Tag Archives: Leadership
Thank goodness for the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Without it, parking might have become the next financial bubble to rock America. Last week I received an email from Parkmobile. They provide the service that allows consumers to use their smart phones to pay for parking at cities across America, rather than feeding parking meters. The email informed subscribers that the transaction fee they charge was increasing by nearly 40%, and the reason for this increase was… Wait for it. You guessed it – Dodd Frank. This law, which was intended to reign in Wall Street and prevent another financial crisis, has ensured that evil and greedy parkers around the country don’t bring down our economy with their reckless behavior.
Much of my work as an executive coach focuses on helping my clients deal with things that are broken, flawed, or just don’t work. This may be relationships, business processes, behaviors, etc. As human beings, we like it when things work, and we find ourselves unsettled when they don’t. Our natural reaction to things that don’t work is to fix them as quickly as possible. Now that I have stated the obvious, so what?
Several months ago, one of my executive leadership coaching clients started our session by venting his frustration about the state of politics in America. It is easy to share his frustration. As a resident of one of the “battleground” states in the upcoming election, I am overwhelmed by the volume of commercials and deeply disturbed by their universal lack of civility. Although I shared his feelings in general, I found myself surprised by the overarching conclusion he had drawn about the problem’s root cause. He stated emphatically, “The problem is principles!” When I asked him to elaborate, he said that he felt that in the name of principled leadership, politicians have become rigid and inflexible. “They are unwilling to cooperate, collaborate, or compromise.”
“Some people really stepped up.” That’s what a friend of mine said when I asked him how things went when he returned to work after a month of medical leave. The look on his face and the tone of his voice said the rest, “. . . and some people didn’t.” It is a common theme of discussion in my executive leadership coaching practice. I hear it from most leaders I talk with. Some people step up, and some people do not. It is often surprising who does and who doesn’t. We are thrilled by the unexpected leadership shown by those who rise to the occasion, and we can be so disappointed by people who fail to meet our expectations. The former can be gratifying, but the latter can shake our confidence as leaders.
“It’s not supposed to be fun. That’s why they call it work.” That was my father’s attempt at humor whenever I complained about chores around the house. I know he was only kidding, but for many people, this is how they truly feel. It’s work, so it is supposed to be hard and unpleasant. The idea that work could be fun is almost counter-cultural. Several years ago, in spite of what my father said, I came to the realization that work not only can be fun, it should be. That doesn’t mean that we will always love every aspect of our work, but I believe we are doing ourselves a real disservice if we don’t strive to find employment that is fulfilling and enjoyable. This new way of looking at work was a primary driver behind my decision to leave the relative security of my corporate life for the uncertainty of entrepreneurship.
Testimonials
Ph.D., Director, Gilliam Center for Free Enterprise and Ethical Leadership and Professor, Management Department, College of Business, James Madison University
Ph.D., Director, Gilliam Center for Free Enterprise and Ethical Leadership and Professor, Management Department, College of Business, James Madison University
President, AAISP – DC
P.Eng., President ACT Canada
President, Arneson Leadership Consulting
(Steve was named one of the country's Top 100 thought leaders on leadership in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and one of the Top 25 leadership coaches in America for 2008, 2009 and 2010 by Leadership Excellence magazine. )
Former Governor and Senator, Commonwealth of Virginia
EVP and CFO, Intersections, Inc.
(USN ret.), former POW
President, Financial Services, Capital One
CEO, Korea Exchange Bank
formerly management columnist at the FT, now Visiting Professor at the Cass Business School, London, and director of strategy at Edelman in the UK
former Commanding Officer, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, CVN-69, and recipient of the John Paul Jones 'Inspirational Leadership Award' from the Navy League of the US.
Professor Emeritus, Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia
Co-author Anytime Coaching: Unleashing Employee Performance Adjunct Professor, Johns Hopkins Carey Graduate School of Business
Bishop Emeritus of Richmond
Professor Emeritus, Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia.
Head Coach, Butler University Men’s Basketball Team
Managing Director, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
Author of Be Your Own Coach, and On Becoming a Leadership Coach, and creator of the Georgetown University Leadership Coaching Program