Month: June 2022

leadership dot #3657: commemoration

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I vividly remember driving a friend to the airport several years ago so that he could tend to some critical business at his hometown bank. We were halfway there when suddenly it occurred to us: OMG, it’s Casimir Pulaski Day in Illinois tomorrow and the banks will be closed!

Casimir Pulaski Day is in March, but I suspect that others will experience a similar scenario today due to the celebration of Juneteenth. It’s a two-year-old Federal holiday so people are not yet accustomed to it, and it’s more complicated this year with Juneteenth being celebrated on June 20th. But there is no mail, no in-person banking, and no open government offices.

Neither of us knew who Mr. Pulaski was or why he merited his own holiday, but we were inspired to find out. (He is honored for his contributions to the American Revolution and is considered the Father of the American Calvary.) I hope you do the same today. Instead of considering it an inconvenience, treat it as an opportunity to learn about Juneteenth and the freeing of enslaved Americans. It’s a day to atone as well as celebrate as well as a chance to understand and own the history that shapes who we are as a nation today.

leadership dot #3656: expand

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The traditional gift for Father’s Day usually means ties or tools but a Massachusetts company has something different in mind. This holiday, they are promoting “Bro-tox” — yes, Botox but for men. As with women, it helps alleviate wrinkles and frown marks and enhances the appearance of men who receive it.

“Bro-tox” is another example of how the lines between genders are blurring. There used to be a clear distinction between products only men used and products just for women, but now a product is purchased by anyone who needs its features.

If you have limited your audience because of previously-held beliefs that limited you to only male or female, it is time to rework your messaging plan. There are fathers out there who may love the gift of Botox instead of a drill. Expand your thinking to include them.

leadership dot #3655: latch

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In a good example of knowing your customers — both the two-legged and four-legged kind — PetSmart installed a “leash latch” in their restrooms. I had not thought of the scenario where a human who brought their dog into the store needed to use the facilities, but PetSmart recognized that this could occur. Problem averted.

While I never used the latch, I appreciated it being there. It showed an understanding of pet lovers and makes me believe that philosophy carries through in other ways.

Follow PetSmart’s lead and look at who your audience is — I mean really is — then take steps to proactively accommodate them. Not all ideas have to be grandiose — sometimes it’s the small way of caring that you should latch on to.

leadership dot #3654: contributors

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Do you recognize the names of Frank Wills, Mark Felt, or Alex Butterfield? Whether you do or not, the course of U.S. history was changed by these men.

Today is the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in. What was first described as a “third-rate burglary” eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon and a host of indictments for people on his staff. Watergate was the office building housing the Democratic National Headquarters. On this date in 1972, Frank Wills, an astute security guard on his evening rounds, noticed that a door latch had been taped open. He alerted the police and set an investigation in motion.

Mark Felt, the FBI’s number two, provided invaluable direction to the Washington Post reporters pursuing the cover-up story. He supplied deep background material which earned him the name of Deep Throat, and his covert intelligence kept the investigation alive and led to Congressional hearings.

But the real break came during a Senate Watergate Hearing in 1973, when Deputy Assistant to President Nixon, Alex Butterfield, was asked: “Are you aware of any listening devices in the Oval Office?” His decision to tell the truth (unlike several of his colleagues) led to the bombshell revelation of Nixon’s taping system — and the discovery of tapes that eventually implicated the President.

There are many people who played prominent roles in the Watergate investigation but these three were outside the limelight — yet crucial to the outcome. It’s a reminder that everyone — from the security guard to the deputy assistant — can be important contributors to your overall effort. Never minimize the impact all the members of your team can have. There is no such thing as an inconsequential role.

The Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C.

leadership dot #3653: lead

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I was a journalism major, and for many years Katharine Graham would have been on my “who would you most like to have dinner with” list. I was delighted to see her new stamp in the Distinguished Americans series, honoring her work as publisher of the Washington Post from 1963 to 1991. It’s appropriate timing, given The Post‘s role in Watergate 50 years ago this week, and the courage of Graham in particular.

Mrs. Graham was reluctantly thrust into a leadership role when her husband — who had been given ownership of the paper by Graham’s father — committed suicide. She battled the imposter syndrome as well as overt challenges to her authority, but increasingly acted on her convictions. She published The Pentagon Papers when the New York Times was under a court order to suspend publication and supported Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their pursuit of the Watergate story, even when other papers discounted it. She made gutsy decisions that would have been hard for anyone to make, even if not burdened with the expectations that came with being the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Graham often thought she was not fit for the publisher role. She may have felt out of place, but I, like many others in retrospect, felt she was in exactly the right seat. Her tenacity, guts, and values were precisely what was needed in the crucial time during which she presided.

Graham did not choose a leadership role, but she led.

If you find yourself having the occasion to lead — whether by choice or circumstances — I hope you use Katharine Graham as a role model. Do what is right, even if it is hard.

leadership dot #3652: gardens

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Our botanical garden has a section of beds that are planted with a different theme each year — this year’s version being Games People Play. Each of the gardens uses flowers to represent a familiar pastime representing such games as Candyland, Minecraft, and Duck Duck Goose. Examples include alternating red and black flowers to form a living checkerboard, marigolds in even rows to serve as a football field, battleships hidden amongst the flowers, and impatiens encircling a rose bush to depict Ring Around the Rosie.

If you walked through the section without realizing an underlying theme, the gardens would not seem to fit together. There were dozens of plant varieties, multiple colors, and seemingly incongruous layouts. But once you recognize the connection, all the beds tie together nicely and use flowers to tell a story.

The human mind likes patterns and a good theme delivers them, thus is its power. Themes are the throughline — the thread that brings cohesion to elements that would otherwise appear random. They provide a beautiful blend of coherence and individuality, simultaneously creating focus and latitude.

Whether you are planting gardens, hosting a party, writing an annual report, or preparing a speech, ensure that you have a theme that provides a logical framework sprinkled with a creative surprise or two. Connect those dots!

The big question mark in the Clue garden
Tic Tack Toe garden

leadership dot #3651: portability

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When Steve Jobs introduced the iPod, he famously said it was “1000 songs in your pocket.” I paraphrase that now and remind myself that I have “my office in my pocket” — or at least in my hands.

Much of my business can be conducted via my phone which holds email, Teams, iCloud document storage, Zoom, and on the rare occasion that I need it, even a telephone. I certainly can do everything from my laptop. I still find myself thinking that I need to be in the office to accomplish tasks, but then I remember that everything I need can be with me — on the patio, at the park, at the library, out of town, or wherever I may be.

Sitting in the same spot in the same office every day puts me in a get-to-work mindset, but it also fosters a mental rut. So, this summer I’m trying to take advantage of the advances in technology to get some sunshine and a fresh perspective. Even if you’re not working remotely, capitalize on some portability to gain a new view and a new viewpoint on your work.

leadership dot #3650: broken promises

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A hot topic in our town is whether or not to invest millions to renovate the aging civic center and theater. It has been a contested issue for quite some time, involving task forces, consultants, and a costly delay due to COVID. The City Council was working on language to put the financing before taxpayers when “in a sudden shift” this week they decided not to move forward with a referendum.

I am disappointed by the change of direction by most of the council members, but one, in particular, is of special concern. She was sworn in on April 4 — just two months ago. Her quote in the paper yesterday: “I promised voters that I would vote to put this to referendum, but I can’t in good conscience do that now,” she said.

Before you make promises you can’t keep in order to gain favor, be intentional about your language. Allow for leeway to change your mind based upon additional information, especially if you are new to a role. Don’t say what people want to hear before you know if you can deliver it. The only real asset leaders have is their integrity.

Source: Council nixes Five Flags referendum by John Kruse, Telegraph Herald June 8, 2022, p. 1A

leadership dot #3649: sherpa

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As summer kicks into full gear, many are taking a vacation to enjoy some relaxation by the water. But as I watched from the beach, I wondered if people were really getting away — or just taking it all with them.

Beaches today aren’t what they used to be when we were kids and went with a towel, sand bucket, and maybe a small cooler. Now, people bring tents, grills, umbrellas, boogie boards, rafts, sound systems, and huge inflatables. They look like sherpas navigating themselves through the sand.

If you find yourself able to enjoy a getaway this summer, take the term literally. Get away. Leave the stuff at home and travel lightly. You’ll be far more relaxed if you spend time seeing your surroundings instead of watching your possessions.

leadership dot #3648: nothing new

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We often think that there is a modern solution to everything and it can’t possibly be that we handle things the same way we did a decade ago. While it’s true that there are many areas where civilization has advanced and improved people’s lives, some maladies are tended to in the same way they were a hundred years ago.

This came to light when a friend’s daughter encountered bedbugs in her first budget apartment. Even though it’s 2022, experts suggested ridding her possessions of the nasty creatures the same way you did a century ago — throwing things out or trapping the bugs to kill them with heat.

Not all modern medicine is new, either. Medical science has advanced greatly, but if you have ringing in the ear (tinnitus) there still is no treatment. If you break your toe or ribs, doctors will send you home to live with it as there is nothing they can do but wait for the bones to heal on their own.

We often dismiss the ways of the past as irrelevant but in some cases, the best solution then continues to be the best way to address things now. Maybe, the way to solve a problem is by looking back instead of forward. Not everything needs a new or modern answer.