The Advisor’s Corner

15 Leadership Lessons from the All Blacks

May 11, 2015/in Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom Doescher

The “All Blacks” is the nickname of the New Zealand national rugby union team, current holders of the Rugby World Cup, and the winningest rugby team of all time. As many of you know, I love to use sports teams as examples for great leadership and teamwork. James Kerr, author of Legacy, was embedded in the team and summarizes the following 15 leadership lessons he learned from his time with them:

Sweep the Sheds — Never be too big to do the small things that need to be done.
Go for the Gap — When you’re on top of your game, change your game.
Play with Purpose — Ask “Why?”
Pass the Ball — Leaders create leaders.
Create a Learning Environment — Leaders are teachers.
No Jerks — Follow the spearhead.
Embrace Expectations — Aim for the highest cloud.
Train to Win — Practice under pressure.
Keep a Blue Head — Control your attention.
Know Thyself — Keep it real.
Sacrifice — Find something you would die for and give your life to it.
Invent a Language — Sing your world into existence.
Ritualize to Actualize — Create a culture.
Be a Good Ancestor — Plant trees you’ll never see.
Write Your Legacy — This is your time.

The list includes some great points, but my favorites are No. 4 and No. 14. Are you and your company creating “Leaders,” and are you planting trees you will never see?

Second in Command

April 27, 2015/in Sharpening Your Personal Leadership Skills/by Tom Doescher

One of the most impactful areas of my client work has been identifying the need for, and then finding and retaining a second-in-command — or what I call a “COO.” I just finished reading Larry Linne’s book, “Make The Noise Go Away,” and found it to be extremely on the mark and very practical (I wish he had written it years ago).

The easy-to-read, 100-page book is written in parable style, and it’s a great reference tool for both first- and second-in-commands. In addition to providing a wealth of solid ideas, it includes several handy and valuable checklists. I believe Linne hits all the sensitive, “elephant in the room” issues head-on.

The following are just a few thoughts from the book, to wet your appetite:

Recognize the importance of continuous, open, candid communication that travels both ways. This sounds obvious, but seemingly small concerns often go unstated, are not dealt with, and grow into big problems over time.
Identify what’s keeping the first-in-command awake at night. That person needs to tell the second-in-command, who needs to listen. If you’re the first-in-command, don’t assume the second already knows what issues are of concern to you.
One of the biggest reasons for failure is that the second doesn’t understand the “values” of the first, and makes decisions that are out of alignment with those values.
The second-in-command should find ways to make the company and the first-in-command look good.
The second needs to spend time with clients/customers, and with prospective new clients/customers, too. My translation of this suggestion is that the second has to really understand the business deeply, or the first will not trust (or respect) the second’s opinions.
When proposing new ideas (which is really important to the first), the second should not oversell, but should try to be balanced and present both the pros and the cons. I have seen far too many executives lose their credibility by understating or not mentioning the downsides.

Let’s stop there. If you’re an owner or CEO considering hiring a No. 2, or if you’re a No. 2 and you want to be the best you can be, I would highly recommend reading this book. Actually, I would suggest using it as a guide during the interview process; this isn’t a place where either party can afford to make a mistake. Never forget that hiring mistakes can be very embarrassing and costly.

Building Your Own Dream Team, Part 8: A Special Place (Create a special place where people are proud and want to work)

April 13, 2015/in Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom Doescher

It may seem obvious, but to build a great team, you must create a special place to work. Much has been written on this subject; one of my favorites is “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” written by Daniel Pink. I’ve written about his work several times, including in this Food For Thought article. In addition, Marcus Buckingham, in “First, Break All The Rules,” provides a very practical list.

In summary, when you’re building your Dream Team, have a plan that includes what team members you want and where you can find them; have a rigorous interviewing process; offer internships and apprenticeships; formalize mentors; provide clear, actionable feedback; offer advancement opportunities; constantly re-recruit your team; and create a special place where people want to work.

p.s. I believe “celebrating successes” and healthy humor are important, too, and I may discuss those subjects in a future blog.

15 Leadership Lessons from the All Blacks

Second in Command

Building Your Own Dream Team, Part 8: A Special Place (Create a special place where people are proud and want to work)

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