I know this is nerdy, but I was watching Green Lantern with my son over the holiday.  In the movie the hero wrestles with his fear and sense of inadequacy in the face of the need for someone to "stand in the gap."  Being fearless, he finds, is not the mark of the hero, but the ability to rise above fear, defined as courage.

Perhaps this is a good way to end the old year and start the new.  To resolve to be courageous, in spite of fear. Too many who could be leaders are trapped in their fear, afraid to take the risk of acting on their conviction.  Too many fail to show courage, to rise above their fear and act.  As I have written before, everything rises and falls on leadership, and I see a connection between leadership and courage.  I think this is especially true for those who are followers of Jesus Christ.

It is not imperative that I live, but that I love - that in spite of fear (courage) I choose to love for the sake of Christ, and that I lead wherever my influence extends with integrity and faith.  In this way we become heroes, albeit without the green spandex or the ring.

Another year is coming to an end.  I had challenged myself to post more often in 2011 and didn't live up to my expectations in this respect. I have been leading two book studies over the last couple months that will extend into the new year.  One, on Switch by Dan and Chip Heath, has been interesting because its focus on change.  Part of those attending are on the phone and the rest are present in person.  The concepts of that book are so important - and so basic - that knowing and practicing them can truly make anyone more effective in their leadership style.  And yet in discussing and grappling with the concepts I see really smart people making the same mistakes over and over again.  Probably the most obvious is ignoring the importance of the emotional aspect of change.

The other book study is Online Enrollment Management, by James Dunn.  This is also a leadership book, but focused specifically on managing a process AND staff related to enrolling students in distance education courses.  Mr. Dunn does a thorough job in addressing the topic and the concepts are well laid out and challenge the way typical educational institutions (non-profits and public) think about and manage their online programs.  Again, part of those attending the study are in the room and part are on the phone.  I want the discussion to focus us on ways to broaden our perception.  I want us to see possibilities.

Leaders and Managers - a Symbiosis

Although this blog is about leadership, I have lately become aware of the sometimes narrow gap between leadership and supervision.  At one end, there is a great separation in that supervision is the tool which leads to the accomplishment of the vision (which comes from true leadership), at the other end, supervision is the tool which leads to the accomplishment of the vision.  If this sounds the same, you are right.  Without appropriate supervision, having great leadership is frustrating at best and pointless at worst.  Without leadership, supervision flounders in direction and accomplishment.  It is definitely a both/and proposition.

I've written a lot about leadership and will continue to do so, however, I want to take a moment to point out the importance of good supervision.  I would also like to suggest that what is often identified as a lack of leadership is more often a lack of appropriate supervision.  Supervisors know how to work with people to accomplish goals.  They know how to prioritize, delegate, be accountable and hold others accountable.  They have strong people skills and good organizational skills.  They can communicate AND listen  (this is really redundant since good communication always includes the ability to listen).  The accept responsibility and avoid blame and CYB behaviors.

If leadership is the track, then the supervisor is the "little engine that could."  They carry the weight of the organization and without them the organization is bogged down in inefficiencies and lack of focus.

So, while I am a firm believer that EVERYTHING rises and falls on Leadership, I recognize that sometimes that means appropriate supervision.  Don't denigrate the manager/supervisor because they are not the "leader."  Instead be thankful and encourage them in their role, for your organization rises and falls on their effectiveness just as much, or nearly so, as it does upon the leader.

QBQ: The Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller is 115 pages in length.  But that is deceptive since the size of the book is a little smaller than normal, and it had widely spaced lines and LOTS of chapter breaks.  Additionally, the style is conversational and easy to read, so it reads like a 60 page book.

Who should read QBQ?  I think the book is a good read for any starting out leader, or anyone who wants to move into leadership.  Actually, I think this is the kind of book I would have forced on my children when they were growing up so that they would, hopefully, adopt the philosophy of personal accountability.  That is the real theme of the book:  personal accountability.  This quote forms the basis of the whole:  "The best thing we can do to get rid of victim thinking in our world is to get rid of it in ourselves." (p. 23)  Through a variety of illustrations and commentary Mr. Miller reiterates that theme over and over, reinforcing a concept which is sorely needed by everyone, particularly leaders.

This would make a great gift to a son or daughter, to a favorite niece or nephew, to the new hire at work, to your Pastor, your friend, your co-workers.  I am convinced if this material is taken to heart it could change a person's life and perhaps the world.  Of course that could be said about a lot of books, but still . . . .

I am in transition.  Leaving one job and moving into another.  I wasn't really looking for a new job, but I wasn't totally fulfilled at the old job.  Part of the problem was leadership.  In the old job, vision was scarce and always secondary to political expedients, in the new there is a clear and focused vision which drives the entire organization.  In the old, there was a focus on issues, often the wrong issues, but the focus was fragmented by delays and lack of administrative resolve.  In the new  the focus upon the vision moves everything forward and even devotes resources to remove barriers to that movement.  It really is true that everything rises and falls on leadership.

Still, I will miss my friends at the old job and will have to work to make new friends at the new; to leave the comfort of the known and venture boldly into the unknown.  But I am encouraged because it has been obvious that God has been in this move from the very beginning.  I am eager to see where the journey takes me.

I finished Onward by Howard Schultz Interestingly I was at the Global Leadership Summit (#WCAGLS) where he was on the agenda to speak and Bill Hybels was planning to interview him about the book.  Unfortunately, Mr Schultz canceled his appearance at the last second due to pressure from a minority group. 

I read the book because it was recommended in preparation for the WCAGLS and I kept wondering when I was going to come across the "meat," i.e. the instruction in leadership that was purported to be in this book.  I did find some interesting information that I didn't know:  Starbucks is socially conscious and environmentally conscious.  They make a serious effort to treat their employees with care and respect and they are serious, and I mean, SERIOUS about coffee.  Mr. Schultz did lead Starbucks through a re-organizational effort at the peak of the recent depression and brought the company back to a level of success, but how he did so couldn't easily be defined.  In my opinion, there was little "meat."  I suppose you could pick up some leadership tidbits from Mr. Schultz's rambling narrative, however, a lot of it felt self-vindicating, when he wasn't going into excruciating detail on issues that didn't seem to contribute to the book's purpose. 

What would I rate the book?  Probably 2 stars out of 5, and that's being generous. 
Would I read it again?  NO, 
Would I recommend it to a friend?  NO. 
Did Mr. Schultz's cancellation at @WCAGLS impact my opinion of the book? Possibly a little because it seemed to me that he defaulted on being a leader and caved in to pressure that was unfounded - definitely NOT a leadership trait.

Monday and Tuesday this week are my last days at Huntington University.  I have enjoyed my time at HU and believe that I have helped establish EXCEL on a track which will see it move forward in a positive direction.  There are always concerns when you make this kind of transition about whether or not what you have done actually has made a difference and I have included some comments below from adjunct faculty who have responded after hearing of my resignation:

• Wow! This is surprising! I have enjoyed getting to know you and to work with you over the past few years at Huntington.  You are brought EXCEL to a high level with your emphasis on student learning objectives and I know you will be missed.  I have found the interactions at Huntington and the training sessions for adjunct faculty to be very effective and worthwhile.
• I want to thank you for the opportunities that you have provided me during the last 2½ years.  I, too, believe that God sometimes leads us in His direction and we need to follow in faith.  Your enthusiasm for the EXCEL Program has been an inspiration to me as I continue to seek what God wants me to do with my background and experiences.
• I want you to know how much I appreciate your leadership, and also how much I appreciate and admire you as the person you are.  It has been a real pleasure for me to be a part of the EXCEL program and that is because of what you have done to make it what it is today.  Best wishes to you and your wife as you make this move, God bless and take care.
• I've appreciated your leadership and passionate Christian witness in conducting your professional responsibilities.  You came to me with an offer to instruct for EXCEL @ a critical time in my professional life.  Thank you for giving me the opppportunity to 'excel' in my teaching.
• This will be a huge loss to HU, but I trust that God will provide.  I have really enjoyed working with you.  It has been a joy to see how you have transformed the EXCEL program.  I love how you have pushed us.
• You are one of the brightest spots of growth for HU, and your work in growing EXCEL was amazing. I don’t know what prompted your desire to leave, but you will be very much missed here.
• I just heard of your resignation today.  You will be missed by Huntington.  Your inspiration and leadership during your tenure has dramatically changed the EXCEL program Rick. I believe that  you took the entire program to a higher, more professional level.  I have always found it to be a true pleasure working with you. You always seemed to have a professional approach to ensuring quality of the EXCEL Program.
• Rick:  I cannot tell you how much a loss you will be to our community and Life Long Learning.  You are a real champion in your efforts to help all adults.  I feel blessed to have worked with you and knowing you as a friend in Christ. 
• I just wanted you to know what a true pleasure it has been meeting you, working with you, learning from you.  I felt we had a meeting of the minds, so to speak, in that you took anything I had to say to heart, mulled it over, and respected the various opinions or suggestions that I had.  You can't begin to know what that meant to me.

 These comments have been encouraging to me as I make the transition from overseeing one program at a small university to   working with institutional effectiveness at a large university.  Still, it is the same kind of work that I have been doing and with God's help I hope I will be able to be as effective in my new role as I hope the records will show I was at HU.

I'm reading two books right now on leadership,  On is Onward by Howard Schultz in which he describes the circumstances which led him back to being the CEO at Starbucks.  So far (about 1/3 through) there have been some interesting lessons about customer service and and general leadership.  Probably what has stood out the most is his passion for the company.  Passion is a powerful force and it is obvious that Schultz is deeply committed to Starbucks.  This kind of passion is one of the marks of level 5 leaders and requires more than many will be able to "pay."  It requires commitment and belief to something greater than ourselves.  So far I have found the story interesting and Schultz's passion and attempts to be even handed in addressing poor decisions commendable.  I have been inspired but I have also wondered how thick this book would have actually been if the self-validating stories were cut out.  Don't get me wrong, this is worth reading and discussing.  I'll share more as I get deeper into the book.

This is also the case for Joseph Michelli in the New Gold Standard.  This book describes how the Ritz Carlton Hotel chain came to be a leader in customer service and "5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Service Experience."  I'm about half way through this book and while parts of it delve into too much detail about issues that are too specific to the hotel business to be applicable, overall this is an must read for those truly interested in customer service.  Honestly, this is one of the areas, in my opinion, where leadership often falters.  The focus on the goal tends to neglect the ground gained and by so doing undercuts the ability to sustain long-term success.