Category: Leadership Principles

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Leadership, Communication, and Feedback by David Guerra

I was recently asked the following question, “What are the three most important things for any organization to succeed?”

For most people the obvious answers are money, product and customers. Great answers but not the answers I gave.

I answered, “Leadership, Communication, and Feedback.”

Leadership.

Great leadership at the begets Greater leadership at the mid-level and when that happens from the top down, the front-lines can only be a place where magic happens. I say this because if an organization has Great Leaders at the top, Greater Leaders at the mid-level then it should comes as no surprise that those on the front-line want to do better than those above them. That is because the corporate culture does not demand it, it inspires it.

Communication.

Communication is based on dialogue. Dialogue among all members of the organization. Monologue has a place in every organization yet in limited quantities. Communication is necessary when it comes to organizational success. The success occurs when the entire organization (top down) encourages and expects open communication. Failing to deliver that expectation then the organization gets what it deserves. What it gets is NOT a great organization. Avoiding this fate is easy, so long as everyone buys into wanting to and communicating to every stakeholder in and out of the organization. Yes, it is that simple.

Feedback.

Everyone in the organization must demand, expect, solicit, and most of all, ACCEPT feedback. A corporate culture that actually expects complete and honest feedback is one that values the input of everyone not just from those at the top. Unfortunately, for far too long the ONLY feedback available came in the form of the Annual Performance Review, a top down cluster of unwarranted, useless feel good words and a very INACCURATE picture of what was truly going on. The 360° degree Feedback has to come from ALL directions; top-down, bottom-up, sideways, laterally, inside-out, and outside-in. Seriously, for all this to work FEEDBACK must come from all directions and go in all directions.

Sure you can have all the financing you need, just the right product and all the customers you could ever want but without Leadership, Communication, and Feedback what do you have? You got nothing. If you think I am wrong then prove me wrong.

Thanks,
David Guerra, MBA

Do you agree or disagree with this list? Let me know either by
Twitter @daveguerra or by email [email protected] or both.

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DACA is a Wake-up Call for LEADERS! by David Guerra

Change. Change is coming. Change is here and Leaders what are you doing about it?

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has recently been rescinded by the administration of President Trump. However, the implementation of the end of the program was delayed six months to give the U.S. Congress time to come up with a solution for those previously eligible for DACA.

There are three groups of DACA individuals that are directly affected: children (under 18), those over 18 but still in school (i.e., college), and those over 18 and in the work place.

There is not much leaders can do for those under 18, as they are still under the responsibility of their parents. However, I want to focus on those individuals that are part of the workforce. Those that are gainfully employed (with or without a college degree or two) and are paying taxes are the ones I want to talk about.

The question I hear is how is their citizenship status my problem?

As a leader, it becomes your problem because what are you doing to address the potential loss of the individual(s) from your organization?

  1. Are you encouraging them to do what it takes to become US Citizens?
  2. Are you giving them time off to address their specific needs to citizenship?
  3. Are you prepared to support any issues that may arise during this period of uncertainty?
  4. Should the worst case scenario occur, what is your plan to continue to support/assist the employee?
  5. After the worst case scenario, are you prepared to fill the vacant position(s)?

Of course, the greater conversation becomes one of us versus them. Us being the citizens and them the “illegals” the ones that are NOT doing anything to help their case (i.e., apply for citizenship). This conversation can be polarizing in any organization. However, if the conversation becomes ugly, then there are bigger problems in your organization and addressing those problems must take priority.

Why does this conversation have to take priority?

It takes priority because as history tells us time and time again, no one can fight and win a two front war without giving attention to one front at a time. In this case, addressing the internal issues of the organization helps with the buy-in of all members of that organization. A leader that is not afraid to address the difficult conversations is a leader that will have little to no resistance once he or she steps up to face the problem head on. Failing to address the problem serves to show only one thing: the leader is not a leader.

There is nothing more that differentiates a Real Leader than from your average run of the mill figurehead than when it comes time to deal with real issues. A Real Leader will step up and deal directly with the issues. A figurehead, will, at best, pass the buck and refuse to step up. Refusing to step up and deal with the issues an organization cannot grow, cannot get better.

Why The Wake-Up Call?

I am not going to get into the politics of the DACA issue any more than I already have. However, this issue is NOT magically going to go away. This issue will be around for a while and addressing what is addressable now is better than waiting for it to grow, fester, and become out of control. Wasting time and letting any situation get out of control, goes without saying but it is bad for business. A leader’s job is not to destroy business but to make business.

Of course, organizations all over the world face issues greater and lesser than the one that is currently facing the US. The need for everyone to work together and work with a REAL LEADER at the helm is the ONLY way for a leader and those that follow him to overcome the fallout from this issue and any future issues. One thing that is certain: there will be more future issues.

Thank you for your time,
David G. Guerra, M.B.A.

Do you agree or disagree with this list? Let me know either by
Twitter @daveguerra or by email [email protected] or both.

—–

David Guerra is a native born US Citizen, as were his parents, their parents and half of his great-grandparents. David is a proud Texan. He is also a Veteran of the US Army where he honorably served as an Infantryman just like his two grandfathers before him.

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LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #11: EMPLOY YOUR TEAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS CAPABILITIES by David Guerra

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #11: EMPLOY YOUR TEAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS CAPABILITIES

As a leader you will most likely have a team of individuals backing you, supporting you, all while doing their job. As a leader you must allow them to do so without it compromising the job they were hired to do.

In a combat situation, ground troops, the Infantry work in teams. These teams have specialist with unique functions (grenadier, machine-gunner, assault, etc.) that make the Infantry squad, platoon, company, battalion, brigade lethal on the battlefield. The same level of lethality can be applied to the workplace. Imagine a team that can unite and put together a contract winning proposal or complete the annual report in record time.

How does this happen? It happens when the leader allows the team to function as one and function as individuals that are mutually supporting each other. Where the Infantry squad members support each other by providing interlocking fields of fire. Meaning the Infantrymen do their job but recognize that others (typically to their left and right) might need covering fire.

In the Accounting firm, a group works on balancing the client’s books while others work on prepping the Federal Tax paperwork. Then there is a someone who runs the Quality Assurance and checks the figures. Then another group works on putting it all together. By having all team members doing their respective jobs the individuals complete their assigned tasks and the team keeps moving because like a well oiled machine that runs unhindered when allowed to do, the team knows what to do and does it well.

Leaders (and Managers) keep your team running by letting them do their job. It may be tempting to meddle or to tinker with the work flow but why fix something if it is not broken? Exactly, there is nothing to fix until it breaks then get it working as fast as possible. Otherwise, it may cost you more than a broken sprocket, it could cost you a gear or the well oiled machine. You know you cannot have anything less than that.

Thanks,
David G. Guerra, M.B.A.

Do you agree or disagree with this list? Let me know either by
Twitter @daveguerra or by email [email protected] or both.