Leadership Lessons by Mark Sanborn

November 2011

Deluged with information? Me too. Frankly, I don’t need moreinformation but I am always interested in insight. Insights are the useful ideas derived from the plethora of information that surrounds us. Insights improve our thinking and our behavior.My goal in my books, e-zine, blog and other communication is to provide you with valuable insights. My aim is to help leaders at every level turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. That requires both good ideas and the motivation and encouragement to implement them. Providing all these things is always top of mind when I communicate.  What would you like to learn more about in future e-zines? Are those topics related to leadership, extraordinary service and remarkable performance that you’d like me to address? If so, please email me at mark@marksanborn.com

Scroll Down for more information about Mark’s new book & presentation:

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A Work Manifesto

Manifesto (def.): A public declaration of policy and aims.

What follows are my views about commitment to work based on 30+ years of being employed and being an employer. These are philosophies I subscribe to and that I desire in those I work with and encounter in the marketplace. MHS

I work because I need to and because I want to. There is satisfaction in work well done. Good work produces value and isn’t just a means to an end but an opportunity to be a productive, contributing member of society. Work helps give life purpose and structure.

I don’t like everything about the work I do but understand that is the nature of work. Work often requires that we do what needs to be done as well as what we like to do. Doing great work is a choice I make; to do less cheats not just my employer and customer but myself.

Impediments to work are temporary. If my place of employment blocks my ability to be productive in an honest and ethical way, I will not sell my soul to continue working there. If my boss doesn’t understand the concept of a healthy work environment I will actively look for a different boss or organization that does. My current situation may not allow me to switch jobs or employers immediately but I refuse to resign myself to a work life of misery. I will endure for the short term with the goal of prospering in the long term.

How I do my work makes life a heaven or hell for others. How I treat colleagues and customers makes their lives better or worse. Neutrality is a myth as any attempt to disengage will appear to others as indifference, and that indifference is an insult to others.

I will not actively or passively inflict pain. While the bad behavior of others might make it tempting to do so, I will choose to play by a higher standard. I will do what I can to make working with me enjoyable.

I do not control how others act, but I completely control how I act. When others act inappropriately to me, I will respond professionally but will not accept and thereby condone the inappropriate behavior. I will politely but directly address the inappropriateness.

I understand that others come to me for solutions to problems and that is what I am paid for. Therefore problems, as difficult as they can be, are not an impediment to my work but often they are my work itself.

I will take responsibility rather than place blame. If I can’t fix it I will either live with it or leave it. There are no other rational options.  I understand there is no perfect workplace, but refuse to make where I work worse by my own apathy or lethargy. I won’t let the poor attitudes and behaviors determine my own choices. I know that I often succeed at work not because of but in spite of undesirable circumstances.

In a time when not all who truly desire work have that opportunity, I am grateful for the work I have.

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Mark Sanborn is a best selling author, advisor to top leaders and president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio for leadership development.

He’s also an acclaimed speaker and member of the Speaker Hall of Fame.

BRING MARK INTO YOUR ORGANIZATION FOR A POWERFUL LIVE PRESENTATION.

Mark provides more than a speech-he gives organizations a competitive edge. He’s a proven professional with over 2400 paid presentations and he can tailor a program to fit you needs. His clients include Harley Davidson, Costco, Morton’s of Chicago, Wells Fargo, HP, IBM and John Deere.

 For a presentation that will engage, educate and entertain, call Helen Broder  (703) 757-1204

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Up, Down, or Sideways: How to Succeed When Times are Good Bad or In Between. Click herehttp://www.marksanborn.com/up-down-or-sideways/ to download a free excerpt and to order.

Featured Blog: There is no “new normal.” Blog at

http://www.marksanborn.com/blog/there-is-no-new-normal/

PROGRAM NOTE: Mark can present this program to a mixed audience of managers and employees – or tailor it specifically to managers and top tier leaders.

Please contact his new business manager, Helen Broder, at Helen@MarkSanborn.com or (703) 757-1204 with any questions or to book Mark for your clients’ upcoming events. 

Manifesto (def): A public declaration of policy and aims.

What follows are my views about and commitment to work based on 30+ years of being employed and being an employer. These are philosophies I subscribe to and that I desire in those I work with and encounter in the marketplace. MHS

I work because I need to and because I want to. There is satisfaction in work well done. Good work produces value and isn’t just a means to an end but an opportunity to be a productive, contributing member of society. Work helps give life purpose and structure.

I don’t like everything about the work I do but understand that is the nature of work. Work often requires that we do what needs to be done as well as what we like to do. Doing great work is a choice I make; to do less cheats not just my employer and customer but myself.

Impediments to work are temporary. If my place of employment blocks my ability to be productive in an honest and ethical way, I will not sell my soul to continue working there. If my boss doesn’t understand the concept of a healthy work environment I will actively look for a different boss or organization that does. My current situation may not allow me to switch jobs or employers immediately but I refuse to resign myself to a work life of misery. I will endure for the short term with the goal of prospering in the long term.

How I do my work makes life a heaven or hell for others. How I treat colleagues and customers makes their lives better or worse. Neutrality is a myth as any attempt to disengage will appear to others as indifference, and that indifference is an insult to others.

I will not actively or passively inflict pain. While the bad behavior of others might make it tempting to do so, I will choose to play by a higher standard. I will do what I can to make working with me enjoyable.

I do not control how others act, but I completely control how I act. When others act inappropriately to me, I will respond professionally but will not accept and thereby condone the inappropriate behavior. I will politely but directly address the inappropriateness.

I understand that others come to me for solutions to problems and that is what I am paid for. Therefore problems, as difficult as they can be, are not an impediment to my work but often they are my work itself.

I will take responsibility rather than place blame. If I can’t fix it I will either live with it or leave it. There are no other rational options.  I understand there is no perfect workplace, but refuse to make where I work worse by my own apathy or lethargy. I won’t let the poor attitudes and behaviors determine my own choices. I know that I often succeed at work not because of but in spite of undesirable circumstances.

In a time when not all who truly desire work have that opportunity, I am grateful for the work I have.

Note to readers: If you were to summarize your views on work, what would your personal manifesto say? What would you add to what I’ve written? What would you change?

Truett Cathy, founder of Chick Fil A, tells of the trepidation the company felt in the early 1990′s from then new competitor Boston Market.

Image via Wikipedia

After raising $51.5 million in a 1993 IPO, Boston Market leadership announced plans to grow into a billion dollar company by 2000. That made Chick Fil A understandably nervous and leadership talked about ways to grow to fend off the looming threat.

Truett offered this winning strategy: “If we get better customers will demand we get bigger.”

After brainstorming product and service improvements, Chick Fil A aimed at earning increased growth rather than borrowing money to leverage expansion.

Fast forward to 2000: Boston Market (under a new name) was in bankruptcy and Chick Fil A hit $1 billion in sales.

Get better so customers will demand you get bigger. That’s a great way to grow.

Yesterday I met with my friend Andy who works for the firm that manages our finances. We meet regularly for updates and adjustments to strategy. One of the reason I look forward to these meetings is that Andy always has a very distinctive and interesting point of view. He is well informed but, more importantly, he has thought carefully about the information (which is available to all) to come up with conclusions that are specific to him.

The best leaders in any profession have a distinctive point of view. That doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with them, but it does mean that you know exactly what they think and why.

Not all points of view are created equally. They range from far-fetched and nutty to sound and wise. The best points of view are always based on two things: good information and good analysis.

That means a leader is limited by the information they receive and review and the analysis they apply.

Many simply aren’t willing to do the hard work to seek out the best information and/or make time for a penetrating analysis.

There are always many things on a leader’s “to do” list but his or her strategic necessities agenda should be relatively short, and developing a distinctive point of view should be on it.

What great leaders can you think of that had or have a distinctive point of view? And what did you learn from their perspective?

For more information and resources about developing and improving leadership in your organization, click here.

Herman Cain has suggested a memorable 999 tax plan. Because it has struck a chord with voters (both for and against), his Republican opponents had great fun commenting on Cain’s plan at the debates last night.

Huntsman said when he first heard it, he thought it was the price of a pizza. Michele Bachmann said if you turned it upside down, you’d find the devil was in the details (it becomes 666 for those not familiar with the mark of the beast reference).

Clever comments, but distracting.

Here’s the thing: Cain’s plan needs to be considered before it can be intelligently supported or opposed. Clever comments are a political slight of hand that–if successful—gets people to dismiss a proposal without taking it seriously.

I like the simplicity of Cain’s plan. At the same time I don’t know if that makes it too simplistic to be workable. But I’m not going to let humor keep me from looking into what he suggests.

Whether or not you agree with Cain’s plan (or any other serious suggestion by a candidate), don’t be fooled by the clever comments coming from the opposition. Think about it for yourself.

What do you think: are most Americans willing to look seriously at the issues, or does funny and clever win the day?

Bob Burg is a long time and valued friend and colleauge. I first met Bob through our membership in the National Speakers Association. He is an excellent communicator, prolific blogger and terrific speaker but one of the things that I most appreciate about him is that he practices what he teaches. Bob is an expert at creating and keeping connections. He has been a long time supporter of my work and has introduced my ideas to those in his network for which I am grateful. He and coauthor John David Mann wrote It’s Not About You, a great little leadership book that I endorsed. The book focuses on what really  matters in business and I encouraged you to check it out. I asked Bob to contribute a guest blog and it follows below:

You’ve seen it happen again and again.

A corrupt government is toppled by revolutionary forces, marshaling the will of the people, the dictators fall, happiness reigns once again … but then something weird happens. The revolutionaries start looking a lot like the tyrants they just deposed.

It happens in business, too. A fresh new leader comes along, an innovative startup comes out with something brilliant that mixes up the marketplace, an organization galvanized by someone new at the helm leaps inspired into double-digit growth …

Until a few years later that new leadership starts resisting change, digging in its heels, and acting a lot like the old leadership.

What happened?

There are all sorts of academic insights and lessons visible in the succession of power. But at the root, quite often there is something personal and internal happening here, a process that blunts the edge and sabotages the positive influence of once-great leadership.

It happens to kings, presidents, heads of religious organizations and great corporations, leaders and people of influence in every domain. It can happen to anyone with a following of any size or number.

It is this: after a time, they start getting it backwards.

L E A D becomes D E A L.

As a leader, you become the container of others’ hopes. When we say people put their trust in you, that is not just a figure of speech. People place their hopes and dreams, trust and faith, even their fears, in your hands, because these things feel too fragile, too big, too important, too valuable to hold onto by themselves.

You become the trustee of their intangibles. You hold them, believe in them when they forget how to believe in themselves.

But — and here’s the key to it — you are not their dreams, you are only the steward of those dreams. And leaders too often get it backwards and start thinking they not only hold the best of others, but that they are that best.

After a time of absorbing all that trust and faith, the sense of all those people looking to them for guidance, inspiration and constancy, they confuse the container with the contents.

They start thinking they are the deal.

And the moment you begin thinking that it’s all about you, that you’re the deal, is the moment you begin losing your capacity to positively influence others’ lives.

In a word, to lead.

If you are in a position of influence, here is a simple way to avoid this classic tragedy of leadership: every day, remember what it’s about.

Great parenting is not about the parent. Great teaching is not about the teacher. And great leadership? You’ve already filled in that blank.

Bob Burg and John David Mann are coauthors of the new release It’s Not About You. You can download two sample chapters here.

If you have children over the age of, oh, a few months, you’ve no doubt experienced what it’s like to see good advice go unheeded. This happens particularly often as children grow into that stage when they know far more than their parents, which usually coincides with the teen years.

Unfortunately, this affliction isn’t confined to teenagers. We all experience those times when we fail to take good advice — even at times when we know we should. Welcome to the human species, where pride goes before the fall and stubbornness is the bricks in the road to tribulation.

When I was researching and writing Up, Down, or Sideways, I realized that many of the things we should do regardless of circumstances are pretty basic and rooted in common sense. Yet, we don’t do them consistently.

Why?

The answer lies in understanding the seven basic stages that most of us go through when it comes to wisdom. Most of these stages represent barriers to living out that wisdom. They are …

1. We don’t know (e.g., we’re ignorant).
2. We know but don’t believe (e.g., we don’t think a particular truth applies to us or our situation).
3. We know and believe but still don’t do it (e.g., we lack conviction because it’s difficult, inconvenient, or unnecessary).
4. We know and believe but we can’t do it (e.g., we lack the skills to do it).
5. We know and do inconsistently (e.g., we get lazy or forgetful or distracted).
6. We know and do consistently (e.g., we’ve formed a good habit that we consciously cultivate).
7. We know and make it second nature (e.g., it’s become part of who we are).

What are your barriers to applying good advice? Identify them. Bash them. Then make good habits of wisdom that comes your way.

This blog is based on content in my latest book, Up, Down, Or Sideways. It is available wherever you buy great books. Click here to learn more about the book or click here to pre-order it from Amazon.com.

“I don’t believe leadership makes a difference; I believe that leadership is the difference.”

Mark is the president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea lab for leadership development.  Leadershipgurus.net lists Mark as one of the top 30 leadership experts in the world.

In addition to his experience leading at a local and national level, he has written or co-authored 8 books  and is the author of more than two dozen videos and audio training programs on leadership, change, teamwork and customer service. His book, You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader was a Wall Street Journal bestseller. In it, Mark explains how to create an army of lions where every employee knows two things: first, when is it appropriate to lead and second, how to do it.

Mark believes all leaders, regardless of title, enrich and increase ROI: relationships, outcomes and improvements. He also believes that successful leadership doesn’t require the ability to predict what will happen in the future, but rather the clarify of what should be done now to ensure future success.

He has presented over 2400 speeches and seminars in every state and a dozen countries. Mark is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame (CPAE). Mark’s YouTube channel features videos recorded both live (in his keynote leadership presentations) and in studio that teach how to lead, or lead better. He also writes a leadership blog.

Mark’s book, The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary is an international bestseller and was on the New York Times, Business Week and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. His latest books include You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere Can Make a Positive Difference and The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do. His newest book, Up, Down or Sideways: How to Succeed When Times are Good, Bad or In Between was released in October 2011.

Mark is a past president of the National Speakers Association and winner of The Cavett, the highest honor bestowed by that organization. In 2007 Mark was awarded The Ambassador of Free Enterprise Award by Sales & Marketing Executives International. 

If you’re interested in taking your leadership to the next level, click here for a list of free resources.

Leadership Lessons by Mark Sanborn

June 1, 2011

Thank you for subscribing to Leadership Lessons.  I trust that you find the content valuable and relevant to your leadership situation.  It’s not often that I provide you updates about what I’m doing throughLeadership Lessons but as we approach summer there are a couple of things that I’m excited about and I wanted to share with you:

·    I have written a new book titled Up, Down or Sideways:  How to Succeed When Times are Good, Bad or in Between.  The reason that I wrote the book is to explain how to create sustainable personal and organizational success despite circumstance. I can’t predict the future, but I am clear about the present need to think and do things that will mitigate downturns and maximize opportunities. Over the next few months in Leadership Lessons, I will be writing about the mindsets and methods from Up, Down or Sideways. The book will be available in bookstores on October 1, 2011 and even prior to then you will be able to preorder a copy at http://www.marksanborn.com/.

·    I now have my own YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/markhsanborn.  I will continually be posting fresh video content that you can access for free.  There is everything from 1 – 2 minute motivational clips that are designed to help you start your day right, to some of my favorite clips from keynotes that I’ve done all over the country.  I hope you will take an opportunity to watch some of these videos and even let your friends and colleagues know that all of the content is available for free.

·    If you book me to speak for your organization between now and the end of the year I will include 200 copies of any one of my books.  My favorite thing to do is to speak to live audiences.  I love interacting with groups that are committed to developing themselves as leaders, are committed to world class customer service and are committed to remarkable performance.  If I can serve you or your organization by speaking at an upcoming event please visit http://www.marksanborn.com/contact-us/.

We exist to serve you and your organization.  Never hesitate to let me or anyone on my team know what we can be doing to best serve you. Thanks for allowing me to share some news that I’m very excited about. Enjoy your summer!

Mark Sanborn