You can't run the wishbone...

There is so much advice free out there today.  Articles, podcasts, books, conferences-I love it!  In today's world, it feels like you can get an MBA for free with the wealth of information available online.  It is so easy to get so much information.   But, this can lead to a new set of problems.

It struck me recently while working with some of our aspiring leaders that the ability to interpret which information and decide which pieces of content best fit your business and personal growth strategy greatly impacts the chances of both individual and team success.

In other words, you can't run the wishbone with a drop back Quarterback.  Understanding what applies to you and your business, passing on ideas that don't fit your culture and being able to say no to some concepts to say yes in a bigger way to other concepts is more important than ever.

Make sure you understand your team and your cultural identity.  Be self-aware of your own tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses.  Put together a game plan that fits your people and doesn't ask your team members to do things that will never fit your culture or team. 

Knowing your identity and who/what/when to listen to all the free advice may be the most important piece of advice.

The Jackass Factor

Use this equation to measure the impact of an individual's attitude on your entire team.

 (Talent + Intellect) x (Leadership) x (Attitude) =

First, the backstory:

When searching for a winning formula, football coaches know the sum of the parts does not equal the whole.  In other words, 2 + 2 does not equal 4.  Creating a winning formula is much more difficult than just assembling talented individual pieces.  The most talented team does not always win the game.  Why?

Recently, we had a leadership training event at Kinzler Construction Services (my team).   The theme of the training was accountability.  We have several team members who were new to leadership roles.  I spent time thinking about how to best explain the impact of an individual team members' attitude on the entire team. 

I asked our leaders to think about a few key members of their teams and rate them on a 1-10 scale as we worked through an exercise.  To see a portion of that video click below.

 (Talent + Intellect) x (Leadership) x (Attitude) =

Next, a few questions:

I asked our team, is it possible that any of our team members have less than zero talent?  What about intellect? How about leadership?  They quickly agreed every team member rated higher than zero in all these areas.  

 But what about attitude?  Is it possible to have a negative attitude?  The answer, of course, was a resounding YES! 

What is the impact to the equation if we use a scale of negative 10 to positive 10 to rank attitude?  We all agree an attitude can be negative, correct?  They quickly agreed it was logical to use a negative number measure the impact of attitude.

Now, the mathematical facts:

Any positive number multiplied by a positive number results in a positive number.  Any positive number multiplied by a negative number results in a negative number.

Any member of our team that has a positive attitude produces a positive result or what I refer to as a Net Contribution (NC).

Any member of our team that has a negative attitude produces a negative result, or what I refer to as a Jackass Factor (JF).

(T + I) x (L) x (A) = NC or JF

Finally, the call to action:

People who combine high Talent and Intellect  with a negative Attitude produce a Jackass Factor.  Even worse is the cancerous impact of someone with high Leadership ability and a negative attitude.  The absolute worst is the person who is talented, smart and a great leader with a negative attitude.  Do the math!  These are the most dangerous people on your team.  The larger the Jackass Factor the greater the risk to your team health.

This is a very common leadership mistake.  Too often leaders think they "need" people with talent, intellect or leadership abilities, ignoring or tolerating a negative attitude.  Instead, they choose to spend their time and energy "fixing" people with low talent, intellect or leadership abilities.  After all, these options are easier then dealing with the 300 pound gorilla that is a negative attitude, but they won't produce optimal results.

As the leader, take a long hard look at your team.  Then, chart the accountability path for turning your people with Jackass Factors into Net Contributors, or get them out of your locker room.  Not, when you can "afford to" or when you hit your next sales goal, get rid of them tomorrow!

In football we say, "you are either coaching it; or allowing  it to happen."  If you have people with a negative attitude are you coaching it or allowing it to happen?  Is it time for you to step up and lead?  Or will you continue to allow people with Jackass Factors to erode your culture?  

Saban Wins Either Way

Saban Wins Either Way

Tuesday, January 03, 2017

7:48 PM

Business leaders listen up. Nick Saban is passing out free leadership training. When Nick Saban sent Lane Kiffin down the road ( I don't buy this mutual crap for a second) he put himself in the ultimate win-win situation.

If Alabama wins Saban wins in the short term and the long term.  If Alabama loses Saban wins in the long run and Lane Kiffin is on the hook for being a distraction.

Here is where Saban really wins.  The story about the time Saban sent the OC packing right before the "Natty" will be told for years in the Alabama locker room.  5 star recruits still in middle school will be impacted by this decision.  How do you get 5-star guys to buy into "the process"?  You make decisions by doing what you think is right, not what is popular.  The "process" Saban preaches about is clearly bigger than any one person.  A message Alabama players will remember for years to come no matter how many stars they had when they came to campus.

Business Leaders, think about your decisions and what you are telling the players in your "locker room".  The larger the spotlight, the greater the opportunity to prove to your team that you are willing to practice what you preach.