‘Rock Hard Abs’ & The Leadership Resolution

A few years ago I was sitting in yet another leadership development class with my fellow executive team members (re)learning the attributes of good leadership, why it was important and behaviors we had to embrace to become better at our craft.

The facilitator — let’s call him Gary — was working through his polished routine. The group was dividing into the usual two camps; those who were 1) being self reflective and choosing to learn a few things, and 2) the naysayers who were pointing out why the material was idealistic and didn’t apply to their somehow ‘unique’ circumstances. It was 11 am and the naysayers were gaining some momentum with their animated resistance:

“I have too many direct reports, I don’t have time for this much communication.”

“Things change so fast around here how can I possibly set goals?”

“We tried that!”

“We’re too bureaucratic with too many layers.”

Being one of those highly skilled facilitator types, Gary saw the runaway train and gave a look to me as the head of HR as if to say — Don’t worry, I’ve got this. Acknowledging the naysayers with a nod, he asked everyone to close their laptops while sitting down on a table. Looking very thoughtful he began to tell a story.

Gary recounted a recent experience about being at an airport newsstand. On the left, he vividly remembered seeing the fitness magazine section. Looking back at him were smiling cover models selling their latest ‘get rock hard abs fast’ exercise routine. Sheepishly he thought to himself that he’d better lighten up on the hotel food since he wanted to lose a few pounds before the holidays. On the right, was the business reading section. Looking back at him were smiling ‘experts’ listing their version of the latest top traits of successful leaders. Recognition was the topic that caught his eye and he made a mental note to say thanks to his admin for getting him home on an earlier flight. Looking at his watch he realized he was late for his flight and ran to the gate.

Up in the air with nothing to read, Gary’s mind wandered while he retraced his day. As is the case when minds wander, he began to connect some dots and had an epiphany. Filled with dramatic pauses, he steered the group through a conversation that led to a seemingly absurd question:

What do rock hard abs and leadership have in common?

The naysayers gave up quickly. The self-reflective faction lasted a bit longer. But eventually Gary shared his leadership epiphany gleaned from the airport magazine rack: There’s an inconvenient truth linking the multi billion dollar fitness and leadership skill development industries. Behind the quick fix promises and new-and-improved tips, the key to rock hard abs or great leadership was actually the same:

YOU HAVE TO WANT IT.

As a CHRO, coach, consultant and #MakeManagersAwesome software entrepreneur, I’ve adopted this metaphor when overcoming resistance to the core leadership loops of setting the vision/strategy and then aligning them with goal setting, feedback and performance coaching mechanisms. When challenged, no one ever believes that going to the gym once a year will result in any meaningful results. So why do we continue to believe that taking 6 months to set goals or filling out a performance review form once a year will achieve greatness? Does it get better if we go the gym once a quarter? Of course not. It requires a shift. It requires a commitment to a continuous routine. There is no ‘get rock hard abs’ shortcut.

The excuses to avoid the routine to a better you are eerily familiar aren’t they? It takes too much time. I need a trainer. I don’t have the right equipment. I tried it and it didn’t work. I don’t have enough resources to pay for it. Others aren’t going either. Is there a faster way? I don’t know where to begin? It’s simple and it begins with your own epiphany: You. Have. To. Want. It.

Seeing a Bowflex ad the other day while scanning my LinkedIn feed filled with the latest ‘be a great leader fast’ management listicle — I was reminded that it is the time of year where once again we make resolutions. Lose a few pounds. See friends more often. Call our parents. There’s a long list of things we have let slide.

I’d like to suggest that we don’t let our leadership selves slide in 2018. We should all make the leadership fitness resolution and choose to adopt a better routine. No more waiting for corporate to ‘do’ something. No more blaming hierarchies and structures for communication problems. No more I don’t have time. No more ‘annual’ review forms are good enough.The road to getting into leadership shape isn’t fast or easy. But it can yield results if you are focused, committed and really get involved.

What’s a good solid routine? Make the jump to a continuous planning, feedback and performance coaching mindset and demand the same from your leadership peers. If necessary, lead the charge and find your own tools and define your own cadences. But stop settling for once a year planning and reviews. Make the 2018 leadership fitness resolution and focus your time, talent and energy on aligning your people around the answers to the following:

• Do my people know what they need to do?
• Do they know why it needs to be done?
• Do they know how it needs to be achieved?
• Do they know their role and who to work with or keep informed?
• Do they know when it needs to be done?
• Do they know where to go to get answers to the above whenever they need it?
• And most importantly, do they know what part of their personal game they need to improve to learn and grow? And how are you going to help them do that through feedback?

If you’re struggling to think about how to frame these questions and answers, try using this model adapted from the Pyramid of Clarity to shape your thinking around longer term goals and shorter term projects.

The answers to these questions are probably found in a mix of spreadsheets, presentations, e-mails, text messages, notebooks, Slack messages and your memory. Yes. It takes time to sort this into something cohesive that people can follow. Yes it takes discipline to get into a routine of continuously updating the narrative around a dynamic multi-layer plan of record. No. It’s not easy and there’s always a reason to wait until tomorrow. You have to want it.

Until your team, your division or your organization as a whole can answer these simple leadership questions, there’s work to be done to get your leadership routine into shape. You’ll have more fun, be a better coach for others, spend less time in meetings figuring out what’s going on, be more personally engaged and perform at levels never seen before. And if you want it bad enough, that’s something worth resolving to do better in 2018.

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Derek Sidebottom is the Chief People Officer of LendingHome and the President & Co-Founder of Squadley, a next generation workforce success platform.

Squadley’s #MakeManagersAwesome mission integrates planning, engagement feedback and performance coaching into one platform. For progressive leaders looking to make the Leadership Fitness Resolution, team sign up can be completed at https://www.squadley.com/ in less than 10 minutes. For organizations looking to move to continuous planning and feedback, Squadley enterprise deployment is fast and simple. Make the Leadership Fitness Resolution in 2018 and ask for your demo at info@squadley.com.