A Leadership Primer

General Colin Powell
Chairman (Ret), Joint Chiefs of Staff

A Leadership Primer
Lesson 1

"Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off."

Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which
means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions.  It's
inevitable, if you're honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a
sign of mediocrity; you'll avoid the tough decisions, you'll avoid
confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you'll avoid offering
differential rewards based on differential performance because some people
might get upset.  Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices,
by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally "nicely"
regardless of their contributions, you'll simply ensure that the only people
you'll wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the
organization.

**

Lesson 2

"The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have
stopped leading them.  They have either lost confidence that you can help
them or concluded that you do not care.  Either case is a failure of
leadership."

If this were a litmus test, the majority of CEOs would fail.  One, they
build so many barriers to upward communication that the very idea of
someone lower in the hierarchy looking up to the leader for help is
ludicrous. Two, the corporate culture they foster often defines asking for
help as weakness or failure, so people cover up their gaps, and the
organization suffers accordingly.  Real leaders make themselves
accessible and available.  They show concern for the efforts and challenges
faced by underlings, even as they demand high standards.  Accordingly,
they are more likely to create an environment where problem analysis
replaces blame.

**

Lesson 3

"Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites.  Experts often possess more data
than judgment.  Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs
who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world."

Small companies and start-ups don't have the time for analytically detached
experts.  They don't have the money to subsidize lofty elites, either.  The
president answers the phone and drives the truck when necessary;
everyone on the payroll visibly produces and contributes to bottom-line
results or they're history.  But as companies get bigger, they often forget
who "brought then to the dance": things like all-hands involvement,
egalitarianism, informality, market intimacy, daring, risk, speed, agility.
Policies that emanate from ivory towers often have an adverse impact on
the people out in the field who are fighting the wars or bringing in
revenues. Real leaders are vigilant, and combative, in the face of these
trends.

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A Leadership Primer
Lesson 4

"Don't be afraid to challenge the pros even in their own backyard."

Learn from the pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partners.
But remember that even the pros may have leveled out in terms of their
learning and skills.  Sometimes even the pros can become complacent and
lazy.  Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone.
Xerox's Barry Rand was right on target when he warned his people that
if you have a yes-man working for you, one of you is redundant.  Good
leadership encourages everyone's evolution.

Lesson 5

"Never neglect detail.  When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the
leader must be doubly vigilant."

Strategy equals execution.  All the great ideas and visions in the world are
worthless if they can't be implemented rapidly and efficiently.  Good
leaders delegate and empower others liberally, but they pay attention to
details, every day.  (Think about supreme athletic coaches like Jimmy
Johnson, Pat Riley and Tony la Russa). Bad ones, even those who fancy
themselves as progressive "visionaries," think they're somehow "above"
operational details.  Paradoxically, good leaders understand something else:
an obsessive routine in carrying out the details begets conformity and
complacency, which in turn dull everyone'' mind.  That is why even as they
pay attention to details, they understand the sentiment of CEO leaders like
Quad Graphic's Harry Quadracchi, Oticon's Lars Kolind and the late Bill
McGowan of MCI, who all independently asserted that the Job of a
leader is not to be the chief organizer but the chief dis-organizer.

Lesson 6

"You don't know what you can get away with until you try."

You know the expression, "it's easier to get forgiveness than permission."
Well, it's true.  Good leaders don't wait for official blessings to try
things out.  They're prudent, not reckless.  But they also realize a fact of
life in most organizations: if you ask enough people for permission, you'll
inevitably come up against someone who believes his job is to say "no."  so
the moral is, don't ask.  Less effective middle managers endorsed the
sentiment, "if I haven't explicitly been told 'yes,' I can't do it," whereas
the good ones believed, "If I haven't explicitly been told 'no,' I can."
There's a world of difference between these two points of view.


 A Leadership Primer

Lesson 7

"Keep looking below surface appearances.  Don't shrink from doing so
(just) because you might not like what you find."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the slogan of the complacent, the
arrogant or the scared.  It's an excuse for inaction, a call to non-arms.
It's a mind-set that assumes (or hopes) that today's realities will continue
tomorrow in a tidy, linear and predictable fashion.  Pure fantasy.  In this
sort of culture, you won't find people who pro-actively take steps to solve
problems as they emerge.  Here's a little tip: don't invest in these
companies.


Lesson 8

"Organization doesn't really accomplish anything.  Plans don't accomplish
anything, either.  Theories of management don't much matter. Endeavors
succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best
people will you accomplish great deeds."

In a brain-based economy, your best assets are people.  We've heard this
expression so often that it's become trite.  But how many leaders really
"walk the talk" with this stuff?  Too often, people are assumed to be empty
chess pieces to be moved around by grand viziers, which may explain
why so many top managers immerse their calendar time in deal making,
restructuring and the latest management fad.  How many immerse themselves in the goal of creating an environment where the best, the brightest, the most creative are attracted, retained and, most importantly, unleashed?


Lesson 9

"Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing."

Organization charts are frozen, anachronistic photos in a work place that
ought to be as dynamic as the external environment around you.  If people
really followed organization charts, companies would collapse.  In well-run
organizations, titles are pretty meaningless.  At best, they advertise some
authority, an official status conferring the ability to give orders and
induce obedience.  But titles mean little in terms of real power, which is
the capacity to influence and inspire.  Have you ever noticed that people
will personally commit to certain individuals who on paper (or on the
organization chart) possess little authority, but instead possess pizzazz,
drive, expertise, and genuine caring for teammates and products?  On the
flip side, non-leaders in management may be formally anointed with all the
perks and frills associated with high positions, but they have little
influence on others, apart from their ability to extract minimal compliance
to minimal standards.

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Lesson 10

"Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position
goes, your ego goes with it."

Too often, change is stifled by people who cling to familiar turfs and job descriptions.  One reason that even large organizations wither is that managers won't challenge old, comfortable ways of doing things.  But real leaders understand that, nowadays, every one of our jobs is becoming obsolete.  The proper response is to obsolete our activities before someone else does.  Effective leaders create a climate where people's worth is
determined by their willingness to learn new skills and grab new responsibilities, thus perpetually reinventing their jobs.  The most important question in performance evaluation becomes not, "how well did you perform your job since the last time we met?" but, "How much did you change it?"

Lesson 11

"Fit no stereotypes.  Don't chase the latest management fads.  The situation
dictates which approach best accomplishes the team's mission."

Flitting from fad to fad creates team confusion, reduces the leader's
credibility, and drains organizational coffers.  Blindly following a
particular fad generates rigidity in though and action.  Sometimes speed to
market is more important than total quality. Sometimes an unapologetic
directive is more appropriate that participatory discussion.  Some
situations require the leader to hover closely; others require long. Loose
leashes.  Leaders honor the core values, but they are flexible in how they
execute them.  They understand that management techniques are not magic
mantras but simply tools to be reached for at the right times.

Lesson 12

"Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."

The ripple effect of a leader's enthusiasm and optimism is awesome.  So is
the impact of cynicism and pessimism.  Leaders who whine and blame
engender those same behaviors among their colleagues. I am not talking
about stoically accepting organizational stupidity and performance
incompetence with a "what, me worry?" smile.  I am talking about a
gung-ho attitude that says "we can change things here, we can achieve
awesome goals, we can be the best."  Spare me the grim litany of the
"realist," give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.

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Lesson 13

"Powell's Rules for Picking People:" Look for intelligence and judgement,
and most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around corners. Also
look for loyalty, integrity, a high energy drive, a balanced ego, and the
drive to get things done.

How often do our recruitment and hiring processes tap into these attributes?
More often than not, we ignore them in favor of length of resume, degrees
and prior titles. A string of job descriptions a recruit held yesterday seem
to be more important than who one is today, what they can contribute
tomorrow, or how well their values mesh with those of the organization.
You can train a bright, willing novice in the fundamentals of your business
fairly readily, but it's a lot harder to train someone to have integrity,
judgement, energy, balance and the drive to get things done.  Good leaders
stack the deck in their favor right in the recruitment phase.

Lesson 14

"Great leaders are almost great simplifiers, who can cut through argument,
debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand."

Effective leaders understand the KISS principle, Keep It Simple, Stupid.
They articulate vivid, over-arching goals and values, which they use to
drive daily behaviors and choices among competing alternatives.  Their
visions and priorities are lean and compelling, not cluttered and
buzzword-laden. Their decisions are crisp and clear, not tentative and
ambiguous. They convey an unwavering firmness and consistency in their
actions, aligned with the picture of the future they paint.  The result:
clarity of purpose, credibility of leadership, and integrity in
organization.

Lesson 15

"Part I: "Use the formula P=40 to 70, in which P stands for the probability
of success and the numbers indicate the percentage of information
acquired."
Part II: "Once the information is in the 40 to 70 range, go with your gut."


Don't take action if you have only enough information to give you less than
a 40 percent chance of being right, but don't wait until you have enough
facts to be 100 percent sure, because by then it is almost always too late.
Today, excessive delays in the name of information-gathering breeds
"analysis paralysis."  Procrastination in the name of reducing risk actually
increases risk.

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Maslow - Human Basic Needs

Maslow  theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. Maslow used the terms "physiological", "safety", "belongingness" and "love", "esteem", "self-actualization" and "self-transcendence" to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through.

Physiological needs

Physiological needs are the physical requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body cannot function properly and will ultimately fail. Physiological needs are thought to be the most important; they should be met first.

Air, water, and food are metabolic requirements for survival in all animals, including humans. Clothing and shelter provide necessary protection from the elements. While maintaining an adequate birth rate shapes the intensity of the human sexual instinct, sexual competition may also shape said instinct.

Safety needs

With their physical needs relatively satisfied, the individual's safety needs take precedence and dominate behavior. In the absence of physical safety – due to war, natural disaster, family violence, childhood abuse, etc. – people may (re-)experience post-traumatic stress disorder or transgenerational trauma. In the absence of economic safety – due to economic crisis and lack of work opportunities – these safety needs manifest themselves in ways such as a preference for job security, grievance procedures for protecting the individual from unilateral authority, savings accounts, insurance policies, reasonable disability accommodations, etc. This level is more likely to be found in children because they generally have a greater need to feel safe.

Safety and Security needs include:

• Personal security
• Financial security
• Health and well-being
• Safety net against accidents/illness and their adverse impacts

Love and belonging

After physiological and safety needs are fulfilled, the third level of human needs is interpersonal and involves feelings of belongingness. This need is especially strong in childhood and can override the need for safety as witnessed in children who cling to abusive parents. Deficiencies within this level of Maslow's hierarchy – due to hospitalism,neglect, shunning, ostracism, etc. – can impact the individual's ability to form and maintain emotionally significant relationships in general, such as:

• Friendship
• Intimacy
• Family

According to Maslow, humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance among their social groups, regardless whether these groups are large or small. For example, some large social groups may include clubs, co-workers, religious groups, professional organizations, sports teams, and gangs. Some examples of small social connections include family members, intimate partners, mentors, colleagues, and confidants. Humans need to love and be loved – both sexually and non-sexually – by others. Many people become susceptible to loneliness, social anxiety, and clinical depression in the absence of this love or belonging element. This need for belonging may overcome the physiological and security needs, depending on the strength of the peer pressure.

Esteem

All humans have a need to feel respected; this includes the need to have self-esteem and self-respect. Esteem presents the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others. People often engage in a profession or hobby to gain recognition. These activities give the person a sense of contribution or value. Low self-esteem or an inferiority complex may result from imbalances during this level in the hierarchy. People with low self-esteem often need respect from others; they may feel the need to seek fame or glory. However, fame or glory will not help the person to build their self-esteem until they accept who they are internally. Psychological imbalances such as depression can hinder the person from obtaining a higher level of self-esteem or self-respect.

Most people have a need for stable self-respect and self-esteem. Maslow noted two versions of esteem needs: a "lower" version and a "higher" version. The "lower" version of esteem is the need for respect from others. This may include a need for status, recognition, fame, prestige, and attention. The "higher" version manifests itself as the need for self-respect. For example, the person may have a need for strength, competence, mastery, self-confidence, independence, and freedom. This "higher" version takes precedence over the "lower" version because it relies on an inner competence established through experience. Deprivation of these needs may lead to an inferiority complex, weakness, and helplessness.

Maslow states that while he originally thought the needs of humans had strict guidelines, the "hierarchies are interrelated rather than sharply separated". This means that esteem and the subsequent levels are not strictly separated; instead, the levels are closely related.

Self-actualization

"What a man can be, he must be." This quotation forms the basis of the perceived need for self-actualization. This level of need refers to what a person's full potential is and the realization of that potential. Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be. Individuals may perceive or focus on this need very specifically. For example, one individual may have the strong desire to become an ideal parent. In another, the desire may be expressed athletically. For others, it may be expressed in paintings, pictures, or inventions. As previously mentioned, Maslow believed that to understand this level of need, the person must not only achieve the previous needs, but master them.

Self-Transcendence

In his later years, Maslow explored a further dimension of needs, while criticizing his own vision on self-actualization. The self only finds its actualization in giving itself to some higher goal outside oneself, in altruism and spirituality.