In our exploration of Leading in Uncharted Territory, Rule #4 is build a strong network of people outside your organization to share ideas and collaborate - connect with the rock stars. The research tells us that Level 5 Leaders are the most effective at leading transformation. You may want to include people who meet these criteria in your network and actively seek their thoughts when making significant transformation decisions. When I thought about this blog post, I was initially focused on who should be in a strong network. After a challenging week I am thinking about who should NOT be in your network. So, as I think about who I look to for guidance, I realize I have a 2 tier approach, people I trust and people I find interesting. Following is the list of criteria for people I trust - the precious jewels of my life:
* People whose judgment I trust without question
* People with expertise I do not have - different industries, different perspectives
* People who take time and to share their perspective and explore differing points of view
* People who are willing to be honest and direct when confronted with differing views - demonstrate a high degree of emotional intelligence
* People who I want to form alliance with long term because of our common business interests and strong reputation
I could summarize the people I trust category by saying, if they see an issue differently than I do, I will stop and ask why to consider if there is something I missed. I would consider looking at an issue or decision differently based on their input. I continue to learn from these people - I do not always agree or change my direction but I certainly learn.
The second category is people I find interesting. They may be nice, interesting and talented but I do not look to them to help shape my point of view. I love being around people who are different than I am - I learn a great deal from them about various subjects. My challenge comes if I mistake interesting for trusted adviser.
Examples From Real Life:
The short story about a friend and person I considered a trusted adviser but no longer do. We met regularly and I considered listened to his point of view which often differed from mine. I enjoyed hanging out with him because he was interesting. I learned over time and through intense interactions that I needed to see him as an interesting person and not spend time continually questioning my point of view because we differed. Why did I change my position:
* I found that I continually asked if his point of view helped me be better at what I did?
* Were his comments helpful for me to identify things I missed?
* Did the time we spent together make me noticeably better?
Because the answer to all of these questions was no, I made a conscious effort to change how we interacted. I still found him interesting but I stopped looking to him to help me expand my thinking and instead just enjoyed listening to his perspective on the world.
To give a balanced perspective, here is the story of someone I do consider an absolute jewel of an adviser and friend. I had a conversation with a very trusted colleague this week, Hugh Cathey from Columbus-Partners. He has been an ongoing trusted adviser and I cherish the time we spend together. Some of the characteristics that differentiate Hugh are: a long string of successful ventures, respectful and thoughtful response when he differs, expressing a genuine care and hope for my success, among others. I do not reach out often because he is quite busy and I consider myself fortunate for all the time we spend together. It is Hugh and people like Hugh, who help me be more than I could ever be solo.
Beyond networking, I also form more formal alliances with some of my most trusted colleagues. An informal alliance I am participating in includes InterKannections in Japan along with ICM Consulting in Canada. These companies and others recommended in this blog are among the best in our field. We share similar frameworks and approaches to consulting and to life. We learn from one another and all offer better solutions for our investment of time in this relationship. We all use the "Level 5" framework in conjunction with the integral framework. We have taken our relationship to a different level in because we are forming a structured alliance. This is most interesting because as smaller businesses, we want to offer full solutions to our clients and scale when they need additional support from us. Having a common frame of reference is very helpful as we do not need to spend much time setting the context and clarifying what we are talking about. We also build upon one another's wisdom and success.
We are located in several countries and even different continents. They are great at what they do and share their insight gracefully. We have a trusting partnership where we work together. I find it interesting that barriers we had in the past seem less relevant in this situation. We communicate by Skype regularly and meet live when possible.
So my questions to myself and to you are: Are you cultivating those precious jewels who can give you insight because of their experience or world view? How can you expand these relationships and form new structures that benefit all members of the group? Are you eliminating people whose judgment you do not respect?
by Maureen Metcalf of Metcalf & Associates, Inc
January 18, 2009
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