The 5 Admired Female Business Leaders of the Past Year

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Robert Cordray

Women in Business

As gender equality becomes more of a priority in world society, more women are becoming prominent business leaders.

Women prove their savvy, leadership and humanity in major organizations across the globe.

5 Admired Female Business Leaders of 2012

Here are five women who have led their businesses to success in 2012.

Melinda Gates, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Melinda GatesMelinda Gates is the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the wealthiest and most philanthropic private foundation in the world. Melinda Gates’ major achievement this past year was challenging the Vatican to reverse its stance on birth control.

She has vowed to improve access to contraceptives to women throughout the world, especially in developing countries. Other recognitions include:

  • 2006: Received Order of the Aztec Eagle for philanthropy in world health and education, specifically in Mexico
  • 2006: Honored at Seattle Children’s hospital with the Melinda French Gates Ambulatory Care building

Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo

Indra NooyiIndra Nooyi is the chair and CEO of PepsiCo. The past few years have shown tremendous growth under her leadership. She has reorganized management and improved advertising budgets. Shareholders received $5.6 billion when the net revenue increased 14% to $66 billion.

In addition to launching a mid-calorie soda with 60% less sugar, she rearranged the top executives this year, a move that her peers interpret as preparing for her successor. Her other achievements include:

  • 2009: Recognized as one of “The TopGun CEOs” by Brendan Wood International
  • 2008-2011: Named to Best CEOs list in Institutional Investors

Irene Rosenfeld, Kraft Foods

Irene RosenfeldIrene Rosenfeld is the chair and CEO of Kraft Foods. This past year, she was the genius who planned dividing Kraft into two separate companies. She will lead the snack food side of the business, which brings $35 billion in revenue and will be called Mondelez International.

This means that, as director of marketing and statistics, she will manage the brands Oreo, Ritz and Tang. She sees this as a wise investment as ever busy consumers eat fewer meals at home. Her major recognitions include:

  • 2008: Placed on Wall Street Journal’s “50 Women to Watch” list
  • 2012: Ranked #13 on Forbes’ list of Power Women

Ursula Burns, Xerox

Ursula BurnsAs the chair and CEO of Xerox, Ursula Burns leads the copying business. This past year, Xerox obtained six outsourcing companies, which will expand the company across Europe. Burns wants to repackage Xerox as a copying service, not just a retailer of copying machines and printers.

The company now earns half of its revenue from services such as managing electronic ticket transactions, road tolls and parking meters. Burns also sees growth in small investments in healthcare and processing technologies. Other achievements include:

  • 2011: Spoke at MIT’s commencement
  • 2012: Protested the Augusta National Golf Club’s male-only membership policy; the club opened membership to women for the first time in 80 years.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook

Sheryl SandbergAs Facebook’s Chief Operations Officer and first female board member, Sheryl Sandberg is responsible for profit strategies. This past year, she headed the $100 billion IPO launch of the company. In addition to her role at Facebook, she serves on the board of Disney, where she advocates young women at work.

Past positions include serving as the chief of staff for the Department of Treasury under Bill Clinton and being in charge of Google’s online sales. Her other achievements include:

  • 2010: Gave a TED talk on “Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders”
  • 2013: Released her first book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

Many people worldwide respect and admire these great businesswomen. They have demonstrated impressive skills in leading their respective businesses. They have worked hard to be on equal ground with their male cohorts, and they will continue to set the standard for excellence for women in the workforce.

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Robert Cordray

Robert Cordray is a freelance writer with over 20 years of business experience
He does the occasional business consult to help increase employee morale
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Authentic Leadership: Living and Leading Outside-the-Box

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Michael R Stanford

Inside-the-Box

I have worked for a long time only to find too many people with little passion for change. They simply want to “stay inside their box.” There are also too many leaders and managers that look at their way being the correct one.

Very rarely do these types want to listen to new ideas or embrace the ideas of others (or even their own.)

Inside and Outside the Box Thinking

I am a very passionate leader who loves to help others. I love to teach, train, educate, and live out dreams.

So here is my perspective on leadership. It boils down to living and leading in a state of low risk/low reward that I call Inside-the-Box thinking,  or living and leading in a state of higher risk/higher reward that I call Outside-the-Box thinking.

Living Inside-the-Box

Living and leading with an inside-the-box mentality allows one to feel that the world is safe and secure; there is uniformity, control, and routine. Most people would prefer to stay inside-the-box because change only exists in small doses. This box is a symbol of how one’s world does not have to be perceived differently beyond basic vision.

Although there is perceived safety, comfort, and control, this thinking has its downsides, too.

Staying inside a box restricts growth and a the ability to branch out and meet new people developing great ideas, taking great leaps and doing amazing things. The world would be a boring place if everyone lived inside the box. The box is where dreams stay dreams instead of becoming a reality.

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Living Outside-the-Box

Stepping outside-the-box requires courage and willpower. Outside-the-box is a place of the unknown and frequent changes, where new people can be met and great accomplishments can become achieved. Stepping outside-the-box can be a scary and unconformable place for those who are used to living with an inside-the-box mentality.

A person usually will step outside of the box only to take a “giant leap” to a different box, or just to another box that is just bigger.

Rarely does one leave their box with enough courage, determination, and fight to really increase their influence and live a bigger dream.

But however the risk, living outside-the-box is a place of creativity and desire. This place is completely new and exciting all of the time. It is where change is like a rapid river moving from mountain to valley allowing for exploration and mistakes to happen. Those who live with little fear will thrive in this space allowing for dreams to become reality and for great progress to exist.

This place is a great platform to teach, train and experience what the world has to offer.

Are Leaders Born or Made?

Free Downloadable PowerPoint:

Authentic Leadership comes from those who live and lead outside-the-box.

To understand this, answer this question:

Are Leaders born or Are They Made?

  • There are those who are born with the ability to live without the need for a box, they live freely outside-the-box and naturally influence others.
  • There are those who have lived in a box and have taken a leap by listening to those whose passion for outside-the-box ways have inspired them. They found an inner passion to live among those who thrive outside-the-box.
  • Then there are those who were designed or taught to live inside-a-box and follow the world build for them to tell the tales about the possibilities that are outside-the-box they wish not to leave.

I have seen passionate people stop from leaving the confines of their box because they didn’t want to “risk it all.” I have seen people fall and not want to get back up. I have seen people succeed and never look back.

But for me, I live and lead outside-the-box. I live and lead in a world not yet created.

Future leaders need not ask the question “Are Leaders born or made?” They simply lead the answers they wish to find. Leadership is not a focus on the question “why?” Leadership is the desire to find “the how?”

So many have asked the question are leaders born or made, what is your opinion?

One of my favorite answers is this:

“Leaders are born to be made.”

Change involves people of all types to coexist in a movement toward progression. What are some of the biggest challenges for change leaders today?

What will it take for a inside-the-box thinker to break the stagnation and become a great leader? What sort of courage is needed? How can you help others gain that courage and teach them to live outside-the-box? I wold love to hear your thoughts!

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Michael R Stanford is Doctoral Learner at UOP
He does occasional motivational speaking for community colleges
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Leaders: How to Dig Deep and Treasure Your Trials

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Lee Ellis

Treasure Your Trials

As a leader, are you going (or have you been) through tough times? If so, it may be time to reflect on some who have been down that road before you.

For the POWs in the Vietnam War, facing serious trials became a way of life.

Ask a Prisoner of War

In that bleak existence locked up and isolated in a communist prison camp for five, six, seven and even eight years, every day had its challenges.  The POWs had to depend on their enemy for the meager food that kept them alive. The same sinister enemy used isolation, beatings, and torture in their attempts to exploit them and make them into propaganda pawns for the communist party.

The diet was pitiful and medical care was virtually non-existent.

Yet the POWs emerged stronger, becoming successful military leaders, congressmen, teachers, lawyers, doctors, counselors, businessmen, and even a Senator and Presidential candidate.  They learned to treasure the trials of their hardship.

“Not many will have to contend with the tribulations of POW life, but everyone faces hardships and disappointments.”

Ask Anybody

For some it’s a work or career crisis. Layoffs and home foreclosures of recent years have cut deep, leaving many in a severe financial crisis that may worsen, with some experts saying that home prices will go down further before we see a slow recovery. For others it’s a health crisis or perhaps a struggling teen, or a relationship that has gone sour from betrayal.

At some point, we all face the pain of trials.

When you’re in dark times or caught up in the chaos of a battle, it isn’t easy to see the treasure in your trials.  Here are some tips to help you refocus toward not only your goals but the true gold found in trials.

Go Deep—Find Meaning and Make Changes

Adversity builds character by forcing us to face our deepest beliefs and values.  In the crucibles of life, when all the pretend stuff melts away it’s much easier to clarify what is really important and what is not. We have the opportunity to find meaning in our suffering and meaning is a treasure worth finding.

The transformation that we most need isn’t very inviting in good times, but in difficult times our pain can give us the energy and motivation to change our attitudes and behaviors.   As Victor Frankl put it, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”  The painful struggles that we would never choose often afford the greatest opportunity for personal growth, and personal growth is the only path to genuine leadership development.

Go Long—Gain Wisdom and Experience

Leadership research confirms that the experience of overcoming difficulties is not only transformational; making us stronger, but it also makes us wiser and better suited for the challenges of leadership.  Wisdom gained through the experience of hard times helps us better navigate future minefields.

Persevering through tough times also increases our confidence, preparing us for future challenges that will surely come.  On the other hand, leaders devoid of crucible experiences are likely to be overly confident about their ideas, and surprisingly more susceptible to fears.

Courageously facing our fears in the difficult times gives us both humility and real confidence.

The wisdom garnered in hard times about ourselves and life becomes the wisdom that guides us into a better future.  Additionally, the difficult trials generate strong emotional memories that stay with us longer and are more easily accessed—gold that we don’t have to search so hard to find.

Don’t Go It Alone 

When you are in a battle, you don’t want to be alone—you need supporters in your corner—people who care about you and have your back.  They can provide encouragement when your spirit is down and your hope is sagging.

Encouragement can provide vital energy for bouncing back and continuing to persevere.

Sometimes a shared idea or a new perspective on a problem can make all the difference.  Just knowing someone is near—that you are not standing alone—can provide the needed inspiration, courage, and energy to persevere, even when everything in you is saying it’s too tough to keep going.

Every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine knows it’s not good to fight alone. The same is true for all of us.

We must stay connected to be resilient and bounce back from trials. The lingering treasure is that when you have gone through the fire with someone, usually a bond is formed that brings a special relationship for a lifetime.

More than likely, you have already passed through some tough times in your life.  It may be helpful to look back and see the treasure that you gained from those past challenges.  What was the meaning you gained through those trials?  What did you learn about yourself that may be helpful now?  What changes did you make then?  Who walked with you?

You have a choice. You can let your trials bury you or you can dig for the treasure in them.  If you want to discover the gold in your current pit, then answer these questions:

  • How can you find meaning in your current trial? 
  • What are you learning about yourself? 
  • What changes do you need to make now—in your attitude, mindset or behaviors?
  • What wisdom points are you learning in your current situation that will help you in the future? 
  • Who is walking with you through this fire to provide support?  

If you follow these tips, someday, looking back, you will see enormous value in your trials. We’d love to hear your thoughts–please share them in this forum.

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Lee Ellis
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Lee Ellis is Founder & President of Leadership Freedom LLC & FreedomStar Media.
He is a leadership consultant and expert in teambuilding, executive development & assessments
Email | LinkedIn | Web | Blog | Book | Facebook | Twitter

His latest book is called Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton.

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Lead like Water

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Andrew Ma

Lead Like Water

Think of water for a second. What is your first impression when you come across this term?

>>> Weak? Common? Boring?

Now think about Leadership?

>>> Strong? Extraordinary? Outstanding?

When we put these 2 seemingly contradictory terms together, we get what we typically refer to as oxymoron in English.

Yet, three historical wise men from East to West both suggested leaders to lead like water.

3 Very Wise Leaders

Laozi

LaoziThe Tao Te Ching is fundamental to the Philosophical Taoism. Laozi, one of the wisest men in Chinese history who lived in 6th century BCE, emphasised the “tao” or “the way.” As such, tenets about leadership and social behavior are said to simply follow the operation of the natural system.

In Tao Te Ching, Laozi often used metaphors to illustrate his abstract concepts. He used the metaphor “water” to describe the leadership style of a sage as water processes many key attributes of leadership.

The essential leadership approach based on Taoistic leadership can be described as “Wateristic.” Chen and Lee (2007) who wrote an excellent book called Leadership and Management in China: Philosophies, Theories, and Practices.

They summarised the wateristic leadership in five key features:

1.     Water is altruistic to others

2.     Water is modest and humble

3.     Water is adaptive and flexible

4.     Water is transparent and clear

5.     Water is gentle, yet persistent

Mike Rice’s example of leadership at Rutgers University in yesterday’s L2L post was a most certainly poor one.

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King Solomon

King SolomonOne of the wisest men in history of Middle East is King Solomon as recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. He wrote a few wisdom books like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes about three thousands years ago (four hundred years before Laozi).

In Proverbs, he wrote a lot about the key mindset and behaviour of wise kings that equally applies to leaders.

He wrote this:

“Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.” (Proverbs 21:1, Message)

King Solomon was referring to good leaders are willing to channel to the right resource to their followers when they need. Good leaders are committed to do whatever it takes for the success of their followers and the whole organization.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ

Fast forward about 1000 years in the New Testament of the Bible. Jesus Christ demonstrated what it means by leadership by demonstrating one of the most surprising act to his followers using water. In the gospel of John,

…..he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron….

Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve

done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life. (John 13:4-7, 12-17, Message)

So what can we apply these ancient wisdoms into real life in 21C?

My experience tells me that these days when dealing with the Millennial Generation (or the Post 1980 Gen in China), “wateristic leadership” may especially work well with them. According to many researches, the next generation prefers managers with less power distance, and they would like to have managers that assume the role of friends and coaches rather than someone who just give them orders.

Managers as servant leaders demonstrated by Jesus are willing to ”wash their feet” are definitely welcomed by the next-gen as they see gentle and modest leaders.

Moreover, as the Facebook generation are accustomed to receive frequent, just-in-time feedback, the wateristic leaders who provide nourishment and channel the resources available to help their success when they need help are key to gain their trust and loyalty.

In the postmodern era, people, especially the young ones, prefer authenticity and transparency in their trusting leaders. Leaders who “lead like water” with the focus of transparency are definitely more welcomed than those pretentious leaders.

Is it merely a coincidence that three of the wisest men in the history of mankind all pointed to water when they talked about leadership? Next time when you take a sip of water or wash your hands, pause for a second, and think if you are leading like water.

And when you feel frustrated by the next generation, perhaps you can try practicing what suggested by Laozi, Solomon, and Jesus.

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Andrew Ma
Andrew Ma is Executive Director of Chorev Consulting
He specialize in Leadership Development, Assessments, Cross Cultural Training 
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web | Skype: andrewma99

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Effective Leadership: Just Do It

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Alexsys Thompson

Just Do It

The Anticipation

You sit on the edge of your seat, foot tapping, hands clenched, eyes shifting around the room, just waiting. Everyone else seems relaxed and content to sit in this room and keep talking, but you- you’re ready to go.

You feel you may actually explode, and just as a bead of sweat starts to fall from your brow, you put everything you have into composing yourself. Instead of bouncing off the walls like you’re in a pinball machine and physically forcing everyone to do the same (you are their leader after all), you take a deep breath, wait for an opening, and ask

 “When can we start?”

“Just Do It” as a Mantra

You took that deep breath because you are aware of one of your primary strength themes, Activator.

According to Gallup:

“People strong in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.”

This explains the anxious body language and the intense desire you constantly have to move meetings along. You are a person of action!

The value you add as a leader to your team is simple- you get things going. If there’s a project that needs to get done, or a proposal that’s having a hard time getting off the ground, your team, and probably other teams, will come to you to set things in motion.

If one of your team members, perhaps someone strong in the themes of Deliberative or Analytical, is having a hard time getting the fire started, you’re there to help them turn their pondering into doing. You understand that performance is driven by action, and action creates results.

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The Dark Side of Expedience

As a strengths-based leader, the importance of understanding the potential consequences of the Activator strength are crucial. Your impulsiveness could get you into trouble in several ways; in regards to projects or team goals, your haste to get something started may blind you to the hazards and obstacles set in the path you’ve rashly chosen to take.

When it comes to your team members, you may be dismissing or overlooking their strengths, and therefore their commitment, or buy-in, to the project.

For example, someone strong in Intellection may have taken the time to sit and think about the proposed action plan and come up with a few insightful and potentially crucial ideas; however, before they were able to communicate these ideas, the process is already underway.

Because you can make decisions so quickly, you may make a poor choice or an untimely one. It’s vital that you be a strong communicator to avoid the popular perception that you are in fact impulsive and make decisions with little thought.

If you are aware of the darker aspects of your strength, you’ll be able to keep them in check, communicate your ideas, and be perceived as more of a go-getter than a rash decision maker.

Activating your Strength

Having an Activator on the team, especially as a leader, can be instrumental in achieving real results and success. As with all strengths, it is best when leveraged and anchored with complementary strengths.

So, Activators, look for people on your team who can see the potential consequences (good or bad) of a particular decision, such as Strategic, people who can make sure there is a clear destination aligned to the team and company goals, such as Focus, and someone to make sure the project is completed, such as Achiever.

As an Activator, you’re eager to get to the finish line as quickly as possible, see the results, and then learn the lesson. You believe growth is best attained through taking the next step without fear or hesitation. Use this strength to take the next step in being the best leader you can; put your strengths into action with your team’s.

Start the process of knowing who on your team has what strengths and how you’re going to leverage them in your projects. The best way for your team, and you, to grow is to start creating a strengths-based culture at work.

And the best part? You can start NOW!

If you’re an activator, how have you found this strength to be of value? Has it ever gotten in your way? Have you ever worked for an Activator? What were the pros and cons? Could a strengths-based culture have improved how that person, you, and/or your team functioned?

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Alexsys "Lexy" Thompson HCS, SWP
Alexsys “Lexy” Thompson is Managing Partner at Fokal Fusion
She helps building Strong Leaders through Strong People Strategy
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web

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7 Ways Leaders Can Hack Into Their Own Life: Tips From A Former FBI Counterintelligence Agent

Posted on April 22, 2013 by LaRae Quy

Hacking Your Mind

As an FBI undercover and counterintelligence agent, I spent twenty-four years investigating people. But the most important life I ever investigated was my own.

When I sleuthed out my own story, I could begin to pinpoint patterns in the way my mental toughness was developed over the years—the times I’d persevered in business and life, and won.

Just as importantly, the times I’d given up and sold myself short.

Hacking Into Your Own Story

You can do the same by hacking into your own story so you can apply the same knowledge to understanding your behaviors, traits, and strengths. You learn which ones move you forward in business and life, and also identify the ones that hold you back.

In my book, Secrets of A Strong Mind, I discuss many ways to hack into your own life.

Here are 7 ways:

1. Take Ownership. FBI new agents spend a great deal of time defining their strengths, talents, and skills so they can quickly lean into them when confronted with risk, uncertainty, and discomfort. The secret to strong living in both business and life is being able to repeat instances of success again and again.

Hack tip: Train yourself to recognize your strengths by recalling a time when you reacted to adversity in a way that moved you forward in the direction you wanted to go. Chances are good that you responded from a place of strength, so take ownership of it by acknowledging it.

2. Strut Your Stuff. It is not uncommon for FBI agents to move assignments several times in their career. Over time, they will settle in one area of expertise that has been defined, in large part, by their strengths, talents, and skills.

Hack tip: Keep your strengths easily accessible by constantly working to develop them so you can call them into action when you need them. When you use your strengths, you’re in the zone where the right decisions come to you. You feel challenged in the way you like to be challenged.

3. Admit you’re not perfect. Survival in hostile and volatile environments often requires an honest assessment of talents and skills. A small but agile FBI agent may be a good choice for a SWAT assignment; a brawny but empathic agent might be used in sensitive interviews. The most competent agents are those who have identified their weaknesses so they can navigate their career in ways that allow them to minimize exposure to areas where they lack proficiency.

Hack tip: Do not worry about what was left out; instead, develop what was left in.  It is the mark of a strong and wise mind to respect your weaknesses so you can anticipate your response and minimize their impact. Read Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham.

4. Keep moving. FBI agents are placed in a variety of fast-moving situations. There is no time to let a self-limiting barrier keep them from confronting an adversary or pushing ahead in an interrogation. Constant training throughout their career allows agents to continually move though barriers, because the closer they get to them the more they can educate ourselves about them.

Hack tip: Break your barriers by continually pushing beyond the the limits you have set for yourself. You do not need total clarity to move forward. Many times, the steps to follow and actions to take will not reveal themselves to you until you have moved closer to the very thing that creates fear inside you.

5. Get emotional. FBI agents know that emotions like fear and anger are OK. It’s complacency that will kill them. A little emotion keeps them on their toes. Agents understand that an emotion like fear is their early warning system in fast-moving situations. Their awareness of the fear doesn’t mean they back away from the unknown because they don’t know what they’ll find; instead, they move forward with caution and strategy.

Hack tip: Acknowledge your emotions for what they are rather than let them lead you towards poor judgments and irrational behavior. Learn how your brain recruits your body to express emotion. Understand what you’re feeling when you’re feeling it. Emotions are often a pacifying system to deal with stress, and as such, can be excellent indicators of a change in our environment.

6. Put yourself under surveillance. FBI agents routinely place the target of their investigation under surveillance to uncover patterns in their behavior. It is an essential first step in an FBI investigation. A surveillance log is kept, and once a target’s normal routine is established, it’s much easier to recognize aberrant behavior.

Hack tip: Keep a log of everyday activities so you can pinpoint situations that influence your attitude or behavior. Rather than reviewing your daily activities as a linear recitation of facts and figures, scan them so you can identify highlights: specific experiences that produced a reaction or moved you in some way. Once those experiences have been identified, you can drill down further to see whether you responded the same way on other days or in different circumstances.

7. Scare yourself. Much of the training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia involves moving new agents out of their comfort zone. If instructors aren’t challenging new agents physically, intellectually, and emotionally, they aren’t doing their job. It’s not a bad thing to be alert and uncomfortable. Training does not encourage agents to become paranoid, but a little discomfort keeps a person from becoming too comfortable with past or current success.

Hack tip: To gain a better awareness of your behavior in situations of risk, uncertainty, and discomfort, go out of your way to place yourself in uncomfortable situations. Expose yourself to activities that you might ordinary avoid because you’re worried about the downside. Your awareness of your reaction to risk, uncertainty, and discomfort is more acute and focused when you purposely place yourself in these situations. Use them as a learning tool so you can anticipate your responses when confronted with the real thing.

What tips would you add on how to hack into your life?

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LaRae Quy
LaRae Quy is former FBI Agent and Founder at Empowering the Leader in You
She helps clients explore the unknown and discover the hidden truth in self & others
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web | Blog | Book

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Secrets of Succession Planning: Don’t Hide Your Talent

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Katrin Kaehler

Hiding Talent

If you are in an organization, it is wise to understand that the people you have on board are the reason you are getting the results you are getting. 

Sometimes this is a good thing, and other times, well, it’s not so good.

Planning Ahead

But whether you like the results you are getting from your people, or not, it is also wise to understand that employment at your place is optional for almost everyone there. People can mostly come and go as they please.

Consequently, being prepare for open positions makes sense to think about and is something for which you should plan.

Do’s and Dont’s of Succession Planning

So why should your organization do succession planning? Let’s start with the basics. The classical reasons would be the impending retirement of baby boom generation employees or to have a backup plan for emergencies like accidents or serious illness of some of your key players.

But there’s more to it than this simple outlook.

For instance, look at the vacancies in your organization and think about these questions:

  • How many do you fill with internal candidates?
  • How often do you need to recruit outside talent?
  • Hiring externally is costly and it takes time for the new employee to get up and running.
  • And oh, what about your current employees?

Without sufficient possibilities for growth and development within the company, they are more likely to leave.

Beating Around the Bush

I’ve steered and implemented succession planning in several companies and I’ve experienced that this topic is very often loaded with emotions. It’s not uncommon that managers fear to lose their talent to other business units. As a consequence, they try to hide their best people and nominate their second -or third- best instead.

HR and business unit leaders are afraid that the potential successors will be frustrated if the succession possibility they’re being groomed for won’t happen in the end. To avoid that from happening, they introduce non-transparent succession planning processes.

In final outcome, you end up with a process that is just very awkward for everyone

Leading in a Quagmire

Given the restrictions of said process, as a manager, you can’t really talk to your talent, but you’re supposed to groom it for a future assignment that she cannot know of.

Peers don’t officially know that this person is a talent, but I assure you this: they’ll find out in time.

Your “talent” likes the extra development and attention, but will surely ask you where this journey is going. And then there are people like me, the “people developer,” having to implement a sub-optimal process for political reasons. But these are not just my personal experiences.

In a 2012 study, AMA Enterprises, a division of the American Management Association, found that  succession planning is one of the least transparent processes in HR.

But Transparency Works!

Studies showed that the most mature talent and succession management approaches are not only transparent, but also interactive, i.e. an employee can nominate herself to be considered for a high-potential development program. I’ve tried to accomplish two things when introducing succession planning:

1. Promote a change of thought in managers from hiding talent to a company-wide giving and receiving.

2. Work towards a culture of ongoing and open feedback in which managers and employees talk about their strengths, development needs and possible future assignments.

Leading People is About Them

In an environment like this, employees understand that transitioning into a succession role is only one of several possibilities for their future development in the company.

Knowing that an employer wants to invest in you is such a big motivator!

Employees who are not currently nominated as successors will have a clear understanding of which aspects they’ll need to work on in order to get to the next level.

In essence, I believe that companies with an open feedback culture should choose a transparent approach to succession planning. If you don’t have that culture, choose an approach that works for your company and consider working towards an environment that supports a more transparent approach.

Linking Strategy, Succession and Development

You don’t do succession planning just for the sake of it, so make sure to get the most out if it.

Take these steps to link your strategy, succession goals, and the personal development of your people:

  • Look at your business strategy and develop a clear understanding where your company wants to be in, say, three years.
  • Then deduct which skills your employees need to build today to be able to perform tomorrow’s tasks.
  • Ask yourself which jobs are likely to be created, which business units likely to expand?
  • Then ask which skills do your employees need to build today to be able to perform tomorrow’s tasks?
  • After you nominated the successors, make sure to have individual development plans in place to start preparing them for their possible next career step.

This exercise will help you a great deal in making your succession planning relevant and useful for your organization. William J. Rothwell states in his article on the “Future of Succession Planning” how important it is to “integrate top-down succession planning with bottom-up career development.”

And I wholeheartedly agree with this! So don’t hide your talent! Grow them!

In summary: don’t fear to be transparent, create an open feedback culture and link strategy to career development.

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———————–
Katrin Kaehler
Katrin Kaehler steers Organizational Learning and Development
Before moving to the US, she worked in International Roles in Europe
Email | LinkedIn |  Web

Image Sources:  informatica-hoy.com.ar

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