Rothacker Reviews

Remarkable Leadership

Remarkable Leadership by Kevin Eikenberry

Do you work for a living?  Buy Remarkable Leadership now!  Next.

"Jeepers Dave, we're not sure we got our money's worth with that review."

"Let me get this straight, you're paying me for this review?"

"Well, errr, uhhh..........no, but could you tell us a little more?"

Dave is a softy, he relents.

After reading Remarkable Leadership the first time, I closed the book and the first word that popped into my mind was prolific.  Remarkable Leadership is not just a book, it is a work.  Kevin focuses on thirteen core competencies.  They constitute Remarkable Leadership.  Each competency gets a chapter and Kevin weaves within each chapter components that entice you to participate.

"Participate Dave?"

Yes.  Kevin begins each chapter with a self-assessment.  This technique sets the stage for the book to become a conversation.  Then he provides in depth content on topics like continuous learning.  Kevin sculpts out each chapter with:

• Skill areas
• Your now steps
• Bonus Bytes
• Your Remarkable Principles
• Remarkable Resources

Bonus Bytes and Remarkable Resources direct you to an accompanying Web site that is packed with extra information.

If you are a teacher, mentor, manager, boss, coach, executive or otherwise bigwig, this book is for you NO QUESTIONS ASKED!  Jack Welch could benefit from reading Remarkable Leadership. 

"Daaaaave, we're feelin' a twist in the road ahead"

Do you know why Jack Welch could benefit from reading Kevin's book?  Because he isn't a bigwig anymore.  If you work, you need this book as much or even more than your manager does!!  Two reasons:

1. By understanding how your manager is trying to lead you, you'll become more effective.
2. You can become more effective.

Do you know that little guy who is dressed in white and sits on your shoulder?

"Now Dave, keep it together.  Don't loose it buddy."

Well, he kept asking me one question as I read the book.  He said, "Dave, what if you dropped the word leadership?"   I knew exactly what he meant.  I had the same thought myself.

"Your toast."

If  you approach reading Remarkable Leadership with the intent to become more effective, you will.   Nearly everything that Kevin talks about, can be instructive learning for every working person out there.  For instance, Kevin devotes time to the act of Listening.  Now, as much as you hope they would, do you think only leaders could benefit from advice on listening?  How about learning, dealing with change, communicating, telling stories, building relationships, networking, customer service, building values, creativity, innovation, collaboration, teamwork, problem solving, making decisions, responsibility, accountability, projects, processes and goal achievement?? 

"Dave!  You rebounded son!!"

Remarkable Leadership is a prolific book.  I would bind it with good, hearty stock, cover it in leather and cherish it for a lifetime.  But that's just me.

Remarkable Leadership was Smoked-n-Signed.

How Dave Got His Groove Back

Dave's life philosophy was Oz is the Yellow Brick Road.  But Dave wasn't living his life creed very well.  As he traveled the Road he continuously looked ahead.  Maybe once he got up around the next bend his ship would be there.  You see, at fifty-one years old, Dave didn't know what he wanted to be when he grew up.

Since 1977 with the exception of one year, Dave has had a manager title at work.  Early on, when his enthusiasm and energy was high, Dave was more busy trying to get work done than to get work done through his people.  The light bulb went off in 1988.  Dave threw himself into the study of business and management.  By 1997 he was ready to mount his steed and lead the troops.  The problem was his immediate boss who was also the company owner.  This gentleman's agenda stymied deployment of the personal development of anyone who worked for him.  Dave had an unbelievably talented and progressive staff.  For them to utilize their talents, he would have to provide cover.  Though rewarding, it was a massive drain on Dave's mind and body.  Eventually he left the company.

From that time on, Dave checked his spirit at the door as he punched the clock.  Personal satisfaction came from sharing knowledge with like-minded people online.  Author David Weinberger captured the essence of Dave's world with one simple sentence, "However much we long for the Web is how much we hate our job."  Dave yearned and longed for the Web all day long! 

Two years ago, Dave hooked on with a company that was different from any other he worked at.  This was an international company with around thirty state-side offices.  What really rocked Dave's world was that no matter what level the people were at, they were just plain nice people.  Perhaps he would be allowed to be a real manager and not one that was forced to strafe management's ignorance from five thousand feet so that his people could find true meaning in their work.

Hey Coach: Shouldn't we be running suicides?

Carla Rothacker:  "Hey coach, if girls were late last year Coach P made us all run suicides."

Vickie started playing softball in 1986.  Since then Rosemary and I have gone through twenty-two years of coaches with the girls.  They both played softball and basketball.  (Carla is a sophomore playing basketball for a Hillsborough county high school).  Last year she played for Coach P., who is in our top three of best all time coaches.  Coach P took over a troubled girl's basketball program.  He was tough love.  He left the program to pursue other scholastic athletic endeavors in the State of Florida.  We miss him dearly.

Carla's coach this year is well intentioned.  He wants to win and he wants the girls to do well.  I believe that this is his first year at the high school level.  He displays a public temper and lacks discipline amongst the troupes.  His temper is obvious.  That he lacks discipline comes from Carla's comment about the fact that she misses running suicides if girls are late.  Carla's remarks pierced my nearly thirty years of management experience like a hot knife cutting through soft butter.  My dear friend Rosa Say, from her book Managing With Aloha:

When a leader is respected, he will find that others want to be guided, and he's the one they choose to lead the way for them; he's the one that others are naturally compelled to follow.

Our young basketball coach will eventually learn this.  But his adventures cause me to look inside.  Is the grip that I have upon the helm of my own ship firm enough?  Honestly?  It hasn't been.  I've let the excuse of my health and nagging self doubt allow my grip to slip.

Note to dave in the future:  davie,  at this time you are working with the most passionate, hungry-to-learn group of people that have ever been under your tutelage.  You got your head out of your ass and recognized this.  You grabbed hold of the wheel...with conviction.  Your people loved that you would tell them to run suicides if you needed to!

Hollow Smiles

Hollow smiles.  Nervous, hollow smiles.

"Oh, that's nice dear.  So, when are you going to get a job?"

She puts in seventy hours each week...easy.  Time spent thinking, bending and molding words until they reach the pitch of perfection.  Time spent reading, conversing and networking.  Time spent on contests, querying and pitching.  Time spent on revising, revising and revising.  Time spent on obtaining an agent.  Time spent on trying to succeed.

Hollow smiles come from the well intentioned.  They think it's nice that she has a hobby.  It's nice to be dedicated, though they're not really sure to what.  It's nice to keep busy since she got laid off from her job.

The hollow smiles hurt her.  Why can't they understand she asks.  And then she wonders, am I doing the right thing?  Can I really make a living writing?  Should I just get a job like everyone wants me to do?  Maybe my stuff is not good enough.

He says no.  No, with conviction.  He believes in her.  After a round of hollow smiles, he comforts her.  He tells her she has what it takes.  He tells her that her stories are strong, her dialog flows and her descriptive language is refreshingly :-) adverb-free.  He has never doubted.  Not once.  He sees the two of them one day sitting on the porch of their cabin in Maine.  He sees her smile.  He sees peace in her heart.

Not all radiate hollow smiles.  Some effuse spirit-filled smiles of belief.  He hopes that those who matter most to her will one day be filled with the spirit of belief.  He hopes it comes before she breaks out, because it would mean that much more to her.  Until then he will hold her hand, hold her heart and hold open that cabin door.

Warrior Skills

Why must it take the skills of a warrior to obtain and retain customers?

I had an opportunity five years ago to take over a consultant's business.  The target market in this industry was less than five percent of the entire industry.  The actual users of this gentleman's service and others like him totaled less than one tenth of one percent.  I had asked my friend how did he do what he did?  To be on the road over two-hundred fifty days a year and maybe score a couple of new customers.  But mostly, how did he deal with all of the ignorance and resistance?

He said, "David, you've got to get in the ring and knock them upside the head. You have to battle and pound sense into them."

My friend loved that part.  He lived for the battle.

I am sure that it helps to be passionate about what you are selling.  For me, I long to sell a service or product that folks take delight in, that folks love to buy, that doesn't involve big corporation, that doesn't involve me conforming, that doesn't involve me dressing up like a monkey - where I can just be myself.

Here is a little story that involved me years ago, working in the aforementioned industry.  We had a customer who for years experienced extremely uncomfortable areas in his home that no other company could remedy.  We proposed a solution that he said was the equivalent price of taking his family of four to Disney World.  Comfort or Disney World?  This customer and his family chose to remain uncomfortable.

I just don't have the strength, stamina or will power to battle prospective customers.

Here is proof that this goes beyond my industry and actually inspired these words.

Independents Hall: Co-working and Beyond

Here is a link to one of the best About pages I've ever seen.  Alex Hillman explains what co-working is, what  Independents Hall is, how it originated, who is involved, where they are going and what has inspired them.  Masterfully succinct.

My first reaction to Independents Hall was, "young, hip, freelance-type-computer-dudes gathered together in a cave grooving with a pict."  For the sake of accurate disclosure, that truly was my very first thought, but only for a second.  Then I thought this is a brilliant idea and fruits of the cross pollinating type of atmosphere have yet to even be imagined. 

Then, at the fifteen second interval of my thinking, I thought of my dad...

My dad is seventy-seven years old and has been a Wally-Mart Greeter for twelve years.  Prior to that he spent forty years in large grocery store management and worked in that business for over fifty years.  He is a gold mine of retail store management.  Early on at Wally-Mart he tried to offer advice but got the what-does-that-old-man know vibes.  So he shut it down and did something for the very first time in his life.  He punched in and he punched out - with no value given in between other than to hand out carts and to be friendly.

How many folks are out there in our workforce today like my dad?  Walking gold mines just waiting to be harvested.

So, at the forty-second interval I thought, wouldn't it be cool if some old dudes could hang out with some young dudes at places like Independents Hall?

I've had this story in the stable for over a month.  After reading Lost Knowledge by Dave Simanoff of the Tampa Tribune I had to open the barn door and let it out.

What do you do for a living?

"What dooooo youuuuuu dooooo for a living?"

Parent - teacher conferences at Carla's school this past week provided the backdrop for one of my most favorite sports, people watching.  Parents had to wait on the average of ten minutes to see each of the seven different teachers their students have, so this allowed ample time for my imagination to speculate, play and wonder.

Two sets of parents held special intrigue for me.  One dad in his mid thirties and of average weight, had 1970's long hair and was wearing wire rim glasses, a tee shirt, jean shorts and tennis shoes.  The mom, about the same age and a bit overweight, was wearing a blouse and pants that came just below her knees.  We used to call them clamdiggers.  I'm not sure what you call them today. 

The business world frowns upon men who wear their hair the same length that our country's forefathers wore theirs.  So when I see a guy who has long hair, I ask myself "what do you do for a living?"   Yes I'll admit the question is asked with longing and a twinge of jealousy.   It is also asked in the spirit of freedom; "what path have you had to take to personal freedom?"

The other set of parents oozed money.  The dad in his late thirties, wore an open necked-long sleeve shirt, dress slacks and shoes that had to cost over eight-hundred dollars.  He was perfectly manicured, groomed and tanned.  His wife of about the same age, was either wearing jeans and a psychedelic top or had them painted on.  Her body had to cost one-hundred grand.  Even the teenage girls were staring in envy.  Knowing that this woman had to be occupied all day with physical trainers, exercise, hair stylists, tanning, nutritionists and manicurists, leaving no time to work, I had to wonder of the dad, "what do you do for a living?"

So what is my fascination with what folks do for a living?  I suppose it's like my imagination trying on a pair of jeans and looking into a mirror.  For the sake of accuracy, I almost never try jeans on.  Hmmm, I wonder if that has been my problem?

A Fine Line

Terry Starbucker stops me dead in my tracks with two essays.

 

• One

• Two

On one hand:  "...but this is my job.  It's not my life.  I don't define myself by this."
On the other:  "That target of teammate job satisfaction has only increased in importance to me as my career has progressed, because I have seen time and time again what it produces - real business success.   This has been a great learning experience for me.  And this difference making is personally rewarding, because I simply love what I do and I would like nothing more to have all my teammates feel the same way."

Can a person separate the two?  Can a person feel so much passion at work and have it not carry over to the life outside?

For twelve years I've been crawling, scratching and inching across the desert in search of a tall, cold glass of iced tea...in search of being able to say, "I simply love what I do!!!"  A partial definition of that position would have me writing about it on my Web site.  Another part would have me encountering some other being within the course of a work day who I could talk to about Gen X & Yers', marketing, social networking, design, personal development, emotional intelligence, writing, etc.

So in my mind, success would seem to have me melding work more with life.  Presently, the twelve foot thick steel door shuts, closing work off from my life.  Except when it doesn't.  (Thanks Ted!)

I was so severely burned and scarred years ago when I made the mistake of talking about my online life at work (which was about work but not my company) that I vowed to never do it again.  The degree of severity can be understood when, if you were to combine how I write here with a finite focus to help individuals within my industry develop, learn and grow.  It was all good.  No line crossing, no giving away company information.  Heck I only mentioned the company's name once, on the last day of our site's existence.

But Terry has caused me to open that door a wee bit with his Smiles essay...

So, I've had the word manager in my title for nearly thirty years, twenty-three of those in my present industry.   Here is what causes each corner of my mouth to reach out and grab hold of my ears.

I work with technicians.  They work on complicated machinery and controls.  If this equipment is not working properly companies can lose millions of dollars, by the hour.  If this equipment is not working properly people's lives can be critically affected. 

The technician's work results in either keeping a piece of equipment in a fine tuned condition or restoring one to this condition.  In either case, the result is pure art. 

Although I have never been a technician, I have the ability to recognize and appreciate a finely tuned piece of equipment.  I also have the ability to appreciate and acknowledge the level of pride that a technician has in his work, in his art.  You wanna talk about seein' some big ole smiles!

So as a manager, that is what brings smiles to my face.  It is not the bottom line, not customer service (though there is great satisfaction in pleasing one), and it is not awards.

In no way does this change anything, but after reading what brings delight to Terry, it feels pretty good to tell you what brings delight to me.

 

Fun Works

Fun Works by Leslie Yerkes.

Dick Richards trumps the fish.  Browsing through Fun Works I notice the first story is about the fish place in Seattle.  I wanted to shelve the book.  Corporate America embraced the fish place.  It bought its workers the book.  "Read it.  We will be a fun place to work.  File a weekly report.  Fun surveys at month's end."

But, as is my custom, I read the pages towards the book's end.  (Rosemary hits me when she catches me doing this).  I notice that Dick writes a page on what fun is to him at work.  Dick trumps the fish.

Thank God for friends like Dick.  This is a good book.

Actually, there are two other reasons that I dug into this book.  Berrett-Koehler, the publisher.  And the fact that Leslie works in Cleveland.  I remember reading a Fast Company article in November of 2005, about BK.  (FC's archives are screwed up.  The article isn't available).  I believe it was how they interacted with their authors that caught my attention.

Leslie originally published Fun Works in 2000.  She discusses eleven principles that are found in fun companies to work for.  Here are a few:

• Give permission to perform
• Trust the process
• Value a diversity of fun styles
• Expand the boundaries
• Hire good people and get out of the way (my favorite!)
• Be authentic

Each principle gets a chapter and a case study on a company that best exemplifies it.  As the book was originally published in 2000, Leslie includes a 2006 update.  She includes a page of reflection following the updates.  This produces a nice, clarifying effect.

A couple more distinguishing characteristics of Fun Works.  Plenty of white space.  White space helps me get physical with my books.  Pictures, graphics and an overall clean design sets this book apart.

There is a fun / work fusion inventory at the book's end.  I see this survey as a perfect complement to Marcus Buckingham's Measuring Stick survey from First, Break all  the Rules.  The manager takes Leslie's test and the workforce takes Marcus's.

Pick up a copy of this book and see what kind of fun folks are having at work.

Brazen Careerist

Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk.

Today's world of work is not the same as your father's was.  Thank God!  Penelope Trunk, columnist for the Boston Globe and Yahoo Finance in addition to her own Website has written a spot on, insightful book titled Brazen Careerist.  Penelope hopes to provide a roadmap for Gen X and Y'ers to follow in pursuit of their own life's work.  Drawing on real world experience, she stories upon such topics as:

• Grad School
• Adventures
• Resumes
• Interviews
• Managers
• Office Politics
• Sex Discrimination
• Promotions
• The New American Dream

Penelope's work has been referred to as the modern day version of What Color is Your Parachute?  While the Brazen Careerist is a manifesto and rallying wake-up cry for Gen X and Y'ers, I find that it talks frankly and honestly to a whole other generation of folks.  Mine.  The Boomers.

As a Boomer manager, I feel as if Brazen Careerist is my own personal undercover spy, infiltrating the Gen X and Y'ers' world.  Of course for me, there isn't a trace of spying or undercover that goes into dealing with folks from these generations.  It is all about collaboration.  And if one wishes to collaborate, they must understand the other collaboratoree.  Brazen Careerist introduces us, stays in the conversation and provides that much needed understanding.

For Boomers who do not recognize the workplace change today, there is no help.  But for those of us who relish in the new environment and who cherish the spirit and attitude of those who will one day be placing us in nursing homes*, I find the Brazen Careerist positively fascinating!!

*Our Gen Y daughter has for sometime reminded us of her role in this potential eventuality, helping to explain why we should see and support her point of view...or perhaps our nursing home will not have all of the amenities that we would expect.  She tried to explain the concept of an outhouse...