May 4, 2012
Yes You Can by Gina Breslin
“Yes you can!” These were favorite words of my father throughout his life. More often than not, these words were followed by an incredulous, “Why couldn’t you?”
Dad exemplified this can-do attitude continually, not only as an entrepreneur and a small business leader, but also in his personal life – in day-to-day relationships as well. He always encouraged others with his unwavering belief in them, and pushed them out of their comfort zone to do the things he knew they could do, but for which they lacked confidence. Dad didn’t ask you to do what you knew you could; he pushed you to do what he knew you could do.
Recently, I was approached by one of Dad’s close friends, a small business owner in Lancaster County. He asked me to take a moment so he could share with me his gratitude for how my father’s “Yes you can” attitude and encouragement changed his life.
This man had a business that was doing well and meeting his needs for 25 years. However, as is common in small family businesses, he endured hardships that at times seemed insurmountable, and even at times threatened the viability of the business.
In spite of the hard times and on more than one occasion, Dad encouraged him: “You’ve got to expand your business. I know it’s risky, but you can do it. The potential rewards outweigh the possible risks. Sure, expanding means buying more property, hiring more employees, taking on inventory, and of course all the insurance expenses that go along with these things; but you can do it. I’ve seen what you’ve done with your current business, and well, why wouldn’t you succeed in expanding as well?”
The man deliberated for a long time, wrestled with my dad’s suggestions and encouragement, and finally, a few years after my father passed away in 2004, took a leap with a major business expansion. To this day, he continues to run a successful business.
As John C. Maxwell, in his book Developing the Leader within You, states:
The disposition of a leader is important because it will influence the way the followers think and feel. Great leaders understand that the right attitude will set the right atmosphere, which enables the right responses from others.
Maxwell reminds us how important it is for leaders to possess a great attitude, not only for our own success, but also for the benefit of others.
Who have you encouraged in the last day or week? Have you said “yes, you can” for yourself and others?
April 5, 2012
Celebrating 15 Years – Partnering with a Powerful Project by Roger North with guest blogger Mara Creswell McGrann
April 1st marked North Group’s 15th Anniversary. I don’t know where the years have gone, but I do know I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity our firm has had to serve our clients through the years.
I remember our first two years in business. Beyond simple financial survival, our first milestone was to have enough cash flow to hire an assistant. We were fortunate. We reached that point in 18 months. We were also fortunate that a friend referred us to a lovely and very capable young woman, Mara Creswell McGrann. Mara served us extraordinarily well until leaving after several years for a very good reason, the birth of her first child.
Mara and John now have a lovely family of five. With all three children in school, Mara has taken on a new challenge – Executive Director of the Power Packs Project.
In recognition of our 15th anniversary, North Group is partnering with Power Packs Project. This high impact organization is working to eliminate weekend hunger for school children in our community. As our way of giving back, North Group is providing financial and volunteer support. We are excited about this new partnership and have asked Mara to contribute a guest blog today to share with you, the compelling mission of Power Packs Project and importance of supporting this worthy cause.
Guest Blogger Mara Creswell McGrann:
Thanks for this opportunity, Roger!
I’m thrilled to introduce Power Packs Project, a nutrition and education program that began seven years ago to address the weekend nutrition needs of children who rely primarily on the breakfast and lunch program at school. Many families struggle with impossible choices – to pay for electricity or buy food. This food insecurity becomes apparent on Monday mornings when children appear in school nurses' offices exhibiting secondary signs of hunger. You can imagine how hunger impacts a child’s ability to learn.
At Power Packs Project we live our mission every day: To partner with eligible families to provide food and nutritional education so that families are empowered and children thrive.
We serve over 650 families a week in five local school districts. We have a part-time staff of three and over 200 volunteers. The program has grown to serve 25% more families in the past year, and we are expanding through our Affiliate Program into communities around Lancaster County. This year we will offer our first summer program.
Please go here to get the “full story” about how we supply weekend food and combine it with a unique educational approach that has a long term benefit.
I’m so grateful to each of you who will join us in providing food for children…..and to North Group for giving me a great leadership start as their first employee!
Fifteen years ago I was casting about for a new career. A former customer gave me a tip: There's an opening with this new consulting firm. I knew nothing about Leadership Consulting, but thought Roger North and his business partner were extremely interesting and nice – and they had a fantastic vision.
As it turned out, this new organization (now North Group) was like none I’d ever been part of before. Part of me couldn't believe that a workplace like this really existed. I noticed that treating others as they wish to be treated, giving extraordinary service, asking good questions (and listening to the answers!) weren’t only principles to be shared with clients; they were practiced every day in our business. What I learned made a huge impact on me personally and professionally.
North Group's support of Power Packs Project (and of me as a leader) is very humbling. Now as I serve as Executive Director, I use my leadership lessons learned years ago from North Group. Whether I’m working with schools, church groups, families or businesses, I’m reminded that people and organizations are much more the same than they are different. And as Power Packs Project grows, I come back again and again to another leadership lesson – the core importance of our Mission, Vision and Values.
Thank you to everyone at North Group Consultants – I can’t wait to see what the next 15 years hold for us all!
A note to our readers: More detailed information will follow about what North Group is doing (and how you can join us) to partner with Mara and Power Packs to eliminate weekend hunger for school children in our community.
March 5, 2012
Fond Memories of Super Balls and Pigeons by Daryl Leisey
A number of years ago…actually, many years ago….I attended a high school that had an historically good boys basketball team. While I never played, I enjoyed the excitement and passion that fans often brought to the games (especially toward our cross-town arch rivals). On one particular evening, our team was traveling to play those rivals on their home court. As game day had approached, quietly word spread through the school to students who would attend: Bring as many super balls as humanly possible, and be ready to throw them on the court when our team scores their first point!
That evening as I walked into the gym lobby, I saw a number of strategically placed trash cans, accompanied by rather serious adults. As I looked into one of the cans, I saw what were literally hundreds of super balls. Assuming that if each can contained similar numbers, most if not all of the balls had been confiscated. But I was wrong! As soon as our team scored, thousands of super balls exploded from the stands, bouncing and bouncing and bouncing, until they were all finally picked up. The place went wild.
Not only did we have passionate and engaged fans, so did our rivals. A few weeks later, our opponents met us at our gym for the return game. Everyone wondered if there would be a response. As the game started, everything seemed to be normal…..that is, until the opposing team scored their first points. As soon as the ball passed through the hoop, their student section stood, girls opened their purses and out flew pigeons with long, school-colored streamers tied to their feet. After flying around for a few moments, the birds settled to roost in the rafters of the gym.
While I’m not personally advocating these behaviors, one has to admit they were certainly creative. I often think about those days and the passion and engagement exhibited by those fans. The stands were often full, they generally stayed to the end of the game, whether winning or losing, and their enthusiasm and energy often played a significant role in how the players played the game.
In late 2011, the Gallup organization released the latest findings of a poll that showed that 71% of American workers are "not engaged" or are "actively disengaged" in their work. Those numbers have been fairly consistent over the last ten years. It doesn’t take the proverbial rocket scientist to realize the negative impact on turnover, productivity, customer service and profitability that results from a workforce that is not engaged. In their 1999 book, First Break All the Rules, co-authors Buckingham and Coffman point to the significant role of leaders in general, and more specifically front-line managers, as catalysts in creating an environment of engaged people. They do this by:
- Selecting individuals based on talent, not just skills and experience
- Defining expectations that focus on the right outcomes rather than the right steps
- Motivating the individual by building on each person’s unique strengths
- Developing people by finding the right fit for each person
An engaged workforce is well worth any investment in the people that help make it happen day in and day out.
(And as far as I know, no super balls or pigeons were injured in the story mentioned above.)
February 6, 2012
It's All About Integrity by Gerald Meck
I recently read an article entitled “The Future of Business is Pure Chaos. Here’s how you can survive – and perhaps even thrive” by Robert Safian in the January 2012 issue of Fast Company. This article stimulated my thinking about what kind of leadership is needed at the board and executive level to guide an organization through an ever-changing and fast-paced marketplace.
As leaders in a constantly changing world, our ability to predict the future is difficult. The pace of change continues to accelerate. Just five years ago three companies controlled 64% of the smartphone market. These companies were Nokia, Research in Motion and Motorola. Today two different companies, Samsung & Apple, control the market. Online education programs are challenging our assumptions about what education looks like. The rise of Facebook, the fall of Blockbuster, the downgrading of the US credit rating, foreign government regime changes and rising unemployment all contribute to the difficulty in forecasting the future.
When leaders, including board members and executives, search for the right answers for the future, no clear road map or business model emerges. When I began as CEO/President of United Disabilities Services in 1983, I created a five year plan that guided the organization into the future. Today, however, a planning model needs to be a strategic thinking process that is flexible and adaptable to the fast-changing conditions of the business world. In the next decade or two, organizational planning will be defined more by its fluidity and flexibility than by a well-defined strategic direction for the future.
Most organizations are good at solving clear problems, even very complicated ones. But organizations have a difficult time solving ambiguous problems when leadership doesn’t know what it doesn’t know. Faced with ambiguity, organizations look for leadership that has developed a successful model which can be replicated. But in a world of flux, what has been successful for one organization will not necessarily work for another organization. Trying to replicate what worked yesterday will leave an organization vulnerable. Every organization needs to find their unique organizational structure, business model and culture that best allows it to stay flexible and competitive.
To survive in this climate of constant change and growing competition, leadership needs to be adaptable. Adaptability requires leaders who: a) work continually to be clear about the mission, b) embrace instability, c) enjoy recalibrating their business model, and, d) continually evaluate current assumptions. This approach of constant attentiveness to change will enable leaders to weigh the risks and opportunities and to make decisions that will position the organization for future sustainability.
As Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and face the challenge of change.”
November 18, 2011
...thank you for choosing to fly Southwest.
by Daryl Leisey
A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to take a flight to visit our children who attend college in western Tennessee. After researching all the options, we decided on a flight offered by Southwest Airlines. I know there has been much said and written about the airline industry in general and Southwest Airlines in particular. I recognize and understand that good people can have very different views on this subject.
The plane was full as we excitedly headed off to see our children, whom we had not seen for about 3 months. As the plane began to push away from the gate, the flight attendants made sure that all the overhead bins were closed, seats were in an upright position and…well, you know the routine.
However, as the one flight attendant began giving the pre-flight instructions, I quickly knew that this was going to be anything but routine. “If you are traveling with a child or a spouse who is acting like one, please make sure to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before attempting to assist your child with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one child, take a moment, decide which one is your favorite or which one has more potential…” It went on from there.
Honestly, I have learned to ignore most pre-flight instructions from hearing them so often over the years. What struck me was that as I was listening to (and enjoying) the attendant giving the instructions, I took notice of not only my fellow passengers but also the other flight attendants. They were smiling and laughing as much as the rest of us were.
I began to think about the intentionality of Southwest in both creating and sustaining a culture and work environment that people enjoy being a part of. One fundamental of the Southwest culture is: Happy Employees = Happy Customers. They do things to “keep their Employees motivated and make it worthwhile to work hard for the Company they love!”
At North Group, we often say that “culture eats strategy for lunch”. How do your employees feel about the company they work for? Many leaders settle for tolerate, aim for enjoy, but love?
“…thank you for choosing to fly Southwest. We appreciate you and your money.”
We welcome your comments at blog@northgroupconsultants.com.
November 4, 2011
Two Leaders – Two Outcomes by Roger North
How can two leaders doing virtually the same tasks get such vastly different organizational results? I’ve been thinking about that question as I’ve observed two leaders lately.
There are many similarities. Both leaders work very hard. No questions about commitment or work ethic. Both communicate clearly and consistently. Communication does not appear to be the difference. Highly organized? Yes, for both.
But here’s the situation. When I walk into the first organization, I feel and see enthusiasm, energy and engagement. When I walk into the second organization, I feel and see hmm...I guess I would call it lethargy.
And, you probably don’t need me to tell you this. The first organization is growing…fast! The second organization is, well, unfortunately it is shrinking.
Does the feeling you get in each firm and the direction those firms are headed have anything to do with their leaders? Of course it does! So where does the difference lie?
Since our beginning in 1997, North Group has believed that “being comes before doing”. Put another way, who you are (as a leader) matters more than what you do.
My favorite example of this principle is President Ronald Reagan. Few would argue that Mr. Reagan was an intellectual or a policy “wonk”. Nor would we contend that he was a financial expert or even a great manager. Do you remember his nickname while in office? “The Great Communicator.”
Here’s my message. I don’t think it was actually about the words Mr. Reagan was communicating. Rather, it was that we believed Mr. Reagan. We actually thought that he believed his own words of optimism and hope for a bright future. We believed that Mr. Reagan’s heart was in his words. His “being” came before his “doing”.
Isn’t that what we ask of our leaders? Sincerity, authenticity, belief? When our leaders are “being” people – essentially those who consistently elevate the interests of others above their own – organizations (even countries) thrive. When we don’t believe in our leaders’ intentions? Well, lethargy, atrophy, poor morale…
What we believe about our leaders matters. Who our leaders are matters. Being comes before doing. Are you a “being” leader?
We welcome your comments at blog@northgroupconsultants.com.
October 20, 2011
Encouragement by Gerald Meck
Recently I was working at my desk preparing for a board meeting when one of the members came into my office, and began to talk to me. My first reaction was that I did not have the time to talk. Why was he disturbing me as I prepared for the meeting?
Since he did not have my phone number, the board member had come to the meeting early hoping I would be available because he had some ideas and comments to share with me. Feeling impatient, but also wanting to be respectful, I listened to what he had to say.
He stated that he thinks about me often as I navigate the difficult day to day challenges of the organization where I am serving as Acting Executive Director. He provided me with some suggestions about how to deal with staff morale and trust issues, and gave me a quote to read on the importance of being transparent when dealing with a difficult situation. He affirmed my leadership and thanked me for my service to the organization.
I felt my impatience melting away. I listened, no longer out of obligation, but because I welcomed his words of encouragement. This experience reminded me how important it is to take time to encourage and acknowledge others for their work.
As I reflected further on this conversation I was reminded of a quote from John Quincy Adams: “A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not.”
This board member demonstrated leadership by example.
One of North Group Consultant’s leadership principles states: “Leaders have the ability to give encouragement, affirmation and challenge in appropriate amounts.”
Giving and receiving encouragement, affirmation and challenge are powerful tools for motivating and empowering ourselves and others. May we all demonstrate leadership in our ability to give and receive these building blocks of character in appropriate amounts.
We welcome your comments at blog@northgroupconsultants.com.
October 5, 2011
It's All About Integrity by Dennis Clemmer
Had a chance meeting with a friend recently at a social gathering, and as we were about to part he stated, “Great seeing you. Let’s do lunch sometime. I’ll give you a call.”
Sad to say but I doubt that I will get this call for lunch. How do I know? It’s happened before and the guy’s track record for following through on this type of thing isn’t good. Not a big deal, right? Wrong!!
I got to thinking about this type of behavior recently when Roger North circulated a presentation that one of his clients attended. The presentation was on the Ontological Model of Leadership (I know, pretty scary sounding) with one of the elements of the model being “integrity.” The speaker was reported to have joked, “Eighty percent of firms have ‘integrity’ as a core value, but 100 percent of firms don’t know what it means and thus don’t have ‘true’ integrity.”
So what is “true integrity” and how does this relate to my friend from whom I won’t get a lunch invite? According to this model, integrity simply is honoring your word. That sounds doable. But how many of us actually practice it?
Yesterday I emailed my wife asking her if she was interested in taking a walk after she got home from work and she replied, “Yes”. In the meantime I got to working on some projects around the house and recognized I was not going to have much energy to walk and emailed her stating that plans had changed. Unfortunately she left work before the email arrived and was disappointed when she got home and learned that our walk was off.
I could easily rationalize that the projects I completed were important and therefore my decision to not walk was justified. But did I know when I began to work on these projects that I would likely have to cancel the walk? Absolutely! So I made a decision that doing the projects really was more important than taking a walk with Fern.
So what are the lessons to be learned from this? I will suggest several:
- One should only make statements of intention when there is a commitment to making that intention happen.
- We have endless capacity as human beings for rationalization and justification when we don’t make something happen. Be aware of that temptation.
- Failure to make something happen can occur through no fault of our own. When that occurs it should be communicated as soon as possible to those who are impacted.
- Statements of intention, when not acted upon, can lead to an erosion of trust.
It is all about integrity!
We welcome your comments at blog@northgroupconsultants.com.
August 5, 2011
The Real Deal by Daryl Leisey
For the last 9 years, I have had the privilege of serving as a member of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Excellence Exchange committee. The Excellence Exchange program is a bi-monthly speaker series that is dedicated to providing a unique opportunity to gain valuable first-hand knowledge from regional and national business leaders.
A number of years ago the committee was having a conversation regarding the selection of a potential slate of speakers for the coming year. As part of that process, we began to look to see if there were any shared characteristics of the many previous presenters who had made the most significant impression over the years. There were numerous characteristics that were identified. In the end, however, there was one shared characteristic that stood far above all others. They were all authentic. They were genuine. They talked about their own struggles and failures as openly as they did their successes. They were real. They took responsibility for themselves. They owned their own “stuff”.
I am drawn to people, especially leaders, who are authentic. People with whom there is no pretense. I suppose I am drawn to them in part because I know that real life is just that, real. It’s easier to build relationships of trust with authentic people. Their conversations tend to have more depth and staying power because they connect not just logically but emotionally. I am also drawn to them because I want authenticity to be something that is increasingly seen in my life as a father, husband, friend, partner and consultant.
It will be almost two years ago that my father passed away. He was a genuinely authentic man. My children and I would often refer to him as the “real deal”. He was authentic until the end. It wasn’t an act. It wasn’t the latest business fad he heard at a seminar. It wasn’t something that he did to gain acclaim. It was just simply who he was day in and day out. May I increasingly be more like him.
We welcome your comments at blog@northgroupconsultants.com.
July 5, 2011
Every Day is a Gift by Gerald Meck
On Father’s day, as I was exercising at the Ephrata Recreation Center, I debated whether to write about the importance of leadership succession planning, servant leadership or managing by values.
While these thoughts were circulating through my mind, I was watching the US Open golf tournament. During the tournament NBC aired a segment on golf pro Ernie Els, telling the story of how Ernie and his family responded to the challenge of raising a child with Autism.
For several years Ernie and his wife hid the fact that one of their children had Autism. They wanted a “normal child” like the rest of their friends and golf peers. However, after hours of physical therapy, testing and medical treatment they finally came to terms with their son’s condition and began to embrace and celebrate his life.
As part of coming to terms with his son’s condition, Ernie established the Els for Autism Foundation in 2009 with the goal of funding an Autism Center of Excellence; the first in the world. Autism effects one in 110 children. Learning that a child has autism hits families hard. Ernie says “I will be fighting for the rest of my life to try and help others in the same situation.” The Center of Excellence will launch a global digital learning platform that will make best practices in education and therapy available to thousands of children on the Autism spectrum around the world. Ernie is now providing the leadership to assist other children and their families in dealing with the challenges of Autism.
This story reminded me of a leadership theme during my 26 years as President and CEO at United Disabilities Services (“UDS”). My theme was “Every day is a Gift.” There were challenges, disappointments, times when things did not go as planned. We needed to find ways to turn those challenges and disappointments into opportunities.
Ernie Els is a wonderful example of how an individual turned a challenge into an opportunity for thousands of other people. As a leader I asked myself each day “What am I going to do with the gift of this day?” At UDS, I asked our 400 employees what they were planning to do with this gift of a day, to write it down and share it with me. I was amazed at the creative and thoughtful responses I received.
What are you going to do with the gift of this day?
We welcome your comments at blog@northgroupconsultants.com.
