Greetings Leaders!

Have you ever led a team that just didn’t want to be led? You know the situation… you inherited a team that has several problem children on it and not everyone will follow your lead. Getting things done is difficult, and getting them to give you status updates is just as hard. If you’re lucky, they’re at least competent, but in a worst case scenario you have, 1)  Individuals on the team who think they know what they’re doing, but don’t, 2) Lack of cooperation amongst team members and 3) an unwillingness to follow you. So… what do you do?

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Greetings Leaders!

I haven’t blogged on this topic before, but I have several friends struggling with their marriage and have this on my mind and heart. Let me start off by saying that I am no different than you. I have good days in my marriage, and bad. I’ve messed up and lost my wife’s respect before. But, I’ve somehow managed to stay married for 25 years and think that my wife respects me… at least most of the time… or some of the time. You know, with women it’s always hard to tell what they’re thinking (just kidding!). Here is some advice on how to gain your wife’s respect.

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Greetings Leaders!

There is no greater challenge than trying to manage your boss. We all have one. Vice Presidents have Presidents and CEOs have the Board. Husbands have wives, wives have their husbands, even the most powerful man in the world, the US President, has to work with Congress, the Supreme Court and arguably, the people. So how do you go about managing your boss?

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Greetings Leaders!

I had a deep chat with a friend today about dreams and careers. My friend, I’ll call him Bob, is at a crossroads in his life. He has worked for the same employer for 15 years. He works hard and is creative. He is a visionary with lofty ideals and big aspirations when it comes to quality. The organization he is at? Not so much. So he’s asking himself this question, “Am I selling myself short?” Before I answer, let me ask you a question. What about you? Are you in a similar situation? If you are, there are a few things you should be considering.

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Greetings Leaders!

To be an effective leader, you have to have balance in your life. Balance is necessary for harmony. There are two perspectives I want to suggest here. The first is Mind – Body – Spirit, and the second is Work -  Family – Self.

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Greetings Leaders!

With the unemployment rate so high, I’ve been pondering about the differences between those that have jobs and those who don’t. Sometimes, it is just being in the right place at he right time, or the wrong place at the wrong time. While I understand that life just happens, I don’t like losing. I want to maximize my chances of getting ahead and staying ahead. Here are some tips that I’ve learned over the years that have seemed to help, despite being unemployed twice in my career.

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Greetings Leaders!

Growing up in Hawaii and being half Japanese (Hapa to those local to Hawaii), I was influenced a lot by Japanese culture. I often went to the .25 cent movies with my dad and we would watch Samurai movies such as Musashi Miyomoto or Zatoichi, The Blind Swordsman.

In the picture below (created by Steve Higgs), the Kanji character represents Samurai. Literally, Samurai means to guard or to watch. The Samurai lived by a code called Bushido which is represented by the Kanji under Samurai. Bushido can be summed up by the English words listed below it: Justice, Bravery, Benevolence, Politeness, Veracity, Honor and Loyalty. Read the rest of this entry »

Greetings Leaders,

Today the Stock Market tanked almost 3%, a day after the government reported GDP numbers that unofficially indicated that the US is out of the worst recession since the Great Depression. President Obama released new data today, showing how successful the stimulus package was this year, despite a soaring unemployment rate expected to increase to about 9.9% in next week’s unemployment report. In a recent Harris Poll, 78% of Americans think the government is on the wrong track. What gives? Read the rest of this entry »

Greetings Leaders!

Today in the Wall Street Journal you’ll find an article about GM complaining to Mr. Kenneth Feinberg, Treasury Pay Czar, that their search for a CFO is in jeopardy because it can’t find a “qualified” CFO for a measly $1 million, plus stock options and full benefits.

Let’s think this through…

1. The country has a problem with exorbitant executive pay. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I’ll spare you the details because we all know it is true.
2. Management in the US Auto Industry took us down the primrose path over the past 30 years, albeit cluelessly. The crisis facing the auto industry could have been avoided.
3. By promoting from within the ranks of “qualified” CFOs, companies like GM only sealed their fate. Does the term Groupthink come into play here?
4. The “good ol’ boy network” needs to be broken. By hiring executives that are already being paid millions of dollars, the cycle of outrageous pay continues.

On the other hand….

1. New blood would help reduce all the problems above.
2. If GM  put an add in the paper, or on the internet, advertising for a CFO that makes $1 million plus stock options, plus benefits, do you think they’ll have any takers? Of course they will. There are a hundreds of people who would apply. Now, GM’s argument would be that these candidates aren’t qualified. Hogwash. What did the auto industry CFOs of the past 30 years accomplish? Does helping to drive these companies into the ground come to mind.

There are lots of CFOs who are working or who have worked for publicly traded companies who would be up to the job. There are also people out there who have not been a CFO yet, but who could certainly do the job. I know this is a huge generalization, but if pressed to prove it, I would open this up for public dialogue. If a panel of people, let’s say a small group of successful business owners (businesses that have revenue of $50 million or more) were picked at random to find a successor, they would be able to find someone for the job. It might not be who GM would pick, but guess what GM, there ARE qualified people out there that could become your next CFO, you just don’t want to go look for them.

Take away for leaders. Leaders should not be self serving. I have no problem with people making a lot of money. In my view, $1 million is a lot of money. My concern is that too many leaders do things that benefit only the few. In this case, GM can find someone, they just aren’t willing to. As we all know, “change” is difficult.

Mr. Feinberg, if you are serious about changing corporate culture… don’t give in.

All the best!
All the time!
JT

Greetings Leaders!

I was reading Joanne Maly’s blog and she had a post with a video of Gregory Hines tap dancing. Well, one thing led to another and I found myself watching the video below, highlighting Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr., that has some great lessons for leaders, those over 40 out of work, and those just entering the workforce.

For Those Over 40 and Out of Work

Don’t despair! Just because you were let go, you still have game. You have experience and talent. What you learned and the skills you developed over the years matter. You just need the chance to use them. In the video, these older gentleman had the skills to dance. They had it regardless of Max’s (Gregory Hines) initial opinion. They had this inside of them, in their souls. Just because you find yourself without a job, doesn’t mean you have no worth, or no skills. Never… ever… forget that.

To use your skills again, you need to do a couple of things.

1. Stay sharp. These older dancers in the video must have been practicing or exercising regularly.
2. Get a support group. These gents had each other and it helped them a lot. Don’t go about your layoff alone.
3. Keep your pride. Challenge the system. Don’t let your age keep you from reentering the work force, or for settling for something less.
4. Learn new skills. While this didn’t come out in the video, the reality is that the world is changing. Be willing to learn new ways of doing things.

For Those Just Starting Their Career

Gregory Hines learned a valuable lesson. Older people still have what it takes. I was young once and remember entering the workforce with enthusiasm. I also had a nickname while a Naval Flight Officer, which I once laughed about but am not so proud of anymore…. Prima Donna. I was cocky. I thought I knew it all. Now over 50, I realize how little I knew 30 years ago. Here is some advice for younger workers:

1. Don’t assume those over 40 don’t know how to get things done using today’s technology. Some of them don’t… but some do.
2. Listen to people who have been in the workforce for awhile. They may have some sage advice that will prevent you from making a serious mistake, or will propel you to stardom. Take advantage of their experience.
3. Remember, you too will one day be one of the more “experienced” workers.

For Leaders

There are lessons for leaders in this video too. I mentioned this in a few other blogs, but I have noticed that many displaced workers are older than 40/45. This is not a coincidence and I understand why this happens.

What you need to remember as a leader, is that older workers have valuable skills that the younger workers don’t. I just read an interesting blog by George Brymer on Linked2Leadership that listed the top 10 things that younger workers are lacking. These are things that the older workers are great at. Remember, you should have a balanced workforce and there are gems out there that although older, may be worth keeping and polishing. Don’t be like the young girl who comes in at the end of the video and dismisses the older crowd because they are old.

All the best!
All the time!
JT