Align People

Our thoughts.. "Ditto"

So much is spent on training with very little spent on developing a work system and culture that can put the training to use.

The Innovation Syllogism:

Innovation is a product of culture (not individuals).

Culture is an emergent factor of systems (not individuals).

Therefore, systems drive innovation (not individuals).

You cannot train an organization into innovation - you must create and design the organization to be innovative.  

www.pyramidodi.com

Jamie Peace is a Wharton student with 10 years of military service.   

In this student profile, every aspiring leader should take a few tips from someone who leads facing each day where the consequences of decisions are life or death. 

So what does a life or death leader rely on? 

1.  Being a student of leadership

2.  Confidence, Competence, & Proficiency

3.  Humility & Empowering Subordinates

4.  Setting The Example

Yep.  That's the guy I would follow if I had a choice.  What about you?  Who do you want as your son or daughter's leader in harm's way?  I know... I bet you want the guy who has all the answers and gives great  powerpoint presentations. 

Why is is that when I walk into a failing or soon to fail workplace the leaders rarely check any of these boxes?  In the past six months most western businesses have been working through some of the most difficult times since the Great Depression.  So was working on your leadership skills at the top of your list?  Perhaps you should test yourself on the last six months...

1. What actions have you taken to learn something new to  be a better leader?   How did you put it into practice?
2. What competencies and proficiencies did you develop further?
3. What would my staff say  about your "Humility"?
4. What did you do to empower and enable you team members?  (Hint: What barriers did you remove, what capabilities did you develop or support?)
5. What has been the example I set during this time?  What have you tried to model for others? How successful have you been?

You do not want to compare your pay and responsibilities with the pay and responsibilities of Jamie Peace as he was leading in Afghanistan.  I know I don't. As a U.S. taxpayer, I believe we got our money's worth. 

I wonder if my shareholders and customers would say the same about me? 

What about you?

The ultimate goal of the program is to continue to promote the hospital's culture of operational excellence, foster a sense of commitment to the organisation, and achieve high performance.

Should that not be the goal of every organization?  It is certainly the goal of any organization development initiative. 

This is a good glimpse into a middle east that is emerging with a sense of regional identity.