Last night Jeff Taylor and I were invited to speak to the Harvard Business School Alumni Association.   When you share the stage with Jeff, get ready for a great ride because he’s cool and he’s got cool stories.  You  should have been there watching the audience as he described taking a dare to ski three miles towed by a blimp, at 30 MPH in a quest to break a record set by the flamboyant Richard Branson of Virgin. 

As founder of Monster.com Jeff has a lot of these stories.  In 1999 when Monster.com was just hitting its stride but certainly not yet “monstrous,” he spent a fortune to buy Super Bowl ads which flopped.  You might remember the ads depicted kids saying things like, “When I grow up, I want to claw my way into middle management.” What happened?  “We were being ironic.  It didn’t work with a bunch of guys drinking beer in front of a game.”  Ultimately the ads kept running, caught on like mad, and rest is history.  

There were more stories.  At the 2002 Winter Olympics Taylor spent four million bucks to build a snow labarynth and it was the warmest on record.  Just in time as the snow was melting the Today Show called and he got four minutes on live TV.  ”Matt ran through the thing in no time and thought no big deal.  Al was holding a flag just stuck in the middle,” says Taylor.  “Katie gets stuck, backs out, starts again, and says now she gets it.  Sometimes in your career you have to back up and start over.  It was incredible,” says Taylor. 

As often happenes when I go out to speak, I get more than I give.   Watching Jeff regale this crowd of Business School grads (though he himself took 23 years to graduate from college) was more fun than anything else I’ve done this week, or this month for that matter.  Here’s a CEO who gets it on so many levels. 

When I interviewed him for Motivate Like a CEO last year, he told me that he had noticed as his company grew, his role changed.  He went from founder to CEO to Chief Monster, his favorite role, where he went out and built the brand by going everywhere he was invited and speaking to just about anyone who would have him.  He got really good at speaking.  Not only is he a great storyteller, he openes up and shares everything - humor, emotion, personal insights, reflections - it’s no holds barred.  A lot of people in the audience might have assumed that he was a natural, but as he told me last year, and as he told the audience last night, he works at it, and keeps working at it.  He says he  really believes that Woody Allen line about 80% of success is about showing up.  “I just got back from Iceland where I was invited to judge an entrepreneurs contest.  They’re trying to save Iceland.  Why do I go?  I’m not sure.  But I’ve been showing up for a long time and it works.”

Jeff has two companies now - Eons - an online community for baby boomers, and a spinoff called Tributes.com for online obituaries.  If you’ve read Motivate Like a CEO you know that coming up with big ideas and inspiring others to get behind them is one of the characteristics of successful leaders.  One of the best questions last night were about where leaders get these “big ideas.”  “I have ideas all the time - I’m in the shower, I get an idea, and then I get out, and I forget.  I have to get back in the shower to find the idea,” he says.  “I wake up in the night, with a pad of paper next to the bed, and write them down.”  Of course everybody HAS ideas, says Jeff.  It’s those who ACT on them who make things happen and attract other people who are excited about them too.

You know the blimp ski story?  Jeff says the coolest thing was that as he was bumping along, he was hit by a huge wake left by a barge and wiped out.  All 500 of his employees were gathered in the cafeteria watching it live.  They went wild.  They loved it.  Working for Jeff was like that.  “We had the absolute best culture at Monster.  People loved working there.”  What you have to appreciate about Jeff is he gets that.  When he dons his skis, or builds snow forts, he’s out to have fun, and he also knows how his employees will feel about it.  He’s their leader.  

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Leadership guy Jon Gordon is writing about a timely topic. The author of  Playing to Win, What the Best do Better Than Everyone Else, and Training Camp, Ten Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and team with Positive Energy, writes this week that “There was a time in most of our lives when we had no fear-that feeling when we jumped from the jungle gym and slammed our little bodies to the ground.”  He says we “felt there was nothing we couldn’t do.”  Yet somewhere along the way Gordon notes that we start to understand what it means to be fearful, and “let fear into our lives.”  And this of course, changes the way we approach our careers and our lives.

This is a timely message.  Even the most intrepid, courageous leader has been battered by tough economic times.  No question that the downturn has helped us focus on the highest priorites, improve efficiency, and execute with fewer resources.  Yet now is not the time to operate in fear. It’s time to screw up our courage, dive in the pool, and encourage our teams to do the same.  We’ve need to break away from the negative energy that is feeing our fears and insecurities; stop listening to the inner voice that says we shouldn’t or can’t.  As Gordon says, “go after our dreams.”  What’s at stake is not just the opportunity in front of us.  Living in fear can become a habit that keeps us stuck for the rest of our lives.

If you “play to lose,” and communicate this to others, then everyone in your organization will do the same.  That’s why everytime you speak with your direct reports, your teams, and your organization you need to get focused and feel the courage. People aren’t just listening to the words, they are reading between the lines.  You can’t fool them.  Take charge of your emotional state before you speak.  Communicate wih confidence. Invite others to make courageous decisions.  Make them believe in themselves.  Encourage them to lose the fear. 

As I’ve discussed in Motivate Like a CEO, leaders are the keepers of the emotional life of their organizations.  In challenging times, they must take control of their emotions and lead the way.  If you are a leader, now is the time to take an emotional inventory, before you stand up to speak.  Get in touch with your own courage, and then, light a fire; make them believe. If you live and work with zeal and act with courage they will do the same. As Gordon puts it, “overcome fear and adopt a play to win mindset.”   

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How many times have you listened to a sales presentation and wondered, is that story true?  Guess what.  Your instincts are probably right.  Most of us have radar when it comes to integrity.  We don’t know why we know what we know, but we still know.

Yet this should not prevent you from including stories in sales presentations.  Stories are a powerful tool.  Make a point through the experiences of your clients and customers and you can usually close the sale.   People don’t just buy data; they buy through the eyes and experiences of people like them.    

So great sales people know how to incorporate stories in their presentations and sales leaders encourage them to do so.  In a couple of weeks I’ll be giving a workshop on storytelling for sales people.  I was thinking about how to explain why some sales stories work and others don’t.  Here’s the formula:

T.R.A.P.

Truth:  Make sure your story is true.  See above.  People know when you’re stretching, straining or straddling.

Relevant: The story should have parallels to the clients current condition.  If not you may spin a good yarn but it will unravel quickly.

Applicable: The resolution to the story must show the client how he or she can use the product or service immediately to make an impact on their lives or their business

Predictive:  The story should explain clearly how it worked for someone else and offer proof that it will work for your prospect too.

This what you should hear a prospect “thinking” if your story passes T.R.A.P.

True: “This isn’t just sales talk, it rings true and I believe it happened.”

Relevant: “I can see clearly how this correlates to me and my company.”

Applicable: “This answers a key challenge in our company.  I see the benefit.”

Predictive: “I see how it worked in that case and I know what it could do for me.”

I’ll be gathering ideas at this sales conference to help sales leaders prepare their teams to deliver outstanding presentations.  Stay tuned.  And if you’d like to offer your suggestions on great sales presentations I’d like to hear from you.  Simply click on leave a reply. 

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This week I’ve been thinking about that saying, “lead by example.”  The origin of this well-worn standard is a Chinese proverb, yi shen zuo ze, which means ”to set a good example,” or “set yourself as the standard.”  For thousands of years people have known that a leader’s actions must match his or her words.  As I have discussed in the 8 principles of Motivate like a CEO, great leaders walk the talk. 

But is that enough?

Yes and no.

If you work in a high functioning organization, chances are your leaders walk the talk.  They live the values.  It comes from the top down.  Leaders who live the values inspire others.  

This brings me to posting your values statements on the wall.  This is a form of communication, but it isn’t the answer to creating a values based culture. People believe what they see and hear from their leaders, not what they read on a poster. If one leader in the organization is acting by a different set of rules, people will see that individual as an outlier.  However, if employees see that more than one leader living by different standards, that’s a trend.  They’ll scoff at the values and their cynicism will foster a negative, demoralized workplace.  

So of course, leaders have to live the values.  But is that enough?

Not really.  Why?

Because in a large organization, most people don’t get to meet you.  They certainly don’t see you every day, every week or every month.  In fact, they may go years without ever shaking your hand.

However, most people will be invited to a business meeting and hear you speak; they may receive emails from you; they may hear from their own bosses about how you’ve handled certain situations.    

This is why a leader has to not just lead by example, but also talk about examples of how the organization are living by its values.  If you can’t have lunch with every employee, you need to connect with them in a personal way through the stories of the organization.  You can do this through speeches, presentations, videos and even email and blogs.  

Tell stories that demonstrate how successful people in your organiztaion are walking the talk.  Collect these stories routinely and then share how teams and groups have been living the values.  Once you start to do this people will tell you more stories about living the values and you’ll soon have a collection of these stories to share. 

The ability to share compelling stories with points through speaking and writing is a critical leadershp skill.  if you’re not sure how to find stories - think of a time when your team has faced a difficult situation.  Perhaps you disappointed a customer and had to “do right by them.”  Perhaps someone working on a project had to go above and beyond.  What happened?  Why did the team or individual make that decision?  What was the outcome?  How did it illustrate the values? What did the team learn from that experience?  How can others apply the lesson?

These are the stories that you need to share with your organization.  For your next presentation, investigate three examples of how the organization has succeeded, and analyze how those successes are tied to your values.  It will be well worth it, because when people hear a story, they remember the story, and then they remember the point.

So living by example is only half of the battle. The rest is sharing the stories with others. 

以身作则
yǐ shēn zuò zé
To set a good example / Set yourself as the standard

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This week I was in Dallas at the Network of Executive women, to deliver a workshop on Storytelling for Business Leaders.  We talked about how to become a great storyteller and share leadership lessons through those stories.  You wouldn’t believe the number of executives who came up to me afterword to tell me this is exactly what their companies are asking them to do. 

Top companies have come to embrace the idea that their leaders are not just important to driving today’s business strategy; they are also the keepers of the history, culture and values.  Those lessons must be shared in order for the company to grow and prosper.  The next generation of leaders and the generation after that need to know how you got there, why it worked, where you failed, and what you’ve learned along the way.

The question is how companies can create an environment and foster a process for passing on these leadership lessons.  What can your company do to make sure that you avoid falling into the same traps or repeating the mistakes you’ve already made?  In other words, how can you teach your leaders to teach  others?

Storytelling is one of the best tools for passing on lessons.  While most of us appreciate the value of stories, few of us have had the opportunity for good instruction in a process that allows us to find and develop stories from our own careers, analyze the lessons, and passing them along.

Even when leaders use stories, the points, metaphors and lessons often feel “tortured.”  The stories meander, go on too long and fail to make a powerful point.  Sometimes the point is too vague (as in “that’s why teamwork matters.”  What makes a story work is the specificity of the lesson.  People want to know precisely what you learned.  For example, “what we learned is that teamwork isn’t possible unless every single person makes an explicit commitment and follows through.  Otherwise, teamwork is just a concept.”

If you’ve ever heard a manager or executive tell a story and wondered afterward, “What was that about?” then it’s likely what they did is decided on a point they wanted to make, then tried to fit the story around it.  Your points need to spring from inside your stories, so that as your audience listens, they already have a feeling where you’re going.  Your point and universal lesson, clearly articulated at the end, simply drive it home.  When you think of a point then think of a story that might work, it feels to the audience like you’re trying to jam a square peg in a round hole.  It leaves them frustrated.

One way to avoid this is to work with a partner who asks you probing questions about your story.  Storytelling is an out loud activity, and a partner helps you uncover the key moments that make it memorable, the feelings that connect your audience emotionally, and the insights that will lead you to those valuable points.  Ask your partner to listen closely and stop you whenever they don’t understand what happened, or how you felt about it, or what it meant to you.  Tell your partner not to assume anything, but rather to ask whenever they are curious about something or need clarification. 

Questions they can ask:

1. Tell me more about that.

2. Describe the scene, time, place.

3. What did (he or she) actually say? (this will help you act out the conversation in your story)

4. How did you react when that happened?

5. How did you feel?

6. Why was that important?

7. What did you do next?

8. How did it resolve?

9. What lesson did you learn?

10. How does this apply to (your audience)?

If you’re interested in a workshop on Storytelling for Business Leaders, or Storytelling for Sales Professionals, email me at info@bates-communications.com  The workshop provides a process for finding and developing stories from your life and career, working with a partner, writing conversationally, finding powerful points, and universal lessons that resonate for your audience.  We share a four part story structure that will help you write clear, concise, compelling stories for any type of business presentation.

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In Chinese philosophy the concept of Yin Yang, often referred to in the West as Yin and Yang, is used to describe how seeming disjunct or opposing forces are interconnected and interdependent, giving rise to each other in turn. Dark and light; male and female; low and high are all manifestations of yin and yang.

In leadership one of the yin and yang principals that I see at work are confidence and humility.  As I’ve said in past articles, great leaders have both.  More accurately, the best have a perfect balance of both. 

Last night a CEO approached me after my speech to a Chief Executives Club.  He’s been through a tough year and is feeling beaten up.  He has lost his passion for the work, isn’t connecting with his customers, and his business is faltering.  His confidence has taken a beating.  Just a guess - he probably had good balance to start.  He seemed sincere, authentic, and thoughtful.  But without the confidence he appeared tired and depressed.  It is taking a heavy toll on his personal and professional life.  

The pendulum can swing the other way - sometimes we can become full of ourselves when confidence rears ahead.  We’ve all met people who start to “believe their own press releases” and think they deserve all the credit for their own success.  We stand on the shoulders of our colleagues, teams and mentors as well as the leaders who came before us.  If we forget to praise, thank and reward people eventually it will catch up to us and have the same destructive effect.

How’s your balance of confidence and humility?  With confidence, you are able to make decisions, take risks, move ahead, deal with setbacks, and tip the balance in your favor.  With humility you’re able to open up to learning, see where you can improve, learn from your mistakes, appreciate others and keep perspective on success.

Given all that’s happened in business, it wouldn’t be surprising if many of us have fallen out of balance.   But an improving economy won’t cure that.  We have to rely on our inner resources.  Geting the balance right, finding the yin and yang of confidence and humility will make us better leaders.  How will you balance these two traits in your professional life?  

I welcome your comments as always and also wonder whether this is a topic worth exploring further in a Teleseminar or Webcast.  Let me know about other topics that interest you, too.  Click on “leave a reply” below or email me at info@bates-communications.com  

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I’m just back from an intensive week in which our Bates team coached 23 top leaders of a Fortune 50 company on their strategic recommendations for the organization.   There was a lot riding on it for each of them, since the Chairman and CEO of the company and members of the senior leadership team would be evaluating their presentations and providing feedback. 

What the SLT was looking for were clear, bold solutions to significant challenges facing the business.  They wanted to see how effectively the groups worked together, defined the challenge, analyzed the data, developed strong solutions, and answered tough questions.  The final exercise was an outstanding way to see how these leaders think and how they show up as leaders.  Here are a few things I learned that I want to pass along to anyone who is presenting to their SLT.  

1.  Clearly define the problem: If you have not correctly decided what to look at then everything you propose will be for naught.  Remember, most senior leaders have already looked at issues you’re raising and they demand and expect precision.  Clarify the issue by thinking through the real issues and using precise language.

2.  Tell them why it matters:  Why is it important right now for the company to address this issue?  You must make a compelling case for the company putting its time and attention on the matter at hand.  Explain what the market opportunity is, or what is at stake, or what is at risk, if they do not address it, and conversely what the positive results might be if they take action now.

3.  Prove it:  How do you know what you know?  You need rock solid facts and analysis.  You data should be impeccable.  You also need to be intellectually honest when presenting it; data can be ambiguous and interpreted many ways.  There can be flaws in the gathering of it, as well.  Senior leaders will see right through any attempt to stack the deck in your favor, and they will consider you junior if you try to do so.  They also will insist that you apply rigor to your own process and will pounce if you have not proven your case.

4.  What’s the action step:  Be prepared to get to the bottom line quickly with a set of proposed  next steps that the senior leadership team might take.  If you’ve already sold them on the what and why you need to be ready to move on.  However, don’t tell them what to do; propose.  Avoid phrases such as ”have to” or “must,” and instead use words like, “we strongly recommend,” or “the most prudent action would be,”  because trust me they’re going to make the decision.  Be bold in what you recommend, just don’t be presumptuous in the way you address the top leaders of the organization.

5.  Watch your tone:  A good leader balances confidence and humility.  Leaders recognize high potential leaders when they do this effectively.  Don’t presume that your senior leaders don’t know a lot of what you know; that’s why they have the top jobs.  What they are really looking for in you is someone who cares about the company, in fact, loves the company, and wants to add value. 

6. Focus on the highest priorities for the business:  Business priorities change constantly so you need to be on top of what is most important for your senior leaders and your CEO RIGHT NOW.  Understand the business strategy thoroughly before you start proposing new programs, solutions or spending.  It may be a great idea but if it isn’t perfectly aligned with what the CEO wants to accomplish right now the SLT will have no bandwidth to listen.  And, stay current.  Don’t assume what mattered last week matters this week.  When crisis arises, everybody focuses on that until its resolved. 

7.  Look at the challenge from the top down, not the bottom up:  Don’t come in with a littany of complaints about how people see a problem or what the naysayers are yapping about.  Imagine you’re the CEO and look at the challenge the way he or she would look at it.  Solve the business problem first and then worry about how it gets implemented, including how you’ll work with people on culture or change management.  Change is difficult but it follows big strategic decisions; get the strategy right and then work on the rest of it.

8.  Work as a team and make the presentation as a team: Work out your differences among your team prior to making the presentation.  This is hard work but it will pay off when you have a unified front.  This isn’t to say that you might not have minor differences in how you would approach the issue but if you look like you’re arguing in front of the CEO, he or she will tell you to go back to the drawing board.  CEOs and senior leaders value team work and want to see how you make it happen.

9.  Socialize your idea before you present it: Your idea will probably go through several iterations during the process of gathering data, analyzing and developing recommendations.  Talk with other senior leaders, influencers and experts to be sure you are on track and answering their questions.  Find out whether there are third rail issues you shouldn’t touch until you understand them better.  Get feedback and accept feedback from people who are in the know.

I’d like your comments on this article - especially if you have new tips on presenting to senior leaders.  Click below to “Leave a reply.” 

I’m also interested in knowing whether you’d like to read more articles like this.  Let me know and also suggest other article topics.

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