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December 22, 2008
How to ENLARGE Type on Websites & Blogs
The M-blog type is small?
Press the command and plus (+) keys to ENLARGE. To make a font smaller, press the command and minus (-) keys. If this does not work, try command and shift keys, then plus or minus. This should work on both Macs and PCs.
Posted by dnrevel at 12:07 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 21, 2008
Leadership News BRIEF! Twog style
America's Best Leaders 2008 - Do you agree? http://bit.ly/HS83
What's this? I'm keeping future entries short, with just the newsy nuggets and references to good resources out there. I'm switching to twitter style leadership development nuggets. Twitter + Blog = Twog?
Source: U.S.News & World Report & the Center for Public Leadership - Harvard Univ. just published.
Full url:
http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2008/12/americas-best-leaders-2008.html
Twitter? What's that? 140 character short snippets of discussion sent out to your community of followers http://twitter.com/ (Click on video by Common Craft.)
Twitter's value is also described here on 10 reasons why twitter rocks: http://havemacwillblog.com/2008/05/20/ten-reasons-why-twitter-rocks/
My twitter name if you want to follow me to try it out yourself: dnrevel
Posted by dnrevel at 11:36 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Leadership, A Choice or a Position, or both?
There’s a vibe out there in the blogosphere when discussing leadership experience. LinkedIn, a major, professional social media/networking site features a large Q & A section on the topic. A recently posted item asked about leadership as a position or a choice. The question featured the story of a young woman, who, upon finding she had not been chosen for a position in the limelight, considered her the logic of her lesser role as well as her feelings about it, and concluded she had actually ended up with a better situation, considering her other responsibilities and longer term needs for how she would best use her talent.
The common responses of those who also answered the posed leadership position-or-choice question was choice, of course. Yet a few posted more nuanced answers They discussed the sequence of choice and position, the learning facing the young woman in future roles, and the challenge of choice being a regular decision point in a leader's development.
There is also the question of role and types of power.
Maybe, like me in consulting assignments, you've experienced leaders who grow into choice power above the influence of their position. I've also experienced leaders who hide a bit too much in position role and power, and, unfortunately infrequently exhibit leadership as choice. Have you? My opinion: Choice is, in the longer term, the more secure type of power and role though paradoxically it may seem riskier to favor choice/influence power over position power. Position power is more susceptible, in my observation, to position related stress, possible derailment, hierarchy "shift happens" (a senior protector leaves), or simply retiring on the job. Of course power and roles blend, but by which is the leader most known?
When I think about the leaders I have worked with, I am most hopeful for the long term success of the ones who:
• learn the choice lesson solidly, early (choice over position) high school, college, maybe even middle school
• relearn it frequently, with new “reminding� experiences beyond position based on receiving good feedback early and fostering open communication
• rarely -- if ever -- play the "boss" card, finding influence and personal leadership and coaching more powerful
• have found the strength that exists in vulnerability
• like the old Smith-Barney ad, are leaders in a new-fashioned way, they eaaarrrrn it - the respect of their peers and direct reports, as well as those in senior positions
• manage to sort through many, good leadership lessons and find the gold: e.g.
--What does authentic, Level 5, empowered, leadership mean?
--What can I learn and apply from authors like Drucker, Bennis, Zander, Goldsmith, Dee Hock (chaordic), Peter Block, etc.?
There are those leaders who take the road, so far in my experience, less traveled. For them and our shared circles and communities of practice, that may make all the difference. (R. Frost) That difference may well be more communicative, productive, resilient, flexible, even vibrant organizations. Feel free to comment if that has been your experience as well.
Posted by dnrevel at 11:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 09, 2008
Feedback, Coaching & Ownership
If I had only two things I could write about, taking in a few decades of working in UM organizations, it would be these two things. I'd write about the power of:
• Openness in work environments, enabled by honest feedback and coaching/co-mentoring
• Ownership of what you do, assisted by good process
As trends and topics have evolved over the years, I’ve inherited or been ask to help with the following progression of topics:
• performance evaluation (evolved into)
• performance management systems (which picked up)
• competency models (which now has pressures put upon it to be part of, related to)
• updated job classification and career family designations (that with competencies fan out into)
• talent management (see Bersin) and so on.
Do you see the trend here? Management, complexity, tools (grids, models, forms) are themes. So how does community, communication and leadership, including personal leadership fit in? These are things discussed in UHR as a part of the HR vision: People Thrive, Partnerships Prevail, and Performance Excels.
Regarding the topic of feedback and coaching, my current favorite reference for 360 feedback that brings up the issues and concerns in a clear way is here:
• http://humanresources.about.com/od/360feedback/a/360debate.htm
There's plenty there to chew on in an upcoming post, as UHR, MAIS, and B&F are all involved in 360 processes currently.
As for the rest of it, I’m going to take the easier route today and simply relay a few relevant quotes of what makes most sense to me out of this continuously evolving process of systems thinking. Systems thinking is the good standard, yet I do need to be reminded of the basics. Let me know if these quotes resonate.
• It is not enough to be busy, what are you busy about? --H. D. Thoreau
• At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day? --Gallup: First, Break All the Rules
• Most of the change we think we see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor. --Robert Frost
• What makes a good follower? The single most important characteristic may well be a willingness to tell the truth. In a world of growing complexity leaders are increasingly dependent on their subordinates for good information, whether the leaders want to hear it or not. Followers who tell the truth and leaders who listen to it are an unbeatable combination.--Warren Bennis
• When we really live truth, we will cease to talk about it. --E. Hubbard
• This is the true joy in life: Being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.-George Bernard Shaw
Let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks to you all, -Deb
Posted by dnrevel at 04:20 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack