Helping Men and Women Become More Effective Leaders

Recognized as one of the 30 Most Influential Leadership Gurus Worldwide*

March 2008

"As much as things change, a few things do remain constant: honor, truth, integrity, and love. Proclaim their importance by modeling them in your dealings with everyone in the organization."
from 180 Ways to Walk the Leadership Talk

John's Podcast of the Month: All You Have to Do Is Ask
No one likes to be told what to do, but most of us like to be invited to do it.
http://www.cio.com/podcasts/baldoni/5ask.mp3

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Twin Virtues

"Hire for passion and compassion." That statement is what Gerry Meek, the CEO of the Calgary Public Library, uses “to describe our service philosophy and our way of doing things as an organization… We want our people to make a distinctive difference” inside the library system as well as in the community. By cultivating passion and compassion, Meek feels the library system attracts people with a commitment for what they do as well as whom they serve.

Passion is what gets you up in the morning; it fuels the drive to do what you do because you enjoy doing it and you relish the results you deliver. Compassion is what you extend to others; it is the manifestation of caring and concern. As organizations look ahead to what’s next, more and more are considering what kind of environment they are creating now. If they want to grow tomorrow, they had better be certain they are taking care of today, especially when it comes to cultivating and growing leaders at every level.

Passion is frequently spoken of in the abstract, as in "passion for the job" or "passion for results." By contrast, compassion takes a back seat; it is a "nice to have" attribute but few leaders speak publicly about it. In truth, if you want to deliver on passion, that is, use it as a lever to rally your team to achieve something sustainable you must demonstrate that what they do matters and for whom they are employed matters, too. In that vein here are some suggestions for developing and leveraging both. To stroke passion, consider:

Set high goals. People who love what they do like to push the odds to see how high and how well they can fly. By setting stretch objectives, you push motivated people to do their best. The pursuit dovetails with their passion.

Stoke the fires. While passion is entwined with motivation – and is therefore internal – all of us need to be developed. Give frequent feedback so people now where they stand. And when folks get off track, show them the way back so they can apply their passion toward meeting the needs of the team.

Measure results. Passionate people love to know how they are doing and what it means. Show how what they do matters in terms of gains against goals. For example, you may measure it terms of revenue increases or in other metrics like reducing turnover or meeting recruitment targets. Whatever the measurement, broadcast it.

To nurture compassion, consider:

Coach frequently. Management is a process of enabling others to succeed, specifically putting them into positions where they can succeed. Provide them with guidance.

Put people first. Look for ways to put this concept into action. Insist on people-friendly HR policies related to sick leave, child and elder care. Consider flextime schedules. Look for ways to create job sharing for folks who want to work part-time, e.g. mothers with young children.

Support volunteerism. Make it known that your organization is willing to donate time and effort to community service efforts. Perhaps it is a local school or maybe a family shelter or a multiplicity of assistance efforts. Some organizations provide paid leave for people engaged in community volunteer efforts. That is wonderful but not always possible. What is possible for most, however, is simple recognition of community need and a commitment to serve it.

Passion is often subjective; it is what individuals feel. It is the zeal we feel when we are doing what we enjoy and when we see the positive effects it has on us as well as our team. Compassion by contrast is nurtured from within but if it is to have any positive effect it must be applied to others. In other words, it’s no good being compassionate if you never do anything for anyone. Accountability matters in both passion and compassion. That is, you hold passionate people accountable for results for which they strive. And you demonstrate compassion by holding the organization accountable for delivering on its promises to its employees.

And so it is appropriate to speak of them as twin-sides of the same coin. Both are tangible and visceral. How they are applied matters, and when so often the only difference between competitors is their people, those organizations that manifest passion and compassion will succeed. Organizations composed of passionate people are motivated to give 100% and more. They will deliver on the extra mile; they will make things happen. Organizations composed of compassionate people are filled with people who know they are wanted and respected as individuals and contributors. Such people, too, are motivated to drive and to want to do whatever possible to make certain they do their jobs well so that the team and the organization strive. That’s a pretty potent combination that sharpens the edge of any high-performing organization.

Source:
[Adapted from a column first published by HarvardBusinessOnline.com on January 14, 2007]

Keynote Speaker
People who attend John's keynotes and workshops come away saying that his presentations are "insightful," "helpful," and "motivational." John's topics include communications, motivation, personal leadership and getting results the right way. John is a frequent speaker on leadership topics to corporate, professional, military, and university audiences. Visit www.johnbaldoni.com to see John's videos, listen to his coaching podcasts, or read his newest articles.

Executive Coach
John specializes in helping his clients discover and achieve leadership presence, which he defines as "earned authority." Those with leadership presence demonstrate a strong capacity to project confidence, communicate with conviction, instill trust, and most importantly, lead by example. Leadership presence combines a leader's earned authority with a follower's reason to believe. While leaders project their leadership, followers authorize it with their approval. What matters to us most is authenticity. Leadership presence can be taught and put into practice through focused coaching. Watch John's videos on leadership presence and communications at www.johnbaldoni.com/askjohn.

John in the News
* John Baldoni was named one of the "30 Most Influential Leadership Gurus”"worldwide for 2007 by Leadership Gurus International www.LeadershipGurus.net.

John On-line
John is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Online and writes the monthly Baldoni on Leadership column for CIO.com.

About John Baldoni
John Baldoni is a leadership consultant and speaker specializing in executive coaching, development and communications. John is the author of six books on leadership including the Great Leaders trilogy for McGraw‑Hill: How Great Leaders Get Great Results (2006), Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders (2005), and Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (2003).