Here is a link to the article I wrote about Starbucks. The article is entitled “Have a Heart.”  It was published in Outlook Business for Decision Makers, a leading business magazine in India. In addition, below are links to three segments of a radio interview I did yesterday morning with Jim Blasingame, host of the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate program.

The U.S.S. Montpelier Command Philosophy (below) is an outstanding example of values articulated in a clear and compelling way.  Remember that values at their best are a source of pride and guidance for employees.  To be the most effective, values must be communicated in writing and verbally because people usually learn by reading or listening.  A portfolio of simple yet compelling stories should be developed that can be told to help people remember your values.

The USS Montpelier Command Philosophy

Montpelier is a warship, designed to steam into harm’s way and win.  Our flesh and blood bring this ship to life.  We are stewards of one of the most capable warships in the history of mankind.   These thoughts provide a framework for executing that stewardship and for building the teamwork that will enable us to fight and win in war.

Honesty provides the foundation of trust that is essential to teamwork.  I expect and require that you be completely honest in your communication with your shipmates.  I will do the same with you.  At times, this will be painful, but it is extremely important that we have the facts when making decisions and that our relationships are based on mutual trust.  I pledge not to kill the messenger.

Integrity. 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.

Teamwork. No ship, department, or division is successful as a one-man show.  Teamwork is the key to success.  Our actions must reinforce this concept.  If you find yourself thinking about a problem in the command and the word “they” pops into your head, think again.  “We” will solve problems together.  I am not one of them and neither are you.

Backup. If you think anyone in the command is asking you to do something that is incorrect or inconsistent with these principles. Stop and ask for clarification and assistance.  Leadership is about setting priorities.  If you have an idea for a better way, suggest it.  My door is always open to discuss your concerns. I trust that you will use the chain of command when possible.

Mistakes. Honest mistakes come with the territory.  I will make some and so will you. The keys to success are establishing enough backups so that we don’t make a critical mistake, and recognizing and learning from the mistakes that we do make.  Your tour will be filled with many ups and downs.  It is not how many times you fall that will determine your success.  Your honesty, integrity, and determination to fight on, will.

Training. We will fight the way we have trained.  Therefore, training is our most important mission in peacetime.  I will probably spend most of my effort in this area.  Training must be operationally oriented and practical.  If the training does not contribute to your ability to do your job, advance, or live your life better, then we should be doing something better.

Initiative. This is our ship to fight and operate. I expect you to think tactically and operationally and to drive the ship aggressively.  When you identify an opportunity or a problem, consider alternative courses of action, then act or tell your boss what you intend to do an why.  Seize the initiative and work to the limits of your authority. I intend to push as much as I can downhill, so that each of you has responsibility commensurate with your ability.  If you can handle more, go for it.

Caring Leadership. Know your people.  Translate your caring into tangible results.  Get them off the ship when you can.  Ensure they are ready for advancement.  Make a difference in their lives.

Standards. The standard is excellence in all we do.  Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is a habit.”  Our reputation is determined in a large part due to how we execute routine evolutions, our personal appearance and the appearance of our ship.  It is the sum of each of our actions.  Set the standard.

Family. Success at work is interwoven with success at home.  I consider it vital that we balance our military duties with our roles in the family.  Take advantage of opportunities to make time for your family and work hard to keep your professional role and your family role in perspective.  It is also important that our families understand the importance of our mission and that we recognize the sacrifices that our family members must make in order to fulfill our duties.  Service is a team effort.  I will make an effort to create a family environment on board and to support our families.  A successful command has a family atmosphere, where every member takes pride in being a part of the team.

Critical Self-Assessment Our ability to improve is dependent on our ability to analyze the causes of our failures and to take action to address those problems.  At times, we will formally critique events.  The intent is to fix the problem, not the blame.  Honesty is critical to this process.

Ambassadors Overseas, we are ambassadors of the United States.  At home, we are representatives of the submarine force, the Navy, and the U.S. Military.  Our behavior and actions should reflect the pride and responsibility we feel as members of an elite military organization.

Personal Development I expect every Sailor to be working towards his personal and professional development and I will support your actions in these areas.

Fun Submarining is an extremely challenging and demanding profession.  At times the hours will be long and the work hard, but it is important that we have fun while fulfilling our responsibilities.

Fitness and Sleep Submarining requires stamina.  Fitness, nutrition and sleep are key to your decision-making.  As General Patten said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”  Take care of your body and your mind.  I do not judge you on how long you work or how long you stay awake, but on how effective you are.

Decision-making I will not establish a lot of detailed policies to spell out and legislate decisions on board.  I will balance the long- and short-term needs of each individual, the ship, and the U.S. Navy.  If time allows, I will make every effort to explain my decision, but there will be times when it is not practical and I expect you to trust my judgment.

Equality We swear to support the Constitution of the United States, which states that all men are created equal.  I expect you to treat each of your shipmates, our families and our visitors with dignity and respect.

Service and Reward My ultimate goal is that you consider your service on board the MONTPELIER one of the most rewarding experiences in your life.  This requires that you resolve to better yourself, your ship, your shipmates and your country.  Each night when you go to sleep ask yourself “What have I done today to make myself a better man?  How have I made MONTPELIER a better ship?  Have I been a faithful steward of one of our country’s most valuable assets, this ship and the outstanding Sailors who fight her?”

These are my thoughts, just word on paper.  Our actions together make them a reality and the key to our success.

Note: Jason Pankau and I recently taught a workshop on employee engagement to leaders of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.  While there we recorded a podcast interview with Janis Apted, Associate Vice President for Faculty Development.  You can hear the podcast interview at this link.

We’ve been doing more work of late in the health care field, helping organizations such as the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center develop Connection Cultures that boost employee engagement and improve patient outcomes.   If you have a story to tell or are aware of practices that boost connection at hospitals, would you please post it on the comments below or email me at mstallard@epluribuspartners.com. Thank you.

On that score, while speaking recently at Texas Christian University, a student, Romel Schearer, told me about the remarkable story of Bill Cabeen, a cardiologist who had the courage to connect with one of his patients, Nikki Luederitz, rather than remain disconnected in the name of “professionalism.”  Dr. Cabeen’s courage and support not only saved Ms. Luederitz’s life, it changed her in a profound way. To learn how, listen to “The Tale of Two Hearts.”

Apple’s announcement yesterday that Steve Jobs is stepping down as its CEO, is a poignant reminder of just how important it is to make cancer history. I learned of Jobs’ announcement yesterday while in Houston to share our work with leaders at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The combination of learning the news about Jobs and being at M.D. Anderson triggered a some emotions. I’ve followed Jobs closely over the years and written about him.  I’ve also written about the challenges facing cancer patients and their families from my wife Katie’s battles with breast cancer in 2003 and advanced ovarian cancer in 2004 (today, Kate is cancer free).

Being at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center was inspiring and humbling. MDACC is the top-rated cancer center according to U.S. News and World Report. The people there think of themselves first and foremost as healers. Being with people who serve a cause greater than themselves always moves me.  Yes, they have to keep an eye on econonomic matters, too, in order to make their work sustainable, but money is not what motivates them.  This is an important distinction that makes a difference to affordable delivery of healthcare, as Atul Gawande noted in an excellent New Yorker article he wrote entitled “The Cost Conundrum.”

During our presentations at M.D. Anderson, we shared  the research and ideas in our book, Fired Up or Burned Out. We firmly believe that creating a culture that is intentional about developing both task excellence and relationship excellence is the only way organizations can achieve sustainable superior performance.  In the context of healthcare, research is showing that culture and relationships affect patient outcomes.  A recent article that appeared in the  Annuls of Internal Medicine, entitled “What Distinguishes Top-Performing Hospitals in Acute Myocardial Infarction Mortality Rates? A Qualitative Study,” supports our view.

Hospital cultures should be life-giving but the irony is that most are not.  We are human beings, not machines, and recent research shows that workplace cultures that are hostile or indifferent to human needs shave years off our lives.   We hope that more hospitals will get this important message and do something about it, like our friends at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are doing in their pursuit to make cancer history.

Happiness is much sought after these days. Book stores and magazine stands are full of titles that promise to unlock the secrets of happiness.  Positive psychology courses are all the rage on college campuses across America. Recognizing that happiness gets attention, I recently decided to title a chapter I’m writing “Should Leaders Care About Employee Happiness?” The chapter will be included in the American Society for Training and Development’s new Handbook of Management.

In my view, the primary reason happiness is on the decline in America and in many market democracies around the world is that we’ve become “achieve-aholics” who, as a result of our achievement-seeking lifestyles, lack sufficient human connection.  Lacking connection, we eventually dysfunction. As achieve-aholics move through adulthood, they feel a sense of boredom, emptiness and meaninglessness.  Many are mis-diagnosed as having depression when in fact they are just lonely (I wrote about this in an earlier post on the rise of loneliness in America). To feel better, achieve-aholics oftentimes seek illegitimate thrills (e.g. sexual affairs, pornography, extreme sports and extreme business risks) or they self-medicate to numb the pain, which leads to substance abuse. In my opinion, this is why America, with a mere five percent of the world’s population consumes half of the mood-altering pharmacological medications and two-thirds of the world’s illegal drugs (a point that Joseph Califano, head of the National Center on Substance Abuse at Columbia University, made in a video interview on the Atlantic’s website).

The bottom line is that we are human beings, not machines.  As I consistently present on this blog, and all the science makes it abundantly clear, we need human connection to thrive. This point is underscored in another fine Atlantic article written by my friend Joshua Wolf Shenk entitled “What Makes Us Happy?.”   Josh’s article is about the 70-year long Grant study to understand happiness and flourishing in life by following the lives of 268 men who graduated from Harvard in the late 1930s.

Dr. George Valliant, the psychiatrist at Harvard who heads the Grant study, summed it up this way:  ”The only thing that really matters in life is your relationships…”  As for happiness, Dr. Valliant concludes in the video interview: “happiness is love.”  I agree, for the most part, that happiness is relationships and love.  I would add meaningful work to the equation and phrase happiness in a slightly different way.   In The Connection Culture Manifesto and Fired Up or Burned Out, I present the case that meaningful relationships AND meaningful work are both important to experience joy and contentment, and to flourish over the course of one’s life.

Balance is key. But getting the balance right isn’t easy.  It’s a recurring issue in my own life.  Recently, a friend of mine who heads leadership training for a prestigious hospital system in New England, asked me try out the Hartman Values Profile as a possible tool to use in my work coaching leaders.  It indicated I’m flourishing in most areas of my life but still I work too much and don’t take sufficient care of myself. Now I’m thinking through how I can make changes to keep from drifting to a state of imbalance.

What do you think?  I hope you’ll take the time to read the links in this post and share your thoughts in the comments section below.  Do you agree with what I’ve said?  Are you getting the balance right?  Do you have advice you can share here about how to balance work and life outside of work?

Here’s a link to an audio interview Jason Pankau and I did with Jeremie Kubicek, CEO of GiANT (GiANT Impact, Catalyst and Chick-fil-A Leadercast).  Jeremie is the author of a great book entitled Leadership is Dead: How Influence is Reviving It.  During the interview we discussed how leadership affects employee engagement, strategic alignment, productivity, innovation and organizational performance.  Check it out at this link.

A leader I know and much admire is Howard Behar, the former president of Starbucks North America and Starbucks International. Howard tells about the time 14 years ago this month when he received a call in the middle of the night at his home in Seattle alerting him that three Starbucks employees at the Georgetown store in Washington, D.C. had been shot and killed, including an 18-year who had just recently begun at Starbucks, his first job.   Behar immediately called Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ CEO, who was in New York on vacation at the time.

What Schultz didn’t do, says a lot about his character.  He didn’t call Starbucks’ public relations people or lawyers.  Instead, Schultz chartered a plane and headed straight to Washington, D.C.  When he arrived, he spoke with the police then proceeded to the store to get the addresses of the three murdered Starbucks employees. He went to each of their homes, told their families he was sorry and shared in their tears.

Howard Schultz’s heart was broken.   He showed courage by expressing the grief he felt. Doing so contributed to helping the victims’ families, friends and colleagues. As awful as grieving the loss of a loved one or friend is, it’s far worse to grieve alone.

Howard Schultz’s empathy and compassion spoke loudly to Howard Behar, a leader who has a huge heart.  Behar left his former employer and joined Starbucks in part because the previous CEO he worked for advised him he “shouldn’t wear his heart on his sleeve.”   Schultz was the type of leader Behar wanted to work for, a leader he could respect and admire because of his courageous and compassionate heart,  a leader he wanted to give his best efforts to serve.

Howard Behar became part of the group of three leaders at the top of Starbucks who were referred to as “H²0” (i.e. Howard Schultz, Howard Behar and Orin Smith).  Behar had an enormous impact on Starbucks North America as its president then went on to become the first president of Starbucks International where he led it to spectacular growth.  After Behar retired, he continued to serve on Starbucks’ board of directors.  Behar was loved and respected throughout Starbucks for his heart and passion as well as his work ethic, open-mindedness and judgment about the retail business.  He became a Starbucks employee for the rest of his career, in no small part because his boss, Howard Schultz, had a heart.

One of the great privileges of my work is that I get to meet, observe and know leaders at a wide variety of organizations including businesses, government organizations, churches, universities and hospitals.  I’ve met quite a few who exercise frequently to keep their hearts and bodies fit for the long hours and no small number of them are also motivated by the desire to impress others with their physical presence, energy and competitiveness.   Regular physical exercise is certainly of value.  What many leaders miss, however, is the need to develop their hearts in ways beyond exercise that are even more important:  ways that produce the character strengths of love, kindness, compassion, gentleness and empathy.  A leader whose character is missing these strengths may have power over others but will never lead from influence that moves people to give their best efforts and align their behavior with the leader’s goals.  This truth is expressed in sayings such as you have to “earn the right to be heard” and “people don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

Research has shown that 75 percent of employees in most American organizations today are not engaged at work.  They show up for the paycheck but don’t give their best efforts.  Part of this is because they don’t feel connected to their leaders. From where they sit, their leaders appear heartless and could care less about them.  That’s why developing the hearts of leaders is especially important to getting America back on the right track.

To develop heart, we must care about and serve others, including the people we lead: our colleagues at work; our spouses, children and parents; our friends; and the less fortunate in our midst who have nothing to give back to us.

As you serve, take the time to ask questions of others such as “where did you grow up?,” “how are you doing these days?,”  “what’s going on in your life?,” and “what do you enjoy in life?”  Slow down and listen closely.  Find out about the career aspirations of the people who report to you and help them learn and grow in ways that advance their careers. If you’re a leader, you can develop the heart of the people you lead by scheduling a teambuilding event where together you volunteer to serve at a local charitable organization and take time to connect with the people you meet.

Care about and serve the people in your life and in your community, and you will develop the strength of heart that helps you connect.

To learn more about leaders who have developed heart and who inspired the people they led, read the article we wrote for the Leader to Leader Journal entitled “To Boost Performance, Connect with the Core.”  It’s about Bono of the rock band U2 and Admiral Vern Clark, the second-longest serving chief of the United States Navy.    I also recommend Howard Behar’s book It’s Not About the Coffee and the book Carolyn Dewing-Hommes, Jason Pankau and I wrote on great leaders who connect entitled Fired Up or Burned Out.  In the coming months Jason Pankau and I will be speaking and teaching workshops on this topic at the the NASA Johnson Space Center, the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Scotiabank, Texas Christian University, the Young Presidents Organization, and on September 13, I’ll be speaking with Admiral Vern Clark in Washington, D.C. at breakfast and lunch events sponsored by the Wharton Club of D.C.