VigilantLeadershipASkillInShortSupply

1. Vigilant Leadership: A Skill In Short Supply

2.  Perfect Labor Storm Warnings

3.  Fall Webinar and CriteriaOne Certification Schedule

4. Free Generation IQ Test

5. Geeks, Geezers and Googlization

6.  Speaking Schedule

7.  The Perfect Labor Storm 2.0

8. Quotes from the Hire Authorities

"I've fallen and can't get up" takes on a whole new meaning these days when it comes to business leadership.

For example, General Motors hit a 54 year low in its stock price in early July. Just a few days later, IndyMac Bank became the largest bank failure in U.S. history. And who can forget Bear Stearns being "rescued" by JP Morgan Chase for less than 1/15th of its value earlier this year?

Could more vigilance from these companies' leaders have averted their organizations' demises? Could the worsening credit crisis been avoided if we had more vigilant leaders? Could GM and Ford still be the automotive leaders in the world had they seen what Toyota saw? Could the attacks of September 11 been avoided had leadership ignored what was being heard on the periphery?

To be fair, hindsight is always 20/20 in analyzing the aftermath. But why is it that some leader's foresight is as good a failed leader's hindsight? Why are some leaders so much better at averting impending catastrophes on a routine basis while others seem to find crisis after crisis like a heat-seeking missile finds its targets?

Profound new research seems to indicate the answer might lie in a leadership skill called vigilance: a skill oft-overlooked and a skill that is apparently in short supply given current events.

Vigilance ironically is a leadership skill valued most in its absence. When the going is good, leaders are praised for their brilliant operational excellence. But when the winds of fate shift, the lack of vigilance can be a career killer.

The words that no board or investor or business owner ever wants to hear are "we missed the boat." In a 2005 study examining why CEOs were fired, 23 percent were terminated for "denying reality." (Other reasons included 31% were seen as having mismanaged change. 28% ignored customers, and 27% tolerated low performers.)

Vigilance, described in a Spring 2008 MIT Sloan Management Review article, is a "heightened state of awareness, characterized by curiosity, alertness, and a willingness to act on inaccurate information." In other words, vigilant leaders are highly competent in observation, listening, dealing with ambiguity, and dealing with paradox. They have an innate sense of curiosity and imagination. What differentiates vigilant leaders is they can spot opportunities and threats before their rivals. They can sense and act on early warning signs of trouble earlier and spot the faintest glimpse of opportunity before anyone else.

In a world of increasing complexity and rapid change with new developments coming out of left field daily, vigilance is no longer a just nice-to-have skill. It's a must-have. As Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, says, "leaders need to ask: what is around the corner?"   And yet it seems that very few leaders are even slightly curious what is lurking outside of plain view.

One reason for this lack of vigilance among leaders is the strong focus on operational execution. Managers typically are promoted to leadership positions based on their ability to deliver results. But as operationally focused leaders, they are often blindsided by rapid change. In the same study about the competence of CEOs, only 23 percent were identified as curious and vigilant by their boards and managers. Like many people, they prefer the world of what they know more than exploring the uncomfortable world of what they can't see. Unfortunately business leaders in today's world who lack curiosity and the ability to make good decisions without every tid-bit of information is a catastrophe waiting to happen.

So what distinguishes the vigilant leaders from those striving for operational excellence. A vigilant leader has these four primary leadership traits:

In contrast, operationally focused leaders concentrate on the task at hand, engage in traditional strategic planning and budgeting, and a tunnel-like focus on execution. Operational leaders run like thoroughbreds, wearing blinders to keep them focuses on the track and the finish line.

Vigilant leaders take an outside-in approach to strategic planning. Instead of starting with growth targets and other financial performance measurements, they start with what-ifs and what's going on with the competition. Vigilant leaders have a habit of asking these questions -- 'What happened last month that is unusual, what surprised you?" Vigilant leaders don't wait for the once a year retreat to ask these questions but make them part of their weekly and monthly management meetings.

Vigilant leaders also slay organizational silos, a killer of all things called change. If communication gaps exist between departments or between management and employees, "noise" detected on the periphery of the business will be deemed irrelevant. Even worse, the information may just die a quiet death as it falls into the cavernous black hole that live and thrive in organizations. Analogous to the black holes in astrophysics, a lot of information often goes into these black hole departments and managers' heads - but not much comes out.

Vigilant leaders seek out diversity and different perspectives; operational leaders discard outliers. Vigilant leaders embrace uncertainty; operational leaders avoid it or attempt to control it. Vigilant leaders invite new ideas; operational leaders defend their positions. Vigilant leaders encourage questioning; operational leaders expect answers. Vigilant leaders look to other industries to see what's changing; they invite industry outsiders as consultants or to join their management team. Operational leaders look inward; they don't typically bring in, or accept, outsiders.

How do your leadership skills stack up? Are your managers looking in the rear view mirror or peeking around corners? Call us at 800.803.4303 or email us today to learn how to assess your current and high potential leaders for vigilant leadership.

With every improvement in technology, products that were once a staple and a source of revenues, profits and stability may suddenly become obsolete. What that means for employers and employees alike is that you don't want to blink because the world may just be passing you by. If you own and/or work in one of the following industries, you might want to think twice. Based on projections from the research firm IBISWorld, the following 10 industries are in danger of becoming extinct:

Purchase the NEW Perfect Labor Storm 2.0 books (soft and hard cover versions) at PerfectLaborStorm.com.

September 10, 4:00 PM - Screening Assessments: How to read Clues and SELECT
October 14, 10:00 AM - Selection Assessments: Basics of Prevue and ASSESS
November 12, 4:00 PM - Behavior and Values: Reading DISC and BVM

Dozens of different managerial approaches and working styles seem to be popping up about how to best manage generational clashpoints. At times these co-workers seem to be worlds apart in their attitudes and values. As a result, conflicts between the generations are distracting co-workers and diverting the attention of managers.

Where do you start to learn to how to manage the generation mix? Begin by testing your Generation IQ here.

We live in interesting times, indeed. Four generations are co-mingling in the workplace, each bringing with them different managerial approaches and working styles. Capitalizing on each generation's strengths is a must. Minimizing generational clash-points is a necessity. Finding common ground is critical. How do you keep Veteran workers, Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials all engaged, motivated, and on the job?

During this presentation, participants will learn from workforce management expert/author Ira S. Wolfe about workforce trends that are changing the way employers will do business followed by a lively and interactive discussion about the newest challenge facing managers: managing the four generations in the workplace.

Call 717-291-4640 or click here to schedule Ira S Wolfe for your 2008-2009 meetings and conferences

August 20 - Sunrise Breakfast, Hiring is not Kid's Play, Harrisburg PA Chamber of Commerce

August 22 - Goodwill Leadership Planning Retreat 2009 - "Perfect Labor Storm"

August 27 (Rescheduled)- Talent Challenge: Recruiting in a fast-changing world, Roanoke VA

September 8 - Electrical Generation Systems Association - "The Perfect Labor Storm"

September 25 - Human Resource Professionals of Central PA's Fall Conference, Perfect Labor Storm

View Table of Contents

Of every 10 workers in your organization now, three will retire over the next 10 years. Out of that same 10, three others are looking for new jobs even as you read this. And if you've hired younger "20-somethings," expect them to stay no longer than 18 months, on average, before moving on. What should you do?

Start by reading the Perfect Labor Storm 2.0. Workforce trends WILL change the way you do business!

"If I said it was raining, nobody would argue with me, even if it was sunny outside."

Kodak Chief Executive Antonio M. Perez on the difficulty of getting people to change.

Permission is granted to consultants, managers, business owners and HR professionals to reproduce content from this newsletter for your internal publications, or to distribute copies to your workforce, on the condition that you reproduce the credits and contact information as follows: "Reprinted with permission from Ira S Wolfe and Success Performance Solutions. Copyright 2008 Ira S Wolfe." We also hope you will forward the newsletter in its entirety and recommend to others that they subscribe.