ITLP Tuesday Readings

The tuesday Reading today is "Are You Learning as Fast as the World is Changing?", written by Bill Taylor for the Harvard Business Review blog. Taylor is William C. Taylor is cofounder of Fast Company magazine and author of Practically Radical: Not-So-Crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry, and Challenge Yourself.

French novelist Marcel Proust said, "The real art of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes." Taylor exhorts us that "In a world that never stops changing, great leaders never stop learning." Paraphrasing Max DePree, when a leader needs to learn something, he allocates time to do that learning.

Learning new things is all about exposing yourself to new ideas. To learn faster, you have to think differently including about where new ideas come from.

In the essay, Taylor shares three ideas that he believes will "help you keep learning as fast as the world is changing:"

1. The best leaders (and learners) have the widest field of vision. Steve Jobs, in the PBS Documentary "Triumph of the Nerds" said: "Ultimately it [creativity] comes down to taste. It comes down to trying to expose yourself to the best things humans have done and then trying to bring those things to what you're doing." Taylor says it this way: You're not going to learn faster (or deeper) than everyone else if you seek inspiration from the same sources as everyone else. Educators know that we learn the most when we encounter people, experiences, and ideas that are the least like us. ... [I]f you want to learn faster, look and live more broadly.

2. The best source of new ideas in your field can be old ideas from unrelated fields. Amazingly, it often turns out that new ideas in one area bear an uncanny resemblance to "old" ideas from other areas. Well established practices can look downright revolutionary when you use them in new places. For example, Atul Gawande, a surgeon at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, in a recent article in the New Yorker compares what goes on in a Cheesecake Factor restaurant's kitchen to surgical processes in his hospital. The opportunities for improvement are clear.

3. Most successful leaders work hard not to be loners. Successful leaders build relationships and use their networks as sources for new ideas. Using these ideas requires a new mindset - ambition to tackle very difficult problems and humility to learn from everyone you encounter. "Nobody alone learns as quickly as everyone together."

As Bill Taylor notes, "We all want to be better learners. And the best leaders, it turns out, are the most insatiable learners."

So, stop and reflect: Are you learning as fast as your world is changing? If not, maybe there are sums suggestions here for you to put to use this week.

. . . . jim

Posted by Jim Hall at 9:37 AM | Permalink

Todays Reading, "Leadership Reflections from a 'Motorbike,'" Part 2 continues IT•LP reflection written by Michelle Reynolds, alumnus of ITLP 2012 and Assistant Director for Central IT Support at Cornell.

Last week Michelle led us to reflect on her first five rules:

• Stay alert
• Be conscientious of the neighborhood
• Visibility is important
• Everyone can see things differently
• Language barriers exist everywhere

These five rules along with the following five serve as a helpful reminder of some of the key lessons from the Leaders Program. As you read them, take the time to ask how you are applying this "rule" in your leadership journey?

. . . . jim

Leadership Reflections from a "Motorbike"

ITLP has opened us up to new ways in approaching things and added items to our toolkit. Below are some the things I have learned on my journey as a leader and they have helped guide me to gain confidence and find a stronger voice in our organization.

My leadership reflections started when I was riding into work the other day and was thinking about what to write. All of a sudden I started comparing the ride on my motorbike to my leadership journey. Of course, I was on the motorbike so I couldn't stop to write all my thoughts down, so I had to think of a way to categorize them, thus rules of the road came into play.

10 Rules of the Road :: Part 2

#6 Health: It's important!

If you don't feel well the last thing you want to do is hop on your bike and ride in or travel anywhere. When we think of our leadership energy and health it should follow the same philosophy. If you don't have your "game on" be careful what you try to do. Don't try to be motivational in a meeting when you have a nasty cold, it's hard for both you and the team. Your productivity and health are directly linked, make sure that both you and your team take the time to stay healthy.

#7 Recognize and adapt

Sometimes you will be out on the road and another person will join in behind you. There are certain rules to riding; one is you don't ride side by side because if you need to change course quickly to avoid danger the other person will not have time to react because they might not see the same thing. Riding in a staggered fashion is much safer for everyone on the road. As leaders are we sometimes trying to compete with our peers at the same point and can't adjust because we are so busy with our own agenda. Sometimes it pays to change your position and go backstage to watch what is happening downstage for others. It can open up a whole new frame of reference for what you are seeing and provide even better ideas.

#8 Be open to feedback

When you are riding, you might not be aware of something you are doing or something that could be going on with your bike. Remember to be open to feedback from others. Feedback will come in many different forms as well and make sure you are in tune with the filters we have when we receive feedback. Even the newest of riders can provide valuable insight. By letting them know you are open for feedback, it could make your journey much more enjoyable and successful.

#9 Use three environmental lenses

When you are riding, you have sunglasses to help block the sun, clear glasses when riding at dusk, and night lenses to help illuminate your surroundings at night. These really are easy to figure out when thinking about what to use. The political, cultural, and strategic lenses are not so easy. Sometimes we should think about things through all three to see the whole picture and other times we need to use one or two to try to figure out navigation past an obstacle. As leaders, make sure to keep using all of them and not just for the problems or obstacles but as a proactive tool to steer out of trouble in advance.

#10 Find what motivates you

Some riders care more about the bike you own then the actual ride. For others if you're on two wheels and enjoying the ride then that's all they need. Many people don't want to ride and don't want others to even own the bike. As leaders, make sure to try to understand what motivates people because it's not always the same for everyone. Some want recognition, some want status, others want cold hard cash. For some it's the office with a door where others are happy with a cubicle. Others might want lunch once in a while and just recognition or a thank you. There are some that want promotions and others are happy with the job that they have. In your role, remember the best thing you can give that is free is praise, feedback, and thanks.

These are reflections on my leadership journey while being perched on a Suzuki C50 Touring Boulevard, that is where I find a lot of my "iTime". I am looking forward to the next 1,000 miles.

FYI - Someone once asked me what it meant when two bikes pass and they drop their left hand down to each other. That is actually a gesture of acknowledgment, respect, and a way to express that "It is a great day to be riding!". I wonder what that would look like if leaders started their own trend.

Posted by Jim Hall at 12:46 PM | Permalink

Todays Reading, "Leadership Reflections from a 'Motorbike,'" is a IT•LP reflection written by Michelle Reynolds, alumnus of IT•LP 2012 and Assistant Director for Central IT Support at Cornell.

Michelle's reflection, which follows, provides us with "10 Rules of the Road," the leadership road, that is. And, they serve as a helpful reminder of some of the key lessons from the Leaders Program. Today, we provide the first five of Michelle's rules. As you read them, take the time to ask how you are applying this "rule" in your leadership journey? (We'll turn to the remaining five next week.)

. . . . jim

Leadership Reflections from a "Motorbike"

ITLP has opened us up to new ways in approaching things and added items to our toolkit. Below are some the things I have learned on my journey as a leader and they have helped guide me to gain confidence and find a stronger voice in our organization.

My leadership reflections started when I was riding into work the other day and was thinking about what to write. All of a sudden I started comparing the ride on my motorbike to my leadership journey. Of course, I was on the motorbike so I couldn't stop to write all my thoughts down, so I had to think of a way to categorize them, thus rules of the road came into play.

10 Rules of the Road :: Part 1

#1 Stay alert

How many of us drive into work and pull in the parking lot and don't remember any part of the drive except leaving our driveway? You cannot do that when you are on a motorbike or accidents happen. That made me think about self-awareness and paying attention to the task at hand. The day can be such a whirlwind that you get to the end of it, you have been there an extra two hours and you didn't get any of the three tasks you listed in the morning completed. How can we pay attention to the warning signs of being swept up in the current of meetings, e-mails and other people's agendas?

#2 Be conscientious of the neighborhood

When you are out riding in the country you need to pay attention for wildlife, while in the city it might be children playing, dogs on the loose, or pedestrians. Sometimes we forget as leaders that "where you are matters" based on who is in meetings or where you are on campus, or even when you are at lunch. If you are in a management meeting you can be really open and put different thoughts on the table. If you are in a meeting with your team you might not want to have the same conversation. Other people are always around, so if you are having a hallway conversation try to remember that others pass by and at lunch people come and go at the tables next to you. What you say where can have an impact.

#3 Visibility is important

When you hop in the car in the morning does it matter what you have on? When you get on the bike you need to pay attention to what you are wearing for safety, visibility, and presence so that other vehicles notice you. As a leader, these same things should concern you for your team, management, and peers. What is the environment you are creating? Does everyone have a voice in it? Are you available for your team or are you too busy with your own work (too much managing, not enough delegating)? Does your team see you as a leader watching out for them and taking them along on the journey or are you running ahead and leaving them behind. When you pay attention to presence, it can open up a whole new experience.

#4 Everyone can see things differently

When you are riding based on where you are looking the ride is different for you than it is for others. Don't assume that everyone sees things the same way as you. Try to keep assumptions out of the way and have a dialogue to make sure everyone is on the same page. Sometimes what management sees, hears and knows is different than what the front line sees, hears, and knows. We should try to make sure the vision and reality are as close together as possible. If not, we should strive to try to close the gap the best way possible.

#5 Language barriers exist everywhere

I started off this reflection with the word motorbike, and how many people chuckled or made some sort of mental note? Language people use is sometimes varies and can have a whole different meaning. Make sure to clarify things that could be ambiguous or when you don't know what an acronym is that someone uses, ask. Also, when someone uses words that trigger us, do we ask a question to try to understand what they are saying better? For example, I was having a dialogue in a meeting the other day about turnaround times for service delivery and the gentleman at the other end said "I don't want to argue, but......" and my trigger alarm sounded loud in my head (he was in a debate). He uses that statement too much, so I found the courage to lean back, find my curious questioning voice and asked him to explain what he meant by argue. The whole conversation and tone changed by my inquiry and we went on to have a great discussion.

Posted by Jim Hall at 12:01 PM | Permalink

There's a rule you really have to make New Year's Resolutions. Today's Tuesday Reading, "10 Resolutions to Make 2013 Your Best Year Ever", will help you get started. It's from the pen of Shawn Parr, CIO of Bulldog Drummond, a San Diego based consultancy focused on innovation and design.

Parr notes that we each choose, consciously or not, how we show up each day. His list will give all of us some ideas about having a happier and productive New Year, at home and at work.

1. Grab the year by its ears. Reflect on 2012 - celebrate your successes, identify your failures. Map out what you've learned and what you want to change in the coming year. Know what success in 2013 will look like for you and the steps you need to take to get there.

2. Values are valuable. Revisit your values, what's important on a personal level. These values should guide how you live and work on a daily basis. Put them to work.

3. Gratitude is the attitude. Say "Thank You" and mean it.

4. Trash the small stuff. Make a list of the small stuff you do every day and what you are going to do about it.

5. Don't make money your god. Money does create choices but it doesn't address our need for purpose. Make sure that money does not define your purpose for what you do.

6. Everything you do matters.

7. Be yourself and be courageous. Take steps consistent with your values and your purpose. You don't have to follow the crowd.

8. Surround yourself with smarts. Don't surround yourself with "yes" people. Make sure that people around you are smarter and different and will call you out and help you hold yourself accountable. Listen to them, say thank you for their advice.

9. Time is like gold, so spend it wisely.

10. Do something new for the first time.

Parr's list gives us lots of ideas to think about and to get our own juices flowing. Identify one, or two things you want to work on and develop action plans, and then do the work!

Let's all make it a great year. . . . jim

Posted by Jim Hall at 10:30 AM | Permalink

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Do something every day that takes you closer to your desired future state. Be the author of your life even when it is difficult. Start now.

Happy New Year!!

Posted by Jim Hall at 12:15 PM | Permalink