Your Top 5 Career Investments for 2012

It’s 2012 and it’s time to get serious about investing in yourself, your career and your immediate future. January is just around the corner – and that’s reason enough to take action – and hold yourself accountable for a fresh beginning.

As you reflect upon 2011 – here are a few questions to get you started:

1. Did you get better at your work?

2. Did you help advance those around you? Are you a better leader?

3. Are you more influential? Did you advance your organization’s goals?

4. Did you improve your skill set and your mindset?

5. Did your networking generate a positive ROI?

6. Did your perspectives change about what you should be doing for a living?

7. Did the industry you serve discover your unique talent?

8. Were you asked to give a keynote and/or contribute to a blog?

9. Did you “package yourself (your brand)” better for success?

10. Are you making more money? Do you feel more successful and significant?

If you answered “yes” to 80% or more of these questions – your momentum is strong and your 2012 looks bright. If not, here are a few investments you must strongly consider to ensure that your 2012 gets started on the right track:

1. Smaller Networks of Influential People

Invest in a smaller, more focused network of people that can add value to your career and help give you the insights you need to broaden your perspective. Making the right choices in people will save you time, money and frustration.

Unlike the stock market, when people you invest in aren’t adding value, it is unlikely they willc change. Remember your time is your most precious resource. Know that your network values your time and what you bring to the table. Avoid spending time with leeches and loafers.

2. Improve Your Speaking and Negotiation Skills

Speaking and writing represent two of the most important skills for career success. Mastering the art of communication is more important than ever at a time when trust and relationship building is at a premium.

One of the wisest investments I’ve made is taking an improvisational course. Whether you are shy or not, this class makes you think on your feet and keeps you on your toes. Learning to talk about something you don’t know much about is a powerful skill. This is a non-traditional approach of improving your speaking and negotiation abilities. It’s also a great way to broaden your network.

Another step I recommend is to become familiar with the work of Nick Morgan. He is the most effective communications coach in America and his books and blog deliver immediate benefits.

3. Develop Your Wealth in Resources

Entrepreneurship isn’t just a business term anymore; it’s a way of life. You don’t need to be an entrepreneur to be entrepreneurial. In fact, entrepreneurship isn’t just about making money but rather about creating the wealth in resources that authentic relationships can bring.

Resources can have just as much value as money if you know what you are looking for.

4. Play a more Active Role in the Industry You Serve

If you want to advance in your career, give back to your industry. You may be a hero inside the corporate walls, but what do you mean to the industry that your company is serving? Do people know who you are because of the company you represent or because your talent is extraordinary and could help to develop the future generation of industry leaders?

Make a mark and leave your legacy on your industry. Be active, contribute and earn respect from your peers. Down the road they may help your career.

Also, use this opportunity to connect with the leaders in your industry. Know who they are, what they represent and get to know their back stories. Learn how the industry allowed them to succeed.

5. Evaluate Your Investment and Your Own Progress Each Month

Always work to improve yourself by evaluating your own performance. Write your career goals down, and the steps needed to get there. Evaluate the outcomes each month and course-correct as needed. While getting feedback from your peers and your boss is extremely important, over time you must learn how to evaluate yourself.

In the end, you’ll always know if you are making progress and if your investments are paying off. Others can have an opinion, but your gut will tell you if you are making the right investment decisions. Too often people focus on what others want them to be rather than following their own passions. 2012 will be your year if you focus, invest, and stick to your plan.

Why Your Resume is Becoming Extinct and What to Do About it

As America’s corporations try to figure out how to compete in the global economy, we all need to step back and examine our own abilities and if they are still relevant.     More than ever, employees are reflecting upon their careers and what the future has in store for them.   Some are scared and most uncertain about their career advancement and how to avoid a personal recession. Unfortunately in today’s marketplace an old-fashioned resume just isn’t enough.

When was the last time you reviewed that old resume in detail?  Have you noticed that the success stories that once gave you leverage no longer have the same impact as they did before?   How do you plan to manage your career and its advancement when your resume and skills are becoming extinct?

With the recent announcement by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that America’s unemployment poses a national crisis ringing in our ears, more and more of us are having trouble getting jobs because we are no longer qualified for the jobs that are available. The bottom line is that the market is moving too fast for old skills to remain relevant. 

On top of that, the traditional workplace makes it very difficult for you to market the internally focused skills you’ve developed working at your current job.    The skills sets that we have been taught in the workplace and in business schools no longer are transferable and quickly lose their value.  Through outsourcing and crowdsourcing, it has become much easier and less risky for companies to borrow talent for a defined period of time rather than assuming the growing costs of employment as healthcare inflates and 401ks become less attractive to retain talent.

What steps should you take now to keep yourself relevant?  A few things to reflect upon:

1. What are the characteristics that make you relevant in your work today?
   1. a.     How do they contribute to your success and eventually significance in the organization you serve?   Are you actively investing in these characteristics?   Your investment isn’t just about money alone, but how you are developing the right network of people that can help you make the best investment decisions in support of these (6) characteristics.
2. Are you building your personal employee brand?
   • Ask 20 people to answer the following questions about you
   1. What is your enduring idea? 
   2. What is your primary differentiator?
   3. What is the primary experience that you deliver to those around you?
   4. Whom does your personal employee brand serve?
       If 90% (18 out of 20) give you the same responses, you have a powerful identity that you need to leverage more actively in creating opportunities that matter for your career goals.  If that number is below 90%, you have some work to do and I highly recommend that you download my eBook, Why a Personal Employee Brand will Save Your Career and Your Workplace.    Having an identity that you can control in the workplace is tremendously important before you get ready to make your next move.  

3.  What is your unique Point of View (POV)? 

What gets others to talk about your ideas and perspectives in meaningful and purposeful ways? What is your unique point of view (POV) that can cultivate new growth opportunities for your existing employer – or a new one?  Your POV must help guide a new type of conversation that broadens your impact and influence and that showcases your skills with other influencers in the organization. In today’s marketplace, you must work to get discovered!

I recently met with a senior executive who had just been laid off.   He was not given a legitimate excuse by his employer, just a formal six months’ notice.  When I asked him to answer the aforementioned questions, amongst others, he did not have any real answers.  He looked at me with a blank stare then quickly referred to his resume and reference letters as if to impress me. When he asked me to be frank about my observations of him and his situation, I said, “You have lost your relevancy. You have no game.  Though you have an impressive background and education full of awards and accolades, you need to rewire yourself to think differently about how you represent, sell and package yourself for today’s marketplace.”  Upon reflection he said, “Thank you for the truth, I can’t disagree.  I have worked for my current employer for over 25 years and have lost touch with how the marketplace has changed and what is required to create impact and be relevant.  I have spent most of my career selling people internally that speak the same language and I’m wired to operate in a linear thinking environment.  It’s time for me to start over.”

These are the realities for most of today’s employees and those in transition.   Most people just don’t know how to sell themselves in a genuine way that represents who they really are and the value they are capable of offering an organization.  I suggest that you videotape yourself delivering a 30 second elevator pitch.  Do you like how you sell, what you sound like and the impact that you create? Evaluate yourself critically because in the end you must trust yourself enough to feel that you can make a difference, be relevant, impactful and hirable.   

Here a few final tips that you should be able to consistently deliver to make yourself relevant in your search for career stability, advancement and new opportunities as you navigate the changing terrain:

• Embrace Your Immigrant Values:  focus on seeing and seizing opportunities previous unseen by being your authentic self in the workplace. 

• Always Mitigate Risk:  embrace the ability to lead and manage crisis and change.  Allow risk to be your best friend.  Make sure that others know that you are comfortable with transformational changes.
• Trust Yourself:  never give up in your passionate pursuit to make things happen that make a difference to those around you.  Think about those around just as much as yourself.  This means that you are a dependable team player.
• Be a Thought Leader: share your ideas and ideals freely to help those around you achieve their goals.  Share the harvest of the momentum you are building with others every day by being a community-minded leader.
• Be a Focused Farmer:  shift your mindset to continuously cultivate new ideas in the most fertile grounds.    Continually sow seeds of opportunity that focus on building relationships, advancing commerce and that better humanity. 
• Legacy Builder:  focus on leaving a legacy for the organization your serve and its people so they can teach others how to do the same.     

 Armed with these new approaches to your career and your current job, you can increase your relevance, your portability, and your personal employee brand.  Each of us must take on this challenge to keep ourselves relevant as we navigate the difficult economic waters of the current unstable recovery – and a highly uncertain future job market. 

4 Skills that Give Women a Sustainable Advantage Over Men

In a recent study by Pepperdine University, women in top positions reported beating the industry average in terms of productivity and profitability.  Beth E. Mooney, CEO of KeyCorp, just became the first ever woman chief of a top 20 US Bank. In fact, nearly 52% of managerial or professional positions are now held by women, according to a Catalyst, July, 2011 report. More women are obtaining MBAs than ever before in history. Yet, although major strides have been made by women in every industry, there are only 28 female CEOs in the Fortune 1000 companies according to the Catalyst, August 2011 report.

Nonetheless, it is clear that women are reshaping the landscape of business.  Women are naturally wired to think, act and innovate like immigrants.  Women, more than men, have the ability to see what others don’t, do what others won’t and keep pushing their ideas and ideals when prudence says quit.

These skills taken together mean that women are better than men at earning serendipity! Here’s the breakdown:

1.     Women are Opportunity Experts

Women see opportunity in everything and everyone – their neighbors, friends, family, business associates, strategic partners, etc. Women have the ability to see opportunity and give their ideas life and inspire others to do the same. Women, when given the opportunity to be themselves, are natural leaders!

I have seen time and again how women are much more strategic, focused and keep their eye on the prize.  They are not easily distracted and don’t get their egos in the way.  That is why women just don’t see opportunity, they seize it.   Look at the list of the top women CEO’s world-wide.  Impressive!   Review this list of the 50 most powerful women in America.  Pay attention to these women:  they are reinventing America’s enterprises. 

2.     Women are Networking Professionals

Women are masters of navigation and putting their ideas to the test is their gift. They do this through networking. They follow-up and make sure they sow their seeds of ideas in the most fertile networking ground. Additionally, their inherent ability to be creative allows for the discovery of opportunities that most miss.

The ROI of your business network is only valuable if those in it are willing to risk in your growth.  Unlike men, women stick together and protect one another (though many would equally say that women also fiercely compete against each other too).   At the initial stages of networking, women are gracious and generous in their ability to give and open doors for one another.   They want to feel as if they are making an impact, helping to make a difference in the lives of others.

3.     Women Seek to be Relationship Specialists

Women are specialists at cultivating relationships that are purposeful, genuine and meaningful. They focus on growing healthy, long-lasting relationships. Women don’t quit. They thrive at creating and sustaining momentum for both themselves and others.

Women are masters at facilitating connection points between people, resources and relationships.  This is why women are such effective and efficient leaders.  They don’t waste time and can quickly identify areas to consolidate, organize and strengthen business outcomes.  In fact, some of the best project managers I know are women.  Their attention to detail is uncanny and their ability to track, evaluate and manage change is impressive.  They aim to assure the betterment of a healthier whole.

4.     Women are Natural Givers

Women seek to give to others but also to their communities. Why do you think most non-profits are run by women? Women enjoy living their lives through a cause that serves the advancement and acceleration of societal needs.  This is why in the workplace women are great at inspiring and lifting those around them.  This is why most women leaders are such excellent long-term strategic thinkers.  They are less inclined to rally behind a short-term strategy if a more sustainable approach can be executed.

Additionally, women are socially conscious leaders that serve to cultivate innovation and initiative for both themselves and others.  No wonder the fastest growing sector of small business owners in America are women.

In the end, women are more naturally inclined to represent the immigrant perspective on business leadership.  Like the immigrant, they are wired to survive and thrive in fast-changing times like these and can lead fast changing organizations that desire sustainable growth.  

May this immigrant perspective on business leadership serve you well.

Who Really Owns the 2012 Hispanic Vote?

As the 2012 Presidential campaign begins and questions loom about who the GOP front runner will be and Obama’s second term fate; there is one critical question that remains unasked, let alone unanswered:  Who really owns the Hispanic vote?

It is clear that the Hispanic voice matters.  This is overwhelmingly evident with President Obama’s recent visit to Puerto Rico and the GOP’s efforts in January to begin charting a course of action under the leadership of Jeb Bush – the proclaimed GOP ambassador to Latino voters.   However, it is fair to say that progress is slow and both the Democrats and Republicans are being challenged in their efforts to solidify a trustworthy relationship with the Hispanic community. 

And yet according to one recent report, by the 2012 election, the Latino vote is anticipated to increase by 26 percent to 12.2 million voters, or 8.7 percent of the country's total.  Why are both parties so slow-footed when it comes to courting the Latino vote?  Read More

Haven’t both parties learned from the recent decline in Obama’s loyalty rating amongst Hispanics?  Hispanics may lag some other immigrant groups in achievement to date, but their immigrant perspective makes them more knowledgeable than many believe.

As the Founder of the Center for Hispanic Leadership, I have been personally asked to take an active role in the past 24 months to help bring Hispanics into the political process, in support of specific political candidates.   Whether these requests are coming from PACs or some of the higher ranking candidate advisors themselves – I am appalled by the blatant tactics they use. Therefore, I have declined to help until they get it right.  This is why I am writing this article.  To help the politicians and business leaders understand the real issues.

With over 50 million Hispanics in the US, it’s time that our politicians figure out how to authentically include the voices of Hispanics in real ways.  Failure to do so will mean missing out on relationships, loyalty, markets, customers, employees – and the future of America.    Politicians can learn a lot from America’s corporations that have made progress in recognizing the competitive advantage that cultural intelligence brings to their workforce.   Corporations realize that developing Hispanic leaders gives them an opportunity to innovate in new ways by embracing their cultural roots.  Corporate leaders have learned that in today’s global marketplace, one size doesn’t fit all anymore.

Corporations view their ROI in Hispanic leadership by the impact and influence they can create.  Unfortunately for politicians, their ROI is only measured in votes.

Hispanics must be allowed to own their vote.   And this doesn’t mean that it’s for sale.   The conventional approach to attract voters does not apply to Hispanics.  Remember that Hispanics have trouble trusting others, let alone themselves.  There are many reasons that Hispanics are the fastest growing sector of entrepreneurs in the US.  One reason is that they want to create opportunity for themselves because they do not believe that others are genuinely listening to them.    What too many US politicians fail to recognize is that Hispanics greatly desire to have a voice and make a difference.  This alone is why Hispanics must own their vote.  If they are not allowed to own it, they will continue to believe that their identity represents a liability, rather than an asset, to our country.   

Hispanics in the US are experiencing an identity crisis.  The lack of infrastructure limits their advancement. For years politicians have failed to create new policies and programs for Hispanics, because they don’t see the value of investment in this community.   As a result, Hispanics have been forced to assimilate just to be accepted and it many cases, get a job.  Many Hispanics will tell you that assimilation represents their path to advancement.   

Unfortunately, Hispanics fail to realize that assimilation accelerates their own identity crisis.  As they begin to lose touch with their culture and values, Hispanics lose the ability to contribute in a unique way to the patchwork quilt of the American story.  They lose their own language.

At a time where the US is reinventing itself, our country would benefit from the experiences gained and lessons learned from the immigrant past of 50 million Hispanics whose history in their mother countries have been fueled by reform and revolution.  

The changing demographics in America require that our politicians become more culturally intelligent about Hispanics and begin to empower their voice and encourage them to take action.

The great thing about democracy is that it allows for freedom of expression and the sharing of new ideas and ideals.   Unfortunately, our current political leadership is not taking the opportunity to create a new platform that empowers Hispanics, their cultural roots, unique capabilities and their voice in America (much like what my father did for me). 

And if you empowered the Hispanics, the cultural and economic boom that would follow would dwarf the Internet boom of the late 90s.  This is especially important for the advancement of Hispanic youth who need to believe that Hispanics can play prominent roles.  

Every week I get calls from school districts asking me to speak to their students. As one superintendent told me, “Mr. Llopis, 80% of our school district is of Hispanic origin and these kids desperately need mentors.  They need to hear success stories from Hispanic leaders like you that never sacrificed their cultural identity in order to be successful.   Our students need to know that they are just as capable of achieving higher level jobs and being leaders in their community and work force as anyone else.”

Why continue to ignore the Hispanic voice when they will represent 30% of America in only the next 20 years?   According to the Pew Hispanic Center, 1 in 5 schoolchildren are Hispanic. 

The time has come to include Hispanics throughout the Presidential campaign process by allowing them to reveal their immigrant perspective, circular vision, entrepreneurial spirit, Latin passion, generous purpose and cultural promise -- the natural characteristics that can make them contributors and innovators to business and society in America.  The next 17 months represents a unique opportunity in history to give Hispanics an identity that matters in America.   An identity that allows them to become leaders and that begins to hold them accountable to the same standards of performance as everyone else.   This would generate a tremendous increase in confidence throughout Hispanic communities all across America.   It would create new competition both in the boardroom and the classroom.  Hispanics would become authentic and well respected leaders in America. 

Can you imagine the new types of opportunities that would surface if 50 million people that were not taken seriously before were now empowered to compete on the same level playing field as everyone else?

I have often heard that just because there are over 50 million Hispanics, they deserve more.   This mentality will only hurt America, but will further erode the credibility of Hispanics in the US.  Therefore, the 2012 campaign must find new ways to awaken the sleeping giant by empowering the Hispanics to own their vote so that can become more responsible to the reinvention of America. 

 

America’s Leadership Needs a Re-think

America's Leadership Needs a Re-Think

Leadership in America should be about holding everyone accountable to the highest standard of community and commerce.  It should represent a voice that is diverse in its spirit, attitude and ownership.  A voice that inspires us all to take action for the betterment of a healthier whole; where we can all stand for something that makes us feel that we have each other’s back and that we are pulling for one another’s advancement.

Leadership should not be represented by specific moments in time.  President Obama’s recent surge in the popularity polls because of the successful elimination of Osama bin Laden is not a reflection of good leadership; that’s what we call management.  We find leadership instead in the long hunt for bin Laden – by two presidents and many other people throughout government and the military.    Leadership should be authentic and trustworthy, a voice that holds on to its relevancy, impact & influence through time.  

As a young man, I remember how President Reagan inspired a country.  Reagan was authentic and whether you believed in his policies or not, you believed in him as a person.   He made you feel proud to be an American.   Reagan delivered a message as if it were a two-way conversation.  Many agreed with him, many did not; but all acknowledged his capacity for leadership. 

So, what does leadership look like today in the US?   It appears to be a combination of sensationalism and entitlement.  Think about the following: Arnold, Tiger, Donald, and Sarah — just to name a few.   The fact that we refer to them by their first name says it all. 

Today, the people are not paying attention.  All the noise around us has made it difficult for people to understand the intentions of our leaders and of our own personal responsibility for leadership.    As such, we are quickly losing our leadership identity.  We need leaders who can cut through the noise and remind us of what we are about – and what our personal responsibility is.

As Gen Yer’s get ready to take over the leadership of America, who are their role models and what will define their approach, style and attitude?   Mark Zuckerberg and Lady Gaga?  How can we help this new generation of leaders?  It’s time for us all to step back and ask ourselves the question:  what is my leadership responsibility and how can I act now?  

I welcome your comments and remarks.

The Lack of Cultural Intelligence is Damaging Our Enterprises and Our Economy

More and more leaders are scared for their business.  Not because their products and services are not innovative or relevant, but because they just don’t connect naturally with the changing face of America’s consumers.

The rapid rise of Asian, Hispanic and African-American populations in America is forcing companies to change their business models and their entire business approach.  This shift became quite apparent during a recent meeting with a financial services Senior Executive who said, “Today, I am scared for the future of our business because our employees don’t relate to or with the emerging client base.  We are losing business to Mom and Pop shops that are owned by Hispanics and Asians.  In fact, we are losing the diverse members of our workforce to these same competitors because we lack the cultural intelligence to keep them.” 

If you were asked about your Cultural IQ, what do you think it would be?   Did you know that Hispanics, Asians, African-American and other multicultural groups think, act and innovate differently?  Did you know that they are wired in ways that the traditional workplace continues to ignore?  As a business leader, are you actively encouraging your diverse workforce to be their natural whole selves in everything they do and how they do it?   Do you even know what this requires – or how it can be beneficial for enabling new types of business growth for your organization?

In today’s global marketplace, you must be culturally intelligent.  It’s a business imperative.  America’s corporations are becoming more aware of this need.  However, they still don’t know what to do and how to do it.  Instead they supplement a real strategy by supporting diversity associations, donating to non-profit service groups, and increasing their advertising dollars to target the changing faces of their customers.  But when it comes to being authentic in how they integrate cultural intelligence into their business model, this is where the executives begin to get uncomfortable. 

This lack of cultural competency also pervades politics.   As the 2012 presidential campaigns begin to unfold, the most pressing concerns amongst candidates is how to relate to and with Hispanic voters.  In fact, recently I was asked to meet with a prominent politician who told me that his political party was culturally ignorant about Hispanics.  This person’s team wanted me and my organization to support their political agenda with the hopes of using my reputation amongst Hispanic professionals in the public and private sectors to lure votes, money and influence.     

Our leaders can’t buy cultural intelligence.  It’s not for sale.   You must live it in order to authentically be it.

In the weeks ahead, I will be starting a conversation around why diversity and the need for cultural intelligence will represent the new strategy for sustainable business growth.

How Would Others Define Your Leadership Legacy?

This video is a tribute to my father, Frank Llopis that was Featured on Fox News, America's News HQ on Father's Day Weekend (June 18th-19th).  I am proud to share my father's legacy with you in support of this thought provoking blog:

As America's corporations continue to reinvent themselves, leaders face defining moments.  Many are incumbents waiting for retirement.   Others are new in their leadership capacity and seek to make an immediate difference, while there are those that would rather observe and play it safe.     How leaders handle their defining moments will define the future of their organizations and new opportunities for their colleagues.   It defines their legacy.

What is a leadership defining moment?  A moment that defines the future of your company, its people, and its brand - that changes the lives of its consumers.  When Steve Jobs announced the launch of the iPod, iPhone and iPad.   A defining moment can also be negative -- as, for example, when Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme was revealed.

At a time in America when leaders are focusing on survival and reinvention, they should also be paying attention to their legacy.  Not to promote themselves, but to have a positive impact on the whole organization and community.  What is your leadership agenda?   Does it account for the needs of others and what is most important for the advancement of your organization and its people?

A couple of weeks ago, I challenged America’s leadership and the reaction was overwhelming.   I was amazed by the number of comments that repeatedly questioned the agendas, attitudes and authenticity of our leaders.   People are hungry for authentic and transparent leadership.    They not only want to support an authentic leadership voice, but they also want to be involved.  More than ever, people want to be a part of something meaningful and purposeful.  We are desperate for innovation and entrepreneurship to help restart our economy and reclaim our position as a global market leader in technology, education, automobiles, and the rest.  

Over the past several weeks, I have meet with several Fortune 500 executives.   When I asked one executive about what they desire most for the organization, he responded:  “We need to refresh the mindset and attitude of our employees.   We require new ways of thinking to inspire our culture.   We don’t have the answers like we used to.  We are stuck and we can’t hide from it any longer.”   When asked what he desired his legacy to be, he had trouble finding an answer.

You should always be thinking about your legacy.   It is your duty and others want you to reveal it.   Remember, most people want to be led and your legacy is something that should authentically represent who you are and what you stand for.   Don’t disappoint.  Define your own legacy. It is your personal responsibility to do so.  What would others expect your legacy to be?   Does it represent who you really are?

Leaders must commit themselves to a cultural promise in order to define their legacy.   Why?  Because the challenge that most are faced with requires focusing on others, much more than just themselves.   What is your legacy?  How would others define it?  What actions will you take and encourage others to make after reading this article?

I welcome your perspective.

 

Corporations Must Bring Democracy into the Workplace: A Conversation with WorldBlu, HCL Technologies and Groupon

The immigrant perspective on business leadership embraces transparency, trust, individuality, risk, social responsibility, the entrepreneurial attitude, one’s passion and a promise to be a community-minded leader in the workplace (just to name a few).  We are transitioning from a knowledge-based to a wisdom-based economy.  It’s not only about what you know, but what you do with what you know.  Thriving in this new economy depends on committing yourself to these characteristics and attributes.

Recently, I was approached by Traci Fenton, the Founder + CEO of WorldBlu, a global certification company that specializes in organizational democracy.   Ms. Fenton is a dynamic entrepreneur who is passionate about helping organizations give their people the freedom to reach their full potential.   Her journey to organizational democracy resembles what an immigrant experiences when making the shift from their mother county to the United States.  As Fenton put it, “After taking a trip to Indonesia and learning what it was like to not have any freedom, I came back to my job at a Fortune 500 company where I felt caught in a machine.  I knew there was a better way to flourish in the workplace.”  Fifteen years later, WorldBlu is helping change the framework of how people in the workplace think, act and innovate. 

So what does WorldBlu stand for?   You can learn more about WorldBlu’s certification principals here, but I wanted to dig deeper and speak with a couple of organizations that were recently featured in WorldBlu’s list of the most democratic workplaces in 2011 so that I could share their insights and perspectives.  The 2011 list was highlighted by the next generation of corporations whose business models  embrace the digital age and a flatter hierarchy in the workplace.   As Fenton puts it, “companies that are more efficient with fewer levels of bureaucracy.”  Some of WorldBlu’s most well-known clients include Groupon, Zappos.com, Hulu and others. 

My first conversation was with Vineet Nayar, CEO and Vice Chairman of HCL Technologies (HCLT).  From the moment we began talking, Mr. Nayar was passionate about HCLT supporting Organizational Democracy.  Mr. Nayar is the Author of the book, Employees First, Customers Second, that explores the steps of HCLT’s transformational journey and the need to turn conventional management upside down.  As Nayar puts it, “democratic organizations have a better way of approaching growth and problems because they are innately more collaborative.”

Here’s how the discussion went:

GLL: What does organizational democracy mean to you?

VN:   Many organizations take a command-and-control approach.   I believe that it is about giving people choices; embracing wisdom in the crowd.

GLL: How has organizational democracy empowered your people?

VN:   Our workplace environment propels a ‘we are in this together’ mentality.  Employees feel a deeper sense of accountability.  They feel that they are making a direct impact on the business, and that unleashes positive energy in the workplace.  As a result, our people are motivated less with compensation and more with participation.

GLL:  Describe the ideal employee for organizational democracy?

VN:   I don’t know an employee that doesn’t want to be respected and heard.  It’s not about a particular type of employee, but rather a type of culture and leadership that can view organizational democracy as a vehicle for growth.  Leaders need to realize that democracy in the workplace allows you to reach your goals faster, more efficiently and with wisdom.

GLL: How does organizational democracy fuel innovation?

VN:   It’s about crowdsourcing and the sharing of ideas that come from the minds of people.  For example, our customers rate the ideas of our employees and then we implement their selections.  Also, at HCLT we have launched a management innovation contest with MBA students.  The goal is to empower students to provide the best ideas for our organization and then reward them with our HCL-M prize in collaboration with our Management Innovation Exchange. 

GLL: What do you say to those leaders that are not ready to embrace organizational democracy?

VN:   First of all, I do not consider myself a guru, but rather an experimenter.  What I know is that growth in emerging markets and new business models bring innovation to the center of the table to solve problems to those on the outside looking in.  CEO’s from Fortune 100 companies are seeking advice and they recognize that employee-centricity is a mechanism to solve their problems and grow faster.   All revolutions start with dissatisfaction.  The conventional management model brings with it dissatisfaction and organizational democracy is a viable solution.

My second conversation was with Dan Jessup, the Head of People Strategy at Groupon.  What‘s important for Groupon is to build a different kind of big company.  As Jessup told me, “we’re big on transparency, and staying close to our roots, what we stand for, as we grow.  With growth this fast, we have to trust and respect our people and show them that we care and that we are listening.” 

Here’s what Dan said:

GLL: What does organizational democracy mean to you?

DJ:    An environment where collaboration occurs and where one person doesn’t have all of the right answers.    Where results are attained by recognizing the contributions of all employees.

GLL: How does organizational democracy fuel innovation?

DJ:    Groupon supports cross functional teams.   We place an importance on having multiple voices in a decision.   We respect what our employees have to say.   We value their voice and encourage their ideas.   This builds confidence and the overall performance of our employees.

GLL: Based on your support of organizational democracy, what kind of talent does Groupon seek to recruit? 

DJ:    People who are never truly satisfied. Though they may be top performers, they want to exceed their own expectations.   We seek to recruit people that never want to be bored as this will reflect in the interactions with our subscribers.    Finally, we look for people who blend confidence and humility; people who are comfortable moving at an uncomfortable pace.   Groupon is a successful company, but we realize that we don’t have a long history or all of the answers.  We are creating an industry segment and that starts with finding the best talent and keeping them happy.

These interviews showcase the immigrant perspective on business leadership at work.  These organizations are embracing change in the workplace, focusing on continuous innovations, and allowing their employees to have a voice that matters.   

Thank you, WorldBlu, HCLT and Groupon.   Organizational democracy represents the future of enterprise and leadership in today’s fiercely competitive global marketplace.

Immigrant Leadership Is Needed to Reinvent America’s Corporations

After last week’s blog, many of you asked me to expand upon the concept of “immigrant leader” and its roots.   The immigrant leader is closely related to the entrepreneur – the entrepreneur with experience, the entrepreneur who can find opportunity when no one else can.

This entrepreneur operates much like the immigrant, without boundaries. His endeavors are not industry specific, economically specific, or socially specific.  They are only opportunity specific.

Unlike most people, the immigrant and the entrepreneur are not motivated to find the perfect job, the perfect salary, or the perfect industry. Instead, they’re motivated to discover great opportunity. The field before them is the universe, without boundaries, expectations, or rules of engagement.

The immigrant leader believes that great opportunities are rare only to those who can’t see them.

The immigrant leader proves that great opportunities are abundant time and again through her ability to see past the social, political, or economical labels placed on the opportunities all around her. The secret of the immigrant is that she does not idealize her work. Instead of wading in the waters of half commitment until something finally moves her, she dives headlong into every opportunity, knowing that many opportunities are hidden behind the labels a culture or society gives them.   The immigrant leader immediately goes about sowing opportunity with her own hands, then growing it, for she knows that it is the only way to keep control of the opportunity.

Some say that immigrants are a drag on the economy, but the opposite is true. Immigrants are creating companies and jobs at a rate that outpaces the native population. They are seizing more opportunities and in doing so, creating more for themselves and others.

A classic article by Bronwyn Lance of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution provided surprising research that supports this immigrant wisdom. In an attempt to quantify the contributions of immigrants, the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution (AdTI) researched a well-known indicator of technological innovation—issuance of new patents—to measure immigrants’ inventiveness and spirit of enterprise. Examining 250 recently issued U.S. patents chosen at random, AdTI found that over 19 percent of the patents in a random sample of 48 were issued to immigrants alone or to immigrants collaborating with U.S.-born co-inventors – twice their proportion in the U.S. population. The immigrant inventors identified in the study included researchers, executives, entrepreneurs, and an MIT professor. Four started their own businesses, generating over 1,600 jobs.

People say that great opportunities are rare, but this is true only for those who don’t know where to look.  The immigrant leader knows that great opportunities are always reaching for you.  We must all learn to reach back.

The world is redefining itself.   The global economy is resetting itself.  As such, America’s corporations and its leadership are reinventing themselves.  Immigrant leaders will play an integral role in providing a fresh new perspective to enterprise. 

Indeed, it’s already happening.  Some of the largest and emerging corporations in the US are being led by those that embrace the immigrant perspective.  Here are just a few: 

• Amazon: Jeff Bezos
• Avon Products:  Andrea Jung 
• PepsiCo:  Indra Nooyi
• Xerox:  Ursula Burns
• Zappos: Tony Hsieh
• AT&T: Ralph de la Vega
• Alcoa:  Klaus Kleinfeld
• Coca-Cola: Muhtar Kent

You probably noticed a good percentage of women on this list.   In the weeks ahead I will address why women in particular embrace the immigrant perspective and what it stands for.    Like immigrants, women leaders are naturally wired to pioneer passionately, anticipate crisis and manage change, and to see things that others don’t.  Women are innovation-minded, socially responsible and serve to deliver a cultural promise.

The immigrant perspective on business leadership is very real, and more of it belongs in America’s corporations during this period of survival, renewal and reinvention.

The Immigrant Leader vs. the Traditional Leader: The 3 Essential Differences

Leadership in today’s fiercely competitive global market requires a new fresh approach, attitude and mindset.  The following represents the three (3) primary differences between traditional leaders and immigrant leaders.  Immigrant leaders are the ones to emulate if you are to create and sustain positive momentum in your work.

Difference #1: The traditional leader looks to increase income; an immigrant leader looks to increase influence.

The world of business is full of wealthy people who are fixated only on keeping their money. These people will always have their ups and downs. No matter how much money they have, they will not be able to avoid great misfortunes. Some of the world’s greatest moneymakers have filed for bankruptcy. Some have filed more than once.  These people will eventually fail to sustain their momentum because they look primarily to increase income rather than influence.

The wealthy person without influence will always be at risk of betrayal, because people are only loyal to his money.  If you want to avoid misfortune, you must increase your influence. 

Influence is the greatest single force in the business world when properly obtained.  True influence is earned only through the respect of others. To build your foundation of good fortune on anything but genuine influence is to build your foundation on sand.

The mortgage industry has collapsed, and many have faced great misfortune. Which ones have escaped the blow? The few who maintained genuine influence among those they work with and serve.  The immigrant leader looks primarily to earn and sustain influence with the source of all income: people.

Difference #2: The traditional leader leans on expanding creativity; an immigrant leader leans on expanding community.

The traditional leader invests in the next business opportunity.  He must constantly differentiate himself from others. He must always find a way to create space in which he can be recognized. He is thus always in competition, and even at the top of his game he will not win every time.

The immigrant leader takes a different approach and instead invests the abundance of his wealth in expanding his community. His strategy for success is to increase support around him. In doing so, he leans on the security that comes from many people wanting him to succeed.

The immigrant leader’s success will be their success. This leader need only listen to the needs of his growing community in order to know how to navigate his next opportunity.  The strongest brands in the world, such as IKEA, are experts in this skill, and it is the reason they are so difficult to supplant. Many desire their good fortune to continue, and thus the only way to topple them is to somehow take away the respect of the community.

The employee with the greater measure of respect and support within the company will most often get the promotion, the raise, and in general, the better opportunities. Thus the employee who sustains a momentum of good fortune that propels him up the corporate ladder is most often the one who leans on a strategy of expanding his community.

Difference #3: The traditional leader desires to make a mark; an immigrant leader desires to leave a legacy.

The traditional leader’s work makes only a temporary mark that will eventually wear off.  The immigrant leader takes a different approach and thus has a much different effect. He seeks, ultimately, to leave a legacy that will bring continued good fortune to many lives after he or his company is gone. He employs a strategy to collaborate with a select few who will not only benefit from his good fortune but also be prepared to continue cultivating a perpetual harvest in the months and years after he has gone.

This legacy of good fortune is first passed to a small number of supporters in order that they themselves will begin producing a similar harvest of good fortune. The immigrant leader understands that it is not his name that must reverberate after he is gone but rather the good fortune his name has earned.

In the end, there is only individual effort, but no individual purpose.

If you want to create and sustain a legacy of good fortune, you must ultimately create a community in the business of bettering the world. This is the legacy of an immigrant leader