Leading in Paradox

Co-author: Tom Gibbons 

As we navigate all of the changes over the last year, one critical leadership competency surfaces more than ever before – managing paradoxes. It's not that 2020 created these paradoxes, it made them more pronounced and visible. The surfacing of paradoxes prompts us to examine their impact on leaders and organizations.

A paradox can be defined as: a situation, person, or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities. A paradox creates tensions, dilemmas, and polarities of conflicting priorities, competing values, and opposing demands.

It may sound counterproductive for leaders to exhibit contradictory or opposite behaviors. Yet, the ability to balance paradoxes is critical for leaders as organizational leadership is filled with them. Balancing paradoxes starts by eliminating the ‘either or’ thinking and beginning to see the two polarities as connected rather than in conflict. Let’s consider some of the paradoxes leaders face in organizations today.

Strategy

Prior to 2020, it is unlikely any strategic plan focused on the events that defined the last year. But then again, no strategic plans had the events of 2008 or 9/11 in them. In 2020, strategy, defined as the long-term focus and goals of an organization, became nearly irrelevant as companies grappled with the daily realities of business continuity. Strategy took a backseat to day-to-day responsiveness. The paradox here is strategic action vs responsive action. Executive leadership is often defined by strategy and long-term projections, yet when leaders are open to a more emergent and responsive flow of business, they see many new opportunities for success than what a focused, defined future allows. Perhaps even a greater future than a strategy could ever imagine. As a leader, consider your day-to-day opportunities and new possibilities just as significantly as your strategic plan for the future.

Accountability

Leaders are taught to be accountable and drive accountability throughout their organizations. Typically, accountability is achieved by leaders in two ways, through organizational systems, process and procedures and by being in close physical proximity to people. Accountability by power. The events of 2020 showed us that proximity was the key perceived variable; its what leaders had previously relied on to make the system work. As virtual work became a reality, many leaders reacted as if accountability was completely lost and productivity was going to see huge declines. Yet neither happened to any significant extent. People were accountable because they were still committed to the business, their jobs, and their teams. Employees still took accountability for what they were employed to do. Accountability in virtual work is driven by two different things, trust and results. The paradox is accountability by power vs accountability by relationship. How can you leverage organizational systems, process, and policies as well as proximity when necessary, with trust and performance results to achieve accountability and the highest levels of effectiveness?

Life Harmony

One of the oldest professional and leadership challenges is the balance of work life and personal life. Recent events and the exponential rise of virtual work have put new parameters on this challenge. In virtual and remote work, the boundary between work and personal become even more blurred. Leaders drive to increase revenue, efficiently produce products and services, and raise employee satisfaction which is time consuming and requires full dedication of mental and physical energy. At the same time, family obligations, personal commitments and goals, and unique endeavors also ask for investment and commitment. The paradox is work life vs personal life. Instead of deepening the tension and fighting the gray space between the two, grow into the harmony between them. Some days and weeks will pull more to one side and other situations will pull to the opposite. Embrace the inequality and ask yourself if you are satisfied with this time allocation at this period in life. When do things need to shift in the other direction? What needs to change for you to have harmony between the two?

The Business

Leaders are evaluated, promoted, and fired by growing the business. Leaders need to increase profit and decrease expenses, which are often people related. This drive for results can come at the cost of the people doing the work. As a leader, you know how challenging it can be to take care of the business and the people when the two are in direct conflict. The paradox is the business vs the people. By stepping into the paradox instead of choosing one over the other, we can begin to balance both sides. The more successful the business is, the more employees can benefit. The more you support and equip the people, the more they will grow the business. Look for opportunities to connect the two by considering and leveraging both sides. Can you create people programs with direct links and returns to the business? As you grow the business, what additional opportunities does that create for people to cross-train, learn other aspects of the company, or grow new skills? At times, is it possible to take less financial growth to invest in people and future capabilities?

Culture

Leaders strive to create an organizational culture that will engage employees and grow the business. A collection of shared norms, behaviors, values, symbols, and vision for the organization. As leaders cultivate this culture, they will experience diversity of thought, action, and employee characteristics. The paradox is culture alignment vs diversity. It’s a powerful paradox. Yes, leaders can look to align employees around the values of an organization like customer service, innovation, and efficiency while at the same time honoring and intentionally growing diversity in backgrounds, skill sets, and perspectives. While common direction and core principles can bring organizations together, culture fit can no longer be code for homogenous. How can you purposefully seek diversity to elevate culture and intentionally model equity and inclusivity?

Leading Others

Leaders give direction, set a vision, empower their teams, clear obstacles, and provide resources. Some leaders are very comfortable stepping out in front and guiding their teams. Other leaders prefer leading from behind by serving others and helping them grow and succeed. The paradox is leading others vs serving others. Great leaders know both are critical. Both leadership approaches are needed at different times to move teams and organizations forward. As a leader, balance when you need to lead and provide clear direction and when it is more beneficial to serve others and assist them in taking the lead and stepping up.

The challenge of paradox is the pull to pick one side or the other. Leadership is about resisting that pull and finding value in both sides. Define and evaluate the paradoxes you face as a leader. That could include the paradoxes discussed above or other leadership paradoxes such as growing existing products and services vs creating new products and services and diversifying, internal focus on the business vs external focus on stakeholders, self-awareness through reflection vs self-awareness through interaction, direction vs delegation, assertiveness vs humility, speaking vs listening, or success through financial accomplishment vs success through contribution. By engaging both sides, you can tap into the best of both worlds, increase your effectiveness as a leader, and grow your teams and organizations.

** This article is the fourth in a series of twelve addressing common leadership questions. These questions and challenges touch leaders at all levels and transcend industries. The article series provides valuable information and action steps for leaders to take their skills and teams to the next level. Click here to read the full series.

Author’s Note: Special thanks to Tom Gibbons for fearlessly discussing difficult topics and growing leaders through dialogue and exploration. 

Finding and Using Your Voice

Co-author and stories by: Leah Zimmerman.

As people, we have a deep need to contribute. We want to make an impact at home, at work and throughout our lives. To make an impact, it is critical for us to use our voices and be heard. Using our voice is not simply speaking up or sharing our ideas in writing, it’s adding ourselves to the conversation and dynamic. Let’s explore how to find and use our voice, as well as strive to be heard when we share our voice. We have included a few personal examples throughout the article to highlight these ideas.

One day in 5th grade, I noticed the teacher being unusually unkind to my best friend. The teacher was normally kind to all the children in class and my friend was one of the top students. So, something definitely felt wrong. The teacher called her, “Blondie!” and yelled at her. I stayed quiet and did not do anything to intervene, and for that I have carried immense guilt.

The teacher eventually shared that she had pre-arranged the exercise with my friend and her family. She had designed the exercise to launch our study of the Holocaust.

Just a couple of years ago, I saw my teacher for the first time in almost 30 years. She reminded me that I HAD spoken up! Then why did I remember feeling so powerless in that situation? From my conversation with her, I realized that it’s one thing to speak and another to feel your empowered voice. Just because I spoke, didn’t mean I felt heard.

We have all experienced situations when we didn’t have a voice, influence, or the ability to impact. This could range from not speaking up in a meeting, not sharing your experience on a team project, taking a backseat in a conversation, losing opportunities by stepping into the background, not sharing your best self with those around you, or keeping your greatest ideas silent. What is the consequence of not using your voice? What do you lose? What do others lose?

If you don’t use your voice, it is everyone’s loss. The biggest impact is to you. It lowers your engagement and connection to the task and the team. If you don’t fully contribute, it limits your creativity and empowerment. You may even feel despondent, repressed, or empty if you hold back too much. The impact doesn’t stop with you. Without your voice and input, the team and organization miss out too. They don’t have the opportunity to hear your great ideas and build upon them. They lose the unique perspective that only you can offer and therefore the results of the team are lowered. With this much at stake, why is it hard to find your voice? Why are you censoring yourself, holding back, or not truly being heard?

There are many reasons why it can be difficult to use your voice. The explanations behind why this occurs are unique to each of us. Some reasons are rooted in our background, history, and individual experiences. Think about each of these possible explanations and determine if any are underlying causes for you.

• Lack of role models – not regularly seeing others clearly demonstrate the ability and result of using their voice.

• Early experiences – power dynamics at an early age that reinforced adults having power and voice and children seen but not heard.

• School architecture – traditional school structure highlights conformity and detours self-advocating.

• Concern for being labeled – personally, or experienced others, being labeled as “angry”, “opinionated”, “too strong-minded”, or “aggressive” if you spoke up or strongly promoted your ideas.

• Fear of the response – fear that others may not appreciate your ideas or react unfavorably to your comments.

• Rewarded for not using your voice – those around you reinforce and value quiet agreement and minimal diverse perspectives.

Your rationale for not using your voice could be any one of these, a combination of several, or another root cause. What is stopping you? To use your voice and be heard, the first step is to dig into the reasons holding you back and clearly identify what stops you from contributing.

My family respected musicianship and valued how well I could sing in tune. My grandmother was often persnickety about how I sounded. She and others corrected me so often that I unconsciously developed ways of controlling my voice while I sang. Part of me thought it would protect me from hitting the wrong notes. But the tension, control, and lack of confidence actually took me off pitch. I had no idea I was doing it or how to release that tension and control. My fear of criticism for singing off tune created the exact problem I was trying to avoid.

This showed up in regular speaking as well, I was interrupted easily, argued with, and put down in conversation. Although I spoke up when I had something to say, I didn’t feel I could be heard. I developed strategies for speaking that were noncommittal so I couldn’t be challenged or judged. I mumbled and dropped the end of sentences. I talked in running and non-stop paragraphs, all as defense against being interrupted or disagreed with.

Once you have identified the impact of not using your voice and what is holding you back from using your voice, then you can activate some tools and tips to help you use your voice more often. Using your voice takes practice, stepping out of your comfort zone and building new muscles. A first step is often letting go of the old and getting out of your own way. Let go of past bad experiences or negative self-talk. This could include letting go of an old image of yourself as someone who doesn’t fully engage. Then, look for new models who use their voice effectively and are fully heard by others. Also, listen to others first and understanding their perspectives and ideas; by doing so, they will be more willing to listen and hear yours. Build relationships and trust with those around you. Network and socialize your ideas prior to walking into the room. Foster relationships with key stakeholders and enlist support for your ideas, making it easier for you to share in larger groups. Start looking for opportunities to use your voice. Identify low risk openings or begin small and expand from there. Be resilient; keep stretching these new behaviors.

As a young 22-year-old teacher in an New York City first grade classroom, I struggled with classroom management. Parents who saw my potential invited me to a workshop at their acting studio. Since I aspired in theater as well, it sounded fun. I had no idea the change that awaited me.

There I was asked to speak to each of the participants in the audience with the conviction that would get them to respond to me. The facilitator created an open environment and I gave myself the permission to be big, take up space, be loud, expand my voice, and demand conviction. By the end, I was standing on boxes, tall, wide and had everyone in the audience on their chairs. I saw the positive impact I had on others. I couldn’t bring all of that back to the classroom, but it started a transformative process that continues today. I continue to grow my presence, my voice, my convictions, and my ability to impact others.

As we speak up and are heard, what does it look and feel like to use our voice? Using your voice and truly being heard can be high energy or a calm confidence. It could be finding your voice as a leader. What is your leadership style and how will your voice and sharing your ideas be a part of that? Or it could be become influential regardless of your position or title. It’s putting your ideas and perspectives on the table and sharing the unique expertise you have that no one else can contribute. It is allowing yourself to be fully engaged within the conversation rather than on the outside of the conversation. What does wholly using your voice look and feel like to you?

Using my voice is speaking in a way that other people can hear. Being influential, earning trust, and speaking in a positive way even if it risks disagreement or challenge.

Finally, when do you use your voice? There are endless possibilities for you to lean forward and input your words into the discussion. To have to most impact, start with topics you are passionate about or have expertise in. Use your voice when you want things to change, when you want to move the dialog to a new place, if out of the box thinking is needed, when key data is being overlooked, or even when you have a conflicting perspective. Ask yourself, how could each of these situations be different if I was heard? Start where you feel most comfortable and with people you trust, build these skills, and practice. Then push yourself to use your voice even in areas where you don’t feel as comfortable. Keep identifying ways to share your voice and put your ideas forward. The more you speak up and share your thoughts, the easier it will become.

Find moments to use your voice this week. The ripple of your voice could impact well beyond those you share it with. You could impact co-workers, teams, products, outcomes, and decisions by using your voice.

** This article is the third in a series of twelve addressing common leadership questions. These questions and challenges touch leaders at all levels and transcend industries. The article series provides valuable information and action steps for leaders to take their skills and teams to the next level. Click here to read the full series.

Author’s Note: Special thanks to Leah Zimmerman for leading sharing her voice, stories and passion for helping others grow into themselves and for her generous contribution in co-authoring this article. 

Leading Beyond Triggers with Values Intact

Co-author and story by: Sonia Chavez.

As leaders navigate the speed of business today, paired with unprecedented times and changing personnel dynamics, it is undeniable we will encounter challenges and difficult decisions. Whether faced with a professional or personal decision you do not agree with, it is certain emotions will come into play. Traditional work culture teaches us there is no place for emotions in business, yet every business is comprised of emotional beings. Emotion serves an important purpose for leaders. Emotions tell us a topic is important, has value, and impacts people. It is a navigation system telling us when we have gone off course and need to redirect. When leaders use emotion to increase focus and come to better decisions, they have a positive impact on the people around them and their organization. In situations like these, leaders also set the example that emotions are not good or bad, they are simply data for us to pay attention to. As we explore how leaders can navigate situations and decisions they do not agree with, this three-step process can be applied to understand what specifically is triggering and then respond to the situation with clarity.

As an example of the impact of emotions in decisions and challenges, we offer a true story of a professional situation where the three-step process was used.

There I was, freshly minted from my 10-month experiential leadership program, in a discussion with my executive leadership team around upcoming initiatives for the workforce. One executive questioned the approach we were taking, specifically questioning what we were asking of him and the executives in our business area. I explained that if we are the team chartered to develop our leaders, we should be modeling everything we teach.

He pushed back.

So did I.

The fact that I dared to call him on his own behavior filled him and the room with tension. He raised his voice, attempting to use power and bravado to “put me in my place.” Coming from a military background I knew this playground well and was not deterred.

I stood my ground and asked why he, or any other leader, should fall under different expectations than our workforce. At this point he’d had enough of my comments and others in the room were quickly moving to put out the flames.

I quieted at this point and I knew I’d crossed the line. I had teetered on the edge of disrespect and I knew it. This was because in all truthfulness, he was not a leader I respected.

This story exemplifies the values of integrity, credibility, and respect. How many times have you faced a similar situation where you were asked to follow a decision that you do not agree with? This does not only apply to leaders. We often face workplace challenges or difficult personal situations and decisions. Although this example is focused around an intense circumstance, the three-step process can be used in both work and personal situations when you find yourself emotionally triggered.

Gain Awareness. Emotions can be an unfamiliar space we are not used to navigating within the business world, therefore it’s important to start by simply becoming aware of how you are feeling. Are you angry, frustrated, confused, hurt, offended, or overwhelmed? What body signals are you getting? Are you hot, shaky, feeling a pit in your stomach, sweaty, or have a headache? What are these emotions and responses calling your attention to? If your shoulders are tight, what weight are you carrying in this situation? If your stomach is sick, what intuitive “gut” feeling are you ignoring?

Once you’ve explored your emotional and physical response, it’s time to explore why this situation was a trigger. Often when we are triggered by a situation in our lives, it’s because there is a personal value that is challenged, stepped on, or violated. To know this, you must first do a little work to know what your values truly are. Depending on how defined your values are, this could take some reflection and processing time. It’s helpful to remember that values are created by our background and experiences and are not necessarily a reflection of our aspirations. Values are unique to each individual, they won’t necessarily align with your boss or your business, and they don’t have to stay the same over time.

By knowing your values, you can ask yourself what is it about this situation or person that is challenging a value, or multiple values, you hold? Once you have an idea of what value is triggered, you can move on to the next step.

Create Clarity. Create space between the event and your reaction to clarify what it means to you and what action you are going to take in response. Even a few seconds can give time for refection and clarity. This intentional space gives the opportunity to answer the most important question, now what? Given the event and the emotion it sparked within you, what do you do now? How do you want to respond? Is it worth responding? How are you contributing to the situation? What do you really want from the situation?

Give yourself time to reflect on the end goal you would like to achieve within the situation or problem. With your end goal in mind, what action would be most helpful right now? How could you improve the situation, change the conversation, or move the relationship forward? Identify exactly what you are saying no to and what you are saying yes to within each response. Even inaction can be a valid and positive response. Perhaps everyone involved needs time to cool down or gather information. Action could erode the situation. On the other hand, if action, a decision, or a reply is going to progress the situation, then move towards action. Plan your response by evaluating the data, personalities, context, and options to determine the next steps. Define what you will do, how you will behave, what you will say, when you will respond, and who you will share your decisions with.

Take Action. Once you have clarity on how to respond, then follow-through on your decision. This can often be a difficult task for leaders who are inundated with countless requests, tasks and pulls on their time. The more difficult an action is to follow-through on, the more intentional and deliberate execution needs to be. If you have taken the time to gain awareness and create clarity resulting in the need for action to move a situation forward, don’t let inaction negate all your work. If a conversation, a meeting, or information gathering is needed, don’t let time pass by and change the dynamic. Find ways that work for you to follow-through and execute – block time on your calendar, send a meeting request, or write an email first draft today.

Regardless of the path you choose to take, move forward with kindness and intention. Don’t allow changing circumstances to draw you into quick reactions. As a leader, your actions will be held to a higher standard and observed by those you didn’t know were watching. Use emotion as a signal to dig in deeper, not to react or turn away. Small moments like these can expand your impact and influence, use them as opportunities for reflection.

You may be wondering what happened in the story.

I followed the process in this article and I took time to reflect on what had triggered me in that room. I talked with my supervisor who I deeply trusted, I talked with her supervisor, and I got perspective from a couple colleagues. In the end, I realized the organization was not aligned with my value system. I value and thrive in a culture seeking courageous leadership and transformation, even disruption. My eagerness to rock the boat and bring evolution did not sit well with many people within the organization. I couldn’t blame them or my environment any longer. I had to own my future and everything that came with it. I walked away from a 20+ year career to pursue an opportunity that more closely aligned with my values and I have never felt better.

** This article is the second in a series of twelve addressing common leadership questions. These questions and challenges touch leaders at all levels and transcend industries. The article series provides valuable information and action steps for leaders to take their skills and teams to the next level. Click here to read the full series.

Author’s Note: Special thanks to Sonia Chavez for leading with her values, coaching others to become rebel leaders and for her generous contribution in co-authoring this article. 

Intentional Leadership: How to Lead in Today’s Challenging Times

Co-author: Jeremy Lurey.

It may be a new year, but we’re still facing many of the same challenges. Much of our workforce is still at home balancing caring for young children and virtual learning. Those who are working in person are wrestling with the reality of keeping physically distanced from their co-workers while worrying about staying healthy. 

Exacerbating these COVID conditions, many businesses now exist within a volatile and uncertain world. Will demand for our products and services continue to exist? How will pricing change? How long will supply chain issues continue to impact us? What services will be in demand? On the people side, how do we keep employees engaged to meet these changing demands? How do we help employees evolve and succeed?
With questions like these keeping us up at night, how do we lead in these challenging times? The following six leadership actions can provide direction and focus for forward progress.

1.       Be present with your emotions – If we want our teams to deliver exceptional performance, then we need to begin by managing our own emotional reactions to this uncharted territory. This doesn’t mean pretending nothing has changed or glossing over the challenges. We need to acknowledge our fears and anxieties about the uncertainty around us, and in doing so acknowledge everyone else’s concerns too.

We can’t solve today’s most pressing problems if we aren’t present to our own emotions and reactions and don’t maintain our composure as leaders. To be more present, check in with yourself and monitor your own mental and physical health. Institute personal rituals and routines that work for you, like meditation, yoga, mindfulness, listening to relaxing or inspiring music, eating healthier, or working out. Only then will you be able to show up as a positive and compassionate leader for your team.

2.       Drive accountability by leading through connection – Today’s COVID conditions are requiring many of us to lead in different and unprecedented ways. As your team members change where and how they work together, lean into these transformations to be more powerful and inspirational.

This is not the time for micro-management or tighter deadlines. Now is the time to lead through increased connection. It’s easy for our employees to feel disconnected right now, so look for occasions to intentionally create more social connections with and between your team members to increase employee engagement during these challenging times. Regular one-to-one check-ins and team huddles are essential. Your default may be to cancel these meetings because you’re “too busy” or perhaps afraid of the difficult questions that might come up, but these are critical opportunities that allow your team to express concerns, seek support from each other, and troubleshoot key challenges they may be facing. Demonstrate to your team that you care about them, you are committed to their success, and together you will get through this one day at a time.

3.       Define your strategic goals for the year – The new year is always a great time to think strategically and plan for the year ahead. This is even more important as we start 2021, so define your ideal future and set your new strategic goals in line with the current global landscape.

As you critically evaluate the strategy you developed in 2020 and review the events of last year, some of your intentions undoubtedly fell short of meeting your expectations. Critical products or services may have shifted, business processes may have been redesigned, and future outlooks have likely changed. As a result, suspend any projects that no longer fit and add new initiatives that can carry your business forward into 2021 and beyond. Then, cascade these strategic objectives down to your functional teams to ensure everyone is aligned and on track to reach your goals.

4.       Create a culture of creativity & innovation – What you did a year ago pre-COVID may not work in a mid-pandemic world. While this may necessitate some subtle and at times dramatic changes to your business practices, it also presents significant opportunity to be innovative and reinvent your business.

In these challenging times, the opening for innovation grows. Ideas that had been off the table before can now be considered. It may be clearer than ever that “the way we’ve always done it” simply won’t work anymore. Look for opportunities to be innovative and engage teams of subject matter experts and other superstars to identify what changes you can implement today to create a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow. Are there new systems or processes you can implement to modernize virtually or reduce time consuming physical handoffs? Can you streamline or otherwise redesign your customer interactions in ways that may have not been possible before? Explore these creative ideas, pilot new beta projects, and celebrate your quick wins to position your business for greater success now and in the future.

5.       Stop speaking & start listening – Effective communication during challenging times requires us to stop acting like we have all the answers. Resist the urge to focus on your ideas and look to your team to accurately read the current culture and context for your business. Pay more attention and start listening to others to determine exactly how you need to lead right now.

Your team will tell you what they need. They’ll show you what inspires and motivates them. Increase your opportunities to listen by creating spaces to solicit feedback, questions, and ideas. That way, you can create a more adaptive and responsive organization that addresses employees’ true needs.

6.       Show your appreciation for & extend kindness to others – The global pandemic has impacted people in vastly different ways. Families have lost loved ones, parents are caring for and home-schooling children while attempting to work, and many recreational and social activities are greatly limited. On the other hand, many people have benefited from reduced business travel, non-existent commutes, and extra time they are now enjoying at home.

Challenge yourself to be mindful of this vast range of experiences. Simple acts of kindness go a long way towards inspiring your workforce. Pay attention to what others are experiencing and show your sincere appreciation for what they accomplish in a changing work environment. Whether it’s saying “Thank you” explicitly or recognizing your employees with small, meaningful gifts, celebrate your successes and be inspirational. Your grace and compassion could be the one thing that makes the difference in how people show up at work.

Many of the innovative changes you implement during these challenging times can continue even when things do settle down. Be courageous, bold, and kind. In times of change and uncertainty, employees observe and take note of their leaders more than ever. Remember who you are as a leader matters. In fact, the organizational culture and work climate your team members experience is overwhelmingly a result of how you show up. Commit to being a powerful leader and drive greater performance and effectiveness throughout your organization even now.

** This article is the first in a series of twelve addressing common leadership questions. These questions and challenges touch leaders at all levels and transcend industries. The article series provides valuable information and action steps for leaders to take their skills and teams to the next level.

 Author’s Note: Special thanks to Jeremy Lurey for leading in challenging times with ease and grace and especially for his generous contribution in co-authoring this article.

Creating a “sisterhood” of women leaders and leading for the future.

Creating a “sisterhood” of women leaders and leading for the future. “All CEOs should run the company for the duration of the company, not the duration of the CEO,” Indra Nooyi said. “My success should be judged on how well my successor does, not just how well I did.”