Wrong thing well or right thing poorly. Which do you prefer?

People at the top (however you define that) are more in need of support, coaching, or even just “an ear” than most, and yet they are the least likely to get it. High achievers are afraid to show any limitations. Asking for help – whatever that form takes – is to admit weakness, and our culture does not take kindly to ‘weak leaders’ who need help.
So, how do we want our leaders to be? What is our model of the perfect leader?

If we don’t expect them to need help, then I fear we are expecting too much of them, and, at the same time, we are creating a ‘vicious cycle’ from which we won’t escape.

The norms and mores of our society have created unrealistic expectations, and as a result we see smart, ambitious people who are less productive and satisfied than they should or could be. Anxiety about performance compromises progress, resulting in lower levels of risk-taking and plateauing careers.
It is not unusual to see high potential achievers avoiding tough projects so as to avoid failing, or being seen to fail, so that they do not mess up their image.
In other words, many people would rather do the wrong thing well, than do the right thing poorly.

What’s the way out of this bind - this conspiracy of ‘under-achievement’?

Well, responsibility has to start with the individual. There has to be a recognition of one’s own fears, derailers and limiting beliefs. Coaching is a hugely powerful tool to help people towards that personal insight which is necessary before moving forward. From this state clarity emerges, and people start to recognise that they must be courageous and step out of the comfort zones they have been hiding within.

Progress is only achieved by taking on new learning experiences, and indeed failing at them. Being vulnerable, humble and open to learning are pre-requisites to success and continued attainment.

Here are some practical steps that you can take (courtesy of Thomas J. DeLong and Sara DeLong, the Paradox of Excellence, Harvard Business Review, Jun2011, Vol. 89, Issue 6)

Put the Past Behind You
Everyone’s had negative experiences when undertaking new challenges, but we tend to overplay past bad experiences and make irrational comparisons with our current situation. Painful memories can be put to work as aids to our improvement, rather than remain obstacles to change.

Use Your Support Network
High achievers are, typically, very independent and don’t consider that they need a lot of help. As they rise in organisations, they may become ever more reluctant to admit to fear, or confusion, or incompetence. They may also confide only in others who tell them what they want to hear, and not what they need to hear. So, seek honest feedback, genuinely and openly, from as wide a network as possible, however painful it may feel, and use it to learn and grow.

Become Vulnerable
Become more comfortable with uncertainty or acknowledging mistakes with people who are close to you. There is a high chance that some of the people around you are also high achievers and have similar behavioural reactions as you, so when you make the brave step of being vulnerable, you set a great example to those around you that invites them to do the same.

Focus on the Long Term
Major goals can withstand interim setbacks. When you stay focused on the big picture, you can afford to give yourself some latitude to take a few wrong turnings or make a few mistakes. Long-term success requires willingness to commit to necessary short-term risks.

You Cannot Lead without Inquiry

Too many people in positions of authority operate from a position of fear. Fear of not knowing, fear of being found out, fear of looking incompetent, fear of losing what has taken them years to attain.  This is true in companies, public service and politics. People who are in these positions are rarely stupid.  Being smart is usually a big factor in them getting to where thet are. But, once they are there, something seems to kick in which is profoundly 'anti-learning'. To paraphrase the great Chris Argyris, "Smart People find it tough to Learn".

Today's story in The Nation of Hamza Kashgari, a 23-year-old journalist, who faces potential death for daring to question, shines a powerful spotlight on the fear with which 'leaders' operate. As a species we progress by learning.  We are problem solvers, we are cognitive thinkers, we naturally question, challenge and inquire. It is by doing so that we have overcome the multitude of obstacles that have stood in the way of our evolution over millenia. But, we do not and cannot stand still. To do so would consign the human race to extinction, probably through self-destruction. More than ever before, we require enormous learning on a global scale. We need creativity and innovation, we need it networked and con-joined, we need collaboration, we cannot afford to shut down any avenues of possible learning. We need advances, leaps of logic, and 'open and questioning minds' that will take our species forward together to solve the biggest problems we have ever had to deal with - drought, famine, economy, conflict, climate change, energy, pestulance, AIDS, malaria, and the list goes on.
Shutting down inquiry, especially in our young people, is a fast-track to self-destruction. It may preserve the 'Leaders' position in the short term, it saves face, it avoids embarrassment, it re-asserts authority and quells insubordination, but all at the expense of 'learning'.  The best Leaders through history have demonstrated that they contnue to change, they recognise that the circumstances that surrounded them while getting to where they have reached are continously changing, and so must they. They adapt, they are flexible in their approach, and they continuously learn. They do this by continuing to ask questions.  They do not fear that they will be seen as incompetent in doing so. They encourage others to do the same, they create a safe and open space for inquiry, because they know that this is the surest way to keep learning.

I wish Hamza well in his fight for justice and his right to learn.

Golf or Curling?

I've just returned from one of the most interesting games of golf I've ever had. I asked the pro at Ridgeway Golf Club if the course was open AND was it playable. No problem he says, there's been a few out there already. On the way in I had spotted patches of the white stuff out on the course (it is after all up on the Caerphilly Mountain road). This never prepared me for what was to follow. 

Every green was like concrete, and some like ice rinks. Some of the fairways resembled glaciers, and of course, did I have anything other than white golf balls in my bag? Of course not. This was the one day in the year that orange, yellow, blue, anything but white would have been ideal. But, I treated it as a challenge, and actually thoroughly enjoyed this variant of the game. A brush and a curling stone would have been more useful on the greens than a ball and putter. I had the course to myself. Hmmm!! Perhaps there was a reason for that. But, never believe the Ridgeway pro when he tells you the course is playable. Always insist on checking for which sport he means.