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The Leadership Advisor
"Helping Leaders Develop Leaders"
Special Addition 2007
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Finishing Medal

"To stay ahead, always have your next idea waiting in the wings." ~ R.M. Kanter

"Strength & Courage aren't always measured in medals & victories. They are measured in the struggles they overcome. The strongest people aren't always the people who win, but the people who don't give up when they lose." ~ Ashley Hodgeson

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop and look fear in the face." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

"Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions." ~ Harold Geneen

"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." ~ Chinese Proverb

CC Development Model
By Phil Eastman

I have written before about the need for a process in developing leadership competency among your leaders. You may recall that we use a simple but valuable model to guide our clients through five development steps. Above is a graphic view of that model.

The first step in developing leadership is to identify a set of competencies your organization agrees exemplify leadership. There are classic sets of leadership competencies that include such topics as vision, motivation, teamwork, communication, ability to influence, relating to people, etc. Some organizations prefer a customized set of leadership competencies while others use prescribed lists. Regardless of your approach it only makes good sense to begin with the development process only after the desired competencies have been identified.

The second step is to measure each individual leader's proficiency on the chosen leadership competencies. This can be done through observation, interviews or an third party assessment. My preference however is to assess leadership competency using a multi-rater tool that allows a leader to rate their own ability along with ratings from the direct supervisor, peers and employees. This 360- degree view of proficiency is a humbling experience but for anyone serious about developing leadership ability, it is crucial.

The third step is to build a development plan. This plan should take into account the existing proficiency of the individual on the leadership aspects that are critical to performance. Many times organizations try to build the perfect leader who is strong in the all the identified competencies. However the reality is most of us have some areas of leadership that we can excel at and other areas that will constantly be a struggle. Emphasize development of the competencies critical to the job and don't focus on those that are not critical.

The fourth step is to execute the leadership development plan. Development of leadership competencies can be done through formalized education, seminars and workshops, individual study, on the job coaching by co- workers or other means suitable to the organization and the individual.

The fifth step is a reassessment of the individual's skill level to determine improvement. This should be done using the same method as the initial assessment so a true measurement of improvement can be tracked. Here is where development work gets a bit tricky. Many clients want to conduct the assessment, provide the training and skill development activities but shy away from the re- assessment that would identify growth and return for the money, time and energy expended. They opt instead for an anecdotal evaluation of their development expenditures. Despite our protests we often lose the battle for reassessment.

However, in one particular and notable situation recently however we did have a client not only agree to the reassessment but insist upon it so they could measure their success. This particular case is a team development engagement that began with an assessment of the team's competency on the seven essential elements of high performance teamwork. The client also engaged us to provide several different team development activities and built review of the team competencies into regular team meetings. After six months we conducted a re-assessment and found the team had experienced gains in its team competency in all seven areas. Their overall gain in proficiency was 10% over six months. Without being any more specific than that imagine what a 20% annualized gain in your team's effectiveness would mean to you. It would mean:
  • Consistent focus on the team's mission
  • Higher levels of trust between team members
  • More effective handling of conflicts within and outside the team
  • Increased dedication to team goals
  • Greater accountability to commitments
  • Success in reaching your expected results
  • Improved communication

To achieve these improvements however people need the reinforcement and accountability to developing the competencies that will set your team apart.

We use different tools for assessments but my favorite tool is one that is provided to us by 20/20 Insight. Although I rarely talk about specific solutions in my articles this one warrants your review. 20/20 Insight is a fully customizable assessment platform that provides us (and you) the ability to measure initial competency levels and then on a routine basis re-assess progress toward building the skills essential to your success. We recently added a short video to our website to explain how this system works and I invite you to click on the model above or copy & paste the link below: http://www.leadershipadvisors.com/Services/impact.a sp

We use 20/20 to the benefit of our clients but many clients prefer to own the systems themselves and use if for all types of assessment. This is the most robust, flexible and cost effective system for conducting assessments and that is why it is part of our development arsenal.

Phil Eastman is the founder and president of Leadership Advisors Group, a Boise-based consulting firm. Phil combines more than 25 years of leadership experience with his passion for consulting, coaching, and teaching to develop leaders, build teams, and improve performance. It is his desire to enhance leadership effectiveness for all of his clientele.

Phil earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in Management and Organization from Idaho State University. He is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington where he is also an instructor. Phil also holds a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies from Bethel Seminary.
Lorene
By Lorene Rasmussen

"OO-RAH!," was the common cry from almost 30,000 runners as we crossed over the starting line at the 32nd Annual Marine Corps Marathon. The starting line was located at the Arlington National Cemetery and began at 7:50 am with the wheelchair and hand cycle participants. The National Anthem provided a beautiful start to the day's event and the Quantico Marine Corps Band continued playing long after the runners were released exactly at 8:00 am.

We were lined up in corrals according to our expected finish times and pace per hour. As you can imagine, I was not standing with any Kenyans, elite runners, or the Hansons-Brooks Team. My 5.5 hour corral was much less intense. We had a juggler, a lady dressed like Super Woman, and a cheerful bumble bee. Besides the assorted costumes on the course, there were 100's of different quotations and motivational sayings on the back of t-shirts. My favorite being the Marine form of denial, "Pain is just weakness leaving the body." By the time my corral passed over the starting line, the timing clock had been running for at least 10 minutes and there were still 1,000's of people behind me.

I was not alone on this journey! Besides being accompanied by my running niece Amanda Coleman from Gillette, WY, the marvels of modern technology allowed supporters to keep track of my progress via cell phone. Every time I crossed over a remote tracking device, a message was sent to my husband-Tom, two adult sons, and good friend/physical therapist, David Anderson.

Amanda and I had started out together but lost track of each other when I took a walk break and she took off (she's the real runner). Around mile 2, I fell in behind 6 attractive Marines doing cadence calls; "sound off, 1-2; sound off, 3-4; left - right, left - right." The hypnotic chant distracted me, making me forget that I was running a fairly respectable pace. By mile 5, the remote tracker had sent message #2 to my 4 men saying I had cover 5 miles in 60 minutes. They all smiled knowing I needed to keep a 14 minute mile average to "beat the bridge" by 1:00 pm.

While under the hypnotic spell of the Marine's cadence, I quickly crossed over the George Washington Memorial Pkwy, Key Bridge, right past by the C&O Canal Historical Park and was moving onto MacArthur Blvd.

However, around the Georgetown Reservoir (approx 6.5 miles), my cadence induced reverie came to an abrupt halt when a sharp pain shot down my left leg and landed in my calf muscle stopping me cold! I immediately moved to side of the road and tried desperately to rub out what I thought was a "charlie horse."

The same pain that attacked my calf muscle was also reeking havoc on my emotions. So many battles taking place in my mind, that I couldn't think straight. How could this be happening? Not now! Not with all the training I had gone through. I wondered if I should quit; besides who would blame me? There were buses available along the course to take the wounded and the weary straight to the finish line if the need arose.

Periodically, I tried to walk but to no avail. After what felt like an eternity and lots of prayers, I discovered I could walk on the left side of my foot. It certainly wasn't the heel- toe graceful gait that I had become accustomed to over the last 10 months of training, but it allowed me to cover the distance with a level of pain I could bare.

With the tenacity of a bulldog (although I would rather be described as a labrador retriever or even a poodle), I literally "hunkered down" and kept moving. I continued to run/walk/limp while surveying our Nation's memorials and monuments to help divert my attention from the obvious inconvenience I continued to encounter.

The most handsome and welcome site along Constitution Avenue was my husband. He was standing with an diverse assortment of spectators (including SWAT Teams, FBI agents, snipers, and oddly dressed characters).

Tom took a picture of me, told me he had received two messages from the remote tracker but hadn't heard anything else and wondered what had happened. I told him about my "charlie horse" pain and asked for the pain relievers that were given out in the runner's goodie bag. I rapidly ate part of a ClifBar, gave him a kiss, and told him to meet me at the finish line. Amanda had left him 15 minutes earlier.

Well, I made the bridge before the mandatory 1:00 pm deadline and I found Amanda as we approached the Pentagon. She, too had her own trials during the day and declared, "I'm not having fun anymore and I want to get this over." I had to agree but we were too close to quit.

After 26.2 miles, we both crossed the finish line, located at the historic Iwo Jima Memorial, 6+ hours after we started. We happily received our finisher's medals, learning later that only 20,686 were given.

Throughout the day, we watched fellow runners walk off the course and quietly get on the buses when they couldn't go any further. I guess my will was stronger than my calf muscle.

The "charlie horse" pain was actually a torn calf muscle and I am currently wearing a lovely ortho boot prescribed by Idaho Stampede's very own physician, Dr. Rob Walker. He tells me I will only have to wear this fashion piece for one or two weeks plus spend four more weeks taking it easy. After that, I will be spending quality time with my physical therapist as we prepare for the Rock & Roll Arizona Half-Marathon in January.

It's been said that, "leadership is about inspiring, empowering, and encouraging others to move courageously into their future, while acting boldly in their present." My business partner and friend, Phil Eastman has exemplified these characteristics through this year when he challenged me to take part in the Marine Corps Marathon and continued to encourage me each month along the way. He and others, believed in me long before I believed in myself. To be honest, I still can't believe I completed the race.

The Marine Corps Marathon is all but a memory now. I felt lost and without direction the first week back in the office. I laughed a little, cried a lot, and met with a triathlete friend of mine to reflect on the deeper side of my experience. Whether it is corporate change, team transitions, the completion of a major project, or the finish of a year long goal to run a marathon; the question of "what's next" always emerges. We savor the victory, cry over the losses, count our gains, mend our wounds, and we feel the lost impetus of a goal finally attained.

For me, running is so much more than putting one foot in front of the other. It's about getting fit, staying healthy, and facing irrational fears. It's about staying present, meeting people, and overcoming obstacles. It's about crossing the finish line, injury free, and with a smile. More importantly and maybe the hardest of all, it's about learning how to accept affirming comments and gracious compliments from people who know me better than I know myself.

Even though I am very proud of my achievement, I don't think it would have been possible without the unrelenting support system I had all around me. I couldn't be more thankful for my family, friends, coaches, and others that helped me believe I could cross the finish line long before I ever stepped foot on the race course.

A special thanks to: Tom, Sean, Sasha, Kendra, Nataya, Traece, Chechu, Amanda, Phil E, Kim W, David A, Steve B, Mike C, Peter M, Sheri C, Teresa C, Suz-Ette L, James S, Garry B, Brian F, Sherrill G, Annie V, Brooks Sports, Leadership Advisors Group, and many, many others that took the time to cheer me on!

This story is dedicated to Ryan Shay, champion marathoner. Ryan passed away Saturday, November 3, 2007, during the Olympic Trials in New York. Even though I didn't know Ryan, he was a personal friend and family member of my niece/running partner Amanda. When speaking of Ryan's wife, Alicia, Amanda fondly says, "my Alicia." Both Ryan and Alicia taught "my Amanda" how to listen to her body and the importance of proper sports nutrition.

Lorene Rasmussen is the Partner for Business Operations which guides and supports the daily and strategic operations of Leadership Advisors Group. She combines a unique sense of fun and organization to insure operations "run/walk" smoothly and that clients receive the highest quality service possible.

Lorene earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in marketing from Boise State University and is a certified Life Coach through Genesis Enterprises in Seattle, Washington. Lorene earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in marketing from Boise State University and is a certified Life Coach through Genesis Enterprises in Seattle, Washington.
Leadership Advisors Group will help you and your organization succeed by:
  • Developing effective leaders.
  • Creating strategic plans that drive organizational progress and team unity.
  • Delivering change management to achieve strategic results.

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We have learned that developing leadership competencies and training for a marathon have a lot in common. To understand how far you have progressed, you need to have some quantifiable measure. For Lorene, it was knowing the distance she covered and how fast she traveled.

 Amanda/Lorene
Phil Eastman & Lorene Rasmussen
Leadership Advisors Group

phone: (208) 344-0471
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