The Babel Effect

Transmitting what's in our mind into the consciousness of someone else is tricky at best. Individuals process new information by comparing to what they’ve experienced and know. Think a child asking is 'this' like 'that' when exposed to something new.

We offer examples to help others understand, but since we are unique - no one else has an identical collection knowledge and memories - sometimes the examples cloud rather than clarify.

I returned to the office after a doctor visit with a huge bandage strapped to my arm. A collegue asked about my 'injury' and I told her I had a punch biopsy done. What's that, she asked?

It's like a core sample of a concrete roadway (a hollow-core drill takes a cross-sectional sample to test for quality control) – the punch biopsy is a miniature version of this for tissue samples.

Didn't help...she'd no exposure to core samples – I learned about them when driving a concrete truck in undergrad school. Like a chat among people at the Tower of Babel, we were not understanding each other.

People hear what is important to them, colored by their own experiences. As the speaker, we have surprisingly little control of what the listener actually takes away from a conversation or presentation.

To understand what they heard, I ask the person to repeat instructions or assignments in their own words, or ask what was the best thing he or she learned from a presentation. This reduces the 'Babel Effect'.

What's your experience?

Teaching Leadership

Some individuals are thought to be 'natural' leaders – they seemingly step into the role fully functional – such as George Washington.

Some individuals develop as leaders once in the role – Steve Jobs, for example.

Some individuals learn leadership by opening their mind and soaking up the rich material provided by other leaders, coaches, individuals from business and academia.

Based on this sampling, individuals can learn leadership.

At a recent presentation about leadership I noted no organization has a position 'leader'. Dick Davies offered a description: 'Leadership is a collection of behaviors, a calling, and a practice.'

Can we teach behavior? Passion? Continuous practical development and application?...

Can we teach leadership?

Teaching leadership may be like making policy.

Policy can make people do things; but not make them do it well.

What do you think?

Focus and Goofing Off

Recently, I was talking with Dick about keys to successful results.

We identified focus as an important element contributing to superior outcomes.

Today was one of those rare balmy January days in Washington, DC, hovering around 60 degrees, so Dick and I headed to a nearby course for a round golf.

While returning to our cars, we had to chuckle about the focus conversation in the context of a mid-week golf game.

However, we suddenly realized that this confirmed the focus principle – instead of goofing off 10 minutes here and there, we had concentrated it in a 4 hour block.

It seems right on so many levels. At times focus can become sharper when you focus on something else for a while. 

New View from the Big Chair

The World Is Changing

Future Shock in the ‘60s said we could only accommodate so much change before a melt-down; many believed Toffler but does it still apply? Change happens at a breakneck speed, however it takes time to recognize and adapt.

The Information Interview, a mainstay of job transitions, doesn’t work anymore.

Thought Exercise: Identify a ‘rule’ that was the foundation for thinking in the past – but no longer applies today. Got several - pick the best and share it with others to see what they think.

Changes and Influencers

“Want it done right – do it yourself.”
Want it to scale – must do through others; express the results wanted - not process they should use. Be amazed that there are ways to accomplish the goal that are different from what you would have done.

Next 3 years will find more of the following:

• Do it yourself (DIY).
• Fix yourself – reorient how you get and use information and vision.
• Scale – small or large are both available now; do you need an expert to help – if so, when?
  Fail Forward Frequently (F3) – experiment and learn, experiment again. We have tools to do this now. Try it yourself first (small,economical scale), learn what you can, then bring in the expert if you need one.

Here’s a description of what’s here now and what’s next : Chris Anderson: Makers; David Weinberger: Too Big to Know – two books about manufacturing and information acquisition changes that are radically affecting our world – today and into the future.

Traits of Learned Leaders:

• Relentlessly tell yourself the truth and require it of others.
• Surround yourself with people committed to change.
• Keep reading, keep learning, keep doing, and keep sharing.
  
  

If you are not learning, you are losing ground...regressing.

The economy is about 80-20 right now – 80% is below earlier levels and hard going, but 20% is on fire. Why? Not evenly distributed and winners are providing what’s needed and wanted.

How do you feel about leadership in the businesses today? Not ‘big organizations’ or ‘big government’ that you read or hear about – the ones you actually know and deal with frequently – on a scale of 1 (low) – 10 (high) – how are they doing leadership-wise? I raised the question with a group today and found a lot of 2's and only one at a 5. Plenty of room to improve.

How Do We Learn Today?

The quality of leadership has improved year by year – but like pouring water in a tank, it’s improving for others too – if you feel that leadership IS ESSENTIAL for quality of life, business, and the economy - We need the very best you have to offer!And as a leader inspiring that level of commitment in others. How? Learning about the changes, sharing your knowledge and experience, mashing it up to apply the mixture – and seeking what others – peers, and others in and out of your organization – have learned, experienced, and know. Learning is a collaborative (not competitive) sport.

Acquiring information has changed. Where do you get your information today? – newspapers, biz magazines, TV or on-line news, blogs, user comments? All of the above and more.

Learning by doing – a new emergence of do-it-yourself – permits us to roll up the sleeves and get our hands dirty making something – physical or virtual. We learn much from what doesn't work, and our next 'prototype' is much better.

Funny thing - there are no tools of a leader – but there are tools to help you be a leader – like sharing experiences, thoughts, and vision with peers. Ronald Reagan painted an image of the ‘shining city on the hill’ during the downtrodden time - and got him elected.

Historic or Functional Structure

If you are not doing something worthy, start doing something worthy. Don't know who said this, but it's brilliant.

For tasks – add technology not people. Meet ‘Boots’.

After 30 years of high water in the pond, we are now seeing the shopping carts & tires.

How to capitalize on a market – Jack Welch (be # 1 in that market) v. Clay Christensen (disruptive innovation – make it simple and cost less and take over that market).

Today, if you can make a change without redesign, you have waste – serious change must redesign.

Business is NOT about being a bench-warmer and getting a ‘show-up’ trophy at the end of the season. It’s about getting results, paying your bills, and having funds left over to reinvest or to repay for investment.

Success comes from doing real work – not from the posers…no matter how articulate…who are not producing.

Collaborate – share to build better with more efficiency less fixed costs.

Leadership Will Return The USA To Greatness

This is not what we read from those playing to our pessimism – their message: be prepared for no growth into the future. I see that as an active embodiment of defeatism. Observation shows that there are islands of growth and prosperity in businesses around the country today. Winners are filling wants and needs of the customer, user, and buyer.

What’s our role as leaders today and in the near future? Things are changing and a new order is about to revealed…soon. Limitations and barriers are being disassembled. Tools are available to do things we have not – could not do before...like additive manufacturing (3-D copying) and affordable small batch production jobbers.

Leadership is like a preference in art – you'll know it when you see it. It's elusive to capture by definition or articulated vision. But it is essential for our future success to create leaders and improve leadership. Let’s come up with what it takes to be a great leader before the end of this year. How – use the tools: learn about change, share experience, knowledge, vision - and practical application through others.

How Leaders Speak - Frank Reagan Quotes (from Blue Bloods TV show):

• Situations like these don’t build character, they reveal it.
• Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
• Everything has a cost, even the truth. But the reward for truth is a clear eye and a clear conscience.
  
  

Three Final Questions

1. What was the most important thing you learned here today?
2. What is the role your organization in advancing leadership from this day forward?
3. What are the last two words following the National Anthem? [Play Ball]
   
   

Add to the conversation – what are your thoughts?