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Two Keys To A Corner Office…And More

By Phil Holcomb on March 6, 2010

Recently I read the results of new research about what differentiates highly skilled managers and leaders from their peers who rise to General Manager or “C” level positions with profit and loss responsibility.

Whether you aspire to such a lofty position, or not, when you pay attention to the differentiating factors you will be more effective, feel more fulfilled and produce even more stellar results across the spectrum of your life.

Assuming similar cross-functional experience, e.g., operations, finance, marketing, etc., and demonstrated success with strategic thinking, there are two key factors that make the difference between reaching a plateau beyond which I will not move or rising to the most senior levels. They are ownership and relationship building.

By ownership I mean “the buck stops with me.” I am the source. If there is a dispute among others, a smorgasbord of choices about which direction to go or strategy to employ, a failure or setback, or similar challenges, it is mine. There is no place to escalate, nor would I. My mindset is, “I own it all.”

This first factor goes hand in glove with the second factor, relationship building. Over time have I built and maintained relationships with a wide variety of people who have a wide variety of skill and knowledge in a wide variety of areas? When I am in ownership, the responsibility is always mine. I am aware of, and honest with myself about, what I don’t know. I do know I require expert help. Where do I get the information and help I want to resolve disputes, make choices about direction and strategy, overcome setbacks and similar challenges? I call upon the skill, knowledge and expertise of those with whom I have forged strong relationships over the years – those who I trust and who trust me. These are the people who “sponsor” my success and promote my vision.

Whether in the workplace, with my family, among my friends and acquaintances or in my community, I am always served by stretching my lines of ownership and building stronger relationships. There is endless opportuntiy to grow in these areas.

If you are not familiar with the work of Extraordinary Learning, these differentiating qualities are two of the primary qualities we help our clients develop and strengthen. And, yes, our clients produce stellar results across the board.

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Is Necessity The Mother Of Your Intention?

By Phil Holcomb on February 22, 2010

Remember when you were in school and were assigned to write a paper? Remember how you put it off…and put it off…and…?

Maybe you were unclear about what you wanted to say, probably you were in resistance and certainly you made other and probably less valuable things more important. And then, in the 11th hour, you marshaled your resources, got sufficiently clear about what you wanted to say and did the work. Time was up – do or die.

Another way of thinking about this is that the closer you got to the deadline the more important the paper became to you and the stronger you fixed your intention to write it. What seemed necessary in the moment supported you becoming intentional enough to do it.

If you are like most people, you continue to repeat this pattern today. It is more common than not for people to put the tasks, communications and actions that they resist, or about which they feel particularly challenged, on the back burner (these are, incidentally, often the ones with the highest payoffs). Then, as an established deadline approaches, or people reach their emotional limits of incompletion, fear and uncertainty, they fix their intention (make it important enough) to get it handled and “just do it”.

I often hear people justify this approach. They say they work better under pressure or are more creative in the face of a deadline. Perhaps this is true, but probably not. I think they just experience relief that they got it done and confuse relief with excellence.

I believe that when I fix my intention to handle what is most important first – to spend my time to my highest and best use – I work just as well as when I am under pressure and I am equally creative. And, the benefits are immense. To name a few, I lead rather than react, I spend more time on what matters most (I further my purpose), I have more time to check and adjust my initial results so I ensure excellence, and I avoid excessive stress.

When necessity is the mother of my intention, it is because I allow it. Rather than waiting until I think, “I have to do it now or else…”, I believe I am much more effective when I fix my intention early (make a conscious intellectual and emotional choice to do it now) and handle first things first.

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Be Ready For The Unexpected

By Lori Marcoux on February 11, 2010

Despite my best intentions in any particular area of my life – “stuff” happens and the unexpected occurs.

How I deal with the unexpected is great feedback about the strength of my leadership mindset and my relationship with myself.

Do I remain cool, calm and collected? Am I emotionally and intellectually grounded? Do I respond constructively? Am I purposeful? Do I remain aware of the effect of how I am showing up on the people in my life? Am I keeping commitments – with others and myself?

Or, when the unexpected occurs, do I go into denial or resistance? Do I feel emotionally and intellectual scattered and unclear? Do I choose a destructive response inconsistent with my stated intentions (my greater purpose)? Do I burn relationship bridges or leave them in disrepair rather than being proactive and engaging?

Here are some tips for being ready for the unexpected:

➢ Regular “self-maintenance” is key – not just on an emotional level but on all levels; being active physically, intellectually, creatively, emotionally and in other ways that you value.

I urge you to make these habits rather than mere wishes:

o Learning about yourself (becoming more emotionally self-aware)
o Stimulating your intellect (not just at work)
o Being physically active to promote overall health
o Expanding your social and relationship building skills
o Laughing and being fun

You may not have control over everything in life, but you have sufficient control over yourself to avoid going into reaction and feeling surprised and unprepared when there is something unexpected to handle.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

➢ Remain conscious of the needs of the people around you. Genuine leaders are invested in the well-being, growth and success of colleagues, friends, community members and family.

If you are not emotionally, intellectually, creatively, physically, etc., in-tune with yourself, how do you intend to successfully fulfill your role as a leader and contribute to the enrichment of your peoples’ lives?

Assuming you have made “self-care” a habit, there are still those times it seems to be not enough. Here, the trick is to be less “self-conscious” and more “other conscious”. What might you do to help someone else along his or her path – the most rewarding gift you’ll ever give?

“ A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.” – Benjamin Franklin

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Confidence Is Overrated

By Phil Holcomb on February 8, 2010

A long time friend and Twenty First Century Leadership graduate called the other day.

I think he is exceptionally talented in a wealth of ways. Currently, he is working on something big; something which, if he doesn’t get in his own way, will result in the kind of acclaim of which I believe he is worthy.

In our conversation he asked me about confidence – whether I considered myself naturally confident or whether I “grew” into what he judges as my current state of confidence?

I told him, and I tell all participants in Extraordinary Learning courses and my coaching clients, confidence is overrated.

I like feeling confident about an outcome, result or myself more than feeling uncertain and fearful. However, in the long run, confidence has little to do with creating my desired outcome.

The extent to which I feel confident is based on my level of experience in a particular endeavor and on dealing with my results, including the ones I don’t like. The more experience of working through something, the more confidence.

Most people who are stretching in life are exploring some ideas, feelings, skills and abilities with which they have little experience, or at least little experience moving through them to the other side. Anyone in the midst of writing his or her next chapter in life is, ideally, exploring some of the unknown. This is the stuff of which growth, and the richness of life, is made.

If not with confidence, how does someone overcome his or her uncertainty, hesitation, and fear? As I told my friend, the key is to access courage, of which each of us has an abundance. If you are in doubt about this statement as it relates to you, just look at the events in your life, some big and some, in hindsight, not as big as they seemed at the time, in which you screwed up your courage and pressed through to the other side. There are too many to count.

If you are taking on something big by your standards, and I hope you are, forget about confidence. Get really clear about what result you want and the value of it to you and others, commit to the result like you’ve never committed before, get some support and access your unlimited reservoir of courage.

Now, dive in!

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