Leadership Quote: You Never See A Conductor…

This month’s leadership quote:

“You never see a conductor play an instrument.”

Larry Steinhauer

The intended leadership lesson here is leaders need to do less and lead more. And, like everything else, it depends.

Sometimes the exact right thing to do is back off and let other folks lead. And sometimes, the right thing to do is get in the trenches and work side by side with your team, letting them know you get it, you care and you aren’t hanging out in your ivory tower. The conductor, after all, is right there in the pit with the orchestra.

I heard two stories recently that support each option. One of my Vistage CEO members shared a story of offering to brainstorm with a key executive; the executive politely replied, “I’ve got it”.

On the other hand, another member after sharing a story of frustration on the part of the team, due to staff shortages, heard fellow members suggest, “you are spending too much time in your office, get out there, participate, show them you know you get it and that you care.”

The secret is in knowing when to pick up an instrument, even if ever so briefly, and when not to.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

With Diversity, Comes Diversity

What does this statement even mean?

Diverse leadership teams are hard…they are harder to build, are unlikely to come to consensus and are more likely to have conflict.

So, why bother? Because… they are harder to build, are unlikely to come to consensus and are more likely to have conflict, they make better decisions. Research studies prove this out.

Before we go any further, let’s start with some definitions; here’s mine:

  • Homogeneous groups have similar backgrounds, preferences and personality styles
  • Diverse groups contain individuals with a variety of backgrounds, preferences and styles
Notice, I didn’t mention gender, race, ethnicity, sexual preference. Why? Because categorizing frequently leads to stereotyping and while stereotyping might be a shortcut to achieving diversity, it may not. In fact, it may instead simply lead to stereotyping or…
In some cases, visible diversity as in gender and race, doesn’t create a diverse team. Where backgrounds are similar, even with visible diversity, a team is likely to behave as a homogeneous group.
What to do?
As with any critical decision, start by asking yourself the #1 leadership question: What outcome do I want?
Diversity is not always the best approach. Homogeneous groups are easier. Because of their similar backgrounds, preferences and styles they are likely to agree and move forward quickly.
  • If the goal is getting more of what you already have, then a homogeneous group may be the way to go.
  • If the goal is innovation and critical thinking, you are more likely to get there with a diverse group.

If you decide you want to build a diverse team, ask yourself the following questions to get started:

  • Do I know the backgrounds, preferences, and styles of current team members?
  • What actions do I need to take to learn this information about my current team?
  • What are the gaps in the current team?
  • Who in my organization could I add to the current team to increase the diversity?
  • If I am hiring team members, what qualities would add to the diversity?

If you would like to read more on the results of diverse groups, here is an article by two Kellogg professors to get you started: Better Decisions Through Diversity.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

 

 

Q2 2017 Vistage CEO Confidence Index Results

Q2 Confidence Index

The Vistage Confidence Index was 103.1 in the second quarter, down from 106.9 in the 1st quarter but still well above last year’s 88.0.

Q2 2017 Vistage CEO Confidence Index highlights include:

  • 55% of CEOs reported that economy had recently improved, slightly below last quarter’s 59% but more than twice last year’s 21%.
  • Only 38% expected continued improvement, down from 57% last quarter and 58% in Q4 2016, but higher than 20% in Q2 2016.
  • 60% of CEOs plan to expand their workforce in the year ahead. The majority 62% indicate that they were having trouble finding and hiring workers.
  • 48% of CEOs are planning for increased investments in plant and equipment.
  • 73% of expect increased revenue, down from 77% in Q1 and 78% in Q4 2016.

Chicago Area Survey Highlights:

  • 28% of CEOs expect the economy to improve in the year ahead (vs. 38% nationally)
  • 44% of CEOs expect to increase investments in the year ahead (vs. 48% nationally)
  • 63% of CEOs expect to increase revenue in the year ahead (vs. 73% nationally)
  • 57% of CEOs plan to expand their workforce in the next year (vs. 61% nationally)
  • 51% of CEOs thought the national economy had improved in the past year (vs. 55% nationally)
  • 57% of CEOs expect rising profits in the year ahead (vs. 60% nationally)

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

What If We Meet Them Where They Are?

Most of the time, we have an agenda. Whether it is to close a deal, persuade our employees or our customers to “see the light” or simply to win.

  • What if instead, we simply let things unfold at their own pace?
  • What if instead, we seek to understand?
  • What if instead, we invested in understanding where they are, and meet them there?
  • What if instead, we recognized that our stakeholders are made up of individuals, for whom “there” may be a different place for each of them?

But wait you say, isn’t it all about having a plan? Isn’t the goal to win? Perhaps it is, and I wonder if our chances of winning go up when we stop trying to orchestrate the outcome.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain