Adversity introduces us to ourselves.

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THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE FORUM 2014 NEW ORLEANS, LA OPENING SESSION WITH JIM KOUZES & BARRY POSNER Adversity introduces

McDonnell, Former CEO, McDonnell Douglas The motion has been made and seconded that we stick our heads in the sand.

Tell us about a time when you were at your personal best as a leader.

1 THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE FORUM 2014 NEW ORLEANS, LA OPENING SESSION WITH JIM KOUZES & BARRY POSNER Adversity introduces us to ourselves. John F. McDonnell, Former CEO, McDonnell Douglas The motion has been made and seconded that we stick our heads in the sand. Let s change brink of chaos to Everything is wonderful. Tell us about a time when you were at your personal best as a leader. Personal Bests LEADERS Arlene Blum Ward Clapham Jacqueline Maartense Alan Keith Kathleen MacMillan Steve Skarke Sahira Abdool Cora Carmody CONTEXT First all-female ascent High crime, low morale Restore profitability Two years or close First-ever in new role Become world class plant Discontented workforce New global initiative 1

2 The similarity that most stuck out was how each person had to overcome uncertainty and fear in order to achieve his or her best. Challenge is the opportunity for greatness. Katherine Winkel, Seattle Genetics Objectives 1.Six strategies exemplary leaders employ during adverse and uncertain circumstances to create opportunities. 2.One practical action you can take to enact each of these strategies. The Six Strategies 1. Broaden the Context 2. Defy the Verdict 3. Fully Commit to What s Important 4. Take Charge of Change 5. Engage Others 6. Show You Care Activity: Adverse Times Identify a current adverse situation for you or a client you are working with. Then, introduce yourselves and share what that situation is. We ll come back to this later. Turning Adversity Into Opportunity A Video Example 2

1 Broaden the Context Challenge and Choice I chose it. 44% It chose me. 38% A little of both.

stronger and we d do the same this time around.

is that we're never satisfied with our condition.

3 1 Broaden the Context Challenge and Choice I chose it. 44% It chose me. 38% A little of both. 18% I knew that the country had faced economic crises before, and survived, and even come back stronger and we d do the same this time around. Delisle Worrell, Governor, Central Bank of Barbados My absolute favorite thing about human beings is that we're never satisfied with our condition. Feeling and Seeking Challenge Constituents Leaders 25%-35% more engaged 40% more effective Kaily Adair, Student and vice president, Fossil Ridge High School Council and Colorado Association of Student Councils 3

4 Taking Action Do your lifeline, looking back at both the peaks and valleys in your life. What enabled you to bounce back from the lows? What motivated you to reach for that peak? 2 Defy the Verdict The first job of a leader is to define reality. Good News or Bad News? Feel better knowing, even when news is bad? No Yes 14% 85% Max De Pree, Leadership Is an Art Source: Pew Center for People and the Pres The fact is, when we truly stare down reality we prepare ourselves to act in ways that allow us to endure and survive extraordinary hardship. They responded with a fierce determination to overcome. They didn't deny the diagnosis. They denied the verdict that is usually associated with it. Diane Coutu, Harvard Business Review Norman Cousins, Head First: The Biology of Hope 4

5 He had a Yes, it is possible attitude. While this outlook won t make problems disappear, it helped me and others to believe the future will be better. Carolina Rojas, PepsiCo Mexico Taking Action Engage in a defy the verdict exercise. Make a list of all the challenges the organization faces. Now defy the verdict for each of them. Say out loud how you will overcome each one. 3 Fully Commit to What s Important The brick walls are there for a reason. They re not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Randy Pausch, Carnegie Mellon You don t have to be a superstar or an overachiever to lead; you just have to care about something and do something about it. If you are clear about your values, and your actions are aligned, it makes all the hard work worth the effort. Elliese Judge, Panama City, Panama Radu Basu, former CEO of SupportSoft 5

6 Employee Commitment Clarity about organization s values LOW HIGH LOW HIGH Clarity about my values A great leader learns about each person s values, how they build trust, and what is core to their motivation and drive. Hilary Hall, General Electric Take Action Answer these two questions: 1. What do you want? 2. How badly do you want it? Reflect on your answers. What do they tell you about what is most important to you? 4 Take Charge of Change Being a leader means being scared sometimes But because I had the drive and initiative to keep looking into it, to not give up I was able to get it done. I d bet there isn t a single highly successful person who hasn t depended on grit. Kirstyn Cole, Program Manager, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Angela Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania 6

You never know where one step will take you.

The difference in being a leader is that you take

E. The key to motivating performance is supporting

Take Action Every day ask yourself this: What is

myself and others I am and we are making progress?

7 You never know where one step will take you. And you never know where the next one will lead. The difference in being a leader is that you take the step. Melissa Poe Hood, Founder of Kids F.A.C.E. The key to motivating performance is supporting progress in meaningful work. Take Action Every day ask yourself this: What is one hop that I can take today that will signal to myself and others I am and we are making progress? Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer, The Progress Principle 5 Engage Others 7

Having just one supportive, stable relationship is an

Daniel Goldman, Social Intelligence: The New Science Of

getting their suggestions and using their ideas made

and will listen to you strengthens resilience.

Association Take Action In every interaction with every

8 Having just one supportive, stable relationship is an important condition to transcending adversity. Daniel Goldman, Social Intelligence: The New Science Of Human Relationships We involved the rest of the chapter.getting their suggestions and using their ideas made everyone feel like they had leadership responsibility and accountability. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience. Kim Wizer The Road to Resilience America Psychological Association Take Action In every interaction with every person, ask yourself: What can I do in this moment to make this person feel more powerful, competent, and able than they are right now? 6 Show You Care 8

9 There s a fire that burns inside each person. My job is simply to stoke it. Leaders who have the courage to show that they care for the team build strong interpersonal connections which is the bond that keeps people staying the course. Mike Matuzek, postal service district manager Ajay Godbole, IT principal consultant, Oracle Corporation It won t work. Fear does not work so long as people have hope. And Katniss Everdeen is giving them hope. Coriolanus Snow, President Panem (Hunger Games) High Hope = High Performance People with high vs. low hope: Have more goals. Select more difficult goals. Achieve higher levels of organizational success. Report greater satisfaction with life. Source: Richard Snyder, The Psychology of Hope I hope that at the end of the day I ve given my staff the feeling that I cared about them. Carolyn Borne, director, General Clinical Research Center, UCLA Medical Center Take Action However often you now say thank you Say thank you more often, and explain why. 9

In Summary The Six Strategies 1. Broaden the Context 2.

Take Charge of Change 5. Engage Others 6.

You conquer yourself your doubts and your fears.

Everest Activity: Adverse Times Using the worksheet apply one

10 In Summary The Six Strategies 1. Broaden the Context 2. Defy the Verdict 3. Fully Commit to What s Important 4. Take Charge of Change 5. Engage Others 6. Show You Care You never conquer the mountain. You conquer yourself your doubts and your fears. Jim Whittaker, 1 st American to ascend Mt. Everest Activity: Adverse Times Using the worksheet apply one or more strategies to the situation you identified at the start. Share with one person. Enjoy the Forum Meet new people Explore ideas Investigate Be outsightful Experiment Stretch C.A.S.E. Play For more information about Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner visit: 10

LEADING IN TURBULENT TIMES

LEADING IN TURBULENT TIMES with Jim Kouzes Adversity introduces us to ourselves. John F. McDonnell Former CEO & Chairman, McDonnell Douglas Challenge is the context for leadership. Tell us about a time