The Stewardship of Young Talent

With all the changes businesses will experience in this digital age, the stewardship of young talent is a vital responsibility of today's leader.    Young people entering the workforce today will work in jobs not yet invented.  They are a generation accustomed to a fast pace, immediate availability of information and constant change.  These factors, combined with a whole new suite of skills and knowledge position young talent to be a catalyst of growth innovation in your organization.

Like seasoned talent, young talent must be stewarded and nurtured to truly leverage all of this ability available to you.  Without a focus on their unique interests and contributions and a clear development path, you could be at risk to lose them quickly to another organization or even a competitor.  This group of talent is looking for opportunities to add value and contribute immediately.  If they cannot see the way forward in the early days of a new role, they will quickly be searching for a new one -- inside or outside of your organization.

Here are some key ideas to stewarding young talent:

1.  Give young talent real responsibility early and often.  This group expects to be trusted in their job early.  They may not necessarily yet trust you, but they will trust you more as you invest in them.  As soon as you identify that a team member has a strength that can contribute, put it to work.  The old adage, "use or lose it can apply her."  They really want to contribute to some meaningful as soon as possible in the role.

2.  Ask young talent their opinion.  This group loves to give input.  You will get it whether you ask or not, but they feel more respected when you ask.  Additionally, they have good ideas and bring fresh and new perspectives to any project.

3.  Create a clear development path.  You may or may not be able to map out a clear career path, which they also crave, but at least be able to help them craft a development plan that will  position them well for future opportunity.  Include involvement on cross-functional project teams, opportunities to interact with leaders and attend internal and external events that will stimulate their thinking.  Clearly articulate to them the possibilities you see for their participation in the business.

4.  Advocate for young talent.  These new workforce entrants are looking for champions and sponsors.  When they step out to act on their ideas, pick the best ones and publicly support them.  They are from the "everyone gets a trophy" generation. They want and need recognition to motivate them and encourage them in their next assignment.  And for goodness sakes, don't take credit for their work!  Nothing is more demotivating to spend hours, days, weeks or months on something only for boss to come along and put her name on it.  As a leader, hopefully, you already have what you want.  Help others get what they want by giving them credit for the work.

5.  Allow young talent to fail without it being fatal.  People learn by making mistakes.  They shut down, underperform and disengage in the face of fear of failure.  This generation wants the opportunity to take small steps toward a solution, employ trial and error and have the opportunity to produce a winning idea.  As a leader, one of your critical responsibilities is to teach others how to be successful in their work.  Since success is a lousy teacher, you have to let people make mistakes, learn and recover.  

As a leader, I tell my team that it is ok to make mistakes.  Our goal is not to make the same one twice.  Most all people want to do really good work.  If we encourage them, advocate for them, propose a path, clear obstacles and barriers and allow them to learn by making mistakes, we gain their loyalty for a long season.

Macy was a fairly new and young employee.  She was making her first presentation in front of a large group of senior and seasoned leaders.  She was well prepared, but no doubt, had been anxiously anticipating the day for weeks.  After an amazing presentation that clearly demonstrated her knowledge and expertise, the group began to ask her questions, quite pointedly.  Two senior leaders asked her questions to which she, at the moment, did not know the answer.  Caught off guard, Macy was visibly nervous and struggling.  Gently, her boss interjected and deflected the attention off Macy.  This leader was advocating for his young talent just by helping her navigate an uncomfortable situation.

As I watched the situation unfold, I was not sure what Macy was thinking, but I was watching the leader and thinking that I might would have walked across hot coals for him in the future.  I took careful note of the technique, determined that I would certainly want to advocate and assist my own staff if the opportunity every presented itself.

Young talent is a goldmine for an organization, but the investment requirement from leaders  is significant.  Empower them, guide them and teach them and then watch what they can do for you.

"You Gotta' Serve Somebody"

One of the things that I love about working for my organization is the commitment to service.  Sure, we have a commitment to serve our guests, but we also serve one another.

One time,  I spent a week with leaders in another organization.  These were truly some outstanding people for whom I have deep love and respect, but during the course of the week, while I was under their leadership, I noticed a certain anxiety building in me.  By the end of the week, I identified the anxiety.  It was the absence of being in the presence of servant leadership.  During this time with these leaders, they practiced privilege rather than service. When there was a line, they were at the front.  When we ate, they were served first.  At events, they had premium seating.  When others needed help, they allowed someone else to do it.

The absence of servant leadership that I experienced helped me to value what I may have taken for granted in my organization.  Leadership is a tremendous responsibility to not only lead, but also to serve those we lead.  In my organization, it is imbedded into our culture that leaders are the first to arrive and the last to leave.  Leaders ensure that everyone is served before serving themselves.  They give deference to others and do not expect, nor accept privilege.

For a number of years, I had the privilege of reporting to a leader that both modeled and taught servant leadership.  This particular executive  began working as a teenager in a restaurant for a leader that provided a servant leadership model for him to follow.  Thirty-five years later, this executive  has personally modeled the same servant leadership that he learned from his boss when he was a teenager.  The impact of one person on one teenage team employee, later turned executive has helped shape the behaviors of an entire organization.  Thousands of employees have been tremendously influenced to put service above privilege and millions of customers have received remarkable service experiences.

What are a few key behaviors of servant leadership?

1.  Don't expect others to do what you are unwilling to do.  One of the things that I learned from my leader was working side by side with my staff is very important.  When they are in the trenches, I need to be in the trenches with them.  When there is a challenging opportunity, we need to be right beside helping to solve the problem.  He is a leader that won't be found in the box seats at the game, but instead, working alongside employees that are serving the fans in the stands.

2.  Acknowledge that every member of the team is important.  In traveling to some of our business outlets with my leader, I watched as the very first thing he did was to introduce himself to every member of the team, learning names and asking questions to know them better.  He rarely forgets a face or a name and people often feel valued that he takes the time to know them personally.  Like his his boss did for him when he was a teenager, he remembers to thank everyone for their service.


3.   If there is a line, be the last one in it.  Recently, I attended a company-wide event and we provided bus transportation for all of our employees to the event.  As 1200 people took turns boarding the buses, this same executive was the very last one on the last bus.  All the while, he was talking and visiting with employees using the time to catch up both personally and professionally with people from all areas of the company.   Putting others above yourself is the hallmark of a servant leader.

4.  Share opportunities and privileges with those who might otherwise never have the opportunity.  Not long after I joined my company,  I was flying on a charter flight with my husband to our annual company meeting.  I was an entry level employee and just grateful to be invited to the meeting.  When we boarded the plane, we found our seats in first class.  I  watched as company executives passed through the first class section to the take their seats in the economy cabin.

5.  Be inclusive.  Another leader in my company, who calls himself the 'curator of the culture,' learned from his father, the founder,  and knows that inclusivity is important to creating and growing a compelling culture.  He seeks opinions and spends time with employees in all areas of the business and particularly enjoys connecting with leaders and employees in our business outlets.

At our corporate office, there are no reserved parking spots for executives or private executive dining rooms.  The 350 plus capacity childcare center is available on a a first come, first served basis available to all full-time employees.  The fitness center and the free group training and exercise classes operate on  the same basis.  Award winning leaders in the business units often have special celebrations to share their honors with their employees who have helped them achieve high goals.   This type of inclusivity strengthens the culture at all levels of the organization.  Individuals truly feel a part of the mission of the organization and feel treated with honor, dignity and respect.

Simon Sinek wrote in his book, Leaders Eat Last, “the true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.”

You want to be a leader?  Find somebody to serve.

Just Say "No!"

"It is kindness to refuse immediately what you eventually intend to deny," was a favorite quote of my mentor, Jimmy Collins.  He used it as a teaching lesson about making people decisions.  It was important to him, and to me, that we not drag people through a long selection process and delay, what sometimes, we know to be true -- that it's not going to work out.  However, it is a principle that works for every part of our lives.

When I was a teenager, my Dad promised to buy me a car for my 16th birthday.  It was a very special type of car that I really wanted.  I know now that I had no business driving a car like that at 16 (or many other ages, too), but because my Dad had promised, my hopes were set on that car.  My brother received a new car when he was 16, and I looked forward to my 16th birthday with great anticipation.  

On the morning of my 16th birthday, I woke up early with anticipation of receiving my gift.  My Mom gave me a box with a toy model of a red Corvette and the spare key to her "land yacht" sedan.  There would be no sports car for my 16th birthday, and, in fact, no car at all.  My hopes were dashed.  I had already, for months, imagined myself driving into my assigned parking space at the high school in my new car.  I saw myself being accepted in groups where I was previously not welcome because, now, I had a cool car.  This car was going to be a life-changing event for me!  I did receive a mode of transportation -- a slalom water ski.  I am pretty sure I kept the ski longer than I would have kept the car.

With certainty, I know that would have been a very bad decision to give me that car for all kinds of reasons.  In fact, I am so sure of it, that none of my sons received a car for their 16th birthdays.  They were given use of a family car with limitations on the use of the car.  The big difference was, from the time they were quite young, my husband and I told them they would not receive a car at 16.  They had no expectations.  I think they may have still had a glimmer of hope as their friends received nice cars, but we had been clear so that they would not be disappointed on their big day.  

Telling people "no" is often a very difficult thing to do.  Even more difficult, however, and what we often cannot see, is the disappointment that comes when expectations have been raised and then unmet.  If we know that we cannot provide our time, attention, resources or an affirmative answer, we just need to say so.  It is the kinder thing to do.  This principle is true whether responding to our family members, business associates, clients or friends.  

Have you ever been stood up for a date or waited for a friend to go somewhere with you only to have them not show up?  In trying to be nice and say "yes," we sometimes fail to be kind by saying, "no."  When I try to be nice, I care what you think about me.  When I am kind, I care about you and your feelings.  If the date or the friend just says "no" to begin with, you can make other plans.  However, when left to wait, the disappointment is two-fold.  You missed the outing and also missed the opportunity to choose to do something else.   

Integrity suffers and relationships are diminished when we don't do what we say we will do.  To reduce disappointment and heartache in the long run, say "no" before expectations are created.  The longer a situation continues, the more expectations continue to rise and it becomes much harder to say and hear "no."  

Few days go by in my business life that I do not have the opportunity to make a decision based on the principle from Jimmy's quote.  My role at work requires me to tell people they will not be hired, or a receive a promotion or that they might receive a smaller raise than expected.  Sometimes, I have to share with people that the project they proposed will not be funded or the new assignment they wanted will be filled by someone else.  The saying that "bad news does not get better with age" is very true.  It's never enjoyable, but it goes much better when I provide prompt, truthful answers.  Often I am thanked for being clear and quick.  It allows the person to understand, move on and decide what to do next.

Refusing immediately what you eventually intend to deny will ensure your credibility and integrity remain in tact.  People will not always like your answer, but they will respect you for treating them kindly.  

Does Your Staff Commit or Comply?

Cultivating a spirit of commitment versus a command to compliance reaps continuous rewards in team member loyalty.  Compliant employees will do exactly what you ask.  The employee value proposition with this relationship is simple and transactional.  The employer pays the employee an agreed upon wage to execute agreed upon tasks.  If the employee is internally motivated, then he or she will complete exactly as asked.  If the employee is not internally motivated, then the employer will constantly have to remind the employee of the rules, requirements and responsibilities.  I don't know about you, but that sounds like a miserable way to operate a business.  Thankfully, there is a better way.

When a leader is able to get a team member to commit to an organization, the employee value proposition is something very different.  The team member not only does what the leader asks, but also expends discretionary effort.  The leader, in return, is committed to the development and growth of the team member.  This creates a cycle of commitment between the leader and the team member.  The more the leader invests in the committed team member, the more the team member knows and can contribute.  The more the team member contributes, the more committed he or she is to the business.  That higher level of commitment translates to a greater  contribution.  The perpetuation of this cycle grows the business in exponential ways.

So what does compliance look like on a daily basis?  Employees generally do only what is necessary except for a few who are so internally motivated by a strength of responsibility that they do more.  Because selection is generally a weakness of the compliance driven manger, most of their employees do not exhibit this trait.  If the employee is doing only what they are told to do and only what is necessary, they are not looking for ways to further please the customer.  If the manager is only focused on transactions and not on customer service and satisfaction, the employee is not thinking about serving the customers true needs either.  In this model, somebody is usually "chewed out" each day and turnover is frequent.

Commitment, on the other hand, looks very different.  Leaders encourage team members to anticipate and meet guest needs, even when there is no procedure in place.  It's more than just showing up at work on time in proper uniform.  At a quick-service restaurant, this might be holding an umbrella over guests returning to their car in the rain, changing a guest's tire or driving for miles to return a item left by a guest at the restaurant.  In return, the leader takes a personal interest in each team member, understanding opportunities for growth and the team member's personal and professional aspirations and dreams.   

Leaders who coach for commitment instead of merely compliance, invest more to prevent people problems rather than incurring the expense of having to solve people problems.  Committed team members build the brand of a business. Compliant team members, at most, barely protect a brand.  It may take more skill and intention to lead committed team members, but it is also a lot more fun.   Committed team members create committed teams and committed teams become winning teams.  If you want to lead a winning team, seek commitment from team members, rather than compliance from employees.  

Cultivate an Abundancy Mentality

When I visit my young friends in a remote village in Africa, they impress me so much by their ability to share anything.  If given a pencil, they share it.  If given a candy bar, they quickly calculate how many pieces it can be broken into so that everyone gets a share of it.    They cannot really seem to enjoy what they have unless they are sharing it with others. Isn't it interesting that people who have so little are concerned with giving to others out of whatever they receive?

These young children have adopted an abundancy mentality -- there is enough for everyone and I have hope there will be more, so I can share.  The alternative is a scarcity mentality -- I must hold on to what I have because the resources are limited and I have no hope to obtain more.  

In organizations, I see this played out most often when promotions are given.  Members of a healthy team celebrate the accomplishments of others, believing progress for some, is progress for all.  Healthy team members also believe there is enough opportunity for everyone and realize that success for one gives hope for all.  A scarcity mentality is often prevalent on unhealthy teams.  In that environment, team members resent the success of others because they believe that it limits individual opportunity.  If someone else achieves a goal or dream, they believe that there is less for anyone else to achieve.  

Remember the Lay's potato chip advertisement that encouraged buyers to go ahead and indulge?  Their tag line was, "Go ahead!  We'll make more!"  That ad appealed to the abundancy mentality within the buyer.  There is no need to ration out the chips or save for later -- Lay's assured there would be more!

Great leaders have an abundancy mentality.  They see opportunity for themselves and others everywhere.  They realize that success for others does not limit their own opportunity, but actually paves the way of success for others.

How do you identify abundancy mentality in others?

1.  People who have an abundancy mentality foster other people's dreams.  Sure, they have dreams of their own, but they are interested that everyone achieves their dreams.  They know this will make the team as a whole stronger.

2.   People who have an abundacy mentality have confidence.  They believe in a unique and chosen plan for their own life and know that it is not impacted by the accomplishments of others.

3.  People who have an abundacy mentality coach and mentor others.  They share their time and talents to support the success of others.

4.  People who have an abundacy mentality are optimistic.  They are positive in their outlook and rarely, if ever, complain.  They see the best in others and celebrate it.

5.  People who have an abundancy mentality are generous.  They freely share their ideas, talents, advice and expertise.  They are not concerned with who gets the credit.  

Leaders and team members with abundancy mentalities strengthen the culture of a team and exponentially increase the likelihood of achieving team results.  Unlike those with scarcity mentalities who limit and restrain the team, they propel themselves and the team forward into immeasurable success.  Abundancy mentality is a trait you may want to consider in making your next hire or selecting your next leader.  It's a decision that could significantly  and positively impact the health of your team.    

The Art of Truth Telling

The kindest thing you can do for someone is tell the truth.  Most every person has a shortage of truth tellers willing to say what no one else will.  I am not necessarily talking about the kind of truth telling that says the tie does not match the shirt or acknowledging my bad hair day.  I am talking about the kind of truth that says, "I have made a decision that impacts your work, your role, your team or your future and I need to explain it to you."  Truth telling is what emotionally healthy adults do with one another.  Work arounds are paternalistic and damages most any relationship.  Mature truth tellers have the other person's best interest at heart.

How to tell the truth:

1.  Don't mince words or confuse the recipient of your feedback by a long introduction.  The other person cannot hear what you are saying while wondering what you will say.  Get to the point and give the feedback or state your decision.

2.  Pause and listen.  Allow the person to digest your words, ask clarifying questions and even respond with an opinion.  

3.  Never assume motivation for a person's behavior.  When communicating your decisions, only give feedback about the behaviors themselves and tell the truth about the impact of those behaviors.

4.  Expect the best.  Truth telling provides critical information for someone else to make adjustments, change or even support your decision.  Many people do change as a result of thoughtful truth telling.

5.  Be prepared for the worst.  Telling the truth can end a relationship, but most of the time, it will strengthen it.  

6.  Always show respect.  Don't editorialize the truth or belittle the recipient.  Honestly communicate the observation or the decision you have made and thank the recipient for listening to you.

Mia was a ten-year employee who struggled to understand why she was passed over again and again for a promotion.  The truth was that Mia struggled to communicate a clear vision of her work and translate it into an actionable strategy.  These are key leadership skills that Mia lacked.  However, Mia's leader, nor anyone else, ever gave her that feedback.  Additionally, her leader did not give Mia "the last ten percent," which was that her peers felt as though she was too quick to take the credit for work that was executed as a team.    Instead of providing her with this crucial feedback, her manager hired and promoted others over her as a work around to her shortcomings in performance.  Mia believed she was a top performer and had built solid relationships. She was confused by her perceptions of herself and the actions of her leader.  Had Mia been led by a truth teller earlier in her career, her trajectory may have been different and the company would have benefitted.  

Truth telling is an investment we make in relationships -- whether personal or professional.  It takes a lot of time and thought, and sometimes, courage.  However, there is probably not another investment of time that pays a greater dividend when done well.   Most people desire to perform and achieve results.  Most people want to preserve important relationships.  Truth telling helps people perform better and often strengthens relationships.  Likely, you will find that people thank you for telling the truth, even when they don't like it.  

Real truth tellers are rare, but so valuable in our lives.  What truth do you need to tell today?  What truth do you need hear?

The Stewardship of Seasoned Leadership

Lloyd slumped in his chair with his head in his hands.  As unusual as it is in today’s corporate world, Lloyd had devoted himself to one organization for many years.  Rising from hourly employee to senior leadership had taken him decades to accomplish, but his heart for business and his organization had always made the journey seem worthwhile.  Recently, he was not so sure.  Over the years, he had assumed ample responsibility and performed well.  It was difficult for him to understand why his expertise was being ignored in making key decisions about the function he leads in the business.   Without clear feedback, he was unsure if it was his performance as a leader, his competency in his field or his inability to manage the ever-present corporate politics.   Whatever the case, Lloyd was growing more frustrated by the day and impacting his engagement as a leader.  His company was missing the opportunity to receive the full return on the investments they had made in Lloyd during his lengthy career.  It had become a lose-lose scenario for Lloyd and his organization.

It’s easy to be attracted to the newest trend, the latest version and the shiniest model.   We forget that the older model might be sturdier and enduring.  In some ways, it is like owning a home.  For years, we might make improvements to the home, updating kitchens and bathrooms, adding additions and investing years in beautiful landscaping.  Then, we see a new home that is clean, fresh and the latest style.  We can quickly forget the years of investment we made in our present home, in our attraction to the latest and greatest.  It’s a stewardship decision.  Maybe the current home has a sinking foundation, a leaking roof and rotting windows and the repairs have become too costly.  In that case, a new home might be a better long-term investment.  However, sometimes, absent significant problems, the better stewardship decision is to continue to invest in the current home.  Such can be the case in decisions about investing in people. 

We hear lots of discussion about selecting leaders, growing leaders and leading leaders.  Organizations invest in leadership development programs and Ivy League executive education for leaders.  “Find more leaders” is often the edict given to human resources professionals from their organizations.  Leadership is likely the key competitive advantage for all businesses, so we constantly seek it and value finding it and growing it.  With so much emphasis placed on having great leaders, it makes sense to be a steward of those leaders.  However, oftentimes, organizations focus only on the value of developing new leaders and neglect the development of seasoned leaders.  A few will take their thinking to the next level and continue to invest in seasoned leaders.  Organizations that invest both in new leadership and seasoned leadership will clearly create the most competitive workforce to win in marketplace.

How can businesses be stewards of seasoned leaders?  Here are 6 ideas to consider:

1.      Enable seasoned leaders to mentor other leaders.  Don’t just suggest mentoring, but make this a key role for tenured leaders to pour their contextual and cultural knowledge of the organization into other leaders.

2.     Ask seasoned leaders their perspective about broad issues in the organization.  Over their long tenure, these leaders have observed many ups and downs and have likely grown relationships throughout the business.  The organization can benefit from their “insider” knowledge.

3.     Don’t assume seasoned leaders do not have new ideas.  Many of these leaders are attracted to innovation and because they are experienced, they recognize whether or not something is truly a new idea, or a re-packaged old one.

4.     Tap into the wisdom of seasoned leaders.  Seasoned leaders have likely experienced many successes, failures and setbacks.  Wisdom comes from navigating successfully through opportunities.   Seek their wisdom when making key decisions.

5.     Continue to invest in the growth of seasoned leaders.  These leaders are often less encumbered by other outside of work responsibilities and available for assignments that serve the business needs.  These leaders often help companies transition new functions.  As long as they work for you, continue to invest in their growth for the greatest return on the investments you have already made.

6.     Respect and appreciate seasoned leaders.  Their contributions have likely been invaluable in building your organization.  Respect and appreciate them late in their careers and they will continue to contribute to the success of the business in intangible ways.

Long career paths at one organization are no longer the norm.  For the few organizations fortunate enough to retain tenured talent, it is important to engage seasoned leadership by leveraging their skills, abilities, experiences and business insights.  Effectively stewarding seasoned leadership will not only contribute to business results, it will strengthen the overall culture, too!