Saddling up

After a long sabbatical featuring several articles and an (abandonned) book project, PGP is back in full swing.

Working with an outstanding UK consulting firm,Corven (www.corven.com) I'm a faciltator and coach on an executive development program.

The most interesting insight from week 1, is committing to being a learner again. Two years is a long time for a break. I had seduced myself into thinking that the level of Mastery (George Leonard) that came so easily two years ago remained at my finger tips. Not so!

Furthermore, looking back on 2008, I clearly see that a pattern of smugness had crept into my delivery. Sure, there were times when (feedback would say), that I achieved 'virtuousity' (again Mr Leonard), but I allowed the fact that such performances were sometimes in reach to get lazy and undisciplined and sometimes downright sloppy. This, I'm sure, used to drive colleagues nuts and I can only imagine they put up with it because a) my best was pretty awesome, b) I owned the client relationship, and c) I owned and ran the firm.

Conditions b and c no longer exist (in the US) and so there was no place to hide when I put in a variable performance.

Fortunately, the wake up call was not too severe, current colleagues are exacting, but also forgiving.

And rather than feel crushed by embracing a new level of discipline, I'm very excited about it. Which surprises me, because discipline has never come easy, and I've rarely welcomed it.

I expect now that I'm busy, that I can share more reflections from the road.

There is an entire billion dollar industry devoted to taking the business’ temperature through surveys of all kinds. Most of those are a waste of money because there are few good doctors who know what to do next to reduce the fever!

In order to be an inspirational leader, you need to first be inspired.

Culture Change is the most talked about and most infrequently achieved change in the business arena. Everybody says they want it, few are prepared to do what it takes.

Great talent development and a high-performance culture are key differentiators between world-class businesses and the mediocre. Sadly, few organizations know how to sustainably produce those.

What Gandhi taught us about leadership is that it is an inside job. He was shy, bookish and incapable of giving a public address. He knew he could only change India as quickly as he could change himself.

We don’t think a moral person is someone who merely obeys the law. We set the bar higher. Contrary to Milton Friedman, the same applies to businesses: an ethical business must have higher standards than simply avoiding the courts.

Nelson Mandela used to jog in place daily in his toilet-sized cell. Why? Despite being twenty years into a life sentence with no hope of reprieve, he said “one day I will lead my people to freedom, and to do that, I will have to be fit.” That sort of resolve is sadly missing from most of today's business leaders.

360 degree feedback is a recipe for mediocrity. If Winston Churchill scores 7 out of 7 for inspiration, how come so many business leaders score between 5.5 and 6 on 360 degree instruments. If raters standards dervie from those they see around them, we have a recipe for mediocrity.

Most of my life, I’ve had an IQ above 160. However, I’d trade 20 of those points, for 20 character-quotient points any day. The latter are much more valuable and much harder to come by.

Spirituality is essential for human flourishing. By that I mean living a life of meaning, connectedness, values and purpose. However, the connection with religion makes the word taboo. Leadership development requires working very hard on a leader’s spirituality, but never call it that.

Paul Gibbons

Saddling up