Seat 27D... a lesson in disciplined pre-planning!

Its seems hard to believe but three years ago this month I had knee replacement surgery.  Today, three years later, I am doing great and my knee is strong (much stronger than before the surgery!!) and I am more active today than before the surgery.  Like many of my knee replacement brothers/sisters, the recovery process was VERY challenging and I am so thankful to have friends and close family members who really took care of me (physically and emotionally) in those first few weeks/months after the surgery.  It may seem far fetched, but its in this context that I want to explore the elements and focus points of "disciplined pre-planning!"

My surgeon and his team had been very clear with me, "no driving for 6 weeks, no flying for 8 weeks" and while I heard those words, I was "certain" that I would be an exception and already started thinking about car trips and flights ahead of that schedule; wow was I wrong!!  Once I came home from surgery, I was blown away by the pain management issues and the mobility/flexibility limitations so after a few days I forgot all about "beating the timetable," and started trying to imagine how I would every be able to navigate a car, or an airport again.  While at that moment it seemed a distant aspiration, I dove into my PT regimen and really started feeling better and more myself after four or five weeks.  It was then, that I booked my first flight, ATL-PHX (atlanta to phoenix) and started working on really "pre-planning" the details of that trip.

Let me pause to say that I am so fortunate to have a trusted friend and work partner, Cathy, in my life now for over 22 years!  Cathy and I have worked closely together in numerous work situations, back when I was at Coke, when I was at Bolthouse Farms and most recently over the past four years with Levisay Consulting.  Wherever I am working/traveling, I try to start the day with a checkin with Cathy to get grounded on the issues and priorities at hand.  I am deeply appreciative for the past 22+ years and am looking forward to many more ahead!!  Back to the flight , ATL-PHX.

Cathy and I worked on the travel logistics together for that trip and I was obviously nervous and worried.  I was moving around without a "walker," but needed a cane for support at that moment and knew I wasn't going to be able to run or even walk very fast to make a flight.  In addition, my knee was VERY tender and any bumping or banging was going to be a disaster, so lots to consider when making arrangements.  Cathy worked on the travel logistics and got me into a large, exit row aisle seat (27D if I remember correctly) on the Delta 757 and the trip went without a major hitch!!

The reason for this story comes from my flight last week to LA where I sat in seat 27C of the same kind of airplane and had a fellow passenger coming down the center aisle of the plane completely banged into and jammed my right knee, my surgery knee!!  While painful and surprising, it wasn't devastating since I have had such a good recovery over the past three years.  While no big deal last week (I felt fine the next day actually,) it did make me wonder what would have happened if that had occurred on that ATL-PHX flight back in 2016!  It would have been devastating and a total mess and as I was imagining the pain (yow!!) I realized that it probably wouldn't have happened at all since I was in Seat 27D, not 27C on that historic flight.  Think about it, 27C is an exit row aisle seat with my right knee open to the aisle..... right in the action zone, where 27D is an exit row aisle seat where my right knee is protected from the center aisle and adjacent to the middle seat passenger.

This may all seem trivial and a bit technical, but it struck me last week how we ( probably totally Cathy!!) had really thought thorough the planning for that trip back in 2016 and insured that i not only got a exit row seat with a lot of room, but also one where my "weak knee" would be protected from the center aisle passenger traffic.  That was the lightbulb moment for me, "disciplined pre-planning" kept me safe on that trip ATL-PHX!  Really thinking though a situation allowed me to avoid the "bump" and the "jam" of the passengers in the center aisle that happens so frequently.  having a work partner like Cathy who really knew my challenges and issues at that moment allowed me to have a successful trip without accident or issue!

As you think about your future trips, or business plans, customer meetings, candidate interviews, board discussions, etc.,  take an extra second and ask yourself if you are looking hard enough at the situation at hand to determine the seat 27D (vs seat 27C) option that will allow you the most success at the challenge that lies ahead for you.  Take an extra moment to do the "disciplined pre-planning" and I am confident that you will benefit from the time and energy spent!

Wishes for Mercy,Justice & Humility on Christmas

On this beautiful snowy Vermont morning, I feel so fortunate to be with my extended family on this Christmas day!  In this year of turmoil, anger and uncertainty, our world needs to hear messages of peace and joy now more than ever.  As we take a moment at this holiday with family and friends, lets us all find ways to be generous and caring to those in need, and those hurting or lonely this Christmas season.

While not a traditional Christmas bible passage, a passage from the Old Testament prophet Micah comes to my mind this morning with a powerful and timely message for us all:

Micah 6:8  (NIV)

⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy    and to walk humbly^[a] with your God.

These three “requirements” seem to be very important calls to action in our time; the prophet bidding all of us to …

                         “act justly”

                        “ love mercy”

                        “and to walk humbly with your God.”

While written over 2500 years ago, these words ring true today!  I hope and pray that we can all find ways toward justice, mercy and humility this holiday season and in the New Year to come.

Merry Christmas

In honor of (and with very fond personal memories) of our 41stPresident

I was struck with sadness, like so many other Americans, this past weekend by the loss of President George Herbert Walker Bush.  While he lived a long life filled with distinctive national and global impact, along with a deep loving commitment to family, his passing struck quite a

personal chord.

In 2006, while a senior executive for The Coca-Cola Company, I had the unique responsibility and honor to host President Bush at a U.S. convenience store industry conference that the company sponsored.  He was the keynote speaker at the event held in Phoenix, and my role was to “pick him up” in Houston (on a company plane), fly him to Phoenix, give a set of introductory opening remarks before his main-stage speech, facilitate the Q&A session, lead a VIP photo event and ultimately escort him home to Houston that same night.  What an itinerary!!  As I look back on it, I had a rare chance to spend 10-12 hours with the president, many of them in a private one-on-one setting.  What an honor!


As I think back on that remarkable day, I have had a flood of memories of unique events and vignettes from that day.  While I won’t go into exhaustive detail, I will share two stories from that day that I have found memorable and inspiring over the years.  The first came as we found our way to the “green room” behind the stage at the resort hosting the event.  The plan was for me to go on stage after the meetings’ lunch break, share some prepared remarks and introduce the President.  He suggested that I “not go too far away offstage” since we were going to do a Q&A session immediately at the end of his remarks. Stage direction from such a pro, … I was honored!  As I was thinking about this idea of “staying close,” he asked in a quiet tone if I could “help navigate” the Q&A session.  At first I didn't understand where he was going until he pointed to his hearing aid and said that he wasn't sure that he was going to hear 100% of the audiences’ questions and that maybe I could summarize and repeat the questions from the audience.  It was a very unexpected moment of vulnerability, and one that I will never forget.  I proudly played the role of “navigator,” the audience filled with interesting questions and the President totally in command of the moment.


A second memory comes from the flight back to Houston.  I had so many questions for President Bush and as we took our seats on the plane, I was eager to dive into my list! (What a surprise.)  He sat down and immediately brought out his brief case and opened it in his lap.  It was and “attaché “ style case, and opened in a 90-degree fashion.  He immediately took out a stack of personalized note cards and said to me that it was his practice to immediately write “thank you notes” for the hosts and key individuals from the event. He asked me to help him highlight the key notes that needed to be written.  We went over the event and he wrote out personalized notes to 4-5 key executives that had hosted the meeting and our visit to Phoenix. I had the honor to receive a few of those notes personally; an image of one is highlighted above.
I have so many memories, and took so many “lessons” away from that special day in 2005.  President Bush has left a significant legacy on our world, our nation and on yours truly. 


I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to spend that day with him, so fortunate to be able to ask so many questions, and receive so many insights and in that same spirit I am thankful to have had a chance to pay my respects yesterday as he was lying in state at the nations capitol.
A chilly night with my friend Cathy, waiting in line with thousands of others all who came to Washington with the same wish as Americans (not Democrat or Republican, but as Americans) to pay our respects to an individual who had a significant impact on our generation.
While certainly a somber and poignant moment on that chilly night, I was somehow reminded by the President’s great sense of humor, his friendly nature and his infectious smile. These are memories that I will hold dearly for my lifetime and am grateful and proud to share with you as readers.

Leaders, don't underestimate your impact!

With over 30 years of business experiences in companies large and small, at times working as a senior commercial executive in the food and beverage industry and more recently in running my own consulting firm that has served 35+ clients across a wide range of industries, I continue to come upon examples where key leaders have dramatically affected businesses and organizations by the impact of their actions and/or their inactions.  While I have certainly had the chance to work closely with talented, impactful and inspiring leaders, the contrary examples abound and are the center of the following essay.

In the spirit of confidentiality, I don't plan to "name names" about specific individuals in the following paragraphs, but rather to focus on the lessons that I have learned in some key areas where I have personally witnessed senior leaders really blow it!  In each of the focus areas I will review actions taken that lead an organization awry and other situations where the lack of action was the culprit to failing results.

Talent:  I start with a bias that I have always felt that 'talent" in an organization is precious, and many organizations have historically treated it as fungible/replaceable/generic as they build their strategic plans.  In my consulting work today, I have worked with numerous clients over the past three years and in every assignment, we have dealt with the lack of talent, or the loss of key talent, or the inability to hire great talent into key roles, etc. as major barriers to growth and future performance for those clients' companies.  I have watched this dynamic paralyze senior leader to NOT  replace key senior direct reports who are not performing well in their roles, or who are not living up to the values of the company/organization simply because they were not sure if and how they would replace those under-performers.  Senior leaders who are under-performers are a "cancer" in an organization and while it is harder now than ever to find and retain great talent, holding onto mediocre performers in a "hope" that things will get better is NEVER the right move.  Have high expectations for your entire team, especially your senior team, and treat them as the precious resource they are to your company/organization, and NEVER tolerate poor performance/behavior for long.  Take action and remove those poor performers before they ruin the organization!

Young leaders:  Nurturing your leaders is so important and so often neglected.  Think about how often highly performing individual contributors find themselves promoted into the role of leading a team for the first time and are so often put into those roles with no additional training/coaching/mentoring, etc.  put yourself in their shoes, ... its a freakout!  As you can see from my essays on this blog about leadership, I DEEPLY believe that leading teams is very different from managing projects and it takes work, practice, and support to learn to be a effective leader.  You can read more about this approach at https://fylegacy.blogspot.com/2009/03/three-impact-points-of-leadership.html.  Too often I have watched senior leaders just assume that there is a pipeline of young leaders coming up through an organization, and that there will always be enough talent to fill the organizations leadership needs.... an assumption that is often wrong and always dangerous!  Senior leaders need to nurture young leaders and help by teaching/coaching and mentoring them as they move into their first leadership roles and help them find their way through the inevitable leadership challenges that they will face.  See more on this topic at https://fylegacy.blogspot.com/2009/05/teachable-point-of-view.html

Succession:  This is an area where I have watched senior leaders and boards really do damage to great organizations!  In large companies and small, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations alike, no one wants to take the time and think about the inevitable challenges ahead when key executives depart an organization.  I have unfortunately witnessed organizations really struggle when CEO's pass away abruptly, or founders that become ill, or key executives who become disabled with NO succession plans in place.  While succession plans certainly don't guarantee success, the lack there of typically precedes failure!  While there is no underestimating the power of denial among boards and senior teams, an annual review of a succession plan is needed and the unfortunate reality is that too many organizations DON'T even have succession plans in place for the top/key executive roles.

Innovation:  As a lifeblood of so many organizations, innovation is too often thought about as incremental, episodic, and the domain of one organization ( too often R&D or Marketing.)  Regarding  the concept of "incremental," innovation efforts are regularly driven to be additive to the base set of an organization's brands/products/offerings.  While not incorrect, I believe it is insufficient for long term success.  Innovation needs to drive incremental growth versus an organization's current base of business AND drive to develop new concepts/products/offerings that would make your current offerings outmoded and obsolete.  In this fast paced competitive landscape, if we are not pushing innovation hard enough, we should be certain that competitors known or unknown will!  One added idea on the idea of "episodic," it is my experience that too often we think about innovation fitting into the annual business plan and hitting certain commercial windows.  While true,  we need to think about the concept of "Flow" which is defined as a "steady,continuous stream of something."  The work of innovation needs to be ongoing, and "flowing" in an organization, gaining input and ideas from across an organization and the marketplace, and "flowing" towards the market and shoppers & consumers.  Too often leaders drive innovation to make the next quarter, or annual budget, rather then working for it to be a driving and "flowing" source of growth opportunities across fiscal periods.

Personal Impact:  The reality that senior leaders are watched closely, listened to deeply and talked about pervasively is more true today than ever.  All you need to do is read "Glassdoor" and you can see how key leaders are discussed and reviewed.  It continually surprises me to see/hear senior leaders complain that they are "under a microscope" and that the level of review and critique is "out of bounds" or "unfair." While I am partially empathetic, I am not naive!  Senior execs ARE in the limelight, ARE being reviewed in  micro detail, ARE being discussed and reviewed on-line and live and that's not about to stop!  My recommendation is to not operate in denial but embrace the truth of that dynamic and turn it to your advantage.  Use your personal impact moments "with intent," (read more at https://fylegacy.blogspot.com/2009/08/act-with-intent-redux.html ) and impact the organization in the direction that YOU choose.   Early on in my career I had the chance to work for a number of outstanding leaders, well before the advent of the internet and social media.  Even in those "prehistoric" days, those leaders realized they were highly visible and their public actions were often designed to have the organization "learn lessons" or "build skills" in ways that were "taught" in the everyday flow of their leadership actions.

Hopefully a few of these ideas have struck home and can prove helpful.  Most importantly, I want to encourage all leaders reading this essay to NOT underestimate their impact, but to look for ways to have the impact that they intend.  Leading an organization or a team is truly an honor and a privilege, and my strong encouragement to all readers is to not take it lightly!

A poignant response to the shootings in Pittsburgh…. From 1790 and signed by Gorge Washington

As a son of Pittsburgh who still claims it as my hometown, I have been deeply saddened  and angered by the news of the violent madness that occurred at the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood last week.  I was devastated to hear of the eleven shooting deaths, and the number of individuals wounded, all the work on a madman who somehow thought that this act of anti-Semitic violence was part of his patriotic duty.  There are no words to bring enough comfort for the families of those lost, no indignation great enough to express my, and broadly our revulsion of this act of hatred and violence.  

We live at a moment in our country when a political language of fear, hatred, mendacity, distrust and violence has replaced the concepts of common decency, fact based debate, and neighborly civility.  I am confident that the silent majority of this country is more than annoyed or embarrassed by this trend and we need to stand up, and take action in our own day to day language to find a more thoughtful, balanced , tempered and reasonable vocabulary for our civic dialogue.

It is in that spirit that I share the following inspiration; the letter that George Washington wrote to the Jewish community in Newport Rhode Island in 1790. Early in my career, I held a sales meeting in Newport at The Viking Hotel, very close to the Touro Synagouge, one of our nation’s oldest dating from the 1760’s.  It was there, back in the late 90’s when I first heard of the famous “Washington Letter” and had a chance to read a copy at that time.  A model of governmental ideals, religious liberty, and beautiful civic language, this letter has provided inspiration to many for centuries, and for me has never been more applicable than now!

Take a moment and read the letter, copied below from the Touro Synagouge website, http://www.tourosynagogue.org, and find a way to appreciate the words AND take action to apply them today.  I took the liberty to put in bold font a key paragraph that has affected me deeply, the core sentence being 

…”for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.”

Let us “give bigotry no sanction,” let us give “persecution no assistance,”  and instead work hard in our actions and our language to be “good citizens,” working TOGETHER to give our country and all our neighbors “effectual support.”

George Washington's Letter 

to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport

Gentlemen:

While I received with much satisfaction your address replete with expressions of esteem, I rejoice in the opportunity of assuring you that I shall always retain grateful remembrance of the cordial welcome I experienced on my visit to Newport from all classes of citizens.

The reflection on the days of difficulty and danger which are past is rendered the more sweet from a consciousness that they are succeeded by days of uncommon prosperity and security.

If we have wisdom to make the best use of the advantages with which we are now favored, we cannot fail, under the just administration of a good government, to become a great and happy people.

The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy—a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.

It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.

It would be inconsistent with the frankness of my character not to avow that I am pleased with your favorable opinion of my administration and fervent wishes for my felicity.

May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants—while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.

May the father of all mercies scatter light, and not darkness, upon our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in His own due time and way everlastingly happy.

G. Washington

Vote for America; voting is the lifeblood and oxygen that our democracy needs now!

I am very proud to say that earlier this week, I went to one of my identified early voting sites

DeKalb county:

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/election-2018-where-vote-early-dekalb-county/4dGWjs5LszFEWfG9Z4CmNK/

Fulton county:

http://www.fultoncountyga.gov/images/stories/RAE/2018/EV_Schedule.pdf 

 in metro Atlanta and cast my votes in the mid-term election of 2018!  This year's voting experience has seemed more vital than even, as our country and our democracy is facing real challenges on many fronts.  Now maybe more than ever the voice of the people needs to be heard not only in demonstrations/social media bursts or blog posts( yours truly totally included) but at the voting booth all across our country and across all ages, demographics, etc!  Our country and our democracy needs us to vote now!!

Walking out of the polling location,  I had a complete flashback to a moment coming out of the 2000 election where I was taught a very valuable lesson on this same point, that the voice of our country needs to be heard through the voting booth.  It was in 2001 or 2002 when I was a senior marketing executive at Coke, where I was sent to a meeting held at Home Depot headquarters to a meeting of Atlanta based companies being convened by Norman Lear.  For those who don't know, Mr. Lear is an award winning ( Emmy, Peabody, National Medal for the Arts, Kennedy Center Honors, etc.) writer, director and producer who was the creator of the TV shows "All in the Family," The Jeffersons," "Good Times," "Maude," to name just a few.  He had convened this meeting to gain support from Atlanta based companies for a personal project of national interest.  Compelling and mysterious... I was hooked!

As we gathered in the board room at Home Depot, we all quickly caught a glimpse of what the meeting was all about!  Norman Lear had purchased one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence ( a life size facsimile was in the center of the room) and he wanted to take it on tour across America and he wanted our support.  While I was totally blown away by the presentation, I sheepishly asked what his objective was for the tour.  He quietly responded that " a healthy democracy is an active democracy" and that the sole purpose of his tour was to expand voter registration and turnout.  He reflected back to the 2000 presidential election and commented that it was a major setback for our democracy that the election had been decided by a few hundred "hanging chads" in Florida while voter turnout nationally was only 54% of eligible voters... as he said the voice of the people was not "heard" in 2000.

While we can't go back eighteen years, we can take action now!  This is a moment in our county's history where we need less complaining and MORE VOTING!  Less anguished social media threads aghast at the latest tweet or commentary and MORE VOTING!  Fewer journalists or amateur blog writers wringing their hands at the state of our democracy (again me 100% included) and MORE VOTING!  Talk to your friends, your neighbors, your kids and their friends and find ways to encourage and help them to vote!  Get absentee ballots to your kids in college (and even to their friends!)  Help folks find their way to their polling locations or send around directions to early voting sights ( as my friend Pete did with the links above) but vote yourselves and help others to vote!!  Vote to help our country and our democracy.... Vote for America!

postscript: walking to my car yesterday at the polling spot, a fellow voter in a Braves t-shirt slapped me on the back ( a total stranger so I was a bit startled for sure) and said "this is a great day in America!"  While I have no idea of his name, background , political orientation, etc. I agreed with him ... any day we get a chance to vote is a "great day in America!"

The "Three G's" for Leaders

I have now had the pleasure to work in the business landscape for over thirty years, most of those in a variety of sales and marketing executive roles across number of well known consumer products companies.  Most recently, I have had the pleasure to advise a large number of senior executives as part of the consulting practice that I now lead.  Through all of those experiences, I have had the chance to work with VERY EFFECTIVE as well as VERY INEFFECTIVE / DESTRUCTIVE senior leaders.  While I do not believe there is a simple formula or model that leads to effective impactful leaders, I do believe there are a number of key considerations or practices that help effective leaders "practice" their craft.  Today's essay is about three attributes / practices ( the "active" voice is important in this essay) that I think are critical for leaders to be effective, the attributes / practices that I call " The Three G's for Leaders," Gratitude, Generosity, & Gumption!


Gratitude:


Definition:

NOUN

The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

This attribute is foundational for all of the "Three G's" and in this spirit I have highlighted it first in my list of three.  We are NEVER thankful enough, for the resources, teams, businesses, etc. that we have the chance to work with in our professional lives, none the less the friends, family, experiences, etc. that we have enjoy in our personal lives.  Always start by saying "Thanks!"  Great leaders "get it" that they have unique opportunities and responsibilities in their roles and should start by being thankful and appreciative of the role and the teams/businesses that surround them.  Too often leaders feel like they need to show how smart they are, or how decisive they are, or how powerful they are, ... rarely starting by showing how grateful they are to have the chance to lead the business/team at hand.  An important element of the definition above is the "active voice" of the last two words, "return kindness."  "Gratitude" is not only being appreciative, and being ready to show appreciation but to take action to "return kindness" to the organization /business that surround them.  Think to yourself how rarely the phrase "Leadership Kindness" is bantered around as a key trait for successful leaders .... maybe a theme for an upcoming essay ??


Generosity:


Definition:

NOUN

• 
  

  The quality of being kind and generous.

This attribute / practice emanates from the first "G", and is completely active in tone and orientation.  As leaders, are you taking intentional actions to be "generous" to your direct reports, to your key clients/customers, to your board or your executive team ???  These aren't considerations that I see very often advising key leaders today, and I saw them rarely across my corporate leadership roles. Leaders that I encounter are always SO BUSY, SO STRETCHED, SO DRIVEN, SO STRESSED, etc. but never "SO GENEROUS."  I totally understand that this idea / practice is really hard, who has the time to find slots in their over-scheduled calendars to take actions of kindness or generosity??  While I relate to the fact that this is hard, I want to suggest that it is not something to try to "schedule" into your lives, but to incorporate into your being!  We rarely consider that we need to breathe, walk, eat, drink, sleep, use the bathroom, etc. just to live.  Could we work to find ways to incorporate "generosity" into our day to day rhythms, to be as regular and natural as getting our morning coffee or commuting to work??


Gumption:


Definition:

NOUN

 Shrewd or spirited initiative and resourcefulness.

Businesses always have ups and downs, just like the cycles of cultures and civilizations, no organization travels along a straight up ( or down) trend lines.  Leaders need to be ready for the twists and turns around every corner, which is why I have seen "gumption" as a key attribute / practice of successful leaders.  This idea of having "spirited initiative and resourcefulness" in the face of dynamically changing business circumstances really rings true to me personally.  As Chief Customer Officer for Bolthouse Farms (2009 - 2015), I faced a number of business situations that I felt could have dramatically damaged or destroyed the business during my tenure. I remember three such specific moments across my six year tenure and while I was pretty "freaked out" in each circumstance, I kept active and kept looking for ideas and solutions to the immediate challenges we were facing.  I am not sure how "shrewd" I was,  but I was certainly "spirited" and "resourceful" as we worked our way out of each of those three treacherous situations.

As leaders, I hope that we can all remember the "Three G's" in good times and bad, working to take action to bring "Gratitude," "Generosity," and "Gumption" into our leadership roles in the days ahead.  Stay active in your practice of the craft of leadership, keep looking for ways to incorporate these three ideas into the regular rhythm of your professional life and if possible, find ways to teach and model these three practices to the young leaders around you!


Note: in the essay above I have used the phrase "attribute / practice" with intent.  I don't want anyone to think that "The three G's" are learned in some business school class, or are inherent qualities of certain leaders but not others!  We must all keep practicing the craft of leadership and keep looking for ways to improve our skills and approaches across many areas,  and certainly in these three!