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Great news!

My Leadership at Work blog (Harvard Business Publishing) has been selected one of 10 finalists for the 2009 Best of Leadership Blogs competition hosted by the Kevin Eikenberry Group.

Nominees are:

Leading Blog by Michael McKinney

Great Leadership by Dan McCarthy

Seth Godin’s Blog by Seth Godin

Jon Gordon’s Blog by Jon Gordon

Leadership is a Verb by John Bishop

All Things Workplace by Steve Roesler

Work Matters by Bob Sutton

Leader Talk by Mountain State University

Next Level Blog by Scott Eblin

Leadership At Work by John Baldoni

It is an honor to be in their company.

If you are interested in voting for your favorite, please vote at Best Leadership Blog 2009 by July 31st.

Winner will be announced on August 3rd.

Stand and stretch and get your mind in gear. That’s right. When you want to stimulate your thinking, sometimes the best thing you can do is a little on the spot exercise.

Management is largely perceived as a cognitive exercise, one that utilizes the brain to deduce as well as create. But there is an affective aspect to management that emerges from interacting with others, making a connection. But you cannot connect unless you are attuned and alert. So here are three tips for maintain focus that I have learned from three faculty members at Banff Centre : Diana Theodores, Ph.D. and Cynthia Croker and Jack Langenhuizen of Motus-O .

Wiggle your fingers . Extend your arms either to the front or at the sides. Wiggle your fingers vigorously. You can even shake your hands. You will find a delightful tingling sensation.

Stretch fully. With arms akimbo, rock your upper body from a standing position. Gently rock your shoulders and then your arms. Stretch your arms upward and then relax them. You may shake them gently then bounce on your toes. Bend your elbows and push your arms back. There are many variations. Find a combination that suits you best.

Breathe deeply. Stand erect with your arms at your sides. From this position, extend your arms upward and outward. Inhale deeply as you do. Exhale as you bring your arms down. For deeper breathing, you can incorporate a bend and squat posture down to the floor and breathe out as you push your arms across your body and upward as you stand. This is quite invigorating.

You can apply these exercises at your next staff meeting. Yes, people will find it strange but once you make a habit of it, it will seem normal and perhaps even strange if you don’t do it. [Never compel anyone to participate; let them join at will.] You can do these exercises by yourself standing at your desk. Such tune-ups are great way to get your mind focused before you must write something important.

For generations, Asian (and more recently American) factory workers have done calisthenics prior to starting; not only do these exercises keep the body nimble but they also send blood flowing to the brain that, according to research, stimulates neurotransmitters that enable us to think more clearly. Regular exercise and yoga do the same. [Caution: put comfort first; do not do anything that will strain your limbs or back.]

As my colleages at Banff Centre emphasis, there is a definite physical aspect to management: movement. “The desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world,” writes novelist John LeCarre, in reference to altered perspectives that arise from those who work at headquarters and those who toil in the field.

It is precisely to avoid this discontinuity that Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard of Hewlett Packard practiced “managing by walking around.” It gets the manager up out of her chair to see what people are doing as well as how they are performing. And if you are going to be walking around you need to keep your mind tuned and your body fit. So stand and stretch.

There is a saying among Detroit sports fans that the two most popular sports figures are the backup quarterback for the Lions and the backup goalie for the Red Wings. That is, fans are never pleased with the star players. Given that the Lions are perennial losers and the Wings perennial contenders, pressure on the goalie to succeed is enormous. No one has felt the pressure more than Chris Osgood. Despite the fact that he has three Stanley Cups to his name (two as starting goalie) and led his team to Game 7 finals in a quest for his fourth, many fans get uneasy whenever he is in goal. There is always the fear that some sure-skated forward will poke a quick one past him into the net.

But this is not a sports story per se; it’s one of perseverance. As so many of us find ourselves battling against the odds, either to keep our companies alive, or perhaps to find another job, Chris Osgood is a wonderful example of how to keep yourself straight and moving forward. For example:

Stand tough. Osgood is not a big man, two inches under six feet tall. What he lacks in height, he makes up for in grit. “To me, the best part of Ozzie,” says general manager Ken Holland “is his makeup. You won’t find anyone more mentally tough.” Despite his approachable demeanor, Holland adds, “there’s a passion burning in him.” Not all of us need the demeanor of goaltenders, but we can stoke our own passions so that we have the determination and the perseverance to continue in down times.

Take the long view. Life in hockey, like life itself, can be up and down. Osgood began his career with the Wings in 1993 but left to play for two others teams between 2001-05. When he returned he was not always a starter. Last year he replaced legendary goalie, Dominic Hasek, in the first round of the playoffs. That helped the Wings capture their fourth Cup in eleven years. But again this year his save percentage ranked among the lowest of all NHL goalies; that is, he was letting in a lot of goals and so the cries for him to leave grew louder. “I don’t care what people say. I’ve played 15 years so I know it’s no fluke.” In short, belief in one’s own abilities is crucial to dealing with setbacks and deriving happiness from success, too.

Shrug off a bad game. Osgood has been notorious for allowing “soft goals” and he has admitted that at times during the season he has had trouble maintain concentration. But he never quit on himself. “I don’t take myself as serious as I used to. You tend to think when you’re younger that the whole world is looking at you when really it isn’t.” He has been benched occasionally but he keeps his focus and does not give up on himself. That is essential when adversity strikes. Things are bad enough on the outside; you cannot it destroy you on the inside.

Derive energy from your team. After playing in his 100th playoff game with the Red Wings, Osgood said, “It’s cool to share with guys I’ve known my whole hockey career.” The Red Wings are an organization that stresses team first; it is a culture that has bred winning. When you commit to the work ethic and produce the team rewards you. That becomes a source of energy that can sustain you in tough times.

One final thing, enjoy what you do. When a sports reporter for CBC-TV asked Osgood about facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals, the goalie smiled. He was full of praise for the opposition but let it be known that he viewed the upcoming match as something that was “fun.” Professional sports are a business so it’s nice when star players understand the game for what it is: entertainment.

Resilience is a necessary trait for all leaders, and sometimes we can learn the most from watching how athletes, especially the underdogs, respond to pressure and adversity. Those that succeed we call champions, and that’s a something we can all take a piece of us as we seek our own ways to battle the odds and win one or two for ourselves.

How do you lead when you don’t know all the facts? That’s a question that Don Vandergriff and George Reed explore in a thought-provoking article “Old Dogs and New Tricks: Setting the Tone for Adaptability,” published in Army Magazine . The authors, both retired Army officers, discuss the challenges the Army is facing as it continues being a command-centric organization engaged in a world and in battlefields that demands on-the-spot thinking, reacting and action all in split second time.

The article opens with a metaphor that former Chief of Staff, General Pete Schoomaker, used in describing the Army’s transformation as a cattle drive that was less about destination and more about the journey. Cowboys moving from the high country of Wyoming to the flat lands of Kansas knew they were moving southeast, but they did not know what or whom they would encounter on the trek. The landscape and stars pointed them in the right direction; experience held them together. Along the way, the cowboys, led by the savvy trail boss, dealt with the unexpected – weather, topography, and thieving poachers.

The issue of adaptability that Vandergriff and Reed explore for the Army has relevance to the corporate world. True enough desk jockeys are not seeking to outwit fundamentalist militants. But they learn soon enough that plans provide directions; leaders provide guidance. Thinking ahead as well as dealing with the unknown is part of the everyday reality. And so it is useful to explore ways of dealing with the unknown so that when the unexpected occurs, you will not be caught unawares.

“Reliance… on technically rational approaches will not suffice in the future,” write Vandergriff and Reed. “Instead of creating longer lists of false independent variables – knowledge, skills and attributes – that leaders must master… it may be better to address essential values and attributes such as fast learning, adaptability, and ethical reasoning.” Well put, and worthy of exploration point by point.

Learn fast. Preparation for change begins in the mind. You must think about what is coming next. Education conditions the mind to learning as does exposure to new and different challenges. Grooming leaders by having them work cross-functionally is valuable. Having them think and react in real time to situations that are new and different. In our global world, speed often becomes the operative factor in decision-making.

Adapt always. Change is part of business; adapt or die may be a cliché but it is reality. While change for change sake is churn, adaptability dictates observation first, flexibility always, and fundamental change third. Sometimes you change a process or a person, but not the whole system. Adaptability is more of a mindset that keeps the minds, people and the organization nimble. Comfort comes from a sense of preparation rather than a sense of status quo.

Reason ethically. Speed in the form of expediency may be tempting especially when everything seems to be falling down around you. However, the quick way out may end up costing more damage in terms of lost revenue, employees and reputation. By thinking ethically, that is, what is good for our stakeholders – employees, customers, vendors and investors – orients you to reality. Will there be trade-offs? Absolutely. Investors may advocate job cuts; customers may want more investment in product. Employees want job security. Finding the right balance is not easy, but ethical reasoning can point the leader in the right direction. Better it can allow the leader to make choices while painful in the short-term may be beneficial in the long run.

“The Army,” the authors write, “must be prepared to support, encourage, and reinforce adaptability.” So, too, must corporate leaders. The ability to change on a dime when necessary is vital to a company’s ability to meet evolving consumer expectations as well as unexpected changes in the economy and the geopolitical landscape.

But as much as we must embrace change, leaders need to hold firm to their values. The Army has its credo – duty, honor, service. Each company has its mantra, but so too do leaders. What matters is holding firm to your values but running forward, or standing firm, when the situation demands.

Adaptability does not always demand movement. Sometimes you hold your position. Knowing when and if to hold or move is essential to leadership, too. That comes with experience as well as with the support of an organization that prepares people to think on their feet and make decisions that matter. Dealing with you what you don’t know is unsettling and even frightening, but just like those old trail bosses heading out from Wyoming, judgment, experience and adaptability may help you ford the eddies and rivers ahead.

Source: Maj. Donald E. Vandergriff (USA retired) and Col. George Reed (USA retired) “Old Dogs and New Tricks: Setting the Tone for Adaptability” Army Magazine August 2007

[For more on this topic see Don Vandergriff’s newest book, Raising the Bar: Creating and Nurturing Adaptive Leaders to Deal with the Changing Face of War Washington, DC: Center for Defense Information Press 2007.]

Note: This column was first published on FastCompany.com on August 17, 2007