Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • October 15, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 25 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS It's time for followers to lead By Doe Hentschel "T he leadership industry has failed." Harvard professor and renowned leadership authority and author, Barbara Kellerman, made this declaration at the 2016 inter- national leadership conference I attended with 1,500 other leadership trainers, professors and researchers. The "industry" has studied the characteristics, styles and behaviors of those at the top of our organiza- tional ladders resulting in thousands of books and probably millions of ar- ticles. This work informs trainers and teachers of those who aspire to reach the top of those ladders. Kellerman observed, however, that we have overlooked the importance of teaching followers the skills they need to make our organizations and our governing bodies work. She asked, "What are we, as leadership profes- sionals, doing to ensure that 'the rest of us' who are not at the top of those ladders are equipped to actively and ef- fectively engage in the decision-making that our democratic philosophy and col- laborative, inclusive leadership require?" There is a disturbing tension inherent in the ideals of "democracy" and "collab- orative, inclusive leadership." If we are going to fully engage in our organiza- tions and our society, and if we are freely and fully committed to participation, where do we find the time to do so? It's already challenging to find time to make the money to pay the bills, care for our families, rest, play at least a little bit and otherwise find balance in our lives. So we often opt out of the hard work needed to be effective in that decision- making, leaving it to others to make de- cisions for us. We might grumble about some of those decisions, but we, our- selves, have created the void that allows top-down decision-making, autocratic governance and, at its worst, tyranny. Few leadership scholars have studied "bad" leadership (Kellerman is one), but the evidence shows that leaders can and do take us to bad places if "the rest of us," the followers, allow them to do so. I also find an interesting paradox in the concept of "community." In a powerful documentary film entitled "I AM," Academy-Award winning direc- tor Tom Shadyack travels around the world talking with thought leaders, writers, scientists and others asking, "What's wrong with the world and what can we do about it?" He learns that it is "community" that makes us human; and that collabo- rating with others is the basis of our superiority over species that are bigger, stronger or faster than human beings. Recognizing that our world today is driven by the negative impulses of greed, competition and conflict, he asks, "How do we change this?" Journalist Lynn Mc- Taggart tells him, "We are all connected … . Once we start embracing the idea that we are all one and really take that one on board, then we will start fixing things." "It's not about what do I get out of it, but how do I bring out the good in you?" adds Dacher Keltner, psycholo- gist who founded the Greater Good Science Center. Historian Howard Zinn explains, "Not one heroic act, but tiny acts, often unno- ticed acts seized upon … and emulated by others is how change happens." And Des- mond Tutu sums it up: "Change happens because you are concerned, and you have a coalition that becomes a movement." The iconic image of a lone student blocking the progress of the tank in Tiananmen Square challenges us to ap- preciate the power each one of us has to change what is wrong in the world. "Community Works: The Revival of Civil Society in America," a collection of essays edited by E.J. Dionne Jr. in 1998, explores whether our communities are in crisis. The same question is relevant today as we experience the effects of violence, injustice and racial hatred. Respect for all people, a commit- ment to inclusive, collaborative ap- proaches to solving problems and the belief that all people have a capacity for and a responsibility to provide leadership are needed. Leadership development is not for the ambitious few, but is the universal prerequisite to reviving the civil soci- ety that is slipping away. Doe Hentschel is Leadership Greater Hartford's VP of programs. HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM POLL LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULT: Can CT balance its next two-year budget, projected to have a $4 billion-plus deficit, without raising taxes? NEXT WEEK'S POLL: Can CT realistically phase out its income tax over eight years? To vote, go online to hartfordbusiness.com BIZ BOOKS Creating a 'change' culture By Jim Pawlak "The Challenge Culture — Why Most Successful Or- ganizations Run on Pushback" by Nigel Travis (Public Affairs Books, $28). Travis, now chairman of Dunkin' Brands, has seen what works and what doesn't over his 40-year ca- reer, which included senior-executive posts at Blockbuster and Papa John's. He found that successful firms pose and answer the questions: "Why?" and "How?". Why? Self-preservation. They know that anticipating and imple- menting change keeps them ahead of firms that react to change. Now for the "How?". Create a "chal- lenge culture" where continuous improvement replaces maintaining the status quo. In it, employees at all levels continually look for ways to do things differently and do different things by seeking more and better information. Doing so also scrutinizes long-held assumptions to determine validity and applicability. Employees recognize that there's an ongo- ing "obligation to dissent" because everyone wants to contribute to building the company's future. Speaking up drives issue identification, discussions, decisions and implementation plans. There's no fear of repercussions because, in the organization's culture, "questioning, pushback, discourse and challenge are meant to generate learning" and foster innovation. Challenge cultures are built through the actions of the firm's executives and senior managers. They set the ex- ample by asking questions about what should be changed. Travis points out that challenge differs from confronta- tion because it focuses on organiza- tional issues, not personal power. He also believes that stakeholders' voices need to be heard. At Dunkin' Brands, a franchisor, Travis and the Dunkin' team rely on feedback from franchisees. 55.9% No 44.1% Yes Doe Hentschel Jim Pawlak Book Review

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