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Guest post by: Jim Clemmer
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You Can't Build a Team or Organization Different from You

Too many managers who aspire to lead and develop others haven't learned how to lead and develop themselves. They are trying to build organizations or provide services that are different than they are. These well-intentioned managers are trying to improve their teams or organizations without improving themselves. Many seem to be living along the lines of Mark Twain's observation, "Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits."

Yield of Dreams

n the early 1950s, Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. During her first attempt, she had been swimming for hours and was getting very near to the English coast. That's when the seas turned much colder and heavy swells developed. A dense fog settled in blocking everything from view with a chilly wet blanket. As Florence's pace slowed and energy drained, her mother called through the fog from one of the small boats following behind, "Come on, Florence, you can make it. It's only a little further."

With All My Heart and Soul

Spirit and meaning is a missing link in many lives, teams, and organizations. Many who have material prosperity live in spiritual poverty. That's what's driving the rapidly growing number of meaning seekers in society. We want to know that our lives count for something. We want to make a difference. Our work and our lives become ever more meaningful the more they are in harmony with who we are and touch the very core of why we exist. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

Wise Managers Treat Layoffs as Last Resort

Despite all the trendy rhetoric about the importance of people, leadership, and values, far too many managers treat people in their organizations with about as much care and concern as so many numbers on a financial statement. They are just one more set of assets to be managed. These just happen to have skin wrapped around them. Phrases like "head count" dehumanize and objectify people. That's how we talked about cattle on the farm where I grew up. And that's exactly how too many managers view "their people."

Why Smart Managers Master the Art of Listening Well

Many companies that talk passionately about being market-driven and customer-focused are overlooking one crucial ingredient - the ability to listen well. John McDonnell, chairman and chief executive of aircraft manufacturer McDonnell Douglas Corp. of St. Louis, summed up the problem: "We did not always listen to what our customers had to say before telling them what they wanted."

Why Real Leaders Pump Gas

Chief executives give great speeches on the importance of quality, leadership, teamwork, and employee participation. But in improving organization performance, as in golf, it's the follow-through that makes the difference. Consider the case of one Canadian company that had been "doing quality" for about two years. It followed the textbook perfectly. Trainers and facilitators delivered introductory workshops to the 1,500 employees. Enthusiasm and interest began to build as hundreds of suggestions poured in.

Why Most Training Fails

Most organizations use their training investments about as strategically as they deploy their office supplies spending. And the impact on customer satisfaction, cost containment or quality improvement is just as useless. One of the biggest causes of wasted training dollars is ineffective methods. Too often, companies rely on lectures ("spray and pray"), inspirational speeches or videos, discussion groups and simulation exercises.

Why Most Change Programs and Improvement Initiatives Fail

Many team and organization change and improvement efforts are lost or badly bewildered. Decades of studies have consistently shown that 50-70 percent are failing. There are as many reasons that improvement endeavors lose their way, as there are people, teams, and organizations trying to improve.

When Choosing Our Thoughts We Choose Our Future

A wise old sage hosted a dinner. Toward the end of the meal, everyone was given fortune cookies and told that they're holding their future in their hands. The guests eagerly opened them to read the words of wisdom they contained. The paper slips inside each cookie were blank.

What's Really Important?

The legendary inventor, Thomas Edison, had just come through a period of exceptionally hard work and even longer hours than normal. At dinner his wife said, "You've been working too hard with no breaks. You need a vacation." "But where would I go?" he asked her. "Think about where you'd rather be than any other place on earth," she replied. Edison thought for a few moments then said, "All right, I'll go tomorrow morning." The next day he was back to work in his laboratory.

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About the Author: Jim Clemmer

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For over three decades Jim Clemmer's keynote presentations, workshops, management team retreats, seven bestselling books translated into many languages, articles, blog, and newsletters have helped hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. The CLEMMER Group is Zenger Folkman's Canadian Strategic Partner. Jim was co-founder of The Achieve Group (which became Canada's largest leadership training firm) when they worked with Jack's previous company, Zenger Miller. Zenger Folkman is an award-winning firm best known for its unique evidence-driven, strengths-based system for developing extraordinary leaders and demonstrating the performance impact they have on organizations.

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More from Jim Clemmer
Focus and Context The Hub of Leadership
Leaders Help People to Help Themselves
Pathways and Pitfalls to Setting Organizational Goals and Priorities
The Pause that Refreshes
Pathways and Pitfalls to Living Organizational Values

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