Transparency? Or Integrity?

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honesty, integrity, leadership, transparency, trust, truth

There have been several articles over the past couple of weeks relative to ‘transparency’ that have caught my attention. Howard Schultz, head of Starbucks, recently went so far as to say the currency of leadership is transparency.

Evidently, transparency is an expectation of the Millennials as they enter the workforce in this digital age.  The thought is because the Internet is open to everyone, it essentially is the great leveler … with Social Media paving the way for this reality with Twitter often becoming a primary source of news sometimes far in advance of CNN.

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Encouraging Young Minds

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creative, critical thinking, encouragement, internship, investment, leadership, opportunities, potential, product marketing

If you are a leader, you should never forget that everyone needs encouragement. And everyone who receives it – young or old, successful or less-than-successful, unknown or famous – is changed by it. – John C. Maxwell

The summer prior to my last year of college, I decided it would be a good idea to seek out an internship to gain some much needed experience in the real world prior to graduating.  Looking back on it now, I realize I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and/or where it would lead.  But I also realize it was the best decision I could have ever made.

And I know I am dating myself, but at the time there was no structured University Relations Program like what we have in our organization right now … there was no Google to search out The Best Internships … there wasn’t even an Internet!  It was either mail out resumes, or pound the pavement with local companies in the area.  I did both.

What Were You Thinking?!

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adversity, character, excellence, inspire, leadership, motivate, NIHITO, passion, purpose, vision

Whether you call them a town hall meeting, an all-hands meeting, a quarterly business review, a state of the business address … I’m sure we’ve all had the opportunity to sit and listen to key business leaders within the companies we serve speak to the broader company.  Sometimes it is compelling, other times not so much.  And sometimes we are left with the thought … “what were they thinking”?

I have to admit that often times I wonder about that about key leaders I’ve been exposed to.  Not in the negative context that you might be imagining right now, but rather in the context of thoughts like:

• what drives them?
• how did they get to where they are today?
• what is the essence of what makes them a good leader?

If you ever have the opportunity to sit and chat with a key business leader to explore these types of questions, jump at it!  Getting inside of the heads of those who lead your organizations, or other key leaders that you admire, is a gift that shouldn’t be underestimated.

Not Always a Bed of Roses

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challenges, leadership, required

It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required. – Winston Churchill

Wonderful article What It Takes to Be a Great Product Leader: The Four Pillars. Whether you call it the ‘everything profession’, or a ‘virtual CEO’, or whatever else … the article captures the essence of why I love the role so much! Where else can you touch every aspect of the business? From marketing to finance … from M&A to sales … from talking to customers to digging in with engineers.

I also appreciated how the post tied leadership into the title and the text of the article. Whether PMs intentionally chose the role or had it thrust upon them, it is important to understand the leadership nature of the position and the influence they could exert with the right approach.

Let’s be clear … things are not always a bed of roses with the role!  For example,

• Even the best laid roadmaps & plans sometimes don’t pan out the way you thought they would.  Priorities shift, distractions occur, and re-balancing is often necessary.
• We are all human and prone to error, and that means that mistakes will be made (architectural deficiencies, missed scope, blatant errors) and you have to find time to rectify.
• When have communication and relationships ever been easy?  You have to be very intentional about them, and they require A LOT of energy to get right.  Just think about it in the context of family … sometimes dealing with people you depend on can just be messy!

That’s when the Churchill quote becomes so prominent … you have to be willing to accept the good with the bad, because sometimes it is required.