Ginny Wilson-Peters' Blog
Our University of Iowa MBA Leadership and Personal Development class was honored to hear from guest speaker Jim Israel last weekend. Jim is the President of John Deere Worldwide Financial Services Division. He shared his guidance for developing yourself, as a person and as a leader.
Jim Israel, President of John Deere Worldwide Financial Services Division, speaking with Univeristy of Iowa MBA students
1. Get out of your comfort zone. Your success will be how effective you can rally your team. “To be a good leader you don’t have to be an expert. I see myself as the offensive line clearing the way for others to run and pass the ball.”
If you ever get the opportunity to do something new, do it. “If we make 100% of our decisions right, then we’re not making enough decisions—or taking enough risks.”
2. If you have a chance to do a global assignment, do it. The world is a lot more similar than it is different. Our customers and dealers have very similar desires and concerns. It is also great to see the United States through another country’s lens.
3. Set a clear vision for your organization. Jim talked about the power of aligning his division around a common vision. But creating that vision is only the first step. Then you have to motivate, align and inspire the organization. “And motivation isn’t about pom-poms. I have seen some soft-spoken leaders drive people to do great things.” (Jim also joked that he, however, isn’t one of the soft-spoken ones.)
4. Stay true to your own style. Do what your passionate about And have fun! “Going to work shouldn’t be drudgery. If you don’t go to work everyday excited about what you do, go somewhere else.”
5. Do things the right way. And make sure your “say-do” ration is 100%. “It is equally important how you accomplish something as what you accomplish. ”
6. Communicate, communicate, communicate. You can’t over-communicate. You have to say things over and over. And people need different kinds of communication. “You also owe it to your people to talk about the bad news. People are afraid of what they don’t know. “ He talked about the credit crisis in 2008 and how they spent a great deal of time in straight talk with their people. Also, one of the most important parts of communication is listening. “Our greatest ideas come from people closest to our customers.”
7. Focus on developing talent. “The most important thing I do is get the right people in the right chairs.” Identify people who have potential and keep providing them with challenges. Stretch your high potential people. And remember for yourself not to focus on pay. “If you’re moving around alot, you’re going to be at the bottom of the pay grade a lot. Your pay will catch up with you. ”
8. Strive for work-life balance. Not only your own but for your people. “It used to be a badge of honor how many hours you worked.” But there are a lot of things in life you’ll never have the opportunity to get back. Work is a marathon, not a sprint. Take care of yourself, emotionally and physically. “I invite my grandkids to come and have lunch with me at work every couple of months.”
9. Give back to your community. Pay it forward.
Thanks Jim for these words and much more. And for providing a role model of authentic leadership for our class.
Posted in Balance, Communication, Global Leaders, Leadership Advice, Listening, MBA Class, Teams, Vision | No Comments »
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.” Marianne Williamson
I’m not sure you can say that I write a “blog” when it has been two months since the last posting. I could say it is because I’ve been busy, but that would be an excuse. The truth is that I find myself wondering if something I write will be important enough to impact people’s thinking. Yes, this is ego at play. I find myself reading other writings and listening to other speakers and thinking, “wow, they have it together.”
And then I was introduced to the video link about everyday leadership and it has inspired me beyond words. In the past two weeks, I’ve shared the video with my MBA leadership class, our QC Leadership Academy and four of my Women in Leadership groups. In all cases, the results have made for engaging conversation about “lollipop moments” and yes, a few tears.
I encourage you not just to view this video, but to do two things. First, share it with others. And second, think about someone that has created a lollipop moment for you—and tell them about it.
Okay, one more request. Please share your moments with us in the comments section.
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Carl Jung
I remember smiling and thinking at the time, “This young man is going to accomplish exactly what he is talking about”. Almost two years ago I had been invited by River Action to work with their Youth Board and other young leaders in the Quad Cities. After sharing my own perspective on leadership I walked them through a reflective exercise where they imagined what their life would look like in five or ten years.
I sat back and watched them draw their visions of the future. Fifteen minutes later they shared their stories. Many of them spoke with an amazing amount of confidence about their futures. One of the people attending was Chad Driscoll. At the time Chad was working for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Quad Cities as their Americorps Program Director. But his five year vision clearly showed him working in Des Moines. And the passion and conviction he spoke with made me smile.
Last week I received the following e-mail from Chad, which I am sharing with his permission.
Anyways, one of the activities you did with us was have us draw our vision, or future plans, or where we would like to see ourselves down the road. So what I drew was the state of Iowa with marks on it of where I have been, where I am now, and where I would like to go moving forward. Where I wanted to go was to be in Des Moines and have a state job or work within an organization there or possibly in politics but my focus was and is on service and giving back to the community.
Well I wanted to share with you that I am going to be starting a new job in Des Moines in a couple weeks!! I will be a Program Officer with the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and will oversee a variety of education focused AmeriCorps Programs in the state of Iowa as well as other initiatives that come through the office. I am very excited about this career move, although I am sad to leave the Quad Cities and Big Brothers Big Sisters. I wanted to share this with you because this was part of the idea of what I drew during that session a couple years ago and I still have that piece of paper at home!
The other cool thing about how all this developed was they approached me when this opening came available. I was not looking or seeking another job. In my current role, I do work with them pretty regularly so they have seen my work and product and know what I am capable of. So you never know who is watching!
In her article “Vision, Learning to Manage the Dream” Nancy Fredericks talks about the power that comes from creating a vision.
Power Comes with Vision. As we emotionally and passionately create our vision, we connect our internal resources to opportunities outside of ourselves that support us in achieving our vision. Internally, radiating from within the oldest part of our brain stem is a small network of cells called our reticular activating system (RAS). The RAS provides us with the unique function of filtering incoming information to support our goals and visions. Without us even knowing it, this powerful internal tool is automatically aligning us with the external world so that we are in the right place at the right time. The system is always working to produce the results we request, whether positive or negative. The unique aspect of this system is that it is always working for you; so when you don’t use it to support yourself consciously, it will be taking its lead from your unconscious. If you aren’t getting fulfilling results in your life, take a look at what you are unconsciously creating.
Lean more at www.nancyfredericks.com/vision/.
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Leadership is a journey, not a destination It is a marathon, not a sprint. It is a process, not an outcome.
John Donahoe, president of eBay
A number of years ago I went on a 4 day white water rafting trip on the Green River in Utah. The route was mostly level 2 and 3 rapids with an occasional level 4. There were three rafts in our group. I remember getting to our raft and looking at our guide—a young man who was just eighteen years old. My mind went to judgment and my body went to fear about his potential inexperience. Then I asked him how long he had been rafting and how he approached things. His answer sealed the deal for me. “I’ve been rafting on this river since I was 14 years old. But every time I come to this river I always assume it will be different than any time before. The river can change in an instant—and I don’t take anything for granted.”
Alrighty then, we’re going to be just fine—and we were.
But that trip is such a reminder for me that leadership is an ongoing journey—and one that can change in an instant. And unlike the rafting trip, where we are encouraged to travel light, our leadership journey is one in which we often bring years of experience (and bad habits along with us).
Last week I heard an energizing and inspiring presentation by Chad Pregracke, Founder and President of Living Lands and Water. While Chad had many great things to say about his journey, three things stood out for me. First, he talked about approaching a local company to sponsor him and he asked for a large sum of money (a sum that many people would say he was crazy to ask for). His comment, “I didn’t set out with small intentions.”
Second, Chad said that if you set out to do good things, then good things will happen to you.
And finally, Chad said he read somewhere that the earth wasn’t destroyed all at one, but piece by piece. “And so that is how it needs to be cleaned up” one day at a time.
Those same lessons apply to our leadership journey, as was evidenced by the fact that the same day I heard Chad speak I had an email from a coaching client who is working to redirect some of her leadership efforts and overcome bad habits. She said, “I’m working on the things we talked about. It’s hard to change fifty-something years of bad habits…but I’m starting.”
And that is all that we can ask. If you follow Chad’s advice, you can start something with big goals, but also recognize that you’re going to achieve those one day at a time. And remember, that leadership development really is a marathon, not a sprint!
Posted in Coaching, Leadership Advice | No Comments »
A wise Ojibwa Indian elder once told me that “There are many communities out there for us. We just have to go out and find them.” He is indeed so very right.
I sit on the airplane flying home after almost two weeks working in Europe. As often happens when I travel for work, I find myself feeling excitement to be home and also a sadness of having left new “friends” behind. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I love my work. I get up almost every day and have the chance to teach, coach, and most importantly perhaps, continue my own learning journey.
This was a trip of leadership training for a client. There was a four day course in England and then the following week a two day course in Germany. In both courses, they were participants from different countries. The first week we had a wonderful mix of English, German and French. The second week was German and English.
I wish that I could say that I speak the languages, but I don’t. I did however do my best to learn a few key words in German and also study some things about the cultures in the UK and Germany. It is always important to me when I travel to a foreign country to be as respectful as possible of the local cultures, even if I don’t speak the language fluently.
One of my biggest lessons came the first week. All of the participants spoke English, some better than others. I tried my best to be aware of the words and phrases I used in my examples and Power Point slides. I also looked for those times when I got the glazed over looks from some of the participants. Gradually though, by midway through the third day of training, I noticed that people were more vocal and asking me to explain a word or phrase. I realized how very much I appreciated them doing that.
And then it hit me that I hadn’t actually ASKED them the very first day to please feel free and ask. I guess I just assumed that would happen. But I learned that isn’t the nature of many of the people who were in the course. It left me wondering how many times the first couple days I left them wondering “what the heck is she talking about.”
The good news is that I took my new found learning to heart. The very first day of the second week of training I asked the new group of people to please feel free and ask me about anything they heard and didn’t understand. And I’m thrilled to say they were very receptive and did indeed do so.
Days away from home: 12.
Hotels: 5.
International flights: 3.
Learning: Priceless.
Thank you to all of my new friends in the UK, Germany and France. A special thanks also to Alexandra and her husband Thorsten who spent a wonderful day introducing me to the Old Town of Heidelberg.
Posted in Communication, Global Leaders | No Comments »
In teaching we learn…and in learning we teach. With his permission to share, following is a portion of a reflective paper written by a student in my UIowa MBA Leadership and Personal Development class.
I’m really intrigued by the concept of working towards becoming an Ideal Self. The idea interested me in our initial class discussions, but it became even more interesting during our class when we performed the “where-will-we-be-in-ten-years” visioning exercise. I closed my eyes, sat back in my chair, and I started to see my ideal future take shape before me. The family life was happy, content—similar to today only evolved ten years. What about the work portion of my vision? It was great too, but it was very different from what I do now.
I have a passion for both creativity and empowering people to think of unique solutions to problems. I have a passion for helping others learn how to help themselves. One of the problems with Corporate America as a whole is that we’ve become so process driven, we’ve taken some of the creativity and individuality out of jobs. As soon as leaders start treating people as ends to means instead of actual human beings, people become dehumanized and demoralized. Ironically, if we take away a person’s ability to think and be creative, our processes will never improve. The processes and the people will eventually stagnate and then deteriorate. Bill George made a comment in the podcast we listened to about most people won’t buy into a mission that says, “increase the share price.” I certainly attest to that. (reference www.http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1697)
I realized I like to do good and help others do good in the world. I don’t know when it happened, but I stopped being motivated by money some time ago. I now want to be in environments where I can help others succeed and grow. Don’t get me wrong, if earning money becomes a natural by-product of where my passion takes me, I won’t complain, but I keep thinking about the story Ginny told the first night of class about the charitable woman she met in South Africa. To me, this woman seemed fully satisfied. When that woman looks back on her life, she’ll know she made a difference. She won’t think, “If only we could have increased production capacity by 6%.” No one looks back on their life and wishes they had earned a few more paychecks. People look back on the relationships they’ve formed and the impact they’ve made.
I really liked what Dave Green, (CEO of the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center) said at the end of his presentation. He encouraged us all to get involved in our communities. This made me think about why I don’t volunteer more. At this point, I’ve stuck to helping people I know. Why don’t I give more time to the community? Then I learned something about myself: I want to help. I want to get involved, but on the nights I have free time, I’ll distract myself with something “easy” like a movie or a book instead of helping others. I’m always disappointed in myself when a night goes by where I didn’t accomplish anything. What I’ve noticed in the last few weeks is that if I don’t act on my passions, I start to get pouty and irritable. I’ll start to justify any lazy or procrastinating activities by saying, “it’s good to watch six hours of TV in a night. I needed to unwind.” Does that sound familiar? I’ll commit an act of self-betrayal—I’ll tell myself that I’m going to find volunteer opportunities, but then out of some fear of not being able to help strangers, I don’t.
Here’s what I need to work on the most: Executing my Passions. That sentence can be read in one of two ways, but I assure you I don’t plan to kill my passions once and for all. Instead, I need to start living them, being more active with them, and lead with them.
In my feedback interviews I was told I have, “a unique mind,” yet at work, any unique idea I have needs to go through two or three bureaucratic channels before being tested, let alone reviewed and implemented. That kills my creativity. I like to have passion for what I do. I like to know my energies are being put towards something I love. I want to know my work is appreciated. I want to start small—volunteering outside of work—to see what is out there. Who knows, maybe I’ll build the right network, learn the right skills, and start my own charitable group someday?
If that happens, my life will be much closer to my ten-year vision. What I saw when I closed my eyes was a man who woke up early, went for a jog before work (which means I must not be going to work at 6:00am anymore), had cereal with the kids, kissed the wife goodbye, and then went into the world to make it a better place. This man used his sense of humor and his ability to connect with people not for his own personal, financial gain. Rather he used it to help unlock other people’s creativity and spread joy throughout the world. Similar to the “multiplier effect” we attributed to good leaders in class, the man in my vision helped multiply his own joy for the world through others. It was a satisfying vision and hopefully if I learn how I spend my time, build a network of volunteer-oriented individuals, and keep my mind, soul, and body sharp, I can become that man.
“A ship in the harbor is safe…but that’s not what ships are for.“ William Shedd
The above quote has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. And this quote came back to me over and over as I wrote the following essay for the Athena Awards about empowering women.
Nurturing and inspiring a woman leader is about helping her find her own language, and gaining the courage to express her unique voice. A woman leads best when she truly knows who she is and understands how she operates in this world. While the languages and lessons are different for each woman, four common experiences emerge when it comes to empowering leadership.
The first is a woman discovering her purpose and leadership vision.
Teri, a recent student in an MBA class I teach, wrote about the challenges of reflection in her first paper. “I am becoming concerned that I may not be in the right position for my long-term happiness. I need to get a grip on who I am, where I want to go, and what I want to do/be when I get there.” One week later, she wrote about the power of gaining clarity on her purpose and vision. “My husband has known about my desire to own and run my own horse barn since the day we met. We are constantly looking for the right piece of land on which to build my stables. We have not found it yet, but at least now we finally are on the hunt. Even though I know I will be with Company X for the next three years, I am already planning my next steps.”
The next weekend of class Teri came and told me that they had just found 50 acres perfect for her horse business — and it was just two miles away from where they live. After discovering her purpose and allowing herself to dream, Teri is now on her way to making her personal vision a reality. I just received an email today saying “we didn’t end up buying the 50 acres we checked out. We ended up buying a 40 about 8 miles away, but it’s just gorgeous and is the spitting image of my dream place. It’s truly amazing. “
The second experience is a woman learning and embracing the differences in masculine and feminine styles of leadership. Each person has a unique blend. Finding the authentic style that works, while honoring her true feminine spirit, can be challenging for a woman. In the opening chapter of one of my favorite leadership books for women, Dancing on the Glass Ceiling, the authors share the story of a round peg trying to force her way through to the “other” side of leadership in her company — through a square hole. The round peg suffered because of it. The story goes on to say that only when the round peg is on the “other” side does she truly realize what was lost during her journey.
“Instead of recognizing our strengths, we have obsessed over our weaknesses. Instead of daring to stand out, we have ‘shaved off’ little pieces of ourselves so we could fit into the square hole — the accepted, masculine-driven pattern of business,” authors Nancy Fredericks and Candy Deemer write.
The third experience is a woman articulating her personal brand. This involves understanding her personality type and embracing her strengths, independent of her job, her company or any other life status. Two weeks ago, I sat with a woman and watched the “branding” light bulb turn on. “So, it isn’t about changing my style to become the person they (her male colleagues) want?” she said. “It is about me understanding my brand and how I add value to the business.”
YES!!!
The fourth experience is a woman connecting with other women leaders. For example, my own story of leaving my job as president of Midland Press to launch Integrity Integrated often serves as a motivation for others. A woman who comes to understand herself is prepared to become a great leader, and many times encourages other women to do the same. Sharing our stories is vitally important.
I identified my life’s purpose fifteen years ago. When clarity arrived, it resonated to the depths of my soul. My purpose is to nurture and inspire others to reach for the stars. Learning from my own experiences along the way I gathered insight into my own personal power. I also determined my leadership vision: To be an internationally respected teacher and coach whose work inspires others to discover new possibilities in their lives.
To develop more women leaders, we must encourage all women on this path of discovering their authentic leader within. I consider it an honor to help guide women on the journey.
Posted in MBA Class, Purpose, Vision | 2 Comments »
“I don’t consider myself a born leader. In fact I was rejected from both the Key Club and the Rotary Club at different times.” Steven Bahls, President of Augustana College.
Steven Bahls, President of Augustana College speaks to the 2011 Quad City Leadership Academy
Steve Bahls provided inspiring opening words to our Quad City Leadership Academy last Friday. After talking about his initial failures, he went on to say that he did get involved with leadership positions in the Boy Scouts as well as other organizations. In a candid and inspiring message with the participants, Steve reinforced the idea that leadership is more of an art than a science, and he provided his top six tips. I won’t steal all of Steve’s great stories but do want to share a couple of them.
Lead where you are passionate. Prior to coming to Augustana College, Steve served as Dean of the Capital University Law School in Columbus Ohio. Steve went to meet with Dave Thomas, founder of Wendys and was excited about the opportunity to sell Dave on the idea of naming the law school after him. Shortly into his presentation, Dave stopped him and said, “I don’t like attorneys. Having grown up in the Foster system I understand how difficult lawyers made my life.” Realizing it was best not to sell something impossible, Steve shifted gears. Instead he worked with him to create the Dave Thomas College of Adoption Law.
Steve also talked about meeting with people at their 50 year class reunion from Augustana College. Each person had 3 minutes to reflect on their lives. (Can you imagine—3 minutes to reflect on your life of 73 years?) “Many are still trying to figure out their calling. They also talk about how they learned from their failures, false starts, failed marriages, etc.”
Employ Imagination Step outside your own shoes and look at problems from a different point of view.
Create a marketplace of ideas. Oliver Wendall Holmes said, “Truth is raised by the free trade of ideas.” Steve said if he could be on a desert island with one person, it would be Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Surround yourself with strong people and learn how to listen to different ideas.
Don’t put your personal ethics on the shelf.
Everyone who succeeds has a mentor. Find a peer, inside or outside of your organization who will serve as your mentor. This should be someone you totally trust, but also someone who will be direct with you.
Follow Micah 6:8. “He has shown you O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Pursue humility. Steve said “I believe in giving people mulligans. If I write people off for making mistakes, I’d be the only one in the room.”
“The gem cannot be polished without friction; nor the man perfected without trials.” Chinese proverb.
I continue to be inspired and it just doesn’t seem right to keep them to myself. After grading reflective papers and final assignments for our most recent MBA Leadership & Personal Development Class, I want to share just a few tidbits of wisdom from the students. As you read them, let me know how it inspires you to think differently.
CREATING A FIVE YEAR VISION:
“The visualization exercise where we pictured a day in our life in 2015 had a huge impact. Drawing it was even more fun. I do like to envision the future, but in the past many of my thoughts were more generic in regards to success and I’d never really defined what that looked like or meant to me. To put it down on paper made it real for the first time. To vocalize it had even more of an impact. For the first time I realized exactly what I want my life to look like and that my dreams are attainable, all I have to do is make sure I’m focusing on what’s really important.”
“Doing the “Where Will I Be in Five Years” activity was very insightful. So many times my wife and I casually talk about the future, but it seems like we are only caught up in what is happening today and in the next year. We never take the time to think about further down the road. Of course we try to plan for certain things, but to actually lay out a road map and hold ourselves accountable is another story. Taking the time to visualize where I will be in five years was critical for my development. Not only did it reiterate what would be most important to me, but it made me think of the exact actions I need to take right now to get there. And if I don’t like some of the things I see in five years, than I need to start correcting them today.”
ROLE OF OTHERS IN OUR DEVELOPMENT:
“It’s my responsibility to walk this journey of leadership, but that does not mean I have to do it alone. In fact, if there’s one immutable fact I’ve learned, it’s that taking this journey alone is a fool’s errand, and I have been quite the fool.”
“They complimented me on my willingness to grow as a person and wished me the best. This leads to a point of mine. It is human nature that we want to help everyone become better people. No one, or at least the people I associate with, wants to intentionally hurt other people. We are all here for one another and constructive feedback is part of life and the growing process.”
LEARNING WHAT NOT to DO:
“My current manager knows all the details and everyone comes to her for questions but her whole day is taken up by this and instead of being a manager she has become the subject matter expert. Instead of leading, she is telling.”
Okay, he wasn’t a student, but this is how John Quincy Adams summed it up (as a student reminded me): “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
I am inspired by the many students I had the privilege to teach. Many thanks to all of you.
“People go where they are welcomed, remain where they are respected and grow where they are nurtured.” Bill Leaver, CEO of Iowa Health System shared this quote recently with our MBA Leadership class as he talked about the “Art of Leadership and Cultural Transformation.”
The timing of the above quote was synchronistic as it came on the heels of an insightful experience with a new client. I was working with a team of 10 people around communication. We used one of my favorite exercises to shed light on communication challenges. The group was divided into two groups of five and then each subgroup was given bags of Legos. Each Lego bag had exactly the same Legos as their teammates on their subgroup. Simply put, the task was to sit in an arrangement where they couldn’t see each other and through verbal communication only, work together as a team of five and have each person on the team put together the exact same structure, using their Legos. Oh, and they had to use every one of their 30 pieces, be as creative as possible and finish in 30 minutes or less.
I watched one of the teams engage, communicate and generally have a great time. The other team was a stark contrast. As that second team organized themselves and their pieces, one person took the lead and began explaining where the place the first pieces. One member of the team that struggled (I’ll call her Ann) was raised in another country and had never used Legos in her life. I watched Ann grab the correct pieces but she was continually holding them upside down and trying to follow instructions that were clearly not making sense to her. As I continued to watch the team dynamics, each member of the team tried to describe in their own words how to position the first pieces. Still no success. After 10 agonizing minutes, I did something I’ve never done before in the 10 years I’ve used this exercise. I walked over to Ann, turned the pieces right-side up and helped her arrange the first four pieces in accordance with their instructions. Finally, success! From that moment forward, things were easier (not easy, but easier).
Having watched this game many times, I have seen many people “check out” when they get frustrated. To the credit of everyone in this group, that didn’t happen. Everyone was generally trying hard and sticking with it. But the overarching question is “What could have been done differently in order to make this more smoothly?”
In the debrief I offered a suggestion. Rather than having everyone else in the group attempt to describe things from their own perspective, it would have been best if they had stopped and said to the person who was struggling, “Ann, tell us in your own words, what you are looking at? How do you have the pieces put together right now?” This was clearly a case of good intentions by all in the group, but those intentions also kept them inside the box as opposed to seeking to understand the other person’s perspective. What transpired from there was a good discussion about how this also applied to areas of their work and missed opportunities to truly understand one another in the rushed objective to get work done.
Posted in Communication, Listening, Teams | 5 Comments »
