Leading From The C-Suite: Doug Lennick of think2perform On Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective C-Suite Executive

An Interview With Doug Noll

Humility. I will say this about position power. Position power is seductive. Position power can be intoxicating. Position power can even be addictive. Having been a C-Suite executive of a major company, I can say that I was seduced a little bit by my position power. But I don‘t think I ever got intoxicated with it. When I think deeply I realize them is us and us is me. I am just one of the people trying to make the world a better place, and so are you.

As part of our series called “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective C-Suite Executive” we had the pleasure of interviewing Doug Lennick.

Doug Lennick, co-author of DON’T WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO FIX IT, is the founding CEO of think2perform, a high performance leadership development firm serving small and large organizations in a variety of industries. He has been in leadership roles for nearly 40 years and is widely recognized as an expert in the science of human behavior. You can learn more at: http://www.think2perform

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

That’s a fun question. Richard Leider, the best-selling author of Power of Purpose, who also wrote the foreword to my book DON’T WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO FIX IT, took me through a calling card exercise forty years ago. Using that exercise, I clarified that I had always been called to helping bring out the potential of other people. I came out of that with a purpose statement. My purpose is to help myself and others achieve our highest and greatest potential. Richard asked me when did I notice that about myself? I said as long as I can remember. That’s the back story.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

When I think of my career starting, I think of myself as a young entrepreneur at the age of twenty and twenty-one. The most interesting thing to me was my discovery of the role emotions play in my work life. I learned very early that to have the life I wanted, I would need to expand my emotional comfort zone. I would have to be able to exercise greater success and tolerate greater adversity. I’ve never forgotten that lesson.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

Mark Twain once said, “It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.” When I was six years old, maybe five, I stole a piece of candy from the local grocery store. My mom asked me where I got the money to pay for the candy that I was eating. I said I didn’t pay for it. She gave me a nickel and told me we’re going back into the store and you’re going to pay. I said “no.” She said “yes.” We went to the store. I already had physical courage when I was five, but I was scared to death. I needed moral courage.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on your leadership style? Can you share a story or an example of that?

The book is Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Before meeting Stephen in 1990, the year after his book was first published, I had already developed the alignment model that Chuck Wachendorfer and I refer to in DON’T WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO FIX IT. As Covey pointed out his first three habits of highly effective people were perfectly aligned with our alignment model. What I really got from Covey was how to use the first three habits in deploying the second three habits. From Covey, I became more aware of why and how to create win-win scenarios or not play at all. We try very hard at our company thinkg2perofrm to make sure that all parties win in any client relationship we have.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

I think what makes our company stand out is our realization that behaviors have brought us to where we are, and behaviors will take us to where we go. We are experts in the practical application of behavioral science. As for a story, this story is both about moral courage and the behavior that goes with it. We were once retained by a large company that had been fined hundreds of millions of dollars for misleading behaviors in their industry. They hired us to try and change that image, but they didn’t want to change their behavior. We fired the client.

You are a successful business leader. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Since you asked for three character traits, I will give you three. I also think of them as principles. A fourth would be Integrity, which I alluded to when I commented on moral courage and on what makes our company stand out.

1. Compassion for self and others. We like to say compassion is empathy in action. Recently I had the chance to witness a diverse group of young people in their late teens and early twenties, all of whom participated in the Future Leaders Academy sponsored by the think2perform Research Institute, progress through the program. Each future leader had a mentor for twelve months (most of those relationships will continue). Before spending a year with their mentor, each future leader attended one Saturday class per month for five months. The classroom facilitators and the mentors are all actively caring about the future leaders of our world. That is empathy in action. That is compassion. And I and many others were moved by the experience.
2. Responsibility. I am responsible for the choices I make, including the poor ones. I am responsible for serving others. I am responsible for admitting mistakes. I made one of my biggest career mistakes in my leadership role for an American Express business being built in the United Kingdom that in part reported to me. The team performed really well in many of the key performance indicators. That performance fueled my “confirmation bias,” which then spread to “excessive optimism” and “overconfidence.” Some of my conclusions and recommendations were wrong and did not produce the desired results. I was responsible, nonetheless. We learned a lot, but the business struggled. We sold the business.
3. Forgiveness. Forgiveness is about letting go of one’s own mistakes and the mistakes of others. Forgiveness is not about approval or giving up justice. Without forgiving ourselves and letting go of our past mistakes, we cannot reinvent ourselves. Without forgiving others in our organizations we cannot innovate. Here’s my personal example of self-forgiveness. Before going to Hazelden Betty Ford in late January 2021, I had spent the pandemic year consuming more and more alcohol. My family suffered. My wife most of all. Forgiving myself for how I behaved was difficult, and it required the other three character traits I discuss above.

Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader?

Yes At one point I needed to name a new leader for the financial advisor group at what is now Ameriprise Financial. We were then American Express Financial Advisors. I had a very difficult choice. I had a very strong candidate who was a member of my senior management team and reported directly to me. I also had a very strong candidate named Brian, who was not a member of the senior management team, but was an extraordinary leader in Texas, the territory that he was responsible for. I chose Brian, leapfrogging him over people who had positions senior to him. That turned out to be a great decision, because Brian was terrific in his role. It’s possible that the other person would have been great also, but we do know that Brian was.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers-in fact, most people-think they have a pretty good idea of what a C-Suite executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what a C-Level executive does that is different from the responsibilities of other leaders?

One of the themes throughout this interview has been effectiveness. In my mind, an effective C-Suite executive is responsible for creating a best-efforts culture. Underline the words effective and responsible.

What are the “Myths” that you would like to dispel about being a C-Suite executive? Can you explain what you mean?

This is another fun question. The myth, often spread by the C-Suite executives themselves, is that they are smarter than the people not in the C-Suite. Fortunately, I had the advantage of being the least well-educated and almost certainly not the smartest on my own team let alone in the C-Suite itself.

What are the most common leadership mistakes you have seen C-Suite leaders make when they start leading a new team? What can be done to avoid those errors?

The most common mistake is not taking the time to assess the readiness levels of team members to do their key tasks or to lead people. That mistake results in either over leading or underleading. The way to avoid those errors is to use a diagnostic tool. We use Situational Leadership and Situational Leadership II in our work. We also have a modified version we use called Everyday Leadership. The way to avoid this mistake is to use those tools.

In your experience, which aspect of running a company tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?

Yes. Effective communications. Underline effective and underline communications. This is true for big and small companies. I have run both. It should be noted that effective communication is a function of both someone attempting to send a message and someone receiving that message. Both parties. There is a sender and there is a receiver. If the receiver is not receiving the intention of the communications, then the communication is not effective.

Although I have examples in our own company, think2perform. For the benefit of our readers I will use a big company example. Once again this is back in my days at Ameriprise Financial Advisors. I was responsible for all retail distribution. Given the proven value we had demonstrated for clients who engaged in a personal relationship with an advisor, we had to next figure out how to get the online business and the advisors business working effectively together. Advisors were being asked to contact and provide services for clients who were acquired online and for which they were receiving no compensation. Communicating that, what seemed like volunteer work, was actually in everybody’s best interest was not easy, but we were ultimately effective.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective C-Suite Executive?

1. Belief. In people. In possibilities. In yourself. Let me give you an example that includes all three. Some of us at think2perform have a financial interest in the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. It’s the largest dinner theatre in the United States and the largest restaurant in the state of Minnesota. When we bought the theatre, my fellow think2perform colleague Jim Jensen and I addressed our employees. They were aware that the theatre was close to closing and 300 jobs would be lost. Jim and I shared our philosophy, in this order — people, service, profitability. That was nearly fourteen years ago. The theatre spent a couple years digging out of a hole, while continuing to believe in and investing in people. Our people provide an exceptional experience for our guests. And that has led us to profitability.
2. Moral intelligence and moral competence. Moral intelligence is knowing right from wrong, while moral competence is doing what is right. I myself have been morally intelligent and morally incompetent in the same moment. I remember witnessing a senior executive verbally abusing a junior person on his team. I knew what he was doing was wrong and I did nothing.
3. Emotional intelligence and emotional competence. It is important for me to recognize that emotions are a form of intelligence, but they are not cognitive. Emotions are telling me something. They have a tendency to get me into action fast. Most of the time, it is in my best interest to “e-think-motion.”
4. A growing mind. One of the great lessons my father has passed on to me is that knowing is the enemy of learning. Sometimes I accept the truth of that and sometimes I insist I know something.
5. Humility. I will say this about position power. Position power is seductive. Position power can be intoxicating. Position power can even be addictive. Having been a C-Suite executive of a major company, I can say that I was seduced a little bit by my position power. But I don‘t think I ever got intoxicated with it. When I think deeply I realize them is us and us is me. I am just one of the people trying to make the world a better place, and so are you.

In your opinion, what are a few ways that executives can help to create a fantastic work culture? Can you share a story or an example?

The simplest way, which may not be the easiest, is to get to know your people. When I was responsible for the advisors of American Express Financial Advisors, I would meet with each new class of new in training advisors early morning at a training facility we had built in Chaska. The new advisors were spending up to 10 days in Chaska. I spent 90 minutes with them. I knew everybody who worked at our facility. A beautiful world-class training facility on a lake. A 4 or 5 star restaurant a gym and walking trails. I knew the maintenance people I knew the people who checked advisors and guests into the hotel. Know the people. When I traveled around the country, I would study the names of the people I would be seeing when I arrived at my destination. I would put faces to their names whenever I could. Know the people.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 😊

I hatched this idea awhile ago and mentioned it to the people in our company. The movement is called Practivism. Practivism is the practical way one can spread wisdom throughout the world. Wisdom is really the intersection of insight and judgement. I would like everyone reading this to join me as an active practifist.

How can our readers further follow you online?

People can follow me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglennick. Or visit our website at https://www.think2perform.com/.

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.