LeaderNotes: Innovation Archives

During a four days stay at the Argensen Hotel in West Paris, I encountered a few icons and images of leadership from behind Paris rsquo; medieval backdrop, in an old woman rsquo;s wrinkled face. I also saw the value of choices we make as leaders - for ourselves and others. It rsquo;s not often what you see at first hellip;


Near my seat on a blue bench at the Metro train station rsquo;s busy shops, she dropped stale crumbs into a circle of pigeons bobbing near her swollen feet.

The woman rsquo;s floral dress sagged inches below frayed swatches hung from her dark cloth coat like fur sheds from elk in molting season.

Trains squealed to a halt and then chugged off again on both sides of her frail frame, as conductors called to well heeled business fare in fast paced lanes. Above her pigeons circled within the enclosed station as if to call attention to her plight.

Later, on my drive back home, Parisian images in silhouettes of seventeenth century homes faded into the night, and marble statues and charming church-steepled slipped from view, yet I still saw this elderly woman rsquo;s bent structure in living color.

The following day I returned and she did not. Details of quaint step gables, weather-cocked figures on roofs, gabled windows peered down on sunny pavement at my little sidewalk cafes.

Concerned for her welfare, and sorry I rsquo;d not done more when she was there, I asked about the elderly woman at the market squares and I inquired from artists, who lined the streets to capture and contain Paris rsquo; ancient beauty down through the ages. Nobody had seen her that day.

Where was the woman who owned so little, but fed crumbs to a few trapped pigeons?

Her icon challenged me to see leadership images in van Goethe rsquo;s words hellip; ldquo;Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together. rdquo; Her life changes choices we leaders make for ourselves and others as part of the icon in a golden chain.

I think leadership includes inspiring yourself and others to perform at a higher level.

Last night in , I saw that as the dominated the favored in a memorable game.

Since hit a year ago, the city of New Orleans and its citizens have not had much to cheer about. The had stood as a painful reminder of the hopelessness and helplessness that so many felt in the days following the destruction of Katrina.

Last night in a Monday Night Football game, the SuperDome took on new meaning. It became a symbol of reconstruction, of hope and a brighter future. The atmosphere felt more like a Super Bowl than the third week of the regular season.

and played a , showcasing a cover of the The Skids song, ldquo; . rdquo; Proceeds from the single will go to .

After the game, the Saints stood 3-0 and equaled the games they won all of last season.

Remarkable things happened in this game as if the New Orleans fans in the SuperDome and at home watching somehow willed the outcome. For example, when was the last time you saw a blocked punt and a blocked field goal by the same team in an NFL game? Go back to 2003 and hundreds of games.

Yet it happened last night.

The blocked punt rolled toward the end zone where it was fallen upon for a touchdown. The Saints, scoring in the most unlikely ways (blocked punt, double reverse), were empowered to dominate in all facets of the game until the final gun.

Fans cheered madly for another 30 minutes after the game ended. It was a great game played by inspired Saints. But it was more than just an NFL game.

It gave cheering fans a momentary return to normalcy. It provided hope for a turnaround, a comeback, an empowered effort to go beyond one rsquo;s own limits.

From the

Do you think it matters to the people of New Orleans? Michael Vick, the Falcons multi-talented QB said afterward, I never in my life heard a crowd roar so loud.

'' They've already showed their commitment to the team, buying out the entire Saints season at the SuperDome for the first time in the team rsquo;s history.

This one game does not erase the painful memories or alleviate all the work ahead, but it was special and for now resuscitates much of the New Orleans energy and vibe that was drown under flood waters of a year ago. New Orleans -- armed with a .

I asked Reg a few weeks ago, ldquo;What can you find at this point in New Orleans that might give us hope?

ldquo;Not much, rdquo; Reg said, when he returned. ldquo;The area is 90 percent in the same shape it was immediately after the storm.

rdquo;

Reg described what he saw as ...

ldquo;Destroyed properties hellip; with no rebuilding yet in many neighborhoods...

. rdquo;

Apparently, everybody rsquo;s waiting for decisions from the politicians ndash; to see how they want to rebuild the city.

In the meantime hellip; what you see in New Orleans is almost exactly as it was immediately after the hurricane. Reg said, ldquo;I saw water marks 15 to 20 feet in most cases and higher in some hellip;.

ldquo;Politicians are holding up the rebuilding at the moment because they have not decided what they want to rebuild and how.

rdquo; I asked Reg about the progress with insurance companies and was told, ldquo;They are also playing their games ndash; because many want to avoid paying claims. rdquo; They are blaming the loss primarily on ldquo;water damage from floods and not the winds and hurricane hellip; rdquo; which frees them from responsibility since most were not insured for floods. It seems that the federal government is now involved to persuade insurance companies to pay their policies.

ldquo;It's really sad, rdquo; Reg said.

I asked this highly respected leader, to tell me more about the people, and Reg replied..

. ldquo;The people in New Orleans are still without electricity hellip; and with no power hellip; it rsquo;s unhealthy and unsafe there. rdquo; I was told that people who got their businesses up and going again hellip; can only stay open in day because it rsquo;s so unsafe without lights at night.

It surprised Reg to see a huge reduction in one of his favorite spots hellip; the French Market. ldquo;It rsquo;s only one-third it rsquo;s size hellip; with very little enthusiasm there. ldquo;You no longer see any vegetables and fruits.

rdquo; Most vendors have left the area, and Reg predicted there will be ldquo;no French market at all hellip; soon. rdquo;

Most businesses in the French quarters simply have not re-opened. In that area you see ldquo;lots of construction, rdquo; unlike other more annihilated sections.

Reg sat with his daughter outside in his favorite spot hellip; the Caf e DuMonde hellip; for beigne and Caf e Ole.


New Orleans was depressing and so Reg and his daughter left hellip; as did many of its residents. On the way out hellip; they saw water flooded its way past the outskirts of the city.

Reg rsquo;s relatives lived in the Basin Street area ndash; with its new brick homes ndash;meticulous ndash; my sister's house was her mansion ndash; and now her whole neighborhood is demolished and deserted.

ldquo;A few daring souls got FEMA trailers and parked these in their yards. But the Basin Street neighborhood is basically gone.

rdquo; Once beautiful brick homes now stand in ruins with broken windows and water damage everywhere. There used to be mini-marts and shops and these too have closed and stand ready to be demolished.

Reg told me he is ldquo;still optimistic that it will come around.

rdquo; He holds out hope because, as he put it hellip; ldquo;This is an opportunity for the city to be shaped in a different fashion. rdquo; Reg sees hope, if hellip; ldquo;the inhabitants of the city could become real contributors to their city and to society hellip; rdquo; He senses that if people can find meaningful ways to contribute and not merely be part of other people rsquo;s contributions, New Orleans can be a better city than it was before the storm.

I wholeheartedly agreed with Reg rsquo;s concluding statement to my question about hope's possibility hellip; ldquo;Unfortunately we have natural disasters hellip; and we can turn these into opportunities for the future hellip;.

rdquo; What do you think?

Your take on the insights opens a whole new challenge for leaders to both develop personally and help to develop coachees at the same time. It seems to me that the mutuality that is so often missing in a workplace is strengthened by reflection hellip;.

So those who hope to ldquo;establish new coaching relationships, adapt your coaching style to meet different needs and work through challenges and struggles that may arise hellip; rdquo; will also be those who rsquo;ll develop their metacognative ability.

Why do you think?


I see six cool reflective questions woven into these six core principles hellip; in ways similar to mechanisms for reflection integrated into the brain rsquo;s apparatus.

How?

Principle 1: Create a safe and challenging environment.
Reflective Question 1 hellip; How are you adding to your own passion and enthusiasm for quality outcomes, and adding to others rsquo; motivation as you go?

Principle 2: Work with the coachee's agenda.
Reflective Question 2 hellip; How do you offer suggestions that help others to organize their agenda in ways that include quality coaching time as a heartbeat to their day?

Principle 3: Facilitate and collaborate.

Principle 6: Model what you coach.
Reflective Question 6 hellip; What positive metaphors become your lenses to live learning, integrity and care, within images that prosper your own and the coachee rsquo;s plans for better insights?

Thanks Hal for opening my eyes again to new possibilities for reflection in leadership hellip; and for the thought-stirring CCL article adapted from the book, .

has a great story profiling young American CEOs of publicly traded companies. According to Forbes,

These young leaders seem to have all taken a slightly different route to their success.

Most didn't count on being recognized but took initiative. There are a couple of MBAs and a college drop-out included in the group. A few were founders of their companies while others worked their way into the job.

points out that picking the right parents helps as three of the eight inherited the role from the family business. This fact neither qualifies or disqualifies them as capable leaders. For all of them, the public markets will measure, test and critique their performance.

Each leader brings a youthfulness and fresh perspective to the job. Their rise to the top (and their ability to stay there) should provide an excellent case study in leadership. Sadly, there are no women found in this category.

I have listed them below.

Jon S. Brumley, 35
( )

Michael L.

Chasen, 34
( )

Mariner J. Kemper, 33
( )

Matthew McCauley, 33
( )

Michael G. Rubin, 33
( )

Craig P.

R. Joffe, 33
( )

Kevin A. Plank, 33
( )
There are lots of places to lead and lots of ways.

Who would have guessed one place would be the school cafeteria?
, the energetic British celebrity chef and star of the The Naked Chef has turned his enthusiasm, talent and celebrity towards making the world a better place, particularly for kids.
Oliver, who left school at age16 ldquo;with no qualifications rdquo;, has returned to school, this time as a celebrity and on a mission to change the lives and health of school children.

With him is a petition with more than 270,000 signatures.
The self-proclaimed, ldquo;Salad Boy rdquo; launched the campaign after he volunteered to cook at one school and thereby ldquo;ban the junk and get good, fresh food back in schools. rdquo; Soon several schools were added and now the has provided for ingredients and training.

As the Feed Me Better website says, the campaign is ldquo;starting a revolution in your school dining hall. rdquo;
Four years ago, the savvy Oliver his culinary experiment where he served 20,000 school meals a day to school kids in a London district. The series, initially was broadcast on British TV and is now available on .

Oliver has also been busy opening restaurants that help underprivileged youth. He established the restaurant in 2002. Fifteen restaurants employ and train ldquo;15 rdquo;disadvantaged young people.

All profits go to the to provide these young people with the working environment in which to expand their knowledge and practical experience. Plans for similar restaurants are underway around the globe: Fifteen Amsterdam was opened in December 2004, Fifteen Cornwall in Newquay opened last month and Fifteen Melbourne is scheduled for opening this summer.
I read an interesting article by , a leadership consultant.

Ms. Cairnes suggests that there are at least three measurements that provide assessment for potential leadership. These include Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Quotient, (EQ) and Spiritual Quotient (SQ).

I was fascinated by this premise as I have found it difficult to identify any particular academic track or particular personality style that translates into effective leadership. There are simply, far too many examples of leaders that broke the mold or that reacted to a crisis and provided critical, yet unpredictable leadership.

The following capture a combination of traits and characteristics that seem germane to leadership.

IQ ndash; Intelligence Quotient measures relative cognitive ability and intelligence. We all know this one. We tend to associate high IQ with superior intellect and academic performance.

EQ ndash; Emotional Quotient measures self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social skills. These qualities are often exhibited in a leader rsquo;s character and judgment. Leaders that possess high EQ are motivated, self-disciplined and aspire to excellence.

These leaders are curious and value learning. They create strong organizational cultures where people enjoy contributing and where collaboration and team work are rewarded.
SQ ndash; Spiritual Quotient is the capacity to question, think creatively, change the rules and work effectively in a dynamic world of change.

Leaders that measure a high SQ are not afraid to play with the boundaries, break through obstacles and be innovative.
It is IQ that helps us think while EQ allows us to relate to others. In a static world these may be sufficient.

But the world is not static. Change is the one thing all leaders can count on. It is SQ that gives us the strength to be smart and exercise proper judgment during times of rapid change, chaos and crisis.

The test of leadership is to calmly find productive solutions in times of crisis and adversity.
These measurements may be helpful for you to evaluate and develop your own leadership or provide tools to help you evaluate and develop leaders in your organization. Your best leadership comes from balance and an ability to relate and adapt to a number of personality traits, styles and situations.

Cairnes supports this hypothesis, ldquo;Outstanding performers have high IQ, high EQ and high SQ. This makes them alive, dynamic, sociable and innovative. rdquo; She suggests that such leaders are rarely found in large and traditional organizations where conformity, tradition and status quo are rewarded.

I was once given a small yet valuable book on leadership by called . Depree nicely sums the importance of combining IQ, EQ and SQ.
ldquo;Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do.

The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice. rdquo;
The it is on. And it has surprised me a little.

and Katie Couric on their deal to bring Katie to the CBS Evening News as .

Maybe I just don rsquo;t care enough about the evening news, but I am intrigued by the amount of buzz out there about this decision. Much of it is criticism of CBS which I have a hard time understanding.

I respect anyone that is willing to innovate and take a new approach to an old situation. Apparently, not everyone agrees. Just read the comments on Vaughn Ververs editorial at or .

Jarvis at is critical because it is not bold enough.

I am just a simple-minded businessman but I look at it this way. You run the news department for the perennial 3rd place winner in the 3- ldquo;man rdquo; network race.

You see the world around you ( ) changing as blogs and other media gain share in the market for information and news. A scandal rocks your news division. Does any one here vote to ldquo;stay the course?

rdquo;

CBS has found a slight renewal with Bob Shieffer as its interim anchor. have increased slightly as ratings have decreased for ABC and NBC. Schieffer has restored credibility to the once powerful news division of CBS that brought us Edward R.

Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Harry Reasoner, Mike Wallace and even Dan Rather. It is afterall, the network of . CBS hopes Couric pushes this renewal further.

Not everybody thinks CBS is crazy or that Couric is just fluff. reports that:

How do two giant egos from two different worlds collaborate and succeed? A commitment to a cause and a willingness to put the cause before oneself.

Bono and Gates forge the model. There must be a lesson here.

Excerpts from Time magazine article on 2005 Persons of the Year as posted on the shed some light on the partnership between Gates and Bono in ending poverty and offer insight on how to lead.

Stand for right. Don't be defined by perception or stereotypes.

Another anniversary today. We celebrate the life of John Lennon as we remember his death of 25 years ago.

Lennon was indeed an innovator and leader in music as a member of the Beatles. He ushered in a revolution that impacted the music scene on both sides of the pond.

Lennon was known as an anti-establiment agitator.

I am not sure, had he lived, that he would not have been considered an inovator. His music was diverse, his lyrics inspiring. As noted in , Lennon

I don't know if John Lennon thought of himself as a leader but people followed, they listened.

The words of John Lennon still ring true, a testament to the timelessness of .