Category: Leadership

The leadership category on Jay Wren’s website (jaywren.com) focuses on practical insights and strategies for effective leadership, particularly within a corporate or organizational context. It emphasizes the development of “authentic leaders” who prioritize self-awareness, honesty, and humility, fostering trust and success.

Key themes within this category include:

Authentic Leadership: Building trust through self-awareness, honesty, and humility.
Leadership Development: Providing actionable steps for companies to hire, train, and grow leaders, including principles of responsibility, authority, and accountability.
Creating Future Leaders: Highlighting the importance of internal leadership development for long-term growth, morale, loyalty, and engagement.
Measurable Success: Emphasizing that effective leadership is not just a concept but can be measured by results, with a focus on proactive training and mentorship.

In essence, Jay Wren’s leadership category offers guidance for individuals and organizations seeking to cultivate strong, ethical, and effective leaders who contribute to overall success.

Does Your Boss Hate You?

Does your boss hate you or is your boss just cranky? What are the signs? What are your options? Should you just ignore the situation? Should you take action?

What are the signs?

Your boss focuses on problems with you. Your boss criticizes you more than your boss criticizes anyone else. Other people get glowing performance reviews. Can you discuss the situation with your boss? Your performance review is full of criticism. Other people are getting pay raises. You are not. Other people are getting promotions. You are not. Your boss has begun to give more of your work to your coworkers.

Can you discuss the situation with your boss?

If you can talk with your boss about the situation, explain that you want to do a great job. Ask for advice on how you can do a better job.

When the problem is real, what should you do?

Document your work. Build a record of your daily performance to show that you are doing a great job. List the tasks your boss gives you. List the results of your work on these tasks. Communicate with your boss in writing.

What are your job options?

Can you find a job at your current company working for a different supervisor? Should you start looking for another job? Is you resume polished and ready to go? Have you explored the jobs that look like a fit for you at other companies?

What do your confidants tell to you to do?

Turn to the people you trust and ask for their advice. Ask the people you trust about what they think about your situation. Ask these people for their ideas on job options and confidential referrals. Get their advice on the best way to protect yourself in your current situation.

Subscribe to career newsletters.

Most career websites, including this one, have newsletters that can help you with advice and information on how to deal with your current situation. Subscribe to those newsletters. Search these websites for additional articles on dealing with a difficult boss.

You Do Not Have to be a Genius to Manage Well

You do not have to be a genius to manage well.

As a new Navy ensign, I was assigned me to work directly for a limited duty officer. The first day that he and I met was my first day of service in the Navy. He did not hire me. I reported aboard the USS Midway and went to his office.

The Navy has different groups or classes of officers. The limited duty officers are men and women who have worked their way up through the enlisted ranks into the ranks of officers. Their opportunity for promotion caps out at the rank commander (pay grade O5). They are specialists with high aptitudes for certain skills.

The limited duty officer for whom I worked had the ability to master Navy administrative skills far more rapidly than his peers did.

When I transferred into his department, he was a lieutenant. He assigned me the responsibility of managing the education office. In this role, I managed a chief petty officer and six enlisted men. My responsibilities in this office were to give educational support and testing for career advancement of the 5000 enlisted members of the ship and air wing.

However, I knew nothing of my responsibilities as an educational officer.

At the same time, I stood bridge watches. During these watches, I developed the skills to maneuver an aircraft carrier on the course and speed for launching and recovering aircraft, replenishing ships at sea, and other navigational and working functions.

When I was not on bridge watches, I worked with the limited duty officer, who was my departmental boss. He quickly taught me how to manage and evaluate the men under my responsibility in the education office.

He and I worked together well. I learned a great deal. I wanted to do a good job. My boss took the time to teach me how become a better manager. As a young, inexperienced manager, I had a tendency to give higher evaluations to people I liked. He showed me to focus on how quickly and accurately people performed their duties as well as how much I enjoyed working with them.

Within a year, the Navy promoted me to lieutenant junior grade. Within 3 years, I was promoted to lieutenant. My role in the administrative department had gone from simply managing the education office to manage the ship’s television station and newspaper and managing the ship’s public affairs program. I wrote press releases that the Navy sent to U.S. Command for declassification and release to media. I worked with the Bob Hope troupe and the Miss America Troupe for their performances in front of thousands of members of the crew and guests.

At the same time, I became qualified as an officer of the deck for fleet operations. I was a competent ship handler and enjoyed working alongside senior officers aboard the ship.

My boss in the administration office was perhaps not as smart as I was. I draw this conclusion because, in 3 years, my skills in the areas where I worked became as strong as the skills of my boss, who had over 20 years of experience. I also had developed skills for ship’s bridge operations. My boss, as a limited duty officer, did not qualify to work on the bridge of ship. Perhaps the best sign that I was smarter than my boss is that I reached the rank of lieutenant in 3 years. Reaching that rank had taken him nearly 20 years.

I was certainly never upset by the fact that I was smarter than my boss was. His skills for the department in which I worked helped me greatly. I was able to learn to do my duties. I was fortunate to have his leadership and knowledge as tools and examples for growth.

I respected that he had a gift for specialized administrative skills and that he had 20 years developing those skills. I showed respect by seeking and following his direction. In addition, I knew that he had 20 years of experience in successfully working with other men and women in the Navy. I knew that I could and did learn how to work with other people the way he worked with other people, not just for a day, but the grind of day in and day out. I went to him for direction in dealing with difficult people and situations.

What I learned from this was the value of experience. I learned that, when I have decisions to make, I should turn to people with experience to help me with ideas on making those decisions. I learned that you do not have to be a genius to manage well, but that you do have to have experience and skill to manage well.

Humility and Team Success

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” C. S. Lewis”

Research on Humility and Teams

In an article “The Best Leaders Are Humble Leaders,” HBR.org, Jeanine Prime and Elizabeth Salib reviewed research they had conducted on leadership.

The research involved six countries and twenty-two companies. It showed that employees who believed that their managers cared for and respected them were more innovative.

The research further showed that humility is one of the four elements that helps employees feel “included,” that is, feeling “unique” yet “belonging.” These employees developed a sense of “citizenship” in the company.

My Personal Experience with (out) Humility

When I am hungry or tired, I can become self-centered and irritable. I want control. I lose patience.

When I focus too much on what I want and what I feel, I am a target for frustration. I can see people as being in the way instead of being there to help me. I lose humility.

I focus on what I don’t like in other people. I focus on what someone else is doing differently from the way I want it done. I am not enjoying my day. I become less available to other people. I lose the benefit of their help.

When I act self-centered, I annoy people. I frustrate people. I make them feel that they are not on the team with me.

I make things harder for myself and for the people on my team.

Humility and Team Productivity

When I can respect and have patience with other people, I feel better. The people around me benefit from my respect and thoughtfulness.

When I stop thinking about myself, working with others becomes easier. I can do my part. I can let other people do their part.

Thinking of others as well as myself, I can get out of my mind and into the present moment. I become more effective. I become more pleasant. I can listen to people. I can help them with solutions. I can benefit from their solutions.

When I am with a team that has members who respect each other’s ideas, everyone enjoys the job more. Even when I am working with a team in dealing with a difficult situation, if we all respect each other and let everyone contribute to the solution, everything moves faster and more effectively.

Do Leaders Need Humility?

I am more effective when I have the humility to listen to other people and to respect their ideas. I enjoy my work more. The people working with me enjoy their work more.

Research shows that companies with humble leaders benefit from employees who feel included and empowered. They are more reliable, innovative, productive, and committed to being members or “citizens” of the company.

Small Business Saturday: Jobs Where You Are the Boss

Small business Saturday reminds us that there is opportunity in working for yourself.

To begin self-employment, start simple. The goal is to do the deal, to sell something.

William Procter, co-founder of consumer products giant Procter & Gamble, started his first business from skills he learned as an apprentice who dipped candles. When he settled in Cincinnati, he started a candle company that he merged with the candle and soap company of his brother-in-law, James Gamble.

Paul Jobs, who was Steve Jobs’ father, bought, repaired, and resold cars. He was outstanding at bargaining for parts, a perfectionist for finishing mechanical details, and a great negotiator for selling cars for a cash profit.

I have known people who supplemented their incomes through starting yard-care and landscape companies. I know other people who rigged out a van as a tool truck and turned home repairs into a full-time business.

I have a friend who set up a motorcycle repair shop in his garage. He was a full-time electrician and a part-time motorcycle mechanic. Through this business, he extended his love for motorcycles into a revenue stream, and he met other riders who shared his love for motorcycles.

Some people turn yard sales into flea market businesses. Earlier in our marriage, my fantastic wife made ornaments for seasonal celebrations and sold them over a few weekends at a flea market. I am really proud to think of some of the terrific things she made and that many people ay still be enjoying those ornaments today.

The Internet is a fairly easy place to start. There are out of the package e-commerce website kits. Craigslist and eBay offer opportunities to sell things online. There are at least a half of a dozen million-dollar businesses on eBay. There are dozens of people making money writing books on how to create a business on eBay.

So keep it simple. Do the deal. Sell something. Start your own small business and find out if you love being your own boss.

20-70-10 Employee Stack Ranking

Many companies have used 20-70-10 employee ranking or “stack ranking” as part of the process in performance evaluations. Some companies once viewed the process as the staircase for success.

Jack Welch used forced employee ranking at General Electric. He popularized the concept through his writing and consulting. In a “Bloomberg BusinessWeek article ‘The Case For 20-70-10’“, Jack and Suzy Welch explain the principle for ranking employees into performance categories.

The process of forced ranking includes firing the bottom 10%. Critics call this process “Rank and Yank.” Many critics state that “stack ranking” polarizes managers and employees and stifles innovation.

Even though fewer companies use “rank stacking” today (read more via Forbes.com, Peter Cohan), most companies still do annual performance reviews.

According to Fortune/CNNMoney.com contributor Anne Fisher, only two percent of human resources executives say that yearly evaluations are actually useful.
On its company blog, Adobe published an article about its decision to drop annual performance reviews.

“The dreaded performance review? Not at Adobe.”

It’s the bane of managers’ and employees’ existence at corporations around the world — the annual performance review.

Adobe abolished its performance review system in favor of ongoing “check-ins.” The story of how it came about and the way it works is a perfect example of how Adobe does what makes sense regardless of trends — and winds up setting some new trends in the process.”

Adobe did a specific thumbs down on stack ranking.

“In most corporations, managers must divide employees into groups — for example, maybe 15 percent of people can be assigned the highest rating. Those ratings then determine salary increases. Employees are also typically ranked, meaning that every interaction with a teammate could be viewed as a competition rather than a collaboration.”

In conclusion, performance feedback is important. All companies do use some form of evaluations. Managers must direct employees to focus on the job and on ways to do a better job. The method of performance review should vary from company to company. Each company has different circumstances. For some companies annual reviews work well. For other companies such as Adobe, regular feedback alone works well. Many companies use a combination of methods for reviewing performance and giving employees feedback. Although some companies still use stack ranking in various forms, many companies have found that forced ranking of employees neither creates better employee performance nor gives an accurate of understanding of the skills and abilities of the total organization workforce.

The Power of Giving Recognition

People who give compliments and recognition are people I remember.

For several years, I have sent out a newsletter. Two people have regularly given me thanks for my work in creating and publishing that newsletter. One of these people is a senior executive at The Walt Disney Company. The other person was the Vice President of Sales at Nestle at age thirty-two and today places more C-level executives than any other corporate recruiter in the country.

In the past week, I got a marketing email from one of my favorite clients. The president of that company has been a loyal client and friend for twenty-five years. His company did a terrific job on the email. I sent him a note, complimenting him on his marketing campaign.

The best boss I ever had moved through levels of greater responsibility rapidly. He was a four-star Admiral. I once showed him some work I had just completed. He said that the work was outstanding. Then he said, “Of course, I would expect no less from you.”

I have read that the words people most like to hear are the words in their name. When I greet people, I say their name. Names are great for communication, so that people know that you are speaking with them. More important is that, when I say a person’s name, I am giving them recognition.

I compliment a person on their appearance to give them self-confidence and to let that person know that their presence adds value to my day. A receptionist in my office taught me a nice way to compliment people on their appearance. What she said was most comfortable for her was for someone to compliment something she was wearing. I try to remember that suggestion whether I am complimenting a man or a woman.

The real winners in giving recognition are the people giving the recognition. These people attract people to them. I remember people when they take time to give me recognition or a compliment. I find that especially is the case when I have done a large job and few people have said anything about the work I have done. I also find that I remember people who have repeatedly thanked me for my work or told me I did a good job.

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Experience

I once heard a person say that they do not know how a trip will turn out until they are on the way back. Experience is a powerful teacher. Reading about performing certain tasks, attending classes on those tasks, looking at pictures of a those tasks, and discussing those tasks all combined do not illustrate how a person will do those tasks. Knowing the experiences of a person who has actually performed specific tasks is a strong indicator of how well a person will do those same tasks in the future.

Additionally, becoming effective at some tasks can only be achieved through experience. Jockeys can learn to become better jockeys through many methods: coaching, reading, observing others. However, no great jockey became a great jockey without the experience of riding a horse.

I recently read Empire of the Summer Moon, a book by S. C. Gwynne. The purpose of the book is to illustrate how experience transformed tens of thousands of Comanches from the American High Plains into the most effective “light cavalry on the planet.” As successful nomadic warriors and hunters before the Spanish brought the horse to the America, the Comanches developed techniques of warring and hunting on foot. They gained advantage through deception, position, and mobility. Each day, the Comanches’ nomadic experience was one in which their existence depended on mobility, logistics, strategies, tactics, and weaponry. Although the tools in today’s warfare have advanced with technology, the experiences of the Comanches in moving warriors, supplies, and weaponry to exploit the enemy with surprise, deception in detection, and retreat to safety are similar to the strategies used today with attacks from air bases, which in some cases is thousands of miles from the enemy.

When the Spanish brought horses to America, the Comanches joined their experience as highly successful nomads into the experience of far more successful nomads with their daily use of horses.

For two hundred years, their experiences as nomads made the Comanches an indomitable nation far superior in military power than any other indigenous people who met European expansion. Thousands of Comanches accurately shooting arrows at full speed on horseback and then being able to move their force hundreds of miles in just a few days was impossible for the Europeans to comprehend at the time. If you are interested in learning more about successful nomadic people, I highly recommend Empire of the Summer Moon.

So along with talent, skill, knowledge, and personality, experience is essential part effectiveness performance. A hiring manager who is skilled at assessing how well experience indicates successful performance in future experience can add more insights to making great hires.

Does the applicant have the talent, skills, knowledge, personality, experience, potential for long-term success, and the personal goals to fit the job? In the next discussion, I will look at potential.