Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Part 7

Julian continued, oblivious to the basketball game that had just resumed. "In giving me that plaque, Yogi Raman gave me the reward he knew I wanted -"

"Rather than the reward he might have wanted had he been in your shoes," I interjected.

"Exactly. When the visionary leader spots someone in the throes of good behavior, he recognizes her and rewards her as she would wish to be rewarded. In this way, the practice of peak performance steadily ebbs through the entire culture of the organization until people don't know any other way to work. That's how you get to world-cla.s.s status. And it is achievable."

"Okay, so I clearly have to 'hunt for good behavior' around GlobalView. Rather than only looking for people doing things wrong so I can correct them, I must get aggressive about finding people who are doing things right. Then, when I do, I should recognize and reward their efforts, with something tailored to their interests. I'll also get better at the simple act of praising. As you said, most people appreciate praise more than any other form of recognition and yet they rarely receive it. I think I'll make 'Praise Is Free' my new leadership mantra. I'll bet the monks would've liked that one. Mind if I ask you another question?"

"That's what I'm here for, my friend," Julian replied warmly, patting the creases out of the fabric of his long velvet robe.

"My people still need a fair amount of work before they reach peak performance. And yet I know they need to be rewarded and recognized immediately. Should I wait until they improve their skills and are models of good behavior?"

"Brilliant question. You really are digging deep into the wisdom I'm sharing with you. I appreciate this. If you wait until perfect performance arrives, you'll be waiting a long time, maybe forever."

"So what's the secret?"

"The secret is to praise progress and reward results. Hunt for good - not perfect - behavior and get people excited about their improvements. Doing so will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Peak performance will eventually come because your people will keep getting better and better."

"Kind of like our home team here," I said pointing to the players who had just run down the length of the court on a fast break and scored another two points. "I remember coming to see them when the franchise was brand new. Man, they were pathetic. And yet that wasn't really so long ago."

"And many of those same players have become superstars. The coach praised progress. He found a reason to reward them. And now look at these guys. They are unbelievable," Julian said, jumping to his feet again. His fists were now pumping into the air and he was yelling words of encouragement to the players, all of whom he knew by name. I never realized Julian was such a big ball fan. His enthusiasm was contagious.

"Julian, I've got more questions for you."

"Fire away," he said, once again returning to his seat amid the stares of those who had the misfortune to be seated near us.

"I'm not really sure I know what to say when I praise someone. I mean, I've never really done it before. Sure I can say a few quick words like 'nice job' or 'keep it up,' but do you have any other suggestions on effective praising?"

"Praising is a skill that requires study and practice. Every leader needs to get good at it. To get you started, here are a few of the basic praise principles: praise must be specific, it must be immediate, it must be done in public and it must be sincere. Also, personalize your praise by using the person's first name when making the positive comment. The most beautiful sound in the world to a person is the sound of his or her own name. Oh, and don't fall into the trap that too many managers fall into when they praise."

"Which is?"

"They overpraise. While praise is important, giving it with reckless abandon devalues it, just like printing too much money cheapens the currency."

"Any other specific ideas on motivating my team?"

"Sure. I'll give you some of the best and most cost-effective ones. Posting a personal thank-you note on the employee's door, paying his parking expenses for a month, an annual subscription to the magazine of his choice are simple but proven ways to reward people for excellent performance. Letting an employee attend a meeting for his manager, sending birthday cards and breaking bread with employees also help to keep them motivated and show you care. I recently read about one manager who adopted the low-cost but highly effective strategy of filling a large chest full of motivational books, tapes and videos from respected personal development authors. She called this her 'treasure chest.' When any of her team members deserved to be rewarded, she would walk them over to the chest, in full public view, and encourage them to select something they'd enjoy. I love this idea because it not only rewards good behavior, it allows your people to grow and develop through their exposure to the positive books, tapes and videos, making them even better performers.

"Remember, Peter, visionary leaders are liberators, not limiters. They know they are duty-bound to help people unlock the best that lies within them and to help them develop a sense of stewardship over their professional and personal lives. They constantly expose their employees to ideas and information that will help them actualize their natural talents and become more independent as thinkers and as people. As the great sage Confucius observed, 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' Like I told you at the clubhouse that night, leadership is all about freeing people's strengths. When you really get down to it, the actual corporation you call GlobalView isn't much more than a seal and a few pieces of paper spewed out from some corporate lawyer's computer. The true value lies in your people and their potential to help you manifest your grand vision for the future."

"Powerful thoughts. You know now that I think about it, some of our compet.i.tors have some pretty good techniques to energize their employees as well."

"Really?"

"I guess I just didn't understand the power of rewarding and recognition, so I didn't pay much attention to them."

"When the student is ready the teacher appears," said Julian with a smile as the game drew to a close.

"One of GlobalView's compet.i.tors is constantly doing fun things to challenge and stimulate its team. Its sales team always begins meetings by 'celebrating heroes,' going around the table recognizing the salespeople for meeting their goals or for excellence in customer care. Another company has dubbed one office wall 'the victory wall,' placing motivational quotes, testimonial letters and strategic goals on it for all to see as they pa.s.s by. I've even heard about one top Xerox manager who took a ski cap embroidered with the name of a five-star ski resort to every meeting. This 'symbol of victory' served as a powerful reminder of where the team would be vacationing if it met its sales targets."

"Those are fabulous ideas I think you should seriously consider bringing into your organization. And never forget the importance of cultural traditions."

"Run that one by me again," I requested.

"In the Himalayas, the sages had developed a whole series of cultural traditions to keep them unified. Every evening, no matter how busy they were with their philosophical readings or teachings, they would come together to share a simple but delicious meal around a long wooden table. It was really an unbelievable sight to watch these beautifully adorned monks laughing and singing as they ate, savoring the gifts of one another's company and enriching their sense of community. These basketball players do the same thing with their Friday-night pizza parties or their semiannual family picnics. These are traditions that serve to bring people closer. They encourage teammates to care about one another. They build richer relationships and help people to see themselves as a part of a shared destiny."

"So traditions should become part of our corporate culture?"

"Definitely. Let people get to know one another and let their hair down from time to time. Have family picnics or biweekly submarine-sandwich lunches. Shake the cobwebs out of those huge headquarters you have and get people talking and laughing again. One company I know of even has Crazy Days. Believe me, people not only have a great time, productivity soars. As one wise leader once said, 'Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated.'"

"Explain this Crazy Days tradition to me. I've never heard of it."

"In this particular company, a day is designated every quarter as a Crazy Day. It's nothing more than a day designed to let people blow off steam and reduce stress; it boosts morale. For example, one quarter, they designated it as You're Not the Boss Day. The CEO had to make coffee, answer the phones and work in the warehouse while some of his employees got to work out of the boss's office and have some fun. This simple idea broke down many of the artificial barriers between management and nonmanagement people and enhanced team spirit. Another quarter, the crazy day was called Corporate Circus Day. Clowns, magicians and jesters were hired to perform throughout the company's offices, much to the delight of all the employees. Even those pa.s.sing by the lobby were invited to take part in the spectacle, providing great word-of-mouth promotion about this innovative and people-centered organization. One of the most successful crazy days was Back to the Future Day."

"Sounds intriguing."

"All the employees got together to celebrate their past successes. Personal success stories were posted on the walls of the conference hall that had been rented for the occasion, for everyone to see. Then they all focused on their future goals and brain-stormed about the best ways to achieve them.

"The point I'm trying to make with all these examples is that visionary leaders understand that employees who feel they are valued members of an exciting team will go the extra mile to give their best. If you practice Ritual 3 by rewarding routinely and recognizing relentlessly, they will invest their spirits in your organization. And they will begin to see themselves as a part of the larger whole, as an integral part of something special and as an important member of the GlobalView team. That's when your company will become unstoppable. Perhaps Yogi Raman said it best the time he observed that 'when spider webs unite they can tie up a lion.'"

As the crowd filtered out of the stadium, a strange silence filled the air. We had won the game and people were clearly pleased.

But something even more pressing had attracted everyone's attention. Up in the sky, one star had begun to twinkle brightly, illuminating the darkness with an almost magical hue. Though it was almost 11:00 P.M., it appeared as if a rich coat of daylight was waiting to burst through the darkness and envelope the night sky.

I had never seen a phenomenon such as this. Soon the entire crowd was standing still, staring quietly into the sky.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing, Julian," I said, my gaze fixed on the bright star that appeared to be the center of everyone's attention.

"I can," he replied with a knowing smile.

"Does this have something to do with the star you were talking to the other night and that telescope you are carrying?" I asked intently.

"Absolutely. And the time will soon come when I can explain exactly what's going on. When I was in the Himalayas, the sages predicted that this astronomical event would take place. Even I'm surprised at how accurate they were."

Within minutes, the darkness had returned and the glittering star had quietly slipped off into the night. The sight I had just witnessed was astonishing. Though I didn't know anything about astronomy and such natural occurrences, the magnificence of the spectacle was almost overwhelming.

"That was incredible, Julian!"

"The laws of nature are the most powerful laws in the universe," he replied. "They lead you to the truth, Peter. The quality of our lives as leaders is better off by the degree to which we learn from them. Visionary leaders have full knowledge of these laws and align their efforts with them."

"What do you mean?"

"They have the leadership wisdom to understand that 'as you sow, so shall you reap.' They know that the growth of a business follows the same cyclical process as the change of seasons. They are aware that, as in nature, adversity is always followed by opportunity, just as the darkness of the night is always followed by the brightness of the day."

"I've never thought that the laws of nature applied to the business world."

"They sure do and the leader who recognizes this timeless fact will have an enormous advantage over his or her compet.i.tion. That's why our next meeting will be in more natural surroundings."

"Where exactly?"

"I'd like us to meet next Sunday in the woods behind Bear Lake."

"You mean the place where all those hunters go?"

"Precisely. Just go to the entrance of the forest. from there, you will see a series of markers that will lead you to the spot where I will continue to share the sages' leadership wisdom with you. I promise that you will not be disappointed."

"What time?"

"At dawn. It's a very special time of the day." "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm absolutely serious. The dawn is the best part of the day. And I think it's about time you experienced the tranquility it brings. Now I've got to run."

"You're always dashing off, Julian. What's the hurry?"

"I've got to find that star," was the only reply I received as he disappeared into the crowd.

On my way home, my thoughts turned to the wealth of knowledge I had been blessed with on this wonderful evening. I thought about the importance of "rewarding routinely and recognizing relentlessly" I reflected on Julian's point that "praise is free" and how most people go to bed hungry every night, hungry for a little sincere appreciation and respect. I remembered all the men and women of GlobalView who dutifully came into work every morning and spent their days without a word of thanks for the energy they expended. There were the managers and the programmers and the delivery staff who I had never even shown the courtesy of a sincere "good morning, how are you?" These people were not the root cause of our company's troubles - I was. As Julian had said earlier, great leadership precedes great followership. And I had been far less than the great leader they deserved.

I then contemplated the many creative ways my managers and I could start energizing our people and getting them focused on success. Just thinking about the possibilities and the positive results that would come through their application got me excited. We could set up treasure chests full of motivational books and tapes throughout the headquarters to reward good behavior immediately. We could have submarine-sandwich parties from time to time and set up other traditions so that our people could blow off steam and build stronger bonds. You're Not The Boss Day might be a great way to get the word out that I'm not the same old leader I once was. My mind began to fill with new ideas.

How about leaving nonmanagers in charge while my management team and I headed off for the annual two-day retreat I had decided to organize this year? Why not name boardrooms after top employees? Why not reward a worker who comes up with a new revenue-generating idea with a percentage of the profits it generates or at the very least with time off? Perhaps the ten best employees of every division could dine with me and the rest of our top executives every quarter? And I would certainly be sending out hundreds of thank-you notes over the coming months. A little praise could go a long way, I realized.

Upon entering the lobby of our luxury high rise, I reached into the pocket of the light coat I was wearing for my keys when I felt a foreign object. As I moved into the hallway, a smile came to my face. The light revealed that the object was the next piece of the jigsaw puzzle. Julian must have slipped it in while I was watching the game.

This time the inscription read simply, Ritual 4: Surrender to Change.

Chapter 7 Knowledge Summary * Julian's Wisdom in a Nutsh.e.l.l The Ritual The Essence The Ritual of Team Unity The Wisdom * Great leaders are great teachers and great coaches * Reward and recognize employees regularly. Give genuine appreciation. You always get more of what you reward.

* Praise is free The Practices * Hunt for good behavior * The Treasure Chest' and 'Victory Wall'

* Symbols of Victory and team traditions Quotable Quote Visionary leaders understand that employees who feel they are valued members of an exciting team will go the extra mile and give their best. If you practice ritual 2 by rewarding routinely and recognizing relentlessly, they will invest their spirits in your organization. They will begin to see themselves as part of a larger whole. That is when your company will become unstoppable.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari RITUAL 4.

Surrender to Change

CHAPTER EIGHT.

The Ritual of Adaptability and Change Management

Watch and see the courses of the stars as if you ran with them, and continually dwell in mind upon the changes of the elements into one another, for these imaginations wash away the foulness of life on the ground.

Marcus Aurelius I could not believe I had agreed to meet Julian at this unG.o.dly hour. Not surprisingly, there was no one in sight as I marched up to the entrance to the forest, carrying a Thermos full of coffee and a bag full of pastries, which I hoped Julian might share with me. A remarkable stillness pervaded the scene as I proceeded into the woods. The first rays of daylight peeped through the dense arrangement of trees, guiding me deeper into this natural oasis of calm.

As I walked, the fragrance of pine and cedar tickled my nose, bringing back so many warm memories from my childhood when my father and I would venture into the timberland on long hikes. Sometimes we would even bring our old canoe and go for long paddles on sun-soaked lakes. Those were some of the best times of my life. I don't know how I got so far away from nature. Right then and there, I resolved to renew the connection. I knew getting back to nature and its inherent peacefulness would allow me to be a better leader and a deeper thinker. As William Wordsworth observed, "When from our better selves we have too long been parted by the hurrying world, sick of its business, of its pleasures tired, how gracious, how benign is solitude." Such wonderful words.

Just then, I noticed what appeared to be a map stuck to the trunk of a large pine tree with a wooden nail. Julian had said there would be markings for me to follow to get to where he would be; this was certainly one of them. I took a moment to study the prescribed route and then ventured farther into the forest. The instructions that had been scribbled onto the map indicated I was to travel north for half a mile. Once there, I would see a small stream that I was to cross and then follow for another mile. This would lead me to what the scribbling said was the Final Resting Place. I had no idea what that meant and didn't wish to worry myself by a.n.a.lyzing it.

I pushed on, growing tired and out of breath after twenty minutes of walking. Sweat dripped from my forehead and onto the soft floor of the forest while my heart beat wildly out of control. But if there was one quality I had always had, it was the fighting spirit. I never gave up, no matter what obstacles I encountered. My father used to tell me there were four elements of one's character that if cultivated, guaranteed success: The first element was discipline, the second, concentration, the third element was patience and the fourth one, persistence. I always took those words seriously. And so I trudged on.

Suddenly I heard a noise coming from a distant area. It was soft at first but then grew more noticeable. It sounded like an animal running through the bushes, breaking the small twigs that littered the ground as it moved. Perhaps it was a racc.o.o.n or a fox or maybe even a small deer. But then, to my utter surprise, I saw that it was a human figure, swiftly moving among the trees, clutching what appeared to be a long wooden stake! I could not tell if it was a man or a woman and I was not about to call out and ask. I darted in the opposite direction, genuinely afraid for my safety. After all, there was no help available for miles and the sight of that sharp wooden stake was less than comforting.

My heart raced even more fiercely and the sweat began to flow like a torrent as I fought my way through the brush, now running as fast as my legs could travel. My Thermos full of coffee and the fresh pastries had been left behind as I cut my way deeper and deeper into the forest. Finally, after running for a little more than half an hour, I realized the figure was nowhere in sight. I immediately collapsed and lay on the ground, surrounded by bright flowers and small evergreens. Looking up through the trees, I caught glimpses of the blue sky. It was a cloudless summer's day. Perfect really. Too bad I didn't have the energy to move.

My thoughts then turned to Julian. Surely that wasn't him back there with the stake. Why would he have wanted to scare me? And if it was Julian, at least he would have had the courtesy to reveal himself to me. I then grew angry. Here I was, in the middle of a forest notorious for bears, cougars and wolves and Julian was nowhere in sight. He had said there would be markers that would lead me to him, but I hadn't seen them. To make matters worse, a deranged lunatic with a wooden dagger was hunting for me, and I had no idea how to get back to my four-wheel drive. As a matter of fact, I was totally lost.

Okay. I need to pull myself together,' thought to myself. 'I'm the CEO of a two-billion-dollar company. I have a wonderful wife and two great children whom I love deeply and who need me. I'm going to find my way out of this.'

As I stood up, I heard the something that offered me the hope I was searching for. It was the sound of a stream, flowing along an area of the forest that was much less densely vegetated. I realized this must have been the stream that appeared on the map Julian had left for me. If I crossed the stream, as his instructions had indicated, and followed it for one nule, I would find the Final Resting Place. But which direction was I to travel the one mile in?

I made a guess and headed down the stream. As I progressed, a sense of calmness began to return. Maybe it was the effect of the natural surroundings, the likes of which I had not seen in years. Or perhaps it was because this was the first occasion in a long time that I had taken the time to be by myself.

Eventually, the stream meandered past a particularly rocky area and then along the banks of a large meadow. As I climbed up into this clearing, I saw something very startling. In the center of the meadow stood a small hut made entirely of what appeared to be roses. Surrounding the hut was a vegetable garden and hundreds of exotic flowers. b.u.t.terflies flitted through the air, which was laden with a wonderful scent. The whole sight was dazzling. I knew I had found Julian.

"h.e.l.lo," I called out. "Are you in there, Julian?"

The door of the hut immediately swung open and out came my old friend, beaming. "What took you so long?" he asked. "I've been expecting you for quite a while."

"You wouldn't believe it if I told you. I came here at the crack of dawn, just as you asked. I found your map, read your instructions and started into the woods. I was having a brilliant time until, all of a sudden, some madman started chasing me with a huge wooden stake. I panicked and started to run until I couldn't run any farther. Luckily I lost him and found that stream. It led me right to you. I think I need a drink to calm down. You wouldn't have any of that expensive Scotch you used to drink, would you?"

"My Scotch days are long gone. And as for the madman, don't worry. I know for certain that he wasn't chasing you," Julian said with a surprising degree of certainty.

"How do you know that?"

"Because it was me. I was running through the woods to get this new stake back to this hut before you arrived. You see, this is my home and I'm planning to do some renovations. I needed the stake to hold up the new wing'," he laughed.

"That was you?" I exclaimed. "Julian, I thought I was going to die. Why in G.o.d's name didn't you let me know? I could have had a heart attack!"

Julian put his arm around my shoulder in an effort to comfort me. "I almost did. But then a thought came to me. The reason I invited you here today, into this miraculous forest hideaway where I live, is to share the power of Ritual 4 with you. Ritual 4, as you know from my little gift to you the other night, requires you to Surrender to Change.

"I thought that if you were exposed to a little adventure and discomfort, you might have an even better appreciation of the lessons I planned to share. I sincerely apologize if I frightened you. But I knew you'd be okay. As a matter of fact, I was watching out for your safety at every step of the way. Now, please come into my home and let's get started. We have an important day of learning ahead of us."

Calming down, I asked, "But what do you mean by Surrender to Change? And how would getting me to feel uncomfortable be of any benefit?"

"Change is the most dominant force in the business world today, as I'm sure you know. Technology is changing, society is changing, the political landscape is changing, even the way people work is changing. Did you know that in the early 1900s, 85 percent of the workers in our part of the world were in agriculture? Now this field involves less than 3 percent of the work force. And it was recently reported that more information has been produced in the past thirty years than in the entire 5,000-year period before it!"

"I'm not surprised. Change is driving us crazy at GlobalView. By the time one of our products. .h.i.ts the market it's actually obsolete since we are already testing something even more advanced. People are demanding new methods of doing their work, we are facing more regulation than ever before, our customers' expectations have totally changed and our compet.i.tion is now truly global. It seems that by the time we finally come to grips with one new development, ten more come along."