In the annals of history and the chronicles of modern times, the rise and fall of leaders provide valuable lessons about the essential traits of effective leadership for current leaders, aspiring leaders, and the organizations that hire and promote them. One recurring theme is the disastrous consequences when charisma precedes character.

Charisma is defined as compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others. In and of itself, charisma is not a bad thing. With its magnetic appeal and ability to inspire, a leader’s personal charisma can be a powerful tool. It can rally people, drive initiatives, and create a shared sense of unity and purpose. But when a leader possesses charisma without a foundation of strong moral character, watch out.

The fundamental question to be asked is this: Is the charisma being channeled for the primary benefit of the individual or for the greater good? What is the leader’s underlying motivation?

How can you tell? For starters, recognize that rhetoric can be misleading, or even manipulative, however promising it sounds. The same can be said for charm or apparent earnestness. A more reliable measure is to look to the person’s character for clues.

Charisma without Character Is Disconnecting and Fleeting

A low-character leader may achieve short-term success by dazzling followers and stakeholders with his or her charisma, but this success is often built on shaky ground. The allure can be a facade that masks underlying weaknesses. To maintain their veneer of success, such leaders frequently engage in unethical and sometimes unlawful behavior. They are often willing to lie, cheat, steal, and harm others to achieve their goals. Some will even go to extreme lengths, showing a complete disregard for human life and societal norms.

The low-character individual’s lack of integrity and moral grounding eventually leads to downfall. Implosion is not just a possibility but a high probability, as history has shown. We have seen this pattern when charisma precedes character over and over again.

High-charisma / low-character leaders create environments of fear and mistrust, where the end justifies the means, and integrity is sacrificed at the altar of personal ambition. Their words and actions may create or reinforce a culture of “us” (loyalists or an inner circle) versus “them” (non-conformists or out-groups). Stereotypically, they don’t like to have their pronouncements challenged or questioned.

Charisma that is not anchored by solid character often leads to ethical breaches and unsustainable practices. These actions might bring immediate rewards but invariably lead to long-term repercussions, including legal troubles and personal disgrace. And repercussions can extend beyond the fallen leader to those who were complicit as well as to those who were innocent victims of the reputational damage done to the organization or the organization’s collapse.

Charisma Grounded in Character Is Connecting and Enduring

In stark contrast to those who rely solely on their charisma to project success, leaders with charisma anchored by strong character and competence, exhibited by attitudes, words, and behaviors that reflect humility, love, and service, are far more likely to deliver sustainable success. These high-character individuals lead from a concern for “we” over “me” and thus the culture they foster around them is vastly different.

The effectiveness of leaders with strong character is reflected in sustainable success. Their teams or organizations are built on trust, ethical practices, and a commitment to the greater good. These leaders inspire loyalty and dedication, leading to high levels of employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and long-term profitability.

If you want to become a high-character leader, or want to be able to quickly identify high-character leaders when making hiring and promotion decisions for your organization, seek the traits of humility, love, and service. Here’s what that may look like in a workplace setting.

High-character Leadership Trait #1: Humility

Humility allows leaders to recognize their own limitations and appreciate the contributions of others. It fosters a culture of learning and collaboration, where team members feel valued and motivated to contribute their best. Humble leaders are not afraid to admit mistakes, which not only humanizes them but also creates a culture where missteps or failure is seen as a learning opportunity rather than a disgrace or something to keep hidden from others.

High-character Leadership Trait #2: Love

Love, in the context of leadership, translates to genuine care and concern for the well-being of others. Individuals who lead with love prioritize the needs of their team members, customers, and community. They build trust and a sense of positive connection and belonging, creating an environment where people feel safe, respected, and inspired to achieve collective goals. Such leaders understand that their own success, as well as the overall success of the group, is intertwined with the success of those they lead, and they are committed to fostering growth and well-being.

High-character Leadership Trait #3: Service

Service is about putting others before oneself. Servant leaders focus not on personal gain, be that money, power, or status, but on empowering those around them. This could look like identifying and removing obstacles, and providing the resources needed for growth and success. They lead by example, demonstrating that true leadership is about serving others rather than being served. This approach not only enhances the leader’s credibility but also cultivates a culture of mutual respect and shared purpose.

Employing Charisma for Good

In times of uncertainty or difficulty, how is a leader employing his or her charisma? Is it to infuse hope and the encouragement needed to come together and carry on, acknowledging the current state while pointing to a brighter future, sharing information and calling for collaboration? We would expect to see this in a high-character leader. Given the same scenario, we would not be surprised to see the charisma of a low-character leader being used to infuse divisiveness by placing blame on others, dwelling on the negative, or encouraging unethical or illegal behavior.

While charisma can ignite the spark of leadership, it is character that sustains the flame. Leaders who embrace humility, love, and service create lasting, positive legacies and drive sustainable success. Conversely, those who rely on charisma alone, neglecting the development of their moral character, are destined for eventual disaster. It is imperative for aspiring leaders to prioritize character development, ensuring that their charisma serves as a complement to their ethical and principled foundation, and for organizations to hire and promote leaders with a strong foundation of character

The Bottom Line

In this day and age of abundant entertainment and ever-present social media, we might judge a leader first on the basis of charisma, then competence, and then character, without giving it any thought. Organizations seeking leaders who will guide their teams to long-term success would be wise to look first for a foundation of strong moral character and competence. Charisma is a bonus, not an essential trait for effective leadership.

Katharine P. Stallard co-authored this article. 

Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash

The post The Perils of Charisma Without Character in Leadership appeared first on Michael Lee Stallard.

Definition of Citizenship

Citizenship (social responsibility, loyalty, teamwork) is working well as a member of a group or team; being loyal to the group; doing one’s share.

Citizenship in Today’s Organizations

The historian and bestselling author David McCullough observed that, “little of consequence is ever done alone.” McCullough recognizes history has repeatedly shown that groups are essential to progress and impact on the world. That’s why citizenship is so important. When people are good citizens (members) of teams or organizations, they give their best efforts and strive for excellence in their work, and often go “above and beyond the call of duty.” They also align their behavior with team/organizational objectives and values and they cooperate, encourage and help their colleagues.

The root word of “corporation” is “corpus,” which means “body” in Latin. Citizenship helps us put the corpus in corporation so that we reflect the true definition of a corporation, “a group of people combined into one body.”

Citizenship is built on the foundation of trust and loyalty. People are generally not good citizens unless they believe the organization they work for is loyal to them and trustworthy. In this day and age, when corporate downsizing is commonplace, trust, loyalty and citizenship have been severely diminished. Two Harvard psychiatrists, Drs. Jacqueline Olds and Richard S. Schwartz, believe that so many people have been negatively affected by corporate downsizing and the resulting social pain they experience that many of them are withdrawing from relationships. It’s important for leaders to recognize the decline of trust, loyalty and citizenship in recent years so they have a realistic perspective. In this climate, leaders are even more important for they are key to strengthening trust, loyalty and citizenship.

Leaders who build trust, loyalty and citizenship genuinely care about people. That’s critical. Such leaders are capable of building trust for those around them will sense their care is not motivated by self-interest. A caring leader will take the time to get to know the people he or she leads – their stories, career aspirations, values and strengths. Armed with that understanding, the leader will look for ways to align each individual’s interests and goals with the organization’s so that the individual’s work is a “win-win” for the individual and the organization. They also expect leaders who report to them to follow their example.

Example of Citizenship in Action

In the book Fired Up or Burned Out, we shared the story of General George C. Marshall, arguably one of history’s greatest examples of a leader of exceptional character. It’s well worth reviewing Marshall’s example of the citizenship he displayed in serving his supervisor, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and the trust and loyalty he developed with the people he led that encouraged them to be good citizens. You may recall that Marshall was the U.S. Army Chief of Staff during World War II then the Secretary of State who advanced the “Marshall Plan” to rebuild a war-ravaged Western Europe.

Let’s look at some specific behaviors of Marshall’s that reflect citizenship. Marshall was known for his loyalty. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt always knew Marshall would fully support him in implementing a decision, even if it was one with which Marshall disagreed. President Roosevelt said about him, “When I disapprove [of Marshall’s recommendations], I don’t have to look over my shoulder to see which way he is going… I know he is going…to give me the most loyal support as chief of staff that any president can wish.” Marshall once said, “the less you agree with the policies of your superiors, the more energy you must direct to their accomplishment.”

Marshall was also well known for giving his best efforts at work. Senator Henry Stimson said about Marshall’s planning and coordination of the war effort, “I have never seen a task of such magnitude performed by a man.” The British Chiefs of Staff wrote in a note to Marshall following the war, “…you have inspired us by your singleness of purpose and selfless devotion to our common cause.”

Marshall demonstrated his care for the people he led. He made sure they received training to improve their skills and continue learning and growing. During the Depression, Marshall made certain the people he led had proper medical and dental care. He also made inexpensive meals available to soldiers and their families. To avoid the perception that the meals program was a “condescending charity,” Marshall and his wife ate the same meals, too.

Result: Marshall’s leadership in organizing many of the logistics over the course of World War II and in advancing the Marshall Plan following the war were extremely successful. Following the Allied victory, Winston Churchill hailed General Marshall as “the true organizer of victory.” The Marshall Plan has been recognized as one of the most effective foreign policy programs in history. In recognition for the positive impact General Marshall had on the world, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1963, the only career soldier to ever receive the honor.

Actions You Can Take to Develop Citizenship Among Your Team

Be a model citizen. Like General Marshall, be loyal to your supervisor and give your best efforts at work. When your supervisor asks for your input, respectfully share your point of view. If he or she makes a decision that you disagree with, be sure to make an extra effort in implementing the decision. In addition, be cooperative with people who work in other parts of your organization. The people you lead will see your example of good citizenship and be inspired by it to follow your lead.

Clarify your covenant. Take some time to think through and write out the covenantal promises you would like to make to your supervisor and to the people you lead. These promises define your relational expectations. Read through theMontpelier Command Philosophy for ideas and ways to express them in writing. Send a draft to two or three people you respect and ask them to provide feedback about “what’s right?, what’s wrong?, and what’s missing?” from your promises. After incorporating the feedback, send your promises to your supervisor for his/her approval. Once approved, share your promises with the people you lead, asking them to consider the covenantal promises you made then write their promises to you and to the people they are responsible for leading.

Celebrate good citizens. Look for examples of citizenship that you can share with your team. You can use examples from your team, from other parts of your organization or external examples that appear in the press.

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Leading with Character: Integrity

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Definition of Integrity

Integrity can be defined as always interacting with others ethically and honorably. People with integrity aspire to the highest ethical standards and expect the same behavior of others. They conduct themselves honorably in any situation that may arise. They treat every person with respect and fairness. They are straightforward and forthright, expressing themselves with clarity, so that others always understand what is being communicated. They approach their work with honesty, and having made a commitment, keep their word.

Integrity: An Essential Component of Servant Leadership

The word “integrity” comes from the Latin “integritas,” meaning wholeness and soundness. The integrity of Servant Leaders is one reason people see them as being sound and grounded human beings. Their integrity is like a rock-solid foundation of a building.  Conversely, a leader who lacks integrity is not perceived to be solid, dependable or reliable.

Servant Leaders have integrity. In other words, they express what they believe (reflecting honesty) and what they feel (reflecting authenticity). They don’t hide or misrepresent their thoughts and feelings. They don’t exaggerate. They don’t lie. They follow through on their commitments. They practice what they preach.

Leaders with integrity declare and explain their values. In the “Montpelier Command Philosophy,” the commander of the U.S.S. Montpelier showed integrity by expressing his values, what he expected of himself and the crew he was responsible for leading. He also defined integrity as “Do the right thing; don’t take the expedient path. If you are not sure what the right thing is, and you have the opportunity, ask. If you can’t, trust your judgment and training. This requires a great deal of courage, but if you act honestly and faithfully in this regard, you will not be second-guessed.”

Because Servant Leaders possess the character strength of integrity, they strongly believe the following statements: it is more important to say what I believe than to be popular; things tend to work out when I tell the truth; I would never lie just to get something I want from someone; my life is guided and given meaning by my values; I always follow through on my commitments, even when it costs me; I dislike phonies who pretend to be what they are not; and, it is important to be open and honest about my feelings.

Why is integrity important to a Servant Leader’s performance? Effective leaders build trust with the people they lead. Trust is strengthened when a Servant Leader demonstrates integrity by saying what he/she believes and feels. When a leader has integrity, people aren’t left to guess the leader’s true intention, which often creates ambiguity, uncertainty and anxiety. Trust is also strengthened when a Servant Leader does what he/she declared would be done. This builds the Servant Leader’s reputation for reliability.

Integrity is related to the core element of Voice in a Connection Culture. People with integrity strengthen Voice in a culture because they speak up and say what they believe rather than withhold their thoughts or lie because they want to say what others want to hear. When they express themselves, it is done in a way that reflects Human Value. In sharing their thoughts and feelings in a manner that safeguards relational connections, leaders with integrity also demonstrate the character strength of social intelligence.  People with integrity are not naysayers because, in addition to integrity, they also possess the character strength of hope (which includes optimism). When they speak, their comments are sincere, constructive and intended to advance their team’s work, rather than to impede it.

Examples of Integrity in Action

Ann Mulcahy, former CEO of Xerox Corporation, had a reputation for being candid.  Shortly after becoming CEO, she announced that Xerox’s business model was unsustainable and that the company would confront reality then make the tough decisions necessary to restore the Xerox’s competitiveness. One employee told the press, “part of her DNA is to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

Result: Because of her integrity, Ann Mulcahy gained the trust of Xerox employees. They pulled together, gave their best efforts and returned Xerox to profitability. One Xerox board member described the turnaround as a “minor miracle.”

After Goodyear Tire lost money in 1990 (the first time in 60 years), the board persuaded Stan Gault, a Goodyear director and former CEO of Rubbermaid, to come out of retirement and replace Goodyear’s CEO. When Gault arrived, he began to unplug lights and unscrew light bulbs in the former CEO’s large office to reduce costs. He ate in the company cafeteria with the rest of the employees and got rid of executive parking spaces.  The word spread like wildfire among Goodyear employees that Gault believed “thrift is a virtue.” When Gault then asked all Goodyear employees to help reduce the company’s bloated costs, they already knew their leader walked the talk.

Result: Goodyear employees responded to Gault’s integrity and plea to reduce costs. As a result, the company paid down its debt and invested in new research and development.   Soon thereafter, Goodyear launched the newly developed “Aquatread” tire. It was a huge success and Goodyear was restored to profitability.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has 20 values that comprise what is referred to as “The Ritz-Carlton Basics.” Each day, in a brief session called the “Daily Lineup,” supervisors review one of the 20 values with their staff and each Monday all Ritz-Carlton Hotels world-wide celebrate an example of a staff member who went beyond the call of duty to live up to one of the 20 Ritz-Carlton Basics.

Result: These practices help maintain a high level of organizational integrity because employees know Ritz-Carton’s values and are more likely to apply them. The Ritz-Carlton’s integrity has contributed to the organization receiving all the major awards bestowed by the hospitality industry and leading consumer organizations.

Five Actions You Can Take to Develop Integrity as a Leader

1. Be a model for your team. It is critical for you to be consistent and clear about your ethical standards. Strive to provide facts, not smokescreens, speak up even when it may be risky to do so, and challenge any system that encourages or rewards dishonesty and unethical behavior.
2. Be a model for ethical behavior. Ensure you are consistent, open, and clear with your ethical standards and expectations. Encourage your team to express concerns about questionable practices and take the time to review any ethical concerns and your team will provide open, candid feedback.
3. Don’t be a political animal. Being competent in your job is the most effective method of achieving success. Avoid being political by increasing your own awareness of political behavior. Start by listing the tactics you are aware of and ensure you’re not exhibiting these behaviors. Then ensure you always share recognition, be a team player, acknowledge people for their unique knowledge and talents, and set SMART objectives to help with unbiased measurements of performance.
4. Be a risk taker and stand up for what you believe in. There is a direct correlation between risk, success, and excellence. These are key components in maintaining a competitive advantage. When standing up for what you believe in, approach any adversity with a positive attitude and always work to gain support and cooperation from key people in your immediate or broader team. Be sure to encourage others to speak up and voice their viewpoints.
5. Be a role model for living your organization’s values. If you demonstrate that you are a proud member of your organization and live its values, and explicitly articulate to your team why you’re proud and why these things are important, they will soon follow. Walk the talk, be an example of what you want your employees to be and ensure your performance reflects the standards you expect from your team.

Remember that people will not follow a leader they do not trust. Trust is earned through, among other things, integrity. Great leaders — trusted leaders — demonstrate integrity.  This leads to gaining the confidence of those around them. These people then become dedicated employees, trusted friends, and strong supporters of shared goals.

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Definition of Gratitude

Gratitude is being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.

Why Gratitude Matters

The word gratitude is based on the Latin root gratia which means “grace,” “graciousness,” and “gratefulness.” Religious thinkers and moral philosophers throughout history have long appreciated gratitude. Only recently, however, have scientists come to appreciate the positive influence gratitude has on human and organizational performance. 

Neuroscience research has shown that positive environments improve the human brain’s ability to solve problems and think creatively. An environment where people possess the character strength of gratitude tends to be more positive. This is the case because individuals show their gratitude in the form of words and acts of appreciation expressed on a regular basis to the people they come in contact with each day, including their family members, friends, colleagues and customers. Receiving appreciation from others meets our human need for recognition, which has the effect of encouraging and energizing us.

Gratitude is necessary to offset the negative bias in news reporting and media that has a 21-to-1, negative-to-positive ratio. Real life is much more positive than reflected in the press because, for the most part, it’s negative events that journalists view as newsworthy. Taking time to reflect on and be grateful for the positive things in our lives is necessary to help us keep a realistic — and more optimistic — perspective so that we will function at our best rather than be dragged down by a barrage of negative news in the media.

Individuals with the character strength of gratitude typically take time to reflect on how much easier their lives are because of the efforts of others, how they could not have gotten where they are today without the help of others, and the beauty, excellence or awe of something they’ve experienced. To develop gratitude in his character and boost his own happiness, productivity and creativity, Harvard psychology professor Tal Ben-Shahar keeps a diary where each day he records three things for which he is grateful. Research supports the wisdom of this practice. In 2002, Emmons and McCullough had test subjects keep diaries for a period of six months. The research participants were split into four groups: people who recorded things they were grateful for, people who recorded daily hassles, people who recorded either positive or negative experiences, and a control group. The results were that the test group that kept gratitude diaries were healthier, more optimistic, happier, more generous and more likely to accomplish their goals. The test subjects who recorded their daily hassles experienced the least favorable outcomes.

Examples of Gratitude in Action

From 1991 to 2001, when Bill George was CEO of Medtronic, a maker of pacemakers, defibrillators, stents, catheters, shunts, and surgical tools, he held a holiday party each year where six individuals who benefitted from Medtronic products told their stories. The event helped Medtronic employees clearly see how their work helped others and made them more likely to be grateful that their work had meaning. Result: Bill George successfully led Medtronic to become one the most respected companies in the world. He was named one of “Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years” by PBS; “Executive of the Year-2001” by the Academy of Management; and “Director of the Year-2001-02” by the National Association of Corporate Directors.

The great British writer G.K. Chesterton was known to be exuberant and exhilarated by life. His writings reflected a sense of wonder and gratitude. Chesterton had a keen sense of observation and appreciated the big and small things in life. About ink, he wrote, “I like Cyclostyle ink, it is so inky. I do not think there is anyone who takes quite such fierce pleasure in things being themselves as I do. The startling wetness of water excites and intoxicates me: the fieriness of fire, the steeliness of steel, the unutterable muddiness of mud.” Result: Chesterton became one of the major literary figures in the first third of the 20^th Century. His productivity was remarkable writing nearly 100 books on a wide-range of subjects including faith and philosophy, mystery, biography, poetry, and social and political commentary.

Three Actions You Can Take to Develop Gratitude as a Leader

1. Take time to regularly and genuinely express your gratitude to the people you lead. Express your gratitude in person or in an email. For items that have truly impacted you or the team, copy your manager as well to show the employee you are also showcasing their efforts beyond their direct environment. Use phrases like: “Thank you,” “I truly appreciate your…,” “I really appreciate your help with …,” “Thank you for helping me with…,” “How can I ever possibly thank you,” “Thanks a million for…,” “I’m so grateful for…,” “I’ll forever be grateful for…,” “I appreciate it,” “I appreciate what you did,” “You have my gratitude,” “Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to… Thank you,” “How can I ever thank you?,” “How can I show you how grateful I am for what you did?,” and “There are no words to show you my appreciation.”

2. Take the time to reflect on things you are grateful for by keeping a gratitude journal. Like professor Tal Ben-Shahar, keep a gratitude diary by writing down each day three things for which you are grateful. If you’re not likely to keep a diary, find a regular time each day that you can pause and reflect on what you’re grateful for that day. You may be grateful for a wonderful friend, a great meal, the warmth of the sunshine, a new favorite song, excellent work you’ve done or the positive impact your work had on others.

3. Encourage your team to express gratitude for what they have done for one another. Take time in your regular team meetings to have team members share things that others have done that have had a positive impact on their performance, mood, and/or day. To get this going, you should take the lead by sharing some things others have done for you. Be sure to include small things, too. For instance, perhaps you could share an example of a friendly gesture or small act of kindness that helped you when you were having a tough day. Doing this on regular basis will help raise your team’s gratitude and awareness of how important it is to help one another.

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Definition of Creativity

Creativity is thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things.

Why Creativity Matters

Creativity is essential for innovation. Exercising creativity to continuously improve by finding new and better ways of serving clients is something we must always strive to do. An organization that settles for the status quo will never be a great organization. For that reason, we must never allow our organizations to become complacent. One of our ongoing goals must be to continuously make the world better by improving what we do. Exercising creativity is essential to this task.

Unfortunately, we don’t drift toward creativity and innovation. It requires intentionality is several ways. First, we must recognize the need to foster a team approach to creativity and innovation. Although the media likes to glorify the lone creative genius, a closer look at creativity reveals that it is, to a large degree, a team sport. Thomas Edison, one of the most prolific inventors of all time, readily admitted that he drew upon ideas from many people. Edison once said, “I am quite correctly described as ‘more of a sponge than an inventor….’”

Second, we need to recognize that creativity flourishes in an environment where the Connection Culture element of Knowledge Flow (or “Voice”) exists. When people are intentional about improving what they do, when they seek the ideas of others, when they share their ideas and opinions honestly, and when they safeguard relational connections, it creates a robust marketplace of ideas that feeds creative minds.

Note that several character strengths contribute to increase the element of Voice in an environment that stimulates creativity. These character strengths include curiosity, love of learning, humility, open-mindedness, persistence and an appreciation of beauty and excellence. People who possess these character strengths persist in coming up with ideas drawn from the knowledge they’ve gained as a result of their curiosity to learn and to improve upon their work product and processes.

Third, creativity and innovation increase when certain processes and practices are in place. A simple example is a suggestion box where people are invited to submit ideas. Here are several ways to become more intentional about exercising creativity to innovate and identify new products, processes and approaches that improve your organization.

Examples of Creativity in Action

Dolland & Aitchison, an optician and spectacle retailer, believed that “every idea is a good idea.” Employees are encouraged to write directly to the CEO with their ideas. They receive a written response from the CEO and if their idea is implemented they also receive a “thank-you” gift. An example of such an idea is “Styleyes” a computer aided system, pairing customers with ideal frames to fit appearance and lifestyle. Result: Increase in customer satisfaction, increase in customer spending and an annual sales increase of 17 percent.

At 3M, they have an Entrepreneurial Policy which allows employees to spend up to 15 percent of their time at work developing their own creative ideas for the betterment of the company and the creation of new products or services. Subsequently, 3M was able to capitalize on the creative ideas to create and launch the 3M Post-it Note product. Result:The 3 M Post-it Note is one of their most successful and popular products.

At Ritz-Carlton Hotels, each department has a white board where people are expected to write down ideas for their teams to consider in upcoming team meetings. This has fostered a culture of creativity and innovation where people are continuously looking for ways to improve what they do. Result: Ritz-Carton is consistently recognized as one of the top performing hotel companies worldwide. It is a perennial winner of awards for quality and customer service.

Actions You Can Take to Develop Creativity Among Your Team

Encourage, respect and reward new thinking. It takes courage for your team members to bring up a new idea or a fresh perspective. By making sure that you are open to new ideas, and that you suspend judgment during the idea generation phase, you’ll be encouraging people to think about things a little differently. Take it a little further and encourage your team to build on and explore each other’s ideas, even the ones that might sound a little odd at first. Dismissing ideas too soon is a sure way of losing the best solutions and suppressing creative thinking. And remember to recognize people for their contributions and ideas.

Believe in the capabilities your team. Expect the best from your team, keep your expectations high yet realistic and your team will be inspired to perform at their best. In terms of creativity, a group is more likely to come up with innovative solutions if you believe they can. Just remember your optimism needs to be realistic, so raise the bar for top performance one step at a time.

Try the “six hats” technique. The “six hats” technique involves looking at a problem from six differing perspectives. By doing this, you’ll produce more ideas than you might have had you only looked at the situation from one or two points of view.

1. White Hat: Look at the situation objectively. What are the facts?
2. Yellow Hat: Use a positive perspective. Which elements of the solution will work?
3. Black Hat: Use a negative perspective. Which elements of the solution won’t work?
4. Red Hat: Look at the situation emotionally. What do your feelings tell you?
5. Green Hat: Think creatively. What are some alternative ideas?
6. Blue Hat: Think broadly. What is the best overall solution?

Consciously build diverse teams. Diversity of backgrounds, thinking and experience and is the key to creativity. Allowing your team to express themselves and share based on their diverse backgrounds will ensure that they’re considering many options, many of which would not have been considered if they investigated the issues in isolation. Even if the diverse backgrounds drive a little “Creative Abrasion” it will result in positive outputs as you’ve provided a safe, respectful environment where people feel comfortable with each other.

Have fun. When our bodies are active, tensions are released and we are more able to let our minds take leaps of faith. For this purpose, have plenty of toys that require physical activity in your office environment. Things like balls and board games will change your team’s routine, get their blood moving, and result in a flow of ideas.

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Image courtesy of Flickr user Steve Wilson under Creative Commons license Attribution 2.0 Generic. Image has been cropped. 

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Social intelligence is being aware of your own motives as well as the feelings of others, knowing what to do to fit into different social situations, and knowing what makes other people tick.

Social Intelligence in Leadership

Oftentimes people are promoted into leadership positions because they’ve been successful as individual contributors. What makes them successful in an individual role, however, may be insufficient to ensure their success as a leader. Social intelligence is one of the most important character strengths to determine the success of leaders because leading is social in nature. Through his or her interactions with others, leaders must motivate people to give their best efforts and align their behavior with organizational goals.

Research from the field of neuroscience confirms the importance of social intelligence. In recent years, neuroscientists discovered the existence of mirror neurons. These brain cells have been described as an emotional wi-fi system that detects and reproduces the emotions of others. In other words, mirror neurons allow us to feel what others feel, a state described as “mutual empathy.” The existence of mirror neurons also means that emotions truly are contagious. The emotions of the people around us affect our own, in a positive or negative way.

Given this, leaders should be sensitive to the emotions of others. People feel connected and are more likely to trust leaders who understand them and feel as they do. Leaders also need to be intentional about managing their emotions because of how emotions spread to others. It’s important for leaders to be optimistic, confident, friendly and approachable.

Good leaders know how to be inclusive. When people feel excluded it triggers “social pain,” i.e. feelings of exclusion that activate the part of the human brain that feels physical pain. People feeling social pain either withdraw from a group or take action to sabotage it, whereas people who feel included are more likely to experience positive emotions that energize them.

A socially intelligent leader avoids behaviors that bring out negative emotions in others. Such behaviors include needing to win at all costs, adding one’s opinion to every discussion, always showing others how smart one is, and sarcasm or putting others down.

Examples of Social Intelligence in Action

When A.G. Lafley became CEO of Procter and Gamble in 2000, he followed a CEO who was negative, pessimistic and lacked humility. Under the former leader, the company had lost $320 million the previous quarter, half its brands were losing market share, and the firm was struggling with morale problems. The more socially intelligent Lafley was a breath of fresh air. Rather than berating people, he asked them to get the “moose” (i.e. the problems they’d been afraid to make public) out of the closets and onto the conference room tables where together they would solve them. The upbeat and optimistic Lafley calmly asked people for their opinions and ideas, considered them and put into practice those he thought were best. This reflects social intelligence in that people respond better to a respectful tone of voice and being invited to problem solve versus an authoritarian tone of voice and being lectured. Result: After implementing employee suggestions, the number of employees who agreed with the statement, “we’re on track to deliver business results” soared from 18 percent to 49 percent in 12 months. In a little more than two years after Lafley became CEO, the company was so profitable its stock price had risen 70 percent!

As president of the Red Cross, Elizabeth Dole would say that “wanting to do good was not good enough” and that the organization had to produce results. She was well known for remembering people’s names and what they were passionate about in life. In interacting with others, she used their names, asked them about their interests and vicariously felt the emotions they expressed. When it came to fundraising for the Red Cross, Dole was intentional about connecting. She had her staff research people to identify an important fact about them that she would use in conversations with them. Result:Elizabeth Dole connected with Red Cross staff, volunteers, and donors and produced results. During her tenure, she greatly increased financial support, successfully implemented a massive change initiative to ensure the safety of the Red Cross blood supply, and expanded its network of trained disaster relief workers.

Actions You Can Take to Develop Social Intelligence Among Your Team

Make quick connections with new acquaintances. If you are meeting an individual for the first time, develop the habit of using his or her name several times in the conversation so that you will be more likely to remember it. Another way to remember names is to think of someone else you know who has the same first name as that individual. Connections with others are strengthened when you discover shared interests and experiences. To do this, ask a question such as “what are your interests outside of work?”

Practice active listening. Listen carefully and be present in conversations. When you speak with others, maintain eye contact and don’t get distracted by averting your gaze, daydreaming, or checking your email or telephone. During conversations, pay close attention to what is said, actively ask questions and write down any items you need to remember or follow up on.

Don’t suppress empathy. Mutual empathy is a powerful connector. If an individual you’re interacting with expresses emotion, and it’s appropriate, allow yourself to feel the emotion rather than suppressing it. For example, if the individual shows enthusiasm, try to feel it. If the individual is sad, it’s ok to feel his or her sadness. Feeling another’s pain often reduces it and helps the person feel better.

Seek opportunities to encourage and help others. When you encourage and help others, it connects with them. When someone does something well, tell him or her in person that you appreciate the excellence of his or her work. Develop the habit of always looking for ways to encourage and help people then follow through on any actions you commit to do.

When you feel fear or anger, take time to slow down and reflect. Fear and anger trigger fight or flight responses that have a higher probability of being rash than rational.  When you feel fear or anger, pause to take a deep breath and count to 10 so that you have time to relax and reflect before reacting. If you continue to feel fear or anger, consider taking a break from the person or situation. When you respond, avoid increasing the stress by preferring “I” over “you” in your response. For example, it’s preferable to say “I’m upset that you didn’t help with that extra work that had to be done” than “you never help when extra work has to be done.”

Assume the best in others. When someone says or does something disconnecting in his or her interactions with you, give the benefit of the doubt that he or she didn’t intend harm or ill-will. Forgiveness and mercy (i.e. accepting the shortcomings of others, giving people a second chance, and not being vengeful) are character strengths, too!

Model it and coach your team. To strengthen social intelligence among the people you lead you must model it so that others will observe and emulate what you do. Some of those you lead may require coaching. If you see someone doing something that is socially unintelligent (i.e. relationally disconnecting), take time to speak with him or her in private. When you do, be sure to encourage the person first then communicate your concern by saying “you would be even better if you ________” [fill in the blank with what they could have done better]. When providing constructive feedback, strive to be gentle and kind in your tone of voice so the other person is less likely to become defensive.

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A number of leaders I know are beginning 2016 facing extremely challenging business and/or personal situations. I want to encourage them to keep moving forward because I believe their greatest contributions are yet to come. Here are four pieces of advice to help.

1. Consider your comeback story

If the present outlook appears grim, think of it as a chapter in your comeback story.

On the 2nd of January, Bram Kohlhausen had reason to be concerned. TCU’s backup quarterback, who had seen limited playing time during the regular season, had been tapped to be the starter on two days’ notice as TCU prepared to take on Oregon in the Alamo Bowl. It was both the first start of his college football career and his final college football game as a player. Kohlhausen was trying to lead a TCU team beset with injuries all season and short its two best offensive players. Adding to the weight he carried, Kohlhausen lost his father to cancer just two months earlier. Uncharacteristically, TCU did not score a single point in the first half and the team headed to the locker room down 31-0 against its Pac-12 opponent.

The second half of the game belonged to TCU. Late in the second quarter, Oregon’s star quarterback was injured and he did not return to the game after halftime. While TCU’s defense stopped the Oregon offense, Kohlhausen sparked the TCU offense by throwing for 351 yards and running for 43 yards, which in combination led to four touchdowns. This time it was Oregon that did not score a single point. TCU’s 31 points tied the game and sent it to overtime. In the end, TCU completed a 47-41 comeback in triple overtime, tying Texas Tech for the largest comeback in college football bowl game history. Kohlhausen was selected as the game’s offensive MVP and named to the Associated Press All-Bowl Team. This goes to show if you hang in there through times of adversity, opportunities may arise.

Many leaders face trying times en route to victory. Steve Jobs led a struggling Apple and had to seek financing from his rival, Bill Gates. Apple barely survived yet went on to become the largest company in terms of stock market value, one of the most respected companies and the number one brand worldwide.

President Abraham Lincoln struggled with periods of depression when the Civil War wasn’t going well, a son had died and his wife was not well. He went on to see the Union Army triumph.

When you keep moving forward, step by step, and maintain the perspective that current struggles are part of your comeback story, you’ll often see things turn around.

2. Talk it over with friends

Never worry alone. Seek help when you’re struggling. Talking through things with trusted friends and colleagues helps us cope with anxiety and stress, and often leads to new insights about adjustments we can make to improve our effectiveness. Most Saturday mornings, I meet with a group of guys in a Bible study and each of us shares the ups and downs we experienced that week. The time I spend with them always energizes me. In addition, I frequently seek the help of friends who have expertise in areas I don’t know well.

3. Count your blessings

Take time each day to reflect on a list of good things in your life. It helps you keep a positive perspective. I like to reflect on how grateful I am for my wife and daughters, my mother and my extended family, and wonderful friends. This always perks me up when I’m feeling weighed down.

4. Take time to care for yourself

Finally, I’ve learned that I need to be intentional about caring for my health by eating right, getting enough sleep and exercise, and taking at least a day off each week to recharge. When most of my time is focused on work, it’s easy for me to ignore this need and let my health suffer. Self-neglect, however, reflects short-term thinking and will sabotage your efforts to persevere.

In summary, when you’re facing challenging times, consider your comeback story, talk the situation over with friends, count your blessings and take time to care for yourself so you can go the distance.

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TCU is on a roll! The university of 8,900 undergraduate students in Fort Worth, Texas is all over the national sports pages these days. 

The TCU Horned Frog football team keeps winning games and remains near the top of the college football rankings. Josh Doctson and Aaron Green are frequently mentioned as likely NFL draft picks, along with quarterback Trevone Boykin whose remarkable performances have the press buzzing that he is a frontrunner to win the Heisman Trophy. A photo of Boykin kneeling down to talk with 7-year old Abby Faber, Iowa State’s “Kid Captain” of the day who suffers from spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, recently went viral.

In the NFL, former TCU quarterback Andy Dalton is leading the Cincinnati Bengals football team to what looks like another playoff-bound year as the Bengals remain one of a handful of undefeated teams.

Jake Arrieta, the Chicago Cubs ace pitcher and contender for the Cy Young Award, helped his team defeat his former Horned Frog teammate and star second baseman Matt Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals to advance to Major League Baseball’s National League Championship Series.  TCU baseball has become a national powerhouse, making its second straight appearance earlier this year in the College World Series.

With TCU’s athletic success, one might expect hubris to surface. In my four years of involvement at TCU, even as national athletics successes mounted, I have been intrigued to observe quite the opposite.  The small school with big spirit — and unusual mascot — is anything but resting on its laurels.

Recently I participated in a meeting of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council (CAC) to provide feedback on how TCU might further strengthen its athletic program to prepare student-athletes to be successful in the classroom, in competition and in life beyond college. The CAC consists of approximately 60 individuals with diverse backgrounds from across the U.S. who come together on campus twice each year. Members tapped for a three-year term are either alumni, current or past parents, or community friends. (I have one daughter who graduated from TCU and another who is a senior). Each season the CAC focuses on a specific program or aspect of university life and provides candid feedback. Past topics have included discussions on the role of graduate education, the best ways for students to live lives that matter, the importance of freshman retention, and the advantages of a connection culture.

The CAC is one forum in which TCU has effectively operationalized humility in a way that contributes to the university’s success. TCU’s process can be summarized in three steps that every leader can implement with members of his or her organization.

1. Put your cards on the table

High quality feedback requires knowledge. Operationalizing humility begins by informing others in a way that reflects transparency and openness. At TCU’s CAC meetings, two half-day sessions are designed to equip CAC members with relevant facts, data and knowledge so they can ask pertinent questions and provide informed opinions. This includes interaction with students and relevant staff and faculty members.

Leaders can follow TCU’s example by being intentional about keeping people in the loop. Share financial and operational data with the people you lead. Share the issues you’re considering and your thoughts about each so people know where you stand.  Some might argue that you should begin by asking others to share their thoughts.  I’ve found that people hold back until they know where the leader stands. If the leader shares openly, and genuinely believes that honest feedback is valuable (even if it’s not what he or she wants to hear), people will be more forthcoming and say what they believe. Even though it will take time for people to be candid because it requires building trust first, I’ve found this to be the most effective approach.

2. Ask participants to stress test your thinking

Tell the people you lead that you have been wrong before, that you know from experience you don’t have a monopoly on good ideas and the best ideas will surface when everyone is contributing their knowledge to the conversation. Ask them to share “what’s right?, what’s wrong?, and what’s missing?” from your thinking. Don’t be critical of the feedback you receive. Listen to what they say and thank each contributor for sharing.  Have a note taker write it all down. This approach effectively stress tests your thinking.

Near the end of the CAC meetings, Ann Louden, Chancellor’s Associate for Strategic Partnerships who organizes and leads the CAC, presents the key question that the Chancellor would like the group to weigh in on and provide recommendations on how TCU can improve. Participants are assigned to groups of approximately 10 individuals each and the teams get to work on brainstorming and evaluating options. Each group reports its recommendations back to the entire CAC with TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini in attendance to hear the feedback firsthand.

3. Consider then implement the best

Finally, leaders at TCU consider the CAC’s feedback and implement the best ideas.  This is especially important to maintain credibility. Leaders who don’t follow-up on feedback and implement the good ideas lose credibility. They’ll find that future requests for feedback will not be taken seriously.

Seeking the ideas and opinions of others reflects humility. It says that you don’t believe you have a monopoly on good ideas and you need to hear the perspectives of others in order to make the best decisions. The 3-step process is wisdom in action because it captures the thinking of individuals who have diverse experiences, thinking styles and ideas. Armed with this valuable feedback, leaders are more likely to make optimal decisions that contribute to and sustain their organization’s success.

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We connect with some people and not with others. Great leaders master how to connect with just about everyone and that’s one reason why people want to follow them.

There are many facets to connection. Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram have written an excellent book titled 5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time that provides insight into an important aspect of connection.

The idea is simple. There are five gears that people operate in and when you fail to recognize the gear others are in and shift into that gear, you will fail to connect. Consider the following examples:

• You are focused and deep into working on a project when someone walks into your office and begins chit chatting. They fail to see that they’ve interrupted you and that you would like to get back to work. Result = Disconnect.
• You are in social mode at a party and someone is monopolizing your time by trying to get deep into a topic that they just won’t let go of. Result = Disconnect.
• You are at home watching a great football game that you’ve been looking forward to when you get a call on your cellphone from a friend. You try to drop some hints that it would be better to talk later but he doesn’t pick up on them and keeps talking. Result = Disconnection.

Although the foregoing are examples of people failing to connect with you, there may be times that you are failing to connect with others because you are communicating in the wrong gear.

Kubicek and Cockram and identified five “gears” that people go into. The gears are focus mode, task mode, social mode, connect mode, recharge mode, responsive mode (backing up or apologizing when necessary).

In addition to identifying the five gears and describing each in detail, the book has other insights you’ll find valuable. One piece of advice related to recharge mode is to begin slowly in the morning. Although very unlike me, when I tried starting slowly in the morning, I found that I felt better, had more energy and was more productive. Now I’m trying to make it a habit.

5 Gears will be released on September 8. The 5 Gears masterclass training program is closing tonight at midnight. You can learn more about here.

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U2 went from a band people laughed at to become one of the greatest bands in history. Today, U2 has been awarded more Grammy awards than any other band and it surpassed the Rolling Stones’ record for the highest revenue generating concert tour. How did such a remarkable transformation happen and how has the band continued its success for more than four decades?

Bono, the band’s lyricist, lead singer and leader-among-equals has said the way the U2 works is more extraordinary than its music. He’s referring to U2’s culture — in other words, the predominant attitudes, language and behavior of U2’s members. Here are four character strengths that reflect U2’s culture and help explain how the band achieves sustained success.

1. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence

U2 has an appreciation of beauty and excellence. The band members have high standards for their music and concert performances. They never feel they’ve achieved perfection but always strive to become better. This attitude drives U2 to learn and grow.

U2 is willing to try new things and take risks. For example, the band teamed up with Apple to provide an instant download of its last record, Songs of Innocence, to 500 million users of iCloud. Although the unsolicited free gift received criticism from users who are not fans, the move was a big hit with the band’s followers. The surprising and generous move shows U2 is willing to experiment. This is a healthy sign that bodes well for U2’s future.

2. Love

Achieving excellence and perfection is difficult. It requires hard work, perseverance and resilience to overcome obstacles. The character strength of love helps U2 get through the inevitable professional and personal challenges. Love means people value close relations with others; sharing and caring are reciprocated.

The members of U2 share their economic profits equally among the four band members and their manager, which differs from many bands where the most popular band members make the most money.

The guys in U2 have an inspiring history of caring for one another. When Larry Mullen’s mother was killed in an accident a short time after the band was formed, Bono reached out to help him get through a time of grieving. Bono’s mom had died a couple years earlier. He empathized with Larry. Some years later, when the band was offered its first recording contract with the condition it replace Larry with a more conventional drummer, Bono told the recording company executive to shove it. Through sickness, divorce, addiction, and death threats, the members of U2 know they can count on their band mates to be there for them. They have each other’s backs.

3. Humility

If any member of U2 strongly opposes a proposed decision, they band will not implement it. This gives each member of U2 a voice in decisions. The band recognizes that it takes more time to make decisions this way, and it can be frustrating, but it believes this approach produces superior results.

This consensus-oriented decision-making approach reflects humility. It recognizes that no one has a monopoly on good ideas and the best results come about when everyone is encouraged to share their opinions and ideas.

4. Spirituality

The character strength of spirituality exits in a group when its members hold common strong and coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of life. U2 is influenced by the Christian belief of loving and serving others. The band’s music is about human rights, social justice and matters of faith. Bono says this makes U2 different than most bands. He has described U2 as traveling salesmen whose ideas are communicated in songs. Bono “walks the talk,” too. He and his wife Ali are philanthropists who support the poor, particularly in Africa.

These four character strengths — appreciation of beauty and excellence, love, humility, and spirituality — help U2 perform at the top of its game. Entering its fifth decade, look for U2 to continue to evolve in new directions. Given U2’s outstanding culture, the band’s best may be yet to come.

Adapted from Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy and Understanding at Work.  Read the complete story about U2’s culture in the sample introduction and first chapter of Connection Culture.

Is Your Work Culture Life-Giving or Life Draining? Take the 9 question Culture Quiz.

Photo Credit: “Running to Stand Still 2005” by M3Li55. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

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