Greetings A few weeks ago, Nancy and I attended the fourth annual meeting of the World Health Care Congress that was sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and held in Washington DC. The meeting drew leaders from around the world and the four-day conference consisted of very well known speakers from industries of world wide importance. Some were from the health care industry. Many were from globally significant hardware, software, and insurance companies. From the beginning, it was clear that these speakers had all done some serious thinking about health care systems. However, Nancy and I were rather disappointed in the recommendations that they made. To our mind, too few of them spent much time experiencing the daily hassles and imperfections that the various health care systems bring to all of us. The result was theoretical economic models for health care that were out-of-touch. As leaders they should have done more listening! In spite of this general observation, there were several compelling speakers who stood out for their depth of thought, commitment and intimate contact with both the realities of health care issues and the people these realities impact. The best example was the conference's keynote speaker, 2006 Nobel Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. While he provided his presentation via videotape, due to some last minute schedule changes because he is running for Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Yunus had the audience spellbound. You see, Professor Mohammed Yunus is what Creative Energy Options (CEO) defines as a Total Leader. As a Visionary, he dared to do things differently by going outside his country's tight class-conscious bureaucracy. As an Explorer he sailed uncharted waters and learned that his poverty-stricken country could become self sufficient by starting small businesses with very small loans (not more that $27). As an Integrator, he started the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and helped the poor (mostly women) start small businesses (very small, as in selling a few bananas by the road side). The repayment rate was astounding (99 percent!) and along the way he realized that the main reason most of the one percent who did not repay the loans was because they were sick or had died. As a Realizer, he decided to implement a change that ultimately integrated good health practices within the country's culture... Quite an undertaking except for Yunus! By making the adherence to basic rules of cleanliness and sanitation a requirement for obtaining a loan, Yunus not only single-handedly changed the economic health of his country, his realized vision also changed the physical health of his nation. All because he had a dream that required the ability to see things differently. As a Total Leader, Professor Mohammed makes the world a better place to live.
Einstein - His Life and Universeby Walter Isaacson (Simon and Schuster, 2007)
Notes and Observations about the book By George Pennebaker I am reading this fascinating book.
We all know a bit about Albert Einstein and his famous accomplishments. From the beginning, this book has much more to learn about this fascinating human being--insights about the man-who he was-what drove him-and about his depth of understanding of the world around him. Einstein sought new answers to old questions. He found these new answers by challenging authority, thinking in new ways, devising mathematical equations that expressed his new vision of a phenomenon.  The book is rich with quotations. Quotations that demonstrate Einstein's ability to express the essence of a subject-often with a word picture that you immediately understand. For example, "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." (Albert Einstein, in a letter to his son Eduard, February 5, 1930.) Since this book is a biography, there are sections with a lot of detail of his life and other sections that explain his breakthrough thinking about the universe. If you have always thought that you should try to understand E=mc2 here is your opportunity! Einstein was a leader. As a child, he would visibly rehearse sentences before he said them out loud. He seemed to be making sure that what he was about to say was what he wanted to say. There are hundreds of quotations attributed to Einstein and every one of them is concise, well thought out, and insightful. In other words, he thought before he spoke. I have known other individuals who exhibited this same characteristic. They think things through before saying something. They listen to a discussion before saying anything. And when they talk, others listen intently to their words of wisdom. They, also, are leaders. I am not finished reading this book. It is 551 pages long (plus 125 pages of reference stuff). However, unlike many books on my shelves that I haven't finished, I know this one will be totally consumed, for as I noted in the beginning of this wandering of thoughts-It is fascinating.
George Pennebaker, a pharmacist, a columnist, an innovator and leader in the healthcare profession, received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of California in 1961. He has served on several Boards and Commissions and is a Past President of the California Pharmacists Association.
Are You Satisfied With Your Manager/Employee Communications?Susan wasn't and did something about it!
By Mary Jane Saras Susan, head of operations for a large distribution company and long term employee, would meet with Al, the company's owner, in order to prepare for their monthly, senior management meetings. During the beginning of her tenure, Susan felt intimidated by her boss. However, as she grew more comfortable with her job and logged in some successful years of accomplishment, Susan felt it was time for a change. After all she had a direct line to the other employees and customers perceptions and her listening skills were valuable for improving the company's bottom line. Al said he wanted a more open form of communication and to hear from her as a colleague, rather than as a direct report. Al expressed his wish that they could do some brain-storming and come up with business solutions together. In reality, however, Al continued to be overbearing and told her what to do instead of listening to her ideas. According to Susan, their conversation would go something like this, "Susan, when I tell you I am annoyed or disappointed I appreciate that you listen to me and then I expect you to fix it." Fortunately for Susan, she had been given the opportunity to participate in a CEO leadership program where she learned that honest and truthful communication is paramount to effective, productive communication. Susan was ready to take her work relationships to a different level. As Susan recalls, "I was scared to death, yet very ready when Al began his usual finger-pointing and blaming tirades. I simply held up my hand and said STOP! If we are really going to explore a different kind of reporting relationship, it's time for you to listen to me, really listen." Susan then explained her truth. "When you interrupt, and blame me for things at work, I feel angry and less interested in helping with the situation. What I am willing to do is work with you and I commit to being there for you. I need you to listen to me and respect my perspective as well." Telling our truth can be uncomfortable but the results are astonishing. In this instance, it created an opportunity for both Al and Susan to change their patterned behaviors. Al was willing to let go of being a "persecutor" and Susan let go being a "victim". This unlearning, and then relearning a different way does not happen all at once, yet over time Susan and Al developed an appreciation for each other and a willingness to communicate more honestly. So ask yourself, what would it take to explore your personal or professional communication style? And more importantly, who can you depend on to give you feedback? How flexible are you to make this kind of change? Ask yourself, "Would I emulate my type of behavior if I saw it in someone else?" If the answer to this last question is "NO" then find a coach. a mentor, a colleague, a program, a book and make yourself the most authentic communicator possible. For information about CEO leadership programs, call (570)636-3858 or visit our website at www.ceoptions.com. Mary Jane Saras, LCSW is Director of Business Development for Creative Energy Options, Inc. As a facilitator of "Total Leadership Connections" , she helps leaders become total leaders. She can be contacted at maryjane@ceoptions.com or by calling 570-636-3858.
Want a Successful Self-Managing Team?By Nancy Pennebaker According to Ruth Wageman's research (Critical Success Factors for Creating Superb Self-Managing Teams, Organizational Dynamics, 26(1), 49-61.) "self-managing teams are fast becoming the management practice of choice for organizations that wish to become more flexible, push decision making to the front lines, and fully use employees' intellectual and creative capacities." The following excerpts from Wageman's research provides the information necessary to utilize this successful tool.
Leaders create effective self-managing teams by providing:
- A clear idea of what the team is to accomplish and a deadline (but not how to do the work);
- Work that is designed to be done by a team;
- The necessary physical resources (like a meeting place, computer tools etc.)
- The authority to make decisions over basic work strategies (not to a specific individual); and,
- Team goals that are congruent with the organization's objectives.
Superb team members:
- Experiment with new ways to work effectively;
- Seek best practices from other teams and other parts of the organization;
- Take action to solve problems without waiting for direction; and
- Discuss differences in what each member has to contribute to the team's work.
A Surefire way to undermine a self-managed team is for a leader to:
- Signal that an individual is responsible for managing the team;
- Intervene in the task and sabotage the group's authority; and,
- Reward individual members rather than the team as a whole.
Nancy Pennebaker, Senior Consultant and Consulting Faculty with CEO, Inc. brings more than 30 years of professional experience in the fields of education, non-profit foundations, strategic planning and leadership training. Nancy has a bachelors of arts in psychology, a masters of science in journalism, is a graduate of Stanford University's Institute of Executive Leadership and is enrolled in Capella University's doctoral leadership and management program.
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