Posted by Peter Samardak on Wed, Dec 16, 2009 @ 08:52 PM
Sports figures are often forced into a leadership role they do not want, nor can fulfill. I have heard some basketball players even make the statement, "I am not a role model. People shouldn't follow me." I can't remember who exactly made that statement, but I often think of business leaders, managers and current golfers who neither fit the role nor know how to maintain their leadership.
Recently, Bob Moffat, a former executive in IBM was arrested for insider trading and, having personally met him, I found him to be approachable, to have seemingly high values and to be driven. I guess the real question is, what does someone with high values look like? Is it a visual? Not hardly. Maybe that's it, he was so driven there was a fear of falling short of expectations. Maybe with the pressures of success, or the pressures of not failing were too much. Maybe it was simply greed and ego. Ego, its a funny dynamic which enters into everyone's life from time to time.
Once you start comparing yourself to others, you are either behind or ahead. I'm not sure at what time or age you reach a point where you are happy with you. I am sure Maslow identified it as self-actualization. However, it seems that today's mediocre leaders find excuses to blame everyone but themselves. Its always been somebody in their lives who caused them to do whatever it was. I remember a series on TV where "the devil made me do it." Guess what, its no excuse.
There is no excuse for harming others. There is no excuse for poor leadership. There is no excuse for not taking responsibility and not motivating others to excel. There is no excuse for letting people go because you could not identify the unique skills they had and capitalizing on that strength.
Leaders need to be able to synthesize the differences, turn it into an innovative driving force and then getting out of the way enabling those who are empowered to excel.
True global leadership is unique because it recognizes even some of the deep seated cultural differences which have existed and then turns it into a knowledge base driving excellence. Leadership is not easy. Nobody said it would be.
Posted by Peter Samardak on Tue, Aug 18, 2009 @ 11:45 AM
The beer blast is on, the picnic table is out and the global humble pie is being served. If you are not aware of the current race issues that have recently surfaced, then bypass this article. Our generation has lived through tremendous changes in race relations, and the history of it all is indelibly in our minds.
ABC Video, "The Bottom Line on Beer Diplomacy"
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=14821979&ch=4226716&src=news
And whether we want to admit it or not, they exist. The recent slip in regard to race and the police by our President just opens up more dialog in this arena. You can take sides. You can dissect what was said and why. You can listen to the experts and chastise the innocent. You can learn. Yeah, that's it, you can learn. There is an incredible learning point for everyone in this moment of the Presidential Bidenian slip. You know, kind of like Joe Biden, the Vice President when he engages his mouth before his brain...a "Bidenian slip". So there it is in its simplest form. Laid out on the picnic table, with the beer and humble pie. People make mistakes and accuse others of injustices when facts are not gathered or when their personal outlook is biased in one way shape or form. Sometimes people say things out of ignorance, out of an unknown bias, from the position of a naive offender. The important point is, as a Leader, you need to engage in deep thought, do a self exam to see where your head is, think and then speak. You need to know how you will affect your followers and your opponents. There is no room for a Bidenian slip. x7b8ik3ved
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Posted by Peter Samardak on Fri, Jul 24, 2009 @ 09:02 AM
Suddenly, the leader of the United States of America, the President, stated that, in spite of not having all the facts, he thought his friend was treated very harshly and unfairly. Per Associated Press Writer Melissa Trujillo, "Many police officers across the country have a message for President Barack Obama: Get all the facts before criticizing one of our own. Obama's public criticism that Cambridge officers 'acted stupidly' when they arrested black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. could make it harder for police to work with people of color, some officers said Thursday." As leaders and especially at the Presidential level, words carry a heavier weight and bear more meaning and implication. Care should be taken.
But, how long does a leader wait until action is taken? Or, how long a wait to ensure the correct action is taken? Although this clearly will be in the limelight because of the level of attention it received, it was not surprising for me. I have facilitated very intensive diversity sessions and, once people discuss and discover biases they didn't even know they had, it's quite surprising what happens.
In one particular session I had two people who were the best of friends. They both lived and worked in the Washington D.C. area and were professionals in similar fields. They even decided to build new homes in the same development. The difference between them was their race. One was Black, the other White. As we spent time together learning about each other and finally getting to the real issues, the hidden issues, the young Black professional told a story about how he used to go into this new development, like his friend, to check on the progress of his new home. He told of driving his new car, like his friend, and stopping along side the curb, like his friend, to walk around and check it all out. He told the story of being tailed by the police, questioned about why he was there and what he was doing, as well as having to always show the license and registration for his car, very unlike his friend. Interestingly, this Black man's very close White friend looked on in amazement as the story unfolded and simply stated, "I had now idea."
Well, many people have no idea of some of the things that happen everyday. Because they are in a personal comfort zone, they feel as if everything is progressing very smoothly. You must be asking yourselves, what does this have to do with Leadership. It has everything to do with it. Leaders are responsible for ensuring correct actions are taken and, in cases where the appearance seems to be a bit unusual, ensuring at least a message that processes are not being overlooked. The unfortunate piece is the bit of a leap with a caveat of not knowing all the facts. As the President, 
a bit more care needs to be taken to ensure the facts are complete.
Video -> Obama stands by Police Remarks - ABC News
Leadership should be inspirational as well as complete and unbiased. As a leader, you should be fully prepared, have the facts, have used the resources at your disposal and communicate clearly. Are you doing that? Are you fulfilling your leadership responsibilites? Do you have your cultural radar operating? As a leader, you need to be sure you do.