In Search of Effortless
If I had given my consulting practice a book title when it began, it would have been something close to “In Search of Excellence.” Now, nine years later, experience has led to a subtle title shift. Today it would be “In Search of Effortlessness.” I was describing this new clarity to a colleague and he immediately chuckled, or choked (I couldn’t tell which). Either way he essentially stopped breathing. Once he collected himself, he leaned in and in a near whisper said, ‘I don’t get it, Shannon. I can’t think of anything about you that is lazy. Where is this idea of effortless coming from?”
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Arrogance & Acknowledgement
Arrogance. Those of us who share that distinct gut-wrenching moment when we see it staring back at us as from our 360-degree feedback report know that it is met with internal confusion. The conversation, whether expressed or just internal goes something like this, “Who me, arrogant? Well I am confident, but arrogant is so extreme; and besides, I have to be confident in this business or I will be completely ineffective. No one would listen, be compelled, or buy if I don’t exude confidence.”
It is hard to know where to take it because the line between confidence and arrogance is so thin. Bruce Schneider, the founder of IPEC, one of the major coaching certification programs in the US, says it well, “Confidence is believing that I know a lot, probably more than you. Arrogance is believing that I am better than you because of it.”
Managing Momentum
A culture transformation change team I’ve been part of for several years experienced a significant milestone at the end of last year. We were asked to share our success formula with a federal regulatory agency that was beginning the process of upgrading safety regulations for the industry.
We met with them and told our story. At the end, one final question was asked: “We see organizations struggle with changes like these all the time. In fact, we struggle with initiatives like this ourselves. They start strong and then fizzle. How did you keep this program alive?” Our team members looked around at each other, and in a near- unison-shoulder-shrug said, “we didn’t have a problem with that.”
Creativity Abounds
The spiritual dimension of leadership continues to intrigue and inform me. When the Dalai Lama hosted a panel on The Creativity Journey in Atlanta in October, I attended, eager for more insight into change leadership. Author Alice Walker and actor Richard Gere joined His Holiness for a lively afternoon exploring the role of the creativity in our lives, and I left realizing how many of my clients are already deep into the territory of the creative process that the panelists were describing. The discussion makes a wonderful desktop retreat.
Dragons, Bears and Signs of Success
Apprenticing with the ex-GE masters to learn their Workout Process was an early highlight in my consulting career. Their seasoned perspective on where we were, where we were headed, and whether a situation called for ‘a little sugar, or a little salt’ was invaluable. They were modeling a new way of leading for their clients, and I had a front row seat as I set out to develop my own style of facilitative leadership and organizational change prowess.
In one of my first solo projects, I was having trouble reading the signs about what was happening and instinctively reached for a lifeline.
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Noted
Leadership development is the hardest work I have ever done; but, there is no greater reward than to know you are becoming the person you want to be. 
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