Beware of Icons

The word icon is from the Greek εἰκών, meaning “image”.  One of the dictionary definitions is, “an object of uncritical devotion”.  We throw this designation around quite a bit, although it is often used with a qualifier.  Ronald Reagan has been called a “Republican Icon”, Hitler was an “Icon of Evil”, and Marilyn Monroe has been tagged a “Cultural Icon”.  Tiger Woods is referred to as an “Icon of Golf”, Kenneth Lay became the “Enron Icon”, and now, of course, Steve Jobs goes into the afterlife as an “iCon”. 

Icon is a hefty moniker for any living person to bear.  It carries a connotation of historical significance.  How can anyone be referred to as an icon and not succumb to the risk of developing a dangerous ego and delusions of grandeur?

Now we come to Joe Paterno, “Icon of College Football”, and arguably the most powerful and popular person at Penn State University.  Paterno fell far and hard from his pedestal last week, when he was implicated in the Sandusky child sexual molestation scandal in Happy Valley.  Paterno failed to follow through and act decisively to assure the safety of children brought into the Penn State athletic facilities, or to do what he could to block the actions of a predator that he counted as a friend.  Why he failed so miserably to do his duty may never be understood.  If you are inclined to defend JoPa, read the 23-page Grand Jury Report and get back to me.

There are lessons to be learned from this tragedy, and I pray they will be learned.  By definition, icons reach a point where they escape reasonable criticism.  In an organizational environment this means that the icon’s followers and beneficiaries have imbibed the Kool-Aid and are feeling the euphoric effects.  They don’t question decisions.  Followers do what they are told, to protect the icon and the surrounding institution.  They seek approval.  No one wants Nirvana to be disrupted.  Everyone is in La-La Land.

At the end of the day, and your career, you need to be able to know that you spoke up and fought for your principles and values.  Someday you might have to take on an icon to make things right.  I bet McQueary wishes he had.

No Place for Bias in Management

The 2010 U.S. Census unveiled a trend I find startling. More young people are continuing to live with their parents into adulthood. Specifically, 19% of men and 10% of women between the ages of 25-34 have not ventured out and established their own households (an increase from 15% and 8% in 2005). I’m sure there are many reasons for this, including the state of the economy, but I have some trouble relating to it. When I graduated from college, I was anxious to be out on my own. I shared crummy apartments with friends and worked multiple low-paying jobs at a time until I got my career jump-started and could afford my own place.

This got me thinking about the domino effect resulting from young adults living with their parents. It means that they aren’t renting apartments or buying homes. Most likely, they are postponing marriage. They may be preventing their parents from moving on with their plans, since Mom and Dad assumed that they would be empty-nesters by now. Is Mom still making their meals and doing their laundry? What kind of employees are they in the workplace? Oops. This is where my husband threw a wrench into the conversation by reminding me…

We cannot let our biases affect how we relate to our co-workers and employees. What matters is how well people work within their teams and how they perform in their jobs. It’s easy (and dangerous) to project our own life experiences and values on other people. Everyone’s life unfolds differently, and their challenge is to find a way to meet their personal and professional goals.

As managers, your responsibility is to understand as much as your employees choose to share about their personal situation and avoid judging them. Mentor them in ways that will help them be successful. Create learning opportunities, coach and direct, be a good role model, provide thoughtful feedback, reward successes, and be accessible for help and support.

Regardless of where a person comes from or where they are in their life today, you can provide wisdom and experience that will develop young professionals in a way that may positively impact their lives for much longer than the time they work for you. Wouldn’t that be remarkable?

Tough Love

Courage in leadership is a trait I admire. It's very powerful when leaders make difficult decisions with love.

There's a new Sheriff in town in Chicago, my adopted city.  Well, not really a Sheriff - a Mayor.  Rahm Emanuel took the Mayoral Oath of Office on May 16th, 2011.  His Honor clearly loves this city and wants it to be a fantastic place to live and work.  At the same time, he recognizes the issues that have been festering and has the courage to tackle those that threaten our future.  Within his first 6 months as Mayor, he has tussled with the city worker's union and the teacher's union.  He has taken 500 police out from behind desks and put them back on the streets To Serve And Protect.  Rahm's recent budget proposal includes necessary "haircuts" and fee increases required to improve an infrastructure over a hundred years old. He takes public transportation to City Hall and insists that city workers use it too instead of claiming mileage on their expense reports.  He cancelled corporate credit cards en masse when rampant misuse was uncovered.  I admire the practical and passionate approach Rahm is bringing to Chicago politics.  Not everyone is a fan of the decisions he is making, but it's hard to argue with his logic and goals.  We are a metropolis that needs his tough love.

Imagine what could be accomplished if more corporate leaders brought tough love to their work.  Many have the "tough" part of the equation down pat.  It's the balance with "love" that is often lacking.  Love for the future of an institution...love for the people that make it successful...love for what is to be accomplished.  When difficult decisions are made and communication to constituents is cloaked in legalese, PR-speak, and marketing yip-yip, you have to question motives and desired outcomes. What is there to hide? 

Too many corporate executives are motivated by short term goals and long term personal incentives.  It takes courage and toughness and love to be profitable and ethical in business - not just in public service.

Win/Win = Progress + Profit

When I follow the news about the bi-polarity of American politics today, I wonder how corporations would survive if they indulged in a similar lack of constructive cooperation. They couldn’t. Obstructive behavior, in-fighting, and posturing would put a stop to the progress and growth so necessary for profitable business.

Negotiation is a common element of effective work environments. The push and pull of opposing ideas is healthy and necessary to finding the best solutions to challenges. People who can articulate the value in their own perspective as well keep an open mind to alternatives have excellent potential to contribute to the achievement of corporate goals and achieve professional success.

Personal insults and intimidation may be common on Capitol Hill, but they are never acceptable in a corporate environment, and rarely encourage positive results. Passion can be high without engaging tempers and spewing vitriol. There is a lot of value in tolerance. Most corporate environments have strict official policies that protect employees from harassment. Harassment is behavior that results in a team member feeling uncomfortable, threatened, or unwelcome where they work.

Senior executives can dictate strategy, but even they almost always have someone to whom they must answer for their actions. Publicly-traded companies have a Board of Directors and Investors. Financial Analysts study how well they are managed and the value in their growth and revenue potential. Bad publicity can affect the bottom line.

Corporate politics certainly exist in every workplace. However, when goals are clear, financials transparent, and management is held accountable, petty politics are less likely to be allowed to interfere with what has to be accomplished. If a stalemate is evident in a counterproductive tug of war, leaders are unceremoniously shuffled, strategies overhauled, and/or teams re-organized.

Why do those who direct corporations seem more accountable for the results of politics than our politicians? Perhaps it’s because they don’t have to wait for an election year to suffer the results of their actions.

Practical Austerity

Global economic conditions have forced the widespread adoption of austerity programs – not just within governments, but also corporations, small businesses, and individual households. Greece’s complex financial issues are constant fodder for world news, and our U.S. government is knotted up in bi-partisan debate over a stunning spend rate that continues to increase the national debt. Most financial struggles have a lower news profile than these stories, but they all have a few things in common from which we can learn.

Managing financials requires a great deal of practicality and discipline. Budgets must be well-conceived and realistic. Actual spending should be governed by the budget, and not obscured via accounting smoke and mirrors. When revenue is down, expenses must be cut. Difficult decisions have to be made by leaders that carefully consider the short and long term impact of available options for action.

Few are fond of operating in an austere environment. Merriam-Webster defines “austere” with words like “cold”, “somber”, “grave”, and “unadorned”. It sounds like there should be little room for fancy expense account meals in an austere budget, doesn’t it?

When money is tight in our own households, we eat ground chuck instead of choice steak, vacation at home instead of flying abroad, combine errands to conserve fuel, use coupons to stretch a dollar, do our own mani/pedis, postpone large purchases, repair electronics instead of replacing them, and mend clothing to avoid buying new. Credit cards are cut up or put away to avoid undue temptation.

Small businesses modify their business plans to stay afloat. They postpone growth, operate with a skeletal staff, renegotiate rents, forge cooperative partnerships, and get creative with marketing. They make the changes necessary to stay in business, even if they are painful.

We hope that big business and government leaders have the courage to apply the practical austerity we employ in our smaller-scale finances. Instead of tolerating posturing to protect executive positions and privilege, let’s hold leaders accountable for making the difficult decisions for the good of employees, stakeholders, and citizens.

Champion Golfers are like Successful Executives

K.J. Choi won the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass yesterday, coming from behind to defeat David Toms in a sudden death playoff. Graeme McDowell, who had been leading at the beginning of the day, faltered badly and ended up tied for 33rd.

Watching the tournament on TV was entertaining. The field was very competitive, with numerous pros within reach of the win. The course at TPC Sawgrass is a brutal challenge, laced with water hazards, insidious little pothole bunkers, and dastardly-sloped greens. The elite golfers were not immune to sending balls crashing through foliage or splashing into water. As good as they are, they still succumb to some of the same challenges we have as amateurs.  Don't you just love that? 

The attributes that champion golfers exhibit would serve them well should they decide to make a switch to a corporate boardroom. Perhaps that’s why so much business is done on the golf course…

SKILL IS ESSENTIAL: Some are natural-born golfers/leaders. Everyone has to hone their skills to be successful in the long term.

BE PREPARED: Golfers practice, work with coaches, collaborate with their caddies, and continue to develop their skills between tournaments. Preparation is a key to success in the corporate world. It fosters consistency, stability, and trust.

PERSISTENCE PAYS: K.J. Choi lurked one stroke behind David Toms for much of the final round of the Players Championship. He was in position to take advantage of a misstep by Toms to win the whole tournament. A flash of brilliance rarely wins the day – it takes focus and persistence to be a consistent winner in life.

VISUALIZE YOUR GOAL: If you don’t know where you are going, you won’t know when you get there. Golfers always shoot to a target. Executives must have specific goals.

PLAY BY THE RULES: Golf has an extensive and detailed rule book. You must know and adhere to the rules, or face costly penalties. Some rules in business are less clear, but breaking rules in a corporate environment can get you fired, or even prosecuted and sent to jail. (Ask Raj Rajaratnam.)

MOVE ON FROM MISTAKES: The landscape on a golf course offers many opportunities to make bad shots. A golfer must be able to recover and move on to the next shot and the next hole. Executives make honest mistakes too, and must be able to regroup, learn from their mistakes, and move forward.

STYLE & CHARISMA COUNT: The media was clearly enamored with Graeme McDowell’s ease and charm during interviews. As a result, they treated him kindly when he lost his command of the lead on Sunday. Relationships matter.

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Make a Decision!

If you sometimes wonder why management makes the “big bucks”, one reason is that they have the responsibility for setting direction and making decisions on behalf of the company. Some decisions are no-brainers and can be made on the run. Others require significant research, analysis, legal review, and approval from executive management. Fallout from just one really bad decision can ruin a career. That’s why some managers get so bound up in the process that they postpone important decisions that affect their ability to meet strategic goals.

On the surface, decision-making seems pretty simple. Just make a list of Pros and Cons, look at the results, make a choice, and move on. But what do you do when your options seem equally good (or bad), and it’s time to pick a direction?

WEIGH THE PROS & CONS: You may have 10 things on the Pros side, and 10 things on the Cons side, but they are not all equal. Assign each item a “weight” based on importance and impact. Add up each side again, using the weight number and see how the chips fall.

EXAMINE YOUR GUT: You must not base important decisions solely based on a gut feeling, but you can take your intuition into account as a factor. Think about why you feel the way you do and qualify that feeling into something to add to your weighted Pros and Cons list.

GATHER INPUT: You’ve already brainstormed with your own team – now approach trusted colleagues or mentors for their opinions. Other perspective and experience may add new light to the subject.

PREPARE A BACKUP PLAN: Whichever choice you consider, be sure to play out some risk scenarios on paper, in case you have to change direction. If legal agreements are required, include protection to cover your worst nightmares (e.g. the vendor you have chosen to work with goes out of business).

ACCEPT THAT THERE MAY BE NO “BEST” CHOICE: Someday you will have to choose between two equally good options. Don’t let that delay your choice too much. If you can live with either choice – make the decision, feel good about it, and move on. In business, keeping momentum has its own value.

DO WHAT YOU CAN LIVE WITH: You may worry about whether you are making the best choice for the long run. It may be a long time before you know for certain how it turns out. But if you’ve done your analysis and made a decision based on facts and logical reasoning, you should be willing and able to defend your actions if challenged. (“I went with my gut” will not be an effective defense.)

Now, suck it up and be a real leader. Make a decision!

Courage in the Face of Adversity

Politicians are finally showing some courage and addressing challenges critical to the well-being of our country, individual states, and constituents. From health care to Social Security, union entitlements to gross budget deficits – it’s time to make tough decisions about our collective future. I applaud the leaders willing to tackle unpopular issues that have been festering for a long, long time.

Corporate executives are also challenged with adversity, in the form of competitors, pressure to be innovative and profitable, rising costs, the imperative to grow or die, and the expectations of employees. Courageous leaders build strategies to face their issues. They make difficult decisions that aren’t popular with everyone, but that they deem best for the overall success of the corporation. The best leaders also communicate their strategies, plans, and actions so that motivation, reasons, and expected results are well understood.

Courage is required at all levels of an organization. Adversity may be concrete or perceived, but how a leader responds is a test of true management capabilities…

LB is an executive with a large corporation that is winding down an organizational transformation. He squirms as he gives a pink slip to his administrative assistant, bemoaning the pressure he has been under to streamline his department. LB is a cowardly leader.

DB has the unwelcome task of outsourcing most positions in his department, eliminating scores of internal positions. When the strategic decision is made, it is clearly communicated to the team well in advance of the layoffs. All employees receive timely letters detailing their termination benefits, and have individual exit interviews. During the dismantling of the department, DB has an open door policy, and spends many hours in informal counseling sessions that provide some comfort. DB is a courageous leader.

JH’s management team is less than a well-oiled machine. They are a collection of individuals, who do not support their leader well. Some meet their strategic goals, and some do not. JH is frustrated by the dynamics, yet he is not honest about his disappointment, nor does he deal with the situation by holding the individuals accountable for their performance. The leadership dysfunction affects the morale of the entire department. JH is a cowardly leader.

How do you face adversity in your corporation? Be a courageous leader.

How To Be A Bad Boss

It’s hard to verbalize all the attributes that make someone in management a good boss. But, after many years of experience in the workplace, I do have some firm ideas about what makes a bad boss. If you want your employees to despise you, here are some sure-fire ingredients for leadership failure:

• Be close-minded and keep doing things the way they’ve always been done. Ridicule anyone who makes suggestions for positive change.
• Publicly and repeatedly claim the success of your team as your own, with no mention of the efforts of your employees.
• Ensure that people that work for you that do a good job stay in their position for years and years. Allowing them to be promoted up and out would disrupt your operation.
• Be sure that you give more credence to ideas that come from highly paid consultants than those generated by your experienced team.
• Don’t trust anyone (however experienced they may be) to do their job without incessant needling, pushing, and questioning from you. It’s your job to keep them on their toes.
• Being remote and inaccessible suits your position of importance. If an employee comes to you for help, push the challenge back into their court and make it clear that you’ll be disappointed if they can’t work it out.
• You are the idea guy/gal, so be sure you not only tell your team what to do, but exactly how to do it.
• Minimize risk by squelching creativity. You can’t afford to make a mistake and look foolish.
• Make sure any training you authorize doesn’t interfere with real work.
• Business is serious – discourage levity in your workplace.
• Push on relentlessly from challenge to challenge. There’s no time to celebrate when there is so much still to accomplish.
• “Rank Hath Its Privileges”, which include vendor-purchased or hosted trips, gifts, and fancy dinners you have earned.
• Instill a little fear in your team members. It’s good motivation.
• Always balance the occasional compliment with a well-chosen criticism.
• Enlighten your subordinates only on a “need to know” basis. Explaining context and strategy to them is a waste of time.
• NEVER admit that you’ve made a mistake.

There’s so much material for this subject! Chime in, and contribute your own bad boss experience.

Where Is The Love?

Forgive me as I wax nostalgic about the old days working for a corporation. I remember a time (back in the 80’s) when corporate executives behaved as though they cared about the people who worked for them. It was a time when bosses invited people to their homes for back-yard cookouts, and when spouses were invited to holiday parties. After five, co-workers would share a few laughs and a beer before hopping on their commuter trains. I loved my job and the people with whom I worked. I loved my company, and felt like that love was returned via nurturing by management, opportunities for advancement, and the occasional employment-enhancing perk.

Are those days gone for most corporate professionals? Where is the love?

Challenging economic times, legitimate scrutiny by wary shareholders, executive management types who have an immature approach to leadership, and people fearful of losing their jobs have all affected the corporate job climate. Times change, and some belt-tightening and audit requirements are certainly needed. But shouldn’t that make corporate leaders more creative about establishing an environment that encourages workers to be loyal to their employers?

In too many cases employees feel trapped in unpleasant situations, because they are “lucky to have a job”. Management under pressure can be threatening and/or uncommunicative, at a time when anxious workers most need reassurance and support. Layoffs have cut deeply and have affected not just the lazy and incompetent, but good, productive, hardworking people. The resulting environment is totally demoralizing to the survivors.

Hard times present an opportunity to forge new bonds of loyalty within a team. This is a time when straightforward, honest communication is sorely needed; when victories (however small) should be applauded and celebrated. It is a time when small kindnesses will be remembered and rewarded with strengthened relationships. Management needs to step up and set the stage for the future. What should be done?

• Conduct a climate survey to determine how employees are feeling today. (Use an outside company.) Don’t assume you know where their heads are, because they’re scared and most will tell you what they think you want to hear.
• Explain how the current economy is affecting business and how that is changing corporate goals and adding new pressure. Your employees are not stupid. Don’t keep them in the dark.
• Communicate regularly. Tell your team how often they will get an update from you, and stick to your communication plan religiously.
• As layoffs occur, announce them and immediately publish changes to organization charts. Chaos is inevitable if roles and responsibilities are murky, or if new reporting structures are left uncommunicated.
• Encourage productivity and accomplishments (however small).
• Managers, get off your ivory towers and relate to your employees. It’s hard for them to see you jet off to speak at a conference in Berlin when their budget has been cut by 20%. Help them understand your goals and priorities (and you’d better make sure they align with other things you’ve told them).
• Consider communicating with your employees via a Twitter account. “Just completed presentation to the Board of Dir’s. Got approval for our new project. Full speed ahead!”

If you want your team to stay productive and loyal, you need to add a little love back into their environment. It’s good business.

Leadership Lessons Remembered

From discussions and questions that are posted online, it’s clear that there is an unending quest to understand what makes a good leader. Although volumes have been written on the subject, new ones will continue to be written. Why? Because there are so many situations and variables that affect how good managers can be effective leaders, such as the needs of individuals on a team, the work, the environment, etc.

When I look back on my corporate career, here are the most memorable leadership lessons I learned from specific managers and mentors in my life:

Working for Eva, I learned to have a sense of urgency. If I didn’t, a verbal kick in the backside provided the needed motivation. I learned to do good work quickly under the pressure of deadlines.

From Terry, I got guidance without micromanagement. He would articulate his high level perspective on a project or task, and give me lots of room to figure out how to approach and accomplish it myself. He provided advice and resources, and cleared a path for me.

Joe told us how he expected us to operate as a team, and held us to that standard. He had little tolerance for those who were dishonest with or disrespectful of their peers. His personal and professional ethics earned my admiration.

Tim is a creative thinker that always had ideas for me when I was stuck on a problem. He gained my personal loyalty by being unfailingly supportive when I faced treatment for a serious illness.

Who were/are your career mentors, and what facet of leadership did you learn from them? Post a comment and share your experience. Maybe we’ll write our own volume on leadership

The Humanity of Leadership

A question endlessly explored by MBA programs, training seminars, self-help books, and (lately) LinkedIn postings is, “What makes a good leader?” An answer rarely seen is, “Humanity”. The end of the year is a good time for leaders to open up a little more than usual, and show a less officious side of themselves. Set the tone for the coming year by being thoughtful, demonstrably appreciative, empathetic, and truly interested in those around you. This is a busy time of year, for everyone – including businesses. There are performance reviews to conduct, budgets to balance, annual goals to appraise, and expense reports to file. In addition, everyone has personal activities distracting them, including the holidays, family gatherings, shopping for gifts and special meals, and dealing with what Mother Nature chooses to deal out. It’s easy for everyone to be so busy that the year ends with only a collective exhausted sigh. As soon as it’s over you are leading the charge toward new goals, fresh projects, and more pressure. True leaders must halt the wheels of industry long enough to show some humanity. Make sure your team’s accomplishments for the year are applauded. Celebrate the achievement of goals. Take time to visit with individuals. Ask them about their family, their health, and how they are celebrating the holidays. Thank them for something specific they did this year that made a difference. Reach into your pockets (not company coffers) and give gifts, host a meal, or invite your team to your home for a gathering. This is the time of year to pull out the stops and show you care. These kindnesses, this humanity, will go a long way toward building a connection with your work colleagues, your persona as a leader, and loyalty to your company. Last week, my husband and I went to see a stage version of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. As always, we smiled throughout Fezziwig’s joyous office party. It was enthusiastically enjoyed by the young Scrooge, and wistfully recalled by him in his travels with the Ghost of Christmas Past. In contrast, there was Scrooge’s business partner Jacob Marley. Remember this?: JACOB MARLEY: In life, my spirit never rose beyond the limits of our money-changing holes! Now I am doomed to wander without rest or peace, incessant torture and remorse! EBENEZER: But it was only that you were a good man of business, Jacob! JACOB MARLEY: BUSINESS? Mankind was my business! Their common welfare was my business! And it is at this time of the rolling year that I suffer most! Apply a good dose of humanity to your role as a leader, during the holidays and throughout the year.

Leadership is a Balancing Act

I’m observing, with interest, the shift in management practices that has occurred as good times have changed to bad times for business. Back when times were good, signing bonuses were a common practice, job-hopping was a legitimate way to advance a career, job benefits were plentiful and even considered an entitlement, and companies were obsessed with measuring and enhancing employee loyalty. Similarly to the entire marketplace, the situation was a little out of balance. But who’s going to complain when there’s plenty of money to go around? Then the recession hit hard. With the major downturn in the economy came widespread restructuring, layoffs, and struggles to stay solvent until business levels recover. Suddenly, instead of courting employee loyalty, corporate management demanded that their people accomplish more with less. Said or unsaid, the message has been, “Be happy you still have a job.” People have responded, but are driven by fear and uncertainty more often than they are inspired by a common purpose. Once again, a lack of balance is evident. The pendulum will swing back to better times. Lessons can and should be learned to help strike a healthy balance between common practices in good times versus bad. We should always be grateful to have good job opportunities. Corporate management should always appreciate employees who contribute effectively to corporate goals. There will always be ups and downs in the cycle of economy and business. Successful companies with strong leadership don’t blow wildly in the wind. They consistently apply good business practices and adjust them with consideration and care when the environment changes, and they keep their team members informed. Internal corporate communications can make a valuable contribution toward achieving a balance between good times and bad. Leaders who communicate corporate philosophies, strategies, and values build trust and gain buy-in from their employees. Fear and uncertainty is fed by a lack of information. Open and honest interaction nurtures uplifting loyalty and cooperation through tough times. Unity and strength of purpose come from successfully overcoming a challenge together. It’s a balancing act in which every leader should be fully engaged.

Leaders Need Trusted Advisors Too

Early in our career we need and easily accept direction, advice, and criticism that help us grow and become successful in a work environment. Supervisors and other mentors provide input that shapes our approach to challenges, our ethics, how we relate to colleagues, and what we decide is important. At what point in the development of our career does the need for this type of guidance end? The answer is that it never does. Everyone needs trusted advisors, mentors, and colleagues with whom they can interact and gain perspective – even high-powered leaders. How do executives gain the input they need on an ongoing basis to be successful leaders? Look at how it’s done in American politics. As soon as a new President is elected, they name a Chief of Staff and a Cabinet. These are a group of experts that the President trusts to provide advice, help make the right decisions, and execute a vision in the service of our country. One person just can’t know it all and do it all. Government is/should be a great example of teamwork. In the business world, one of the most important things a leader does is to hire a talented and trusted supporting team. A strong, committed, and diverse executive team that is responsible and accountable for their accomplishments is a critical factor in any leader’s success. Conversely, failure to develop a cohesive and effective team can truly undermine a leader’s position in a corporation. The leader must make tough decisions, and adjust the makeup of his executive team over time to meet the ever-changing demands of the business. Advisors also come in the form of peers within the business. It’s important to develop mutual respect and collaborative working relationships with other executives responsible for segments within the same organization. Frequently, leaders can help each other by providing ideas, guidance, support, and a different perspective. Some celebrities have “Spiritual Advisors” that help them examine their faith and outlook on a life that can easily be skewed by the adulation that comes with fame. Although they certainly wouldn’t put that name to it, leaders do sometimes need help focusing their vision and developing action plans. Confidential confabs with experts and objective thinkers can help executives take leaps forward in their thinking and planning. These special advisors come from networking. They may be former colleagues who have moved on and gained a different perspective. They may be representatives from businesses working in a provider role with the leader’s organization. They may be trusted consultants with whom the leader has forged a productive bond. In the best circumstances, these advisors make the leader more successful by providing ideas, honing plans, playing devil’s advocate, and assisting with some tasks. They play an anonymous role (organizationally) and provide a valuable service. When you reach a point of success and responsibility in your career, you still need trusted advisors; and the sense to consider and accept good advice.