Barack Obama: Building TEAM USA

I have heard from many people, many of whom voted for John McCain (I do live in the red state of Georgia, you know), that are saying to Barack Obama some version of "I hope that you don't screw it up" or "I wonder if you are up for it." The real question is will we be willing to follow Barack Obama and get on the team.

If that is the task at hand (and there is little to suggest that it is not), then what Barack Obama has to do is show real leadership and succeed in building a great team. Not just an excellent Cabinet and group of advisors, but a team of involved citizens throughout our country.

So, what does Barack Obama have to do? What Inspiros International found several years ago is that great teams and organizations have these nine basic common characteristics in common:

1. An Icon: Barack is certainly that.

2. The Greatest Imaginable Challenge: pick 'em, the greatest global economic meltdown since the Great Depression, global warming, Al-Queda terrorism, the budget deficit, the trade deficit, health care costs and related issues, the energy crisis and our over-reliance on oil, the housing market, the US auto industry, etc.

3. Constant Renewal of the Challenge: the list of grade-A challenges will keep morphing and expanding, you can count on it. President-elect must keep us informed and in touch with reality. We must be willing to believe and hear him.

4. Continual Raising the Bar: Our president will have to understand that he must always be expecting more out of himself and those around him. We must be willing to respond in kind.

5. Passion: Unlike what George W. Bush did after 9/11, President-elect Obama must leverage the enthusiasm, the activism, sense of urgency and the energy that has been unleashed during this Presidential election campaign. We must keep it up.

6. Sense of Family: the sense of inclusion and global community that has brought Obama and the Democratic Party a historic victory, must continue be a high priority and a key component for this new administration to be successful. We must be willing to be part of a community, not a set of individuals with narrow selfish needs and interests.

7. Foster Innovation: with Obama's leadership and guidance, the US must regain its place as a center of innovation and cutting edge solutions that it has lost.

8. Commitment to Excellence: Barack must ensure that we regain our sense of pride and can-do resilience that has been missing for the last 8 years. We lift up our expectations and sense of trust.

9. Awareness of "The Zone:" President Obama must have an understanding that creating a performance zone, as in sports and athletics, is highly valuable. Creating a zone is to create the right organizational climate through establishing a sustainable culture of pride, excellence, innovation, success, and achievement in the community. The above mentioned important processes of inclusion and challenge must be maintained as well. He must lead by fostering an attitude of ownership, involvement and activism. The proper environment that promotes our core values, our ability of find meaning and purpose in our individual and, more importantly, our collective activities will keep alignment, motivation and self-initiative high. Creating a zone will allow us to regain our place in the eyes of the world community.

Ultimately, it is as much our responsibility to follow as it is President-elect Obams responsibility to lead.

How Did Barack Obama Win?

A day after Barack Obama made history and took leadership of the free world, we must ask how did he do it? He basically embraced what all successful people do, The Peak Performance System:

1. Vision: Vision trumps everything. He wanted to bring people together and he did that by appealing to those that saw a larger mission in his campaign. "Yes we can" and "change the world" spoke to the world. "We are the United States of America" rang true. Obama catalyzed, inspired and created hope. That is the mark of a great vision.

2. Mental Mindset: Barack Obama maintained a positive, constructive, inclusive mindset throughout. His ability to be calm in times of chaos was reassuring to a majority of the America electorate.

3. Fast-forwarding: Obama was able to achieve maximum campaign flexibility by being able to anticipate. He identified barriers and found solutions. He saw the future, and used the internet and the social networking community as a tool to achieve his vision.

4. Game-plan: Obama successfully organized a great team and a great message, set a path, believed in it and did not waver. He organized a viral marketing machined based on people.

5. Deliberate practice: Obama made sure that his game-plan could be executed with practice, rehearsal, and tweaking.

6. Execution: He did not panic when things were not going his way and he stayed the course. Attacks on his religious beliefs and his associations with Rev. Wright and William Ayers did not change his strategy. He displayed a calm that made voters believe and want to belong.

7. Review: Barack Obama used his team to maintain a continuous feedback loop to learn minute-by-minute what was working and what wasn't. Obama refined and refined never losing sight of the vision.

Many people may conclude that this campaign broke new ground, but it also relied on the fundamental principles that all peak performers understand and use.

Choosing A President (revisited)

For those who are still undecided and for those who insist on supporting and voting for John McCain:

In the business world, developing a competency model for the selection of a CEO is a best practice and standard operating procedure for many successful companies. If
we use a behavioral template as criteria for selecting a president, how would our presidential candidates compare? Read the characteristics below carefully and rate each of the candidates objectively. Though obviously open for discussion, I have rated the winner in each competency based on my observations of each in action. The Presidential Leadership Competencies are listed below:

VISIONING (- Advantage Obama)

Takes a long-term view and acts as a catalyst for change; builds a shared vision with others; influences others to translates vision into action; creates a compelling and inspirational picture of the future.

ACTS WITH INTEGRITY (- Advantage Obama)

Fosters high standards for ethical behavior; behaves in a fair and ethical manner towards others; demonstrates high political and professional standards; handles situations with integrity; viewed as highly trustworthy; stands up for what is right despite potential personal consequences; demonstrates consistency between words and
actions; honors commitments to others.

ACCOUNTABILITY(- Advantage Obama)

Holds self and others accountable for laws, policies, rules and responsibilities; can be relied upon to ensure that issues within areas of responsibility are completed in a relevant and timely manner and within budget; sets high standards for self and others; assigns clear
accountability backed by appropriate authority.

GETS RESULTS (- Advantage Obama)

Achieves strategic goals; delivers measurable results, on time and within budget; translate(s ideas into concrete actions; champions initiatives beyond the scope of one’s job; mobilizes resources and removes barriers for success; anticipates potential problems and
develops contingency plans to overcome them; works across political and organizational boundaries, avoiding turf issues, and eliminating unnecessary work to achieve the desired results; concentrates on outcomes rather than activities.

IDENTIFIES AND DEVELOPS TALENT (- Advantage Obama)

Inspires, fosters, and develops leadership in others through coaching, mentoring, rewarding and guiding those under him/her; develops successors and talent pools for key positions.

TAKES INITIATIVE/RISK-TAKING (- Advantage McCain)

Creates an environment that encourages creative thinking; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes; challenges the status quo; recognizes opportunities and takes action to achieve objectives; empowers others to take risks, supports them when things go wrong and encourages them to learn from set-backs and failures.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT (- Advantage Obama)

Understands process and issues inherent in change management and plans accordingly; instills confidence and trust in others; coordinates resources; evaluates measures, project plans and deliverables for
strategic alignment; acknowledges individual’s responses to change and helps them adjust; Adapts unit goals and work plans in response to internal and external forces that will impact the future effectiveness of the unit.

THINKING SKILLS (- Advantage Obama)

Identifies and integrates the critical elements of a situation, making correct inferences from data; breaks complex problems into component parts and organizes the parts in a systematic way; uses innovation to develop novel solutions; can explain to others how to understand and approach complicated problems.

POLITICAL ACUMEN(-Advantage: Obama)

Applies resources, constituency needs, and processes to make sound strategic and business decisions.

STRATEGIC THINKING AND PLANNING (- Advantage Obama)

Formulates effective strategies consistent with the needs of the nation; sees the big picture and holds a long-term perspective; determines objectives and sets priorities; anticipates potential threats or opportunities; aligns people to support organizational goals; drives the execution of strategic plans and monitors results.

MANAGES RESOURCES (- Advantage Obama)

Assesses current and future staffing needs based on organizational goals and budget realties; ensures staff are appropriately selected, developed, utilized, appraised and rewarded; readily shares resources
to support political initiatives; understands key financial indicators; uses cost-benefit thinking to set priorities; integrates technology into the workplace to improve effectiveness and efficiency; understands
the impact of technological changes on the organization.

PROFESSIONAL AND POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE (- Advantage Obama)

Continually enhances knowledge and skills to keep abreast of global developments and emerging issues; understands what it takes to be successful; has a thorough knowledge of the nation’s mission, history, and constituencies.

PROBLEM SOLVING/DECISION MAKING (- Advantage Obama)

Develops new insights into situations and applies innovative solutions to make improvements; exercises good judgment by making sound and well-informed decisions; is proactive; distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant information to make logical decisions; effectively analyzes potential for risk and acts decisively; makes
breakthrough decisions based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience and judgment; solicits input from individuals who can add significant value to the decision-making process. Cultivates effective relationships to create a culture that supports the national goals and strategy.

INFLUENCING SKILLS (- Advantage Obama)

Builds coalitions through give and take; gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals; collaborates across boundaries; recognizes which battles are worth fighting for and when it is time to compromise; seeks to build internal and external partnerships to better accomplish goals; invites other points of view; anticipates the reactions and objections of others.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT ( Advantage Obama)

Identifies and takes steps to prevent potential situations that could result in confrontations; manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a positive and constructive manner to minimize negative impacts.

LEVERAGES DIVERSITY (- Advantage Obama)

Recruits, develops and retains a diverse political base; leads and manages an inclusive environment that maximizes the talents of each person to achieve sound results; respects, understands, values and seeks out individual differences to achieve the vision and mission of
the organization.

TEAM BUILDING (- Advantage Obama)

Inspires and guides others toward goal accomplishments;
consistently develops and sustains cooperative working relationships; fosters commitment, team spirit, pride and trust; shares leadership and helps the team become interdependent by facilitating participation and
group interaction.

TREATS OTHERS WITH RESPECT (- Advantage Obama)

Considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings and capabilities of different people in different situations; is tactful, compassionate and sensitive; challenges others' ideas without getting
personal; follows through on commitments to others.

PRESENTS IDEAS EFFECTIVELY (- Advantage Obama)

Makes clear and convincing presentations to individuals and groups; listens effectively and clarifies information as needed; shares relevant information and expectations openly, honestly and in a timely fashion; targets presentations to the needs and level of the audience;
translates complex information into understandable, meaningful, relevant language. On-going development of skills and competencies to lead the nation.

TOLERANCE FOR AMBIGUITY (- Advantage Obama)

Takes changing priorities and new developments in stride, even in-the face of ambiguity; leads with a clear sense of priorities in a climate of uncertainty and change.

FLEXIBILITY (- Advantage Obama)

Is open to change and new information; adapts behavior and work methods in response to new information, technology, changing conditions or unexpected obstacles; adjusts rapidly to new situations warranting
attention and resolution.

SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPMENT (- Advantage Obama)

Recognizes own strengths and weaknesses; seeks feedback from others; extracts learning from failure.

LEARNS CONTINUOUSLY (- Advantage Obama)

Pursues self-development and opportunities to master new knowledge; applies new knowledge; embraces new and diverse ideas; shares learning broadly.



The last two elections were based on simple emotional and
subjective criteria such as: perceived likability; perceived stiffness; our comfort level having a beer with the candidates, our fear of an intellectually superior president, and our fear of changing administrations during wartime; or, just our need to identify with the person.


Let's be more substantive and objective this time. Let's set our leadership requirements and make a valid decision based on the candidates' ability to meet those requirements. We deserve nothing
less.

Innovation by USA on the Decline

From the Enterprise Innovation Institute Blog

October 20, 2008
U.S. Innovation: On the Skids?

High-tech-indicators The economic downturn has focused renewed interest on U.S. economic competitiveness, including the role that research and development plays in international technological leadership. That has produced new visibility for the results of a long-term study of international competitiveness done by Georgia Tech's Technology Policy and Assessment Center.

The Center's newest study, which was released in January 2008, evaluated the "technological standing" of 33 countries and suggested that China will soon pass the United States in the critical ability to develop basic science and technology, turn those developments into products and services, and then market them to the world.

"The pattern is inexorable," says Alan Porter, one of the authors of the study. "China is coming up strongly, and it's in high-tech areas, not just cheap consumer goods." Porter is quoted in an article published October 20 in ComputerWorld. The January 2008 Georgia Tech news release on the study is available in the Georgia Tech News Room.

John Kotter on Crises and a Sense of Urgency

John Kotter: A Sense of Urgency

Best evidence available today tells us that crises can be used to create true urgency if these principles are followed:

* Always think of crises as potential opportunities, and not only dreadful problems that automatically must be delegated to the damage control specialists. A crisis can be your friend.

* Never forget that crises do not automatically reduce complacency. If not monitored and handled well, burning platforms can be disastrous, leading to fear, anger, blame, and the energetic yet dysfunctional behavior associated with false urgency.

* To use a crisis to reduce complacency, make sure it is visible, unambiguous, related to real business problems, and significant enough that it cannot be solved with small, simple actions. Fight the impulse to minimize or hide bad news.

* To use a crisis to reduce complacency, be exceptionally proactive in assessing how people will react, in developing specific plans for action, and in implementing the plans swiftly.

* Plans and actions should always focus on others' hearts as much or more than their minds. Behaving with passion, conviction, optimism, urgency, and a steely determination will trump an analytically brilliant memo every time.

* If urgency is low, never patiently wait for a crisis (which may never come) to solve your problems. Bring the outside in. Act with urgency every day.

* If you are considering creating an urgency-raising crisis, take great care both because of the danger of losing control and because if people see you as manipulative and putting them at risk, they will (quite reasonably) react very badly.

* If you are at a middle or low level in an organization and see how a crisis can be used as an opportunity, identify and then work with an open-minded and approachable person in a more powerful position who can take the lead.

Certainly we need to be prudent. But in a more rapidly changing world, finding opportunities in crises probably reduces your overall risk.

To read more from the book: A Sense of Urgency, click on: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5938.html

Young Leader: Devin Harris, NBA New York Nets

"Being a leader is very, very hard for this reason: you have to be the same guy virtually every single day. When things are not going well for the team, when things aren't going well for you, when there's a heap of criticism upon you. So leading is tough. It's hard, but he's up for the challenge."

--Lawrence Frank, New York Nets head coach, on Devin Harris, 25, who averaged 15.4 points and 6.5 assists in 25 games with the Nets. He was traded from the Dallas Mavericks for Jason Kidd, all-star and Olympic gold medal winner.

"He is definitely capable and he's ready for it. You can just tell from his approach."

--Vince Carter, New York Nets, Harris' teammate.

Excerpts from the New York Times, September 28, 2008.

Leadership During Turbulence

The economy is in peril. The fear is real. Uncertainty is everywhere. The bailout is stalled. Congress is gridlocked. Companies are ramping down. Orders are down. Sales are way down. Costs are rising. Firings and layoffs seem likely. Projects are being delayed or cancelled. Could things get any worse?

Now is the time to plan your rebound. This is no time to panic. There is no time to panic. I have some things for you to consider as you lead yourself and others through times that many anticipate are the worst since the Great Depression.

Here are some excerpts from an article that I wrote soon after the 9/11 tragedy that still apply.

Leadership During Turbulence


The business landscape is changing by the hour. Companies are no longer just working to achieve profitability, they are now struggling for survival. Most executives talk of being in crisis. Sales and revenue are predicted to plummeted as consumer spending is drastically curtailed. Business activity has already taken a severe hit. Capital investments and large-scale projects will be or have been postponed or canceled. Workers are being laid off. Despite our lack of confidence and trust, all eyes are focused on our leaders and their ability to guide us out of the chaos. Thus far, no one has seemed to step up effectively.


Leadership is About Character


Through me coaching with numerous leaders and executives, we have found that crisis or not, leadership is about character. Leadership must be displayed at all levels of any organization. Success is preceded as well as sustained by strong leadership character. We know that leadership character is based on a foundation of integrity and accountability. A successful leader must balance both sides of the scale.


The New Scorecard: Leadership’s Top Ten


1. Emotional Resilience


Both Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were able to hold the Allied forces together through World War II through their ability to persevere and withstand. Leaders, as well as the organization, must display this same type of emotional resilience. Immediate results or mixed reviews from internal or external critics can be difficult to swallow. A great leader must stand without wavering or communicating a lack of confidence. The great leader is able to ensure that the organization can bounce back from bad news. He or she must not only be a cheerleader but must also be willing to ensure that expectations are not too high or too low.


2. Mobilization of Talent


Once a crisis is upon a great leader, special attention must be paid to the mobilization of talent. Though one may have an executive team in place, it must be determined which key individuals and key roles will be necessary to get through the crisis. Two teams may need to be formed: one to focus on day-to-day operations critical to running the business, and one to focus on the crisis management issues that re-define or change the business. Moreover, a successful team fully understands and embraces the mission. Team members must be fully motivated to deal with change and be fully prepared to shift at a moment’s notice. Having the right people eliminates the need to motivate them and hold them accountable. They hold themselves accountable. Once the crisis teams are in place, the leaders must be willing to delegate and allow others to do work, perhaps including that which is not normally assigned to them.


3. Energizing Others


Obviously, the fundamental ongoing task in times of crisis is that of energizing others. Team building takes on a new meaning. A strong emphasis must be placed on working together, displaying teamwork, setting aside differences and petty conflicts and sacrificing individual goals for the good of the whole. People must think collectively and understand how their work impacts and interconnects with others. Crises involve taking people beyond what they think they are capable of attaining. During difficult times, energizing others can take on special significance. Crises can quickly deplete the organization of spirit and inspiration. Some people want to react quickly, while others take time to react. Leaders must provide people with inspiration as well as direction. Move too quickly and the target may be missed, move too slowly and momentum may be lost forever.


4. Anticipating More Change


Of course, the most important time to prepare for crises is during times of normalcy. The ability to anticipate change can make or break an organization. Fighting and mastering panic and paralysis can ensure that one business thrives while another struggles. Building a leadership team that can avert a crisis through preparation and prevention is a must. Leaders must be flexible, creative and capable of fostering creativity and innovation with an eye toward the future. "Business as usual" is not an option.


5. Communication


Successful leadership involves instilling confidence through communication in the organization. This involves a broad range of communication skills used in a continuous, consistent fashion. Slow memos requesting authorization and traditional chain of command processes will not work. Communication must be more direct, informal and impromptu. The organization needs people going straight to those who can fix problems or offer effective solutions. Whatever communication tools are used, people must believe that things will be controlled and that chaos will be quickly eliminated.


Likewise, the membership of the organization must also believe in the leadership team and their ability to manage the crisis at hand. The leader must maximize credibility, believability and integrity. What is communicated to the organization must address key constituencies about status, on-going progress, and plans for the future. There must be a willingness to hold regular briefings and updates to ensure that the workforce understands what is going on, can ask questions, can clarify issues and, ultimately, can support what is being done.


6. Front Line Presence


This is no time to hide. To support their communication, leaders must maintain a "front line presence" and responsiveness to underscore their control, command and commitment to seeing the crisis through. We are not talking about proverbial "face time". We are talking about real visibility and real work. The leadership team as well as the workforce must be able to see, smell, hear, feel and taste leadership.


7. Clear Purpose and Mission


It must be plain to the organization that there is a clear purpose and mission. The mission must be meaningful. The good leader must carefully construct goals to ensure understanding of the results to be obtained. Nothing is gained, however, by taking a "ready, fire, aim" approach. Responding too quickly with an ineffective action plan can soon destroy the confidence and support needed for the long haul. The plan must be specific, concrete, realistic, measurable and attainable. The mission must have an objective around which people can rally and a destination.


8. Decisiveness


Crisis leadership requires decisiveness. Many leaders have failed at this crucial juncture. Critical decisions must be made that could bring risk to the organization. These risks must be weighed accurately. The risks themselves must not paralyze the leader or the organization. Crises often increase the level of risk and create more unknowns as was the case in the Cuban Missile Crisis. President John Kennedy is considered to have prevented a major military conflict with Russia through his decisive handing of the situation.


A leader can not ignore his team. A leader must have the right people, as well as be able to quickly decipher information to determine the right course of action. With the input and advice of his team, leaders must choose options as presented, often based on incomplete or unavailable information. Frequently, crises have no real precedent. Leaders must be able to take risks and make decisions without the luxury of having seen the given scenario before.


9. Taking the Long View


Decisions must be made with the proper perspective. All great leaders are defined by history. Greatness is measured over time. Decisions must be made by taking the long view. Leaders must keep an eye on the overall mission of the organization and what is best for the long-term sustainability of the enterprise. Speed, creativity and innovation must be balanced with an understanding of the future possibilities and implication of any action or set of actions. Leaders must be willing to ensure that their perspective maintains a broad, strategic view. Emotions that can energize or mobilize in the early stages of a crisis must not drive decisions during later stages.


Long-term strategy can be difficult to support. Not only does a leader in crisis need to help the workforce with getting beyond the initial shock of the crisis, a leader must also be able to keep resolve high over time. Early failures and setbacks can erode confidence in the mission. A leaders’ role must include helping the organization down the long road ahead.


10. Execution and Delivery


Finally, crises require execution and delivery. Crises are often defined by the initial stages involving survival and immediate danger. Once the clear and present danger is over, individuals and organizations may breathe more easily. Often, the crisis is not really over. Leaders must understand that the mission that was so clear at the beginning of the crisis can be blurred. Leaders must do all that they can to ensure that the sense of urgency is not lost and that the eye on the initial goals and objectives is maintained. The goals must be restated again and again.

Conclusion: Taking Business Off Hold


As a nation, we may never be the same again. The landscape has changed dramatically. There is no road map. We have not been here before. Leaders must be realistic with themselves as well as others about what it takes to be successful. Crises require an acknowledgment that things will change and then change again. Organizations that survive and then thrive understand that panic, paralysis, and complacency can be deadly. The real leadership challenge is to ensure that organizations can deal with change after the fact, but can also predict, anticipate and prepare for change. Leadership requires more skill than ever before. There is no time to lose. Businesses will stand or fall on the ability of their leadership to meet the challenge.


Best wishes.