I like to brew beer. I vint wine. Mead. Ciders. Whatever.

I haven’t tried kombucha yet, but that’s on the list. Right after I grow a man bun.

The process of transforming juice into something a little more special is simple. So simple that it can happen all on its own. Without anyone’s help.

On the other hand, when it does happen all on its own, it usually isn’t very good.

To make something that is consistently good, requires intentionality.

Primarily, intentionality about the environment I create. Things like cleanliness, temperature and so on.

The quality of what I create better reflects the environment I create then the ingredients I use.

It’s not that ingredients don’t matter. But the best ingredients can be turned into vinegar if not taken care of well. Or even blow up.

However, mediocre ingredients are transformed into something remarkable with a little care and guidance.

The First Question Leaders Should Ask

If something goes wrong – the first, right question to ask is, “What could I have done differently?”

As a coach and consultant, I’ve found that the fastest progress is made with leaders who ask that question.

The slowest progress is made with leaders who prefer to shift or avoid responsibility.

As leaders, we can’t always choose the “ingredients” we have to work with. However, we can choose the environment we create.

So, when diagnosing a problem, we should always take a look at the environment we’ve created.

Effective leaders take responsibility.

They assume they are responsible for creating and managing the environment and conditions within which success can occur.

Poor leaders will blame others or the economy or anything else when there is a problem.

Blame is a way of shifting responsibility. Shifting responsibility is the exact opposite of stepping into responsibility.

The only way to lead is to take responsibility. You might have the position of leadership, but you aren’t leading if you are blaming, excusing or minimizing.

In my experience, 15 issues explain nearly all organizational or team challenges.

While all 15 are the responsibility of leadership, six are unique challenges found in the behaviors or decisions of leaders.

When leaders make these changes, they go far to improve the conditions for success.

Six Leadership Challenges That Impact Whole Organizations

1. Not Creating Clarity: Ambiguity creates conflict. Most organizational conflict is birthed from unclear expectations, roles, responsibilities, behaviors. Research indicates that managing these conflicts consumes, as a conservative average, 20% of a leader’s time and attention.

That’s almost two and half months out of each year dedicated to fixing avoidable problems.

It never takes that much time to create clarity. But it does take a little effort.

When leaders don’t know what they want or don’t take the time to articulate it, they create problems for everyone else.

2. Not Accounting for Humans: Sometimes I meet a supervisor who complains about how their people always seem to need leadership or management.

My response is, “Be grateful that they do – or no one would need you.”

Too many leaders like the idea of having power. But they forget about why that power is there.

Too many plans, policies or leadership styles assume a perfectly controlled, non-organic environment with laboratory conditions.

To lead actual humans—who make up every organization you’ve ever been a part of—requires communication, conflict resolution, respect, humility, integrity, flexibility, and meaning.

Leadership is a relationship. The quality of our leadership is always measured in the quality of our ability to engage in this relationship.

We always work with people. People are not always predictable. They sometimes need encouragement, guidance or help.

Which is why leaders exist. If it weren’t for that need, no one would need us.

3. Failure to Prune: I have a tree in my office. It’s a good tree. It doesn’t give me a lot of problems or take a lot of work.

But I didn’t pay much attention to it either. After a while, I noticed that it looked kind of sickly. Kind of bald on one side. I realized I needed to prune it. Which I did, severely.

Now it’s full, healthy and shapely.

Organizations are like fruit trees. They are healthier and produce more fruit when pruned regularly. Careful pruning can restore both a tree and an organization’s health and prevent death.

Some people need to be let go. Generally, I believe that toxic people should be corrected or let go of. Quickly. When toxic people are allowed to remain, they have an energy and morale stealing effect throughout the organization. In my experience, many organizations experience significant lifts just from finally pruning a toxic person.

Most leaders take too long to address toxicity. Many will absorb the consequences of many other, good employees, leaving because of the toxic person as opposed to dealing with the toxic individual.

Additionally, some goals, policies, programs, processes, services or products need to be cut. Maybe they used to be great in the past. Maybe a lot has already been invested. There are often many reasons to want to hang on to something which no longer produces value.

They need to be pruned.

A leader who won’t prune is a leader who won’t fully accept his or her responsibility.

4. Not Knowing How to Decide: There isn’t a universally correct way to decide or make decisions – as an individual or group.

The most effective organizations know the differences of and are clear on when and how to use consensus, consultation or directive decision making.

Most of my work is around helping people make decisions. Whether consulting, facilitating, coaching or mediating – I’m primarily helping people clarify the key issues and decide how to make decisions.

It sounds strange, but the best decisions are often made after there is agreement around how a decision will be made. This might include deciding who will be involved in making a decision, parameters of a good (or acceptable) decisions, agreeing on timelines, etc.

Effective leaders will ensure clarity around decision-making processes. Additionally, they will work to best match the nature of the decision with the process best suited to that kind of decision – within the context of your organization.

5. Not Knowing the Difference Between Acquiescence and Commitment: I was recently at a business meeting.

An important issue impacting the future of the organization was presented.

There were a couple of questions but no discussion. No concerns expressed. No confusion clarified. Nothing.

A vote was called: To accept or reject a recommendation.

It was accepted. This was a problem.

Too many leaders receive acquiescence and assume it is commitment. This might happen in a board meeting as well as from staff.

Acquiescence or compliance (either coerced or rewarded) is often tolerated for expediency. Unfortunately, the results are often temporary and require enforcement. Which is not expedient in the long term.

Commitment is internally motivated and sustainable.

The group above acquired no commitment for the decision they made. Which means, they’ll have group support only as long as there are no problems.

But there are always problems. It would have been better to spend a little time drawing out questions and concerns and dealing with them.

But they didn’t. I don’t think this was malicious. I think they just didn’t know how to ask or dig.

I also think they found more comfort in getting a decision made – than in making sure they made the right decision.

Either way, I hope they don’t have any problems. (They will.) Because they aren’t backed with much commitment.

6. Failure to decide or act: I hate to admit it, but this has been one of my biggest challenges that I’ve needed to overcome as a leader. I have battled (making progress!) perfectionism my whole career.

I hate to think of how much has been lost or not obtained because I was afraid to make imperfect progress.

Leaders usually avoid acting due to fear (manifested as perfectionism, uncertainty, procrastination, etc.)

So, leaders put off making decisions or acting. Even leaders who are very active in some areas may find there are areas they tend to avoid.

Avoidance is an ineffective leadership strategy and will consistently produce consequences that you don’t want.

One of the problems of avoidance, however, is because it is something we didn’t do it’s harder to recognize. It can be hard to accept.

It’s been painful for me, but I’ve learned the truth behind General Patton’s statement: “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.”

Effective leaders need to act.

A Summary

Someone who aspires to lead in such a way that their whole organization performs at a higher level will:

• Consistently Create Clarity
• Focus on The Human Side of Everything
• Prune Promptly
• Establish Effective Decision-Making Processes
• Drive for Commitment
• Practice Active Leadership

Take good care,

Christian

Would you like to work with me one-on-one? Contact me to set up a call. Together we’ll look at the issue you are facing and identify the top 2 or 3 strategies you might consider to lead your organization successfully.

My New Book!: Conflict and Leadership is available on Amazon. Read what others are saying:

“Conflict and Leadership is about understanding across the table, not battle in the arena. In an age of polarization, agendas, and media-fed opinions, that’s something we can all use.” – Alan Weiss, Ph.D. Author, Million Dollar Consulting and over 60 other books.

“With clarity and precision, Muntean gives leaders accessible guidance for turning conflicts into financial, mission and outcomes benefits.” – Diana Jones, The Organization Development Company

“It reaches farther into the sources of conflict than many others, presenting a logical picture full of encouragement and advice that’s immediately practical. Anyone who works with people (just about any of us) will benefit from reading this book and holding it close for regular consultation.” – Jim Grew Author, The Leader Architect

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