In a recent article for Blanchard’s online newsletter, Ignite! the authors warn that if leaders are not continually growing and developing their skills, they run the risk of becoming stagnant. Once you are stagnant—or even perceived as stagnant—your influence erodes.

Growth should never be an optional activity

Still, many leaders do not grow. And it can happen at any stage in a leader’s career. It can be triggered by work-life balance issues, a reactive mindset, or it can be for organizational reasons, such as limited growth opportunities.

But the reality is that all of these challenges can be overcome. As Blanchard and Miller explain, “It is the decision to grow that makes the difference. The best leaders make a conscious decision to grow throughout their career and their life. This single decision is a game changer for leaders.”

8 questions to ask yourself

Wondering if you are growing—or dying—as a leader?  Here are some key questions to ask yourself based on Blanchard and Miller’s recommended first steps for leaders looking to grow (self-evaluation, honest feedback, and counsel from others.)  To what extent would you agree or disagree with each statement?

Self Evaluation:

• I know my own strengths and weaknesses.
• I constantly look for opportunities to grow at work.
• I consistently tell myself the truth regarding my leadership.

Honest Feedback:

• I actively seek feedback from those I know to be truth-tellers.
• I have mastered the art and discipline of asking profound questions.

Counsel from Others:

• I have a mentor(s) who helps me grow.
• I frequently share what I’m learning with others.
• I have a group of people I trust to give me counsel on important issues.

How did you do?  Did your answers surprise you?  It may have been a while since you even considered the subject of growth—especially if you’ve been focused on the short-term or if you’ve become comfortable, complacent, or resigned in your current role. All of these are potentially destructive attitudes.

“Great leaders go out of their way to expand their worlds both inside and outside of work,” explain Blanchard and Miller. “A willingness to grow allows leaders to take advantage of opportunities when they come their way.

“You cannot always control the circumstances of your career or work environment. However, you can control your readiness to lead and grow. Leaders who don’t are susceptible to pride, ego, and other destructive attitudes that can impede growth. As a result, they can become isolated and have a distorted sense of what’s going on.”

As Blanchard and Miller warn, “Be ready to face the next challenge, or you can end up as a leader who tries to apply yesterday’s solutions to today’s problems. That’s a recipe for failure.”

To read more of Blanchard and Miller’s thinking on the importance of growth, check out If You Want to Lead, You Have to Grow.  Also, take a look at the free webinar the authors will be conducting on February 23, Great Leaders Grow: The Four Keys to Becoming a Leader for Life, courtesy of Cisco WebEx and The Ken Blanchard Companies.

Funny thing about the story, even though it is geared for people new to leadership and full of wisdom on how to get off to a fast start, the book may have a bigger impact on people already in leadership roles suffering from burnout.

I’m not sure if this is what Blanchard and Miller intended, but that was certainly my experience as I watched Blake encounter older executives in the company.  As Blake learned the lessons in the book: Gain knowledge, Reach out to others, Open your world, and Walk toward wisdom, I couldn’t help but be struck by how many of these leadership nutrients were missing in my own career.

Instead I felt more like the executive in the book who had fourteen years of experience–but very little learning and growth–because he had just repeated his first year of service fourteen times.  That’s a deathly mistake, explain Blanchard and Miller because, “If you get too busy with your job to grow, your influence and your leadership will stagnate and eventually evaporate.”

Are you too busy to grow?

If you’ve been working hard the past few years just trying to keep your head above water during these tough economic times, the answer is probably yes.  How has it impacted your influence as a leader?  You’ve probably done well in the short term, but not so good in the long term.  Don’t wait another day.  Start growing again.  Here are three ways to get started:

- Lift your nose from the grindstone and take a look around.  How long has it been since you pursued a growth opportunity?

- Identify some resources.  Here are two possibilities.  Read the first chapter of Great Leaders Grow online.  Sign up for the free webinar that Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller are conducting on February 23.

- Talk to others about their experience. Open up a conversation with peers.  How are they addressing growth issues?  If you use Twitter, let me know.  (Use the hashtag #GreatLeadersGrow and you’ll automatically be entered into a drawing for one of 12 first editions I have on my desk.  I’ll announce the winners here on Thursday.)

Don’t let your busyness get in the way of your growth.  If you’re not growing, you’re dying.  The best leaders combine a focus on both the long-term and the short-term.  Start growing today!

Great Leaders Grow Drawing Winners

Congratulations to @StuMcMullin, @auricresults, @pubgal, @thebrandcoach, @ogmarti, @christinewhyte, @chisobem, @nathancherry, @pivasys, @anitawongso, @jrbryson19, @staceyhartmann.  They are the winners of a free copy of Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller’s new book Great Leaders Grow.  Winners, to receive your book, please send me an email at david.witt@kenblanchard.com so I can find out where to ship your book!

One of the first things to think about then, as we look at creating a culture of service, is how well do we ask for and listen to feedback from teammates on how we are serving them.  Let me give you a great example I heard just this past week to illustrate this point.

I have a very good friend who is a professional golfer on the PGA Tour. My husband and I had dinner with him last week and he shared with us how he meets with his team at the beginning of each year to set goals for the season.  I was surprised to hear that in addition to his caddy, he has a personal trainer, a swing coach to help him with his golf swing, a short game coach to help him with his short game, and his agent.  While in their meeting, my friend gave his swing coach some feedback about how he would like to see him out on the golf course more to be able to better analyze his swing and offer suggestions.  The swing coach did not like the feedback his team member (as well as his boss!) gave him, and became very defensive about the feedback and was clearly not open to hearing it.  The end result was that my friend hired a new swing coach who was committed to delivering on the service my friend was looking for.

Good service begins at home

Just because we work for the same company doesn’t mean we should treat our fellow employees as second class citizens. On the contrary, we need to listen to them and thank them for their feedback the same way we would to an external customer.  My friend’s swing coach didn’t understand the idea of “serving the golfer” to help him get better and it cost him his job.

Ideally, this internal customer focus will start at the top of the organization with senior leaders recognizing the importance of consistently providing both the positive and constructive feedback to employees about what is expected of them, praising them for what they do well, and giving them ideas where they can improve.  Next, individual department leaders should continue the process by encouraging team members to ask for feedback from each other, as well as from other departments on how well they are serving them.

Learn from the positive and the negative

One important note about negative feedback.  When someone complains about your service, or shares some unpleasant feedback with you, remember they must care enough about you to share it and want you to improve, so thank them for the feedback!  If my friend’s swing coach had done that, he probably would still have his job!!!

About the author:

Kathy Cuff is one of the principal authors—together  with Vicki Halsey–of The Ken Blanchard Companies’ Legendary Service training program.  Their customer service focused posts appear on the first and third Thursday of each month.

Last week over 5,000 people joined The Ken Blanchard Companies for a Quit and Stayed Leadership Livecast looking at strategies for reducing the number of people who have mentally and emotionally “checked out” from their organization.  What can you do to improve engagement levels in your organization?  Plenty—depending on your role in the organization.  Here are some recommendations if you are a senior leader, frontline manager, or an individual contributor.

Senior leaders.

From senior leaders, the biggest need is two-fold.  1. Recognize the issue exists. 2.  Put a plan in place to reconnect people to the organization’s mission, vision, and values.  Legendary CEO of Herman Miller, Max De Pree, once likened leadership to being a 3^rd-grade teacher.  You have to say it again and again, until people get it right, right, right.  As focused as organization have become on grinding it out in recent years, it’s easy to fall into a mentality of “same as last year—but 10% more.”  That might be the reality, but it’s not going to inspire anyone.  People come to work for a variety of reasons beyond taking home a paycheck.   (For example, opportunities to learn and exercise new skills, work together with others toward a common goal, and to be a part of something bigger than themselves.)  Examine your organization.  Has it become one-dimensional?  If you meet only a part of people’s needs, you will receive only a portion of their effort in return.  If you want people to be fully engaged at work, you have to meet all of their reasons for being there.

Frontline managers.

Take the time to notice what is going on in your specific area of the organization.  You have tremendous impact on an employee’s perceptions of their work environment by the ways that you operationalize company policies and strategies.  How are you encouraging or discouraging people to act?  What message are you sending?  Also, where are you at personally with getting your needs met at work?  Your experience translates into your people’s experience.  Are you portraying work as dull drudgery that has to be accomplished?  Are you telling people a story of doing more with less—with little hope for any change in the near future?  If that’s your attitude, what’s the experience your people are having?  Change your internal environment and change the environment for the people who report to you.  See a brighter future for yourself and others.

Individual contributors.

Don’t stand back and wait for someone else to motivate you.  Yes, senior leadership, company policies, and your immediate manager all play a role in creating your work environment, but ultimately it is your choice whether you are going to be motivated or not.  In any organization, working under the same exact conditions, a certain percentage of people are thriving, while others are merely surviving.  It’s easy to see yourself as a victim of your circumstances—but you have more choice than that.  Even during difficult times, some people thrive and shine.  Be one of those people.  To the best of your abilities, create the environment you need to succeed.  Look for ways to contribute.  Standing back with your arms crossed and a chip on your shoulder is not going to create new opportunities for you.  Be the person you want others to see you as.

Don’t miss your future

The economy is picking up.  Things are starting to improve.  Don’t let a tired attitude keep you–or your company–from taking advantage of new opportunities.  Review where you are at;  Can you see a bigger vision?  Do you see where you fit in?  Do you know what your next step is?  How can you help yourself and others get there?  Depending on where you sit in the organization, take action today!

The Quit and Stayed phenomenon was studied from several angles. Leadership gurus, managers, employees, and team members examined the role an organization’s culture plays in fostering or inhibiting engagement, the value of leaders cultivating personal relationships with employees, different leadership styles to approach the situation, and the value of ongoing learning and career growth.

Here’s just a few of the thoughts that stood out to me:

• Leaders must think about growth like a deep-sea diver thinks about oxygen. Without it you die. (Mark Miller on the importance of career growth.)
• It’s leadership. It’s caring. And if you care about your people, your people are going to care about your organization. (Margie Blanchard’s reminder about the value of personal relationships.)
• When people quit and stay, it’s like a disease that drags everyone down. Be a mopey jerk on your own time. This time is for us. (Jack, a 7th grade student describing disengaged teammates on his football team.)
• My son told me, “Dad, you can’t fire me. You have to develop me.” We should look at treating our employees more like that. (Lee Cockerell on looking at disengaged employees through a different lens.)
• Too often people don’t get rewarded for succeeding in companies. They get rewarded for not failing. (Dick Ruhe describing organizational practices that encourage disengagement.)
• Respect, courtesy, compassion, and clear communication go a long way to firing people up, rather than them firing themselves. (Eileen McDargh’s reminder that kindness goes a long way.)
• My manager wore myself and my colleagues as accessories. The values at that organization offended me regularly. (Wendy Wong sharing her personal story of quitting and staying.)
• Engagement is not something to get out of employees. It is something to instill in them. When you’re disengaged at work, you’re disengaged in life. (David Zinger pointing out that disengagement goes beyond the workplace.)
• Bottom line: Life is too short to be “un” — uninspired, underwhelmed, unproductive, unimportant, unnecessary. (Jay Campbell reminding us of bigger life priorities.)
• Leaders need to start thinking about what we want FOR our people instead of what we want FROM them. (David Facer encouraging leaders to change their thinking about the true purpose and value of engagement.)
• The number one factor predicting a person’s level of engagement at work is the strength of their relationships. Your engagement is your responsibility. (Keith Ferrazzi on the importance of a strong network of relationships.)

All of the strategies shared held one thing in common — the critical importance of trust in relationships. Whether it’s the relationship between a leader and direct report, employees with each other, or individuals with the organization, a healthy level of trust must exist for any progress to be made in moving employees from “quit and stay” to “stay and thrive.”

Did you attend the Quit and Stayed Leadership Livecast? If so, what were the pearls of wisdom you discovered? If you happened to miss it, you can purchase access to the recording and/or program notes here.

This is one in a series of LeaderChat articles on the topic of trust by Randy Conley, Trust Practice Leader at The Ken Blanchard Companies. For more insights on trust, visit the Leading with Trust blog or follow Randy on Twitter @RandyConley.

While some of the factors that contribute to disengagement need to be addressed at an organizational level, there is one action that managers at all levels can take that will help the situation.  Talking about it.  Staying quiet on the subject and hoping that it gets better on its own never works out.  In fact, usually, things will get worse.

As the late great business author Peter Drucker pointed out, “Only three things happen naturally in organizations: friction, confusion, and underperformance. Everything else requires leadership.”

First Steps

Having a conversation with someone who has fallen into a state of disengagement can be a challenge.  There is usually some history that has to be dealt with, as well as some shared responsibility for the situation.  As a leader though, you have to address the situation squarely. That means setting up some time to have a conversation.

It will also be important to put some structure around that conversation.  One great framework that you can use are the 12 employee work passion factors identified by Blanchard as the factors which most impact employee intentions to perform at high levels, actively endorse the organization, and be a good corporate citizen.   Some thinking on your part, and some gentle inquiry around these areas in your first conversation, will help to provide that structure.

It’s also important to keep things positive and assume the best intentions.  Even though things may be in a difficult spot currently, it’s important to remember that very few people want to go into work to see what they can screw up.  That’s almost always a long term reaction to the environment.

Don’t wait and hope for things to get better.  Take some action today.  Most people, if given the chance, want to be magnificent.  What can you do to help bring out that magnificence in your people?  You’ll never know unless you ask.

PS: Interested in learning more?  Don’t miss this special online event!

On January 25, over 40 thought leaders from a wide variety of organizations will be getting together to share their ideas on how to address the quit and stayed phenomenon in a unique Leadership Livecast.  This is a free online event being hosted by The Ken Blanchard Companies and over 5,000 people have already registered to hear how to address the problem from an individual, team, or organization-wide point of view.

To learn more—or to participate in this complimentary online event, check out the information on the Quit and Stayed Leadership Livecast here.

Wow—now is your chance to be the one who CAREs about service!  Here are three places to start being the one who leads the charge so everyone in the organization has a customer service mindset:

1. Declare “legendary customer service” as an imperative. Put it out there. Say, “We want to be #1 in our space for delivering Legendary Customer Service.” Show any metrics you currently have and set new targets /metrics for success by showing what a good job would look like.  Explain the business imperative for service and have a kick-off meeting where senior leaders model the service they want others to emulate—greeting people at the door, shaking hands, valuing them for all they do, etc.  In this meeting, actively involve people in activities, get them fired up about the initiative, and have them challenge each other to rally to serve customers and contribute to the vitality of the organization.
2. Establish a service champion team who will go out and walk in the customer’s shoes.  Do some action learning.   Map the flow of customers and research positives and negatives by asking customers, employees, suppliers, and anyone who is in the service chain for their thoughts on what is working and what could be improved. Put them on the agenda at all company meetings to share their findings and use time to brainstorm options, set goals, create first steps, and assign roles.
3. Immediately showcase individual employee customer success stories and create images for everyone of the optimal service you are looking for. Remember that the brain stores in images and not words, so to create momentum, be sure to highlight ideal service successes and let people see their outstanding peers in action.  Show examples of customers singing praises to demonstrate the impact of great service. Share any improvements such as fewer complaints, improved referrals, or more repeat business.

As a leader, it’s important that you demonstrate a service mindset and show others how to accomplish it.  By following these three steps, you can get your organization off to a good start on a path that will lead to better performance.

“Creating an environment where goals are clear, where success can be seen, and where learning is encouraged will help employees engage customers with a true sense of meaning.”               

– Garry Ridge, President and CEO, WD-40 Company

Here are three ways to honor the spirit of Dr. King’s message in your corner of the world.

Be inclusive. It’s never a good idea to create artificial divisions between people even though, as humans, we seem to love to do it.  People have a fundamental need, and a right, to be included in decisions that affect them.  No one likes to be left out.  Go out of your way to bring people into the process.

Listen.  Once you’ve brought people together, make sure that you take the next step and truly listen to them.  One of our favorite reminders for leaders is to occasionally stop and remember the acronym WAIT—Why Am I Talking? And one of our favorite recommendations for leaders is to “listen with the intent of being influenced.”  Use both in your interactions with people.

Act with integrity. Even though people may not always agree with the final outcome, it’s important that we always agree with, and respect, the process.  Leaders need to be especially conscientious in monitoring the ways that decisions are reached.  Resist the tendency to cut corners.  Ken Blanchard recommends that leaders hold themselves to a high standard by using a 3-step ethics check with all major decisions.  Start with the basics—is it legal and is it fair?  Then hold yourself to a higher standard by asking, “Would you be proud if your decision-making process and result was published and widely known?”

As you go back to work this week, take a minute to review the way you are interacting with people.  Are you including all stakeholders in the process?  Are you truly listening to everyone’s ideas and concerns?  Are you being fair and ethical in the way you are making decisions and allocating resources?

Today, more than ever, we need a process that includes, instead of excludes, people.  See what you can do in your areas of influence this week.  You’ll be surprised at the difference you can make.

This passive-aggressive behavior is popularly known as “quitting and staying” and it happens anytime you combine a large number of employees with limited opportunities together with unresponsive management. On the surface, everything seems to be going along okay, but underneath, tensions and emotions are anything but tranquil. It’s a difficult situation for leaders because it is hard to get a handle on. People are not overtly working against company goals and initiatives—they just aren’t working as hard toward them.

It’s a normal reaction, but that doesn’t mean it can be left unaddressed, says Scott Blanchard, consultant, author, and EVP at The Ken Blanchard Companies.  In an interview for Blanchard’s Ignite newsletter, he explains that it’s not healthy to have people working just for a paycheck. Leaders need to take direct action to identify where people are feeling disaffected and work hard to reenergize the passion and motivation that still exists.

Otherwise, the impact on the work environment can be predicted almost every time.

As an example, Blanchard points back to an experience he had working as a consultant to a client in the automotive industry.

“When I used to work in the automotive industry there was a principle that said, ‘You get the union that you deserve.’ And what that basically meant was that if you had a respectful relationship with the union and you didn’t break promises and you sat at the table together and shared what was happening in the business, relationships improved and things got better. And the same is true with your company—you get the environment that you deserve.

“If you do not make any attempts to make lemonade out of lemons and if you’re not working to bring people together and engage in good practices, you’ll get what you deserve as a result of that.

“One of the things that the late, great management consultant Peter Drucker said years ago, that is still true today, is that the only things that happen naturally in organizations are the creation of fear, frustration, inefficiency, friction, and political mayhem.

“And what Drucker went on to say is that positive things  happen in a company only when leaders identify  a purposeful, unified direction, shared operating rules that everyone holds sacred, and a tenacity to make good things happen.”

Take a proactive approach

It may seem like a large problem to tackle, explains Blanchard, especially if these issues haven’t been addressed in a long time. Still, Blanchard recommends getting started as soon as possible.

“It may feel hard to do at this point, but the best companies are the ones that are making efforts to work together,” says Blanchard. “Everyone is in the same boat. If you don’t create a positive environment where people are encouraged to work together productively, you are going to end up with a lot of people thinking only of themselves.

To address the situation, Blanchard recommends that leaders look at 12 employee work passion factors that impact employee perceptions of their work environment.  By addressing what can be done on an individual, managerial, and organizational level, leaders can positively impact the work environment going forward.

As he explains, “You have to be proactive. Taking the approach of, ‘There’s nothing we can do!’ and throwing your hands up is a strategy that will predict a marginalized workforce, guaranteed! If you are just doing nothing, it’s not going to get the results that you want.”

To read more about Blanchard’s thinking, check out the January issue of Ignite.  Also, be sure to see the information about a special Leadership Livecast coming up on January 25.  Over 40 different business thought leaders will be addressing the phenomenon of “quitting and staying” in today’s organizations.  It’s a free event and over 3,000 people are currently registered.

1. Either-Or thinking

Executives are asked to make decisions—and they get more difficult the higher up you are.  People or profits?  Centralized or decentralized?  Frontline decision-making or command and control?  Leaders will often have to choose from among opposing viewpoints and the people supporting those viewpoints will be expecting and asking you to endorse either Plan A or Plan B.

Always consider a Plan C first.  While opposing camps argue for why their plan will work while the other point of view won’t, see if you can find a solution that incorporates the best of both proposals while minimizing the downsides.

For example, should we empower our frontline people to make decisions? Yes.  Is there the possibility that they will make mistakes if we do?  Yes.  Does that mean we have to choose between all decisions being made at the frontline, or all decisions being made at headquarters?  No.  There is a better decision that allows frontline decision-making and maintains accuracy and consistency.  Find it.

2. Confusing decision-making with taking action

As a leader, it is easy to think that your job is primarily to make decisions.  Decision-making is only the first step.  The purpose of leadership is to take action and move.  If five frogs are sitting on a log and one decides to jump, how many frogs are still sitting on the log?  The answer is five until the decision to jump is actually acted upon.  Don’t confuse decision-making for taking action.  Take action!

3. Making announcements with little follow-through

If good decision-making is hard—taking action is even more difficult.  The biggest trap for leaders is focusing too much time on getting things started and too little time on following through to achieve results.  Legendary former chairman of Herman Miller, Max De Pree once likened leadership to being a third-grade teacher when he said that it oftens means repeating things over, and over, and over again until people get it right, right, right.  As a leader you need to keep the vision alive—even after the newness wears off.  You also have to provide people with the tools and resources they need to get the job done.  Remember that there is a strategic and a tactical side to leadership.  To be effective, you have to be good at both.

Resources to help you get started

There are a lot of great resources available to help leaders get started or stay focused on making decisions and taking action.  Here are three that focus specifically on each of the points above.

• To help combat either-or thinking, check out Polarity Management by Barry Johnson.  It details a step-by-step process for finding the best solution when faced with seemingly opposite choices.
• Who Killed Change?  A great book which identifies the “usual suspects” that kill good ideas in companies and keeps decisions from turning into action.
• Helping People Win at Work  Identifies a clear, 3-step process for setting goals, providing resources, and following up effectively.

Make 2012 your best year ever.  Exercise your decision-making power.  Strive for the best solutions, take action, and follow-up.  You’ll be surprised at what you can achieve when you do!