Category: Leadership Insights

Sick

When I went to bed on Thursday night I thought I wasn’t 100% and Friday morning for speed training I wondered even more but just in case it wasn’t anything I went (and had a surprisingly good session!). But it was a virus the Doctor said and I’ve stayed home for a couple of days to recover and importantly (I say sanctimoniously!) so I didn’t share. Postponed quite a few appointments including a workshop which I’ve never done before but it was the right thing to do I’m sure. People seem to understand.

It’s a strange thing the onset of a virus – the tingling feeling, denial, blame and then acceptance. Then some more denial “I’m not going to ruin my weekend for the flu!” so a trip to the new Auckland Art Gallery. Beautiful.

Auckland Art Gallery

The other strange thing is how much you can actually get done at home – quiet activity on the computer – probably more than at work with its interruptions and appointments. Wondering if this should be my new office.

No leader is indispensible and being sick is a good opportunity to reflect and do some immediate and necessary reprioritising. Which is probably something I should do more frequently. Taking on too much at times I can be brutal with assessing what is important now and what can wait, but having a few days out put upon me has in a strange way helped me refresh my headspace, if not my sinus, even though I’m feeling crook.

“How’s the flu?” people say. “Great thanks, it’s doing really well, started in the throat, then the head, trying to get into my chest, it’s a fighter!”.

And yes, only a man would tell the world he was sick.

Go the flu!

Stephen

Crushed in the rush

Ever since Helen Clark became Prime Minister (well I did religion yesterday!) the plan of attack by politicians when something goes wrong is to go on the attack. Murray McCully, the Minister of RWC2011 did it on Friday when 2000 people got caught on trains. The Transport Minister Steven Joyce joined the fray soon thereafter.  Mayor Len Brown was left to take responsibility and made appropriate signals that Auckland Council would look at compensating those who didn’t make the opening ceremony.

Crushed in the rush

If leadership is about being the loudest voice then central government politicians won hands down. In the crush on Friday night in Quay Street I felt part of something pretty big and powerful. People were in good humour and although it was a bit overwhelming it was worthwhile to experience it first hand.  Unfortunately those people we saw from the bus on the stalled trains on Tamaki Drive on the way back, didn’t look like they had such a good experience. There were lots of loud voices in Quay Street, Hakas, cheering and laughter. If the loudest voices were the best Rugby players then Tonga and Samoa would be meeting in the final based on support in town on Friday.

But the loudest voice isn’t always the strongest leader. What will come to repair the image of a failed transport system (and stop it failing again of course) will come from leadership that looks at itself, takes responsibility and leads to new action. I get a sense that’s been happening after the initial crush in the rush to blame.

Us ordinary folk took the lead and used public transport. Maybe it’s time for those pointing fingers to give it a shot too. That would be another type of crush that they could learn from.

Stephen

Tintin

On the flight to Wellington last week I engaged in a conversation with someone working on the Tintin movies. Turns out I knew more about Tintin than she did, which isn’t surprising as Tintin has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Tintin’s creator Herge, was an insightful and thorough man.

Tintin is responsive, engaging, determined, has vision, loves life and is affronted by evil. He’s a risk taker too and manages up to his much more senior friend Captain Haddock and his policeman friends Thompson and Thomson.

The stories are full of psychopaths – first mate Allan and other drug dealers, slave runners and meglamaniacs who will start a war for commercial profit.

These stories span 1930s to early 1980s and the storylines are still relevant today.

I’m not blogging about Tintin for a leadership reason particularly, but I can’t help but see that there’s lots of what I deal with today in those books I have enjoyed for over 40 years. Maybe that’s not a coincidence!

If you’ve got children you could do a lot worse than to introduce them to Tintin for the art, the stories, the culture and the learnings about the human condition.

I usually avoid the question “who is your most admired leader?” on the basis that this can only lead to a discussion on heroes in leadership which is by and large irrelevant to leaders here and now. But I might go for Tintin next time!

Stephen

Are you free?

Freedom is important to me. It’s probably more important to me than, say democracy though I once thought that one followed the other. When you travel through the airport of a democratic country you can wonder.

There’s only one political party in China – the other one went to Taiwan and has stayed there ever since. For many years China wasn’t a free place and that was synonymous with not being democratic. Even now if you step over the line, break the rules it’s a pretty big whack that’s coming your way. It’s still not democratic, but I’m not sure that worries too many people there, because they are free.

No need to be foggy. Name the behaviour.

Work often isn’t democratic either. I don’t get to vote on many aspects of life at AUT, but I can have input of course where it’s relevant. But I’m pretty free. While I run a commercial operation there is freedom that accompanies that responsibility and commitment. One thing I’ve noticed in many people who have difficulties with leaders is punishment. Toxic leaders punish those around them. Of course it’s not called that, but it should be. If someone says untrue things to those important to you or subtly removes a right or privilege without proper consultation or reason, that’s called punishment.

Come to think of it the incident I laughed about with a friend the other day and mentioned in my last blog was a post-employment attempt at punishment. I’ve seen more than enough of that to see it for what it is. Some so-called leaders, having failed at re-wiring their team-member to behave as they want them to, resort to punishment to, well punish! I guess that’s all they know about.

Authentic leaders don’t feel the need or want to re-wire their team. In fact such a proposition is oxymoronic to authenticity. Authenticity is allowing strengths to grow, embracing what we all bring to achieve the business or other outcome.

In China yesterday a young man living in New Zealand from China, Xiao Zhen, was found guilty of killing taxi driver and father Hiren Mohini in Auckland. This was a very unusual case as the crime was committed in New Zealand but the trial was in China. China agreed that if he was found guilty Zhen wouldn’t be executed and so New Zealand and China agreed to conduct the trial in Shanghai. China respected that we don’t execute criminals and we respected the Chinese system of justice.

Zhen has begun his punishment, properly deserved and China proved that it might not be democratic but it exhibits characteristics I think are a step in the right direction. If you visit China it hardly feels different than in the west for freedom. Maybe more so in parts.

So how’s all this connected? Leaders want freedom for themselves. There’s a pretty good chance that those around you in your team also want it. Even the government of China has worked that out (and that it can lead to economic prosperity like I’m working at too). If you’re a leader who embraces the freedom for yourself but seeks to rewire and punish those who won’t play, go and read Animal Farm. It’s about you more than say China!

Stephen