“I love to break rules!” So said Joe Miller, Chief Technology Officer at Corning, in his keynote address at the Industrial Research Institute’s Annual Meeting a few weeks ago. Describing Innovation at Corning, he went on to say, “There is no prescribed process for success.” I work continually with individuals of integrity, embedded in organizations, who realize they need to risk “breaking the rules” to be innovative or simply productive. But it is exceptional to hear a senior executive acknowledge it.
Despite all the processes and programs on the market to promote innovation, research confirms that “Champions (in innovation) are essentially political actors who are not prepared to abide by organizational rules.”
Leaders deviate from established norms or generally accepted standards in order to realize their mission and accomplish their goals. They break the rules – with integrity.
I am not, of course, referring to being deceitful or dishonest or doing anything illegal. Indeed, compliance in industry is essential for safety and environmental reasons as much as fiscal responsibility. All the same, conscientious individuals in today’s hard-driving high performance organizations know that in order to accomplish innovative breakthroughs they need to break the rules.
There are no rules for rule-breaking. But here are three suggestions to guide you, if you want to go where no one has gone before:
1. Take your time in responding to pressure from others to break the rules; confirm that you are connected to your own best sense of self when blazing a new trail.
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2. Whether simply speaking up in a meeting or a much more defining act of defiance, consider the risk you are willing to incur when taking a stand.
3. Strive for internal alignment; over time your decisions and actions should be consistent and congruent with your commitment to a given direction or deeper purpose.
Breaking the rules may be difficult to justify in the moment but is essential to realize the promise of the future. Do you agree?
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Leadership and the Necessity of Empty Spaces
Empty space is essential to the structure of the Universe.
And to the practice of leadership.
Here’s why…
According to a recent article in the NY Times, an experiment spanning half a century and more than $750 million verifies that “empty space in the vicinity of the Earth is turning.” This landmark project known as Gravity Probe B substantiates Einstein’s theory of gravity and general relativity, as reported by the Stanford University team leading it.
Even the smallest piece of solid matter is comprised of vast distances between the atoms compared to their size. However we may perceive it, the structure of our world includes enormous quantities of empty space. I don’t pretend to understand it all; I assume a posture of amazement and wonder.
Empty space is not only an element of our physical world. It transcends the physical into the realm of time and human experience. We fill our calendars with meetings. We fill our lives with activity. We fill our organizations with productivity. Generally speaking we strive to fill up time and space in our lives. We say our lives are “full”. What place, if any, is there for emptiness?
Whether it’s turning, spinning, disappearing, or just plain hanging there, the space in our lives seems to be more and more elusive. Or discomforting, when we stumble upon it. Many of us live with a fear of emptiness. As soon as we feel it, we fill it.
But “space” holds everything together, according to physicists. Leaders need to open up space not just fill it up. It can be as simple as calling a “time-out” in the middle of an intense, jam-packed, meeting agenda. Or exercising leadership by stepping outside and walking around the building once, as one client reported doing, before making a difficult and controversial decision.
Empty space is essential to the creative process and the very vitality of life itself. We too are part of the Universe.
More to come…
And to the practice of leadership.
Here’s why…
According to a recent article in the NY Times, an experiment spanning half a century and more than $750 million verifies that “empty space in the vicinity of the Earth is turning.” This landmark project known as Gravity Probe B substantiates Einstein’s theory of gravity and general relativity, as reported by the Stanford University team leading it.
Even the smallest piece of solid matter is comprised of vast distances between the atoms compared to their size. However we may perceive it, the structure of our world includes enormous quantities of empty space. I don’t pretend to understand it all; I assume a posture of amazement and wonder.
Empty space is not only an element of our physical world. It transcends the physical into the realm of time and human experience. We fill our calendars with meetings. We fill our lives with activity. We fill our organizations with productivity. Generally speaking we strive to fill up time and space in our lives. We say our lives are “full”. What place, if any, is there for emptiness?
Whether it’s turning, spinning, disappearing, or just plain hanging there, the space in our lives seems to be more and more elusive. Or discomforting, when we stumble upon it. Many of us live with a fear of emptiness. As soon as we feel it, we fill it.
But “space” holds everything together, according to physicists. Leaders need to open up space not just fill it up. It can be as simple as calling a “time-out” in the middle of an intense, jam-packed, meeting agenda. Or exercising leadership by stepping outside and walking around the building once, as one client reported doing, before making a difficult and controversial decision.
Empty space is essential to the creative process and the very vitality of life itself. We too are part of the Universe.
More to come…
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
The Art of Enlivening Information
Presentations need not be boring. In fact, they can be exciting and even fun!
Across the years I have attended various scientific poster sessions and symposia sponsored by corporate R&D clients, featuring the work of scientists and engineers . I note that most often some kind of “template” or requested “design format” has been distributed to those presenting, thus assuring some level of standardization, if not outright conformance in terms of how data is presented.
Last week was different. I had the privilege of attending the 2nd Annual Scientific Research Symposium of the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa. 16 students presented on topics ranging from “Quantum Entanglement and the Possibilities of Temporal Teleportation” to “Which Biofuel is Most Feasible for Use in African Countries” to “How Impressionable Are We?”
Beyond the content of the presentations, some of which I understood more than others, I was struck by three elements which made the event lively and engaging:
1. Intense intellectual endeavors were represented in a creative, even fun way, for a diverse audience. This intro video captures the spirit of the evening.
2. By asking thoughtful questions, the presenters effectively engaged the audience rather than just talking at us. e.g. “What do you think time is?” “What’s the difference between authority and power?”
3. The students were encouraged to explore a wide range of topics, from “Is God a Mere Philosophical Product or a Physical Entity?” to “Technology Development for Cinematic Arts” along with others mentioned above. Encouragement to inquire about what truly interested them resulted in a high level of commitment and even excitement, not just compliance to an assigned project.
Kudos to David Scudder, the science teacher who inspired these students.
Many a corporate R&D symposium might be more lively and engaging by incorporating more of these three elements.
Across the years I have attended various scientific poster sessions and symposia sponsored by corporate R&D clients, featuring the work of scientists and engineers . I note that most often some kind of “template” or requested “design format” has been distributed to those presenting, thus assuring some level of standardization, if not outright conformance in terms of how data is presented.
Last week was different. I had the privilege of attending the 2nd Annual Scientific Research Symposium of the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa. 16 students presented on topics ranging from “Quantum Entanglement and the Possibilities of Temporal Teleportation” to “Which Biofuel is Most Feasible for Use in African Countries” to “How Impressionable Are We?”
Beyond the content of the presentations, some of which I understood more than others, I was struck by three elements which made the event lively and engaging:
1. Intense intellectual endeavors were represented in a creative, even fun way, for a diverse audience. This intro video captures the spirit of the evening.
2. By asking thoughtful questions, the presenters effectively engaged the audience rather than just talking at us. e.g. “What do you think time is?” “What’s the difference between authority and power?”
3. The students were encouraged to explore a wide range of topics, from “Is God a Mere Philosophical Product or a Physical Entity?” to “Technology Development for Cinematic Arts” along with others mentioned above. Encouragement to inquire about what truly interested them resulted in a high level of commitment and even excitement, not just compliance to an assigned project.
Kudos to David Scudder, the science teacher who inspired these students.
Many a corporate R&D symposium might be more lively and engaging by incorporating more of these three elements.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Leading Without Solutions
Tough times surface tough dilemmas. Furthermore, complex systemic issues seldom have a simple solution. Recently I have encountered more than one extremely competent leader who has been reluctant to initiate discussion on an organizational issue because they do not yet have a “recommendation”. The operating assumption is that I do not go into a meeting to address a difficult problem unless I have a solution.
In one organization, for example, the Research budget is being shaved away, while Development is consuming inordinate amounts of resources on small incremental improvements on product already in the market. While there are indeed inherent issues that must be worked in terms of business strategy, meanwhile, redundancies and inefficiencies between these two functions are not being addressed. Neither one of these functional leaders can imagine how to engage in a productive conversation.
Abundant contradictions as well as conflicts increasingly characterize the shrinking world in which we live (e.g. protect resources/secure freedom; manage uncertainty/generate loyalty; push the message out fast/engage others). The “solutions” to such contradictions are not self-evident. Effective leaders nevertheless must work such contradictions without pre-conceived solutions.
Readiness to lead by engaging in powerful inquiry and skillful dialogue requires conscious suspension of our need to have “the answer” a priori.
In one organization, for example, the Research budget is being shaved away, while Development is consuming inordinate amounts of resources on small incremental improvements on product already in the market. While there are indeed inherent issues that must be worked in terms of business strategy, meanwhile, redundancies and inefficiencies between these two functions are not being addressed. Neither one of these functional leaders can imagine how to engage in a productive conversation.
Abundant contradictions as well as conflicts increasingly characterize the shrinking world in which we live (e.g. protect resources/secure freedom; manage uncertainty/generate loyalty; push the message out fast/engage others). The “solutions” to such contradictions are not self-evident. Effective leaders nevertheless must work such contradictions without pre-conceived solutions.
Readiness to lead by engaging in powerful inquiry and skillful dialogue requires conscious suspension of our need to have “the answer” a priori.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Pace + Perseverance = Performance (not!)
The inadequacy of this equation is self evident when written on the page. But in the workplace today the speed with which one is moving combined with the effort to keep in motion, regardless of what purpose or passion may be fueling the effort, equates to performance.
Call centers handle a higher volume of customer inquiries than ever, but navigating the automated menus as a frustrated consumer is a shear waste of time. A Google search generates required information faster than ever, but time to think and reflect is scarce. A respected leader whom I "follow" is on "retreat"; I receive hourly tweets which update anyone who will follow his attempt to take a "time out".
What's wrong with this picture?
Some new performance equations are urgently needed!
Call centers handle a higher volume of customer inquiries than ever, but navigating the automated menus as a frustrated consumer is a shear waste of time. A Google search generates required information faster than ever, but time to think and reflect is scarce. A respected leader whom I "follow" is on "retreat"; I receive hourly tweets which update anyone who will follow his attempt to take a "time out".
What's wrong with this picture?
Some new performance equations are urgently needed!
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Hurry Up and Slow Down!
"I am not this steeply sloping hour in which you see me hurrying." Rainer Maria Rilke, German Poet
I am not hurrying even though I am in motion, constantly. I am managing my fear that everything I am supposed to be doing will end in my termination. The relentless pace of meetings and reviews hides the hopelessness I feel. Productivity trumps innovation; activity supplants creativity. My attention is not focused because my purpose is unclear. I have passion, but it mostly scares me these days. If I lead with passion and inquire about purpose, I'll lose my job. Meanwhile, I am losing me.
Identity precedes productivity. The courage to be is rarer today than the impulse to do. This is not just an excursion into philosophical speculation. It is a fundamental principle of high performance.
Are we a Research organization with a capital "R" or a development organization that will continue to place our bets on short-term incremental improvements on products already in the market? A student with whom I spoke not long ago at the African Leadership Academy in Joberg described himself as "an Egyption from Cairo who is Muslim who is also African, though my skin is not black, who wants to be a global citizen." He is actively claiming who is!
I am enacting the motion of working hard but am hardly working, in terms of my own deepest values. No matter! Management just asks for more. And I keep on keeping on.
Do you know who you are? Will you speak up? It does matter!
I am not hurrying even though I am in motion, constantly. I am managing my fear that everything I am supposed to be doing will end in my termination. The relentless pace of meetings and reviews hides the hopelessness I feel. Productivity trumps innovation; activity supplants creativity. My attention is not focused because my purpose is unclear. I have passion, but it mostly scares me these days. If I lead with passion and inquire about purpose, I'll lose my job. Meanwhile, I am losing me.
Identity precedes productivity. The courage to be is rarer today than the impulse to do. This is not just an excursion into philosophical speculation. It is a fundamental principle of high performance.
Are we a Research organization with a capital "R" or a development organization that will continue to place our bets on short-term incremental improvements on products already in the market? A student with whom I spoke not long ago at the African Leadership Academy in Joberg described himself as "an Egyption from Cairo who is Muslim who is also African, though my skin is not black, who wants to be a global citizen." He is actively claiming who is!
I am enacting the motion of working hard but am hardly working, in terms of my own deepest values. No matter! Management just asks for more. And I keep on keeping on.
Do you know who you are? Will you speak up? It does matter!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Powerful Conversation(s)
I recently asked a group of senior technical people, scientists and engineers, the question: "What is the most powerful conversation you have participated in at work in the last three months?"
Their responses ranged from: 1)a very negative experience where the project team was told by management that they had been working on a project that had been dropped from the priority list months ago to; (2)a conversation that was emotionally-charged and therefore powerful to; (3)knowing that my input was making a difference to; (4)asking individual technical professionals what kind of work they really wanted to be engaged in.
A powerful conversation in my judgment is one that surfaces and even challenges underlying assumptions.
A powerful conversation makes it possible to discuss "undiscussables".
A powerful conversation shifts the frame of what is being discussed. A new way of looking at the challenges or opportunities at hand unfolds.
Powerful conversations require a relationship, not just a connection, where it is "safe" to go beneath the surface of the usual management reporting protocols.
As one technical lead stated: "I can't remember when I was last in a conversation that wasn't all roadblocks."
What do you think makes for a "powerful conversation"? When was the last time you participated in one? What could you do to facilitate such a conversation?
Their responses ranged from: 1)a very negative experience where the project team was told by management that they had been working on a project that had been dropped from the priority list months ago to; (2)a conversation that was emotionally-charged and therefore powerful to; (3)knowing that my input was making a difference to; (4)asking individual technical professionals what kind of work they really wanted to be engaged in.
A powerful conversation in my judgment is one that surfaces and even challenges underlying assumptions.
A powerful conversation makes it possible to discuss "undiscussables".
A powerful conversation shifts the frame of what is being discussed. A new way of looking at the challenges or opportunities at hand unfolds.
Powerful conversations require a relationship, not just a connection, where it is "safe" to go beneath the surface of the usual management reporting protocols.
As one technical lead stated: "I can't remember when I was last in a conversation that wasn't all roadblocks."
What do you think makes for a "powerful conversation"? When was the last time you participated in one? What could you do to facilitate such a conversation?
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Necessity of Empty Spaces
Just a few weeks ago as the New Year was upon me, I found myself rummaging through piles, boxes, folders, and computer files, wanting to pause long enough to review some of the rapidly accumulating evidence of past work.
I came across my “facilitator’s guide” for an event I designed and led for business leaders in the Mojave Desert some 15 years ago . We called it “The Necessity of Empty Spaces”. For three days we intentionally used the desert environment to escape from the demands of the workplace just to think, reflect, yes, even meditate. Among other tools, we used the Disciplined Inquiry™ methodology (which I still use with clients today) to work a real business dilemma.
Many creative and talented people today seemingly have no “pause button” which they can hit to escape the relentless demands of doing more with less. It is taking an enormous toll in the workplace as managers attempt to achieve greater and greater efficiencies.
Pacing productivity does not mean simply seeking ways to go further faster. It is essential that we recognize the value, indeed the necessity, of stopping from time to time, of finding and claiming some “space”. When is the last time you were caught in the act of thinking on the job? What is required for you to claim that kind of space for yourself?
The Chief Strategy Officer of a Fortune 50 company, one of my current clients, as part of a recent conversation on this very subject, directed my attention to a speech on Solitude and Leadership that was delivered to the plebe class at West Point last year. I encourage you to find a few moments to read it and then take a walk. Define some space that is intentionally empty. See what happens!
I came across my “facilitator’s guide” for an event I designed and led for business leaders in the Mojave Desert some 15 years ago . We called it “The Necessity of Empty Spaces”. For three days we intentionally used the desert environment to escape from the demands of the workplace just to think, reflect, yes, even meditate. Among other tools, we used the Disciplined Inquiry™ methodology (which I still use with clients today) to work a real business dilemma.
Many creative and talented people today seemingly have no “pause button” which they can hit to escape the relentless demands of doing more with less. It is taking an enormous toll in the workplace as managers attempt to achieve greater and greater efficiencies.
Pacing productivity does not mean simply seeking ways to go further faster. It is essential that we recognize the value, indeed the necessity, of stopping from time to time, of finding and claiming some “space”. When is the last time you were caught in the act of thinking on the job? What is required for you to claim that kind of space for yourself?
The Chief Strategy Officer of a Fortune 50 company, one of my current clients, as part of a recent conversation on this very subject, directed my attention to a speech on Solitude and Leadership that was delivered to the plebe class at West Point last year. I encourage you to find a few moments to read it and then take a walk. Define some space that is intentionally empty. See what happens!
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