Leadership - We Know It When We See It

Amid the public outcry over MP’s expenses and their discontent at the conduct of the Speaker, those seeking lessons on leadership might be forgiven for looking anywhere other than the Houses of Westminster at the moment.

And yet the Speaker can furnish us with some useful insights into what is required of leaders. His recent behaviour in firstly being unwilling to see the importance of the brewing scandal over MPs’ expenses, and then in savaging members of his own party when they questioned his judgement on the issue has dissipated his authority. The result of this has been a loss of confidence in the Speaker among MPs and calls for his resignation.

We might justifiably ask ourselves how this has happened – after all, it seems that he has done no more than misjudge the public mood and respond cantankerously to some hostile questioning. But in fact, he has not offered the leadership his position demands.

In business a position of authority is bestowed on a manager by those above him or her in the hierarchy. This authority is accompanied by a set of responsibilities and a level of trust. Should the manager then break this trust, it will not be long before he or she loses the job.

In order to successfully wield the power which accompanies a position of authority, a manager also needs the respect of the people below him or her in the hierarchy. If this respect is lost, the manager’s ability to exercise the power of their position is greatly reduced.

While the Speaker’s office is more complicated than that of a hypothetical business manager, the lesson for business people is that it is not enough simply to occupy the position of authority and wield the accompanying power.

Kevin Yates, Managing Director of Mitchell Phoenix, explains, “leadership is not simply an idea, nor is it expedient - something we can believe in one day and not the next. People will see straight through that. It has to be visible, applied, and strong enough to gain the respect of the people you lead.”

In fact, argues Yates, after it has been bestowed one then has to prove one is worthy, and to do this, one has to display the fundamental qualities of leadership: a sense of purpose about what it is one wishes to achieve, decisiveness in fulfilling that purpose, the ability to mobilise others in adversity, and a character which commands respect.

Sustainability in Business – What does it mean?

Sustainability is an increasingly common term in today’s world. It is most widely used to communicate goals around ‘saving the planet’, renewable energy and feeding the Earth’s population. The concept of sustainability refers to the ability to maintain balance of a certain process or state in any system and is central to studies of ecological and biological systems.

If we see business as an organism and start to explore sustainability as an overarching goal we will find that this idea has been around for hundreds of years. At Mitchell Phoenix we often ask people to consider ‘What is the purpose of Management?” the ultimate conclusion being “To secure the future”. If we accept that our purpose is to secure the future, then what is the implicit responsibility? It is to Govern Change.

Governing change is the act of generating sustainability in business through being pro-active. Adapting to change is evidence that learning has taken place Reacting to change based on how we have always done it simply stores up the need to handle the same thing again in the future. The ability to change and adapt is the key to sustainability.

President Obama, since his election, has made several speeches and has often used the question “Will our children thank us?” around difficult issues that need addressing now. Business needs to start thinking more about what it is creating rather than what it is taking, not what it is losing but what it is gaining. Change is often seen as a cost rather than an investment. “I haven’t got time” is a basic example.

We can wait for change to force our hand, new legislation, for instance, and conform. We can see the writing on the wall and reluctantly implement measures in readiness, ruing what once was. We can embrace change and make it our strategy, forging ahead with clarity and purpose. Already, corporate governance is upon us. We need to educate our people over Diversity and demonstrate our policies. Social Responsibility will become more and more of a requirement and managing our carbon emissions will be a burden or a boon.

If we want an adaptable, sustainable organization, Governing Change has to be core thinking for every business. In his book, “The Future of Work”, Tom Malone from the Harvard Business School explores in one of the chapters, putting human values at the center of business. By nurturing, growing, planning a legacy, preparing the future, he states that it is highly likely that we would automatically embrace and adopt principles and policies that are currently being legislated.

The World Commission on Environment and Development has articulated what has now become a widely accepted definition of sustainability: "[to meet] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Sounds like a plan to me.

The Several Habits of Highly Effective Organizations

Constancy of purpose, to take a leaf from Dr Edward Deming, is one of the prime contributory factors to business success. It is a commitment to the long-term and connected with a continual improvement ethos. In order for any organization to become highly effective at sustaining its constancy of purpose it has to develop several habits.

The first of these habits is Strategy. Strategic planning and on-going reference to strategy is central to mobilizing people, empowering them and maintaining a greater level of control over results. Strategy as a habit is akin to taking regular compass bearings to ensure the venture is heading in the right direction. Companies should strive to become accomplished at strategic thinking as far down their organization as possible. The greater strategic awareness, the more attention to detail is paid. Detail is competitive edge.

In order for Strategy to be effectively put into action, a second critical habit needs to be developed. Culture. The way people think, communicate and act will also determine effectiveness. If Culture is a conscious habit, then there will be a consistency of approach throughout a business that reflects a common set of values and beliefs. It makes for the possibility of an environment in which people can excel. A great Culture is the product of great leadership.

If ‘Change is the only constant’ (Heraclitus), then it should be embraced. Change is another habit of highly effective organizations. They decide for Change rather than having to always react to it. It becomes a habit coupled with regular reference to strategy and the ability to move quickly because of a strong culture. Change, if it is a habit, is seen as positive and quickly adopted. Standing still in business is the same as dying.

Highly effective organizations are in the habit of referencing Principles. A business that is guided by Principles is able to make quicker, more confident decisions. A decision is a pivot between the past and the future. Strong, confident decision making is a reflection of clear strategic focus and translates into more committed action. Recognized Principles communicate integrity and unite teams. A Principle is only a Principle until it costs you something.

When things go wrong highly effective organizations listen. Real listening is linked to Openness. When a company sees success and failure as two ends of

the same stick, everything is simply information. Not only does openness allow focus to quickly move to solutions, it reflects confidence and security in its ability to cope with a setback. A blame culture cannot exist when the habit is to seek to understand, make a new decision and Govern Change. An organization is able to learn. Openness is the gateway to creativity and innovation.

Future Orientation is at the core of any effective enterprise. Habitually focusing on the future prompts the question ‘How do we move forward?’ and is action oriented. Future orientation is a reflection of a strategic organization with a culture and principles that propel it forwards. When a business is Future Oriented it will use time better and achieve more. Turn hope into expectation.

All organizational habits are characterized, exemplified and adopted by people. One more habit is finding, developing and retaining the Right People. Highly effective organizations are uncompromising in their recruitment. It is more about cultural fit than technical fit. They create a learning environment and encourage involvement. Training is a commitment to the people and appraisal is looked forward to. Management is rewarded and feedback is on a regular basis. People work without fear. It is people who deliver an organization’s results.


It is possible to build these habits deliberately, quickly and easily into any organization. Mitchell Phoenix has been transforming businesses with core business strengths for over twenty years.

Earth Hour 28th March 8.30-9.30pm

It is 'Earth Hour' this Saturday 28 March. The whole world is being encouraged to switch off all its lights from 8.30 to 9.30pm in an effort to encourage awareness over Global Warming. 2,848 cities, towns and municipalities in 84 countries have signed up so far.

When you create common goals for good its easy for people to sign up to them. Business take note.

Will you be switching off this Saturday?

Management Fads Fade Fast

How is it that management fads come and go so quickly? See what Mitchell Phoenix have to say in their latest press release. Click here

Confidence Tricks - Boosting your Confidence in Presentations

How is it that normally secure, confident, outgoing people can feel so nervous about giving a presentation? A recent survey of the top 10 things people most dreaded showed Public Speaking as top of the list closely followed by Death! Presumably if you were asked to give a eulogy at a funeral you would prefer to be in the ‘box’.

It is likely, as a manager, that you will be asked to present in some form or other to an audience. It may be something informal such as a “Good Luck and Thank-you” speech to a departing employee or a full-on presentation to the board. So what is it that prevents people from being themselves when it comes to public speaking?

The main factor is ‘stage-fright’, when you move centre stage and all the attention is on you, and you freeze. You are like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle at night. You are powerless; your legs feel like rubber; the room starts to spin, your throat constricts and your mouth is drier than the Gobi Desert. Don’t worry, it’s easily fixed. How? I hear you shout.

The simple answer is do lots of presentations since each time we survive the experience we know that we can do it and we know more and more what to expect. One of the biggest causes of feeling nervous is that we are unfamiliar with something that demands a level of accomplishment. We also tend to get nervous in new surroundings. This is completely natural. If the thought of giving lots of presentations to overcome our fear of public speaking isn’t practical or just stupid, then here are a few exercises to try out before and during a presentation.

Dress the Part

This is easy advice to follow. Really put the effort in to look good. If you know you look good, you will feel good. It is part of getting ready for something and showing commitment to it. “I’m doing this and I’m going to look great!”

Raise your Posture

Another simple tip to put into practice. Try sitting up straighter right now. You will feel yourself taking in a breath and sense that you are in a stronger position. When presenting feel yourself stretching to your full height (not on tiptoes!) and keep that posture throughout. You will feel stronger and more powerful as you speak.

Create an Anchor

An anchor is an association that you create between a time that you felt completely confident, completely comfortable and in control and a physical gesture. Cast your mind back to one of those times until the memory starts to bring back the confidence you felt and link it immediately to a gesture such as squeezing your thumb and forefinger together or gently pinching the skin on the back of your hand. Then, when you want to bring back that feeling of confidence, simply make the gesture.

Don’t Give a Hoot

When we care too much about something, raise its level of importance and weigh ourselves down with the expectations of others, then our ability to ‘perform’ can be severely effected. The trick here is to not care. That doesn’t mean to say that we will do a bad job, it means if something goes wrong treat it as nothing, shrug it off. “I can’t remember my next line”, so what? “My hands are shaking” so what? “The audience looks bored”, so what? Care less, perform better.

Become like Walter Mitty

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” was a short story written by James Thurber. Walter Mitty was a meek and mild-mannered man who as he day-dreamed could suddenly become anything he wanted to be; a fearless Naval commander steering his ship through a storm; a brilliant surgeon saving a life; a hero foregoing a blindfold in front of a firing squad. We can do the same. Pretend to be someone you admire and act like them.


Prepare your Opening

If you are going to freeze, it will probably be right at the start. Preparation is our biggest ally in presenting. If you do nothing else, prepare, prepare, prepare. By preparing especially well for your introduction you create momentum for the rest of your presentation. If you forget lines later on, don’t worry; the audience doesn’t know what you are going to say so they won’t notice!

Inspire by iPod

Listening to music that inspires you on the way to giving a presentation can also strengthen resolve. A lot of sports teams use this idea to send them out on the field full of confidence, ready for action. ‘I will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor; ‘We are the Champions’ by Queen; ‘The Theme from the Magnificent Seven’ and the ‘Theme from Rocky’; ‘Ace of Spades’ by Motorhead and ‘My Way’ by Ol’ Blue Eyes are some suggestions!

You can find breathing exercises to do; you can imagine the audience in their underwear as well as a host of other ideas to help your confidence. Ultimately it will be your belief, passion and purpose that win the day. Just standing up front shows the courage you have and be sure that the audience is on your side. They much prefer to be where they are than where you are.

Mitchell Phoenix inspires leaders, managers and businesses with the confidence and ideas to make a difference. We equip people with the thinking and the tools to measurably improve personal and corporate performance. We help turn strategy into action, objectives into results.

Click HERE to visit our website

The Emporor’s New Clothes and Management Theory

Andrew Billen of the Times said in this article yesterday http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article5860232.ece
that management theory has been shown up as modern day snake oil. In fact, he has taken a sawn off shotgun to it, citing various examples of how theory strips people and organizations of good old common sense. He has a point.

When you impose systems on people that are a substitute for management or even a compensation for lack of management, eventually there will be a collision between man and 'machine'. Systems and theories remove the decision-making from organizations since a process has already been decided. All that's needed is for the guidelines to be followed. When the system fails it is because people have let it fail either consciously or sub-consciously.

Billen is essentially pointing at management theory and calling it 'naked' concluding that there is nothing to it. About 15 years ago I was invited to a round table discussion at the London School of Economics between business leaders and academics. The question under discussion was "What does business need from academia to help it evolve.?" You won't be surprised to hear that nothing new emerged. In fact if you really examine the evolution of management theory you will see that the same ideas have been introduced repeatedly, only renamed.

Ultimately, there is no substitute for people and timeless principles of management that are as relevant now as they will be in the future. When you have a real strategy you will see immediately the reason for poor outcomes and systems are designed to support people rather compensate for them. People make theories and systems work not the other way around.