Polman CEO of Unilever says, “nobody created a business for shareholders” and “we need people who are more concerned for others than themselves”.<\/p>\n
I would go further and add we need people who<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Care more for the business than themselves… vs caring far more about themselves<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Care about the vision…\u00a0 vs the vision being irrelevant to their own interests<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Are thinking … nearly everyone does not know how to tell if someone is thinking.<\/p>\n
Thinking is the only process that develops capability.\u00a0\u00a0 What value is created by people who are not thinking?<\/p>\n
No relevant vision, no care for the business, and no thinking – what is the outcome?<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One of our greatest flaws is our yearning for certainty.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This is because certainty even when it comes in the form of a bad decision is preferable to uncertainty.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We cannot digest uncertainty<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Certainty for certainties sake remains the most common response to Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous business (VUCA) situations; “the new global norm”<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you manage in a VUCA environment?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 These skills are created during the unique privilege of leading a turnaround.\u00a0\u00a0 Here there is no certainty and the business has lost sight of its core.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This core has to be recreated, then immediately re-launched with a high performing capability.\u00a0\u00a0 Then the continuous and rapid vocational learning starts.<\/p>\n
To turn around a business you must be more concerned for the business than yourself.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If you put your interests first; you will become conflicted.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0These selfless traits are developed by the humble people who are best at delivering a company turnaround.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The same unique traits apply to the most successful CEOs that “Get (businesses) to Great” research by Jim Collins.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The climate remains difficult, the level of UK debt remains at Weimar Republic levels 9x GDP. History shows the only likely outcome is certain to be catastrophic economic failure.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Leadership role models who have only succeeded in 1 sector, often can lack breadth of experience<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Businesses have to be proactive – yet most businesses mindset is to wait for the phone to ring<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The way things are being bought is changing every 6m or so<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Both of the fast growth, technology businesses I have engaged with this year, were only firing on 2\/5 cylinders.\u00a0\u00a0 Consequently, both lost sight of their core and didn’t see the double digit profit improvement opportunity.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Getting to the core is a unique turnaround capability.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It seems pretty clear that most people in large organisations are not doing what they want to do?<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Recruitment remains sector and not scenario or capability centric<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The past is the best indicator of future success, when the past is fast irrelevant<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fixed mindset “Intelligence centric recruitment” in many high performing businesses such as google<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Deploying strategy without any idea or focus how to transform capability at the same time<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Off site management development that bears no relevance to the executives behaviour<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A reduction in an appetite for being challenged & less innovative forms of collaboration<\/p>\n
Businesses rejecting challenge are driven by leaders with fixed mindsets.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The brain is malleable and intelligence can be developed, it’s not fixed<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It squanders intelligence by limiting growth<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I have noticed given the right opportunity and culture that most people often have the same ability<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A fixed mindset cannot deal with failure and finds it difficult to compromise; it is fragile and undermines teamwork<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Whereas a growth mindset asks “how can I do better next time?”<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Passion is squandered<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Humility is the main driver for high performance<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Organisations have no idea how to execute strategy<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Grace<\/p>\n
The magic bullet is having the right people with growth mindsets<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Magic bullets are only apparent when you put the jigsaw back together and check its validity from experience drawn from many different sectors.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How many people have succeeded x sector and what do they find?<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What drives people to work x sector?\u00a0\u00a0 It is a growth mindset<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A Growth mindset is the difference.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A fixed mindset says “I cannot do that”.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What do you add if an employee says “I cannot do that”?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 … YET?<\/p>\n
Growth based mindset and attitude opens up the willingness to compromise.<\/p>\n
Without a growth based mindset people simply don’t grow.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A growth mindset is the basis of creating a high performing business.<\/p>\n
How can you create a high performing business without everyone growing, being present and at least spending some of the day thinking (about their work!)?<\/p>\n
My passion is creating organisations in which people excel.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In so doing, organisations create far more cash and can compete on a global scale.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The world has become transparent<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why think outside the box – how about fixing the box?<\/p>\n
It is time for me to change too.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I have now decided to join a significant ambitious organisation in an Executive or Portfolio role.\u00a0\u00a0 Could I help you create a high performing business and create far more cash?<\/p>\n
I welcome your thoughts or an introduction – feel free to call me.<\/p>\n
Best wishes for 2014, Tom<\/p>\n
Tom Pickering FIET<\/p>\n
UK: +44 (0) 207 193 5518<\/p>\n
E:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 tom.pickering@icebreakerexecutive.com<\/p>\n
W:\u00a0\u00a0 www.icebreakerexecutive.com<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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