We know leadership is important and that effective leaders generate high level results and ineffective leaders do not.  We know what leadership is and that EVERY organization has a gap in leadership effectiveness.  If you asked any CEO if he could have a team of exceptional business people with extraordinary leadership skills dropped into his or her organization – it would be a “no brainer!”

The question then becomes, If leadership is so critical to an organization’s success (and research is bearing this out through a number of studies) then the question becomes why are not more organizations taking the bull by the horn?   Bottom line, it is the legacy experience most organizations have had with leadership development “programs.”   They have far from lived up to their promise.

The reason for the failure of the “Leadership Development Program Model” is because such programs are not linked to the business.  After all exceptional leaders always have better results than nominal leaders because they are leading the business!  Given that why do we separate development from moving forward business objectives?   We have done this for years and then when you need to cut costs – we cut development.  Why because there is no clear connection between leadership development programs and important outcomes of a business.

So how do we fix this?   In short we fix it by starting by looking at the state of the business and examine the gaps between where we are are and where we want to be.  Then we look at leadership as one of the parameters for closing that gap.  The top team must then look at who it has to be individually and collectively in order to close the gap and then we must fuse the desired business outcomes with the leadership development process we engage.  If that is done we don’t have a “program” but rather an initiative to support greater business success.

The reason why executive coaching has been so successful and has seen such a strong return on investment is that most executive coaches worth their weight engage the leader at the level of desired results and design their executive coaching around improving those results.  Along the way guess what?  Developmental gaps show up through the coaching experience that must be addressed in order to achieve the desired outcomes.  The outcome -  you get better business results as well as a leader who has greater impact.  It has a multiplying effect.  Yet, as much as executive coaching is a useful process – it works at the individual level – rarely at the collective level.   We need to take this understanding to a strategic level for an organization and build approaches that focus on the business results first while also supporting transforming leadership.

Therefore, if someone comes to your organization promoting “programs” be leery!  Ask them how is this going to improve my outcomes?  If they can’t show you how that will occur do not consider hiring them!

In an earlier entry “The Rising Power of the Feminine in Executive Leadership” – I highlighted solid research showing that companies with women in top leadership positions have stronger relationships with customers and shareholders and a more diverse and profitable business ¹.

A recent article in Forbes shows that most US Corporations are still not realizing the power that women bring.  The article highlights some sobering statistics as follows:

• Research done between 2004-2010 indicates that over 33% of women are leaving the workforce each year for various reasons.  For example in 2009 74% left for child care reasons, 16% left because their careers were stalled and a whopping 89% left because no executive in the organization was sponsoring their journey to success ².
• While 89% planned to resume their careers after a hiatus – only 40% of the women looking to reenter the work force after only 2 years found full time employment ³.
• Women who return to full-time work face a lower job title, a decrease in management and overall responsibilities and a striking financial penalty. Women who off-ramped for two years faced a 14% salary gap. The penalty tripled to 46% for those that left for three or more years ⁴.

This is just another symptom of organizations cutting their nose of despite their face.  Then there is the other side of the coin where an organization takes a talented woman leader and instead of leveraging her strengths and interests – they try to force her into a leadership position that does not fit because they want to show the world they are supporting the promotion of women.  While this shows some thoughtfulness – it is also misguided.

Those organizations who continue down this path just might find that this decision comes back to haunt them.  Why do I say this? Because another statistic shows that the majority of small businesses rising today are lead by women.  If your organization takes no action to change its trajectory – you might just find a fierce yet compassionate competitor lead by a woman eating your lunch.

Whether everyone sees it or not we are facing a major transformation in the way business is conducted worldwide.  If we do not take advantage of the lessons this difficult time has taught us – we will miss a huge opportunity.  To fully leverage this opportunity we need leadership and true leadership integrates a results focus along with a collaborative orientation (among other things).  We do not have enough male leaders who embody both sides of this equation and thus this is why there is a deep need for strong women leaders who for the most part have the capacity to embody both.   Men reading this might react negatively yet this is not about male bashing.  It is about finding balance and having leaders who can model the full power of leadership for everyone.  The question is will enough large organizations recognize the importance of such balance?  If not, there will be a revolution and for those who do not join – you will miss huge opportunities now and the pain of not joining will be greater down the road for you and your organization.

As I have said before, the essential purpose of leadership is to create.   The fundamental tool of creation for a leader is their vision for the market place as well as the vision they hold for their organizational culture.  As a creator the leader takes 100% responsibility for the outcome of the vision.  Now please allow me to distinguish between taking 100% responsibility with taking the world on your shoulders.  They are quite different.

Taking everything on your shoulders and taking on all the stress around the success or failure of the business is not the point.   The point owning the vision and holding the expectancy it will unfold.  If a leader has developed a compelling vision and has done a great job of instilling this vision into their people – while mistakes will happen – in the end the vision will become reality.  Yet, if the leader begins to complain about how the market place is behaving, the problems with the economy, or begins to blame low performers for all the woos in the business – they are missing the point of being a leader as well as the power of vision.

If the market is not responding – a true leader does not blame the market.  They collect the best minds and ask what do we have to do to engage the market more effectively so people get who we are and want to do business with us?   If the economy is tanking and business is off – the true leader takes responsibility by examining with his top people the model they are using to develop business and will shift their approach to succeed or do better than they have in the tough economy.  If there is an issue with low performance – a true leader coaches the boss of that direct report to get to the bottom of it or they themselves explore what the issue is.   If there is not a fit – they let the person go.  If it is a coaching issue they work towards a new commitment with that employee to engage at a higher level and make sure that there will be rewards if they do and consequences if they do not.

The fundamental key here is making sure your people are enrolled in the vision and know their part in fulfilling it.  If the vision has come alive – the true leader knows with certainty it is only a matter of time before things line up.  They embrace the responsibility for creating an environment that is brutally honest about what the challenges are while also inspiring others to reach further to fulfill the mission and key priorities.  They also expect their best people to take 100% responsibility for the vision as well.

In a recent episode of “Two and A Half Men” – Alan’s son Jake is learning to drive and Alan tries to support Jake in having proper hand placement on the wheel by saying “Jake – remember 10 and 2.”  Jake responds “12″.  Alan says “No Jake put your hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2.”  Jake responds “what are you talking about?”  I had to laugh nervously because just a week ago I asked a teenager to look at the clock and tell me the time and she said she could not read anything but a digital clock.  Is that not crazy?  Yet, when you think about it – as great as technology is – it is also making us think less.  In addition to digital clocks – we spell via spell checkers on the computer, we do not use basic navigational principles because we have GPS devices, we research everything through Google search rather than through using the library.   Again, streamlining things in life can be a good thing and it can make life much easier.  Yet, the danger is that we fall more asleep at the wheel and do not take advantage of the extra time we receive and brainpower that is released and actually think more deeply about life and what we want to accomplish in our organizations.

Another way of looking at this is that our own habits are pieces of technology we have built to stream line our day.   Again, habits are those things we act upon and no longer question.   Examples of habits at work might be the ritual you go through when you set up your desk in the office each day, it might be your review of particular reports that help you assess the state of the business or how you deal with interruptions in your day.  There are also cultural habits like how we welcome new employees or how move forward after a project is completed, or the way we handle bad news. Certainly personal and cultural habits are important because they help us get more done without having to think of every step.  Yet, the question becomes – what happens when our habits no longer work or have the same level of impact due to some shift in the market, changes in client habits, the emergence of new business models, etc.   If we can not step back and ask ourselves deeper questions – it is akin to not being able to tell time by looking at a analog clock.  All habits and technologies we deploy serve a purpose – the question is how do we know when those habits and technologies no longer serve their purpose or questioning how they might be getting in the way of our greater success?  You might want to take some time to examine this yourself by asking the following questions:

• Are there any results in your business or personal life you are not happy with and if so what kinds of results do you want to generate?
• When is the last time you challenged your approach to achieving those results as well as what you think you must do to achieve those outcomes?
• Is any of these approaches outdated and if so – what other approaches might support greater success?

What are you using as your guidance system for determining if you are on track?

Again, from time to time we must challenge our habits and beliefs.  For example, every new position you move into requires a new set of beliefs to support success in that position.  Yet, most times people simply think all they need to do is rely on the same habits and beliefs that got them there.  While some of those may be transportable – others you bring with you can actually hinder your success.

If you are reading this you are likely a successful executive or emerging leader.  The question is  who is managing your long term career aspirations?  The knee jerk reaction might be “well I am.”  Yet, I suggest you answer a few questions – honestly – to make sure:

• Have you discovered your underlying purpose for work or why you show up every day to work?
• Given that purpose – have you connected passionately to what the highest expression of that purpose would be?
• Do you feel a sense of independence from your organization, boss or senior executives as far as directing your career?
• Are you free from the idea that “I must pay my dues before I am in the position to set my course?”

If you answered a resounding yes to each of those questions – congratulations.  You are most likely in full charge of your destiny.  If you answered no to one or more of these you may be cheating yourself and your organization from your best efforts.  When I ask my clients to face these questions and I confront them on any of the questions they answer no to – I usually get a miffed look at first.  They may say “but I am reliant on my organization to direct me – they know the best place and my job is to follow their lead.”   When I ask why that is – the answers get more interesting.  Typical answers are:

• Well if I was too forceful with where I felt I fit and would be most satisfied – my job might be in jeopardy
• I really never thought about what I wanted and really don’t have an answer to what I want.
• Well I know what I really want but am afraid if I go for it I will not be able to support my family and lifestyle.

Yet, in my experience when people understand their purpose, passionately hold a vision for the impact they would like to have, and set a course to unfold that – not only are they happier – they perform at a much higher level.  Also, it is rare that if I am talking to a technical person that they want to become Picasso.   While there are some cases when a person realizes they must make a major change – in most cases they are in their sweet spot yet have an underlying desire to shift their focus a bit and usually in a way that adds value to the organization they are with. And yes – it can be a challenge to influence the powers to be to support a person in changing direction.  Yet, again, in most every case where a person has stuck to their guns – both the individual and organization benefit.

The bottom line is – life is too short to allow others to dictate your life and that includes your career!  After all we spend over 2000 hours each year working which equates to almost a quarter of our total time!  I believe doing what you love and loving what you do is a birthright and we are at a time in history when we truly have the power of choice.   So ask yourself – on a scale from 1 to 10 how fulfilled am I really every day at work?  If you are below an 8 – I would take a serious look at the questions above and if you do not like your answers I suggest you spend the time to take your career back!