Leading Effectively Series
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Rick Neuheisel, UCLA football coach, is on a roll this year. His team is 3-0 (including a defeat of my beloved Tennessee Vols which I am still trying to get over).
 Despite his team beating the Vols, one of the things I like about him, he coined one of the best terms used on the Dan Patrick Show ever – “Passion Bucket.” He said during an interview with Dan Patrick a couple of years ago, when talking about how to defeat UCLA’s main rival, the USC Trojans, “When you’re at UCLA, you have to have your passion bucket full.” Lots of people have since used the term “Passion Bucket” on radio or television or in interviews, like Kobe Bryant, Bob Costas, Tim McCarver, and Kevin Love.
I love the term “Passion Bucket” and have tried to drop the term in conversation when I can. What “Passion Bucket” really means to me, it is a way to measure your enjoyment of life, a way to measure if you are living life to its fullest, a measurement of your energy and enthusiasm and motivation, a measurement of whether you are able to give everything you have, a measurement of how much you love and enjoy yourself and who you are.
 Sometimes your “Passion Bucket” may be overflowing; sometimes it may be empty. Leaders need to pay particular attention to the latter. When your “Passion Bucket” is empty, you won’t get work done; you won’t be a good leader, a good worker; you won’t be a good friend; you won’t be a good husband, wife, father, mother, son or daughter.
What can leaders do when their “Passion Bucket” is low, or empty? I recently had to think about this myself when there was nothing left in my own “Passion Bucket.” That was a rough time; work and non-work stuff was just awful, full of frustration and rejection, trying as hard as you can and nothing good coming as a result, not getting any breaks, a lot of hurt. As you can guess, I could not get work done, I didn’t enjoy life, I forgot what the good things were that made me who I was and made me unique. I was lost. That is a horrible place to be.
How did I start to refill my “Passion Bucket?”
I talked a lot to those closest to me and they listened to my frustrations. I also did the stuff that made me happy. I ran more miles. I played more golf. I listened and played more music. I went to Home Depot and bought all the yellow flowers I could find and planted them. I also really and truly thought about what were the things that made me who I was, the things that made me the individual that I love and that the people in my inner circle loved about me. I just didn’t give lip service to it, I really thought about those things. My inner circle of people also helped me with that as well.
Only you really know how to fill your own “Passion Bucket.” At work, maybe it’s concentrating more on the people you lead and less on the tasks of work (or vice versa). Away from work, maybe it’s journaling or writing. Maybe it’s hiking, or going on vacation. Maybe it’s scrapbooking or throwing a huge party with friends and family. Maybe it’s meditating or getting involved in the community or with certain religious activities. Maybe it’s spending just a bit more time with your spouse or kids. Seeking the advice of a professional counselor can also be invaluable.
 So, if your “Passion Bucket” is empty, allow yourself to take the time to figure out how to fill it back up.
Work, events, even people that you think are close to you can drain your “Passion Bucket” but ultimately, time and only you and those who are truly close to you can help refill your “Passion Bucket” to where you want it.
A full “Passion Bucket” is worth its weight to you at work and away from work, so don’t neglect it.
Tiger Woods may not have won a major this year, but he won the Fed Ex Cup, the Super Bowl of the PGA Tour. We tend to forget that this feat is accomplished a little over a year after knee surgery. We tend to forget that while he didn’t win any majors, he did win a PGA-tour best six times this year. We tend to forget that his son was born earlier this year, thus adding exponentially (as only the addition of a family member can) to his commitment off the course. Not forgotten by Tiger, however, is the totality of a year of consistency… proud of the victories, and very eager for more.
What the media and general populous tended to remember this year was Phil Mickelson. Mickelson only won three times on the course this year, not usually a cause for extensive media coverage even with a win on Sunday at the Tour Championship. But it was the battle with breast cancer that his wife and mother had off the course that we tended to not forget.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 192,370 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year. To have not one, but two of those diagnoses strike immediate family members is not just a statistical anomaly, it is devastating. To be able to go about one’s work while supporting your family members is remarkable. To then succeed in your work and produce excellent results is unforgettable.
Today, there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States; 2.5 million unforgettable wins. For some, they have “won” against multiple diagnoses. Others, like Amy and Mary Mickelson are still on the course and still battling for a win. Most are not the wife or mother of a celebrity, but the wives, mothers, daughters, and friends of people we know or work with… or of ourselves.
As we embark on National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, let us take a moment to cheer these unforgettable wins and continue to cheer and encourage those still on the course. All wins should be treasured, but there are some that are valued more than others and are truly unforgettable.
 So, it's college football season again. I was watching ESPN one weekend morning, and Lou Holtz was being interviewed. I know of Lou Holtz from being a famous and successful football coach at the University of Notre Dame (where he won a national championship) and the University of South Carolina. Before that, he was also a successful football coach at Minnesota, Arkansas, NC State, William & Mary, and even coached professionally for the New York Jets.
When I was watching television that morning, he was being interviewed because he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. It really struck me as to what he said – it was very refreshing. He said he was thankful for his wife, thankful for his family, the athletic directors who hired him, the coaches who coached with him, the players who played for him, because without all of those people, none of his successes would have been possible.
 Even though so many of us are working nonstop just to survive, I encourage you to take a few moments and think about those who helped you get to where you are today, who helped you be successful, and why. If they are still alive, let them know. Your family, your spouse, your kids, your coworkers, your friends. Get in touch with that high school teacher or college professor who had an impact on your life and thank them. If they aren’t alive anymore, take a moment to think about them. Because without any of these people, deep down inside you know, you would not be where you are today.
If you feel inclined, leave a comment about who you are thankful for. Maybe people will be inspired by who inspired you.
And, by the way, Lou Holtz is also known for his motivational speeches and pep talks both as a football coach, and on television for ESPN and College Gameday, like this one, probably the coolest ever.
When Tom Watson beat Jack Nicklaus in the "Duel in the Sun" at Turnberry in the 1977 British Open, the oldest of golf’s four major championships, my Mom was in her second trimester with me.
32 years later, 2 months shy of his 60th birthday, Watson almost won the British Open again, but fell short in a playoff this past Sunday to Stewart Cink.
Greg Norman was my favorite golfer growing up, but I also liked Tom Watson a lot. Watson was a gentleman on and off the course, knowledgeable of the game and respectful of its history and traditions, and was, and still is, a great golfer. I heard Watson interviewed on Saturday, when he held the lead with 18 holes to go. Two things jumped out at me during that interview that I thought could be helpful to leaders, whether they play golf or not.
1) Have a gameplan – Watson was asked how he was handling being almost 60 years old and leading a major. Watson said that for the entire week, he had a gameplan, and he was sticking to his gameplan. Leaders need to have a gameplan, a vision, a mission, strategy, purpose statement, some sort of plan for their own development, for leading others, or for leading their organization. Take the time to think about it. Then document it, make it real, tangible. Don’t just think about it and keep it in your head, document it, write it out, make it real.
2) Believe that you are meant to be in a position of greatness – Watson had great practice rounds that week, he won majors before, he loved the course, he felt his game was in great shape, he thought that he still could win at almost 60, and that he was meant to be there. Leaders need to feel the same; whatever the situation, leaders need to feel like they are meant to be there. If leaders are in good situations, they need to feel they are meant to lead through the good times and push themselves, others, and the organizations forward toward even more prosperous times. If leaders are in not-so-good situations, leaders also need to feel they are meant to be there, that they have the ability, motivation, drive, skills, and all the essential qualities to get themselves, others, and the organization out of the tough time back on solid ground. Many times we shy away from situations. Watson did not.
It would have been a great story to see Tom Watson win another major. Some storybook endings actually happen in life, this one didn’t. But, there is always a lesson to be learned in any story. I hope leaders learn from Tom Watson’s loss to Stewart Cink: Have a gameplan and believe you are meant to be in a position of greatness.
 My favorite hockey player, Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche, retired last week after an illustrious 20-year career as not only a great hockey player, but a great captain and leader. The “face of our franchise for the past two decades” is how the President of the Avalanche organization described him. His teammates, fans, and management were in tears of appreciation and adoration at his press conference. This is truly a valued leader to that organization.
This led me to ponder retirement from the view of those in the talent pipeline. How do people within an organization react where their respected and esteemed leader decides to retire, especially when that leader is the face of the company, the brand, the franchise?
There are many who mourn the loss of the leader and wonder how life will go on after they leave. As a Green Bay Packer fan, we are still wondering about life after Brett Favre, even after his successor has been on the job and functioning quite well for more than a year. GE stockholders wondered who would ever live up to the reputation and legacy of their beloved Jack Welch. Anne Mulcahy retired a couple of weeks ago after leading Xerox in a multi-billion dollar and substantial brand image turn-around the past nine years (in addition to being an icon for demonstrating how to effectively break the glass ceiling).
But what about those in the pipe ready to start demonstrating their legacy? Aaron Rogers held a clipboard for three years waiting to show that he was worthy to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Jeffrey Immelt held and demonstrated excellence in numerous global leadership positions for almost 20 years before being given the CEO reins. Ursula Burns, I imagine, is eager to demonstrate that she can be the role model for African-American female leaders and as exemplary a CEO as Anne Mulcahy.
In succession management, we often talk about what does a person needs to get to the next “level” without acknowledging that a key criterion is the level needs to be open. The person above you needs to leave, whether by their own promotion, a lateral move, or retirement. So if you are the Aaron, Jeffrey, or Ursula of your organization, is it okay to be happy for the opportunity to shine? The chance to assume the next level (whatever that level may be for you)?
Let me know your thoughts. In the interim, I’ll be seeing how Matt Duchene (the Avalanche’s First round pick this year) does in training camp; excited that they have such outstanding talent on the team yet getting a bit misty eyed as they retire the “19” jersey on opening night this year.
Tom Glavine was recently released by baseball's Atlanta Braves. A little background on Tom Glavine - He has won over 300 games as a pitcher (a watershed statistic for pitching greatness), two Cy Young awards (an award handed out to the best pitcher in the league), 10 times an all-star, and 1995 World Series MVP of Atlanta’s only world series in win in the 1990s. More than likely, he’s headed to the Hall of Fame.
 Glavine had been with the Braves since being drafted in 1987. He left the Braves to sign a more lucrative contract with the rival New York Mets club in 2003. He re-signed with the Braves in 2008, pitched a few games, but hurt his throwing arm that year. He had surgery, and had been rehabbing since, hoping to return to the Braves in 2009. I read last week that his rehab start with the Braves minor league Single-A team in Rome Georgia went well. That same day when I went home, I was watching the MLB network and saw that the Braves released Tom Glavine. I was shocked.
Many have speculated why the Braves released Glavine, a veteran pitcher with a proven track record and lots of nostalgia attached to him of glory days of the past. Some have thought that the Braves wanted to get out of paying a $1 million bonus if Glavine pitched in the major leagues. Others thought that Glavine’s pitches were just not acceptable for major league pitching and that he just didn’t have what it took to pitch in the majors anymore. Some (and I put myself in this group) see that the Braves are just trying to move on, and use their high potential, youthful (and much cheaper) pitchers and start with them. They need “on-the-job experience” and no more training in the minors. It is probably no coincidence that if Glavine came to pitch in the major leagues, there would be no spot available for star phenom Tommy Hanson to move up from the minor leagues to the major leagues. It would cost more money to put Glavine in the majors and keep Hanson in the minors, and would somewhat slow down Hanson’s development into the star pitcher the Braves (and everyone else in major league baseball circles) thinks he will become.
My friends asked me how I felt about this, as they know I am a Braves apologist and an Atlanta Braves homer. What I told them: Loyalty always takes a back seat to youth and/or money. Back in 2003, Glavine left his loyalties behind and signed with the arch-rival New York Mets for more money. This year, the Braves left their loyalties behind to try and save up some money, and help the progress of their future by cutting ties with a player synonymous with the success of a decade ago, and promoting someone younger for success in the future.
Leaders sometimes have to face this same decision. They have to choose between loyalty of their people and cutting costs in dealing with the problems in their own organization. On a more personal level, sometimes they have to choose between staying loyal to their present company and the opportunity to make more money at another company. Glavine was an integral part of both scenarios during his career. The final outcomes of both have not been pretty for either side. Personal feelings aside, one can see that it boils down to “it’s just business.” Sad, but true commentary.
 Manny Ramirez, outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers , just got suspended for 50 games from major league baseball for violating their performance-enhancing drug policy. He is a good segue into something I’ve wanted to write about for a while, and now I’m taking advantage of Manny being in the news. I knew “Manny being Manny” would happen sooner or later…
Manny has been infamous for being sort of like a “prima donna” on the baseball field, and being the center of media attention. The way he acts is what many people have affectionately called “Manny being Manny.” For instance, while playing for the Boston Red Sox, he took a bathroom break during a pitching change by going into Fenway Park’s famed “Green Monster” wall (he’s coming out of it in the picture). He has been known to be lackadaisical in the field, and as a baserunner. But can he ever hit. So what does “Manny being Manny” have to do with research on leaders emerging out of leaderless groups?
I, along with researchers from Ohio State and the University of Georgia recently had a study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin examining what type of person emerges as a leader from group interactions where there was no assigned leader present. We consistently found that across 3 separate studies using various experimental designs, the person out of the leaderless group who tended to emerge as a leader was a narcissist – a “dark side” personality trait, they are defined as people who have positive and inflated views of themselves with a lack of warmth and intimacy in interpersonal relationships. There are two factors that we specifically examined that is part of narcissism, an exhibitionism factor (the wanting to be the center of attention – think about “Manny being Manny”) and a power factor (wanting power – think about Machiavelli and “The Prince”). Which was the more important narcissistic factor in leadership emergence? Those who wanted power.
 So, it seems that narcissists emerge out of groups with no leader. And, it’s not because they want to be the center of attention (it’s not “Manny being Manny”), it’s that they crave and want power (sort of like “The Prince” from Machiavelli).
Think of the implications from that piece of research. As we concluded in our paper, the same characteristic that facilitates an individual’s emergence as a leader may also be the characteristic that makes a destructive leader. Checks and balances in these leaderless groups are crucial.
Knowing that piece of research, what other implications can that have in your organization, or the way you lead?
After an 8-iron to inches and a tap-in birdie, Kenny Perry had a 2-shot lead in the Masters with 2 holes to play. Minutes later, he lost a stroke on each hole and fell back to a tie after regulation, went to a sudden-death playoff, and lost on the 2nd playoff hole to Angel Cabrera. Arguably the biggest tournament in golf, Perry lost in a playoff.
Was this a classic choke-job on the golf course, or a triumph? It really depends on what your goals are.
A year ago, Kenny Perry’s main goal, his only goal, was to make the 2008 Ryder Cup team, which was played in his home state of Kentucky. To qualify for the team, he had to concentrate more on his game, put every effort into winning a few tournaments or finishing high in the money. He fulfilled his dream of making the team, played well, and led the US to victory. I found a quote of Perry’s in late 2008 that read:
“[T]he Ryder Cup to me was a dream. It wasn't really attainable, either, but I achieved it. I just proved to myself that I need to set more goals. I'm not a real goal-oriented person, never have been. When I wrote that goal down to make the Ryder Cup team on Jan. 1 [2008]… it came true.”
At the Masters, he reiterated that the Ryder Cup was his biggest goal, his biggest accomplishment of his career, and any major championship would be icing on the cake.
Two points you as a leader should take away from Kenny Perry:
1) Leaders need to be goal oriented.This is what CCL teaches in our programs, it’s one of the pillars of development. Leaders must set difficult, yet attainable goals. Leaders must write their goals down so they can see them and be reminded of them continuously.
2) Have short, medium, and long-term goals, and even longer-term goals. Kenny Perry definitely had a goal in mind: to make the Ryder Cup team. It was difficult, yet attainable. It was written down. But, when he achieved that goal, what was next? Many times, leaders set goals they think will never be accomplished, but they happen. Then what? A let-down may occur. Instability, confusion, resting on laurels, all of those things can happen. Leaders will become ill-prepared for the next major hurdle or next major opportunity if they don’t have another goal past the one that was a long-shot. Goal-oriented leaders, those best prepared, will have a much more forward- or future-thinking orientation, and have a goal to accomplish even when the most difficult, long-term goal is attained, so they can continue to strive towards excellence. Leaders must have other goals just in case they actually accomplish their life-long dream so they won’t get stale from a developmental standpoint.
In a sense, some would call falling short of winning the Masters a choke, but others would call it a triumph. It really depends on how you view goals. I was pulling for Perry on Sunday, I liked the storyline. He’s 48, would have become the oldest player ever to win a major. Watching him on television Sunday, his age, and nerves, started to show on those last 2 holes. After defeat, I wondered whether he was truly happy just in almost winning a major because in reality, his goal was already achieved last year. Or, if just making the Ryder Cup team and not having that longer-term goal set him up for short-term success but long-term ill-preparedness?
The NFL's Denver Broncos are in a perilous state right now. They fired head coach Mike Shanahan December of 2008. Shanahan coached the Broncos since 1995, led the team to over 125 victories and two super bowl victories. His replacement? A 32-year-old rookie coach, Josh McDaniels.
Coming from the New England Patriots, McDaniels was well-groomed for a head coaching job – he was the quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator. There is a growing trend in the NFL to hire younger people for head coaching jobs – this is not unlike what is going on in organizations today, or even in politics. Younger people are starting to get high-profile jobs.
So, what does McDaniels do when he first gets to Denver? He tries a trade with his old team for Matt Cassel, an up-and-coming high potential star QB who started for injured superstar QB Tom Brady last season. As he was the offensive coordinator and QB coach of the Patriots, McDaniels knew the talent Cassel had and wanted to bring him to Denver. There’s one problem...the Broncos already had an up-and-coming high potential star, pro-bowl QB Jay Cutler.
Of course, this trade rumor leaks out, and Cutler feels hurt, his ego bruised, and now holds a grudge against his team. There is now a lack of trust between the young star player, and the young coach and Broncos organization. Cutler demands to be traded. So, what does McDaniels do then? He undeniably says Cutler is the Broncos’ QB, and says repeatedly that he has text messaged Cutler, and Cutler has not returned any of his text messages.
Text messaged? Granted, text messaging is probably what Gen Xers and Millenials do to communicate. And, they are not in the same city to talk about this issue. But, if you as a manager had a conflict with one of your coworkers, would you want to text message that person and wait for his or her reply? Or, if you and your boss had a conflict, would you want to receive a text message from your boss as a way to deal with it?
CCL’s Kerry Bunker along with others wrote a 2002 Harvard Business Review articlecalled “The Young and The Clueless” where the article talks about a young, high-potential employee who was labeled as brilliant, strategic, energetic, and motivated (like McDaniels). Those qualities helped the young manager rise fast (like McDaniels). But, the young manager was too ambitious and had a lack of people skills, and eventually derailed (like the path McDaniels is going down).
Perhaps McDaniels is too young, too ambitious to be an NFL coach. Maybe he wasn’t thinking about the repercussions of what a trade rumor would do to the Broncos or his star Cutler. Moreover, what was he thinking about handling a conflict via a text message? The inability to handle conflict is part of “Difficulty Leading a Team” which CCL has found to be one of the five behaviors of derailed managers. If McDaniels doesn’t get this resolved the right way, his career may have already derailed before coaching his first NFL game.
Would you have text messaged your coworker if you were dealing with a conflict? Would you want to have a text message sent to you? Or, would you have been more proactive, and want to deal with the conflict directly, face-to-face perhaps, in a safe environment? What would you have done?
When Terrell Owens was cut by the Dallas Cowboys last week, it mildly surprise me - granted, it was 6AM, I was half-asleep, and that’s the news I awoke to from Mike and Mike on ESPN2. After I wiped the sleep from my eyes, and really thought about it, was it really a surprise?
A little background – Terrell Owens, or “T.O.” went to college in my hometown, at UT-Chattanooga. Since being drafted in 1996, he has become the best wide receiver in the league…in terms of statistics. He trails only Jerry Rice in touchdowns on the all-time NFL list for receivers. He has the record for most pass receptions in a game. No question, on the field, T.O. is one of the best wide receivers ever.
He was initially drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, and made an unbelievable touchdown catch from Steve Young in the 1997 playoffs. His star was on the rise. Then, his “toxic leadership” started to show. He publicly belittled and degraded his then quarterback Jeff Garcia and feuded with his coach Steve Mariucci. In 2004, T.O. had enough of San Francisco, and left when he became a free agent.
T.O. then signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and was immediately embraced by the team and city and became a top NFL player. He even came back from a broken leg suffered shortly before the playoffs and ended up playing weeks later in the Super Bowl. He shined in that game despite the team’s loss to the New England Patriots. Then, his “toxic leadership” started to show. He publicly belittled and degraded his then quarterback, Donovan McNabb. T.O. also wanted more money, so through his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, threatened to “hold out” and not report to training camp. He came back to the team, only to start complaining again about Donovan McNabb and the entire Philadelphia Eagles management. In 2006, the Eagles had enough. They deactivated T.O. from the roster in the middle of the season. At the end of the season they released T.O.
T.O. then signed with the Dallas Cowboys and was immediately embraced by the team and city and continued his superior play on the field. Then, his “toxic leadership” started to show. At one time, he cried over his quarterback Tony Romo when the media criticized Romo, but the next year, publicly criticized Romo himself for not throwing him the ball enough. T.O. thought Romo and another offensive player, Jason Witten, were drawing up plays without him. T.O. kept criticizing Cowboys teammates and management, in particular, his offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. On March 4, 2009, the Cowboys had enough and released T.O.
What should you take away from this? Talent is talent and can help your team or organization in the short term. No doubt, everyone wants the best talent. But, if that talent has a continual history of not being able to work well with people; of making people feel uncomfortable; of degrading others; of demoralizing or belittling others; of bad-mouthing projects, people, management, the organization; of spreading rumors; of talking behind peoples’ backs; of believing that life is unfair; of having a sour demeanor all the time; of complaining all the time about anything and everything; of feeling that everyone is against him/her; of having an inflated ego; of thinking he/she knows everything; of immaturity; of looking out only for him/herself over the best interests of the team or organization – no amount of talent can overcome that amount of toxicity.
With all of his statistics, this particular one stands out for me – 13 years in the league, T.O. has been a part of ZERO Super Bowl championships. People with less talent and far less toxicity have been more effective in helping their team win championships (see wide receiver Hines Wardof the Pittsburgh Steelers for instance).
Looking back, I am not that surprised T.O. was let go by the Cowboys last week, nor should you, knowing what you now know. Toxicity trumps talent. But, what do you think came to me as more of a surprise than hearing T.O. was let go by the Cowboys? The Buffalo Bills picked up T.O. less than a week later.
If once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend, what’s four times?
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