The Leadership Advisor
"Helping leaders develop leaders."
January 2010
Volume 5, Issue 1 | |
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| Welcome to 2010! |
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 It's a brand new year, a brand new decade, and another chance to begin again.
Over the last couple of years, we have shared The Character of Leadership model that Phil Eastman so eloquently wrote about in his newly released book, The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age. In 2008, you had the opportunity to take a sneak peek into each chapter as Phil outlined the elements, month after month. In 2009, you heard updates of the book going to print and then finally being published in the fall. You might even remember Phil saying he would like to get the model into the hands of 100,000 people before sundown on December 31, 2010.
We have started the New Year out with a BANG! Already this month, we've had record book sales along with Phil presenting the character model to several different groups. He has been invited to share The Character of Leadership with an audience of Change Management Leaders in April, and continues to receive invitations throughout the Pacific Northwest. To say this is exciting would be an understatement!
With so many people interested in the model, we decided to highlight stories about leaders who are "Living the Character Model." It is one thing to understand the model; it's quite another to integrate it into our daily lives. Yet, if "leadership is an inside-out proposition," then sharing these stories will become a great way to see it come to life.
Whether we discover them in history, from the news, in our own lives, or even better yet, a story that one of you, our readers, have shared, we trust you will stay engaged and encouraged throughout 2010 as we begin "Living the Character of Leadership Model."
"The real opportunity for success lies within the character of the person; not in their position." |
| "We Will Rebuild!" |
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By Lorene Rasmussen
 It should have been an ordinary Saturday morning when the employee arrived early for work. But once inside the beautifully decorated restaurant, he was greeted with smoke. Not the kind of smoke that fills your senses with the aroma from a wood-fired grill but, the kind that causes panic. There was only one thing he could do-dial 911, which he did, summoning emergency crews to his location.
In moments, firefighters were on the scene, battling the blaze and smoke from the inside. As they worked, they noticed flames shooting from the attic and quickly moving throughout the facility. They immediately evacuated the premises just in time for the unstable roof to collapse, leaving only the building's shell standing. From that point forward, they fought the three-alarm fire from ladder trucks, given that it was too dangerous to go back inside.
With additional resources called in, fire crews and support staff worked for over three hours, pumping thousands of gallons of water onto the ruins, while employees watched their jobs go up in smoke. Of course, they were not alone; the owner was also observing his creation being reduced to glowing embers and a pile of rubble.
For me, part of the irony of this event was the date it occurred: January 2, 2010. The second day of a brand new year, a whole new decade, and the last weekend of the holiday season: The Season of Hope. Hope? Where was hope in all of this debris? How can 120 employees find hope when their place of employment is a disaster, along with their future earning power? If this isn't enough to be concerned about, the nation's ongoing recession continues to wreak havoc on the economy, causing unemployment numbers to reach all-time heights. And what about the owner, what thoughts went through his mind?
Hope? What is hope? Hope is one of the most powerful drivers of the human spirit and the essential ingredient for human existence. Hope is a fixed expectation of a future that is brighter than the current circumstances. Hope is a unique blend of pragmatism and vision.
Napoleon said, "A leader is a dealer in hope." From our work, we know leaders must be able to cultivate Hope in themselves long before they are able to cultivate it in others. To build and foster Hope within an organization, a leader must articulate a clear, shared vision for the future. This is done by making sure the vision is realistic enough, while stretching the people to achieve something far greater together than they ever could separately.
Pragmatism. "We're all upset right now alright," said the owner, as he stood before his employees later that day. "Nobody in this room is going to lose their apartment, their condo, their home. . .We'll all get through this. There are means and there are ways, and one way to make that happen is the company's $3,000 slush fund. . .She will disburse that to all of you who need it right now, and just like Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life," there's money there, take what you need. Please take only what you need. . .Think that there's 100 people behind you who are going to need help. I don't want anybody, anybody worrying okay?"
Vision. As the meeting continued, the owner shared his plans to rebuild with the tearful group. "We'll get through this, and it will be a great, great thing, again. . .All my friends who own restaurants here have offered their support as well, and one thing I have asked them is please give me jobs."
Unknown to the devastated employees, the owner had already hired an architect, a general contractor, and an interior designer. Plans were already underway for some of the employees to be hired to help in the rebuilding process.
Reality. All is lost! Only the shell remains where once a warm, delightful dining experience hummed throughout the evenings. The investigators say the fire appeared accidental, and they ruled out foul play, even though they may never know what sparked the blaze. Today there is fence barricading the damaged facility, and the street sign holds an optimistic "Back Soon" insert which beams with hope of tomorrow.
In spite of the community's economic position, a trust has been set up to help offset the salaries of the employees, as well as two benefits being planned.
The Model. In his book, The Character of Leadership: An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age, Eastman writes, "A hopeful leader recognizes that cultivating Hope is a long-term proposition that may not deliver short-term results. A leader must deal with that tension on a daily basis...but they do not have to develop it by themselves. Developing vision is a team event."
The owner's plan to reopen in the fall of 2010 demonstrates his vision for the future that is much brighter than the current circumstances they are facing. The request he made to fellow restaurant owners exhibits his compassion for what his employees are facing; and his articulated appeal for everyone to unite and make this unfortunate circumstance turn into something even greater than it was before, had the artistic verve of the Phoenix rising once again from the ashes.
Not Typical. Barbacoa was not your typical restaurant. Besides having fantastic yet unpretentious cuisine, the walls were covered in art and antiques. When you passed through the dark heavy doors, your senses were drenched from the aroma of the wood fired grill, the sounds of European music, the view of museum-quality hangings, and a smiling face welcoming you there for an enchanting evening. More often than not, you would see the owner, Robert Castoro, walking through his elegant domain, greeting guests and working alongside his people. The truth is, the overall dining experience was reason enough to keep me returning to Barbacoa, but the tableside guacamole will be the one thing I miss until they reopen again this fall.
"Hope: the best comfort of our imperfect condition."~ E. Gibbon | |
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| Fostering Hope |
 By Phil Eastman
"No matter what business you are in, you are in the people business." This may be a trite phrase but nonetheless true of every organization. This month's Harvard Business Review has an article that brings this reality to light. Writer Roger Martin discusses the need for organizations to move away from the focus on shareholder wealth as the primary motive for organizational existence, and move toward a customer centric view of the organization's purpose. He argues that this fundamental shift is necessary to keep organizations growing and to provide the long-term success that shareholders want. The movement of organizations from financially oriented purposes to customer-driven capitalism provides a great platform for leaders interested in fostering hope in their organization.
The key to every organization's success is the ability of the leader to move a group of people, through non-coercive means, to an end that is in the best interest of everyone. If you agree with that proposition, then, as a leader, you can no longer focus only on the financial aspects of the organization without equal regard to the human aspects of the organization, namely your customers and your team members. This means that a major portion of your leadership responsibility will be to foster hope.
From a leadership perspective, hope is not the dream or the wish of a better future. It is the fixed expectation that the future will be better than the present. In Lorene's story, she profiles a recent disaster at Barbacoa where the restaurant burned leaving an owner with a huge challenge and people unemployed. In the moments after the fire, the owner fostered hope by being pragmatic about the current situation and then sharing a concrete vision of the brighter future. Both of these actions were built on a platform of genuine concern for his people.
As a leader, you may not find yourself dealing with the aftermath of a fire, but all leaders will be called on to foster hope for their teams.
- Believe that people are the most important ingredient in an organization's success. This means valuing people above money, market share, policy, process, and procedure. Even though you believe in the value of people, a leader cannot be soft on making sure the right people are aligned in the right roles, and that they can perform in those roles.
- Accurately articulate the current situation (whether good or bad). This means being honest about the reality of the organization and clear-eyed about its strengths and challenges.
- From that foundation, share a concrete picture of what the organization will look like in the future. In the case of Barbacoa, this was easy because the restaurant had existed already, so the owner could talk about the rebuilt restaurant with a picture of what once been.
Hope is essential for human survival, and it is a key ingredient in organizational success. As a matter of leadership, hope is the driving force that motivates people beyond their current environment into the future. |
| What have you been missing? |
 Now you have the ability to easily access past articles from The Leadership Advisor. Just click on the icon to the left and see what you've been missing. |
| In Partnership with Boise Library! |
 You are cordially invited to a FREE Workshop!
Join author, teacher, and advisor Phil Eastman for a two-hour interactive workshop exploring the foundation of leadership and character. The workshop is based on the premise that a genuine understanding of the nature of character can help us make meaningful and lasting changes in the ways we lead.
Tuesday, February 2, 4:00p-6:00p ~ Main Library, 715 S. Capitol
Thursday, February 4, 6:00p-8:00p ~ Cole & Ustick, 7557 W. Ustick
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| Are You a Winner? |
 Celebrate The Character of Leadership with Twitter! For more details, click on the art.
You have until February 20, 2010! | |
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Leadership Advisors Group helps clients achieve success through:
- Competency based and character driven leadership development.
- Comprehensive, flexible, and focused strategic plans.
- Results oriented change management.
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Phil Eastman & Lorene Rasmussen
Leadership Advisors Group
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