In all fairness, I started using the principle of Management by Wandering Around (MBWA) at the start of my leadership journey. It is, for me, not just a nice-to-do activity as a leader, but rather a fundamental principle of leadership that I put into practice.

When done correctly, it demonstrates three things as a leader:

• That you care about the people you work with
• It makes you visible. People don’t have to search for you, especially if your role requires you to be away from the office much of the time or always engaged in meetings.
• You can demonstrate an attentive listening ability to your team.

In his article titled Management by Wandering Around: A Potent Arrow in the Manager’s Quiver (Appel Knowledge Services, Ask Magazine June, 2009) Noel W. Hinners described how as the director of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the late 1970s, applying MBWA opened his eyes to another aspect of leadership.

He wrote: “… coming in early (not to get more work done, but to avoid Washington traffic) I’d get to talk with the people who made the museum tick: the security folks and the janitorial staff. Security had the essential job of protecting exhibits and the public, all the while being pleasant to the visitors. Janitors made the museum hum, cleaning it thoroughly after closing and before opening the next day. The importance pyramid was upside down relative to the organizational one….”
Coming in early and being attentive to conversations with front-line staff allowed him to appreciate them even more.

Many leaders oppose MBWA, and for very valid reasons. They will point to the fact that they can achieve similar results by:
a) Building a strong culture that promotes an open-door policy that encourages employees to step forward and update them or raise issues or
b) Calling employees into their office as frequently as possible and then using that opportunity to seek their feedback.

But can they? I have no issues with maintaining an open-door policy, but it’s not a replacement for MBWA. I would argue that the two are not mutually exclusive. While I will not attempt to batter the concept of open door policy, it does have its limitations when used as a direct replacement to regular MBWA.

Leaders that encourage an open-door policy expect that employees walk up to you and be bold enough to share their needs and concerns. MBWA, on the other hand, involves leaders going out to meet team members at their locations, listening to their concerns, celebrating their successes and showing interest in their circumstances.

Earlier on, I mentioned an important phrase, and I will quickly return to it. I said, “When done properly.” MBWA is hugely beneficial as a means of building a relationship of trust between leaders and their workforce. What are the qualities I would expect a leader to exhibit in conducting MBWA? Firstly, itneeds to be perceived as genuine, and not merely an act of tokenism. A leader should dedicate time to this purpose and not approach it as: “Oh, I have a few minutes before my next meeting, how shall I fill the time?” For this exercise to be valuable, you’ll need to bear the following in mind:

Practice active listening — It’s not an opportunity for you to show off your intelligence or authority. Ask questions and show that you care about the responses. Take notes (I would always ask the consent of the employee, so they feel safe to speak). Remember, it’s not a way for you to name names when sharing your observation with your leadership team later.

Be Genuine — I cannot stress enough the importance of turning up and showing you care — not just about the job, task, or process, but also about the individual. How are they? How did they get to work that morning? How is their family? This is an opportunity to know them, their hobbies, families, etc. What do they work on passionately outside of work?

Convey an air of being relaxed — Employees will feel it and be more relaxed in their engagement with you. The conversation should be professional and casual. That is how the team will feel comfortable enough to share.

Enjoy it — Again, it requires an investment of time and energy. It’s not a once-off activity or once in a quarter — the more spontaneous, the better.

One note of caution is that MBWA is also not an avenue for enthusiastic leadership to effect “knee jerk” reaction to concerns or issues. It’s fact-finding, and it’s essential that employees are not always looking for you to bring an immediate solution to the table. Take comments and views away, and get a second opinion before taking action.

Avoid the temptation to turn it into a “town hall” meeting. This is not about you sharing news about the company but rather a chance to talk with the team.

In closing, I would like to quote Noel Hinners again in the same article I had referred to earlier.

Later on, in his career, as he applied the principles of MBWA, he discovered that: “… MBWA can be especially useful in gaining insight into significant issues that are bothering folks, and are not usually evident. This was brought home to me when I queried a manager as to why we were having so many issues with HQ and another center. Our informal chatter soon led to him telling me that he was dealing with extreme problems at home.

It was affecting his ability to function well at work. This helped me devise a graceful way to reassign him, removing management pressures and enabling him to devote more time to family matters. This was not a one-time occurrence. During my career, I found numerous instances of non-work issues being a root cause of management problems; developing a sensitivity to this can often help to resolve those problems.”

Three key things came from this simple example of MBWA, as shared by Hinners:

• Hinners called it an “informal chatter” but it was detailed enough for the team member to tell him about extreme problems he was having at home. Will people in your team find you trustworthy enough to share their issues with you. Put differently; are you a caring leader?
• He used the word “graceful” when reassigning the employee to other duties. Graceful, in my mind, means a caring, non-judgemental attitude — one where members of staff don’t feel that sharing personal issues will cost them their job.
• Lastly, Hinners encouraged this employee to focus on family issues, yet still be able to function at work. I have met many people who are struggling at home, yet don’t want to take time off work because work allows some relief from issues at home. They need a leader that will be understanding and supportive of this.

In summary, MBWA is a handy, cheap, and useful tool for a leader to implement, that deepens relationships with teams. It requires an investment of time and energy and the willingness to listen. Above all, it’s a good leadership culture to embed in any organization. If the leadership cares, beyond the bottom-line, to the people who come in each day to make it happen, the long-term benefits to the organization should not be underestimated.

I used to “think” about success as a state of mind, a point in time, that could be identified, measured and emulated — that people could compare and contrast one’s worth in the area of physical endurance, intellectual rigor, emotional balance, personal achievement, and business impact. 

This is no longer my understanding of what success is. I have come to realize that: “Success Is the present moment.” It’s the total focus of all of one’s being in the present moment, and that’s all that matters. 

Real success is found when you avoid the comparison of places, people, data, messaging, and emotions. There’s no need for interpretation with baseline experiences when one is called into a conversation. The part about being attentive and truly listening with ones being has been taken to a whole new level of understanding.

It wasn’t easy to get here, and I cannot say that I have “arrived” completely. There’s always the possibility to stray from this realization, as we all have the propensity to fall back on old ways at any time. However, staying in the present is possible using techniques that have been developed through various practices, traditions, and schools of thinking.

In my early years, as an undergraduate who majored in philosophy, I was fortunate enough to delve into many different eastern and western philosophies. A questioning mind has always been an integral part of my psyche, that includes a curiosity that wants to grasp the meaning of life and unravel what we’re doing here, and how to achieve, create and succeed.

Although the wisdom of the ages was revealed to me through scriptures, books, and programs, the real connection between success and the present moment did not truly unveil until recently.

I cannot say there was one single teaching or program that caused this realization. It was a combination of circumstances that moved me in this direction. It may have been my readiness to experience this reality, a yearning to move to a place of surrender, the eagerness to serve humanity and the discomfort in witnessing around me the greed, destruction, and exploitation of people and our planet. I don’t have the answer as to exactly why this all happened and even if it was divine timing. It doesn’t matter now. 

The connection between being in the present moment, doing what needs to be done, giving all my attention to the present moment without a waiver of doubt, results in a deep sense of joy. This is my new reality.

Expanding on this notion of doing what needs to be done in the present moment — it’s important to note that the doing has to be effortless, without conflict and with the absence of ego. The ego is driven by thoughts that elevate oneself, which suggests a state of comparison. This comparison then conjures up a feeling of inadequacy or superiority.  

This is a falsehood of success as this perception is a thought process that conjures up a reality that is not real. Thought and comparisons can never truly experience all that has occurred in the life of another. There is not, and never will be, an ability to experience what another person goes through. We may use words to express an experience of reality, but our salvation of life’s experiences can only be found in the here and now.

This leads us to what we can truly control: ourselves, through thoughts, emotions, and actions. This is the first step toward the journey of success. The next step is a real leap. If there is one way to describe the experience, it would be the “losing” of oneself to the experience — without thought or emotions. 

It’s a connection to what is alive and present. Be it a tree, ocean waves, the act of gardening, or the ritual of a meal. True success is the joy of being in the moment, consciously having all the senses engaged in an activity and delighting in the journey. When happens, success takes place in every experiential moment.

For me, this true leap didn’t happen suddenly. It took a concerted effort, and it didn’t occur in a vacuum. The place where I discovered and explored my connection to the world was Vista Caballo, a leadership development center for conscious leaders based in Dove Creek, Colorado. With the help of technology and online and offline courses, we were guided toward personal transformation, and able to use our unique gifts to help advance humanity towards a healthier planet. This was one experience that I consciously invested in, and which has been instrumental in the unstoppable intensity I experience today.

Seizing success in the present moment does not only have a profound effect on your well-being and fulfillment — it also correlates to success in business. And as a leader, the success spreads to others. 

In my role as CEO of Dhana Inc., I’m responsible for the hiring process — be it employees, consultants, or outside expertise. It’s essential — if not vital — to tune in to the interviewee and listen without interpretation to what the person is saying in response to a question or comment. You need to gather what motivates the person, how that person connects with people and the planet and how they want to be a part of the solution. They need to suggest how they will drive change and be a force for good. This is only achieved by being present, genuinely attentive, and listening without comparison. 

Listening to answers while being totally present is equally important to asking the questions. Without this presence, I wouldn’t find talented individuals who perfectly align with Dhana’s mission and values. I would be caught in a trap, as many are, of asking questions that tick off a checkmark list in comparison to other candidates. 

The Dhana team today is made up of one of the most talented, committed, and conscious people who believe that fashion can unite humanity as well as tackle climate change, and promote sustainable and a regenerative Earth. As we travel this journey called life, and reinvent ourselves, every step of the way, I’m forever grateful to have found success in the present moment.

Cofounder and former president of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and mogul in the service world, Horst Schulze, offers a timely message on leadership. Here he distills some of the principles that guided him through six decades of success — lessons that can propel anyone on the path toward excellence by caring for people above profits.

Organizational leaders all over the world instinctively assume that many of their employees are reluctant donkeys who need a shove from behind, while only a minority are motivated to get moving on their own initiative. The leaders might not put it this bluntly, of course. But deep down inside, it’s how they’re thinking. They assume this is just the burden of leadership. Thankfully, we’ve gotten past the days of snarling slave drivers with whips. 

Methods to raise productivity have gotten more nuanced in our time. But is this really the best we can do? Who will do a better job: the employee who “has to” because the boss is breathing down his neck or the employee who wants to do the job? Obviously, it would be the latter. 

Once you or I take an employee on board, it is our job to lead them to want to be connected to the overall goal. As more people, from the lowest ranks to the highest, understand customer desires and want to meet them efficiently, our overall success will swell — and our personal heartburn will lessen. 

What I Believe 

I believe we were all made with two fundamental desires: (1) purpose and (2) relationship. We’re not designed to flounder aimlessly through life. We’re hardwired to want to do something of value. It may be anything from painting a picture to building a toolshed to flying to the moon. 

We’ve been programmed to seek to achieve in some area so we can look back with pride and say, “I did that.” Along the way, we crave relationships with other human beings. We want to connect, to talk, to be heard, to interact, to gain new ideas, to help another person, and, yes, even to love. The task of any business leader is to accept these two realities and channel them into his or her work. I like what James Autry, former president of the Meredith Corporation (publisher of a dozen or more national magazines), wrote in one of his books: “Business, like art and science, has been revealed and conceived through the intellect and imagination of people, and it develops or declines because of the intellect and imagination of people.”

In fact, there is no business; there are only people. Business exists only among people and for people. Seems simple enough, and it applies to every  aspect  of business, but not enough business people seem to get it. Reading the economic forecasts and the indicators and the ratios and the rates of this or that, someone from another planet might actually believe that there really are invisible hands at work in the marketplace. 

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HORST’S 6 HUMBLE PIE TACTICS:
(1) Never try to laugh off a customers problem or crack a joke. (2) If you get a complaint, own it immediately. (3) Don’t say “they” or “them”; instead, say “I.” (4) Ask for forgiveness. Go ahead and spit out the words: “Please forgive me.” (5) Don’t appeal to the policy manual, as in, “Well, our guidelines say that…” (6) Don’t try to parade your expertise, as in, “Well, the reason this happened is because the system is set up to recognize certain signals and blah blah blah…” 

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It’s easy to forget what the measurements are measuring. Every number — from productivity rates to salaries — is just a device contrived by people to measure the results of the enterprise of other people. For managers, the most important job is not measurement but motivation. And you can’t motivate numbers. That last sentence deserves to be put in bold type and capital letters. We who lead businesses and organizations are not in the numbers game! We’re in the people game — dealing with customers, employees, colleagues, owners, and all the rest for the best possible outcomes. 

If you don’t believe people have a bedrock yearning for purpose and relationship, then you may turn into something very dark — an exploiter of people. Your days, weeks, months, and years become one power play after another, taking advantage of every chance you get to extract talent and money for your own benefit. People quickly come to distrust you. Their opportunities to blossom, to be excellent in what they do, are squeezed time and again. They begin to shrivel on the inside, or else they run away to a healthier environment. I will go so far as to draw this distinction: Managers push; leaders inspire. 

If you are just shoving and watchdogging and reprimanding your employees, don’t call yourself a leader. Stop and ask yourself how you can change to be an inspiration to those in your charge. 

Beyond Pep Talk 

Inspiring employees to have a positive attitude about their work does not, however, mean resorting to rah-rah language and euphemisms. In fact, such verbiage can work against us, causing cynicism. 

You may remember your high school days of reading George Orwell’s famous novel 1984, with its newspeak vocabulary of terms such as joycamp — in actuality, a grim forced-labor camp. 

Here are just a few examples from today’s organizational jargon: 

“We’re a team!” That is, of course, a very good idea — if the team members are unified around a common objective. A football team exists for a greater purpose than just wearing special uniforms and high-fiving each other. Its whole point is to cross the goal line and get into the end zone more times than the opponent. Each player has a role to play in helping make that happen. A team also lives by certain rules. They have to show up for practices at the appointed times. They have to memorize the playbook. They have to do what the coach requires. 

Bosses who flippantly roll out the “team speech” without an underlying objective or set of expectations that everyone understands and embraces are just wasting their breath. Have you ever wondered why people choose to retire? Too many times it is because they’ve spent a lifetime working but never sensing that their effort contributed to anything meaningful. They just spent their time at work occupying a function. And now they’re eager to get out of that box.

“You’re all associates!” This is the new upgrade term for employees. My question is, “Associated to what?” Does the person have any sense of being tied into something larger, integrated into a cause or goal? If not, it won’t matter what their clip-on name tag says. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve consulted at a company where everyone was called an “associate” and randomly asked, “So, what’s the objective of this company? What are you associated to?” — only to get blank stares. People couldn’t frame any kind of coherent response. They had no idea. 

“We’re a family!” The term family is a very precious, deeply emotional word. It brings up feelings of love, safety, caring, protection, enrichment, identity, and heritage. Even if someone’s family of origin was not the healthiest, they still carry within their hearts a notion of what they wish their home had been like. For a workplace to call itself a family is to stake a lofty claim. It means the people here truly care about each other, look out for one another’s interests, seek to develop one another’s talents, and believe the best about their coworkers. Until this is a reality, the word is not suitable. When companies hold summer picnics and Christmas parties, they are making headway at creating a sense of belonging. That is a good start, and much more can be done to encourage a true family setting. 

“Service always implies caring. If we settle for lesser goals — meeting the budget, for example, or safeguarding our jobs in a tough economy — we will miss the most important work.”

When I was growing up in Germany, a man named Wilhelm Furtwängler was arguably the greatest symphony conductor of the century. His Berlin Philharmonic was incredible. He bravely stayed in Germany through almost all of World War II, giving the Nazis fits because he wouldn’t endorse their vile ideology. He refused to give the Nazi salute or to sign his letters “Heil Hitler!’ like everyone else. The Reich would like to have gotten rid of him, but they didn’t dare, because his music was so revered. 

Years later, I saw a television interview of an American musician who, after the war ended, rushed to Germany to get hired in this man’s orchestra. He was asked to describe the experience. 

“Let me recall the first day,” he replied. “I was standing in the back of the rehearsal hall studying my score, since I was due to join the next set. But I could not concentrate; I realized I had never heard music like that. It went to a level I didn’t think was humanly possible. It gave me chills. I looked closer and saw that it was not an assistant conducting the rehearsal; it was Furtwängler.”

This musician did not cross the ocean from America to Germany for a paycheck. It was all for the soaring thrill of excellence. 

Great leaders hold great expectations, which they will not compromise. But this does not deter their followers. Yes, the followers may sigh sometimes and say it’s hard to please the leader, but in their hearts they know it is worth the effort. They, too, want to be the best. And they want their family and friends to admire them as a result. 

It Pays Off 

Not long ago, I attended a grand reopening for a hotel in Bali, Indonesia, that used to be a Ritz-Carlton. Now the owners had asked Capella to come in and manage it instead. There was a massive reception with hundreds of important people present — politicians, village leaders, tour operators, travel agents, you name it. I was invited to give a little speech about our dreams for the future of this establishment. Afterward, a shy, young Indonesian waited around to talk to me. “Do you have a minute, Mr. Schulze? I know you are a very busy man.” 

“Yes, of course you can talk to me,” I replied. “Mr. Schulze, I was a banquet waiter when you opened this hotel as a Ritz-Carlton,” he began. “I was at the orientation you did, standing at the back and listening carefully. And after you left, I came up and took the flipcharts you had drawn. I went home and studied them again. I can still repeat every word you said. Now I am the general manager of a hotel in Ubud [one of Bali’s most famous tourist destinations], up in the mountains. I just want to thank you.” 

What a fulfilling moment for me. It made my day — or even more so, it made my year. As I reflected later, I thought back to how that first maître d’ had inspired me as a teenager to care for guests. Now history was repeating itself. 

I had learned not to focus on the dollars, but to focus instead on the things that make the dollars. Whenever I do an orientation, I always pray that at least one person will “get it” — that they’ll take what I’ve said and internalize it and then go out and apply it for their future. In this case, that prayer was answered. 

Inspiring employees is vital to an organization’s success. And sometimes it bears more fruit than we could ever imagine.

In a time when authenticity is everything, creating and maintaining a positive online reputation isn’t just helpful, it’s imperative.

When it comes to sheer likeability, T-Mobile CEO John Legere is in a class of his own. The 61-year-old company leader has earned recognition from both CNBC and Fast Company for being one of the most liked CEOs in the country; as of the last count, he enjoyed approval ratings of 96%. With numbers like these tied to his name, it seems only fair to expect Legere to have a similarly sterling reputation online. After all, research from Edelman Insights indicates that 65 percent of people view an online search as their most trusted source of information about individuals and businesses. 

The assumption goes like this: A CEO who sparks critical headlines will likely struggle against contention, criticism, and — of course — low approval numbers. Someone like Legere, an approachable leader with a near-perfect approval rating, wouldn’t have anything but a pristine record online — right?

Wrong. A quick Google search of Legere’s name reveals articles from the Los Angeles Times and Fast Company that lambast the T-Mobile CEO for potential conflicts of interest and overspending. The apparent corporate scandal might appear to be the death knell for his reputation as a likable leader — but, surprisingly, it isn’t. 

Clickable scandals aside, Legere’s Google search results reveal active and personable Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram profiles. A remarkable amount of information about his life, career, and personality are available at a glance; his first page on Google search show a Wikipedia page, press releases from T-Mobile, and, most memorably, a link to a cookbook of Sunday slow cooker recipes pulled from Legere’s popular Facebook Live cooking show. 

In other words — while negative articles lurk in Legere’s Google results, the character context that his favorable properties provide prevents potentially problematic links from dominating his online reputation. The negative articles seem more like a one-time mistake in the life of an otherwise likable leader, rather than a crippling judgment of his person. 

For CEOs, reputation is all about public perception

Having a well-defined online reputation is more important than leaders might think. When employees, consumers, and stakeholders find negative articles online and have no character insights to countermand or contextualize the smears they see, the CEO’s character is at risk. Perceived honesty is already something that CEOs struggle with; according to Gallup, business executives tend to rank near the bottom on lists of professions by ethics. Thus, it may not matter to rank-and-file employees or clients that a CEO accomplished a great deal behind closed company doors — if that positive perception is not also evident online, their trust and approval will begin to erode. 

This loss of trust can have significant repercussions for a company, as well. One 2015 study from Interaction Associates found that high-trust companies “are more than 2½ times more likely to be high performing revenue organizations” than low-trust companies. High-profile CEOs need to maintain positive reputations and put time into online reputation management — not only for themselves but also for their company’s well-being. 

Many people believe that having a positive online reputation means having an entirely clear first page of Google results — but that isn’t necessarily the case. As Legere exemplifies, having a positive digital footprint is more about highlighting the positive facets of a person’s character than it is hiding mistakes or negative articles from view. As a high-profile CEO, Legere receives so much attention that it’s difficult to avoid negative press and critical headlines entirely. Even so, the work he has put into his online presence — and his stellar approval ratings — clearly shows that those unflattering listings do not define him. CEOs can and should be proactive in building a nuanced, authentic, and overall positive self-portrait online. 

Of course, some might argue that honest CEOs do not need to have an online presence at all; after all, how hard can it be for a “good” leader to avoid critical headlines? The answer is complicated, but in short: it’s next to impossible. 

Negative articles are inevitable for modern CEOs

While commenting on non-business matters was once taboo for corporate leaders, modern trends in leadership compel CEOs to be more outspoken and authentic than they ever have been before. Analysts for Weber Shandwick recently found that CEOs have begun taking a more significant role in moral leadership. Moreover, younger workers expect their leaders to be vocal in contentious matters; according to Weber Shandwick’s research, “twice as many Millennials said they would feel increased loyalty (rather than decreased loyalty) toward their CEO if he or she took a stand on a hotly debated issue (44% vs. 19%, respectively).” 

The benefits of increased loyalty, however, come with a catch. In taking a stand, CEOs open themselves up to criticism and public lambasting by those who disagree with their viewpoints. The potential for negative press online is considerably more present, as is the risk to a leader’s online reputation.  

That said, even those CEOs who choose not to take moral stands are at risk. Today, business leaders are encouraged to be more authentic, raw, and straightforward with their consumers and employees than in years past. They are encouraged to cut past the conventional hedging and PR babble and be “real;” popular leadership advice books today include titles like Chris Hirst’s No Bullsh*t Leadership: Why the World Needs More Everyday Leaders and Why That Leader Is You, and David Rowan’s Non-Bullshit Innovation: Radical Ideas from the World’s Smartest Minds. The tone taken is clear: people want authenticity and directness from company leaders, not the plastic-perfect ones of yesterday. 

In the public arena, inauthentic CEOs lose out to those who are more relatable. Yet, leaders who aim to be authentic sometimes find their flaws and stories made uncomfortably public. The truth of the matter is that every CEO, no matter how likable, is at risk for a negative-appearing or scandalous headline. Consider the case of In-n-Out Burger’s owner and CEO Lynsi Snyder, whose passion for fair employee treatment and #4 rank on Glassdoor’s Most-Approved CEO list has been thoroughly overshadowed by articles rehashing her emotional past. 

In a world where authenticity is everything, creating and maintaining a positive online reputation is critical to a leader’s long-term success. No CEO can exist in PR plastic; the trends that leaders face today increase the risk that misunderstandings and one-time mistakes will smear their online personas beyond repair. The only way that company executives can protect themselves — and their companies — from digital harm is to be like John Legere: a real, tangible, and trustworthy character whose positive online presence speaks far more strongly than a few negative articles that sometimes appear in his Google results. 

Leaders need to be heard and clearly understood above the constant noise of the complicated worlds in which they must lead or govern. The stakes in this new communication environment are high. How high?

In survey after survey, the data suggests that leadership communication — for organizations and brands — is critical to trust, reputation, and approval. But some studies report that high-value communication is getting short shrift from organizational leaders. Many leaders still seem to underappreciate — and underperform — their vital communication responsibilities to their many stakeholders, particularly their employees.

A recent Gallup study found that only 13 percent of American employees think that the leadership of their companies communicates effectively with the rest of the organization. And only 15 percent believe that their companies’ leadership inspires enthusiasm about the future.

In addition to Gallup, you can look at recent studies from the Ketchum Leadership Communication Monitor, the Golin- U.S.C. Annenberg Global Relevance Review, PwC’s Global CEO Survey, and other sources. The pattern is similar. If leaders are not motivating and driving desired behaviors, aren’t they risking organizational complacency, irrelevance, and even failure? Of course. At the same time, it has been demonstrated that leadership can add substantial value to enterprise performance, marketplace advantage, and the loyalty of customers, workers, members, and other constituencies. How so?

• Communication provides the thematic skyway for people to visualize the pinnacle of performance. That’s why leaders must clearly tell people what they expect, congratulate them when they deliver on those expectations, and then tell them what they need to do next.

• Strong cultures can be extremely productive so long as their leadership continually leads them forward, in both words and actions. That means continuously communicating new threats and opportunities, while reminding everyone what made them historically successful, if not dominant, in the past.

• Leadership communication is the oxygen that breathes purpose, passion, and personalized meaning into the organization. It provides the “why us?” narrative, explaining why the organization exists and what makes its products, services, and standards superior to the rest.

• Leaders also may be in a better position to head off existential risks before they occur, through better vertical and lateral communication within their organizations.

But with leadership, communication must come results. Active leadership communication alone will not Teflon-coat a leader in every situation. A leader’s strengths and style as a communicator can be a difference. There is so much emphasis on short-term performance that visionaries trying to change the game must get beyond promises and projections and prove that it’s working. Leaders who wish to be taken seriously need to take seriously what they say and the communications advice they receive.

As an organizational psychologist with 28 years working within the top three levels of Fortune 100 companies, I’ve noticed some common themes with some of the most successful people in the world. See if you can identify with any of these:

• I’m not any harder on others than I am on myself.
• I’m harder on myself than anyone else ever is…and it’s never enough!
• This is not rocket science. Why is it so difficult to find people to do a job?
• I wouldn’t have these issues if I were allowed to hire my own people!
• You say perfectionist like it’s a bad thing…
• I wish everyone was like _____ (the one you’re accused of harboring feelings of favoritism).
• I only want what’s best for everyone.
• I AM NOT ANGRY!!

At first glance, these belief systems seem rational and logical, and part of the success formula for the high achiever…or are they? I call them “BS” Belief Systems that hurt leaders because of their unintended consequences at work and home.

BS #1 A Leader’s Job is to Whip You into Shape

If I can do it, anyone can…and it’s my job to push you to your highest potential. I’ll never forget my first year in my doctoral program. I took an internship on the East Coast with a prominent consulting firm and loved the fact that my nickname was “The Ice Queen of Attila.” I had a reputation for cracking the whip, and I thought that was a good thing. My partner pulled me into his office one day and asked why I was so tough on people? I answered that I was trying to make them into better people; that it was for their own good. He thoughtfully retorted, “Did they ask you to make them better people?” That was an AHA moment! I could be hard on myself to my heart’s discontent, but I had no right to make others miserable. Leadership by dictatorship went out with assembly lines.

BS #2 Perfectionism is a Noble Endeavor

The majority of leaders I’ve met are recovering perfectionists, and their ability to be effective was highly correlated with their level of recovery. As Steve Farber wrote, I too have the Dis-Ease of perfectionism, which robs me of the joy of accomplishment. On the one hand, the benefit of perfectionism is that I work very hard, I set and meet goals, and I get a lot done. But working 60-80 hours a week will take its toll on health, wealth, and relationships, which usually throws the perfectionist to try even harder — and it’s NEVER ENOUGH!!

Picture a horizontal line where the left end is zero or start, and the far right is 100% and finish. High achievers are almost always at 88%. They tackle all goals/jobs/projects with enthusiasm and get to the 88% yard line. The 12% gap between where we are and finish is most leaders live. It’s where the tensions are — what still has to be done, what isn’t finished, what’s wrong. The good news is that it gives us the impetus to strive forward. The bad news is that it’s where stress lives, and that anxious feeling will take its toll. And then the straw that breaks the overachievers back is that if we do hit 100%, we are off to the races on the next project/goal/activity and right back at the 88% mark. The lesson here? We need to stand at the 88% mark, and instead of lamenting what still needs to be done, turn around to look at the 88% that has been done/accomplished/completed and smile with: “Wow, that’s great work.” Saying this to yourself and others would reduce our stress by 88% and give ourselves and others the validation we crave.

BS #3 I Need Smart people to Execute, I Don’t Have Time for This Touchy-feely Stuff

Every single one of my executive coaching clients has started with the same vent: “I don’t know why things have to be so difficult, it’s not rocket science, it’s common sense!” My response has not changed, “There is one organization where pure logic, rational thought prevails, where’s there no politics, power plays, peripherally located egos, conflict and miscommunication — the cemetery! Where there are no people, there are no problems! Once my clients accept the BS, they spend less time fighting the illogical, irrational part of organizational life and allow for the natural human dynamics to work. That takes 88% of the angst out of any situation. Then processes and plans can be made which harness the reason we choose humans at work — creativity, inspiration, collaboration, synergy, and joy.

Life is full of problems, right? But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Looked at a certain way, every problem is a challenge to be solved – from figuring out how to boost sales to choosing a birthday gift for a colleague. If you have good problem-solving skills, you are well-equipped to deal with anything your career throws at you.

In fact, problem-solving is so fulfilling that we often set ourselves challenges to keep our monkey-minds occupied. Playing a game of chess or making home improvements in your spare time are good examples. You don’t even notice most ‘problems’ as you’re solving them.

But in a professional context, sometimes more complex issues arise that require serious application if you are to find a solution. So how can you improve your problem-solving skills? First, you need to know what type of problem solver you are. Maybe you approach puzzles systematically, or maybe intuitively, or maybe somewhere in between.

If you’re the type who trusts your gut when approaching a challenge and things usually work out fine – good for you! But it will benefit you to try to frame your good instincts with a bit of professional discipline to minimize the chance of making a serious mistake. You should at least approach a problem by examining it systematically to ensure you’re not missing anything, even if you end up using your intuition to cook up a solution.

And if you’re more systematic to begin with, try using diagrams or even physical props to get you out of your head and into the real world. And be careful not to get so fond of your own problem-solving system that you neglect to try others. If you always do things the same way, you’ll never get better results!

We’ve assembled a guide to help you discover which type of problem solver you are and to suggest how you can develop your problem-solving skills. It’s a useful resource even if you’re an ‘inbetweener’ who doesn’t quite consider themselves to be intuitive or instinctive.

Success comes as a result of successfully navigating a diverse series of challenges at every stage in your career. With powerful problem-solving skills, you might even have a little fun along the way.

Sources

1. Ay Mires, E. (2013). 5 Tips for Lightning-Fast Decision Making. Lifehack.org
2. Daum, K. (2014). 8 Things Really Great Problem Solvers Do. businessinsider.com
3. Kukhnavets, P. (2017). How to Solve Business Issues With the Help of CATWOE Analysis?ganttpro.com
4. Laumm, H. & Trommsdorff, G. (1973). Group versus individual performance on tasks requiring ideational proficiency (brainstorming): A review. wiley.com
5. MindTools. (2019). Brainstorming. mindtools.com
6. Belyh, A. (2019). How to Use Cause and Effect Analysis to Solve Any Problem. cleverism.com
7. Boogaard. K. (2018). Need to Make a Tough Decision? A Decision Matrix Can Help. toggl.com

Negotiators, even professional ones, make surprisingly many wrong decisions that doom negotiations that should have succeeded. Many of these mistakes relate to overestimating how well they can read the feelings and thoughts of other parties in the negotiation, as well as the extent to which the other party can read their feelings and thoughts. 

For instance, research shows that negotiators who sought to conceal their desires did a better job than they thought they did. In turn, those who tried to convey information to those they negotiated with about their preferences overestimated their abilities to communicate such knowledge. Other scholarship shows that negotiators with less power are more prone to such mistakes than those with more power.

Scholars call this erroneous mental pattern the illusion of transparency, referring to us overestimating the extent to which others understand us and how well we grasp others. This mental blindspot is one of many dangerous judgment errors – what scholars in cognitive neuroscience and behavioral economics call cognitive biases – that we make due to how our brains are wired. We make these mistakes not only in work but also in other life areas, for example, in our shopping choices, as revealed by a series of studies done by a shopping comparison website.

Fortunately, recent research in these fields shows how you can use pragmatic strategies to address these dangerous judgment errors effectively.

I observed a clear instance of an illusion of transparency when an electric company brought me in as a consultant to mediate in failing contract negotiations between the management and the union. Both sides believed the other party to be unwilling to negotiate in good faith, asking too much and giving too little. The union demanded substantial wage hikes, strong job protections, and better retirement benefits, and management pushed back firmly on each request.

Quickly, I noticed that the illusion of transparency gravely inhibited progress. My private conversations with representatives from both sides showed that all felt they communicated their positions effectively, both the areas where they wanted to stand firm and where they felt willing to compromise. Yet these same conversations showed many areas of agreement and flexibility that neither side recognized.

Why didn’t both sides explicitly outline their positions thoroughly and clearly, so that the other side understood precisely where they stood? Because they were afraid that the other party would take advantage of them if they explicitly stated their actual positions, including the minimum they’d be willing to accept. 

So both sides tried to convey what was most important to them by arguing more strongly for specific points and less strongly for others. They believed that the other side would “get the hint.” Unfortunately, neither side “got the hint” of the real priorities of the other side.

What I asked each side to do was use the decision-making strategy of weighing their priorities. After deploying this strategy, the union negotiators assigned priority to increased job protection, second to better retirement benefits, and third to a substantial wage increase. The management negotiators used the same strategy and attributed priority to no wage increase, second to decreased retirement benefits, and last to weaker job protection. 

By clarifying these priorities, the parties were able to find room for negotiation. The final contract included much-strengthened job protection, a moderate boost to retirement, and a small wage hike at just below inflation. 

The management appreciated the outcome since it didn’t have to spend as much money on labor; the union membership liked the peace of mind that came with job protection, even if they didn’t get the wage hike they would have wanted.

The key takeaway is that in any negotiation situation, you’re very likely to be overestimating the extent to which you explained your position to the other party. You’re also probably too confident about how well you understand the other party’s perspective. The other party is most likely making the same mistakes regarding you.

An easy way to address these problems is to use the decision-making strategy of weighing your priorities and having the other party do the same. Then, trade off your lowest preferences against their highest ones and vice versa. You can come to a win-win agreement where both parties realized the most significant gains and experience the least losses. Such strategic approaches to addressing cognitive biases will help you in all areas of your professional life.

Let’s say you’re interviewing a new applicant for a job, and you feel something is off. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you’re a bit uncomfortable with this person. She says all the right things, her resume is great, she’d be a perfect hire for this job — except your gut tells you otherwise. Should you go with your gut?

In such situations, your default reaction should be to be suspicious of your gut. Research shows that job candidate interviews are poor indicators of future job performance.

Unfortunately, most leaders tend to trust their gut over their head and give jobs to people they like and perceive as part of their in-group, rather than merely the most qualified applicant. 

In other situations, however, it does make sense to rely on gut instinct to make a decision. Yet research on decision-making shows that most people don’t know when to rely on their gut and when not to do so. 

The reactions of our gut are rooted in the more primitive, emotional, and intuitive parts of our brains that ensured survival in our ancestral environment. Tribal loyalty and immediate recognition of friends or foes were especially useful for thriving in that environment.

In modern society, however, our survival is much less at risk. Our gut is more likely to compel us to focus on the wrong information to make decisions in the workplace and other areas.

For example, is the job candidate mentioned above similar to you in race, gender, socioeconomic background? Even seemingly minor things like clothing choices, speaking style, and gesturing can make a big difference in determining how you evaluate another person. 

Our brains tend to fall for the dangerous judgment error known as the “halo effect,” which causes some characteristics we like and identify with to cast a positive “halo” on the rest of the person. It’s opposite to the “horns effect,” in which one or two negative traits change how we view the whole. The halo effect and horns effect are two of many dangerous judgment errors, which are mental blind spots resulting from how our brain is wired that scholars in cognitive neuroscience and behavioral economics call cognitive biases. We make these mistakes not only in work but also in other life areas, for example, in our shopping choices, as revealed by a series of studies done by a shopping comparison website.

Fortunately, recent research in these fields shows how you can use pragmatic strategies to address these dangerous judgment errors, whether in your professional life, your relationships, or other life areas. 

You need to evaluate where cognitive biases are hurting you and others in your team and organization. Then, you can use structured decision-making methods to make “good enough” daily decisions quickly, more thorough ones for moderately essential choices, and an in-depth one for preeminent choices.

Such techniques will also help you implement your decisions well, and formulate truly effective long-term strategic plans. Besides, you can develop mental habits and skills to notice cognitive biases and prevent yourself from slipping into them.

For example, you need to remember that just because a person is similar to you does not mean she will be the best employee. The research is clear that our intuitions often don’t serve us well in making the best hiring decisions. Such reliance on intuition is especially harmful to workplace diversity and paves the path to bias in hiring, including in terms of race, disability, gender, and sex.

Despite the numerous studies showing that structured interventions are needed to overcome bias in hiring, unfortunately, business leaders and HR personnel tend to over-rely on unstructured interviews and other intuitive decision-making practices. Due to our overconfidence bias, a tendency to evaluate our decision-making abilities as better than they are, leaders often go with their guts on hires and other business decisions rather than use analytical decision-making tools that have demonstrably better outcomes.

A proper fix is to note how the applicant is different from you, and give them “positive points” for it. Alternatively, create structured interviews with a set of standardized questions asked in the same order to every applicant.

Let’s take a different situation. Say you’ve known a business colleague for many years, collaborated with her on a wide variety of projects and have an established relationship. 

Imagine yourself having a conversation with her about a potential collaboration. For some reason, you feel less comfortable than usual. Most likely, your intuitions are picking up subtle cues about something being off.

Maybe it’s nothing. Perhaps that person is having a bad day or didn’t get enough sleep the night before.

However, that person may also be trying to pull the wool over your eyes. When people lie, they behave in ways that are similar to other indicators of discomfort, anxiety, and rejection, and it’s tough to tell what’s causing these signals.

Overall, this is an excellent time to take your gut reaction into account and be more suspicious than usual.

The gut is vital in our decision-making to help us notice when something might be amiss in well-established relationships. Yet, in most situations, when we face significant decisions about workplace relationships, we need to trust our heads more than our gut to make the best decisions.