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Humility is not a quality we automatically associate with the workplace.  Many of the people we think of in leadership roles have big egos and a high need for recognition…

What place does humility have in the workplace, and what are the consequences of its absence?  Author Jim Collins shocked the business world when his research surfaced that if you look at purely financial metrics, the most spectacularly successful leaders posses an odd combination of personal traits – extreme personal humility and intense personal will.  Collins further explained that these great leaders channel their ambition toward building their organization rather than personal aggrandizement.  Individuals who knew the leaders described in Collins’s research used words like “quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, understated, did not believe their own clippings.”  Leaders who had the most dramatic corporate performance possessed these qualities, along with financial need to achieve results… 

Humility is not being about self-deprecating or arrogant.  It’s about self-forgetfulness, remembering that in our jobs we’re seeking to serve others… Humility is about an accurate self-assessment – “My job is important, and I need to do it well” – but it’s also the freedom to not inflate who you are or what you’re doing.  Leaders with humility recognize that other roles in the company are also critical to its functioning.

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As I read Tim’s book, I am reminded of what Sir Issac Newton once said, “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.”  Indeed our success as leaders is not ours alone but the collective effort of many around us.

Is it one that comes with a highly sophisticated talent decision-making process, filled with top-notch assessment tools, supported by fanciful competency models, and branded leadership training programs?  In theory, maybe.  But in reality, not necessarily so.

Assessment tools, competency models and leadership training programs are all necessary in the talent management system but it does not mean that the more complex your talent management system is, the more effective your talent management will be.

What’s perhaps more important is whether the tools and systems add value to your talent management process.  If Company A uses a particular talent management tool and has been successful for them, it does not mean that Company B should use the same talent management tool and expect to be as successful.  It’s really at the end of the day different stroke for different folks. 

When complexity of a talent management system increases, the value (effectiveness and returns) of talent management increases.  It will reach a point where you will achieve maximum value, i.e., the Optimal point, from the complexity of the talent management system.  However, as the complexity increases, there will be a tipping point (right after the optimal point) where the value will begin to fall.  See illustration.  When that happens, stakeholders will begin to feel that the talent management process is counterproductive and ineffective.

The key then is to be mindful of where that tipping point might be so that you can gain maximum value and returns from the talent management system.  Every company will have different optimal and tipping point.  It depends on their objectives of talent management, the industry that they are in, the business goals and challenges and so on.

At the end of the day, it is important to remember that the talent management system must be an enabler and not an obstacle to your talent management strategy.  It this about being robust and not how complex it is.

I have coached many individuals who have been disillusioned because they think that they have the talent to do something but yet no one gives them an opportunity to demonstrate it. They then began to doubt if they really have the talent that they initially believed so. I noticed that most of these individuals seem to have one thing in common. They are reactive rather than proactive in demonstrating their talents. They wait in silence for someone out there to discover their talents and provide them with opportunities to utilize their talents.

This, I think is a misplaced belief. While you may think that you possess certain talent, you cannot assume that others will know of it. In most instances it is necessary to make your talent visible and known to others. You’ve got to show your talent. By showing I don’t mean being boastful or arrogant about your capabilities. The reality show, “America’s Got Talent”, is a good illustration of what I mean. You’ve got to showcase your talent by working hard at it, by proving what you are capable of and what your potential is. You will not get that singing or acting contract by just waiting in your cocoon and hoping that a talent scout will knock on your door someday to offer you an opportunity.

Here are some suggestions to let your talents be known and shine in your place of work:

1) Talk to your manager about how you can use your strengths and capabilities to help contribute to the success of the organization.
2) Communicate your aspirations to the management so that when an opportunity arise, you will be on their radar screen.
3) Be proactive to seek out projects or assignments where your talents can be put to good use.
4) Actively contribute your unique ideas and solutions to your team members so that others are aware of your talents.

It is not surprising that some leaders tend to shy away from showing appreciation or giving recognition because they are just not use to it. I have seen many of them in the course of my work.

But leadership is not about you. It is about people who follow you. It is not a matter of whether you feel recognition and giving appreciation is necessary. It is a matter of how those who follow you feel the necessity of being recognised and appreciated. Recognition should not and cannot be just a once a year event during performance appraisal. Recognition and showing appreciation must be given whenever you observed a job well done and it should be expressed explicitly in a timely manner.

“If you think you know everything, you can’t lead”
Foreign Minister, George Yeo (Singapore)

As leaders, we must accept that there are certain areas that we do not know and we must be prepared to learn from others.

The Little Book of Leadership

You can also go on to Phil’s website “The Leadership Hub” to view other materials.

Decisively, Simon replied,“Well, I think you should…”.

Sounds kind of familiar? The leader offering solutions to a problem when someone approach him/her?

Coaching is a corner stone of being an effective leader. Some believe that providing others with solutions is a form coaching.

I believe that coaching as a leader is chiefly about discovery, awareness, and choice. What a leader does best as a coach is to effectively empower others to find their own answers, encouraging and supporting them on the path as they continue to make important decisions and choices.

Effective coaching needs to start with the basis that the coach (or leader in this case) believes that others are naturally creative, resourceful and are capable of discovering solutions to their issues. People tend to be more effective and generally more satisfied when they come up with their own solutions. And because they choose the solution, they are more likely to follow through with action.

Jenson Button

To those who are new to Formula One  racing, this is perhaps nothing exciting.  But for those who have been following this motorsports, you will know that Jenson who has been in Formula One racing since 2000 has only won one Grand Prix race in 2006 prior to this season.  He has never been considered a top contender because most of the time he would finished at the bottom of the chart.  Big names like Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Reikenon, Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen, Jacques Villeneuve and many others always dominated the lime light.

Finally the break through came for Jenson in 2009 when Honda decided to pull out of Formula One and in came a new team, Brawn GP.  Jenson suddenly found himself highly competitive with his new Mercedes-enginered car.  All of a sudden his talent began to surface and shine. 

But did Jenson suddenly become talented overnight?  Did he not have any talent for the past 9 years in Formula One racing?

Jenson’s talent was not acquired overnight.  It’s in him all along.  He has that talent all along.  The reason why he could not exercise his talent for the past 9 years was perhaps partly due to circumstances.  He was driving cars that gave him loads of problem.  The cars were either difficult to handle or the car systems failed him.  Now fast forward to 2009, with his new car, his talent became apparent. 

This is a classic case where it sometimes happen in our corporate world too.  There are employees who are really talented yet when they are not provided with the right environment (this could be the manager, the culture, the opportunities etc.) somehow appear to be just an average worker.  So often we missed these talents because they have been suppressed by circumstances.  Talents unfortunately do not carry a label externally to tell you that they are talented.  Organizations need to look deeper to find them and evaluate if the right environment is provided for these talents to shine.

UPDATES: Jenson Button eventually won the 2009 F1 Championship

People learn best by emulating the behavior of others around them. Instead of reading about the concepts of leadership, we can look at successful leaders to see how they became that way, and use them as role models for our behavior. And who is a better role-model than the man who changed the way we use information for work and for learning, built the most successful computer company in the world, and, in the process, became the richest man on earth?

Here are some key leadership lessons we can learn from Bill Gates:

1- Seize the Day: Formal Education Is Not the Only Way! Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard after realizing that he can make an impact on the world right away by starting a software company to utilize new technologies. He realized that sometimes opportunities come knocking only for a short window of time, and one must seize that opportunity or it will be forever lost.

2- Don’t Be In It For Money: Money is not the real motivator. If Gates was concerned about money, he would have stayed at Harvard, ensuring himself a future with a steady high income. Instead, he pursued his dream of developing software for a new world of information usage that satisfied his passion and stimulated his mind. Gates did not pursue money. Money came to him because he offered the world something of great value.

3- Be Competitive, But Not Vicious: While building Microsoft, Gates was certainly very competitive in his business practices, as he should. But as a leader, he did not use an aggressive, abusive, or nasty style of management. His personal demeanor was low-key, courteous, and civilized. If you worked with, or for, some top American executives you will know that this is not very common. Gates managed to stay a decent human being as he grew to be a formidable business leader. What a rare combination!

4- Greed Is Not Good. Contrary to the famous advice of the film “Wall Street” that Greed Is Good, Gates teaches us, with his behavior, that vision, humanity, and satisfaction are mush better qualities to have. He could have continued to seek more money and power as most American business leaders do. But he did not believe that greed is a virtue. At the zenith of his years and while he is at the top of his game, he announced he will step down in two years and have someone else guide the global company he built. It takes someone with great personal strength and lack of greed to be able to make such a selfless decision.

5- Give As Much As You Take. Gates has wisely discovered that you can have as much, if not more, happiness in giving as you do in taking. He decided to spend the rest of his life giving away his huge wealth to worthwhile causes like fighting AIDS in Africa and helping libraries in the US. Leaders who find ways in which to give of their time, talent, and wealth tend to lead a more balanced and satisfied life than those who focus on just taking and accumulating. When you hear Gates talk these days, you will hear a positive vision for raising the health and education standards of poor people around the world. This contrasts significantly with other rich business leaders who tend to talk mainly about the stocks, their business success, or just themselves.

 Extracted from: HR Daily Advisor http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/

By Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE

Things getting a little desperate these days? Be careful that you don’t do something you’ll regret, says guest columnist Eileen McDargh, a professional speaker and business consultant on change management, life balance, and leadership development. Here are her top five management mistakes (plus a bonus).

Mistake #1: Become reactive and reactionary.

There is truth in the old saying, “Respond in haste. Regret in sorrow.” When leaders fail to gather information and critically assess the long-term impact of decisions, severe errors are made. Consider the Big Three auto executives who knee-jerked their way on private planes to ask for a handout without ever having a plan. Now that’s a bonehead mistake.

Before acting, stop and breathe. Think long-term strategy. Be cautious. Be proactive. Test your decisions by saying, “If this… then this…”

Mistake #2: Huddle with only the corporate folks.

First, answers are often found at the floor level, not at the ceiling. Involve everyone in the search for efficiencies and innovations. Engage everyone in a common vision and mission. How refreshing to have the Obama team now posting discussions on the Internet and seeking input from a variety of people with differing viewpoints. Building transparency goes a long way toward building trust and making us all feel we are part of the solution.

Mistake #3: Cut. Cut. Cut.

No company has ever downsized its way to greatness. Underserved customers and too much work to be done by too few people are examples of the costs of wholesale terminations. These are cuts that could have been done with a scalpel instead of a hacksaw.

Canceling a meeting? This is the time to gather and candidly talk. Substitute Jell-O for Jamoca fudge and two-buck chuck for filet mignon but bring people together.

As for layoffs-if your organization or department can handle this-bring everybody together and lay out the facts. One very smart leader found that employees were willing to reduce work schedules, work half-time, and job share rather than have members of their team terminated.

Mistake #4: Go after new clients and customers.

Unless your current customers have vanished because of poor quality or service, they can be your best source of new revenue. Ask how you can turn them into champions of what you provide. Make them feel special and valuable. I’ve noticed that my bank is now making every effort to thank me for my business, to call me by name, to answer any request with a “no problem” attitude. Sure, they should have been doing that all along, but better late than never.

Mistake #5: Do more with less.

In my consulting practice, I have often found that much of the “more” is work that provides no value at the end of the day. Scrutinize every process; get rid of the sacred cows and the egos. Translate every action into a dollar value.

In one organization, we found senior executives tripping over each other to put their two cents into every new PowerPoint® presentation. It was a waste of executive talent, made each project longer than necessary, disempowered the employees creating the presentations, and actually used up some $15,000 worth of senior management time!

BONUS Mistake: Buy into pessimism.

It’s a huge mistake we all make when we let the news of the day drive us to hiding under the covers, chopping up the furniture for kindling, and searching for recipes made with bread and water. What we have is an opportunity to really consider what is most important, to spend time at work that is meaningful, and to nurture relationships that matter. We have an opportunity to reclaim our reputation, our integrity, and our future.

Not to do this would be our biggest mistake.