about needing to be more innovative or a better planner. Do, however, address tendencies toward watering down issues, status quo bias, or running themselves ragged trying to please everyone.
Amplify your Mavericks’ strengths in solving wicked problems. Give them important issues to address and the license to pursue new ideas and solutions. They will need Operators and Reconcilers to keep those solutions feasible and grounded in reality. Avoid criticizing them on attention to detail or not being sufficiently enthusiastic in social gatherings. Do help them address challenges associated with aloofness, impatience, and impracticality.
Amplify your Pioneers’ innovative strengths. Encourage them to challenge the status quo and to come up with ways to push the envelope of performance. Make sure Operators are nearby to keep their ideas prioritized and practical. Avoid beating them up about attention to detail or planning. Do help them address issues associated with a lack of prioritization and overloading people in good ideas.

Follow these guidelines and be better at delivering helpful, thoughtful, and productive feedback to your team.

The Four People your Team Needs to Succeed

March 3, 2019/in Chris Kolenda, Leadership, Quiz/by Christopher Kolenda

The Four People your Team Needs to Succeed

To grow sustainably, every team needs four critical people.

With them, your team has the right balance to execute, solve problems, innovate, and maintain harmony. Without this balance, an organization is vulnerable. These four people are the Operator, the Maverick, the Pioneer, and the Reconciler.

We derived these four archetypes by overlaying two critical characteristics: introversion versus extroversion and detail versus vision-orientation. These characteristics provide distinctive inclinations that reveal the roles in which people are likely to thrive.

Operators are mission-focused.

They nail the details and hold people accountable. They help you execute to a high standard.

Mavericks like to question the status quo and solve chronic, wicked problems.

They help you avoid complacency and keep your focus on the issues that matter.

Pioneers love to rally people behind new ideas and innovations.

They will help you recognize emerging threats and seize opportunities.

Reconcilers are natural team-builders.

They know how to manage processes and to gain and maintain consensus. They keep egos in check and harmony on your team.

History provides some great examples.

George Washington, an Operator, built a balanced team as head of the Continental Army and later as our America’s first President [Hamilton (the Maverick); Jefferson (the Pioneer); and Knox (the Reconciler)].

Abraham Lincoln, a Reconciler, had a “Team of Rivals” [Stanton (the Operator); Chase (the Maverick); and Seward (the Pioneer)].

During World War Two, Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower, a Reconciler, carefully cultivated and maintained his balanced team [Bradley (the Operator); Montgomery (the Maverick); Patton (the Pioneer)] that, together with the Soviets, defeated Nazi Germany.

What happens if your team does not have all four?

Google is a good example. In the 1990s, founders Larry Page (Maverick) and Sergei Brin (Pioneer) excited many investors with their breakthrough ideas. They, however, could not make the business work. At the insistence of the investors, they brought onboard Eric Schmidt (Reconciler), and Jon Rosenberg (Operator) as CEO and Senior VP. Google became one of the most successful companies in history.

Google's Balanced Team — Google’s Balanced Team

Key Tips:

1. Hire intentionally – make sure you have all four represented and empowered
2. Assign people to roles that enable them to thrive. Most vision people can do details, and vice versa, but doing so drains their energy faster.
3. Check to see if you have a balanced team (take our quiz below). If not and you cannot bring someone in to fill the role, then consider hiring a consultant or adviser. You can also ask someone on your team to play the role, but you will need to find ways to address that their energy may drain faster.

Which American President are You?

February 15, 2019/in Chris Kolenda, Leadership, Quiz/by Christopher Kolenda

Which American President Are You?

These American Presidents lead with authenticity. When you know your leader archetype, you are empowered to become the best version of yourself. When you learn the archetypes of others, you can coach them to be the best version of themselves. Which American President are you?

FIND OUT NOW

Which Great Leader are You?

February 5, 2019/in Chris Kolenda, Quiz/by Christopher Kolenda

What’s your Servant-Leader Archetype?

Servant leaders come in one of four broad leader-archetypes: Pioneers, Reconcilers, Operators, and Mavericks (PROM).

Your servant-leader archetype is outward-facing, describing how you best contribute to the world, whether that is your company, cause, vocation, or community.

Once you know your servant-leader archetype, you can be very intentional about serving as the best version of yourself. Once you know the WHOs of your team, you can help them serve as the best versions of themselves. Your energy, team performance, and internal communication will improve significantly … immediately.

Take our assessment to find your PROM Servant-Leader Archetype. Share it with your team and compare results. Do you have key leaders among all 4 types?

GET YOUR SERVANT LEADER ARCHETYPE

Which NFL Hall of Fame Coach Are You?

January 18, 2019/in Chris Kolenda, Leadership, Quiz/by Christopher Kolenda

Which Hall of Fame NFL Coach are You?

Find out what NFL Hall of Fame coach shares your leader-persona

Take our 9 question quiz. Share it with your team and compare results. Do you have key leaders among all 4 types?

TAKE QUIZ

Authenticity

December 20, 2018/in Chris Kolenda, Leadership, Quiz/by Christopher Kolenda

Authenticity – It Begins with Self-Awareness

Gosh, I tried hard to be an extrovert. I’d bought into the idea that the best leaders were extroverts. I convinced myself that I needed to work the room, be energetic ALL THE TIME, and be the life of the event. It exhausted me and, frankly, I wasn’t very good at it. I made some key mistakes along the way.

Extroverts are people who get their energy from being around other people. Introverts, by contrast, recharge their batteries when they are alone or with people who are close to them.

Sure, there were plenty of times when I felt highly energized being around people. I loved being with my soldiers and with people who shared common interests and aspirations. But being with a bunch of people outside those parameters was hard for me. I preferred chatting with one or two people rather than try to small-talk my way to meet everybody.

I still envy those who can work the room and speak with everyone effortlessly. It’s just not me.

I learned after much study that extroverts have not necessarily cornered the market on good people skills and that introverts do not automatically lack charisma. Some extroverts can be boorish jerks just like some introverts can be reclusive. Extroverts can be engaging and introverts can be inspiring. Extroverts and introverts can be great leaders.

Like many non-shy introverts, I’m what people call a situational extrovert. I get energized being around people in certain contexts.

I also tend to enjoy working through complex issues —precisely why I find a place like Afghanistan so compelling.

I know that nailing the details is essential for any solution to work. I could do the details well, but the process would exhaust me. As a leader, I always found that having detail-oriented people around me made me better, enhanced my energy, and improved our team.

All this makes me what we call a Maverick; that is, a visionary introvert. My comfort zone is nerding-out on wicked problems like the Afghan peace process, or helping organizations with culture and strategy, or creating a business franchise so former senior military professionals can build a thriving consulting business. To make any of these endeavors work, I need Operators, Reconcilers, and Pioneers to complete our team.

Over the past 30 years of leading people and teams, I’ve seen great leaders among all personas. What do they all have in common? Authenticity. Authentic leaders are comfortable in their own skin and willing together put a diverse team.

Authenticity starts with self-awareness. Do you know your leader persona?

To help you see yourself, we designed a simple, 8-question quiz based on our leadership and behavioral sciences research. You will discover your leader-persona and what it means. You can sign up to receive highly-personalized information that will help you build diverse and balanced teams that get the best from yourself and others.

Why waste time in jobs that suck you dry? Imagine what happens to productivity when you match the talent on your team to the roles that suit them best.

What was the cost when your team:

missed a critical detail?
missed an opportunity?
failed to anticipate a change in the market?
unintentionally damaged a key relationship?

Go ahead, take the quiz and share it with your team. See how well balanced your team is and if any gaps exist. Learn how to make the most of your natural inclinations and to bring the best out of others.

The Importance of Determination

November 4, 2018/in Chris Kolenda, Intelligence, Leadership, Podcast/by Christopher Kolenda

PODCAST:

The Importance of Determination

Perseverance and Determination

My parents, David and Joanne, and three siblings—Dan, Laura and Mark—all taught me the importance of perseverance and determination, the will to succeed at whatever you put your mind to. We would always challenge one another to be the best that we could be.

Determination helped me endure some terrible experiences.

I learned that I needed to use them to empower me … or else be destroyed by them.

In this podcast you will discover:

1. Ways to surround yourself with the right people, so that you will be challenged to be your best;

2. Ideas on how to emerge stronger from terrible experiences, so that you can empower others;

3. How to use empathy, so that your team can learn and grow in a dynamic situation;

4. Insights on Determination, so that you have a guide for when to stick to your guns and when to make a bold change.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

I was a skinny and awkward kid. By the time I got to high school, I was bullied relentlessly by classmates and assaulted by two priests. West Point was a place whereI was exposed to many different opportunities. I decided I was going to do the toughest and most difficult things I could possibly do — like boxing and close quarters combat — because I was never going to go through again what I experienced in high school. And that led to Airborne School and Assault Ranger School—some of the toughest schooling and assignments that the Army had.

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

Some of the best role models and mentors I had were from the history department at West Point and were either infantry or armor officers. Because of their personal example—the way they taught and led and cared for the students in their classes—they truly inspired me to want to be like them when I became an officer in the Army. I decided that I wanted to come back to West Point and teach one day because I aspired to do the same thing for other cadets that these fine men did for me.

The Most Powerful Lesson Learned?

I learned several essential lessons from my parents and siblings: the importance of perseverance and determination along with the will to succeed at whatever you put your mind to. We would always challenge each other to be the best we could be. Another key lesson from a great teacher I had in high school was the value of honoring each person, including myself, and the vital importance of empathy.

Steps to Success from Christopher D. Kolenda, Ph.D.

Use perseverance and determination, along with the will to succeed, to achieve whatever you put your mind to.
Find a group of people where you can challenge each other to be the best you can be.
Honor each person, including yourself.
Learn to be empathetic, to see things from the eyes of others; seek to understand, first, then to be understood.