By Thomas J. Lee You're familiar, I presume, with those two old chestnuts of workplace wisdom: "What gets measured is what gets done" and "You can't manage what you can't measure." Both pay tribute to the importance of measuring what we value in our work. And for the most part both have more than a faint ring of truth. The trouble is that measuring some things is not as simple and straightforward as it sounds. You need a clear conceptual foundation: an understanding and consensus as to what exactly you're measuring. Then you need a gauge or scale or metric that applies sensibly to the thing you're measuring. Then you need a reliable means of measurement. Some things can only be measured subjectively, by perception, and you need a way to measure the perceptions without tainting the results. That's just for starters. Of course, measurement is relatively easy if you know what you're measuring and how, and if everything is plainly apparent in the same way to everyone who looks. So if you're counting money in the till at the close of business, or taking an inventory of boxes on a shelf at the end of a quarter, it's a simple matter. On the other hand, if you're measuring something as ambiguous as, say, employee engagement, you have problems right from the start. People think they know what engagement is, but everyone has a slightly different notion. Moreover, it's hard to measure something we cannot tangibly count. We can only rely on perceptions, and perceptions are notoriously individualistic. What one person notices, another person can easily overlook or undervalue, and vice versa. Not only are perceptions individualistic, but they are highly sensitive to context and highly subject to hidden bias. The context is vulnerable to slight day-to-day variations in workplace... Continue reading

Leaders may neglect or ignore communication outside and beyond the realm of formal messages. Two other voices—the semi-formal and the informal—account for well over half of all the messages that key stakeholders receive. These messages can wreak havoc if left unmanaged. Continue reading

Are you an introvert? Or are you, perhaps, somewhat more introverted than most people think you are? Or are you—don't laugh, the term is well-established—an ambivert, someone in the middle between an introvert and an extrovert? If you are any of these, and if your job or your aspiration calls on you to lead people to a better and brighter tomorrow, don't fall into the trap of denying yourself the opportunity to lead simply because of your quiet nature. Continue reading

The best TV commercial isn’t necessarily the cutest or the funniest. It isn’t necessarily titillating or provocative. It doesn’t necessarily have terrific cinematic or artistic qualities. It didn't necessarily run during a Super Bowl. It’s the best TV commercial ever simply because it makes its point so well. As proof of that, just about any American old enough to remember it can, almost 25 years after it first aired. Continue reading

Among people with strong trust in the management where they work, 63 percent would be happy to spend the remainder of their careers with that organization; among employees with weak trust, only 7 percent would. Continue reading

Mr. Johnson's big mistake seems to be a condescending attitude toward the people of J.C. Penney and their values. He often ridiculed them, and he quickly replaced many of the senior managers he inherited. He never moved to Plano, Texas, the company's headquarters, but instead spent long weekends back in California. Soon the sarcasm that frequently came flowing out of the corner office was volleyed back at it. The strategy didn't stand a chance. Continue reading

A few years ago The New York Times asked the chief executive of a big Silicon Valley company—you have probably bought or sold something on its popular site—what he had learned through all his years in senior management. His answer both startled me and saddened me. Continue reading

For any and all of you with an interest in servant leadership, this article is must reading. In our Master Class workshops, we devote a great deal of attention to servant leadership. As a closing summary, I like to ask each class how many people like to think of themselves as go-getters. nvariably, almost everyone raises a hand. Servant leadership challenges that ethic. Instead of championing go-getters, it celebrates go-givers. It recognizes and rewards the act of giving, especially among managers to and for the people on their team. The linked article, by Susan Dominus, will appear Sunday in the magazine of The New York Times. Do read it, and let me know what you think. (Then, sign up for Master Class!) Continue reading

It's natural, perhaps even inevitable, for managers and leaders to assume that they hold the authority in an organization. There are four other kinds of authority, distributed throughout the organization, that also bear heavily on whether, when, and how anything gets done and on whether, when, and how anything really changes. Continue reading

"Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy." Lao Tzu said that 26 centuries ago. What do you think he meant by it? Turn the statement over in your mind a few times and think about it: "Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy." Continue reading

Typically, the dearly departed in an executive shuffle just disappear, and the company’s mouthpiece issues some verbal pabulum to explain the change. The worst of these anodyne comments ask us to believe that the executive wants “to spend more time with his family” or has chosen “to pursue other opportunities.” Groupon's Andrew Mason is a refreshing exception. Continue reading

By modifying the new policy, Yahoo can avoid the trauma of forcing high-value employees to choose whether husband or wife is able to keep a job or remain on track for an MBA, and it can demonstrate that new policies need not take the form of Draconian reversals that rattle everyone. Continue reading

Smart people have a lot of advantages, but they also have a couple of large disadvantages. One big disadvantage is the inability to listen as well as people of average or even below-average intelligence can listen. That's right. The smarter you are, the poorer you probably listen. Continue reading

Michael Jordan turns 50 on Tuesday. Can an athlete fairly be regarded as a heroic leader? If any can, Jordan has a claim to it. Here's why. Continue reading

John Kerry, the new U.S. secretary of state, appears to know a thing or two about diplomacy—on the home front. Bosses everywhere should take heed. According to Politico, the new diplomat-in-chief issued a warning to his team this week. "Thursday is Valentine's Day," Kerry said, "and I want you all out of here" at a reasonable hour. No late meetings! Continue reading

The late James Thurber crafted many wonderful fables with wisdom for the generations. Here is one of my favorites. It is short and playful. Titled The Weaver and the Worm, it has a sweet moral on communication for leadership. The little fable goes like this: Continue reading

Carole DiSalvo By Thomas J. Lee “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I recalled that wise old aphorism on reading the wonderful Dallas Morning News story of Carole DiSalvo, an American Airlines flight attendant who finally retired two weeks ago after 54 years on the job. You read correctly. Ms. DiSalvo joined American in 1958 at the age of 20. Only now, at the age of 75, is she turning in her wings. In an era when people commonly have several careers and multiple employers, she remained in a single job with a sole employer for more than one-half century. When, as a young woman, she began flying, American Airlines had a fleet of airplanes with propellers. Its first jet aircraft, the Boeing 707, wouldn’t be delivered to American until the next year. Non-stop coast-to-coast and trans-Atlantic flights were still in the future. Commercial aviation was heavily regulated: everything from connecting cities to departure times, from ticket fares to pilot salaries, was determined by federal bureaucrats. Flying was a special experience, so passengers wore their best suits and dresses for a flight. They lit up cigarettes after the pilot turned off the no smoking sign, and they got decks of playing cards just for flying. Flight attendants were called stewardesses in those days. Women had to be attractive, single, and young to be hired. Becoming a wife or a mother was cause for termination. So was reaching the age of 32. Prior to submitting an application to American, Ms. DiSalvo applied for a job with rival TWA, but that application was declined because her nails were too short. Expecting to marry at some point, Ms. DiSalvo was looking forward only to a couple of years as a stewardess. One-by-one... Continue reading

Wherever you are and whatever you do, if you have responsibility for the performance of other people, you wear two hats. One is the hat of a manager. The other is the hat of a leader. Both hats, both roles, are important, but they are important in different ways. It’s imperative that you understand how they differ, lest you make the mistake of doing one when you should be doing the other. If you make that mistake, you can wind up with unintended results. Continue reading

by Thomas J. Lee A newspaper reporter called the other day for my thoughts on business executives who have spoken first and thought second, only to regret it, in very public ways. Politicians do that all the time, of course, but they're in the public spotlight all the time. Most executives are in the spotlight only when they seek it, so the ensuing flap seems more sensational. The comments in question were all widely reported when they occurred, so I won't quote them here. Suffice to say that they all qualify for lifetime membership in the Foot in Mouth Club. So the question was rather simple: When should a business executive speak out publicly about something, and when should she keep her mouth shut? I'll tell you what I told the reporter. Generally speaking, leaders should say only what they think, and think all of what they say, which is to say they must believe and feel the truth of everything they say. However, there are five important boundaries on that advice. I call them the 5Rs. You should speak only when your thoughts are "5R Ready." Before you say what you think, ask yourself these five questions: Is what you are about to say real, which is to say based on observable facts and familiar experience? Is it relevant to the challenge at hand? Is it respectful of all people and their dignity? Is it relationally constructive, not destructive? Is it reasonable and rational, by which we mean both within the bounds of reason and logically derived by reasoning? If it isn't all five of these, you should be asking yourself some tough-love questions as to why you're even thinking such things. They may be toxic to you and everyone else. Before you speak, get your head together. Executives... Continue reading

by Thomas J. Lee There's a marvelous scene in Invictus, the Oscar-nominated 2009 movie chronicling the remarkable come-from-nowhere victory of the South African Springboks in the World Cup of rugby in 1995. It's a true story, and all the more riveting for the light it sheds on leadership. The Springboks of 1995 were a mediocre team, as always. In fact, the only reason that South Africa was competing in the World Cup is that it was hosting the tournament; the host team always gets a free pass. Everyone expected the Springboks to bow out early. Alas, because the team symbolized the country's white minority, the millions of recently liberated black South Africans didn't care about the outcome of the tournament. That is, with one exception: South African President Nelson Mandela. To him, the Springboks were a potential tool for cultural reunification. If you have never seen Invictus, pick a night soon to stay home and stream it. It is a moving film. Even if you have seen it, you may want to watch it again for the powerful message on leadership it offers. At one point in the movie, Mandela (portrayed magnificently by Morgan Freeman) invites the white Springboks captain François Pienaar (Matt Damon) to his office for tea. Mandela asks Pienaar a provocative question: What is his philosophy of leadership? Pienaar replies that he likes to lead by example. Mandela agrees, but he pushes for more. He wants to know how Pienaar inspires people to overcome long odds, to accomplish the seemingly impossible. I won't spoil it for you; suffice to say that the answer to Mandela's question forms the crux of the whole movie. Exactly how do leaders inspire people? What role does a leader's example play? How far can you take it? How does power affect it?... Continue reading

Hundreds of millions of people enjoyed perhaps the greatest Super Bowl ever yesterday. At halftime it looked like a blowout, with the Baltimore Ravens leading, 21-6, over the San Francisco 49ers. Moments later, after the Ravens returned a kickoff for another touchdown to make it 28-6, the New Orleans Superdome lights went out. The blowout was now a blackout. Continue reading

If you have gone through one of our Master Class workshops, you'll recall that we like to begin by asking everyone to describe the coolest project or team they ever worked on. Nine times out of ten, they describe something that gave them enormous pride and satisfaction. It's rare for anyone to speak in terms of a monetary bonus or a raise or a promotion as part of the cool factor. Continue reading

My Beloved World is heartwarming, gritty, tender, inspiring, authentic, even eloquent. It is a celebration of family, work, and love in a world of despair, drugs, death, and disappointment. I cannot recommend this book enthusiastically enough. Do, do, do read it. Continue reading

By Thomas J. Lee A couple of weeks ago in this space we expounded on the fundamental differences between managing people and leading people, and we pointed to corresponding differences between the deliverables, or work product, of management and leadership: people alignment for managing and people engagement for leading. Now let's turn our attention to the differences between communication for the sake of managing people and communication for the sake of leading people. These two things, both nominally communication, differ greatly in terms of purpose, substance, style, and tone. Other differences can also come into play, depending on the urgency of a situation, the sophistication of the people involved, the culture at play, the familiarity of the manager or leader, the degree of opposition to change, and other factors. We don't have the space here to explore all this in depth, but we can offer an overview. Before we dig in, we should take a moment to recapitulate the differences between management and leadership. It's very, very important to view them both as work—not as a function of position, title, or status; nor as a matter of traits or attributes; nor as a kind of trophy for success. Both are essentially work, and anyone who does the work of managing or leading can rightly be regarded as a manager or a leader, regardless of their position (chief executive or team supervisor, for example) or their traits (salt-and-pepper temples, an air of self-certainty, perhaps an echoing baritone) or their trophies (the large corner office, say, or the stripes on a uniform). Managing is the hard work of meeting pre-determined expectations of acknowledged stakeholders: customers, investors, employees, senior officers, perhaps government regulators. These expectations may take the form of quality standards, sales quotas, budgets, deadlines, year-end bonuses, compliance with the law, and... Continue reading

If you saw the Washington Redskins defeat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday evening, you were very likely struck by both the athleticism and the leadership of Robert Griffin III, the rookie quarterback of the Redskins who is fondly known to fans as RG3. Still only 22 years old, Griffin has already demonstrated a preternatural ability to lead his teammates. Keep an eye on this young man. He is going places. Continue reading