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.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit is About Connecting the Dots that Don’t Yet Exist

The entrepreneurial spirit isn’t just about money alone.  It’s about building wealth through resources that only great relationship can bring.  It’s about connecting the dots:  those connection points of intelligence, wisdom, desire and ability that exist amongst people and having the intuitiveness to not only know that they exist but what to do with them to continuously cultivate innovation and initiative. This is what Steve Jobs did every day of his life: he used his intuition to connect dots of opportunity that didn’t exist knowing that they would someday.

As we celebrate the life and legacy of Steve Jobs, ask yourself:  how many dots are you connecting on a daily basis?   Are you fueling the life of your ideas by being courageous enough to know where the dots exist?  Or are you unknowingly giving your ideas to others to fuel their selfish agendas?

Steve Jobs was a community-minded leader that focused on the advancement of the world.  He created tools (products) to inspire people to share and advance their own ideas.   Steve Jobs cared about being significant at the risk of his own health along the way.

As you think about the dots you want to connect in your life, I would like to share a quote from Steve Job’s now memorable Stanford University commencement speech in 2005:

“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

It simple terms:  Trust Yourself.  Trust yourself to think big, make a difference and be impactful in everything you do every day for the betterment of a healthier whole.  You can’t do this alone.   Steve Job’s gift was that he trusted himself enough to navigate his life’s journey in the face of tremendous adversity and along the way he created wealth and opportunities through the resources that only great relationships can bring.

Thank you, Steve Jobs for your trusting yourself enough to connect the dots that didn’t exist to change the world.  

 

 

 

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.

Set a Career Strategy Now to Beat Your Competitors!

We all recognize that in today’s marketplace we must create a strategy for change in our career, whether it's within a current role or taking on an entirely new career path.  Unfortunately, most people just don’t trust themselves enough to define their career strategy since this is the basis for ultimate accountability and transparency.   Yet, given our challenging economic times, our economy can no longer wait.  People must stop procrastinating and start defining their career strategy not only for their own advancement but also for the betterment of a healthier whole.   America’s reinvention and the fiercely competitive global marketplace demand it.   The marketplace is just moving too fast and most people don’t even realize that their market value is quickly becoming a commodity. Especially since the rules of business engagement are being redefined by developing countries. 

International business leaders believe America’s workplace is lazy and unable to contribute in meaningful and purposeful ways to the weakening economy.   They believe America’s current economic duress is nothing compared to the reform, revolution and the wars that have been fought for independence and democracy in developing countries.   As such, these business leaders are carefully monitoring each move we make and how we are reacting to the unexpected changes in our business climate. 

As more immigrants invest in themselves to pursue the American dream, US-based companies are looking actively to recruit them.   The United States may be the land of opportunity, but those who lead America’s corporations are disproportionally immigrants with an immigrant's hungry perspective.  This means that today’s workforce must pay more attention to their foreign-born counterparts that are perceived as more able to thrive in today’s fast changing times.  

What does this mean to you?  Don’t get comfortable with your career status.  

More than ever, you must refresh your perspective and evaluate your skills sets and capabilities to see what has already lost its value.  In fact, ask your boss how relevant you are to your organization and its future.  One thing is certain:  you should be more concerned about whether you are investing in the right skills sets and leadership aptitude. 

With America’s growing reputation of employing a lazy workforce that doesn’t want to roll-up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, our US-based value proposition of the past is becoming difficult to sell.  It’s time to lift your game. 

You must define your career strategy with just as much focus as Pepsi does when competing against Coke.  There is a new game in town that most people are ignoring.   This game is neither being defined nor made in America.   It is being crafted by developing countries that are emerging as new world leaders and the new American Fortune 500 founders.

What are you passionate about?  What excites you most?  This should define your career strategy and inspire you.  This is what your foreign-born competitors are doing.   They are focused and are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to tend to their family, cultivate their legacy and make a difference that matters.

It’s time to revitalize our passion and desire to compete, get better and make a difference in our careers.  Define your career strategy today before it’s too late!   

Note:  If you are interested in knowing whether or not you are applying the skills-sets and capabilities that are most relevant for you to succeed and thrive in today’s new workplace, please take the following assessment.   This assessment will specifically measure your ability to use the (6) natural characteristics that define your immigrant values in your everyday work life; the immigrant values that exist within you and that will give you a competitive advantage in today’s fiercely competitive global marketplace.

Why a Personal “Employee Brand” Will Save Your Career and Your Workplace

The traditional promise of long-term corporate employment has vanished. We’re moving from a top-down, hierarchical workplace to a more transparent, flat and collaborative environment. Only those who develop strong personal employee brands will survive – and enable their organizations to survive.

You have to shift your thinking from the organization as provider to the organization as enabler. As your work life becomes more mobile, increasingly you need to have a clear brand to carry you from one (temporary) employment situation to the next.  Failure to do so leaves you vulnerable, rather than in charge of your career. You’ll experience all the worst aspects of the increased insecurity without reaping any of the benefits of the increased mobility, such as flexibility, freedom, and the right not to work in an unfulfilling job. In a world of temporary employees, personal employee brands become paramount if you are to remain relevant in your work and throughout your career.

You must invest in yourself, and in your community – which becomes larger than just your current job – to succeed.

I just completed a new 30 page eBook, Why a Personal Employee Brand will Save Your Career and Your Workplace that addresses these issues and offers a series of steps to help you get started in developing your own personal employee brand to ensure your relevance and power in the workplace of the future.  Click here and download for free as a token of my appreciation for your readership, commentary and support.

Onward!

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.

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