Len Schlesinger

President, Babson College; Harvard Professor;
Former Vice-Chair, Limited Brands
Boston, Massachusetts

In today’s climate of social and economic uncertainty, conventional approaches to problem-solving don’t work anymore. “The traditional way of thinking our way into acting is rendered essentially useless,” says entrepreneurial thought leader, Len Schlesinger. “Action trumps everything.”

A former executive in two Fortune 500 companies, Schlesinger believes that entrepreneurial activity, steeped in experiential learning, can transform the way leaders move forward in the face of unpredictability—and that entrepreneurial thinking can be codified and taught to anyone. Leaders hungry to stay ahead of the 21st century change curve are invited to unlock this entrepreneurial code for themselves and shore up their ministries or organizations for success, regardless of what the future may bring.

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Session Notes: “Action Trumps Everything”

Entrepreneurship has the power to change the world.

Really good entrepreneurs are really good at adapting and minimizing risk.

Most entrepreneurs start without a sharply defined vision.

“Entrepreneurship is a discipline and a discipline can be learned.” Peter Drucker

If you can’t predict the future, create it.  Act!

1. Take small steps with what you have in hand.
2. Make sure you’re taking a firm step on solid ground.
3. Build off what you actually find from that step.
4. Have some resources or friends standing by if you need some help.

Start with things you care about!

Entrepreneurs are always doing what they want to do or what they think will get them what they want.

Instead of worrying about what you are going to do, worry about what you are going to do next.

We’re afraid of taking action because we’re afraid of failure.

Failure doesn’t mean game over.  It mean start over with experience.

Failure is learning things that no one else knows.

1. Know what you want.
2. Stop obsessing about the things you need to do something.  Start with the means you have.
3. Take steps on your means and what you can afford.
4. Bring other people with you and remain flexible.

Where are you holding back?  How do you need to embrace the spirit of an entrepreneurism?

The typical work day is gone.

There is no such thing as clocking in and clocking out unless your stuck in an industry that is still trying to live in the Industrial Revolution… and that’s not gonna last for long.

Life is not as compartmentalized as it used to be and many of us are still trying to figure out how to operate in this new reality.

Everything goes with us everywhere.  You get your email, twitter, facebook, stock reports, etc on your phone any minute of the day.  You can access information worldwide at the click of a button or a tap on an iPad.

Work doesn’t shut off after work hours and family doesn’t quit calling during work time.

It all intersects and the successful will figure out how to operate in this new reality.

Better yet, great employers will learn how to lead in this new reality.

Life and work blend now more than ever.

So how do you navigate it?

This news made me sad today…

“Borders Group has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plans to close 30% of its stores”

Borders books has been my favorite bookstore for years.  In fact, I’m actually quite snobby about it.  I will drive across town to go to Borders rather than go to the bookstore down the street.  I like the environment.  Their displays are done well.  The cafe is nice.  Store clerks let me roam without checking on me all the time – available if I need them, but not hovering.  The note card and journals section always tempts me… I could go on.

But honestly, today’s news did not surprise me too much.  As great as my love for Borders is, I’ve been cheating on him.  A few months ago I unknowingly outgrew Borders.  I didn’t really realize it until I was wandering through the store last night looking for a gift.  I was horribly tempted by the new release tables, but it dawned on me how committed I am to my newest love – the iPad.  No longer am I interested in buying a stack of books that I have no idea when I’ll really read.  Instead I browsed their racks and made some mental notes of books that I was going to buy either on my Kindle App or from ibooks.

The world of reading has radically changed for me and I had to leave my old love behind.

I wonder if Borders has any clue that even their most faithful are being slowly pulled away?  How come they didn’t keep up?  Did they think I wouldn’t grow or change?

Sorry Borders, I may have unintentionally contributed to your demise.  I wish you would have kept up.

Question for leaders:  Are you paying attention to what may be changing for your customer/attendee?  How can you keep up?

As a student of leadership, I’ve been wrestling with a question for some time…

What’s the real difference between management and leadership?

Leadership has become such a glamorized word in our culture.  It feels so much nicer and more inspiring than the often derogatory connotation that comes with the word management.

But the longer I study great leaders, the more I’m convinced that you can’t be a great leader without being a great manager.

Sometimes I feel like today’s leaders want the glory of being known as a great leader without the hard work of management.

Great leaders are great managers.

Let’s take a minute to look at some definitions:

leadership – an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction

to lead:

• to go before or with to show the way; conduct or escort
• to conduct by holding and guiding
• to influence or induce; cause
• to guide in direction, course, action, opinion, etc.
• to command or direct (an army or other large organization)
• to go at the head of or in advance of (a procession, list, body, etc.)

• a person who has control or direction of an institution, business, etc., or of a part, division, or phase of it.
• a person who controls and manipulates resources and expenditures, as of a household.

A few weeks ago we started a discussion about The Floundering Leader.  We talked about how to encourage and support the flounder-er and what to do if you are the one floundering.

That discussion got me processing another side of this issue…

What happens when you are trying to lead someone who is floundering in their leadership?

And if everyone flounders from time to time (which I believe they do), as a leader of leaders you are going to find yourself leading a floundering leader at some point.

And here’s my concern… I think sometimes we give up on floundering leaders too soon.  We think they just can’t cut it.  We think the job’s outgrown them.  We point out everything that is wrong and rationalize why they should have handled it differently.

As leaders of leaders, this is where it gets really tricky.  How do you know if someone is really failing or just floundering?  Floundering can look an awful lot like failing for a season.

Before you give up on someone too quickly, let me challenge you to consider a few things:

• What can you own?
• Where could you have provided better direction?
• Have you been too controlling or too hands off?
• Have you, in your busyness, been ignoring the warning signs that this leader was struggling?
• Is there something that you can do to lead them better?
• Do you understand what they need to succeed?
• Are they willing to try?
• Are you engaging the tough conversations and providing them candid, considerate, honest feedback?
• Does this leader feel safe being vulnerable with you about what they are struggling with?

Before you give up, be sure you’ve done your part.  You set the tone and create the culture that allows leaders to thrive or flounder.  Do your best to give them every opportunity to thrive!

Have you ever given up on someone too quickly?

If you are in the second chair, you have not been called to a place of comfort; you have been called to a place of leadership.“

This quote is from one of my all-time favorite books entitled Leading from the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series) by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson.

Leading at any level is difficult, but being a second chair leader – that leader that isn’t the CEO, Pastor, President, etc, but is the next tier of leadership directly serving these types of first chairs – has it’s own unique set of challenges. In my opinion, most second chair leaders have to balance many of the challenges of strategic planning, future development and business administration details with an awareness and intentionality to relationally leading the staff on a daily basis. The Second Chair is the leader that the team needs feedback, encouragement and direction from on a daily basis.

But, the see-saw of going back and forth from business to staff relations can make any good leader a little dizzy and unfocused.

Because I’m wired to be “task first”, I have to be very intentional to see-saw over to the relational side. The heaviness of the business, management and develop stuff can easily keep me grounded on that side if I let it. Remember when the big kid would get on the see-saw and keep you dangling in the air? Yep, that’s me. I’m the big kid on the business side holding down the see-saw while my staff are dangling in the air on the relational side dieing for a chance to come back down.

Odds are we all lean to one side or the other. Most of us are wired to be “task” or “people” first. Striking a balance between the two and having the discernment to know when to lean into one or the other, is a leadership skill that is developed over time.

Since I lean to the “task” side, I have created a few questions that help me know when and how to see-saw back to relationship.

My relationship questions:

• What does the team need from me today? Encouragement? Direction? A listening ear? Practical help?
• What tasks do I have and how can I take care of them so that I’m energized and able to focus on the team?

If you are naturally a relationship person who needs help see-sawing over to the task side more consistently, here are a few questions you might ask yourself:

• What is one thing I can do today that will help better prepare our organization and staff for the future?
• What is the best time and place for me to work on my leadership tasks and how can I adjust my schedule to create intentional time to work on these priorities?

Here’s the deal, the see-saw will never be perfectly balanced. Remember how hard you tried to scoot up or scoot back on the see-saw to balance the weight so both you and your friend would be floating in mid-air? A lot of work for short reward.

Embrace the see-saw… just remember to not get stuck on one side or the other!

How about you? Which side of the leadership see-saw do you have the potential to get stuck on? Task or Relationship?

What’s your brand?

In my former job I spent the majority of my time developing brand identities for artists.  I worked hard to determine the unique characteristics of the individual musician/band/singer and then figured out how to market that to set them apart from the rest of their competitors.  It was a fascinating, sometimes frustrating and yet, a very rewarding experience… especially when I felt like I captured the heart of the individual and got to share that with the world.

As much as the word “branding” sounds all-business, cold and impersonal, I really believe in the power of a brand.  More importantly I believe in the power of understanding your unique brand.

My personal definition of branding is: authentically being who you are and portraying that consistently.

Each one of us has been uniquely gifted by God with certain strengths, talents, gifts, passions, etc.  And this unique combination makes up your personal brand.

I believe there is great power in understanding who you are and who God has uniquely made you to be.  Some of us have learned this well.  Others of us have allowed life/people/circumstances to shadow our innate interests and desires… sometimes to such a degree that it takes years for us to dig up what’s been buried so deep.

So, who are you?

What makes you uniquely you?

How would others describe you?

Better yet, how would you describe the real you?

What’s your brand and are you living it with passion?

If these questions stump you, frustrate you or paralyze you, I would challenge you to go on a journey to understand who God has created you to be.  Here are a few things I would recommend to get you started:

1. Take a spiritual gifts assessment. This is a great tool to begin to help you unpack spiritual gifts as they are outlined in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4.  Here are a couple of free online tests: Church Growth.org and First Baptist Huntsville
2. Understand your strengths. Read Now, Discover Your Strengths or Strengths Finder 2.0 and take the Strengths Finder assessment.
3. Develop a relationship with a mentor who can provide candid feedback, offer encouragement and coach you in your growth.
4. Journal your thoughts and feelings… especially the moments where you feel alive and thriving.
5. Pray for God to give you clarity, insight and passion for the purpose He has for your life.

One of my favorite passages of scripture is in Galatians 6 from The Message:

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.  Don’t be impressed with yourself.  Don’t compare yourself with others.  Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Be uniquely you!!

Are you ready to get started?

I’m a huge student of great companies and great leaders.

(I know that comes as a huge shock to those of you who visit here frequently )

Today our staff headed down to Financial Peace Plaza in Franklin to see what Dave Ramsey and The Lampo Group are up to.  Rated one of the best places to work in Middle Tennessee, I wanted to see how this organization stacked up to my experience at Zappos a couple of weeks ago.  I was equally impressed with The Lampo Group.  While not the outrageous experience of Zappos, the environment created by Dave Ramsey and his team made it obvious to me why landing a job at this organization is such a big deal.

What I observed:

• Sleek, neat, professional environment in EVERY area of the building
• Fierce loyalty to vision
• Constant celebration of milestones and successes (both for the organization and the people they serve)
• Relentless pursuit of excellence and growth
• A balance of confidence and humility
• Consistent recognition of God’s favor

These two quotes/formulas were displayed on their walls and give a great glimpse into the values of their culture:

“Focused intensity over time multiplied by God’s power creates an unstoppable momentum.”

“Momentum plus unity with the power of God creates waves over obstacles equaling emergence.”

As we wrapped up our tour, our entire staff was invited to pray with Dave before he began his afternoon radio show.  We circled up in the hallway and prayed together before he stepped into the studio.  What an honor!  I was amazingly moved by the power and influence this man has in our culture and how he is unashamedly pointing to this faith and the power of the Gospel.  So impressive!

What leader or organization has most inspired you recently?

It’s been a little while since I’ve done a book review.  Not because I haven’t been reading.  Just because nothing has wowed me enough to tell you about it.

Well, the drought is over.

I finally finished Jim Collins new book “How the Mighty Fall” and LOVED IT!

There’s no question I’m a Jim Collins fan.  I believe “Good to Great” is the defining business book of our generation.  “Right seat on the bus”, “hedgehog”, “flywheel”… all terms that have become part of our universal vocabulary as leaders.  But honestly I wasn’t sure what to expect from “How the Mighty Fall”.  I was definitely intrigued by the concept but frankly wondered if Jim had a another great book in him.

What I love about this book is that Jim wrestles with a fear that leaders of any organization wrestle with “what if we fail?”  As a church leader, I can’t help but watch the dying churches all over America and wonder “how did they get there?” No church sets out to reach hundreds of people, have a thriving, growing ministry and then one day find themselves rapidly declining and struggling to pay the bills.

Let me clarify.  There are differences between businesses and churches and I’m not suggesting that “How the Mighty Fall” is the antidote for struggling churches.  What I am saying is that reading Jim’s observations and analysis of businesses that have fallen provides a framework from which to ask questions and seek direction.  In fact, one of the chapters of the book could have easily been called “pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18).  It wasn’t difficult to find some Biblical themes running through this one in regard to the lack of character, integrity and wisdom of the leaders of companies that had fallen.

Here are a few quotes from the book that got me thinking:

“Every institution is vulnerable, no matter how great.  No matter how much you’ve achieved, no matter how far you’ve gone, no matter how much power you’ve garnered, you are vulnerable to decline.”

“While no leader can single-handedly build an enduring great company, the wrong leader vested with power can almost single-handedly bring a company down.”

“The signature of mediocrity is not an unwillingness to change.  The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.”

“When you abandon hope, you should begin preparing for the end.”

Have you read the book?  What would you add?

One of the things I was most excited to do when I went to Las Vegas was to tour Zappos.  This company impresses me with their customer service and staff culture.  I’m always inspired by companies that “get it” and Zappos does that… and then some.

Friendly, welcoming faces. Popcorn. Free library. Christmas trees of shoes. Obnoxiously decorated cubicles. Free lunch. Bowling. Nap room. Culture book. Customer stories. Monkey Row. Themed conference rooms. Hoola hoop contests. And much, much more.

Named one of the top 100 companies to work for by Fortune Magazine, Zappos has an infectious energy that you can’t deny.

“We believe that a company’s culture and a company’s brand are really just two sides of the same coin,” said Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh. “If you get the culture right, then most of the other stuff will happen naturally on its own, including delivering great customer service and building an enduring brand.”

Tony and his team have created a remarkable environment that clearly reflects their core values.

Zappos Core Values:

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

Here’s a video I found on YouTube that gives you a tour similiar to the one we took.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ZJE9zDpm0&feature=related]

Truly remarkable.

Best of all they made me queen for the day!

What do you think makes a company or organization remarkable?