[nfbmi-talk] Thoughts To Take To State Convention

[Fred Wurtzel]

Hello,

 

I ran across this blog entry.  It made me think about how we are advocating
for open communication and transparency in all aspects of state government
that involves MCB and blind people.  The comments around inclusion seem
pertinent since all NFB leadership has been purged from MCB and the BEP.  I
wonder how long such blatant exclusion of ideas can be sustained.  The blog
is at http://gwynteatro.wordpress.com/

 

Warmest Regards,

 

 

Fred

 

The Language of Leadership in the 21st Century.

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I've always loved language.  Admittedly, my facility in it is sadly limited
to English,

a few French words and phrases, body language (on a good day) and oh yes, a
little

pig Latin. But, what I love about language is its power to shape ideas,
create images,

evoke emotion and give birth to new habits and traditions.

In organizations, language also has the power to determine

what matters

.  For instance, the language of the 20th

 Century stressed, among other things, the importance of

control, competition, individual targets, winning, losing

 and results.

 And while many of these words allude to activities that continue to be
important,

there is other language creeping into the 21

st

 Century landscape that will affect our behaviour and change the way we go
about

things.

To some, these words are associated with the softer side of life.  In the
past, they

have often been derided and dismissed as being too ethereal or without merit
in the

workplace.  But, as this new century unfolds, key words like these will
re-shape

what matters

 and reveal their harder edges as we put them into practice.

So, what words am I talking about?  Well, no doubt you will have heard them.
But

because I often think it's easy to use words without really understanding
what they

mean or how they might be used in any sort of practical way, I thought I'd
have a

go at bringing them into the light if only for the sake of provoking your
own thoughts

about their applicability in these highly challenging times.  Words, after
all, have

a way of being open to interpretation and I'm sure you will have yours.
But, for

what it's worth here are mine:

The first word is

Empathy

.

 To me, empathy in action looks like this.  You and I are sharing our
viewpoints

over a particular issue.  It is a difficult conversation.  What I'm hearing
from

you sounds foreign and unlikely and yet I want to make sense of what you are
saying.

So I stop.  I let my ego and my belief that I am right go, and I step into

your s

hoes.  I do that by asking questions and exploring the issue from

your

perspective.  I seek to see what you see.  In so doing I search for what you
might

be feeling and when I find it, I begin to understand what it's like to be
there.

In short, empathy is about understanding.   But just to be clear, it is not
necessarily

about agreeing.

Here are some other key words that come to mind:

Inclusion

 is about creating an environment where people feel they belong; are valued
and respected.

Including people means asking their opinions frequently; trusting them to
take the

lead in situations where their strengths will better serve the purpose;
acknowledging

their contributions sincerely and often.

Self-awareness

is about knowing our own strengths, weaknesses, behaviours and attitudes
well enough

to

understand our impact

 on those around us and how effective, or perhaps ineffective, it is in
certain situations.

Cultural awareness

is about the values, beliefs and perceptions that are part of the
organization and

the people who work in it. Organizations with an enduring culture will be
ones that

align their activities and practices with their values and beliefs.  These
values

and beliefs are brought alive through action and thought; in their approach
to the

customer; in their hiring practices and in the kind of business they choose
to conduct.

Diversity

is about achieving a real appreciation for the heterogeneous nature of the
world

and it's people.  To me, embracing diversity means appreciating,
understanding, valuing

and using our

differences to enhance the work and create something greater than we might
otherwise

do by behaving divisively and out of ignorance or fear.

Openness

is about being truthful and giving people the information and resources they
need

to do their jobs. It also reminds me of the critical need to be receptive to
new

ideas from a variety of sources and people. In the last century, information
was

often used as a power tool by a few against the many. Today, I think that
power is

at its most effective when it is collectively held and willingly shared.

Adaptability

 in this century will be key to not only successful organizations but ones
that simply

seek survival as well.  This is about learning to accept change as an every
day occurrence

as opposed to an event that must be planned and carefully managed.  It
speaks to

the necessity to be continually reading, questioning and challenging the
current

environment.  Today becomes yesterday in the blink of an eye.  I think that
those

who learn fast and change faster will do better in these times than those
who don't.

Collaboration

speaks to the need to work together for a common purpose.  The 20

th

 Century organization was rife with silos and walls that provoked, or
perhaps encouraged,

internal competition and rivalries.  Now it's time to build bridges between
people

and lines of business; to eschew hoarding behaviour and learn to share ideas
and

resources for a purpose that will be of service to everyone involved

These are just eight words that I think, when put into action, will define
leadership,

and organizational life, in the years to come.  There are, of course,
others.  But,

my point is that the more we use this language, and seek to understand its
meaning

and application, the better equipped we will be to meet the challenges that
this

century presents.

What do you

 think?  What words come to mind for you when you think about leadership
today? What

do they mean to you?  How will they affect the way we work?

 

About the author:

 

My name is Gwyn Teatro and I have long believed that the quality of
leadership in

an organization determines the willingness of its people to take their best
selves

with them when they go to work.

People who go to work and go home again feeling under-valued and
under-rewarded are

likely under-performing.  As such, good leadership is not just a "nice to
have".

It is a business imperative.

Organizations that underestimate the value of their human assets may achieve
short

term results but will fail to retain depth of knowledge and experience that
are critical

to sustaining business over time.  People will come, and go, taking the
value of

their knowledge and their best "game" with them.

The challenge for all leaders is to achieve optimal results through others
and that

calls for them to set the organizational tone and direction, role-model
effective

leadership behaviour and motivate others to produce desire results with
enthusiasm

and pride.  It's a tall order but there it is.

I come by my views honestly having spent 35 years working in a large
organization

and having observed (and experienced) many different leaders from a variety
of perspectives.

I remember the good ones. And I remember, even more vividly, the bad ones.

I spent the bulk of my career in Human Resources, in tasks that began simply
enough,

like balancing time sheets and keeping personnel records to ones that called
on me

to coach executives, plan and facilitate strategic planning sessions and
other, more

global, pursuits .  I went back to school when I was forty three and, in
1996, earned

a Master of  Science degree in Management.  Later, I learned about the value
of coaching

in the workplace and became a certified coach.

Now, I'm sixty something and  retired, although I've always disliked that
word because

there is more for me to do. And, often I think it is  about making a
contribution

to the development of healthy workplaces, places where people can, and are
willing

to, do their best work.  This blog is a start.