Witnessing Groundhog Day
There are two definitions of Groundhog Day.
A tradition in the United States when a groundhog (think marmot—or ground squirrel) comes out of its hole after hibernation. If the little creature sees its shadow—i.e. the weather is sunny—then it climbs back into its hole, which signals a further six weeks of winter.
A situation in which a series of unwelcome or tedious events appear to be recurring in exactly the same way.
I’ve never witnessed the first meaning—yet. Although I’ve come across the second meaning many times—and in many different organisations. Every time it’s a result of fire-fighting and poor planning—in individuals, teams and organisations.
In nature, today is Groundhog Day (Friday, 02 February 2024). But in the workplace, it could take place on any given day.
Buridan’s Donkey
Are you trying to pursue many different directions at once?
In his brilliant book, Hell Yeah or No, Derek Siver’s describes a story about a donkey who can’t make his mind up. You may have heard this one before. Always worth a re-read.
Buridan’s donkey is standing halfway between a pile of hay and a bucket of water. It keeps looking left and right, trying to decide between hay and water. Unable to decide, it eventually dies of hunger and thirst.
A donkey can’t think of the future. If he could, he’d clearly realise that he could first drink the water, then go eat the hay.
Don’t be the donkey. You can do everything you want to do. You just need foresight and patience.
Amen.
1 percent at 1,000 things
What are you doing to improve your business?
When Scandinavian Airlines (SAS Group) was struggling in the 1980s, then CEO Jan Carlzon had a plan. And it was a simple plan.
“We did not seek to be 1,000 percent better at anything. We seek to be one percent better at 1,000 things.” — Jan Carlzon (former CEO Scandinavian Airlines)
It turns out that the aggregation of marginal gains isn’t just for sport—and cycling. Go back far enough, and it can be found in any world class business.
Rodney Parade
What lessons in leadership can we learn from a provincial sports stadium?
In the mostly unlikely of football matches, Manchester United travel to the City of Newport today. It’s the FA Cup third round tie between one of the biggest clubs in the world, versus one of the smallest in the UK. A classic tale of David and Goliath.
A Finishing School for Leaders
If only there was a place where you could really learn about leadership.
A place that helps you understand what leadership feels like. What leadership looks like. How best to achieve it.
Well that’s exactly what we’re trying to achieve with Twelve Scholars. You could call it “a finishing school for leaders”. In 10 years, we would like it to be known as a Global Institute for Leadership Development.
That’s one Big Hairy Audacious Goal.
Silver Linings from Setbacks
When did you first start your leadership journey?
If you’re anything like me, you’ll know exactly where you were. What you were doing. Who you were with. And it wasn’t in the classroom.
I had just received a letter of no confidence—signed by every member of my team. All fourteen of them. And on that Thursday night shift, I vowed never to stop learning about myself, my team—and leadership.
That was over 20 years ago—and I’m still learning.
I’m grateful the incident happened. Yes, it was painful at the time, But it was also the turning point for me and my team. Within 12 months, we went from worst performing team—to highest performing team—in almost every metric and measure.
So remember—with every setback, there’s always an opportunity.
Ten Attributes of an Explanation
In his brilliant book, The Art of Explanation, Ros Atkins introduces ten attributes that he looks for in any explanation.
Simplicity
Essential detail
Complexity
Efficiency
Precision
Context
No distractions
Engaging
Useful
Clarity of purpose
Most of the problems we have when not getting our message across is connected to not managing one or more of these.
In Conversation with Ros Atkins
How do you communicate with clarity and conviction?
Ros Atkins was in town tonight. He was taking a break from presenting and editing BBC News to discuss his latest book, The Art of Explanation.
And yes, he spoke—with clarity and conviction—about how to express yourself persuasively and as accurately as possible. He reminded everyone to keep all communication relevant, simple and to think about the audience at all times.
A key phrase he introduced was, “And the reasons this matters is…” which can be deployed in almost any situation.
(I shall be using this myself).
He talked about how complex stories can be told simply. And how to acknowledge the audience without losing them.
I received his book last September. I was immediately struck at how accessible it was. Filled with practical examples, The Art of Explanation is a must read for anyone who wants to sharpen their commutation skills.
I shall be re-reading my copy again this week!
Being Proactive at the Library
What habits and rituals do you have when visiting the library?
I visited Manchester Central Library tonight. It was the first time this year. But just before the main event, I had just enough time to visit the business section.
And yes, great to see Twelve Scholars on display. There are 12 copies of ‘Twelve Scholars Journal—Be Proactive’ available for lending. And great to hear that all copies are regularly lent—and returned across the Greater Manchester area.
On staying focused
"The most elusive of human goals: keeping things simple and remembering what you set out to do."
—Warren Buffett
The Generation Game
What’s the right age for a leader? And how do you lead different generations?
Where have all the grown ups gone?
Looking back, it wasn’t that long ago when we had grown ups running things. Business. Politics. Countries. True leaders. Today, it feels different.
I don’t think it’s an age thing. I believe professionalism (or being ‘grown up’) is an attitude. It’s a skill. And therefore anyone had demonstrate it—if they choose.
(My 10-year old niece is arguably more grown up than many of her peers—and many of her relatives!).
And so we need to ask ourselves, what would ‘professional you’ do? Describe yourself in the best possible, most proactive and positive light. And stay true to that version—for as long as possible. If only other ‘leaders’ would do the same.
Compound consistency
Build your reputation—by showing up regularly.
In this week’s Tuesday Tutorial, we take a closer look at consistency—and the benefits of compound consistency. We explore dealing with daily discipline, recommend a book and leave you with a simple action step (that’ll be the yellow slide!).
Inspire, be inspired!
A simple idea taken seriously
“Take a simple idea and take it seriously.” — Charlie Munger
This is one of my favourite quotes—of all time. A simple idea has impact. And simple words will amplify your message. If only I’d learned this years ago.
A Post Office Scandal
Poor is the worst a situation can get—or is it?
As we’re finding out this week, the Post Office scandal is redefining everyone’s definition of poor. Not just from the Post Office, but from Government representatives, lawyers, technology partners and others involved in the scandal. Quite simply, it’s beyond poor.
I’m trying to come up with a word, or phrase, to describe the situation. (I’m sure you can think of a few).
One of the key skills to leadership is learning how to avoid setbacks. And one of the ways we do this, is to agree that poor is the worst a situation can get. Poor is unacceptable. It’s a place where we don’t want to go. But it requires all stakeholders to agree that definition. And ensure systems are in place that allow us to call out poor—fairly. At the Post Office, this hasn’t been the case.
Dealing with the facts. Establishing the truth. Making decisions based on new evidence—even when the facts change. These are a few lessons in leadership. But also doing the right thing. Why is this so hard?
Alas, at the Post Office—leaders—at—every—level—have been caught up for too long—doing the wrong thing. An example of toxic leadership is playing out on our screens.
(So much more on this story will follow.)
Choosing A Word For 2024
What’s the one thing you need to focus on this year?
In this week’s Tuesday Tutorial, we take a closer look at why you should focus on one word for the year. A big thanks to Natalie, Gary and Sanna for their input. It’s great to see the Twelve Scholars community in action. :-)
Inspire, be inspired!
Getting ARCI with people
Do you have a clear idea of roles and responsibilities within your team?
I’ve just come off a coaching call with a course participant. We discussed the benefits of ‘Getting ARCI with people’.
If you didn’t know, ARCI stands for:
Accountable
Responsible
Consulted
Informed
ARCI is a simple hierarchy of roles and responsibilities. It explains things very quickly. It explains who is ultimately accountable, who is responsible, who needs to be consulted, and who just needs to be informed.
It turns out that leaders can spend too much time consulting with too many stakeholders. And not enough time delegating responsibility. (Note—you cannot delegate ultimate authority).
‘Getting ARCI with people’ is Lesson 40 The Essential Scholar—our pioneering new Leadership Development Programme. Delivered in digital, print and natural wood.
Word Of The Year
What resolutions have you made this year? And which ones have you broken?
In this week’s The Sunday Scholar, we explore how one word can make a big difference—to you, your team and your organisation. We visit Halifax, talk branding, and revisit the twelve days of Christmas. You’ll also find a link to one of our leadership lessons.
THE SUNDAY SCHOLAR is our weekly newsletter—reimagined as a podcast. It takes a lighter look at leadership. Full of ideas, insights and inspiration. Something to be expected. Something to look forward to.
New Year Feedback
“Fantastic course by an inspirational leader. Bob’s Twelve Scholars should be the standard for all industries.” — Ian Green
Just received this lovely message from an early scholar. Feedback is a gift. Especially when you’re trying to do something new. And so we’re excited to see what further feedback we’ll get soon. :-)